The Valet's Secret by Josi S. Kilpack

 

York, England, 1819

As a once happily married woman, Rebecca Parker had a good life, but now widowed, working for a living, and her only child grown, she feels invisible, tired, and lonely. That is until the day a valet speeding by on a horse nearly runs her off the road. Mr. Malcolm Henry is apologetic, gentle, and handsome. She’s instantly drawn to him, which is why, rather than stopping him from kissing her, she kisses him back, reigniting a nearly forgotten passion. But love at first sight only happens in fairy tales—never to an ordinary woman like her.

She sees Mr. Henry again and feels the possibilities growing until, while working in the kitchens during a dinner party, she sees the valet she kissed sitting at the right hand of the baroness. Mr. Henry is not the earl’s valet; he is the heir to the earldom—Kenneth Winterton.

Heartbroken, angry, and betrayed, Rebecca does not trust Lord Winterton and refuses to accept his apology. But when Lord Winterton proves he is as kind and gentle as “Mr. Henry” was, she finds herself willing to give him a second chance. But will he take a chance on her? He needs a wife to help him in his place in society, and nothing about Rebeccas life does that . . . except how he feels when she is with him.

Trust, love, loneliness, and passion collide in this story about a man who will risk it all to fight for the woman he loves and a woman who does not believe in fairy tales—until she finds herself living in one.

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Love comes in all ages and places of life.  I love reading romance books but I don't come across a whole lot of them with older, more mature characters.  What a refreshing change to have both of the main characters here a bit older, having both lost spouses, with older children.  It gave them a different perspective on life and love and I connected with them in a different way than other romance books because I am a bit more mature and older too.  😉

I loved the beginning and the first meeting between the characters.  The large difference in station between Kenneth and Rebecca is a real tripping point for them both but their attraction keeps them both coming back for more.  I could feel their loneliness.  That was the strongest emotion for me.  

The story here is gentle and sweet and I enjoyed it.  Ooh, and I love the cover.

Content:  kissing

- I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are my own.

JOSI S. KILPACK is the author of several novels and one cookbook and a participant in several coauthored projects and anthologies. She is a four-time Whitney Award winner—including Lord Fenton’s Folly (2015) for Best Romance and Best Novel of the Year—and a Utah Best in State winner for fiction. She is the mother of four children and lives in northern Utah.

You can find more information about Josi and her writing at josiskilpack.com

Love and Lavender (Mayfield Family #4) by Josi S. Kilpack

 

 

Hazel Stillman is a woman of rare independence and limited opportunities. Born with a clubbed foot, she was sent away as a child and, knowing her disability means a marriage is unlikely, she devoted herself to scholarship and education.

Now working as a teacher in an elite private girls’ school, she is content with the way her story has unfolded. When her uncle Elliott Mayfield presents her with the prospect of a substantial inheritance if she marries, Hazel is offended. What kind of decent man would marry for her money? Besides, she loves her freedom as a professional, respected woman. When she hears rumors of the school possibly being sold, however, she knows she must consider all her options.

Duncan Penhale has a brilliant mind and thrives on order and process. He does not expect to marry because he likes his solitary life, shared only with his beloved cat. When Elliott Mayfield, his guardian’s brother, presents him with an inheritance if he marries a woman of social standing, Duncan finds it intrusive. However, with the inheritance, he could purchase the building in which he works and run his own firm. It would take an impressive and intellectual woman to understand and love him, quirks and all.

Hazel and Duncan believe they have found a solution to both of their problems: marry one another, receive their inheritances, and then part ways to enjoy their individual paths. But when Uncle Mayfield stipulates that they must live together as husband and wife for one year before receiving their inheritances, Hazel and Duncan reluctantly agree. Over time, their marriage of convenience becomes much more appealing than they had anticipated. At the end of the full year, will they go their separate ways or could an unlikely marriage have found unsuspecting love?

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If ever there was a sweet and gentle book, this is it.  Author Josi Kilpack is excellent at writing characters and weaving humanity into them so that as a reader, I connect and feel for them.  In this particular story, Hazel and Duncan are slightly off what people considered at the time, normal.  Hazel has a physical deformity in her foot and Duncan has what I think would be high functioning autism.  Both Hazel and Duncan have keen intellects and have been highly educated.  It draws them to each other and connects them in a way that differs from most other people.

I really loved the unconventional approach to marriage between Hazel and Duncan.  It was so interesting to see the characters through the authors eyes.  This was less of a love story in the traditional sense but more a showing of how love can look and feel differently and still be beautiful.  It was sensitive and well written.  I enjoyed it very much.

- I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Josi S. Kilpack has written more than thirty novels, a cookbook, and several novellas. She is a four-time Whitney award winner, including Best Novel 2015 for "Lord Fenton's Folly, and has been a Utah Best of State winner for Fiction. Josi loves to bake, sleep, eat, read, travel, and watch TV--none of which she gets to do as much as she would like. She writes contemporary fiction under the pen name Jessica Pack.

Josi has four children and lives in Northern Utah. 

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A Seaside Summer by Josi S. Kilpack, Martha Keyes, Heather B. Moore + A Giveaway!!

 

Summer on the seaside . . . a perfect place for romance.

Join us for three novellas in one collection:

The New Countess, by Josi S. Kilpack

Diane knows why the earl asked her to marry him; he needed a mother for his daughter, an heir for his title, and a hostess to assist with his position in Parliament. With two sons of her own, and no security to speak of, she never thought twice about accepting his proposal. Summering at his holiday cottage at the sea was meant to be reward for a busy first year as the new countess, and a time for her to rest before their baby is born. She is expecting lazy days on the beach with the children, simple meals, and keeping her own schedule. When the earl surprises her with a visit, she does her best not to resent the intrusion. When she learns that he came for the sole purpose of being with her and getting to know her better, she realizes that perhaps this marriage can be more than she expected. Is she ready for him to know her and love her and explore this new possibility together? She wants to be, but it is not an easy thing to let go of expectations and open up to an entirely new way of life.

Mishaps and Memories, by Martha Keyes

Judith Jardine’s one chance at a brilliant match is doomed from the start when she is ignored and then mocked by the ton’s most sought-after gentleman. Under a gloomy cloud of failure, Judith is exiled to a seaside cottage to spend the summer helping her sister—and living a life far below the one she experienced for her week in Brighton. When she discovers the man responsible for her misfortune unconscious on the beach, she heeds her better impulses and has him brought to the cottage to be seen to. But James Carlisle has no recollection of who he is, what happened to him, or how he has wronged her, and Judith sees the opportunity to teach him a valuable lesson—unless the deception and her feelings get the best of her first.

Moonlight Summer, by Heather B. Moore

Oscar Rosewell’s life is not lacking in many things even though he lives on the fringes of society due to his father’s ruined reputation. He’s sworn off having any personal relationships with ton members—his only interest lies in keeping his business thriving. He’s content with his day-to-day anonymity, and business keeps his heart from getting exposed. It’s safer that way. Until Oscar meets Miss Dorothea Atkinson. A woman capturing his interest is a rare thing, but Miss Atkinson is nearly engaged to a man of her parents’ choosing. Would it be wrong to wish for something to go terribly wrong between the couple? Soon, Oscar learns that wishing can become a reality, but often, the price is an even heavier thing to pay.

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I would really, really love to be in the setting of these books right now.  A seaside summer in England sounds like just the thing.  Isn't it lovely that books can transport us to all the places as we read?  I love books.

Each of the stories in this book are simply delightful.  I loved each one of them.  They were engaging and the characters made me smile.  Well, Judith probably made me smile the most.  The first story was the most endearing, I think.  The second story, the most amusing and the third story had the sweetest characters.  Oh, and I have to say that I love the cover on this book.  It's beautiful and really set the stage for the movies that played out in my head as I read.

Content:  sweet kisses

- I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are my own.

AUTHOR BIOS

Josi S. Kilpack is the bestselling author of several Proper Romance, Timeless Romance series, and a Cozy Culinary Mystery series. Her books, A Heart Revealed and Lord Fenton's Folly; were Publishers Weekly Best Romance Books of the Year. She and her husband, Lee, are the parents of four children

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Martha Keyes is a Whitney Award winning author born, raised, and educated in Utah—a home she loves dearly but also dearly loves to escape whenever she can by traveling the world. She received a BA in French Studies and a Master of Public Health, both from Brigham Young University.

Word crafting has always fascinated her, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that she considered writing her own stories. When she isn’t writing, she is honing her photography skills, looking for travel deals, and spending time with her family. She lives with her husband and twin boys in Vineyard, Utah.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS

 

Heather B. Moore is a USA Today bestseller and award-winning author of more than seventy publications. She's lived on both the east and west coasts of the United States, including Hawaii, and attended school abroad including the Cairo American College in Egypt, and the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel. She loves to learn about anything in history and, as an author, is passionate about historical research.

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS

Join the virtual book tour of A SEASIDE SUMMER, a collection of novellas by bestselling authors Josi S. Kilpack, Martha Keyes, and Heather B. Moore, August 23-September 19, 2021. Over twenty-five popular on-line influencers specializing in Regency romance, historical romance, and inspirational fiction will join in the celebration of the release of the 17th book in the bestselling Timeless Regency Romance Collection with a spotlights, exclusive excerpts, and reviews of this new anthology set in Regency England.

 

TOUR SCHEDULE

Aug 23           Austenprose (Review)

Aug 24           My Jane Austen Book Club (Excerpt)

Aug 24           Getting Your Read On (Review)

Aug 25           The Bibliophile Files (Review)

Aug 26           Heidi Reads (Review)

Aug 27           Our Book Confessions (Review)

Aug 30           The Lit Bitch (Spotlight)                           

Aug 30           Wishful Endings (Review)

Sept 01          The Book Diva Reads (Spotlight)

Sept 01          Rosanne E. Lortz (Review)

Sept 02          Laura's Reviews (Review)

Sept 04          Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen (Excerpt)

Sept 07          Probably at the Library (Review)

Sept 08          Gwendalyn's Books (Review)

Sept 09          Books and Socks Rock (Spotlight)

Sept 10          Christian Chick's Thoughts (Review)

Sept 11          Storeybook Reviews (Excerpt)

Sept 13          From Pemberley to Milton (Review)

Sept 13          My Bookish Bliss (Review)

Sept 14          Bookworm Lisa (Review)

Sept 15          Relz Reviewz (Spotlight)

Sept 15          Reading with Emily (Review)

Sept 16          Lu Reviews Books (Review)

Sept 17          Greenish Bookshelf (Spotlight)                          

Sept 17          Austenesque Reviews (Review)

Sept 17          Bringing Up Books (Review)

Sept 18          Book Confessions of an Ex-Ballerina (Review)

Sept 19          Eli's Novel Reviews (Review)

GIVEAWAY

Mirror Press is pleased to offer one digital copy of any of the 16 previous books in the Timeless Regency Romance Collection to one unique winner at each stop on the tour.

To qualify, please leave a comment with this blog post before 11:59pm, September 26, 2021. Visit each stop on the tour and leave a comment to increase your chance to win a book.

This contest is open internationally. The winner will be drawn randomly from the comments and announced on each blog on September 27, 2021. The winner must claim their prize before October 04, 2021. Good luck to all!