Aubrey Wynne's Blog, page 9

The Wallflower and the Duke
by Rebecca Paula
Revenge of the Wallflowers Book 34

He’s haunted by the past. She’s ready to reclaim her future. Together, they’ll rediscover a love neither could forget…

Marjorie Merryweather has always been the quiet wallflower, content to hide in the shadows of society. But after a scheming viscount steals her novel and threatens her livelihood, Marjorie takes refuge with the one man she thought she’d never see again—the Duke of Abinger.

Once her closest friend, Alfred Lockhart has withdrawn from the world after a tragic accident left him battling his own demons. But Marjorie’s return stirs a longing he’s harbored for years—feelings he’s kept hidden, even from himself.

In the quiet solitude of his estate, old feelings reignite. Alfie has never stopped loving Marjorie, and as their connection deepens, she begins to realize that her feelings for him run deeper than friendship. But as passion flares, so do the ghosts of the past. Marjorie must decide if her heart can risk falling for the man she’s always trusted, and Alfie must confront whether he can truly be the man she deserves.

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The Wallflower’s War
by Sawyer North
Revenge of the Wallflowers

Tragedy and humiliation made Mercy Price a forgotten wallflower. Fate will grant her vengeance – and true love.

A full-length sweet romance about cold revenge, thawing hearts, and the redeeming power of love.

After losing her mother and most of her hearing to fever, Mercy Price slips into obscurity inside her own family. When a band of noble second sons called the Four Horsemen publicly humiliate Mercy, her dreadful stepmother’s ensuing campaign of terror forges Mercy into a survivor bent on revenge. Mercy’s opportunity for retribution arrives with one astonishing catch. The author of the revenge plan is the terribly handsome August Wycliff – one of her former tormentors now living under an alias. A man who supposedly died on the battlefields of Spain.

Certain Wycliff doesn’t remember her, Mercy dives into his madcap plan to present her as a foreign noblewoman at the Horsemen’s grand house party, have her win the ardor of each, and then take their precious tokens of brotherhood before rejecting them. Little does Wycliff know, Mercy plans to humble him as well. To do so, she must slip behind his defenses and uncover evidence of wrongdoing with which she might destroy him. Why he desires vengeance against his former friends remains a mystery to Mercy, as does another inconvenient fact – Wycliff has recognized Mercy from the start. Astonished by Mercy’s transformation, he tries to dismiss his mounting fascination with her by considering Mercy no more than a tool of vengeance against the Horsemen for their cold betrayal on the day of his supposed death.

Wrapped in swirling secrets and immersed in fractious banter, Mercy and Wycliff work together to carry out the complex ruse. However, a powerful and growing mutual attraction leads each to regret what they might sacrifice for the sake of vengeance – including a future that includes friendship, love, and… perhaps even each other.

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FALLING FROM THE NEST

Bobbie Candas

GENRE:  Historical Fiction

BLURB:

Spring 1946–Following four years of war on the heels of the decade-long Great Depression, Americans are finally feeling a sense of hope that begins sweeping the nation…

Jo-Jo Anderson feels that optimism too. Slipping the reins of her Iowa farming town, Jo leaves to make her mark on the entertainment scene in Manhattan. Audiences are clamoring for new musicals on Broadway, nightclubs are flourishing, and NYC is the beating heart of the radio networks. After arriving, Jo-Jo quickly realizes that thousands of would-be stars are following her same ambitions, making opportunities scarce, but her luck begins to turn when she hears about Talent Jackpot.

Her twin, Sarah, finds success with her studies as a scholarship student at the University of Iowa. But Sarah is adrift socially, finding it difficult to forge friendships. Her perfectly planned life is upended when her hometown boyfriend announces he’s suddenly joined the navy. Sarah’s top grades draw the attention of a crusty biology professor and after accepting his offer of a lab position, her rigid lifestyle gets a lot more complicated.

This novel tells a story of unexpected change. The twins make their way through multiple challenges with humor, ambition, and heartbreak but remain tied together by the bonds of sisterhood, winding their way through the seedier backdoors of the entertainment business, and into college dorm life and love nest apartments.

With the historical backdrop of the post WW2 era, Falling From The Nest, reads as a stand-alone story but also serves as a sequel to author Bobbie Candas’ previous novel, The Lost and Found of Green Tree.

Excerpt:

While staring through raindrops racing down the smudged windows of the Stage Deli, I was startled by impatient, snapping fingers begging for my attention. I’d been looking at the long line of well-dressed patrons curling around the block of Carnegie Hall. They were patiently waiting, with umbrellas open, to buy tickets to some amazing performance I’d never see.

”Hey you…doll-face.” I looked over in Snappy Finger’s direction. “Two grilled sky-highs on rye and two black coffees. We’re in a hurry.”

Ok, you grumpy, fat bastards. I pulled out a pad and pencil from my apron pocket and looked down at two burly men wearing pinstriped, double breasted suits with tacky wide ties. I flashed a smile, held back my real thoughts, and asked, “Mustard, mayonnaise, or both?” And added sweetly, “And how about a dill pickle on the side?”

“Yeah, all the above, doll. Just get it ordered, quick. Oh, and bring us a couple black-n-whites too.”

“You got it handsome.”

I turned, walking quickly down the tight row of wooden tables at the busy deli and called out my order to the cook behind the grill. “Hey, Chuckles! Two sky-highs, m-and- m, with a dill…and no rush, take your time with those.”

The short-order cook, a balding, older man with a low tolerance for fools and a sucker for a friendly smile, called out, “No problem, Jo-Jo.”

I poured the two cups of coffee and slid two large round cookies with chocolate and vanilla icing onto small plates. Six months ago, I would have been intimidated by those two men and their fancy suits. But now I knew they were only low-level number runners who wore the same cheap suit everyday, except maybe on Sunday when, hopefully, they got them cleaned. I’d seen and learned a lot in the last six months.

Back at Snappy Finger’s table, I purposely leaned over, balancing my tray. “Gentlemen, your coffee and black-n-whites.” I set their cups and cookies down and said,  “I told the cook to put a rush on those sandwiches. Seems to be a little backed up at the grill though.” I then turned around and bussed the table beside them, stretching over to wipe it down, giving them a full view of my back side. I lived off tips. I’d learned what I had to do.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

I’m a Texas girl: grew up in San Antonio, went to school at UT in Austin where I earned my degree in journalism, and settled in Dallas where I raised a husband, two kids and a few cats. My husband, Mehmet, and the cats will probably disagree on who raised who, but I’m a sucker for a robust discussion.

For years I was involved in retail management, but in 2014 I refocused on my writing, taking deep dives into the lives of my characters. When you can pry my fingers off the keyboard, I enjoy entertaining, sharing food and drink with friends and family. I enjoy shopping, usually on the hunt for apparel, with a special weakness for shoes, and will frequently jump at the opportunity of an unexpected trip to a far-away place.

And I always make time for reading. I keep a stack of novels ready and waiting on my night stand, with a few tapping their toe in my Kindle. I bounce around genres, and I’m always ready for a good recommendation.

Facebook: Author Bobbie Candas: https://www.facebook.com/bobbiecandasauthor

Good Reads author link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8292457.Bobbie.Candas

Amazon Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Bobbie-Candas/author/B00MNS6KV0

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bobbiecandas

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FALLING FROM THE NEST

Bobbie Candas

GENRE:  Historical Fiction

BLURB:

Spring 1946–Following four years of war on the heels of the decade-long Great Depression, Americans are finally feeling a sense of hope that begins sweeping the nation…

Jo-Jo Anderson feels that optimism too. Slipping the reins of her Iowa farming town, Jo leaves to make her mark on the entertainment scene in Manhattan. Audiences are clamoring for new musicals on Broadway, nightclubs are flourishing, and NYC is the beating heart of the radio networks. After arriving, Jo-Jo quickly realizes that thousands of would-be stars are following her same ambitions, making opportunities scarce, but her luck begins to turn when she hears about Talent Jackpot.

Her twin, Sarah, finds success with her studies as a scholarship student at the University of Iowa. But Sarah is adrift socially, finding it difficult to forge friendships. Her perfectly planned life is upended when her hometown boyfriend announces he’s suddenly joined the navy. Sarah’s top grades draw the attention of a crusty biology professor and after accepting his offer of a lab position, her rigid lifestyle gets a lot more complicated.

This novel tells a story of unexpected change. The twins make their way through multiple challenges with humor, ambition, and heartbreak but remain tied together by the bonds of sisterhood, winding their way through the seedier backdoors of the entertainment business, and into college dorm life and love nest apartments.

With the historical backdrop of the post WW2 era, Falling From The Nest, reads as a stand-alone story but also serves as a sequel to author Bobbie Candas’ previous novel, The Lost and Found of Green Tree.

Excerpt:

While staring through raindrops racing down the smudged windows of the Stage Deli, I was startled by impatient, snapping fingers begging for my attention. I’d been looking at the long line of well-dressed patrons curling around the block of Carnegie Hall. They were patiently waiting, with umbrellas open, to buy tickets to some amazing performance I’d never see.

”Hey you…doll-face.” I looked over in Snappy Finger’s direction. “Two grilled sky-highs on rye and two black coffees. We’re in a hurry.”

Ok, you grumpy, fat bastards. I pulled out a pad and pencil from my apron pocket and looked down at two burly men wearing pinstriped, double breasted suits with tacky wide ties. I flashed a smile, held back my real thoughts, and asked, “Mustard, mayonnaise, or both?” And added sweetly, “And how about a dill pickle on the side?”

“Yeah, all the above, doll. Just get it ordered, quick. Oh, and bring us a couple black-n-whites too.”

“You got it handsome.”

I turned, walking quickly down the tight row of wooden tables at the busy deli and called out my order to the cook behind the grill. “Hey, Chuckles! Two sky-highs, m-and- m, with a dill…and no rush, take your time with those.”

The short-order cook, a balding, older man with a low tolerance for fools and a sucker for a friendly smile, called out, “No problem, Jo-Jo.”

I poured the two cups of coffee and slid two large round cookies with chocolate and vanilla icing onto small plates. Six months ago, I would have been intimidated by those two men and their fancy suits. But now I knew they were only low-level number runners who wore the same cheap suit everyday, except maybe on Sunday when, hopefully, they got them cleaned. I’d seen and learned a lot in the last six months.

Back at Snappy Finger’s table, I purposely leaned over, balancing my tray. “Gentlemen, your coffee and black-n-whites.” I set their cups and cookies down and said,  “I told the cook to put a rush on those sandwiches. Seems to be a little backed up at the grill though.” I then turned around and bussed the table beside them, stretching over to wipe it down, giving them a full view of my back side. I lived off tips. I’d learned what I had to do.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

I’m a Texas girl: grew up in San Antonio, went to school at UT in Austin where I earned my degree in journalism, and settled in Dallas where I raised a husband, two kids and a few cats. My husband, Mehmet, and the cats will probably disagree on who raised who, but I’m a sucker for a robust discussion.

For years I was involved in retail management, but in 2014 I refocused on my writing, taking deep dives into the lives of my characters. When you can pry my fingers off the keyboard, I enjoy entertaining, sharing food and drink with friends and family. I enjoy shopping, usually on the hunt for apparel, with a special weakness for shoes, and will frequently jump at the opportunity of an unexpected trip to a far-away place.

And I always make time for reading. I keep a stack of novels ready and waiting on my night stand, with a few tapping their toe in my Kindle. I bounce around genres, and I’m always ready for a good recommendation.

Facebook: Author Bobbie Candas: https://www.facebook.com/bobbiecandasauthor

Good Reads author link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8292457.Bobbie.Candas

Amazon Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Bobbie-Candas/author/B00MNS6KV0

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bobbiecandas

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by Tabetha Waite

Revenge of the Wallflowers

When it comes to revenge, it is a dish best served… steaming hot.

Carmia McDougal is a woman scorned. She met Thame Forrester by chance. He was visiting his uncle’s hunting box in Scotland, and their paths crossed. It was love at first sight for both of them. At least, that’s what she thought. When they were due to meet at the altar, he never arrived. Instead, she was told that he’d returned to London, and that their brief romantic affair was nothing but a lark. As a long-standing wallflower, Carmia decides that she’s not going to take such a slight, so she gathers up her courage and travels to confront the scoundrel, all while making her retribution sweeter than honey…

The moment Thame Forrester met Carmia, he immediately found the enchanting, Scottish lass to be irresistible, but he realized he was being selfish by dragging her into a world that demanded so much. English society was much more proper than she was used to enduring. At least, that was what he told himself. It was easier than admitting that he might have acted rashly, although later he realized that it had broken his heart to leave the titian-haired beauty. Nevertheless, he decides that she would get over him soon enough—until she arrives in London and uses her charm to win over everyone she meets. Thame realizes he’s made a terrible mistake by letting her get away, but she keeps insisting that their time has passed. However, he is just as determined as his fiery counterpart and when it comes to love, he isn’t giving up the battle easily.

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SERIES LINK: https://books.bookfunnel.com/revenge_of_the_wallflowers/7x4ng9tv7t

To Charm the Marquess by Aileen Fish

Revenge of the Wallflowers book 30

Minnie Dixon has loved the Marquess of Whitehall for…well, forever. So when her friend asks her to write love letters to him as a joke, it’s easy to do, but no laughing matter. She puts her heart into those anonymous letters, only to discover her friend has claimed to be the author. Now Whitehall is falling for the wrong woman. Revenge is the only answer Minnie can see, so she outs herself as the true author of the love notes.

Michael Saunders, Marquess of Whitehall, is first hurt that someone would pretend to love him, then angry at being the butt of their joke. He’s still in need of a wife, however, and when the pain subsides he’s curious if the woman who wrote those impassioned letters could really love him as she said. He honestly doubts anyone is capable of such emotion, but decides getting to know her will free him of the notion such a love could be real. Then he can continue his search for an amicable marriage.

Given a second chance she never dreamed possible, can Minnie prove she’s everything the marquess could ever want in a wife and have her happy ending?

https://books2read.com/u/mllknP

https://books2read.com/u/mllknP

https://books2read.com/u/mllknP

THE LEGENDARY MO SETO

by A.Y. Chan

GENRE:  Middle Grade, Martial Arts, Action/Adventure

BLURB:

Mo Seto, martial arts movie star! Has a nice ring to it doesn’t it? Too bad there’s a height restriction to audition. But 12-year-old Modesty (Mo) Seto has never let her height get in the way before, not when she became a black belt, or when she fought the meanest boy in her class, and she’s not going to let it stop her this time! Now if only she can figure out a way to grow five inches and fool everyone at the auditions…and find time to search for her missing father (who just might be harboring a dangerous secret of his own). Join Mo on an adventure (and audition) of a lifetime and find out if powerful things really do come in small packages!

Publishers Weekly calls THE LEGENDARY MO SETO “Adrenaline pumping”, Kirkus Reviews says it “Packs a punch”, and Booklist calls it “Remarkably relatable.” Leap in and join the fun!

Excerpt  

“You’re so gonna lose,” he says, low enough that only I can hear. “’Cause . . .”

He bends his knees so he’s several inches shorter—though even in this position, he towers over me.

I feel a tiny rip in my chest, like when a balloon is pinched but doesn’t pop, that slow leak of air—hisss.

Dax knows how to hit where it hurts. Junior-level sparring is based on age and belt level, not on size. Even after vitamins, and broccoli, and jumping jacks for a year, I’m still only four-foot-six-and-a-half. Mom says the women in her family are late bloomers, but she’s barely four-foot-nine, so I’m not holding my breath.

Why do I have to be so small? The familiar thought bursts through like a weed after a rainstorm. I used to destroy Dax all the time, but ever since his growth spurt at the end of last summer, he’s beat me in the fall, winter, and spring tournaments.

That’s three. Three tourneys.

Silver is great too. Variety is the spice of life, Dad would say, as if losing gold isn’t a big deal. But in the days and weeks after, he’d be more subdued and make me train twice as long every day. Kick harder, Mouse. You must beat him next time, Mouse. Because being the best really does matter to him. A lot.

It matters to me, too. Today’s tourney, the Dost Valley Cali-wide Mid-Year Tae Kwon Do Championship, takes place right at the start of summer, and it is the biggest one of the year. I’ll show Dax.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

A.Y. Chan grew up in Canada’s Greater Toronto Area reading all the middle grade and young adult books she could get her hands on. To this day, those remain her favorite genres. After achieving her black belt in Taekwondo, she explored other martial arts, such as Wing Chun, Hapkido, and Muay Thai. These days, she continues her martial arts training some mornings, writes in the afternoons, takes long walks to muddle out plot points, and falls asleep reading.

Book Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Legendary-Mo-Seto-1/dp/1665937327

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-legendary-mo-seto-a-y-chan/1144226905

Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-legendary-mo-seto-ay-chan/20699961

A.Y. Chan Social Links:

Twitter/X: https://x.com/AYChanWrites

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aychanwrites/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aychanwrites/

About Book Links:

Website: https://aychanwrites.com

Simon & Schuster Author Page: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Legendary-Mo-Seto/A-Y-Chan/The-Legendary-Mo-Seto/9781665937320

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Enemy of the Wallflower: Lady Be Vengeful

by Dawn Brower

Revenge of the Wallflowers Book 29

Lady Cora Stephens has an enemy. A certain earl has always been the bane of her existence. Her father loved him and probably secretly wished he’d been his son, not his friend’s. He’d tormented her when they were children, and his arrogance had only grown with age. She vowed one day to wipe the smugness away and replace it with the same pain she had endured for years.

Hayes Grant, Earl of Thornton hadn’t led the charmed life most had believed—even if the façade he presents to the world enhances that belief. His father was a brute of a man and beat him more times than he could count. He didn’t get a reprieve until after the rotten man died, but the damage had already been inflicted, and could never be undone. Hayes lashed out at anyone that showed him kindness, not trusting its veracity—even the only girl he’d ever loved. He wished he could have taken back all the things he’d said to Cora over the years, but some things couldn’t be changed. She would never believe he loved her. Why should she? He’d been a complete arse over the years. It was for the best though. He was too damaged to ever love her as she deserved, and the only good thing he could ever do for her was save her from himself.

Cora’s desire for revenge turns to something else as she learns about Hayes’s past. His pain had been far greater than hers, and her heart breaks for him, but it may be too late. Some wounds can never heal…even when love is given freely.

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WHERE THE STARS CROSS

Dottie Sines

GENRE:  Historical Romance

BLURB:

In the depths of the Great Depression, Ellie suffers another crash—that of her marriage. She’s left struggling to restore her shattered life, feeling as damaged as the stained-glass panels she refurbishes for Chicago’s historic structures. While visiting her aunt in Marietta, Ohio, a charming river town, Ellie encounters towboat captain Wyatt and feels a searing attraction to him. But thanks to past and subsequent wounds, her attempts at opening herself to love seem futile. Her hope for love and her determination to find the place she belongs are further complicated by her tendency to make impulsive decisions. In her journey, Ellie draws on an unrealized level of courage and learns she must identify her brightest passions in charting her course.

Excerpt:

Once the world creaked back to a tentative rotation and time again began ticking away, Ellie salvaged the remnants of herself and hobbled to her feet. She shoved her hair from her face and brushed away the bits of grass pasted to her arms. How long had she lain there, on this deserted patch of ground? Long enough for the world to have revolved away from the sun. Long enough, apparently, for Earth’s gravity to pull the life from her, because the only thing she felt or thought or knew was the faint echo of a crippled heartbeat.

Ellie hugged her arms and looked to the darkening sky. She’d fallen asleep, obviously, but for all this time? Even amid all the darkness, the stars still twinkled. Damned stars. She’d taken Aunt Lillian’s little fable about finding one’s place according to where their three stars crossed too seriously. It had been intended simply as inspiration. Wyatt was gone, so he obviously hadn’t been some fairytale second star. And she never had figured out what her would-be third star was.

Time to get her heart out of the stars and her head out of her behind. She’d been selfish. What about all the other people suffering in the wake of the devastating flood? What about all those who had it much worse than she during this never-ending Depression? Those were the people she needed to look to the stars for, not her own self-serving wants, so she closed her eyes and made a wish for everyone but herself.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Dottie scratched out her first fiction as a little kid transfixed by the books she read all those lazy summer days on the front porch swing. Two of her short stories have been published in The Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park’s literary journal, Hemingway Shorts, having placed among the top ten entries in its annual short story contests.

Where the Stars Cross, Dottie’s first novel, is available for purchase at:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Where-Stars-Cross-Dottie-Sines/dp/1509257373/  (where it’s on the Hot New Releases list for 20th century historical romance!)

Website: https://www.dottiesines.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555443236996

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dottie_sines_author/
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Miss Kimble Bites Back
by Heather Boyd
Revenge of the Wallflowers

Gabby Kimble knew just who she wanted at the start of her first season. So why is she spending so much time with an allegedly wicked duke instead?

It’s Gabrielle Kimble’s first season in London, and like most young women, she’s determined to make a good match. She’s set her sights on marriage to a good man, someone handsome and witty and oh so charming. When the opportunity comes to speak privately to her choice at a ball, she takes a bold risk with her reputation—only to find herself in a deserted room and overwhelmed by the notorious Duke of Mamble! Gabby cannot deny the man has a presence, but why can she not stay away from an allegedly cruel duke?

Sebastien Spence, Duke of Mamble, knows precisely what society whispers about him behind his back and would normally ignore the disapproving stares aimed his way. However, when one bold debutant mistakes him for the most unexciting man in London, and declares her love for him too, their provocative encounter tempts him to set the record straight. Dancing with the wallflower once should have been enough to save Gabby from disappointment, but never in his wildest dreams did he imagine she could turn his head so completely. Does he dare trust her with his secrets, and his heart, when she’s clearly still in pursuit of another man?

A steamy regency standalone romance.

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More Titles coming in September