WINNER and Runner-Up of the 2015 Romance Book Award

The 2015 Golden Rose Book Award for Romance went to

Lynne Shelby with French Kissing

Meet Lynne

I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t writing, and my ambition was always to be a published author. I write contemporary romance, because that’s what I like reading the most. In January 2015 I was thrilled to win the Accent Press & Woman Magazine Writing Competition with my debut novel ‘French Kissing.’ I love travelling and I’m inspired to write by the many wonderful foreign cities that I’ve visited and explored , with a camera and writer’s notebook in hand – Rome, Milan, Barcelona, Madrid, Venice, New York, Copenhagen, Berlin and of course Paris, the city which inspired me to write ‘French Kissing’

Discover Lynne on Twitter @LynneB1

Book Description – French Kissing published by Accent Press

Anna Mitchel has been writing letters to her French penfriend, Alexandre Tourville, for fifteen years, but hasn’t seen him since an exchange trip when they were at school. But when Alex, now a successful photographer, has the opportunity to work in London, Anna offers him a place to stay but is astounded that the small, geeky boy she remembers is now tall, broad-shouldered and gorgeous, and has just broken up with his long-term girlfriend.

Anna’s female friends are soon swooning over Alex’s Gallic charm, and Anna’s boyfriend Nick is becoming extremely jealous of their friendship. Then Alex has to return to Paris to oversee the hanging of his photographs in an exhibition, and invites Anna to accompany him so that he can show her the city he adores…

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

The Silver Award went to

Patricia Sands and her book The Promise of Provence

Meet Patricia

Patricia Sands lives in Toronto, Canada, when she isn’t somewhere else. An admitted travel fanatic, she can pack a bag in a flash and be ready to go anywhere … particularly if it’s the south of France. Most winters are now spent in south Florida.

Patricia’s published novels include: The Bridge Club (2010) and the Love In Provence Book Series ~ The Promise of Provence (Book #1 – 2013) and Promises To Keep (Book #2 – 2014). She has been signed to a contract with the Lake Union Publishing (women’s fiction) arm of Amazon Publishing.

Her award-winning debut novel The Bridge Club was a finalist in the Foreword Reviews 2010 Book of The Year (general fiction), 2011 Next Generation Indie Book Awards (First Novel) and 2012 Indie Excellence Book Awards.

Her second novel, The Promise of Provence, released in April 2013, received a 2013 USA Best Book Award ~ Women’s Lit Finalist and a 2014 National Indie Excellence Book Award ~ Literary Fiction Finalist, #4 in the Amazon Kindle store and #1 in three Love & Romance categories.

With a happily blended family of seven adult children and, at last count, six grandchildren, life is full and time is short. Beginning with a Kodak Brownie camera at the age of six, she has told stories all her life through photography and is seldom without a camera. When time permits, sports are also a big part of her life.

Patricia is also a sought-after speaker with women’s groups. Her messages inspire women of all ages to believe in themselves and to develop the confidence to pursue their dreams. She feels that life offers opportunities no matter what our age. A strong advocate for the importance of friendship, her writing and talks stress the value of the connections women make in their lives and how we are able to empower each other.

With a focus on women’s issues and aging, her stories celebrate the feminine spirit and the power of friendship. Her passion is bringing her message of motivation and inspiration to encourage women to value their stories and to find the strength within to approach every challenge as an opportunity.

Also a Flash Fiction Finalist (Winter 2010) with Women on Writing, her work was recently included in the anthology “Canadian Imprints” published by the Writers and Editors Network. Her travel writing can be found on the The Good Life France website and in her popular Friday blog, “If it’s Friday, it must be France…” which can be found on her website.

Find Patricia on Twitter @patricia_sands

Book Description The Promise Of Provence published by Lake Union Publishing

On the evening of her twenty-second wedding anniversary, Katherine Price can’t wait to celebrate. But instead of receiving an anniversary card from her husband, she finds a note asking for a divorce.

Fifty-five and suddenly alone, Katherine begins the daunting task of starting over. She has her friends, her aging mother, and her career to occupy her, but the future seems to hold little promise—until, after a winter of heartbreak, Katherine is persuaded to try a home exchange holiday in the South of France.

In Provence, bright fields of flowers bloom below medieval hilltop villages with winding cobblestone streets. Charmed by the picturesque countryside, the breathtaking Côte d’Azur, and the enchantment-filled boulevards of Paris, Katherine feels life opening up once again. Lavender perfumes the air, and chance encounters hint at romance and passion. But memories of heartbreak and betrayal linger—and her former life waits for her back home. Can she find the courage to begin again?

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Final congratulations to all the Romance nominees.

Helen Pollard with HOLDING BACK

Heather Hill with THE NEW MRS D

Donna Brown with PLAYING HOUSE

Emily Arden with LOVERS BY MOONLIGHT

 

Rosie’s Book Review Team #RBRT Lover by Moonlight by @EmilyArden9 #Romance

Today’s team book review comes from E.L. Lindley, she blogs at http://lindleyreviews.blogspot.co.uk/

E.L. read Lover by Moonlight by Emily Arden

Lover by Moonlight is an engaging erotic romance that takes the reader on a whirlwind of emotions, set against an idyllic backdrop of Oxford, the English countryside and Verona.

The story is essentially the sexual awakening of twenty year old Rosa as she falls in love for the first time. Complications arise as the object of her desire is her step brother, Roberto. Although her feelings are returned, Roberto embarks upon the subterfuge of pretending to be someone else, in order to make love to Rosa thus setting in motion a complex chain of events.

In Rosa, Emily Arden has constructed a realistic young woman, who is studying at Oxford and desperate to spread her wings and experience more of life. She is on the cusp between girl and woman and Arden very effectively illustrates all of the confusing feelings that are part and parcel of that time.

The story is told to us from the perspective of both Rosa and Roberto, so we are able to see how each of them is trying to avoid what they are feeling. As they hide behind pretences and, other characters such as heart throb actor, Aaron Forsythe and Italian beauty Lysabella are drawn into their midst to cloud issues even further, Arden successfully builds the tension that adds an extra spark to the story.

Arden also creates the perfect backdrop to her story as the setting changes from Oxford to Rosa’s family home in the countryside and Roberto’s villa in Verona. The descriptions of Italy are particularly sumptuous and the reader can almost experience the warmth of the sun and the wonderful food that intensifies the romance being played out between Rosa and Roberto. The skill with which Arden employs descriptive language is also evident in the sex scenes, which are neither smutty nor gratuitous.

I think in Rosa, Arden creates a convincing and likeable character. She is a naïve girl and I particular liked her friendships with Sara and the more flighty Tamsin. I have to confess though that I had more trouble liking Roberto, partly because of the way he manipulates Rosa. In fairness, he tortures himself over his behaviour but I found it hard to forgive him. I also had slight issues about the fact that at 34, he’s a lot older than Rosa and has in fact been her step brother since she was three.

Arden goes to great pains, however, to show that the relationship is equal and both characters have been attracted to each other long before their sexual liaison. In fact, even though Rosa thinks she is having sex with someone else, she is fantasising that it is Roberto so maybe I am being over-sensitive.

The lovely Italian backdrop makes this book the perfect choice for a summer read and, if you like romance with a hint of erotica, then I think this could be just the book for you.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com