Audra
by Amanda L.V. Shalaby
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Audra Kingsley, a wealthy heiress, may not have seen much of the
world, but she knows exactly how she wants her future to play out - and a
coming out ball held at her country estate, Kingsley Manor, would suit her just
fine. Her father’s wish that she be presented at St. James in London seems
silly since she is to marry her neighbor and childhood sweetheart, Lord Crispin
Brighton, but she obliges him.
Audra travels to
London with her patroness, the eccentric Lady Sutherland, intending to return
home as soon as she has curtseyed to the Queen. Unknown to her, Lady Sutherland
is in no rush to leave London before the Season is over and intends to show
Audra she has more options in the suitor department than Lord Crispin, a second
son.
Audra finds
herself surrounded by few friends and is forced to attend parties, balls, and
operas - all while becoming the object of a secret admirer’s obsession. As
Audra struggles to make her way home to her beloved, plans to compromise her
into an unwanted marriage are underway.
Excerpt Three:
Toward
the end of the evening, Audra danced her second time with Lord Everton. Again,
she fell quickly at ease with him, and he did not flirt with her — much. He was
fond of twirling her more quickly than the dance required, and just as their
dance concluded, a strand of hair fell from its pins. He seemed proud of
himself, and she shook her head. He was as pleasant as ever, and she wished him
every success in finding himself a suitable wife.
“Was
that Lord Everton tossing you about?” asked Lady Sutherland, smiling as Audra
approached her. “What a funny fellow!”
Certainly,
there was no one in the whole of Almack’s who was enjoying themselves as much
as Lady Sutherland. No debutante, no hopeful mother, no gentleman amidst the
fresh blood in the assembly rooms could match her consummate and inexhaustible
high spirits. Audra wondered if the fervent gaiety of the older women
surrounding her, while not equal to the matchless happiness of her patroness,
was enough to make Lady Sutherland tolerable to them.
Before
Audra could make any reply, her patroness went on, “Whatever has happened to
your hair, child?”
Lady
Sutherland seemed about to leap from her chair, but Audra rested a calming hand
over hers. “Not to worry, Lady Sutherland. It is only a runaway curl. I beg you
will not disturb yourself and your friends. I suspect with the assistance of a
mirror and a new pin I shall be more than equipped to return it to its place.
Do enjoy yourself.”
This
last was an unnecessary suggestion. As Audra reached for her reticule, Lady
Sutherland nodded and settled herself more fixedly in her seat, as her
immutable joy emanated from her core with a burning glow that would rouse the
envy of any hearth.
Audra
took leave of her patroness for the nearest mirror. Finding one on the far
wall, she placed her feather-trimmed reticule on the table and undid the ribbon
drawstrings. Attempting to hold the rogue curl in place, she reached with her
free hand for the extra hairpins she packed at the house and felt something
crinkle against her fingertips. Her gaze dropped to a folded piece of paper
between her linen handkerchief and her calling card case. The loose curl was
quickly forgotten as she lifted the document curiously and opened the folds of
a hand-written note.
Dear
Lady Audra …
Audra’s
mouth fell, and she instinctively looked about her. If someone had been hoping
she would discover it sooner rather than later, they certainly were not waiting
around to watch her read it. The fluid movements of the crowd continued without
any care to Audra Kingsley or the contents of her reticule. Turning her back to
the crowd once more, she held the note low and quickly scanned its contents.
Dear
Lady Audra,
While
it would, indeed, be easier to gain an introduction by a mutual acquaintance
and beg a spot on your dance card, it would not be nearly as fun. Other
gentleman may be so dull, but I wish to gain fair lady’s interest by avoiding
all the usual routes. It is my hope you will find my unconventional note
intriguing, and the mystery places me in your favor. You may expect to hear from
me again, and soon. I only hope to find myself in your thoughts until then.
Your
Secret Admirer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Review: This book was pure perfection. I loved everything about it. Audra, Crispin and the right amount of suspense to keep the pages turning
Audra is a spunky heroine. She's smart and very likable and only 16 and Crispin is the really the boy next door that we all want for our own.
What I liked about this book is that it was more a "sweet romance" which is something rare when it comes to historicals. No bodice ripping here, just a wonderful romantic story. A regency written in the way they should be. Anyone remember the Candlelight Regency imprint? This is what this book reminded me of.
The story is suitable for all ages and will definitely be a must read for those that love this genre. I look forward to reading more of Amanda's books!
Rating: 5 flowers
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Amanda L. V. Shalaby's
passion for all things Jane Austen was inspired by her mother and grandmother.
She now writes her own English historical romances, and is the author of
Rhianna and Audra.
Links:
Facebook:
www.Facebook.com/amandalvshalaby
Twitter:www.Twitter.com/amandashalaby
Pinterest:
www.Pinterest.com/Amandalvshalaby
Amazon Buy Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Audra-Crimson-Romance-ebook/dp/B00CA9DEUW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366476179&sr=8-1&keywords=audra+amanda+Shalaby
· Amanda
will be awarding a free eBook of her previous novel, Rhianna to a randomly
drawn commenter during the tour.
5 comments:
Thank you for hosting
Thank you for hosting me today! I'm delighted to be here!
The book sounds fabulous! Have fun on your book tour and congrats on the 5 flowers review!
Thank you, Elke! It's lovely to have you stop by! :-)
Thank you again for hosting me today, Andrea! It's been a pleasure spending the day at A Chick Who Reads!
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