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Leigh Michaels

Guest Post and Giveaway with Leigh Michaels, author of The Wedding Affair

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 Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel

Today Leigh Michaels is visiting the blog.  She is here to talk about her latest release, The Wedding Affair.  I posted a review for this book yesterday – I loved it!  Three loves stories for the price of one 🙂  Sourcebooks is generously offering two complete sets of this trilogy as a giveaway!!  That would be two copies of The Mistress’ House, Just One Season in London and The Wedding Affair.  I have read two of these three and loved them both!!

Leigh Michaels Guest Post, Author of The Wedding Affair

Since The Wedding Affair is my third Regency-period historical, it’s a great time to talk about the number three and all the ways it shows up in this book. Like my previous historicals, The Mistress’ House and Just One Season in London, The Wedding Affair is a triple story: three heroes, three heroines, and three romances woven into one book.

A lot of authors write trilogies, three books which are connected in some way, but not many of us have tackled the challenge of interweaving three sets of characters, three separate stories, into just one book.

I only did it by accident.

A few years ago, after writing 80 sweet traditional category romances, I burned out and felt that I didn’t have anything new to say, so I took a break from writing. When I came back to fiction, I started writing what I thought was a short story. “Only it won’t end!” I wailed to my critique partner, who wisely said that perhaps my short story was a book instead. But I knew it wasn’t! It might be a novella, but not a full book. “Then there are more stories,” she said.

And that’s how The Mistress’ House came about—three novellas, which all happen in a hideaway in Regency London, connected by the continuing characters and by the house itself (which became a character before it was over).

I happened to be talking to Deb Werksman, an acquisitions editor at Sourcebooks, about an entirely different subject and she wanted to know what I was writing and asked to read the book. She loved the idea of the triple story, and after we contracted for that book and two others, I started thinking about how I could stretch my wings even more—this time by interweaving the stories throughout the book. So that’s the pattern I used for Just One Season in London and now again in The Wedding Affair. All six main characters are on stage, interacting and affecting each others’ stories as well as participating in their own.

In The Wedding Affair, the three heroines—Olivia, Kate and Penelope—are all feeling desperate. Olivia is widowed with a daughter to support, so her choices are cruelly limited. After the death of her father, Kate must seek a way to make a living—and quickly. Though Penelope has plenty of money, she’s caught in a loveless marriage of convenience. When they’re invited to the wedding of the Duke of Somervale’s sister, each of the women sees the gathering as an opportunity – Olivia to find security for her daughter, Kate to find a way to support herself, and Penelope to turn her cold marriage into something bearable.

So Olivia is open to the proposition of the Duke of Somervale, who’s madly dodging bridesmaids, to pretend that he’s courting her – with a passionate affair on the side… Kate collides with a man from her past, adventurer Andrew Carlisle, who makes her question whether security is really what she wants… and Penelope sets out to seduce her husband, the Earl of Townsend – if only she can figure out how!

I hope you’ll love these characters and their intertwined stories as much as I loved writing them.

THE WEDDING AFFAIR BY LEIGH MICHAELS – IN STORES SEPETEMBER 2011

You’re invited to the wedding of the year!
The Duke of Somervale, whose sister’s wedding is the event of the ton, is fighting off debutantes and desperately needs help from beautiful, stubborn Olivia Reyne. But she is engrossed with problems engulfing her dearest friends and family. The last thing Olivia needs is to be embroiled with a duke whose dark gaze makes her forget herself entirely…

Discover a new side of a beloved author as Leigh Michaels draws you into the glittering, glitzy world of Regency England and an affair you’ll never forget.

About the Author
Leigh Michaels is the author of nearly 100 books, including 80 contemporary novels, more than a dozen non-fiction books and three Regency romances from Sourcebooks Casablanca: The Mistress’ House, Just One Season in London and The Wedding Affair. More than 35 million copies of her romance novels have been published by Harlequin. A 6 time RITA finalist, she has also received two Reviewer’s Choice awards from RT Book Reviews, and was the 2003 recipient of the Johnson Brigham Award. Leigh also teaches romance writing on the Internet at Gotham Writers’ Workshop.  She lives in Ottumwa, Iowa.  For more information, please visit www.leighmichaels.com

The Wedding Affair by Leigh Michaels

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Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel

Today is a review for Leigh Michael’s latest – The Wedding Affair.  If you drop back tomorrow, we are having the author visit the blog and Sourcebooks is allowing me to give away two complete sets of Leigh Michael’s current set of books ((The Mistress’ House, Just One Season in London and The Wedding Affair)  So…drop by tomorrow and enter the giveaway!

The Wedding Affair by Leigh Michaels
ISBN: 978-1-4022-4421-6
Release: September 2011
Source : Sourcebooks

The Duke of Somervale’s sister is getting married in the wedding of year — but the wedding guests are in the mood for affairs, not vows!
The Duke needs the help of beautiful, stubborn Olivia Reyne to fight off the debutantes who have taken over his country estate. Olivia’s willing to help — at a price which will secure the future for her small daughter.
Penny Townsend sees the wedding as her last chance to salvage her arranged marriage and turn it into something more than a matter of convenience.
And vicar’s daughter Kate Blakely needs a job — and fast — before she gives in to the tempting presence of her first love!

Simon, the Duke of Somervale has arrived at the family home in advance of his sister’s wedding.  Much to his dismay, he finds his house littered with bridesmaids.  His peace is shattered and his bachelor state is at risk. He needs some help.  He sends off some letters to some fellow bachelors to come and help, but they won’t arrive for days.  In the meantime he is being very careful!  While on a ride into town he runs into Olivia Reyne.  Olivia is a nobleman’s widow with a small daughter trying to survive on the small pittance she has brought from her marriage.  Sparks fly immediately between them, although at first they are sparks of anger!

Kate Blakely, the daughter of the now deceased town’s vicar, is living with Olivia.  The new vicar is due to arrive any day, and although she has sent a note asking for help from the Duchess, she hasn’t heard anything yet. Olivia tries to make Kate feel welcome.  Kate  knows that she is a drain on Olivia’s resources and hopes to get some help finding a position soon.  It seems that one of the bachelors that Simon has begged to come and help/protect him is Andrew Carlisle.  Kate has had a crush on Andrew since she followed him and Simon around as a youngster.

Penelope Townsend is a newlywed who’s father essentially bought her a titled husband.  Her father may work hard and have alot of money, but he seems to be totally lacking in class!  Penny is desperate to find a way to reach her new husband, Charles, and make her arranged marriage into a real one.  She sees this wedding that they have been invited to as an opportunity to get to know Charles better and see what compromise they can come to.

The Wedding Affair is a thoroughly delightful book.  One that I had trouble putting down once I picked it up.  It is one of those books that you read into the wee hours trying to find out how everything works out.

Leigh Michaels does an outstanding job of creating characters that simply jump off the pages.  This is the second book that I have read of hers in a short period of time.  I read Just One Season in London a short time ago, and was equally taken by that book.  Both stories have several romances developing simultaneously as the story progresses.  I loved all the characters in this story.  I would be hard pressed to choose a favorite.  Simon is so desperate to avoid the shenanigans of the bridesmaids that he makes a deal with Olivia to pretend to be engaged.  Olivia is so desperate to make some money in order to stay in her house, she agrees to the charade.  The development of their relationship is wonderful to read!

Penny’s situation is totally heart wrenching.  She is determined to make the best of her marriage.  If she can’t have her husband’s affections, she at least wants some children.  But in order to have children, she needs to lure her reluctant husband to her bed.  She hasn’t been successful yet as her husband is never home.  She’s hoping if they are out in the country at someone else’s house, she will have better luck.

Kate is a feisty character.  She is determined to make her way in the world, but this feistiness  makes her realize that certain jobs won’t be applicable for her.  Speaking one’s mind is not a good idea when a companion to an older woman, for example.  Reading about Kate and Andrew rediscover each other after some years is wonderful.  I was actually laughing out loud at parts!  I can’t use the word delightful too often to describe this book!

The Wedding Affair is a totally delightful book filled with engaging characters, quick moving action and sizzling romance.  Not to be missed!

Just One Season in London by Leigh Michaels

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Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – the Home of the Romance Novel

Today I’m giving away my ARC of Just One Season in London.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I hope someone else will enjoy it as much as I did.  To enter to win my copy, just fill out the form below!

Just One Season in London by Leigh Michaels
ISBN: 978-1-402244209
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Release: July 2011

Source: I was given an ARC from Sourcebooks to read and review

Meet the Ryecrofts…the family that courts together.
RYE — Viscount Ryecroft is a young man with a problem. Make that two problems: He has a beautiful sister to marry off — but no money to fund a London Season for her. Perhaps he needs to find an heiress for himself first?
SOPHIE – Miss Sophie Ryecroft is willing to marry for the good of the family — but since she can’t meet the sort of man Rye has in mind for her except in London, she’s looking for alternatives.
MIRANDA — Rye and Sophie’s mother, the dowager (but still young) Lady Ryecroft, will do anything for the sake of her children — even taking up again with a man she knew long ago, and  offering to be his mistress.
Only in London can the Ryecrofts find their destinies…

Just One Season in London by Leigh Michaels is a wonderfully unique romance.  As the blurb says, this is a three romance for the price of one story!  Before we talk about the story – just look at that cover!  As you all know, I’m a sucker for a great cover and this one is outstanding!  Doesn’t it just make you want to find out who the characters are on the cover??  The Ryecrofts are a comfortably poor family from the aristocracy in Regency England.  Rye, or Viscount Ryecroft, is the head of the family, having taken over the title at a young age upon the death of his father.  Now that he has hit his majority and has taken over the estate he is now looking at ways to support his family.  He wants to give his sister the advantage of a season in London so that she can find a man worthy of her.  In order to do that, he needs to in essence become a “fortune hunter.”  Rye’s mother, Miranda, is also trying to figure out a way to give her daughter a season in London.  Her method involves offering herself up as mistress to an old love.  Marcus Winston has always loved Miranda.  He left for America when she married the man her father wanted her to marry.  She is now a widow, and he is back from America and it’s just a matter of time until their chemistry burst into flames!  Sophia, the beautiful daughter of Miranda – the one they are trying to get a season in London for, is also trying to save the family in her own way.  She figures that she can find her way to London she can earn money on the stage.

This book has the reader laughing right from the start.  The shenanigans of Sophia are hysterical.  So typical of a young woman trying in her naive way to help her family.  Rye meets Lady Stone, and older woman who helps with accommodations in London.  Rye rents out the family home and manages to get his family to London as well as pay for a few dresses for his mother and sister.  He then tries to figure out which heiress he can stand to deal with for the rest of his life.  Of course, the descriptions of the various heiress are not particularly flattering! Miranda’s escapades are equally entertaining!  Her encounters with Marcus are at times hysterical and at other times heart wrenching.

I found the characters in this book to be outstanding!  The author manages to make the reader feel completely filled in on the background of this family right from the start.  The reader becomes totally invested in the success of this family.  This story at times feels like it meanders through the action, and at other times rushes the reader along with the tide.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical romances!

If this sounds like a book that would be of interest to you just fill out the form below.  You can get extra points by following this blog, following me on Twitter, and tweeting about this giveaway.

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