Big Huge Reader Contest - Day 19!

Reckless Liasions by Kayleigh Jamison
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Historical Romance

It's June already? Pack my things, we're going to the country! In Regency England, June marked the unofficial end of the Season, when the Haute Ton deserted London and returned to their country estates - London in summer was hot and the smell of the city left something to be desired (though you won't often hear of that in a romance novel). The Season is frequently used in romance novels today, in part, for its convenience. It was the one time of year when most of British high society congregated in one place and one was liable to see anyone anywhere. This creates endless, potentially delicious possibilities for the romance hero and heroine.

The Season began each year with the sitting of Parliament some time after Christmas, and was in full-swing by Easter, when the last stragglers returned to the city, though he "official" beginning of the Season was in May. The official close of the season was August 12th, the Glorious Twelfth, coinciding with the adjournment of Parliament and the opening of Grouse-hunting season. So what did one do during the Season?

To borrow a modern phrase, party your ass off. The Season was a frenetic, busy time, particularly for a young lady just entering society. According to Michelle Jean Hope (http://www.literary-liaisons.com/article024.html), "[o]nce presented, a prospective bride could reasonably attend 50 balls, 60 parties, 30 dinners and 25 breakfasts all in one season." That's a hell of a lot of socializing.

In Reckless Liaisons, I took the first half of the book away from London and the hectic atmosphere of the Season. The book's hero is gruff and reclusive and encounters his heroine in a setting where he has the upper hand. When and how the story shifts back to the city is something you'll have to read to discover.

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Kayleigh Jamison Website

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Thursday 13 - #14!

On July 6th a favored author of mine passed away. Kathleen E. Woodiwiss was a master in the historical romance since her first book The Flame and the Flower back in 1972, an instant NYTimes Bestseller ["creating literary precedence"] and remains an all time favorite of mine. I was looking forward to her next book, Everlasting, noted as coming out October 2007, hopefully it still will.

There aren't many of these for me, less than 10, but yes, she was one of my automatic buys - hardcover, anthology, whatever, I was there on release day.

So, in her memory, here are the 13 books she wrote over an impressive 35 year career.

1. The Flame and the Flower - ebook available

2. The Wolf and the Dove - ebook available

3. Shanna - ebook available

4. Ashes in the Wind - ebook available

5. A Rose in Winter - ebook available

6. Come Love a Stranger - ebook available

7. Beyond the Kiss, Married at Midnight

8. Petals on the River - ebook available

9. The Elusive Flame - ebook available

10. So Worthy My Love - ebook available

11. Forever in Your Embrace - ebook available

12. A Season Beyond a Kiss - ebook available

13. The Reluctant Suitor - ebook available

It looks like HarperCollins are starting to give all these books new covers, but I'm not all that keen on them. They show a single woman in various outdoor scenery...and appear kind of blah.