August 2018 Book of the Month Giveaway
September 13, 2018 04:10 PM Posted by juliannadouglas
This month’s Book of the Month selection is from an author I’ve featured several times before. She’s one of my favorites, and yes, she really is just that good. This particular book is a historical romance and one of her beloved fan-favorites. In it we have a cynical bad boy who has clawed his way up from the bottom to become one of the wealthiest men in England paired with the good girl, country miss who sees the diamond in the rough. Aside from neither of them being from aristocratic stock, they have little in common, but they still fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. I loved how these two came together and fell in love despite the odds and how they adored each other unconditionally, while a jealous, obsessive former paramour of our hero adds a bit of intrigue and suspense. It was simply a great read and one that I definitely recommend.
Derek is a man who has known little kindness or gentleness in his life. Born in a drainpipe to a prostitute who abandoned him at birth, he never knew his parents. He began working when he was just a young lad and has done many things throughout his life, some of which weren’t entirely legal. All along, though, he dreamed of rising out of the gutter and becoming a wealthy man. His ambitions took him to lots of places respectable men don’t go, but over time, he built an empire and amassed a fortune as the owner of the premier gambling hall in London. He lives to gain more wealth, but no matter how much he owns, it’s never been enough. Something was always missing from his life. When Sara saves his life one night and then asks to be allowed into his world to do research for her next book, Derek dares not get too close to her. She makes him feels things he’s never felt before and although he’d never admit it, that scares him. He wants her more than he’s ever wanted anything in his life, and yet he’s all too aware that he isn’t good enough for her. Although he can sometimes be a bit harsh, there’s always a vulnerability lurking beneath the outward reserve, while the facade of the confident, jaded club owner covers for the broken little boy inside who’s never experienced unconditional love. Derek is definitely a man tormented by the demons of his past and a lifetime of hard-living, who doesn’t feel worthy of someone like Sara. But I love how when he finally allows her to love him, he gives back full measure even when he isn’t able to say the actual words to her.
Sara is as sweet as sweet can be and as different from Derek as night and day. She’s an innocent country lass, a bookish writer, whose novels have become popular bestsellers. She’s in London doing research for her next book, when she happens to see Derek being attacked by ruffians and decides to intervene. After helping the injured man back to his club, she asks permission to come back to do research. Sara is a gentle, open-minded sort who gets along famously with everyone from the temperamental chef to the house wenches. As he watches her from a distance, Derek develops a fascination for Sara, but he refuses to allow himself to be vulnerable to her. When he coldly sends her away, she returns to her little village, only to find that her longtime beau whom she thought she was in love with pales in comparison with Derek. Although Sara and Derek eventually reunite, she has an uphill battle convincing him that they should be together. I absolutely adored Sara and related to her incredibly well. I love how easy-going she is and how she can relate to almost anyone and earn their trust and respect in return. But what I enjoyed most about her is her infinite patience with Derek. There’s nothing he can tell her about his past that she doesn’t accept and take in stride, while she sees beneath the jaded surface to recognize the broken man underneath and doesn’t hesitate to give all of herself to him in spite of it. She was a wonderful heroine who was totally perfect for me.
I couldn’t have asked for a better read than this book. It had everything I read romance for and then some. Although he can be stubborn and difficult at times, I understood Derek and fell for him in spite of it, because of the way that he gives all of himself to Sara and adores her to pieces. Sara was the perfect heroine, relatable in every way. Their love for one another is deep and intense with some fairly steamy scenes. Derek’s struggles to overcome his past and his obsessive former lover provided enough conflict to keep me turning the pages to see just how our lovebirds were going to get their HEA. I simply loved everything about the book. That’s why I’m naming Lisa Kleypas’s Dreaming of You as my August Book of the Month. If you enjoy historical romance with a tortured bad boy hero who reforms and finds his heart and a heroine who sticks by him through thick and thin, then you should definitely give this book a try. Keep reading to learn how you can win a copy for your own library.
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Cover Blurb- She stood at danger's threshold—then love beckoned her in. |
But here, in a perilous shadow-realm of ever-shifting fortunes, even a proper "mouse" can be transformed into a breathtaking enchantress—and a world-weary gambler can be shaken to his cynical core by the power of passion...and the promise of love.
Read my complete review of Dreaming of You.
Giveaway
If you would like to win a copy of Dreaming of You to see how wonderful it is for yourself, just enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below. One lucky winner will receive their choice of an eBook or print copy of the book. If the winner chooses an eBook, I will gift it to them via the eBook retailer of their choice (Amazon or B & N). If the winner chooses a print copy, I will have it mailed directly to them via Amazon. Good luck!
International Entrants: You are welcome to enter my contest, but please note that not all eBooks are available in all countries due to copyright restrictions. If this is the case, Amazon does offer an option to trade for a gift card (I'm not sure about B & N). If you choose print, I can mail it to you via the Amazon website that services your country, pending availability and cost. Otherwise I will mail it to you via U. S. Amazon's standard international shipping, but it may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive, and I may not have the capability of tracking the package.
Categories: Book of the Month, Giveaways
Tags: Lisa Kleypas
