Exploring a Piece of History by Jennifer Delamere

A youthful indiscretion has cost Lizzie Poole more than just her honor. After five years living in exile, she’s finally returning home, but she’s still living a secret life. Her best friend Ria’s dying wish was for Lizzie to assume her identity, return to London, and make amends that Ria herself would never live to make. Bearing a striking resemblance to her friend, and harboring more secrets than ever before, Lizzie embarks on a journey that tempts her reckless heart once again . . .

A committed clergyman, Geoffrey Somerville’s world is upended when he suddenly inherits the title of Lord Somerville. Now he’s invited to every ball and sought after by the matchmaking mothers of London society. Yet the only woman to capture his heart is the one he cannot have: his brother’s young widow, Ria. Duty demands he deny his feelings, but his heart longs for the mysterious beauty. With both their futures at stake, will Lizzie be able to keep up her façade? Or will she find the strength to share her secret and put her faith in true love?

 

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Have you ever read about a time in the past that sounded so fascinating that you wished you could have experienced it for yourself? I enjoy reading books about history, and so this happens to me a lot!

 

That’s why I love writing historical fiction—it’s a way for me to immerse myself in the details of a time and place and imagine myself there—to step into that world, so to speak.

 

I chose 1851 London for the setting of An Heiress at Heart because during that year an event took place that was one of the high points for England in the nineteenth century. That event was the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, now generally referred to as the Great Exhibition of 1851. Sometimes it is also described as the very first world’s fair.

 

Imagine taking a summertime stroll through Hyde Park, one of the largest parks in London. You are walking along a path by a long and narrow lake known as the Serpentine, enjoying the sight of ducks swimming at the water’s edge. You come around a bend in the path and see something truly startling in the distance: it is a giant building made of glass! It is the length of six football fields, and yet the park is so large that there are still open stretches of green all around it—plenty of room for the many people who are coming and going from the building. Its roof is three stories high and trimmed with colorful flags, and one section is arched to accommodate the 90-ft elm trees inside.

 

When you walk inside, sunlight pours through the glass onto plants, statuary, and bright banners. Birds twitter in the live trees. The building is filled with engineering marvels of all kinds, from steam engines and cotton spinning machines to the “latest” invention: photography! You can also find displays of fine art and gaze at the Hope Diamond. You can spend a whole day here and still not see all of the thousands of items brought in from around the world. It’s no wonder it captured the imagination of the people of the time. Charlotte Bronte visited the Exhibition and later wrote, “It seems as if only magic could have gathered this mass of wealth from all the ends of the earth.” It captured my imagination too, which is why several scenes in An Heiress at Heart are set at the Great Exhibition. I hope you will enjoy visiting 1851 London as much as I enjoyed writing about it.

 

How about you? Is there some time or place in history that you would love to see for yourself if you could? Would you want to stay there permanently, or simply visit?

 

Jennifer Delamere

http://www.jenniferdelmere.com

Twitter: @JenDelamere

http://www.facebook.com/Jennifer.Delamere

 

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For a chance to win HEIRESS AT HEART by Jennifer Delamere, just leave a comment below. Good luck!

 

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Review – Lord’s Fall by Thea Harrison

 

Dragos has two spots to fill in the ranks of his most trusted warriors and is hosting the Sentinel Games to find them. A televised event in a packed Madison Square Garden with dignitaries from all demesnes attending, it requires Dragos’s full attention. As the games begin, a pregnant Pia heads to South Carolina to try and fix the problems Dragos caused with the Elves in Dragon Bound. As usual, Pia is a trouble magnet. When she arrives in South Carolina with her new security team, an ancient Power is waiting.

For the first half of the book, Dragos and Pia are in separate locations and I was worried that this might impact how much I enjoyed the story. That wasn’t the case. They met every night in their dreams, as we first saw them do in Dragon Bound. It also gives glimpses into their memories of the past year, the more intimate moments as well as the fun times. It allowed me to catch up on what’s been going on with them since their book and where their relationship is now. Dragos is trying to learn to bend and be a partner after spending all these years as an autocratic leader. Pia is making strides in finding her place in a world she has hidden from her whole life and learning to stand her ground with a mate that is as old as creation.

One thing that has stayed the same is the pure badassness of Dragos. Harsh, impatient, able to nurture a grudge for centuries, his word is law and he takes pride in everyone being afraid of his temper. Except Pia and their unborn child. Watching such a tough guy lose it when he thinks they are in danger and tremble when they are safe made me melt. I adored every page where they were together. The action and suspense were good. I enjoyed the way this world continues to change and the additions Ms. Harrison made to it but it was the bond between Dragos and Pia that made Lord’s Fall so wonderful for me. It gave us moments like this:

She was his beacon to what others called decency, not because she told him how to act but because she made him want to try.

And this:

The dragon came to a realization and was amazed. In the unending years of his acquisitive existence, despite all of his hoarding of the treasure of kingdoms and emperors, he had never been rich before this. She had come into his life to steal from him, and in the process she had given him everything she had.

I was happy sighing all over this book. It was everything I was hoping for. I should warn that it will not stand alone very well. Not only is Dragon Bound necessary to this story but other threads throughout the series are pulled together in Lord’s Fall. Rune and Carling make an appearance as Dragos battles his anger and hurt over his former First’s desertion. The prophesy that was revealed in Serpent’s Kiss and carries over to Oracle’s Moon plays a very large part in this plot. More is revealed about the mysterious Quentin. Even the Gods mentioned in the novellas published through Samhain Publishing are important. Some of this is covered again but not a lot of time is spent on it.

If you are caught up on The Elder Races series, I can’t recommend Lord’s Fall highly enough. It was fantastic! If you love paranormal romance and aren’t caught up on this series, you’re missing out.

5 stars

 

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: November 6, 2012
Format: Print and Digital

Preorder:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

 

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