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Showing posts with label Samantha Kane. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Samantha Kane. Show all posts
Monday, July 15, 2013
Review: Tempting a Devil by Samantha Kane
Tempting a Devil
Author: Samantha Kane
Release Date: July 8, 2013
Publisher: Loveswept
The Saint’s Devils #2
ISBN: #9780345537928
Genre: Historical Romance
Format(s): e-book
Book Source: Publisher/ NetGalley
About the book:
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As wealthy and beautiful as she is desperate, Harriet Mercer can have any man she wants—which makes picking the worst of the lot quite easy. By convincing the ton she is a ruined woman, Harry hopes to outwit the greedy, conniving cad blackmailing her into a loveless marriage. Roger Templeton is a rogue with a scandalous reputation, no expectations, and no shame. He is perfect for Harry’s fall from grace. Her brazen attempts at a very public seduction are delightful fodder for gossip . . . and pure torment for Roger.
With his pockets as empty as his heart, Roger is in no mood for games and decides to show Harry how foolish it is to tempt a devil. But behind her mesmerizing golden eyes, he sees something unexpected: a woman in trouble. Her scandalous behavior would be amusing if he wasn’t captivated by her lush, curvaceous beauty. Worse, every libertine bone in his body has turned traitorously noble. Only a rake would seduce her. But only a gentleman in love can save her.
What I’m talking about:
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Roger Templeton, a rake known as one of the Saint’s Devils, is leaving a party when he overhears a woman attempting to remove herself from a man's unwanted advances. He rescues her, only to find himself being seduced by this beautiful temptress. However, he soon realizes she is his childhood friend, Harriet (Harry) Stanley. He quickly back-pedals and attempts to help his long ago friend before she becomes the focus of ugly gossip.
On the other hand, Harry is determined to be ruined. Enjoying the freedom that comes to a widow, she does not want to marry anyone, let alone the unpleasant Mr. Faircloth, and she feels that sullying her reputation will end his obstinate pursuit. Unfortunately for Roger, she is determined he will be the one to do it.
Nothing is quite as it seems in Ms. Kane’s wonderful Tempting a Devil. Right from the start of the book, the reader understands that there is more going on to the entire situation than meets the eye. Ms. Kane does a wonderful job revealing information a little at a time, leaving the reader hanging on every chapter. While some of the “twists” are more obvious, others are not, which makes the entire story very enjoyable.
As childhood friends, Harry and Roger shared a good-natured youth - even though he had a few years on her. Through dialogue and flashbacks, we learn that Roger took to protecting Harry and viewed her as a little sister - an image he has to work to erase as he meets up with her years later. Their past playfulness translates wonderfully to adult banter and flirtations. Harry is relentless in her pursuit of Roger, which in and of itself is quite fun.
The real romance begins once Roger gives into his desires and allows Harry to “catch him.” I adore how hard he works to give her the attention and romance she deserves after living through a horrible first marriage, while also trying to preserve her standing in society. It was such fun knowing the pair were working against one another in this matter. And while I mostly enjoyed the banner and fun between Harry and Roger, I was continuously fearful that things would turn south quickly because of the many secrets she was keeping from him. She was using him terribly, and after a while, it started taking the fun out of their blossoming relationship.
I love how feisty and head-strong Harry is. She knows she's not made the most socially popular or acceptable choices in her life, but she doesn't apologize for being who she is. She is very modern in a time when it's not always okay to be that way.
And Roger is so adorable and love-struck. Even when he cannot admit it to himself. He is honorable and trustworthy. He is romantic. I look forward to seeing what becomes of him down the road.
Side characters Hil and Wiley are equally wonderful. Once again providing humor, and at times needed insight. Ms. Kane is developing both characters, and the results are marvelous.
The only thing for me that disrupted the flow for me was my own concerns over Harry continuing to lie to Roger, but in the end it didn't matter. He knew she was lying, and he let her, knowing she needed to take her time and come to the truth in her own way.
In the end, Tempting a Devil is an exciting romance, that is both fun and sweet. The overall story, as well as the love affair, was well laid out, even with the few minor “issues” I had. I loved Harry - her strength and determination outshine any character flaws. I recommend this wonderful historical for some entertaining summer reading.
My Rating:
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Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
Reviews in the Series:
Labels:
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Contest Winners - The Devil’s Thief
I would like to thank everyone for stopping by for my review of The Devil’s Thief by Samantha Kane. I’d also like to thank Sourcebooks Publishing for sponsoring the giveaway of Samantha’s book.
The winners as selected by Rafflecopter:
CONGRATULATIONS!!
Winners... please email me at twimom227 (at) gmail (dot) com with your full name and mailing address so the publisher can send you the book. You have until Friday November 23, 2012 (end of day) to contact me. If I don’t hear from you by then, I will draw another winner.
Thank you and Happy Reading!
Monday, November 12, 2012
Review & Giveaway: The Devil's Thief by Samantha Kane
The Devil’s Thief
Author: Samantha Kane
Release Date: Nov. 12, 2012
Publisher: Loveswept/ Random House
The Saint’s Devils #1
Genre: Historical Romance
Format(s): e-book
Book Source: Publisher & Author
About the book:
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The daughter of a reformed jewel thief, Julianna Harte knows a thing or two about stealth. When the foundling home she provides for finds itself in dire financial straits, Julianna is forced to do the unthinkable. In a bit of misguided Robin Hood derring-do, she slips through the window of a wealthy rake to search for a treasure she knows is there: an invaluable pearl. But when the towering and very naked occupant of the moonlit bedroom ambushes her with a bargain—a night in his bed in exchange for the pearl—Julianna doesn’t know if it’s masculine heat or sheer desperation that makes his terms so tempting.
Alasdair Sharpe had no intention of keeping his end of the bargain. Planning to offer his little cat burglar carte blanche instead, he promptly loses himself in the delights of unexpected pleasure. But when he awakes the next morning to find his family heirloom gone, fury quickly replaces sensual languor. Of course, Alasdair is more than willing to use seduction to reclaim his stolen pearl—and find the key to Julianna’s heart.
What I’m talking about:
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While in the midst of a daring jewel heist of her neighbor, Julianna Harte is caught. Julianna is no ordinary thief, but rather a young woman of society who is in desperate need of funds to save the orphanage she started. So when the owner of the famous Stewart Pearl, Alasdair Sharpe, offers the family heirloom to “Juliet” in exchange for a night in his bed, she accepts the offer. Even as Alasdair takes Julianne’s virginity, he has no plans to make good on his promise. So when Julianne escapes with the pearl, Alasdair enlists the aid of his two closest friends to help him discover who is the thief in the night.
Soon Alasdair realizes his “Juliet” is in fact his neighbor whom he never really noticed before (although Julianna has had her eye on Alasdair for some time). He approaches her, hoping that she’ll return the pearl; however, before he can talk to her, Julianne sold the pearl. Soon, the pair, along with his friends and a street urchin named Wiley, work out ways to reclaim the pearl, and as they do, Alasdair realizes the true treasure is the thief herself.
The Devil’s Thief, is a highly amusing historical romance filled with wit, fun, danger and love. The story is rich with enjoyable characters and an amusing plot. The characters provided the driving force behind the storyline. Julianna is a strong woman who can fit within society's boundaries on the outside, but is "modern" on the inside. I love that Alasdair respects and admires that part of Julianna. I feel the interactions and banter between he and Julianna are clever and entertaining.
Julianna does not fit the mold of a prim and proper society woman, often standing up for herself, taking risks and making things happen. And she’s not the only one. Her father, a former thief, who stole only to feed and cloth his young daughter, has married up into society to a Baroness. But he didn’t do it for the financial cushion, but rather for love. And the Baroness herself is fairly bold and at times, contrary to the roll she lives in public.
Alasdair was especially trying (in a good way) at times. He was so wrapped up in the fact that he lost his family’s prized possession, that he neglected the facts presented before him (for example, that he did promise the pearl to Julianna). He was also blind to matters of his own heart. At times he was completely driven by passion, and he had trouble reconciling his desires with the family honor. Although I did get frustrated with Alasdair at times, he made the story extremely entertaining.
The quest to return the pearl is one of adventure and danger. Although somewhat predictable, the plot moved forward at an enjoyable pace. The ups and downs the characters endure make the journey that much more satisfying. Alasdair’s companions, (fellow Devils) Roger and Hil add comic relief, but also additional mystery. They are marvelous. I love the light-hearted, silly "frat boy" humor of Roger and want to know more about Hil. He is full of intrigue, and it will be exciting to see what woman will match him. The misunderstandings and mishaps the gang encounter never bordered on frustrating and always kept the story moving forward.
In the end, I really enjoyed The Devil’s Thief and look forward to the next tale. The overall feel was light and romantic, with a lot of humor tossed in. But most of all, the characters were all exceptional. They may not be the picture perfect specimens of society during the time period, but that's what made them enjoyable and even lovable.
My Rating:
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Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
Purchase Info:
The Devil's Thief
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
AAD Author Spotlight: Samantha Kane
Hello Readers! Today I bring you erotic romance author Samantha Kane. Samantha lives in North Carolina with her husband of fifteen years and three children, two boys and one girl. She spent seven years as a high school history teacher before becoming a full time writer and mom. She has a Master's degree in American History. Best known for her erotic historical romance series Brothers in Arms, Sam has fifteen books published in a range of genres including historical, science fiction, and contemporary romance.
Sam is a featured author attending Author’s After Dark in New Orleans. For more information about AAD2012, click HERE.
Please help me welcome Sam to That’s What I’m Talking About.
Twimom: Sam, welcome and thank you for stopping by.
Samantha: Thanks for having me! We met at AAD 2011 when you were having a fangirl moment with my friend Stephanie Julian. Not sure if you remember it, however. It was rather late in the evening at one of the parties. lol.
Twimom: OMG! I do remember that - I mean, I remember that moment when I was stalking Steph and meeting her friend, but I didn’t realize that was you! This year I’ll be on top of things!
Love’s Surrender, your ninth Brothers in Arms book was recently released (Ellora's Cave, Dec. 2011). Can you please tell us a little bit about this sexy new story and the erotic series?
Samantha: The series is based around veterans of the Peninsular War, which was one campaign in Britain’s war against France in the late 18th, early 19th century (@1800). The men became very close during the war and paired off as either best friends who shared women in bed, or as lovers. After the war the men can’t give up those close relationships and they look for one woman who can accept them as they are and make a three-way commitment so they can have a family and children.
In Love’s Surrender, Nick Wilkes and Oliver Gabriel are best friends, and have been since the war. At Waterloo, Nick was injured and Oliver thought he was dead for several days. Now Oliver has panic attacks anytime he is out of Nick’s presence. Because of this, the two have shared lovers for the last few years. At a party one Christmas Eve they are caught by Vanessa Carlton-Smythe as they try to seduce a young woman in a dark alcove. As soon as they see Vanessa both men forget about everything but pursuing the cool, blonde aristocrat. Vanessa is dangerously close to spinsterhood because of her family’s high standards, and she feels trapped in her life. During the holiday season the three have a whirlwind, scorching affair, but they know it has to end after the final day of Christmas--Twelfth Night. Or does it?
Twimom: Mmm... sounds hot! What are your plans for the future of the Brothers in Arms series?
Samantha: I don’t have a set number of books planned in the series. I have several characters that have been part of the series since the beginning that still have not had their happily ever after. As long as readers continue to ask for more books, I’ll write them!
I’m tentatively planning on having Daniel’s book done this year. This book will be different than the others in the series because it will have two separate love stories, one m/m and the other m/f. No ménage in this story, since Daniel is, and has always been, homosexual and not bisexual.
Twimom: Are you working on any other titles at this time? Do you write any other genres?
Samantha: Right now I’m working on edits for the first book in a new Regency historical series called The Saint’s Devils. This series is mainstream, not erotic, and book one, The Devil’s Thief, will be the first new historical published by the new Loveswept line at Random House/Bantam. I’m very excited about this new series. It’s centered on a group of rakes that were friends in school. They’ve been nicknamed the Saint’s Devils after their unofficial leader, Sir Hilary St. John. Hil is a sort of Sherlock Holmes character, brilliant, enigmatic and hedonistic, and in each book he helps one of his friends solve a mystery involving their heroine. The Devil’s Thief will be released in November 2012, and book two, Tempting a Devil, will be released in December 2012.
I hope to finish another Brothers in Arms this year. Daniel’s story, as yet unnamed, should be out sometime at the end of the year, too.
My agent is also submitting an alternate history Western steampunk series that I’ve co-written with Mari Freeman, so I’m hopeful the series will sell this year!
Twimom: Wow... that all sounds great! I look forward to hearing more. You have attended Authors After Dark in the past and are a featured author in 2012. Why AAD? What are your favorite aspects of AAD?
Samantha: I went to AAD last year because I’d heard such great things about the previous con from writers like Eliza Gayle. I was looking for something different since I’d decided not to attend RT (the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention). AAD was reasonably priced for my promo budget, sounded like it was a blast, has a lot of reader interaction and was in a city I’d never visited before. It was a win all around.
My favorite thing about AAD was the workshops. By far the best workshops I’ve attended or given. A great deal of thought went into the panel memberships, they were very well attended, and there was a wide variety.
Twimom: I always like to ask authors about their reading habits... What types of books do you enjoy reading? What was your favorite read in 2011?
Samantha: Ack. I’m clueless. I can’t remember what I read last year. What books came out? I’m always behind. I’m behind on about four or five of my favorite series, so I always end up reading them a year or two later than everyone else! That’s bad, isn’t it? In my defense, I am kind of busy with the kiddos and a career.
(After a quick look at my Kindle) Oh, one of my favorite reads last year was actually a YA historical called She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell. Loved, loved, loved it. About a young girl and her come out in Victorian New York. I highly recommended it, and everyone I know who’s read it has loved it, too.
Twimom: What upcoming 2012 releases are you most excited to read?
Samantha: Again, behind. So books I can’t wait to read came out a year or so ago, lol. But I do want to read Kresley Cole’s Lothaire after all the hype. I hear good things. And I just read about a book called Bro-Magnet that sounds hilarious. I confess that I don’t pay attention to what’s coming, only what’s here. So until a book releases I usually don’t know about it.
Twimom: Sam, once again thank you so much for taking the time to tell my readers a little bit about yourself and your writing. It was wonderful chatting with you. I look forward to meeting you all over again in New Orleans.
Samantha: Thanks for having me! Can’t wait to see you again at AAD. :D
You can find Samantha on line at
More on Love’s Surrender:
Lady Vanessa Carlton-Smythe is from one of England’s most well respected families and the daughter of an earl. She has lived an exemplary life—the perfect daughter, the perfect lady. Until one Christmas Eve she meets two men who unleash her secret desires. She can’t surrender her heart, only her body, and only for the next twelve days. After Twelfth Night their affair must end and she will return to a life that is slowly suffocating her.
Veterans Nick and Oliver have been constant companions since Waterloo. They share everything, including women and a bad reputation. When Lady Vanessa catches them in a compromising position, they are seduced by the longing in her eyes. Cool, distant, unattainable—the more she protests, the more they want her. Vanessa’s desires prompt the two men to finally give in to their feelings and become lovers. When desire becomes love, can they convince Vanessa to leave her privileged life behind and surrender to them forever?
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