EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY
Lord Fenton's Folly
(A Proper Romance Book 2)
(A Proper Romance Book 2)
by Josi S. Kilpack
Lord Fenton's Folly is the second book in the Proper Romance series by Josi S. Kilpack. Also available: A Heart Revealed.
Lord Fenton's Folly is currently on tour with I Am A Reader, Not A Writer. The tour stops here today for an excerpt and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
For more books by this author, please check out my blog post on Fortune Cookie and my blog post on Wedding Cake.
Description
Lord Fenton is a gambler, a dandy, and a flirt-and he must marry or else he will be disinherited, stripped of his wealth and his position. He chooses Alice Stanbridge for two simple reasons: he once knew her as a young girl, and she is the least objectionable option available to him. However, Alice has harbored feelings for Fenton since their first meeting ten years ago, and she believes his proposal is real. When she discovers it is not, she is embarrassed and hurt. However, a match with the most-eligible bachelor in London would secure not only her future but that of her family as well. Determined to protect herself from making a fool of herself a second time, Alice matches Lord Fenton wit for wit and insult for insult as they move toward a marriage of convenience that is anything but a happy union. Only when faced with family secrets that have shaped Fenton’s life does he let down his guard enough to find room in his heart for Alice.
Excerpt
Fenton groaned and put his saucer back on the tray, making an instantaneous decision that eased his mind quite a lot. To look at every woman he met as a potential wife was irritating, and after only two weeks he was quite tired of it. Perhaps the solution was to orchestrate a match that would not lay all aspects of matrimony at his feet all at once. Perhaps treating it as a business arrangement would help it to be exactly that, thereby freeing him from all the discomfiting realities he was not yet prepared to face. “I leave for Fentonview on Tuesday and shan’t be back for a week. Courting is such a boring prospect, and you yourself said that to become infatuated with anyone might become a complication.” He paused, considered one last time what he was going to say next, and decided he felt as good about it as could be expected. “You like Alice Stanbridge and feel she would make a good wife for me?”
Lady Chariton looked confused and perhaps a bit concerned. “I do, but-”
“Then that is good enough for me,” Fenton said, rising to his feet and smiling broadly at his mother, who stared back at him in surprise. “I do find her appealing and what’s more she is not a silly little thing without a practical thought in her head.”
His mother’s eyes widened and her eyebrows rose upon her forehead. Fenton struck a pose of consternation, with his thumb and forefinger on his chin as he looked toward the window a moment, then nodded crisply and turned back to his mother who still looked shocked by his pronouncement.
“Yes, I think that Alice Stanbridge is exactly what I should like in a wife, and so I shall see to it before I leave for Hampshire-I see no reason to wait until Michaelmas and might as well get it over with.” He leaned in and kissed his mother’s hand. “Thank you for your help, Mama. I shall let you know how she responds to my proposal.”
Praise for the Book
"Nice imaginative touches ... An entertaining verbal battle of the sexes." ~ Publishers Weekly
"An interesting take on respect and respectability and the choices a noble family must make when things go awry. Watching Alice and Charles grow into themselves and love for each other is nuanced and rewarding. A poignant Regency romance with subtle inspirational messages about the power of forgiveness and authenticity." ~ Kirkus
"A poignant love story ... Filled with exceptional characters. An endearing tale ... this heartwarming story is filled with healthy banter and dark family secrets, and is centered on a kind, beautiful, and intelligent young woman. The bonds that Alice forms with those around her are incredibly deep. There is plenty of perplexing mystery surrounding the difficult and unique relationship between her and Lord Fenton. The author does a terrific job describing the intense and complicated relationships woven throughout the book, with many perfectly written and elegantly described social events, leaving just enough ambiguity to entice and engage her audience. The characters are ... relatable and believable enough to allow those sweet fantasies of a better life to be dreamed upon and savored. The storyline and the narrative are incredibly touching and thoroughly enjoyable. Will be a joy for any lover of true romance, and with a G-rating, young women everywhere are bound to fill their days and nights dreaming of being in Alice's shoes." ~ Foreword Reviews
"Kilpack creates a number of appealing characters, a colorful nineteenth-century setting, and a few family secrets. Traditional Regency romance in that scenes may get a little steamy, but not too sexy. Recommended for teen readers who favor chaste romance novels with a period setting." ~ Booklist
About the Author
Josi S. Kilpack hated to read until her mother handed her a copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond when she was 13. From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and accredits her writing "education" to the many novels she has "studied" since then.
She began writing her first novel in 1998 and never stopped. Her novel, Sheep’s Clothing won the Whitney Award 2007 for Mystery/Suspense in 2007 and Wedding Cake, the twelfth book in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery series, won in 2014. Josi was also the Best of State winner in Fiction for 2012.
Josi currently lives in Willard Utah with her husband, children, and super-cute - but not very friendly - cat.
Giveaway
Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card or PayPal cash.
Links
