Category Archives: Grace Elliot

Review: Would Like to Meet by Rachel Winters

Title: Would Like to Meet by Rachel Winters
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length:368 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

Can you fall in love like they do in the movies?

It’s Evie Summers’s job to find out. Because if she can’t convince her film agency’s biggest client, Ezra Chester, to write the romantic-comedy screenplay he owes producers, her career will be over. The catch? He thinks rom-coms are unrealistic–and he’ll only put pen to paper if Evie shows him that it’s possible to meet a man in real life the way it happens on the big screen.

Cynical Evie might not believe in happily ever after, but she’ll do what it takes to save the job that’s been her lifeline . . . even if it means reenacting iconic rom-com scenes in public. Spilling orange juice on a cute stranger? No problem. Leaving her number in books all over London to see who calls? Done. With a little help from her well-meaning friends–and Ben and Anette, the adorable father-daughter duo who keep witnessing her humiliations–Evie is determined to prove she can meet a man the way Sally met Harry. But can a workaholic who’s given up on love find a meet-cute of her very own?

Review:

Would Like to Meet by Rachel Winters is a charming, humorous romance.

Twenty nine year old Evie Summers is hoping to finally get promoted from assistant to agent. Dangling the promotion, her boss, Monty, assigns her to obtain the long delayed rom-com movie script from Oscar winning screenwriter Ezra Chester. Evie forces a meeting with the narcissistic Ezra who agrees to fulfill his obligation only if she can prove a “meet cute” can culminate with love.  With her job on the line, Evie reluctantly agrees to his conditions and gamely recreates scenes from her favorite rom-coms.  As she writes up her escapades and emails them  to Ezra, she is delighted to discover he is actively writing the script. But Evie is continually frustrated by his refusal to show her the pages he has compiled. With the deadline looming, will Evie fall in love through one of her “meet cutes” and save her job in the process?

Evie’s dream of becoming a screenwriter were quickly dashed years earlier and she is now set on becoming an agent.  She has a great circle of friends but since her move to London, she does not get to see them often enough. They reluctantly support Evie as she begins her meet cutes but their dislike of Ezra does not lessen.

During one of her “meet cute” set ups at a local coffee shop, Evie meets widower Ben and his precocious daughter Anette. She begins to look forward to their weekly meetings, but her relationship with Ben is a bit contentious since he is very disapproving of her “meet cutes”. Anette is a darling little girl who is very mature for her age.  Evie learns just enough about Ben’s background to try to gently nudge him to step out of the quiet life he has created for himself and Anette. But will he resent her interference?

In between her funny escapades, Evie is growing and evolving as she takes a hard look at her career. Is she completely fulfilled working for Monty? Will he follow through and give her the promised promotion when Ezra delivers the script? More importantly, does Evie still want to become an agent?

Would Like to Meet  is an engaging novel with a fun cast of characters. Evie is a plucky heroine but she is a little naive and too trusting.  Ben and Anette are absolutely wonderful and their scenes are quite heartwarming. Ezra is an arrogant jerk who completely takes advantage of Evie. The storyline is creative and clever yet it is also a bit implausible. In true rom-con fashion, Rachel Winters brings the novel to a swoon-worthy conclusion.  I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend this entertaining debut to fans of the genre.

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Filed under Contemporary, GP Putnams Sons, Grace Elliot, Rachel Winters, Rated B+, Review, Romance, Would Like to Meet

Friday Feature: Guest Blog The Power of Attraction by Grace Elliot

Hello, and thank you Kathy for hosting me. My name is Grace Elliot and I have two dreams jobs; a veterinarian by day, and author by night! The genre I write is historical romance because I love how the social restrictions of the past offer infinite opportunities for sexual tension. As an avid reader, my aim is to create the sort of page-turning escapism that I crave to read.

My latest book, Hope’s Betrayal, is a story of love on different sides of the law; between a smuggler and the naval officer who captures her. On the one hand, Captain George Huntley serves King and country, and is determined to stop smuggling on the south coast of England, whilst on the other, Hope Tyler is struggling to survive and must smuggle in order to feed her family. But when they fall in love, a huge obstacle stands in the way; either Hope must betray her family or Huntley resign his commission.

The attraction between the captain and the smuggler is so great, that even when Huntley is ignorant of Hope’s true sex (he still thinks she is a boy) his body reacts viscerally to hers, as in this excerpt where Huntley has just captured Hope.

Alone with his prisoner the Captain set to work, his face all harsh angles in the lamplight. First to stem the bleeding. Working with deft hands, he unwound the cloth from around the felon’s head. Surprise registered, as he noted the delicate ears and elegant neck. The boy’s hair gleamed like polished-coal in the lamplight; tied back in a pony tail, black-as-the-devil’s-heart.

Huntley reached for a rag to wipe blood from the boy’s eyes and cheek. Soft skin emerged from beneath the clotted mess. The boy was young…a round face with pointed chin, a tipped nose …and lips, softly parted and provocatively plump….just ripe for kissing. A flush of heat warmed Huntley’s cheeks. What was he thinking? Wiping his sleeve across his eyes he continued.

He bathed the laceration, cleaning away sand and blood. Something about this lad had stirred his emotions and he didn’t like it one little bit. He glanced toward the door, not wanting to be alone with the smuggler and the strange feelings he stirred.

But later in Hope’s Betrayal, whilst on active service Captain Huntley is seriously injured and in this excerpt can hardly walk.

“I don’t want your pity.” Captain Huntley said.

“And I have no pity to give.” Hope replied.

Slowly he turned. “Then why are you here?”

“Once you helped me. You protected me when others condemned me…and didn’t judge.”

“But I don’t want anyone, least of all you, to feel sorry for me.”

“And why would I do that?”

“Because I am not the man I was. Because I am useless. A wreck.”

“Well the man I know is bigger than that. The man I see before me, stood up to his fellow officers for what he believed was right. Your body will heal and you will recover, but your injury has taught you humility…and that’s a very appealing quality.”

Huntley stared at her, astounded. “It is?”

“Oh yes, I didn’t liked the arrogant, bully of a man you were before, but this Huntley, the one who cries into his horse’s mane, is altogether more attractive.”

“Well I’ll be damned if I ever understand women.” His heart thudded, as they faced each other, so close that he could smell the scent of bedsheets on her skin. Merciful heavens, a man could lose himself in the depths of those tilted green eyes, standing there with her luscious lips softly parted.

He cleared his throat, acutely aware of the pulse at the base of her throat. “Miss Tyler, unless you want to be ravaged, I would suggest you leave now.”

She didn’t move. A primal beat throbbed through his blood. He licked his lips and took a step forward to trap her against the stable wall.

“Why didn’t you go?”

Without fear she gazed into his eyes. “Because I chose to stay.”

He claimed her mouth, so warm and moist, such precious heat as she returned his kisses, gently at first then with urgency. He leant closer, pressing the delicious length of her against his body. It excited him to know that beneath the redingcote was no armoury of stays and petticoats, just one thin nightrail. A sense of mastery swept through his body, as he lowered her hands to caress the undulating line of her waist. Breathing heavily, he leant down to taste her skin of neck. She arched and groaned in response, throwing back her head to expose the milky curve of her throat…

– and things are only getting started, Hope and Captain Huntley have many trials to overcome if they are to be together. So, if you fancy losing yourself in the regency with a tale of smuggling and daring, of love and loyalty, then why not give ‘Hope’s Betrayal’ a go?


Title: Hope’s Betrayal by Grace Elliot
The Huntley Trilogy Book Two
Genre: Historical, Romance
Length: 218 pages

Summary:

One wild, winter’s night two worlds collide.

Known for his ruthless efficiency, Captain George Huntley is sent to stamp out smuggling on the south coast of England. On a night raid, the Captain captures a smuggler, but finds his troubles are just beginning when the lad turns out to be a lass, Hope Tyler.

With Hope as bait, the Captain sets a trap to catch the rest of the gang. But in a battle of wills, with his reputation at stake, George Huntley starts to respect feisty, independent Hope. Challenged by her sea-green eyes and stubborn loyalty Huntley now faces a new threat – his growing attraction to a sworn enemy. But a love where either Hope betrays her own kind, or Captain Huntley is court-marshaled, is not an easy destiny to follow.

Buy Links: Amazon US * Amazon UK * Smashwords * Kobo


Author’s Bio

Grace Elliot leads a double life as a veterinarian by day and author of historical romance by night. Grace believes intelligent people need to read romance as an antidote to the modern world. As an avid reader of historicals she turned to writing as a release from the emotionally draining side of veterinary work.

Grace lives near London and is addicted to cats. The Elliot household consists of five cats, two teenage sons, one husband, a guinea pig – and the latest addition – a bearded dragon!

Social Links: Fall in Love with History (Blog) * Website * Facebook * Twitter

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Filed under Friday Feature, Grace Elliot, Guest Blog, Hope's Betrayal