Just Perfect
by JoMarie
DeGioia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Leave a comment at the end of the post because JoMarie
will be awarding Loose tea and chip nuts to two randomly drawn commenters
during the tour.
William Chesterton, the Earl of Chester, might be the perfect
gentleman, but his feelings for Constance Bridgewater are anything but
gentlemanly.
Constance Bridgewater, the daughter of the late Earl of
Bridgewater, might be the perfect lady, but her feelings for the Earl of
Chester are anything but ladylike.
They both know that if they were together, everything would be
just perfect.
So what is keeping them apart?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt:
London,
England 1825
William
Chesterton, the Earl of Chester, sat in his comfortable parlor swirling an
untouched glass of brandy in his hand. Spring had come at last to London,
though the April evening was still chilled and damp. His staff had seen to the
modest fire burning behind the grate, and the warmth lulled him into a false
sense of serenity. It did nothing to dispel the turmoil deep inside, however.
Most
of the ton, his closest friends included, believed he was a steady man with a
calm demeanor. That was true, for the most part. In the whole of his life, from
his privileged childhood through his early ascension to the earldom upon his
dear father’s passing, he’d been as steady as the Thames. Stalwart companion,
dutiful only son, closest confidant. It was all so bloody boring.
He
drank from his glass at last, his eyes on the fire. Tonight had gone just as so
many nights before. The season was in its early stages and yet the parties and
frivolities had already started. He’d joked with his friends, danced with their
wives and sisters, and made certain not to show undue attention to
marriage-minded young ladies. Their mothers would love to snare the calm and
affable Earl of Chester for their daughters. That was certain.
He’d
played his part as was expected, and even managed to ignore the urge to dance
with one particular young lady more than the allotted two times. It had nearly
killed him. Constance Bridges, the late Earl of Bridgewater’s daughter, was the
only woman he wanted for more than two dances.
Her
lithe body, her pale golden hair and sparkling gray eyes, were like no other
woman’s he’d encountered. Last year, at yet another interminable house party,
at one of his happily married cohorts’ estates, he’d attempted to make her see
she was more than a pleasant diversion. He wasn’t merely a willing dance
partner or riding companion, either. He might have acted a bit wild, however,
and no doubt frightened her out of her wits.
He
lifted the glass to his lips again and smiled. Ah, but that five seconds he’d
spent holding her close, her breath warm on his cheek, her pink lips so close
to his . . . he still got hard thinking about the heat she hid beneath that
alabaster skin. He’d seen burgeoning knowledge in those gray eyes of hers, too.
She’d wanted him. He’d stake the considerable estate his father left him on
that fact.
She
was a puzzle, to be sure. So serene and bashful on the surface, yet he knew she
was more than the perfect picture she presented. He downed his brandy and let
out a frustrated breath.
He
was tired of playing the nice fellow. If he risked his lauded reputation in the
process, so be it. He wanted more in his life than polite dinners and mildly
pleasant diversions. He wanted love and passion and everything his friends had
been lucky enough to find.
He
knew Constance was the one to show him that heat. He drained the glass, letting
the smooth liquor burn pleasantly down his throat.
He
couldn’t wait to find out just how hot the fire inside her burned.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR
Bio and Links:
JoMarie DeGioia has been making up stories for
as long as she can remember, and has spent years giving voice to the characters
in her head. She’s known Mickey Mouse from the “inside,” has been a copyeditor
for her town’s newspaper, and a bookseller. She writes Historical and
Contemporary Romances, along with Young and New Adult Fantasy stories. She
divides her time between Central Florida and New England. You can contact her
at JoMarie@JoMarieDeGioia.com
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38: Lisa Haselton's Reviews and Interviews
2: Fantasy Powered by Love
3: Books to Light Your Fire
4: Samantha Holt
5: Reviews by Crystal
6: Bunny's Review
7: Farm Girl Books
8: Author Jinni James
9: My Devotional Thoughts
10: Book Freak
11: Margay Leah Justice
12: Hope Dreams. Life... Love
13: Sexy Adventures, Passionate Tales
14: Long Ago Love
15: Dawn's Reading Nook Blog
16: Worlds of Possibilities
17: Wicked Readings by Tawania
18: My Odd Little World
19: The Dan O'Brien Project
20: Reviews by Crystal
21: Deal Sharing Aunt
22: Bookgirl Knitting
23: Sharing Links and Wisdom
24: Queen of the Night Reviews
25: Donna's Blog Home
26: United By Books
27: Melissa Keir- Sexy Between the Covers
28: The Most Happy Reader
29: Words of Wisdom from The Scarf Princess
30: Read Your Writes Book Reviews
31: Andi's Book Reviews
32: Nana Prah's Blog
33: MeganJohnsInvites
34: Fantasy Pages
35: Happily Ever After
36: Imagine a World
37: Lindsay's Scribblings
38: Lisa Haselton's Reviews and Interviews
I love historical romance, and JoMarie your book sounds intriguing.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much!
DeleteThanks so much for hosting today’s Book Blast Blurb Tour! I had so much fun writing Just Perfect, a story readers kept asking for. It’s Lord Chester and Constance’s tale, and if you read it please tell me what you think of Constance’s cousin, Sarah. She’s a new favorite of mine, and I’m planning a series based on her and her scandalous (!) family. I’m at Romance Writers of America’s Annual Conference in Atlanta, and will try to drop by again later. Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome. The book sounds amazing and the cover art is gorgeous. Have fun in Atlanta (it's my favorite city in the US).
DeleteI'm not normally a fan of historical romance, but Just Perfect has definitely caught my attention.
ReplyDeletetiger-chick-1(at)hotmail(dot)com
Lovely cover. sounds like an intriguing romance
ReplyDelete