Some Like It Royal by Heather Long - Review/Giveaway

It’s The Role of a Lifetime…

Living out of a car and waiting tables to make ends meet is hardly the stuff of fairy tales. So when a gorgeous man approaches Alyx Dagmar with a wild story about her royal lineage and an even wilder proposition, the aspiring actress is sure he’s got the wrong woman.

Self-made billionaire Daniel Voldakov needs connections before he can expand his software business into Europe. A blue-blooded fiancée would open all the right doors—and Daniel’s certain he can tempt the pretty but penniless Princess Alyxandretta to accept the part she was born to play.

Alyx can’t resist Daniel’s offer, and throws herself into the role. But as the paparazzi fall in love with their “storybook romance,” Alyx finds herself drawn to Daniel in ways she’d never imagined. Are his returned affections true, or all just part of the plan? He’ll do anything it takes to prove his love, and to make her see that the only happily ever after he wants is with her…the real her.

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Some Like It Royal has everything needed to put me right into that feel good frame of mind. I absolutely adored Alyx and her suspicion of Daniel when she first meets him, because really, any heroine that just instantly believes a man who says she’s a long lost princess needs her head examined. The quips exchanged between these two are some of the funniest I’ve read in a long time.

Daniel is persistent, and obviously unprepared for how living in close quarters with someone he finds so attractive can lead to so much more. I enjoyed the twists and turns their relationship took as it wound its way around to a beautiful happily ever after, and believe me it’s beautiful, I totally cried at the end.

I love some of the stunts Daniel pulls and one of my favorite lines came from one of those moments.

““You son of a bitch."

Yep. That definitely wasn't in the script.””

With lines like that, I could easily see that there was a sense of humor on Ms. Long’s part and that she really enjoyed her characters and they were real to me, someone I could be friends with. I think one of the things that make this such a great book is the way that the language is used, its dialogue but it paints a picture of the characters.

““What's with the princess schtick? Do you think if you say it enough it will happen? Like Beetlejuice?””

I sat and just read, I couldn’t put down this book, I’ve even re-read it because this is easily one of my favorite books. I loved Alyx and Daniel and I look forward to more of these feel good and delicious reads from Ms. Long in the future. If she gives the rest of the characters even a fraction of the life she gave Alyx and Daniel, I know that I’ll love them just as much.

Seriously pick this book up, if you enjoy The Princess Diaries and stories like Anastasia but with a modern and well written twist, then Some Like It Royal is just what you need for a feel good read that I can honestly say I’ll re-read again many times over. 

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated for my review. 

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Cover Reveal: Shaken by Heather Long

Shaken

The Martini Sisterhood 1

by Heather Long

Releasing February 2014

The Martini Sisterhood—five women bonded by the ties of friendship, supporting each other through challenges of surviving love, and loss.  For these women, life can change on a whimsical dare and a magic eight ball…

She’s good at sorting out professional messes…

Accountant Zip Crenshaw spends so much time on spreadsheets that’s she’s forgotten what it’s like to be between the sheets. During her weekly cocktail hour with the girls, they consult a Magic Eight Ball about her crush on bartender Tony. When the toy advises her to go for it, Zip dares to color outside the lines and go after the man who heats her dreams… 

He’s in the middle of a personal trial…

Tony Giordano enjoys Friday nights above all others, because it’s the one night a week he’s sure to see the sexy accountant and her friends. Having long since resigned Zip to the look, but don’t touch category, he’s blown away by her invitation.  Tony's always been a planner but with his custody battle looming, he's not prepared for the effect she has on him…

One night leaves them both shaken…

What began as a whimsical dare quickly turns passionate, but is an unquenchable desire—and a Magic Eight Ball’s advice—enough for these two planners to risk happily ever after on?

Add it to your Goodreads to be read list.

About the Author:

Best known for writing sexy Marines and hot cowboys, Heather Long lives in Texas with her family and their menagerie of animals. In addition to military romance, Heather writes a wide variety of romance from paranormal historical western romance to contemporary romance and romantic suspense. She loves characters and the stories they have to tell. As a child, Heather skipped picture books and enjoyed the Harlequin romance novels by Penny Jordan and Nora Roberts that her grandmother read to her. Heather believes that laughter is as important to life as breathing and that the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus are very real. In the meanwhile, she is hard at work on her next novel.

Rites of Spring Blog Hop March 20-23

I struggled with what I wanted to write about, I love so many characters.  I started thinking about my favorite first meetings of characters that make me wonder just how the author was going to pull off them falling in love.

Sam Kane and Scarlett Morningstar from Marshal of Hel Dorado by Heather Long have one of my favorite first meetings.

“He yelled the order this time, but as the shadows sharpened and redefined, he saw the woman, alone, was standing there, hands up, facing him… Under the faint light of his brother’s lantern, Sam saw a cascade of red hair, an up tilted chin and a sprinkle of cinnamon colored freckles across a pert nose. Between the alabaster skin and the red hair, she was a picture.

He barely took notice of the gingham shirt with its rolled up sleeves and haphazard buttons which opened at the throat and dipped invitingly down to flesh a lady should never be revealing or the tight breeches that hugged her slender shape. Boy's clothes should not look so fine on a woman.

But her curves made them more attractive than Miss Pontfour’s dancing girls in their silks and feathers… “Are you armed?” He demanded, ignoring the way her lush lips parted over white teeth.

Most of the ladies at Miss Pontfour's were yellowed by this age and even sported a gold tooth or two of their own. Not this red haired filly with her sassy nose and pert ass.

He scowled at the direction of his thoughts.

“No, sir. I don’t believe in guns.” The warm honeyed voice laughed at him and Sam’s mouth thinned.

“What about knives, Miss…?”

“Knives are useful.” She bobbed her head, but the hint of humor perfuming her words set his shoulder blades to itching again.

“Hand it over.”

“I didn’t say I had one Marshal.” Now she was playing coy, her eyelashes dipping over her summer green eyes. The shade was a miracle of spring, a color not favored in their high summers when grass yellowed and drooped in the Texas heat.

He released her, taking a step back and bringing his gun out of his holster again. His father would give him the back of his hand for pointing a gun at a lady, but this lady had been in the bank vault somehow, robbing it. Sam tried not to focus on the how's and the why's. That meant she was a thief, pure and simple. The law had one solution for her ilk and it delivered that promise at the end of a rope.

“Hand it over.”

She sighed, smoothing a hand over her sleeve as though he’d bruised her, but Sam ignored the purely feminine invitation to feel bad for his manners. Thieves didn’t deserve manners. But when she rolled up the sleeve, he frowned. Strapped to her forearm was a four-inch piece of metal dovetailed into a white boned handle.

Two thin leather ties fastened it in place against the pale skin. She stretched out her arm expectantly, a glint of amusement in those green eyes daring him to take it himself.

He obliged, pulling the ties loose and pocketing the knife.

“Anymore?”

“No, sir.”

He was mighty suspicious of her cooperation and gestured for her to move over to the single cot sitting in the corner. She lifted her eyebrows, challenging his authority, before deigning to stroll over and sit down. He’d seen that look on his father’s horses, the strong-willed ones who didn’t cotton to breaking. Those horses had to be gentled, persuaded that they wanted to do what was asked of them, but even the most successful behaved as the woman did.

As though she were allowing him to be in control and if he turned his back, even for an instant, he might find himself on the sharp end of a hoof slash.

“Much obliged.” He bobbed his head and backed out of the cell, closing it with his foot and holstering the gun to lock it again.

In the cell, the fiery haired vixen sat down and leaned back against the wall, her arms crossed under the full, firm curves of her breasts that seemed to be straining at their confinement.”

Quoted from Marshal of Hel Dorado by Heather Long

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It only gets better from there, who would think that even with how attractive he finds her that a straight-laced Marshal can fall in love with a bank thief. I loved that they met under such adverse circumstances; it just sets the stage for an action packed story. I love characters that start off at odds, that just make the journey to a happily ever after all the more interesting.

Do you have a favorite first meeting of characters? Do you love when characters start off at odds, or are you more of a love at first sight instantly fall all over each other?

 Giveaway!

To enter both my giveaway and the Grand prize, use the Rafflecopters, the only mandatory action is to leave a comment!

I'm hosting a giveaway for assorted book swag and a book off of my prize shelf, I'll send the winner a list to choose from. Seriously, I'm going to put the book in the box and then shove as much book swag in I can. The swag includes bookmarks, Romance Trading Cards, tokens for ebook copies of books and more! If I get over 80 comments I'll pick two winners for my prize!

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There is also a blog hop Grand Prize giveaway of

1st Grand Prize

Kindle Fire (international)

2nd Grand Prize

$50 Amazon.com gift certificate

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Guest Post: Heather Long

Tour Schedule

Welcome Heather Long to the blog today! She dropped by to chat a little bit about her writing process and to share a story or two about Las Vegas and Atlantic City!

Thank you Heather! Now for information on where you can find the book and Heather online!

Blurb:

Fifty years ago, Jeannie Williams made her way to Las Vegas seeking fame and fortune. Instead, she lost her soul and wound up performing nightly shows at the Arcana Royale. Every day, she straps on her feathers, her glitter, her stilettos, and she dances. Every day, it’s the same.

Until the day he walks in.

For six centuries, Malcolm Reynolds has been the go-to guy for anything his family needs: warrior, diplomat, wrangler, researcher, and now an attorney. He enters the Arcana Royale Casino, intent on negotiating the release of his cousin’s bad debt, but one look at the golden-skinned showgirl ignites a fire of need that he’s never experienced. When the fantasy come true sits at his table, words he never expected to hear come out of her lush mouth: “I need your help.”

Now he’s in for the toughest battle of his life, because the Overseers own both his cousin’s debt and her soul. And he’s not planning on leaving the Royale without either one.

This book has been previously published and has been revised and expanded from its original release.

Warning: Contains high-stakes games, sexy showgirls, and a powerful showdown between a vampire that can’t lose and the House that never does. Spells, slots, sirens and sex, oh my!

Buy Links:

Amazon         B&N         Samhain           Bookstrand         ARe

To read an excerpt and to find out more about this series click here.

Find Heather online:

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