Winners of Lisa Kleypas Book Giveaway!

Thanks to everyone who entered to win a copy of Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas and for telling me your favorite LK novel. I have read all of her contemporaries so far and only one of her historical romances--Secrets of a Summer Night-- so I have a lot to look forward to!


I used the free random list generator at random.org to select the winners for this giveaway. The three lucky winners are ......

Angiegirl

Rowena 

azteclady 

Congratulations! I'm so excited for each of you! I hope you enjoy Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor as much as I did and it gets you excited for Rainshadow Road coming out later this month!

List Randomizer

There were 9 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. Angiegirl
2. Rowena
3. azteclady
4. Isabel
5. Lisa
6. bn100
7. Lusty Reader
8. Alex
9. Paula

Timestamp: 2012-02-04 14:45:08 UTC

Get Excited for Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas & Book Giveaway

Oh how I wish I was giving away copies of Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas, but no. I'm afraid I'm going to have to sit tight and wait for this book's release just like the rest of you.

You ARE anxiously awaiting Rainshadow Road, too, right? Did you read the first chapter excerpt on Lisa's website yet? No?! What are you waiting for? Go read it HERE. Go ahead and read it right now. I'll wait for you....

So what did you think? I love this opening scene. Already I'm in love with the Pacific Northwest setting. I was lucky to visit the region two summers ago with my family, so I can attest to the grandness of it's natural and rugged beauty and I can see why Lisa Kleypas chose this particular setting for her Friday Harbor series. It truly is a majestic place and invokes a sense of both peace and wonder.

As for Lucy Marinn and Sam Nolan, in just one opening scene, we can see there's a subtle chemistry between them, don't you think? I can already tell their relationship is going to be a sweet discovery, although it's not going to be so straightforward. There's some obstacles in this love story of which we already know and I'm sure even more to come as the story progresses. One thing we definitely know about Lucy is her strong sense of caution when it comes to relationships with men, and who can blame her after the awful break up she's going through. Oh, but you haven't heard the details of that one yet, have you? Well, as a member of Lisa's Divas I was able to read the second chapter excerpt recently, and let me tell you the break-up is a tough one. I hope Sam is good at convincing Lucy of love and happily ever after. Although, to tell you the truth--he's going to need some convincing of the possibility of that, too! I can't wait to see how Lisa Kleypas brings these two characters together.

To help get you psyched for the February 28, 2012 release of Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas, I'm giving away three beautifully bound hardcover copies of the first book by Lisa that introduces us to Friday Harbor and the Nolan brothers.... Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor.

Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor is the story of Mark Nolan and Maggie Collins, the owner of a very special toy store in Friday Harbor. This heartwarming story is so charming and will leave you believing in the magic of love.

You can read my review of Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor HERE. I can't believe I read it way back in October 2010! That was many, many books ago for me, but the characters, their story and the setting!--are still fresh in my mind.

Want to be entered for a chance to win Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor? Just follow these steps and rules:

• Leave a comment below telling me your favorite book by Lisa Kleypas and you're entered in the giveaway.
• Haven't read a book yet by Lisa Kleypas? Then leave a comment below telling me why you'd like to read this one. 
• Be sure to leave your email address in your comment if it is not easily found on your profile.
• Open to US and Canada only. It's out of my budget to mail outside these two zones--I'm sorry.
• Giveaway ends on Friday, February 3, 2012, 5 pm EST at which time I'll use random.org to select three winners.
• Winners will be notified by email and have three days to get back to me with their mailing information or their prize will be forfeited and another winner will be selected.

Good luck!  

To discover more about Lisa Kleypas and her books, visit her website at http://LisaKleypas.com.

There's also a great interview with Lisa that includes a lot of talk about Rainshadow Road at SmartBitches website HERE. The book giveaway is over, but do go read the interview with Lisa--it's very good!


NOTE: I'm one of "Lisa's Divas" - a group of select fans who share info & content related to Lisa's novels and get sneak peeks & swag in return. Including the copies of Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor provided for this giveaway! 

About Rainshadow Road {A video from Lisa Kleypas!}

I'm so excited to share this new video with you from Lisa Kleypas. In this short video, author Lisa Kleypas shares her thoughts about her upcoming new novel, Rainshadow Road, the first book in her  Friday Harbor trilogy.  Look for Rainshadow Road in bookstores in February 2012.




I posted this video for my readers as part of "Lisa's Divas" - a group of select fans who share info & content related to Lisa's novels and get sneak peeks & swag in return. But please feel free to grab the link, post the video and basically spread the word about Lisa's upcoming Friday Harbor series to your friends, too!

If you think you'd like to be one of Lisa's Divas, there may be room for a few more fans in the Lisa's Divas community. Visit this site for more information and how to sign up.

REVIEW: Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas

Note: This review is based on the reading of an ARC of Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor that was passed on to me from a friend.


Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor is the first book in a new contemporary romance series by author Lisa Kleypas set in the Pacific Northwest, each book to feature the romantic tale of one of three brothers--Mark, Sam and Alex Nolan, as they find their happily ever afters. Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor is the story of the eldest of the brothers, Mark Nolan.

Six months ago, the Nolan brothers' sister Victoria died in a tragic car accident. A single mother, Mark became the legal guardian of her young daughter Holly upon her death. Not exactly prepared for parenthood, Mark accepts his responsibility as Holly's guardian and is determined to do his best by her. He convinces his younger brother Sam to help him out and Mark and Holly move into Sam's big, old Victorian house for a while. The agreement is that Mark will help Sam with the restoration of the house while Sam helps Mark out with taking care of Holly. Alex has always been rather distant and closed, but has been even more so in his recent unhappy and troubled marriage.

Traumatized by her loss, Holly hasn't spoken a word since her mother's death, despite being under the loving care of her Uncle Mark. Now the brothers find Holly's letter to Santa asking for one thing for Christmas... a mom. Mark recognizes Holly's need for a mother figure in her life and thinks he can and should provide her with that. And why not? His girlfriend Shelby is very nice. He and Shelby have a very comfortable relationship and she would do just fine. Yet there's something warm, comforting and magical about the interesting and insightful woman from the toy store, Maggie Collins. Will Holly get her Christmas wish? Better yet, will Mark Nolan know the magic of love when he feels it?

Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor is an adorable little story about opening your eyes to the magic of imagination and love discovered in unexpected places and the willingness to take a chance at finding happiness. There aren't any huge misunderstandings or major conflicts in the story. It's a simple feel good story about family, hope and love.

The Nolan brothers didn't grow up under the example of a healthy marriage between their parents nor did they have particularly warm or close relationships within their family. Yet the love of a six year old little girl can melt hearts and soften the most determined of bachelors. And maybe even draw the crankiest of uncles around for the holidays.

Maggie Collins learns a little something about love, hope and family in this story, too. Unlike the Nolan brothers, Maggie comes from a big family full of love and laughter so she already knows about that part and appreciates it very much, too. But Maggie is a widow who lost her husband to a difficult battle with cancer, so she also knows what's a stake when you open yourself up to the hope of a future life filled with love and happily ever after. She doesn't want to have to ever have to go through that again so is content to let her big family be her comfort and leave romantic love out of the picture for good. The magic of love, however, is stronger than Maggie's resolve to not fall for Mark Nolan.

Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor is a very sweet and heart warming holiday romance. It's a quick, light read, nowhere near as much plot or character substance as Ms. Kleypas' previous contemporary novels, but enjoyable nonetheless. I can't imagine anyone reading this novel and not enjoying the hours spent in Friday Harbor with these characters, watching the Nolan brothers come together out of love for this little girl, hoping Maggie finds the strength to love again, and seeing Mark and Maggie falling in love along the way. It's impossible not to feel good about this little story.

As soon as you're finished reading Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor, you're going to want to read the stories of the other two brothers, Sam and Alex Nolan. I'd say ask Santa for the next book in the Friday Harbor series, but I'm afraid we're going to have to wait for next Christmas for that wish to come true.

Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor releases in hardcover and ebook tomorrow, October 26, 2010.

Visit author Lisa Kleypas at her website http://lisakleypas.com.

A NEW contemporary romance from Lisa Kleypas!

I swear sometimes I feel like I am THE last person in the world to know about goings on in the romance reading world. I just found out late last week that Lisa Kleypas, widely known and much loved author of historical and contemporary romances, has a new contemporary romance coming out and its release date is only three weeks away! How did I not know this?! I feel even more like I fumbled with this because there is a photo of me with Lisa Kleypas on her website under the contemporary section (squee!) so I feel I ought to be an active spokesperson for her contemporaries in some way. Sort of a way to earn my keep there, you know?  ; )  It is really special to me to be in a photo with Lisa on her website not only because she is one of my favorite authors, but also because one of her contemporary romances in particular--Blue-Eyed Devil, really touched me and in fact gave me a new perspective of some difficult things I went through growing up, which was really helpful to me.


So, in case YOU are actually the last person to know about Lisa's upcoming novel, here's the scoop:


Lisa Kleypas' NEW contemporary romance novel titled Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor releases on October 26, 2010!

ONE LITTLE GIRL NEEDS A FAMILY

One rain-slicked night, six-year-old Holly lost the only parent she knew, her beloved mother Victoria. And since that night, she has never again spoken a word.

ONE SINGLE MAN NEEDS A WIFE

The last thing Mark Nolan needs is a six-year-old girl in his life. But he soon realizes that he will do everything he can to make her life whole again. His sister’s will gives him the instructions: There’s no other choice but you. Just start by loving her. The rest will follow.

SOMETIMES, IT TAKES A LITTLE MAGIC…

Maggie Collins doesn’t dare believe in love again, after losing her husband of one year. But she does believe in the magic of imagination. As the owner of a toy shop, she lives what she loves. And when she meets Holly Nolan, she sees a little girl in desperate need of a little magic.

…TO MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE

Three lonely people. Three lives at the crossroads. Three people who are about to discover that Christmas is the time of year when anything is possible, and when wishes have a way of finding the path home…

The story sounds a little heartbreaking, yet full of hope and there just has to be a sweet happily ever after in there, too! 


Isn't that a really pretty cover, too? The twinkling lights on the stays of the sailboats and on the houses across the harbor, the snow covered mountains in the background ... all just enough sparkle to invoke a holiday feeling. Very pretty.


I'm pretty excited about the upcoming release of Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor. I will always have a special affection for Lisa's Travis Family contemporaries... Sugar Daddy, Blue-Eyed Devil and Smooth Talking Stranger, and how I would love to be able to name a fourth book for Joe Travis, but alas, at this point I don't think that's in the works. Now I'm excited to discover some more favorites in this upcoming contemporary series by Lisa Kleypas.


Do you read Lisa Kleypas?


What's your favorite Kleypas historical romance? Contemporary romance?


Read an excerpt of Christmas at Friday Harbor HERE.


Visit author Lisa Kleypas at her website http://lisakleypas.com/.

REVIEW: Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas

Wallflower series, Book 1

Published: November 2004

TBR Challenge REVIEW (March 2009)
This is in essence my review for last month's TBR Reading Challenge. I actually read all the books for my four Reading Challenges before the end of March, but just didn't get around to writing the reviews. Ah, C'est la vie.


Secrets of A Summer Night is the first book of four in the Wallflower series by Lisa Kleypas. The story opens outside a London theater in 1841 with the heroine Annabelle Peyton and her adolescent brother Jeremy setting out to see the latest panorama show. Hard times have befallen the Peyton family since Annabelle's and Jeremy's father died, leaving them and their mother facing great financial difficulties despite their well-born social class. Much to their disappointment, Annabelle and Jeremy discover that they do not have enough coins between them to buy two tickets to the show after all. However, an acquaintance of Jeremy's named Mr. Simon Hunt approaches them and insists on treating them to the show. It is there in the theater, when the lights go out for a brief moment, that Simon Hunt steals a tender, albeit passionate kiss from Annabelle, murmuring his apologies just before disappearing into the darkness. The lights come back on and Annabelle is shocked and embarrassed by the kiss, but also acknowledges her own willing and heated response. Noting the effect Mr. Hunt had on her and aware that he is born to a lower social station as she, Annabelle makes a point to herself to avoid him at all costs.

Two years later, Annabelle is at the end of the third season and still has not found a husband. While she has had offers of financial stability in the form of a mistress to several men, Annabelle is determined to enter a respectable marriage and refuses such a relationship. By now Annabelle has become a wallflower at balls, nearly never asked to dance, for the men know she is on the hunt for a husband. The only man who does ask her to dance is Mr. Simon Hunt, who attends some of the same balls. Simon appears to be the only man not weary of Annabelle's intentions of securing a husband, and repeatedly asks her to dance. She is set in her resolve, however, that he is a dangerous man and she in turn repeatedly declines him.

Annabelle develops a camaraderie with three other young women who are also considered wallflowers and together the girls make a pact to help each other secure a husband, one by one until all four of them are married to a man of proper wealth and station. Once the pact is made, the wallflowers decide to attend a holiday at the country estate of the renowned Lord Westcliff, hoping to secure a husband for Annabelle. It is on this holiday that Annabelle and Simon cross paths yet again. Initially Annabelle is a bit short with him, but as their contact continues, their banter becomes more witty and friendly and she begins to develop feelings for him. Feelings that she tries to dismiss so that she can find a suitable husband, but in the end, circumstances drive them together.

First, I have to say that I love the premise behind the Wallflower series. I just never thought about the title of the series until it was spelled out for me in the early pages of Secrets of a Summer Night. I found the notion that these four women have forged a friendship out of their similar and somewhat dire situations quite endearing. Secrets of a Summer Night is clearly Annabelle Peyton's story, yet getting to know each of the women through their developing friendship was simply ... nice. I'm most definitely curious to find out how the other three women--the American sisters Lillian and Daisy, and the shy, overprotected Evie-- find their happily ever afters. I sure hope all four wallflowers continue to meddle in each others' affairs a bit. All good natured and with good intentions, of course.

At first, the plot and characters of Secrets of a Summer Night appeared rather straightforward to me. Basically, a young woman seeks husband of proper station to maintain respect among her peers and save her family from complete financial ruin, and she instead falls for the man of lower station that she's trying to dismiss, who happens to be rich and cares a great deal for her. That about sums it up, actually. However, the author somehow develops the characters right between the pages, unbeknownst to you and before you know it, they are so refreshing and do not fit any mold. Not only that, but the sub conflicts--and the development of the love between Annabelle and Simon, are unexpected, yet always realistic, so the story is entertaining, captivating and very importantly, believable. One of Lisa Kleypas' many talents as a writer is her ability to take an otherwise straightforward romance and turn it into something so much more beautiful and memorable with surprisingly fascinating characters and interesting twists in the story lines.

Another one of this author's talents, I think, is the how she incorporates a coming of age type element into the heroine's story. In Secrets of a Summer Night, Annabelle is adamant about marrying a proper man of her equal or higher station. It is so incredibly important to her, largely due to the fact that society expects this to be the norm. However, as circumstances bring her together with Simon Hunt and she learns more about the world beyond her little circle, Annabelle learns--completely on her own, mind you--how unfair and unbecoming it is to favor one person over another simply because of their social station. By the end of the novel, she learns one of life's most important lessons. That is, to judge someone's character by their character, not by their social status or by how other people judge them. Seeing Annabelle come to this revelation, and the fact that she came to it on her own with no pressure from society or even from Simon, was great and a very important element to the story.

Secrets of a Summer Night is a pleasant and endearing romance between two very charming characters whose story is equally charming. I'm looking foward to reading the next Wallflower book, It Happened One Autumn.

GRADE: B+

REVIEW: Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas

St. Martins Press
March 31, 2009

Smooth Talking Stranger is Lisa Kleypas' third contemporary romance novel featuring the lives and loves of the Travis family. All three of Lisa's contemporary novels are told from the first person point of view of the heroine and each story is in essence the story of the woman's journey to discovering her true self and the road to her happily ever after. Smooth Talking Stranger is the story of Ella Varner and how her world gets turned upside down and rocked all over the place by her sister's newborn son Luke and even more so by the man her sister implicates as Luke's father--one of Houston's most eligible bachelors, Jack Travis. While Smooth Talking Stranger is not without a few flaws and inconsistencies, the story is completely absorbing, entertaining, very sweet and definitely romantic.

Ella Varner has come a long way in creating a safe haven for herself since distancing herself from her atypical upbringing within a very dysfunctional family. Ella and her sister Tara have been through a lot of craziness in their childhood ever since their father walked out on the family when they were very small. Their mother, Candy Varner is not an easy person to live with. She's insecure, unstable, selfish and has never been a positive influence on her daughters. Ella was smart and strong enough to get out when she could and after therapy, a lot of self reflection and a whole lot of will power has created a stable, content life for herself. She lives with her steady boyfriend Dane in an Austin apartment, has a steady job writing an advice column for a city newspaper, a network of friends, and thinks she's got her happily ever after going on. Her sister Tara, on the other hand, hasn't found her way out of dysfunctional as successfully as Ella. Not that she's necessarily following her mother's footsteps, but she's definitely been struggling with finding happiness and direction.

Ella has been out of regular contact with her mother and sister for a while and one day gets a call from her mother reporting that Tara left her surprise newborn baby with her and left without a trace. Candy is now demanding that Ella come to Houston to retrieve Tara's newborn baby before she turns him over to social services. Without hesitation, and much to her boyfriend's chagrin, Ella drops everything in her life and heads to Houston to look after the baby while she hunts down Tara and the baby's father. Finding Tara proves more difficult than she expected, but their cousin gives Ella a few leads, including the tip that the baby's father is the successful businessman and much sought after eligible bachelor, Jack Travis.

Before Ella hears from her sister with confirmation whether or not Jack could actually be the baby's father, Ella confronts Jack at his workplace about his potential paternity and makes quite an impression on him as he watches her attend the baby and demand that Jack take a paternity test. Jack insists that it is simply not possible that he be the father because he's never slept with Tara, but Ella doesn't believe him. He has all rights to get extremely agitated and angry with Ella's accusations and demands, but he doesn't. He's actually intrigued by her. Ella is very different from the women Jack usually takes notice of, and while he can't quite put his finger on why, he's certainly going to find out more about Ella Varner.

Ella soon hears from her sister and gets some answers. She finds out who isn't the baby's father and what is actually going on with Tara that led her to abandon her baby. It is going to take Tara a few months before she can take back Luke, so Ella agrees to care for him until then. Back in Austin, Ella's boyfriend Dane won't allow Ella to bring Luke into their home and into their world, so Ella decides to stay in Houston in the interim. Fortunately her job as an advice columnist allows her to work remotely, and she sets up an apartment for her and Luke. Still determined to hold Luke's father accountable, she pursues all avenues. During this time, Ella bonds with both baby Luke and with Jack Travis, both of whom throw her for a loop, forcing her to rethink a lot of her views on life, love and the kind of happily ever after she's always deeply craved.

Smooth Talking Stranger is the romantic tale of Ella Varner's journey of self discovery that puts her on the path to her happily ever after. It is a very engaging and fast paced romance of a seemingly unlikely pair, but for those of you who don't like babies in your romance, be warned that Luke is an important element in this story. While his presence does not overshadow or interfere with the romance between Ella and Jack, he is still an integral part of the story and
his presence actually has an important role in teaching Ella about unconditional love.

Ella has some baggage from her past and while she thinks she has found her happily ever after with Dane, she's really just been maintaining this perpetual state of friendship with the added benefit of occasional physical release through sex. She's not experiencing passion, adventure and true love. She quickly finds out what she's missing, however, when she falls for Jack Travis. Jack is everything that Dane is not and more. He's open minded, kind, caring, possessive and passionate and although it takes a while, Ella finally lets go of safe and comfortable and takes a chance with Jack who offers her a better, more fulfilling love, the likes of which she's never known. I loved watching Ella come to realize she wants what Jack has to offer, working through her doubts that it could be something that will last a lifetime. It's a very beautiful journey thanks to Jack's patient and yet seductive nature.

While living in Houston, Ella also befriends Haven Travis, the heroine of Blue-Eyed Devil, and their friendship, although not explored in huge depths, really touched me. Both women have survived very unpleasant situations--Ella with her extremely dysfunctional family, and Haven with her abusive first marriage. Their friendship is very genuine and it allowed for some really great insights into the importance of friends whether those friends last a lifetime or they just walk through your life for a few seasons. It was a very nice touch to the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Smooth Talking Stranger, but there are a few elements that kept this book from being perfect for me. One is a scene in which Ella and Jack have unprotected sex. This is completely out of character for both of them who make it very clear that they are very careful and never have unprotected sex, but then there they were! I imagine that this was the first time either one of them have ever done such a thing, because the chemistry between them was uniquely intense and passionate, something neither of them has ever before experienced. And I believed that. But yet, neither one of them said so afterward! If only Ella blurted out that she was on the pill within the few seconds right before the act instead of ten minutes after, this scene would not have tripped my radar. Or if both of them panicked afterward or something to indicate that this was completely out of character for them. Otherwise, it was an amazing scene.

Another small disappointment was a plot device toward the end of the book that forced Ella into admitting her love for Jack that seemed a bit contrived. On the other hand, it definitely added tension and emotional climax to the ending, and taught Ella the lesson that it is better to have loved and lost than to never love at all. It led to some beautiful and romantic dialogue, so I forgave the author rather easily, but I still kind of wish it came about a little differently. It also set up some rather interesting background for what I think is Lisa Kleypas' next contemporary romance featuring Joe Travis.

Smooth Talking Stranger is a fast paced, engaging and very romantic story that will grab you from the first page and not let go until the very end. I read Smooth Talking Stranger in barely over a 24 hour period, which is so unusual for me, but also a true testament to the author's talent. The story flows smoothly and effortlessly, is at times poetic, always honest and beautifully romantic. Lisa Kleypas has the wonderful ability to share a realistic and passionate glimpse into a woman's life at which she is engaged in a soul searching journey ending with the perfect happily ever after.

GRADE: A-

A big thank you to Brie from Musings of a Bibliophile who so willingly shared her ARC of Smooth Talking Stranger with me as soon as she finished reading it. And she just so happened to post her review today, too!

Thank you, Brie!

REVIEW of Blue Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas and Personal Discussion on the Abuse Within

I have essentially written two parts to this post; a book review and a personal discussion on the topic of abuse within Blue Eyed Devil. I apologize for the length of the post, but I wanted the discussion to be included with the review, namely because it might be informative to some readers who happen upon my blog in search of the review and may have otherwise missed it if it were posted separately. Anyway, please feel free to read and comment (or not) on whatever part or parts of this post you feel comfortable with.

Note: If you haven't yet read Sugar Daddy, the following review of Blue Eyed Devil does contain spoilers from Sugar Daddy. Read at your own risk.

Review of Blue Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas.

When Lisa Kleypas revealed at the book signing in March of 2007 that she was writing Hardy Cates' story, my first thought was, "Excellent! I can't wait to read that!", and my very next thought was, "Really? Wow. How is she going to pull that off?!" By the end of Sugar Daddy, I was annoyed and disappointed with Hardy's behavior and couldn't imagine him as hero worthy material. I was curious to see how Ms. Kleypas would do it, and after reading the excerpt to Blue Eyed Devil on her website, I was beyond impatient to read this story. It turns out, I had nothing to worry about. Ms. Kleypas pulled it off with ease and truly revealed Hardy's worth as a hero.

Finally, March 2008 rolled around and I bought Blue Eyed Devil once it hit the bookshelves, willingly paying the hardcover price this time! I expected another beautifully written and touching story of self discovery and romance, but I did not expect how deeply this book would affect me on a personal level.

To be honest, I was barely halfway through reading Blue Eyed Devil when I had the revelation that this novel was going to be one of my favorite books of all time. I wanted to share my love of this novel by writing a book review, but in the end I realized that this novel's impact on mepersonally was preventing me from being objective, so I stopped trying to write one. Instead, I showed my love for Blue Eyed Devil by commenting almost everywhere I read a review on the internet, affirming all the many rave reviews.

This week, however, I was inspired by Ana and Thea's Lisa Kleypas Week at The Book Smugglers blog and decided to revisit my thoughts on Blue Eyed Devil and now here I am, writing a review for a book I read six months ago.

Like Sugar Daddy, Blue Eyed Devil is another story of a young woman's journey to find herself and the true love she deserves. Blue Eyed Devil is the story of Haven Travis, the youngest and only daughter of business tycoon Churchill Travis, who was Liberty Jones' 'sugar daddy' so to speak in Sugar Daddy. The story opens at the wedding of Liberty Jones and Gage Travis from Sugar Daddy. Haven Travis is engaged to Nick Tanner and accidentally shares an intimate kiss in a dark wine cellar with Hardy Cates--Liberty Jones' long ago, long time childhood crush--thinking he is Nick. After much embarrassment, Haven composes herself and they part ways.

Haven marries Nick and their relationship quickly proves to be an unhealthy one. Nick emotionally abuses Haven, beginning with subtle insults and degradations, and building slowly as he isolates her from her family and friends, controls how she spends her time and money, intimidates her, and purposely destroys personal items in the house. Ultimately he controls Haven in such a way that she loses sight of her individuality and her right to be free and happy. As the frequency and severity of Nick's emotional abuse of Haven increases, eventually the physical and sexual abuse begins. In final bout of rage, Nick severely injures Haven and locks her out of their home. Finally, Haven is able to walk away and save herself.

Haven's road to healing begins as she puts in a call to her brother Gage Travis--husband of Liberty Jones, both of whom give Haven shelter, loving support and personal space for healing. And let me just point out that I loved Gage in Sugar Daddy, but I love loved him in Blue Eyed Devil. He was perfect and very heroic. Haven then divorces Nick, seeks professional help for her abusive past, starts working for her brother, Jack Travis and begins to put her life back together and become whole again.

Blue Eyed Devil is the heart wrenching story of how Haven Travis lost herself in a damaging and unhealthy way as a result of her abusive marriage to Nick Tanner. It is also the heart warming story of how Haven Travis put herself on the path of healing and self empowerment and how she found the genuine, healthy, unrequited love she deserves. Haven Travis finds such a love with none other than Hardy Cates, the self made Texan business tycoon who has been on his own path to find himself for some time as well. Their story intense and beautiful, filled with heart aches and emotional healing and some very tender and very sexy love scenes. Together Haven and Hardy provide what the other one needs in order to heal. Blue Eyed Devil is a story of personal triumph with a romantic happily ever after that will stay in my heart forever.

GRADE: A+

You can read more about author Lisa Kelypas and her work on her website HERE.

Note: For those readers whose first reaction is to shy away from reading Blue Eyed Devil because of the nature of the abuse, I just want to let you know that although the impact of the abuse is a thread throughout the entire novel, the scenes of the actual abuse are very carefully written such that the violence of the abuse is real, but it's not excessively graphic. I'm not saying it's not difficult to read. It is. It's just that Ms. Kleypas did not under or overplay the nature of the abuse, and readers shouldn't avoid reading it for its graphic nature.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Personal Discussion on the Abuse in Blue Eyed Devil.

What If?

As I mentioned in my review above, I had a difficult time effectively writing an objective review of Blue Eyed Devil back in March when I first read the book. I felt too personally affected by Haven's abuse to properly compose my thoughts, so I sort of just let it go without following through with a book review.

Then today, something changed. I read Ana's review of Blue Eyed Devil on The Book Smugglers blog where Ana and Thea are showcasing the works of Lisa Kleypas all this week. Perhaps it's because I haven't discussed or read a review of Blue Eyed Devil in a while, but as I read Ana's wonderfully written review, my vision blurred, tears rolled down my cheeks, as I became flooded with similar emotions I had as I read the novel several months ago. It was then that I realized I really did have something to share about this novel that could be of some value to other readers. What I have to share is perhaps subjective, and probably most readers don't want or need to know about this novel's personal impact on me in order to help them decide whether or not to read Blue Eyed Devil. But what if there is someone who comes across my blog, and what if they have experienced something similar to me, and what if my post is what inspires them to read Blue Eyed Devil? And what if that person reads it, and what if that person is similarly affected by Haven's story? And what if by posting my personal thoughts on Blue Eyed Devil, I was playing a part in helping someone else heal? So I decided to share why and how Blue Eyed Devil is such a special book to me.

As the abusive part of Haven's story unfolds, I began to identify with Haven in an alarming way, as I was subjected to similar abuse in my youth from my father. While my circumstances were slightly different from Haven's--namely that I was a child without choice and the abuse was from a parent and not a chosen partner-- I readily related to Haven's plight and recognized the pattern of Nick's behavior as the same of my father's. As I read the chapters of Haven's abuse, my heart rate elevated and my chest tightened as I identified and empathized so astutely with Haven and her state of desperation. The whole time, I was thinking to myself, "I know how this feels. I know what it's like to fall victim to this kind of manipulative abuse and not be able to get out. I know this." Lisa Kleypas wrote this part of the story so incredibly accurately, which thoroughly impressed me. I was impressed that Ms. Kleypas wrote all aspects of this abusive relationship with such amazing realism. I was also saddened as I was reminded that this kind of abuse exists in the first place and keeps happening to women all over the world.

Tears continuously slipped down my cheeks as I read the chapters of Haven's abusive marriage. I refused to put the book down until I knew she was out of the relationship and on her way to her happily ever after, which I knew would happen. This is a novel by romance author Lisa Kleypas after all. My empathy for Haven was so intense as I read on; I was desperate to find out how she managed to break free from the destructive relationship. I cried tears of relief when Haven started on the road to recovery. I continued to cry tears of sadness for Haven because while I knew that she would heal, I knew it would never be completely, because sadly, you never forget the pain and sorrow. After a time you don't think about it every day or even every week. But it's always a part of you that still puts an ache in your heart.

Then I got to Chapter 5. Haven started going to a therapist and I was given a revelation to my own past that I didn't quite expect. Haven's therapist Susan Byrnes told her that Nick suffers from narcissistic personality disorder or NPD, and proceeded to explain some of what that entails.

"A person with NPD was domineering, blaming, self-absorbed, intolerant of others' needs . . . and they used rage as a control tactic. They didn't respect anyone else's boundaries, which meant they felt entitled to bully and criticize until their victims were an absolute mess."

I can barely explain explain the intense and odd mixture of emotions rushed through me at that point as I learned for the first time that there was an actual clinical diagnosis for people like Nick Tanner and my father. I was a bit stunned, relieved, angry, sad, and . . . interestingly, I felt validated. As if having a name and description for my father's behavior actually brought some logic to the emotional abuse he subjected his family to all those years. At least I now have a little piece of understanding, for which I have Lisa Kleypas to thank.

By now my tears are not just for Haven Travis, but also for myself and anyone else who has suffered abuse by a loved one like this. I know how desolate it feels, and I know how terribly difficult it is to finally end the relationship. To better understand this kind of desolation, consider this quote from Lisa Kleypas, taken from the comments section of Ana's review of Blue Eyed Devil at the Book Smugglers blog just a few days ago:

"One of the experts I consulted told me that most abused wives have no more ability to leave than a young child would have to leave his or her home. It has nothing to do with the victim's intelligence or morality or anything like that . . . it's a mental prison that the abuser creates."

Thankfully, I am also fortunate to know how it feels to be in a healthy relationship and to be a part of a safe, happy, and loving home. I know this because nearly twenty years ago I found the wonderful man who is my husband and the father of my daughters and I'm living the happily ever after that I deserve. Not that everything is perfect . . . but it's pretty close and it's definitely healthy and loving.

Any reader who reads Blue Eyed Devil and can't believe or understand how Haven could remain with Nick for as long as she did is both fortunate and ignorant. They are fortunate simply because their incomprehension suggests they've never known someone who has NPD, they've never been in a relationship with someone with NPD, and they've never been abused by someone whom they trusted and or loved. They are ignorant because the story of Haven's abusive relationship with Nick is written with exceptional realism that I and many many others can attest to first hand.

To any reader who reads Blue Eyed Devil and recognizes themselves as the victim in an abusive relationship, I hope Haven's story of triumph comforts you as it did me. Not only is it comforting to know others know exactly how you feel and its affects on your soul, but it is also reassuring to know that recovery and progress to a better life is possible. I also hope that Haven's story inspires you to seek the support that you need to end the abusive relationship and move forward toward a healthier life. In the author's note at the end of the book, Lisa Kleypas has shared some links to websites that she found to be informative and helpful to understanding abuse and personality disorders.

www.abusesanctuary.blogspot.com
www.controllingparents.com
www.narcissism.101.com

The National Domestic Violence Hotline and website:
(800) 799-SAFE
www.ndvh.org

On a final note, I just want to say that as you can imagine, writing this post was rather difficult. I revisited a very sad part of my life, and shared some very personal things about myself that many people may find uncomfortable knowing about. I guess I've taken a risk of sorts by putting this piece of me out there for all the world to see (well, mostly maybe only 20 people?), but my intention is to put this out there in the chance that by sharing this, I may help someone else. What if, right?

I also want to state that I don't want to make you to feel uncomfortable about what I've shared in this post. To the readers of my blog who regularly visit and leave me comments, I know you are all warm, loving people whom I consider friends and I certainly apologize if I've made you uncomfortable. I'm not looking for sympathy and I want you especially to be assured that my experiences with abuse happened a long time ago and while the hurt and sorrow never completely goes away, I'm thankfully in a very happy and healthy place in my life now, forever moving forward. And you know what? Life is good, because I've got my very own version of Hardy Cates . . . in my husband.

(Mini) REVIEW: Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas

As you can see from my post previous to this one, having only been reading romance for a few months, I took a big leap out of my newly discovered reading genre of paranormal romance paperbacks when I purchased and read Lisa Kleypas' first contemporary novel, Sugar Daddy--in hardcover no less-- for the mere reason that I had the opportunity to meet Lisa at a booksigning in my local Barnes & Noble. That was back in March 2007, and it turns out that the risk of spending $20 risk and a few hours of time was one of the best investment in books that I've made in a long time.


Sugar Daddy was more than I ever expected out of a contemporary romance about a poor mixed race Mexican American girl named Liberty Jones, who after innumerable losses and struggles that life has thrown her way, finally finds her happily ever after. I think it's a true testament to Ms. Kleypas' talent as a writer and a story teller that I was able to easily connect with and empathize with Liberty--someone seemingly so different from me-- so much so that I felt I was living life vicariously through her for those hours I spent reading this novel. Sugar Daddy is the story of Liberty's emotional journey as she struggles to find herself and the meaning of true love, delivered in richly written novel that shouldn't be missed.

GRADE: A

Loving Lisa Kleypas!

In case you haven't yet heard, Ana and Thea from The Book Smugglers blog are celebrating the works of author Lisa Kleypas all this week on their blog. So far I have only read Ms. Kleypas' contemporary romances, Sugar Daddy and Blue Eyed Devil, and both were phenomenal novels. The next novel in this contemporary world is titled Smooth Talking Stranger and will feature Jack Travis, who appeared briefly in Sugar Daddy and then more prominently in Blue Eyed Devil wherein he hired his younger sister and the heroine of Blue Eyed Devil in his firm. Here's a look at the newly revealed bookcover of Smooth Talking Stranger, revealed for the very first time yesterday by Ana and Thea on The Book Smugglers blog.  And a book blurb, also supplied by Ana and Thea... and was also on Ramblings on Romance several weeks ago. 

Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas 

(March 2009, St. Martin Press)

Jack Travis leads the uncomplicated life of a millionaire Texas playboy. He makes no commitments, he loves many women, he lives for pleasure. But no one has ever truly touched his heart or soul. Until one day, a woman appears on his doorstep with fury on her face and a baby in her arms. It seems Jack is the father and this woman is the baby's aunt. The real mother has abandoned the child to her more responsible sister. And now, Jack is being called upon to take responsibility for the first time in his life.

You can also read an excerpt of Smooth Talking Stranger on Lisa Kleypas' website HERE.  Ooo la la! I want this book yesterday! 

Be sure to visit The BookSmugglers all this week as Ana and Thea (and I believe a brave DARE guest reviewer... ) will be reviewing and discussing various novels of Ms. Kleypas. They also have an interview and book giveaway planned toward the end of the week. Don't miss it!


How I came to read Lisa Kleypas. 

i.e., How I came to Love Lisa Kleypas! 

As I've mentioned in the past (see my very first blog post HERE), I only started reading romance novels almost exactly two years ago from today's date! After a long hiatus from reading recreationally-- aside from baby books, cookbooks and magazines, that is-- I started reading Young Adult fiction, starting with the Harry Potter novels in the summer of 2003 (read aloud to my girls) right up to Twilight and New Moon which I read back to back in September 2006. Immediately after devouring the two Twilight novels, I fell in love with the romanticized vampire and knew I needed to read adult fiction with vampires as not only the good guy, but the love interest, too. After a little research on Amazon.com, I discovered paranormal romance. Imagine! An entire subgenre of romance with 100s, if not 1000s of books to choose from!

I instantly became a paranormal romance junkie, with a particular addiction to vampires. J.R. Ward became my favorite author and I was thrilled when I found out she would be doing a book signing in my local Barnes & Noble on the release day of Lover Revealed in early March of 2007. While in the bookstore that night, one of the employees was handing out a B&N newsletter and schedule of upcoming events for the month and I learned that author Lisa Kleypas would be visiting the same B&N a few weeks later. I recognized her name as a prominent romance author and even took pride in myself for knowing she wrote historical romances! About a week or so later I found myself back in my Barnes & Noble standing in front of the display of Sugar Daddy novels silently debating whether or not I should buy and read the book just so I could go to a book signing for an author I barely knew. I mean, I liked the idea of meeting another successful author, but I wasn't really into historical romances. And now this latest novel is this author's first contemporary romance? And it's hardcover? Nah, too many risks, I thought. But... Lisa Kleypas is a big name in romance, and how often does one get the opportunity to meet not one, but two successful and well known authors in her very own Barnes & Noble? Right? As I stood there debating, an employee of B&N who is also a romance reader, remembered me from Ward's signing and convinced me to buy the hardcover copy of Sugar Daddy. 

A few days later I picked up the book and started reading. At first, I was thinking that contemporaries are just not my thing. I had enough strife in my own young life, did I really want to read about someone else's struggles? I wanted the extreme escapism I found in paranormals. But then, before I knew it, I was completely sucked in to Sugar Daddy and the story of Liberty Jones. I laughed, I cried, I got nervous, excited and mad. I ended up devouring it even more readily than some of my favorite paranormals and Sugar Daddy became one of my favorite reads of 2007. 

A few days later, I attended Lisa Kleypas' book signing and was so utterly impressed by her. She was poised, articulate, friendly, and really down to earth. Ms. Kleypas even made me teary eyed when she talked about her passion for writing romance stories ever since she was 12 years old and again when she shared a personal anecdote in order to show why reading romance is important and comforting for us. I walked in to that signing as the newest fan of Lisa Kleypas the author and walked out of that signing as the newest fan of Lisa Kleypas the person.   

Here is a picture of me with Lisa Kleypas at the Sugar Daddy book signing at my local Barnes & Noble in March 2007.

My hair was really long then. A few months after this picture was taken, in August 2007,  I got it cut and donated 12 inches of my hair to Locks of Love.  I had previously donated 12 inches in August 2005, too! Just a little tidbit about me. ;) 

If you haven't already read Lisa Kelypas' contemporary romances, you really should. Right now you can buy Sugar Daddy in hardcover at amazon.com at the Bargain Price of $5.99! Go HERE. It is an A read for me.

Of course, you're going to want to read Blue Eyed Devil, so you may as well order it as well. Blue Eyed Devil is an A+ read for me and currently my favorite novel of 2008.