Giveaway Review GIRL VS EARL by PHILLIPA ASHLEY @PhillipaAshley

Book Description

Publication Date: March 24, 2013

When Miranda finds herself fighting for her home, her job and her heart, sleeping with the enemy may not be the best tactic.

With no family of her own, Miranda Marshall has developed a healthy respect - some would say obsession - with other people's histories. As property manager of a spectacular island castle in Cornwall, she's made St Merryn's Mount one of the UK's most popular heritage attractions. While she may have the castle running like clockwork, Miranda hasn't bargained on its sexy owner returning to claim his birthright.

Dark, handsome and with a rakish reputation, Jago, the Earl of St Merryn, not only looks like a pirate but is intent on flogging the Mount to a soulless leisure corporation. Miranda faces the battle of her life as she tries to persuade him to face up to his past and continue the St Merryn dynasty. But Jago has his own reasons for jumping ship and when he throws down the gauntlet to Miranda, she's forced to delve into painful memories she'd much rather keep hidden.

About The Author

I write lively, sexy, funny contemporary romance. My first novel, Decent Exposure (titled Dating Mr December in the US) won the Romantic Novelists Association New Writers Award in 2007 and was made into the Lifetime TV movie, 12 Men of Christmas, starring Kristin Chenoweth and Josh Hopkins.

My next release is It Happened One Night in June 2013. My previous book, Miranda's Mount won the 2012 Festival Of Romance Best E book read.

www.phillipa-ashley.com

SOURCE:  AUTHOR

MY THOUGHTS
LOVED IT

Miranda is the property manager for a large castle in the Lake District.  The site is a favorite among tourists and also employs many of the local villagers.  She has an excellent working relationship with the owner, Lady St. Merryn and her employees.  Her best friend, Ronnie, works as a security officer and she worries that Miranda is too caught up in her work.  When Miranda confronts what she thinks is a lagging tourist, she comes face to face with Lord St. Merryn, Jago, who has decided to surprise his mother with a visit home for the first time in years.  He also has another surprise for Miranda, that he plans to sell the castle.  Miranda is sworn to secrecy and frets about the employees while falling in lust with Jago.

This is such a fun read, perfect for summer with romance and humor.  I really like Miranda and even with her devastating childhood, she still believes that she has a chance at love.  Jago, on the other hand, has had a rough go at life as well, since he lost his wife in illness following a horrible accident.  You can see why he doesn't want to keep the castle when he had planned to settle there with her.  Even Lady St. Merryn was great fun and I would love to read more about her romance after her lonely marriage to Jago's father.  The townspeople also offer some great minor characters and a bit of mystery is also with a few evil subplots.

The romance between the two was not something either of them were looking for and it was nice when they finally realized that they are perfect for each other.  Something that Jago's mother noticed right away.  The pair also generated some heat in one stand out sequence taking place in a boat.  I don't think I have ever really laughed at a romance scene like I did with this one. I can't wait until Ashley writes her next one!

WANT TO WIN A COPY OF THIS BOOK?
Contest is open to anyone over 13 years old with a email address
Contest ends on 4.24.13 Winner will be chosen by Random.org
Winner will be announced in the comments of this post
Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen.
This giveaway is sponsored by the author and ONEeBook will be available.


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REVIEW: Carrie Goes Off the Map by Phillipa Ashley

Product Description

Carrie lets her best friend talk her into a scenic European road trip as the perfect getaway from a nasty breakup. Unexpectedly along for the ride is the gorgeous Matt Landor, MD, who sorely tests Carrie's determination to give up men altogether. Careening through the English countryside, these two mismatched but perfectly attuned lonely hearts find themselves in hot pursuit of adventure and in entirely uncharted territory.

About the Author

Phillipa Ashley read English language and literature at Wadham College, Oxford before working as a freelance copy-writer and journalist. Her first novel, Decent Exposure, won the 2007 RNA New Writers' Award and became a Lifetime TV movie, The 12 Men of Christmas. She lives with her husband and daughter in Staffordshire, England.

Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark; Reprint edition (December 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402241453
• ISBN-13: 978-1402241451

SOURCE:  PUBLISHER

MY THOUGHTS
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT

Carrie is asked by her best friend, Rowena, what she would ever do if she caught her fiance cheating on her.   Never thinking that Huw would ever do such a thing, she makes up clever ideas about what she might do. Neither one could even imagine that he could ever cheat on her, but right before the big church wedding,  he calls it off after a ten year relationship.  Rowena rescues Carrie from their shared home and decides they need a road trip to get the bad taste out of her mouth. Everything is set to go until Rowena lands a role on a soap opera but quickly finds a replacement so that Carrie can get her mind off the horrible breakup and have a month on the road.

The replacement Rowena finds for herself is Matt.  A dashing doctor that has been working in a doctor without borders type of organization in a tropical island.  Matt has a horror that he is trying to forget himself.  He was involved in an accident and is sent home by his boss to recuperate.  Carrie meets Matt again at her ex's wedding where she intends to disrupt it but he convinces her otherwise.  They do end up on the trip where each of them grow to like each other.  After several false starts and mixed signals between the two of them, some which are incredible funny and terribly sweet.

I love Phillipa Ashley's writing style and her romances are so wonderfully put together, you find yourself taken away to another place with them.  Carrie is so believable and down to earth that you want to try and make her feel better after her horrible relationship.  You just know that Matt with his damaged background and playboy ways will come around to find Carrie "the one".  I so enjoy these romances since they really have a perfect balance of humor with interesting characters and dialog.  Now, I am patiently waiting for Ashley to write me another story.

Waiting on Wednesday: Carrie Goes off the Map by Phillipa Ashley

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

 Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2011

Phillipa Ashley is a bestselling women's fiction author in the UK with over 50,000 books sold and the kind of funny, accessible British voice that U.S. audiences love.
Carrie Brownhill, recently dumped by her fiancé, is determined to get away from men forever. Yet she finds herself stuck in a VW camper van careening through the English countryside with the intriguing Matt Landor, MD, and he seems to be just what the doctor ordered for a broken heart...

About the Author

Phillipa Ashley read English language and literature at Wadham College, Oxford before working as a freelance copy-writer and journalist. Her first novel, Decent Exposure, won the 2007 RNA New Writers' Award and became a Lifetime TV movie, The 12 Men of Christmas. She lives with her husband and daughter in Staffordshire, England.

Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (December 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402241453
• ISBN-13: 978-1402241451

REVIEW: Fever Cure by Phillipa Ashley

Description

The road to heartbreak is paved with honorable intentions…
After a year dealing with her mum’s health scare and the end of a bad relationship, Keira Grayson was looking forward to kicking up her heels at her best friend’s wedding. Until she kicks off her (spare) knickers in front of the trifecta of perfection. Tom Carew. Son of an earl, honorable doctor and possibly the hottest man on the planet.
One look at Keira’s delightful embarrassment, and Tom’s hormone meter spins off the charts. Trouble is, his bags are already packed to return to the jungles of Papua New Guinea. He has patients waiting—and amends to make for a terrible choice that left devastation in its wake.
They both reason that indulging in a one-time dinner date won’t hurt…until their inhibitions melt away in the heat of their lethal sexual chemistry. Leaving Keira wondering if a sizzling fling is just what the doctor ordered, or another prescription for relationship disaster. And Tom fighting a battle against inner demons that could shatter both their hearts.

Warning: This book contains a hot aristocratic doctor, sparky heroine, new uses for a chaise longue, a steamy shower scene and a knicker-ripping encounter in a four-poster bed.

About the Author

Phillipa Ashley studied English Language and Literature at Wadham College, Oxford before working as a freelance copy-writer and journalist. Her first novel, Decent Exposure, won the 2007 RNA New Writers' Award and became the Lifetime TV movie The 12 Men of Christmas. She lives with her husband and daughter in Staffordshire.

Details

• Format: ePub Edition
• File Size: 344 KB
• Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd. (July 12, 2011)
• Language: English

SOURCE:  AUTHOR

MY THOUGHTS
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT

Keira has a cute meet with a man at her friend's wedding and when I say "cute", I mean horribly embarrassing.  She fumbles her purse out and panties drop to the ground in front of this nice looking man, so as any gentleman would do, he returns them to her -- with an all knowing smirk.  Tom, the gentleman in question, is HOT and almost perfect.  He is a doctor and the son of an earl, but he is only in town for the wedding and then he is going back to be a rural physician in the Papua islands.  Keira knows that he is not right for her, but relents and figures he is good enough for a fling although nothing permanent can ever come out of the relationship. There are some serious sparks between the two and the erotic tension is palpable.  It is wonderful to read a bit hotter than normal romance with an actual story mixed in with the sex. 

I love Ashley's writing and I am so glad that she has taken her newest story to a more sexy level.  The characters are fun and well developed.  Keira is like your best friend from college, you want her to find the right guy and have a life other than her work as a grade school teacher.  Tom is not quite what I expected as  a leading man, yes, he is described as the perfect man, but he has issues which makes him  that much more interesting.  I loved tension and how the story built to the perfect conclusion.  Oh, and the English accents are icing on the cake! 

AND THE WINNER IS: Wish You Were Here by Phillipa Ashley

JINKY -- ldsmomof03

An email has been sent to the lucky people named above (first part of their email address in case my note ends up in spam).  The winner(s)  has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Thanks to all who entered.

PLEASE CHECK YOUR SPAM FOR THE EMAIL FROM BOOKHOUNDS @ HOTMAIL REQUESTING YOUR MAILING ADDRESS!

Didn't win?  Order your copy from my Amazon link:

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW: Wish You Were Here by Phillipa Ashley

Description

Phillipa Ashley is a bestselling author in the UK with over 50,000 copies sold and the kind of funny, accessible British voice that U.S. audiences love.

Jack Thornfield, new CEO, is shocked to see his long lost love, Beth Allen's resume come across his desk. After 8 years apart they have a second chance at happiness in this romantic story about love and secrets.

About the Author

Phillipa Ashley studied English Language and Literature at Wadham College, Oxford before working as a freelance copy-writer and journalist. Her first novel, Decent Exposure, won the 2007 RNA New Writers' Award and became the Lifetime TV movie The 12 Men of Christmas. She lives with her husband and daughter in Staffordshire.

Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark; Original edition (June 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402241445
• ISBN-13: 978-1402241444

SOURCE:  PUBLISHER

MY THOUGHTS
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT

Jack and Beth share a summer romance 8 years prior and Beth never hears from Jack again which breaks her heart.  Beth, in desperate need of a job, receives an offer from a firm where Jack is the CEO.  Her family and financial life is crumbling after her mother dies, her father has an accident and her talented teenage sister wants to go to an expensive acting school.  She settles into an unsatisfactory relationship with Marcus, who owns the local used car dealership. And yes, you are right in thinking all used car salesman are alike since I just felt icky even reading about him. 

After accepting the position, Beth finds her love and lust rekindled again being around Jack.  The job as a travel planner is just exactly what Beth needs and she soon realizes that Marcus isn't what she needs.  The minor characters in this book are spectacular.  Freya (after Freya North, maybe?) is an extra sparkling star that provides a lot of comic relief and fun as the office assistance.  She provides a reality check for Beth as well and can see that Beth and Jack belong together.  Martha, Jack's personal assistant/mother-figure,  knows how to run a tight ship and gets Jack exactly where he needs to be when it comes to Beth, even prodding Jack into hiring her.  Oh, and throw in an ice queen in the form of Camilla  (who is after Jack) just to make things interesting and get in the way of the reuniting couple. Sorry, but you have to read the book to get the full score.

I simply adored this book.  It gets everything right and you bond with the characters after only a few pages.  You will dislike (ok, maybe even hate) Camilla and Marcus but even then Ashley redeems them and shows their human side.  Beth and Jack just belong together and the chemistry between the two is perfect.  The is also a perfect balance between dialogue and description which to me makes the planets align.  I think I read this in about 3 hours, so it is perfect for the beach and even has a few exotic locations.  I really want to go to Corsica now.  If you are looking for pitch perfect beach reading, you can't do better than Wish You Were Here.

WANT TO WIN A COPY OF THIS BOOK?
Contest is open to anyone over 13 years old with a US mailing address (No PO Boxes)
Contest ends on 6.22.11 Winner will be chosen by Random.org on 6.23.11
Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen.
This giveaway is sponsored by Sourcebooks Landmark and  ONE copy will be available.
Only one winner per household address.

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GUEST POST! Phillipa Ashley, author of Wish You Were Here

BookHounds:  When I went to London, I fell in love with the bookstores there.  With globalization, do you feel that the bookstores are losing their niche?  

Phillipa's answer:

Hi there

Mary. Wow, what a question – and one that must be the number one topic among authors at the moment!

I’ve been writing romantic fiction for six years now and in that time, publishing has changed beyond recognition.

Right now, the scene is changing almost by the week.

I’d hate to see bookstores disappear. I love them. If you’ve been to London, I’m betting you went to the West End where there are some amazing specialist book shops. In fact, I’d had afternoon tea with my agent in Covent Garden earlier this year and she pointed me in the direction of a small side street rammed with book shops. Some knew her personally and one had hosted a signing for one of her authors.

They all specialized in a niche – such as hardbacks, travel, antiquarian, second hand etc.

There’s nothing nicer than coming across an unexpected bookshop in a small town crammed with interesting books, hand-picked by an owner who knows you by name. But that pleasure is becoming increasingly rare in Britain.

I think browsing a bookshop is an ‘experience’ that can never be replaced online, like shopping for a new outfit or decorative object for your home. There’s nothing like leafing through print, getting a recommendation for a new writer from knowledgeable staff or choosing a gift book for someone special.

And of course, you can’t hold a signing or meet authors personally in cyber space.

As an author, however, we have to reach out to readers in any and every way possible. Don’t get me wrong; I love seeing my books in stores but think this is a moment of huge opportunity for writers and booklovers.

The rise of e-books and online book retailers has meant that all my books are available and will never go ‘out of print’. Then there’s the chance for authors to upload their backlists onto e-sites.

Statistics are flying about all the time. Only last week I heard a report that said when people buy a Kindle they triple their book purchases thereafter. That has to be good news (just don’t start me on the subject of book piracy…)

The globalization of bookselling has given publishers the chance to reach a worldwide audience in a way that was once undreamed of.

I’m not a bookseller; I don’t know what the answer is to saving the book store beyond the old ‘use it or lose it’ adage. As writers and readers we need to keep on visiting bookstores for the main reason we love them: to enjoy a hands-on rather than virtual ‘experience’.

What do readers think? Do you still love getting books from the store or are you an on-line convert?

I would like to thank Phillipa for stopping by and don't forget to read my review and enter to win your own copy of her latest:  Wish You Were Here.

REVIEW: Dating Mr. December by Phillipa Ashley

Description

She doesn't need rescuing, she only needs a change of scenery...
After a disastrous discovery loses Emma Tremayne both her boyfriend and her high-profile PR job in London, she moves to the Lake District to recover her confidence and live a simpler life. She loves her new job with the tourist board, and she's settling into small town life just fine-until she ends up responsible for a fundraising effort that calls for twelve naked mountain rescuers...

About the Author

Phillipa Ashley studied English Language and Literature at Oxford before becoming a freelance copywriter and journalist. A frequent guest on BBC national, local and independent radio on all matters romantic, she lives with her husband and daughter in Staffordshire, UK.

Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (November 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402241429
• ISBN-13: 978-1402241420

MY THOUGHTS
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!

There is such a desolate wasteland for a good Chick Lit book this time of the year, that the timing on this release couldn't have been better.  I didn't realize that this book was the inspiration for a Lifetime movie (The Twelve Men of Christmas) until I started to write this review.  I kept thinking that this story would make an excellent movie and some one beat me to it!  Now, I will have to go track down a copy.  It stars Kristin Chenoweth as EJ (Emma) and is set in NYC, but I think the main plot points are all there from the description I read on line.

Emma is out of sorts after her boyfriend betrays her and her boss fires her.  She moves out of London to the rural Lake District in England for a new position as a public relations consultant for the tourism board in the middle of nowhere.  The local area has a mountain rescue team that desperately needs a new base camp and Emma decides that the volunteers would make excellent calendar subjects for a fund raiser.  Will Tennent, a member of the rescue team is set against this idea, but finally caves in and goes along.  Of course, Will is gruff, unfriendly and set in his ways, but comes around to Emma in more ways than one. 

There is wonderful quick and smart dialog, some well placed action and it was a quick read for me.  If you like Sophie Kinsella, Jill Mansell, or Hester Brown, you will love this author as well.