May 2019 Book of the Month Giveaway
June 14, 2019 10:39 PM Posted by juliannadouglas
My May reading was kind of hit and miss. Most of what I read was quite good, but there were a couple of “meh” stories, too, and only one that I ended up rating five stars. Since that’s my main requirement for a book to be featured as my Book of the Month, my choice this time was easy. :-) It’s a historical romance by a favorite author of mine who I’ve showcased before, and it’s part of a series -- that, thus far, has been a clean sweep of perfection -- about four friends who form a book club, reading popular and sometime salacious stories. The ladies book choices always parallel events in the story, and in this one, they’re reading a fictional ghost story that mirrors the mystery of a ghostly intruder who is robbing and murdering aristocratic women. Our heroine who has a major crush on our hero, who is a Bow Street Runner, concocts a story about hearing a ghost outside her bedroom window, leading to her father hiring him to protect her. But soon the threat turns real, placing her life in imminent danger, while this couple fall madly in love and must buck society’s rules to be together. It’s a sweet, emotional, and lightly mysterious story that I hope you’ll enjoy as much as I did.
As the daughter of an earl, Julianne is expected to marry a man of her father’s choosing. However, her father is an exacting man who has no care whatsoever for her feelings or wishes on the matter. She feels like a bird in a gilded cage, having everything she could possibly want from a material perspective, but nothing that she truly needs. Julianne longs for someone to genuinely see her and accept her for who she really is, a man who will love her like her two good friends’ husbands love them, not just someone who’s looking to make an advantageous match. The only man she really wants is Gideon, who has starred in her romantic fantasies ever since she met him two months earlier, but even after her father hires Gideon to be her bodyguard and she gets to know him better, she knows that a real match between them is all but impossible, because he’s so far beneath her station. Most people see Julianne as a shy, aloof young woman, but inside she’s very passionate about a lot of things and longs for adventure. I love how she takes chances with her heart and unselfishly gives all of herself to the man she loves.
Gideon has been equally enamored of Julianne ever since meeting her, but a Bow Street Runner marrying an aristocratic lady is simply unheard of. However, when Julianne finds him alone in the garden at a party while he’s investigating the “ghost,” she proves a temptation he can’t resist. After sharing a steamy kiss, he knows he must put her out of his mind, but all of his good intentions go up in flames when Julianne tells him she heard ghostly noises which takes his investigation to her home. Then actual threats are made against her, prompting her father to hire him as her bodyguard. The close proximity to her wreaks havoc on his self-control, especially after Gideon starts really getting to know Julianne and discovers that she’s anything but the spoiled, pampered princess he originally thought she was. Gideon is a good and honorable man who sees the real Julianne and genuinely appreciates her, while totally losing his heart to her.
This book was a wonderful read. I related well to both Gideon and Julianne. Their romance is emotional and heartfelt, and I appreciated that the author didn’t offer easy solutions to them getting their HEA. The secondary characters are equally as wonderful and I loved getting updates on them. The mystery was perhaps a bit predictable, but it didn’t detract from the fun of getting to the reveal. Not to mention, there’s some delicious steam, with a couple of the hottest, not-quite-all-the-way love scenes I’ve had the pleasure of reading. I enjoyed every minute I spent on this book. That’s why I’m naming Jacquie D’Alessandro’s Seduced at Midnight as my May Book of the Month. If you enjoy a very fun, deeply romantic, emotional, and sexy read, 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- The Ladies Literary Society of London gathers again for a ghost story in this sexy tale starring a beautiful lady and the rugged hero she's determined to make her own... Lady Julianne Bradley has always longed to indulge in a wild adventure. Unfortunately, the man with whom she wishes to share her fervor can never be hers. Tormented by her desire, she's preparing to succumb to a suitable marriage when ghostly occurrences straight out of her latest read start happening--and to protect Julianne, her father hires the very man her heart cries out for... Bow Street Runner Gideon Mayne is determined to resist his new charge--a spoiled, pampered princess whose unequalled beauty admittedly sets his body ablaze with desire. Especially once he realizes that everything he assumed about Julianne is utterly wrong. For beneath her aloof demeanor lies a passionate woman determined to provoke his raw hunger. But now that she's decided to play with fire, who will keep her safe...from him? |
Read my complete review of Seduced at Midnight.
Giveaway
If you would like to win a copy of Seduced at Midnight to see how wonderful it is for yourself, just enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Please note, this book is currently not available in ebook, and the paperback version is out of print. Therefore, the winner (if inside the US) will receive a “new” or “like new” copy (at my discretion and based on availability and cost) that will be mailed directly to them via Amazon or one of their third-party sellers. If I’m unable to find a reasonably priced copy in excellent condition at the time the contest ends, I will send the winner a $10 Amazon gift card instead. Good luck!
International Entrants: You are welcome to enter my contest, but due to the lack of availability of the book and the high cost of shipping overseas, if the winner is outside the US, they will automatically receive a $10 Amazon gift card instead. Please note, though, that the gift card will be issued from Amazon.com (the US site), as I am unable to purchase one on any international Amazon sites. It’s my understanding, however, that the card can only be used to purchase items on Amazon.com, and not any other Amazon sites. So please be aware of this limitation when entering.
Categories: Book of the Month, Giveaways
Tags: Jacquie D'Alessandro
