Goddess Fish Review Tour & Giveaway for Lord Somerton's Heir by Alison Stuart

Welcome to my stop on the Review Tour hosted by Goddess Fish Promotions for Lord Somerton’s Heir by Alison Stuart.  Please leave a comment or question for Ms. Stuart to let her know you stopped by.  You can enter her tour wide giveaway, for a $25 Amazon GC, by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You can also follow the rest of her tour here, the more stops you visit, the better your odds of winning.

Lord Somerton’s Heir

By Alison Stuart

Publisher: Escape Publishing (Harlequin Enterprises, Australia Pty. Ltd.)

Release Date: May 1, 2014

Genre: Historical Romantic Suspense

Length: 264 Pages

ISBN:  978-0-857991-56-0

ASIN:   B00JD7EYW6

Buy Links:  Amazon| B&N | iTunes | Kobo | ARe  | Escape Publishing

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About the book: 

Can the love of an honourable man save her from the memory of a desolate marriage?

From the battlefield of Waterloo to the drawing rooms of Brantstone Hall, Sebastian Alder’s elevation from penniless army captain to Viscount Somerton is the stuff of dreams. But the cold reality of an inherited estate in wretched condition, and the suspicious circumstances surrounding his cousin’s death, provide Sebastian with no time for dreams, only a mystery to solve and a murderer to bring to justice.

Isabel, widow of the late Lord Somerton, is desperate to bury the memory of her unhappy marriage by founding the charity school she has always dreamed of. But, her dreams are shattered, as she is taunted from the grave, discovering not only has she been left penniless, but she is once more bound to the whims of a Somerton.

But this Somerton is unlike any man she has met. Can the love of an honourable man heal her broken heart or will suspicion tear them apart?

Enjoy this Excerpt

Sebastian plunged his arms into the trough with a sharp exclamation at the water’s temperature. He picked up the soap and began scrubbing vigorously. Standing to one side, holding his shirt and coat, Isabel found her eyes fixed on his broad shoulders. His muscles rippled beneath the brown skin and once again her heartbeat quickened. She took a deep steadying breath.

As the sky lightened she could see that there were other scars marring the brown skin.

‘You seem remarkably careless of your life, Lord Somerton.’

He glanced at a long, white scar that ran down his bicep. ‘I’ve been a soldier a long time, Isabel.’

A flush of pleasure rose to her cheeks at this invitation to familiarity. Being alone with a half-naked man in the early hours of the morning did not call for formality, neither did it reflect well on her reputation. She glanced around the stable yard but they were quite alone.

He straightened and began towelling off. The grey light of the early dawn flattened the planes of his face, leeching the colour from his skin and eyes, but she could see the lift of humour curling the corners of his mouth as he caught her watching him and the heat rose to her face as she thrust his shirt at him.

He pulled it over his head and took the coat from her, his eyes not leaving her face. As he buttoned the coat he tilted his head to one side.

‘I’ve been trying to work out what is different about you this morning. It’s your hair.’

He reached out and touched the loosely tied, heavy braid that hung over her shoulder. His finger brushed her cheek, leaving a burning trail across her cool skin.

‘What about my hair?’ Isabel stuttered.

‘I like the way you have bits of it around your face,’ he withdrew his hand and looked away. ‘Now I am being personal.’

Given his previous state of undress and the fact they were alone together, a personal remark seemed the least of her concerns.

‘I’ll forgive you this once.’ She took a step back from him. ‘I must be getting back to the house.’

Before someone sees us together like this.

Sebastian looked at the sky. ‘It’s going to be another lovely day. I think I’ll go for a walk.’

Isabel lingered in the gateway to the stable, watching him stride away from her into the early morning mist. He moved with purpose and strength and she felt sure, had she been a soldier, she would have willingly followed where he led. 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Alison Stuart is an award winning Australian writer of cross genre historical's with heart.  Whether duelling with dashing cavaliers or wayward ghosts, her books provide a reader with a meaty plot and characters who have to strive against adversity, always with the promise of happiness together. Alison is a lapsed lawyer who has worked in the military and fire service, which may explain a predisposition to soldier heroes.  She lives with her own personal hero and two needy cats and likes nothing more than a stiff gin and tonic and a walk along the sea front of her home town.  She loves to hear from her readers and can be found at her Website, Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

Author Links:

Website:  http://www.alisonstuart.com

Blogs:  www.alisonstuart.blogspot.com         

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/AlisonStuartWriter

Twitter:  @AlisonStuart14 https://twitter.com/AlisonStuart14

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4636079.Alison_Stuart

Fans of historical fiction and mystery alike are in for a treat when reading Alison Stuart’s Lord Somerton’s Heir.  Filled with well-developed characters, colorful scenery, good dialogue and an interesting mystery, Ms. Stuart had me turning the pages to uncover what would take place next.  Good world building, with the background setting of a country recovering from war, made this a book I really didn’t want to put down.

Ms. Stuart does a wonderful job developing both Sebastian Alder; the new Viscount Somerton and hero of the story, and Lady Isabel; the widow of the previous Lord Somerton and a generous woman who deserves a happy ending.  I really enjoyed getting to know them as the story developed; I found both of them to be strong in moral character, generous with others and deserving of a second chance at love.  I especially enjoyed how “real” they seemed; both had their faults but their genuine concern for doing what was right was very important to them.

The secondary characters are also well developed and I especially enjoyed getting to know Bennett, Sebastian’s “batman” from his days in the army who becomes his “valet”, and Connie and Matt Alder, Sebastian’s half-siblings.  The “staff” at the Somerton estate added color and background to the events taking place during the story, as did the inhabitants of the local village.  The mystery is also well developed and it turned out there was more than one murder that had to be solved.  I enjoyed how Sebastian and Bennett dove right into investigating what they discovered and how they were determined that justice prevail.

Will Isabel and Sebastian’s growing friendship turn into real love?  Will Sebastian and Bennett uncover who’s to blame behind the two death’s that have taken place at Brantstone Hall, the Somerton estate? You’ll have to read Lord Somerton’s Heir to find out. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of Ms. Stuart’s work.  This is the first book I’ve read from her but it won’t be the last.

My Rating:  5 out of 5 Crowns and A Recommended Read 

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour in exchange for a fair and honest review

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