An Accidental Affair by Heather Boyd ~ Distinguished Rogues Series~ Spotlight ~ Review ~ Giveaway

An Accidental Affair 

by Heather Boyd

Heather has very generously offered up ebooks of An Accidental Affair for me to giveaway today. Today is my birthday and Heather is allowing me to giveaway a few birthday gifts. So the more comments Heather and I receive here today the more winners there will be. SOOO go tell your friends to stop by to increase every one's chances of winning! 

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BLURB:

London’s ballrooms and bedrooms thrive on scandal and decadent pleasure and the summer of 1814 will be no exception for the Distinguished Rogues in Heather Boyd’s latest Regency romance. 

Widowed beauty, Arabella Lawson, Lady Farnsworth, knows the value of independence after being trapped in a marriage that left her unfulfilled. Although she longs for a lover at last, she’s expected to chaperone her flirtatious niece during her first season. However, given the way the girl keeps disappearing every chance she gets, there is little hope of a good or speedy result. While searching for her charge yet again, she blunders into one of Lord Rothwell’s scandalous assignations. This time it’s Arabella’s turn to be on the receiving end of his hungry kisses, and she’s far from prepared to make the most of the opportunity. Gossip may paint Merrick Bishop, the Earl of Rothwell, as a notorious scoundrel when it comes to women, but this season his intentions are honorable. Duty bound to marry, he’s determined to discreetly court an open-minded bride and prove the gossipmongers wrong by being on his very best behavior… until in his frustration, he mistakenly kisses the wrong lady and discovers that everything about the encounter feels so very right. Merrick never once believed he had a chance with shy Arabella, and when the unthinkable happens, she turns to him not for an affair or hopes of marriage but for his friendship and protection from her own family. Can a rogue with a reputation for breaking hearts convince a widow who only hopes for an affair that their feelings are not only the stirrings of desire but the beginnings of the deepest and truest love?
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EXCERPT: 

Arabella darted a discreet gaze around the room in search of likely candidates for a lover and found no new faces. Drat. Even the unexciting Lord Parker was nowhere in sight, likely discouraged by her talk of fashion with Lady Harrison. Lady Harrison had latched on to the topic of riding habits and confessed she collected riding crops to match them. She could never get enough apparently and had a vast array upstairs. The topic had sent Lord Parker on his way in a hurry, his face flushed red.
Lady Harrison winked. “Do excuse me, won’t you my dear Lady Farnsworth? A hostess must not neglect her guests, and I see a gentleman over there desperately trying to catch my eye.”
“Yes, of course,” Arabella said quickly, not in the least concerned to be abandoned so soon. “I do understand. It is so easy to ruffle the feathers of an overlooked acquaintance when hosting a ball. Your events are always so well attended.”
Lady Harrison gave her an odd look, then sauntered away in a swish of red silk. Arabella envied her assurance as she moved through the crowd, throwing teasing smiles at the gentlemen she met. Unfortunately, such behavior was beyond Arabella’s skills. She wished she only had to look at a man for him to know what she was thinking, but so far, no one was listening and interesting things only seemed to happen to other ladies. 
The last time she’d tried fluttering her lashes, Lord Louth had asked her if she was ill.
Across the room, Lady Harrison paused to speak to Lord Rothwell, and a devilish smile flittered across his lips before he whispered something in her ear. Tall, dark, and sleek as a caged leopard at Wombwell’s traveling menagerie in his dark coat, breeches, and gold-and-white-striped waistcoat, Rothwell could have any woman he wanted and, according to London’s finest gossips, frequently did many times over. Was she witnessing an assignation? 
More than likely, given his eager nod of agreement and Lady Harrison’s pleased, secretive smile. At least that is what Arabella had to assume. Having never been in the same situation, she could only guess what one might say to make that man smile so wickedly.


© 2014 Heather Boyd

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REVIEW: 


As some of you know, Heather Boyd has become one of my very favorite authors. When I find out she has a new book to read I get so excited, I'm like a kid with a brand new toy. When I found out An Accidental Affair was ready to be released I was beyond ecstatic! When I received this book I was just going to read a few pages. However I became so caught up in the story that I ended up reading the whole thing. 

This story is about Lady Arabella that I met in Hunting the Hero. I just knew that Bella had an interesting story to tell and I am SO glad that Heather Boyd told her story.

There is just something about Bella that I adored right away. She has been through so much in life already. She had a loveless marriage that left her with a lot of questions about a normal married life. She is expected to assist with her niece's first season while under the watchful eye of her brother-in-law. In my opinion her brother-in-law is a jerk! I didn't like his attitude towards his own daughter or towards Arabella at all. 

Merrick Bishop, the Earl of Rothwell is known for his playboy scandalous lifestyle. Now he is ready to settle down, he just has to find a wife that he wants to marry. When he meets Arabella and gets an unexpected chance to spend time with her, he suddenly finds himself drawn to her. Arabella is a tad bit shy and he isn't sure that he stands a chance with this charming lady at all. 

One of the things I really admired about Merrick is that he takes responsibility for his family. He is loyal to them and they are very loyal to him. I don't want to give to much away here but parts of this story just melted my heart. 

I really don't want to tell you too much, I don't want to spoil this wonderful story for you.  I will tell you there is a LOT of drama that kept me turning the pages of this book quickly. Of course I have found when it's a book by Ms.Boyd I don't seem to have the ability to set it down anyway. Ms. Boyd has a wonderful way of writing an intriguing story that contains a nice amount of drama, mystery and of course some nice steamy scenes as well. 

I really enjoyed reading Arabella's story and watching her relationship with Merrick grow. I also enjoyed that a few of the characters from the Wild Randall's series made an appearance in this book. I was excited to catch up with some old friends. 

If you are a historical romance fan and have not had a chance to read Heather Boyd's work yet, give this book a try. I really do think you will enjoy it. I know it has certainly hit the list of one of my favorite books so far this year. I have to admit that I was very excited to read Arabella's story and An Accidental Affair surpassed even my expectations. If you are already a fan of Heather Boyd's, like me, then HURRY, click the link and grab your copy of this book. I have no doubt you will not be disappointed. 

I was given the opportunity to read this book so that I may share my thoughts with you. As always it has been my great pleasure to share my thoughts on An Accidental Affair with you. 

You may read more of my reviews on Heather Boyd's books here.

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Author Bio: 

Bestselling regency romance author Heather Boyd believes every character she creates deserves their own happily-ever-after, no matter how much trouble she puts them through. With that goal in mind, she weaves sizzling English set love stories that push the boundaries of regency era propriety to keep readers enthralled until the wee hours of the morning. Brimming with new ideas, she frequently wishes she could type as fast as she conjures new storylines. While writing full time north of Sydney, Australia, Heather collects dust bunnies in all corners of the house and does her best to wrangle her testosterone-fuelled family into submission. You can catch Heather’s news at www.heather-boyd.com

Links:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Heather_Boyd

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