Sunday, September 13, 2015

The Rogue You Know by Shana Galen

Review of The Rogue You Know by Shana Galen

Susanna did not need to be told how to behave. She had been raised to be a perfectly proper lady. She was the daughter of an earl. She knew what was expected of her. 

 One: She must marry well. 
Two: She must at all times exhibit good ton. 
Three: She must be accomplished, beautiful, fashionable, and witty. 

 The third expectation was daunting indeed. Susanna had spent two decades playing the perfect earl's daughter. She'd had little choice. If she rebelled, even minutely her mother quickly put her back in her place. At the moment Sussana wished her place was anywhere but here. 

 Could no one see she was dying inside?

Lady Susanna Derring needs some breathing room. She'd love to spend an entire evening alone unchaperoned by her overbearing mother and far away from the watchful eyes of the members of the ton. Susanna suspects that her mother may have been in love with another man prior to marrying her father and that the couple may have trysted at the Vauxhall pleasure gardens. How does an Earl's daughter visit the gardens at night and unchaperoned? 

Gideon Harrow is a handsome, charming thief. He's decided to give up stealing and conning people. Gideon needs to score one more big job and he's home free. Gideon steals a diamond and emerald necklace and is barely able to outrun his fellow criminals. Where does a thief go to ground? At another thief's house? 

Shana Galen's The Rogue You Know is the third book in her Covent Garden Cubs series. The novel captures the spirit of the determined Susanna and her hero Gideon, the charming rogue with a heart of gold. The dialogue is fabulous and so cleverly written. Ms. Galen has Gideon and his friends from the Seven Dials section of London speak in "flash ken". By using this dialect the author is able to present the differences between the hero and heroine in an honest and subtle manner. 

Ms. Galen is well known for writing a well paced action story with fabulous characters. The Rogue You Know takes the reader on an unexpected adventure. There are several surprising developments in the story as Susanna and Gideon travel through the dark, seedy streets of the Seven Dials section of London. The couple's adventures on their way to the pleasure gardens add to the novel's suspense and kept me reading past my bedtime. 

Kudos to Shana Galen for an excellent novel filled with suspense, adventure and fabulous characters!

 Reviewed by Susan Gorman 
 ARC provided by Sourcebooks.

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Shana Galen Spotlight Post + Giveaway

Guest Post: Bad Boy Inspiration by Shana Galen


When we think about Regency England, we tend to think of the balls, the carriages, the gowns. We forget that for every duke or marquess, there were hundreds of thieves and pickpockets living in the slums of the city. Covent Garden was an area of London with plenty of rookeries, and the thieves who lived there often banded together because there’s protection in numbers. My fictional gang called the Covent Garden Cubs is made up of the leader Satin, his second-in-command Beezle, and an assortment of pickpockets and house-breakers with names like Gap, Racer, and Stub. The gang also has one girl, Marlowe, and I wrote about her in Earls Just Want to Have Fun. Her best friend in the gang in Gideon, and he’s the hero in The Rogue You Know. Gideon is the ultimate bad boy who can cheat, lie, and steal with the best of them. He was orphaned at a young age and had no choice but to steal to survive. Now Gideon wants a different life for himself, and if he can just complete one last job, he’ll have it…or die trying.

When writing about my bad boy hero, I had plenty of inspiration.

1) Flynn Rider from Tangled
Yes, I know Flynn is animated, but he is the main inspiration for Gideon. Like the Disney bad boy, Gideon is charming, funny, and self-deprecating. Flynn makes no apologies for his lifestyle, and while he may try to hide his sensitive side, his love for Rapunzel brings it out.

2) George Gordon Byron, Baron Byron
Byron was a poet, nobleman, and ultimate bad boy. Described as “mad, bad, and dangerous to know,” Byron titillated the Regency world. He generated enormous debts, had numerous affairs and liaisons, and ultimately died young and tragically abroad. A bad boy with the heart of a romantic is always an inspiration.

3) Danny in Grease
We’ve all seen Grease so many times we forget that Travolta’s character was really a bad boy. He’s dangerous for Sandy’s reputation and just plain dangerous, period. But like any bad boy we love, love wins Danny over and he’s willing to change to be with the woman who means everything.

4) Patrick in 10 Things I Hate About You
I love a bad boy who sets out to corrupt the good girl and then is corrupted by her instead. Heath Ledger is fabulous as the new kid in school who agrees to date the heroine…for a fee. “How do I loathe thee? Let me count the ways.” The banter between Patrick and Kat makes this bad boy movie memorable.

5) Nick Gentry in Worth Any Price by Lisa Kleypas
While Gideon may be on the wrong side of the law and Nick Gentry a Bow Street Runner, Nick definitely serves as an inspiration. He’s a man with a dark past and much to hide, but Charlotte is able to peel away the layers one by one. Her love for him, and his for her, redeems this bad boy and makes us love him all the more.

I enjoyed taking inspiration from each of these bad boys and creating the character of Gideon. He may be a thief and a rogue, but he is also capable of deep love. And that’s what my books are about—characters for whom love changes everything.

Who are your favorite redeemed rogues?



Book Information

Title: The Rogue You Know
Author: Shana Galen
Release Date: September 1, 2015
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Historical Romance

Summary

She's beyond his reach...

Gideon Harrow has spent his life in London's dark underworld-and he wants out. A thief and a con, he plans one last heist to finally win his freedom. But when everything goes wrong, he finds himself at the tender mercies of one of Society's most untouchable women-Lady Susanna Derring.

...and out of her depth.

Susanna has spent her life in London's glittering ton, under the thumb of a domineering mother-and she wants out. When a wickedly charming rogue lands at her feet, she jumps at the chance to experience life before it's too late. But as she descends into London's underworld, she finds that nothing- not even Gideon-is as it seems. As excitement turns to danger, Susanna must decide what price she's willing to pay...for the love of a reformed thief.


Buy Links


Author Biography

Shana Galen is the bestselling author of passionate Regency romps, including the RT Reviewers' Choice The Making of a Gentleman. Kirkus says of her books, "The road to happily-ever-after is intense, conflicted, suspenseful and fun," and RT Book Reviews calls her books "lighthearted yet poignant, humorous yet touching." She taught English at the middle and high school level off and on for eleven years. Most of those years were spent working in Houston's inner city. Now she writes full time. She's happily married and has a daughter who is most definitely a romance heroine in the making. Shana loves to hear from readers, so send her an email or see what she's up to daily on Facebook and Twitter. Stop by her website at shanagalen.com.

Social Networking Links

Rafflecopter Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Direct Link


Monday, September 7, 2015

Made for Us Samantha Chase

Zoe Dalton has been  tasked with an impossible job. A difficult client has already fired her predecessor. Zoe wonders what she is in for as she drives to the construction site to meet the client Aidan Shaughnessy, the owner of Shaughnessy Construction.

"I take it that this is a test to determine if I can see that the problem is in the details. Let me assure you, Mr. Shaughnessy, that I do. I have a real problem with craftsman who rush through a job and put out shoddy work. I think the homeowner deserves a house that has been put together perfectly. And for the finishes and decorating," she said as she stood a bit taller, "we want the potential buyers to come in here and not only want to buy this house, but to want their own to look as perfect as the model. If not better."

He quirked a dark brow at her. As much as Aiden hated to admit it, he was impressed. And he wasn't impressed easily. Zoe Dalton had not only seen everything he'd wanted her to see, but she had even picked up on an issue or two that has escaped him.
Not a easy thing to do.

Aiden continued to stand there and look at her, so Zoe figured she'd better nudge him along."Are we ready to hit the upstairs? I have a list of problems with the staircase."

And in that moment Aidan Shaughnessy thought he might have met his match.

The first two chapters of author Samantha Chase's Made for Us are fast-paced and contain the right amount of emotion, drama and dialogue. I was drawn into the story immediately because these pages set the stage for the emotional conflict within the novel and provided insight into the characters of Aidan and Zoe. Both Aidan and Zoe have suffered the loss of a parent. Aidan's mother died sixteen years ago and he is still grieving for her. Zoe moved from Arizona to North Carolina six months ago after her mother's death. Aidan can't move forward and although Zoe thinks of her mother often and feels her loss, she has accepted her death . 

Samantha Chase has created a different hero in Made For Us. Aidan is brusque, very demanding and controlling. He doesn’t have the qualities found in a typical romance novel hero, he’s not the charming , billionaire business man who drives a Mercedes. Aidan is a down to earth hero with every day issues! He is a successful contractor who thrives on routine and stresses out when things do not go as planned. 

Kudos to Samantha Chase for writing a exceptional love story. I am glad that she chose to write Aidan and Zoe’s story instead of the typical formula romance novel to start off her new series. Death , grief and destruction are not what a reader expects in a contemporary romance--these elements work in this story and set it apart from a typical read. Samantha Chase writes a strong female character in this novel and it was so refreshing to read. Loved how the author balanced Aidan and Zoe’s passionate love story with the threat of the storm moving towards their town. 

Made for Us sets the stage for the new series perfectly with its elegant prose and sincere dialogue. It contains several surprising plot twists which adds to the story's authenticity. 

I am looking forward to the second Shaughnessy Brother book!

Reviewed by Susan Gorman 
ARC from Sourcebooks
Graphics from Samantha Chase.