Review & Giveaway: Tall, Dark & Royal by Vanessa Kelly
Tall,
Dark & RoyalThe
Renegade Royals # 2.5
By:
Vanessa Kelly
Releasing
November 25th,
2015
Zebra
/ Kensington
Blurb
He's
the man behind the mission to track down the illegitimate children of
England's Royal Princes and help them get their due. But his deepest
desire is far more personal… Magnificent and stubborn.
Fourteen
years apart had not changed Chloe Steele, or Dominic Hunter's love
for her. He'd been a street urchin, a boy raised at court, and
finally a magistrate, yet he'd never belonged anywhere--except by her
side. Now Chloe devoted herself to girls threatened by scandal--like
she had been. But she was in danger, and Dominic was determined to
help--and hopefully make up for lost time…
Even
in childhood, Dominic had made Chloe feel safe. Now she also felt
thrillingly flustered by the powerful man he'd become, and by the
longing he inspired. Because Dominic meant not only to protect her,
but to untangle the lies that had separated them. Yet for Chloe,
surrendering to temptation may be easier than risking a future that
could ruin them both…
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Excerpt
Dominic
strode through but came to a sudden halt, his heart jolting at the
sight of Chloe reclining on a chaise with a bandage wrapped around
her head. Justine Steele, Dominic’s godchild, sat next to her
holding a teacup. Lounging in a nearby armchair was Griffin Steele,
Chloe’s son and Justine’s husband.
“What
the hell is going on here?” Dominic snapped. He glared at Griffin,
who had a knack for finding or, indeed, creating trouble. “How did
your mother get hurt?”
Griffin
let out a dramatic sigh as he came to his feet. “You have a
lamentable tendency to blame me for everything, Dominic. I had
nothing to do with Mother’s, er, little accident.”
Chloe
threw aside her lap robe and stood. “Dominic, I’m fine. There’s
nothing for you to worry about.”
But
when she wobbled, Justine had to make a grab for her. In an instant,
Dominic was by Chloe’s side. “For God’s sake, sit down.” He
gently lowered her back to the chaise.
Her
tall, slender body felt fragile in his hands, as if the merest touch
could break her. But appearances were deceptive. For all her pale,
delicate beauty, Chloe had a strong will and character that had
withstood years of tribulation.
“You
know the doctor told you to stay off your feet and rest,” Justine
affectionately scolded.
“I’m
not sure how she’s supposed to rest with you lot fussing over her,”
Griffin said. “Hill has been popping in and out like a character
from a farce, not to mention all the girls sneaking in. It’s a
bloody circus.”
Justine
frowned at her husband. “They’re worried about Chloe.”
Dominic
throttled back his impulse to snap. “I would be most grateful if
someone—anyone—would answer my question. Wait,” he said to
Justine. “First, tell me what the physician said.”
“Perhaps
you might try asking Chloe, Sir Dominic,” Chloe said with pointed
courtesy. “As you can see, she is perfectly capable of speech.”
Dominic
mentally winced. Chloe only used his title when annoyed with him.
“I’m sorry, my dear. But it was a shock to come upon you looking
like you’d been set upon by thieves.”
Thankfully,
she flashed him a wry, forgiving smile. “Apology accepted.” She
shifted her legs and patted the seat of the chaise. “Sit down and
let Justine get you a cup of tea while I’ll tell you all about it.
Not that I wanted you to drag you into this ridiculous and
unfortunate episode, but my son insisted. Who knew Griffin could
fuss and worry as much as any old maid?”
Her
son—one of the most ruthless and powerful men in London—rolled
his eyes but declined to defend himself.
“What
happened to your head?” Dominic eyed the bandage wrapped around
her brow.
“I
bumped it, that’s all,” Chloe replied. “The doctor insisted I
wear this silly thing and my son won’t let me take it off.”
Griffin
narrowed his dark gaze on his mother. “You didn’t bump your
head. It was bumped for you when that bloody bastard shoved you into
the wall. And you will keep that bandage on for as long as is
required.”
Dominic
had been reaching to accept a cup from Justine, but his hand froze in
mid-air. Slowly, he turned to Chloe. “Someone shoved you?”
Chloe’s
shoulders unconsciously hiked up a notch. “Yes, but it wasn’t a
very hard shove. Truly, I’m fine.”
Dominic
could hear Griffin grinding his teeth from several feet away. He
sympathized, but the situation was confusing enough without him
losing his temper, at least not until he’d apprised himself of the
facts.
But
once he tracked down the man who had dared to touch Chloe, the
bastard would rue the day he was born.
Author
Info
Vanessa
Kelly is an award-winning author who was named by Booklist, the
review journal of the American Library Association, as one of the
“New Stars of Historical Romance.” Her Regency-set historical
romances have been nominated for awards in a number of contests, and
her second book, Sex and The Single Earl, won the prestigious Maggie
Medallion for Best Historical Romance. Her current series, The
Renegade Royals is a national bestseller. Vanessa also writes USA
Today bestselling contemporary romance with her husband, under the
pen name of VK Sykes.
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Review
I will admit that this is the first time I've ever read a book by Vanessa Kelly. I've often seen them, but really hadn't tried her. I'm glad I did! I really enjoyed Tall, Dark & Royal. I found it to be well-written, with characters I really liked. Even though its only a novella the story is full of suspense and romance, what else could you ask for in a story. If you haven't yet tried her this is the perfect book to do so. Happy reading!
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Great excerpt.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Rita!
DeleteThank you for hosting today!
ReplyDeleteGreat excerpt. Makes me want to read the books in this series.
ReplyDeleteTall, Dark, Royal... love it.
Thanks, Liette! It's one of my favorite titles.
DeleteThanks so much for hosting me today!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to read this entire series. I'm one of those who waits to get all the books in hand before reading them all.
ReplyDelete