I’m absolutely ecstatic to share the news that LORD HOLT TAKES A BRIDE has earned a starred review from Library Journal!!!
Lorret, Vivienne. Lord Holt Takes a Bride. Avon. (Mating Habits of Scoundrels, Bk. 1). Apr. 2020. 384p. ISBN 9780062976598. pap. $7.99. HISTORICAL ROMANCE
Proving that one can never take a romance title too literally, the eponymous hero, Lord Holt, does indeed take a bride—straight from the church where she is set to marry another man. Technically, Winnifred Humphries has already made up her mind not to marry the odious Mr. Woodbine, but she wasn’t expecting the dashing Asher, Lord Holt, to be the man in her getaway carriage. Asher plans to ransom the headstrong heiress to get back the money her friends stole during his recent (accidental) kidnapping, when they tried to interview him for their guidebook, The Mating Habits of Scoundrels. Things go sideways for Winn and Asher when they’re shot at by thugs, and they’re soon on the run in the country, dodging thieves, thunderstorms, and suspicious farmers with pitchforks. Along the way, Winn starts to feel desirable for the first time, overcoming a lifetime of criticism about her weight, and Asher slowly realizes that some things are more valuable than money. VERDICT A rollicking Regency road trip with plenty of heat. Fans of Lorret (The Rogue To Ruin) will devour; new readers will want more.—Kathryn Howe, Saint John Free P.L., NB
I can’t wait to share Winn and Asher’s story with you (less than 4 weeks to go)! 🙂
Have you ever spotted a little ray of sunlight peering down through the clouds and felt the warmth of it on your face just when you needed it most? That’s how this lovely review for LORD HOLT TAKES A BRIDE from Booklist makes me feel, and I’m so grateful to be able to share it with you. <3
“Lorret debuts her new the Mating Habits of Scoundrels series with a whimsically winning Regency-set historical that deftly plays with popular romantic tropes such as the runaway bride with great success. Readers who crave love stories generously dusted with plenty of fairytale charm, flirty wit, and fun sensuality will find this hits their reading spot.”
A lovely Valentine’s Day surprise greeted me this morning and I’m thrilled to share it with you… the cover for MY KIND OF EARL.
USA Today bestselling author Vivienne Lorret continues her charming new trilogy with a bluestocking whose search for information on the mating habits of scoundrels has her stumbling upon the missing heir to an earldom… in the London underworld.
Jane Pickerington never intended to start a brawl in a brothel. She only wanted to research her book. Yet when her simple study of scoundrels goes awry, she finds herself coming to the rescue of a dark, enigmatic stranger… who turns out to be far more than an average rake out for a night of pleasure. He’s positively wild!
Only the most feral and cunning could have survived foundling homes and work houses. Orphaned as an infant, Raven never had another name. At least… not until he meets her. Now he’s face-to-face with the one person who recognizes the strange birthmark on his arm and can reinstate him to his blue-blooded birthright.
All at once, Raven’s life takes a turn. His knowledge of dark alleys and gaming hells never prepared him for gilded ballrooms. So Jane becomes his tutor. Yet, the more lessons in decorum she offers, the more this untamed scoundrel wants to teach her all the ways to be wicked.
~*~
In other news, I’m thrilled to announce an upcoming book signing at my local Barnes & Noble!
With the official release of LORD HOLT TAKES A BRIDE on March 31st, this will be a special “early-release” signing on March 28th at 2 p.m. I’ll have bookmarks and pink pens (and most likely some chocolate) on hand for anyone who drops in for a visit.
What: Early-Release book signing for LORD HOLT TAKES A BRIDE Where: Barnes & Noble 6501 Grape Rd, Mishawaka, IN 46545 When: March 28, 2020, at 2:00 p.m.
It’s hard to believe that it’s February already. And what year is this exactly?
The older I get, time seems to zoom by in a blur. Days meld with weeks and somehow weeks turn into months and before I know it, I’m in the second month of a new decade. (Yes, I’ve been a bit slow in taking it all in.) 😉
But now I’m here in 2020. *waving hello*
Last week, I turned in MY KIND OF EARL (book #2 in the Mating Habits of Scoundrels series) to my lovely editor. And for the first time in months, I’m taking a few days to breathe, to recharge, and to get organized (or… you know… to pretend that I’m getting organized).
Part of my to-do list is preparing for an upcoming book signing with my local Barnes & Noble (Mishawaka, Indiana). The exact date is yet to be determined, but it will happen in March just before the release of LORD HOLT TAKES A BRIDE. I’ll post any updates here.
In the meantime, the bookmarks for the signing have already arrived! And I’m so excited that I don’t want to wait to share them. So… if you would like a bookmark, please feel free to visit my “contact” page and send me a request, along with your mailing address.
Wishing each of you a 2020 filled with effervescent laughter, cozy warmth, quiet moments, and the good fortune of plugging in your USBs on the first try every time.
LORD HOLT TAKES A BRIDE earns a lovely review from Publishers Weekly: “Asher and Winn are endearingly complex characters with wit and chemistry to spare. Romance readers will be delighted.”
LORD HOLT TAKES A BRIDE (March 31, 2020)
I feel so incredibly honored and blessed and thrilled, and I cannot wait to share this book with each of you.
For all the present-under-the-tree-shakers and gift-in-the-closet-peekers who need just a glimpse of LORD HOLT TAKES A BRIDE in order to survive the next 16 weeks until Asher and Winn’s story hits shelves (3/31/20), this is for you. 🙂
“Winn, this isn’t the time to be shy,” Asher said from the base of the ladder. “Toss down your dress.”
She blushed to the roots of her hair. Unfortunately, even turning crimson wasn’t enough to warm her frozen fingers and stop her teeth from chattering.
“I’m n-not b-being shy,” she stammered, fumbling with the fastenings. “Y-you’ve already s-seen me w-without the dress.”
“You’re quite right. Therefore, there’s no reason to stand upon ceremony.”
Before she could ask what he meant by that, the top of his head emerged over the edge of the loft. She might have gasped at his audacity, but then the rest of him came into view and her mind whirred to a sudden stop.
Asher Holt was naked.
Well, mostly. His bare, broad shoulders and sinewy arms appeared first, muscles shifting and bunching beneath his skin as he navigated the final rungs—and far more adeptly than she had done. Then he unfolded from a crouch, and stood.
Her greedy eyes skimmed the length of him, taking in every . . . blessed . . . inch.
This morning, I did the thing. You know, that cartoonish thing when you see a shadow scurrying across the floor and leap onto a chair? Ugh. I’m not proud of it. Even as it was happening, a wash of shame and absurdity rushed over me.
There I was, still groggy from sleep and not a drop of tea in me, and then I saw it… a minotaur-sized Indiana centipede. It scuttled on a determined path by my feet, doubtless fueled by a lust for blood.
Arrested, I took in every nearby weapon at my disposal: my laptop (too expensive and too cumbersome to wield in a do or die situation); a stack of books (but I cringed at the thought of ever holding them in my hands again after they’d been sullied by arthropod goo); and a decorative pillow (the burly bug would have shrugged off the attack and issued a low taunting chuckle, “Is that all you’ve got, lady?”).
So, left without any options, I leapt to the chair, heart hammering in my neck, lungs shrinking to the size of bubble wrap and ready to burst.
The sudden jolt of activity was enough to rouse my sluggish brain into full wakefulness. And that’s when I remembered that these beasts could climb.
Leaping from the chair with a distance that could rival any ballerina on her worst day, I dashed across the floor and retrieved the Lysol from the bathroom. Sufficiently armed with a yellow can that promises to kill 99.9%, I went back to face the monster. Only to find him gone. Vanished. And likely plotting a path upstairs to my bedroom where he will lay in wait amidst the woodgrain of my furniture.
Lorret, Vivienne. Lord Holt Takes a Bride. Avon. (Mating Habits of Scoundrels, Bk. 1). Apr. 2020. 384p. ISBN 9780062976598. pap. $7.99. HISTORICAL ROMANCE
