Hi friends! I’m so thrilled to welcome back Janice Maynard on the last day of January! We’re just doing things all over the place and offering giveaways galore here at ALBTALBS! đ It’s been ten years! We do what we want! đ Anyway Janice was kind enough to write a post and offer a prize, so read on! <3
Happy Blogiversary to Limecello! Iâm honored to be here today celebrating such a fun milestone!
As I was debating what to share with you, it occurred to me that Valentineâs Day is coming up soon. It will look different this year, of course. (My husband and I celebrated our wedding anniversary in a restaurant parking lot eating carry-out.)
Whether youâll be observing Gal-entineâs Day, or maybe you and your significant other are lifting a glass, because youâve managed not to strangle each other during quarantine, this yearâs events will be unlike any others.
Instead of reporting on a new release, Iâd like to tell you about an older book that takes place in exactly this time of year. As you probably know, publishers âbuyâ the rights to publish books for a certain period of time. Eventually, those rights revert to the authors who can then re-publish the books. Continue reading →
Hi friends! It’s release day for the fabulous Jeffe Kennedy! She’s written in a number of [sub]genres, and high fantasy romance is one where she shines. She very generously offered to be part of the blogiversary and have a giveaway, so I figured her release day was the perfect timing! (Timing being đ something that I struggle with when it comes to blog posts.) ANYWAY! The Golden Gryphon and the Bear Prince is out today, and we’ve got an exclusive excerpt of it to share with our A Little Bit Tart, A Little Bit Sweet readers! <3 I hope you enjoy!
A Legacy of Honor
Crown Prince Astar has only ever wanted to do the right thing: be a credit to his late fatherâs legacy, live up to his duties as heir to the high throne of the Thirteen Kingdoms, and cleave to the principles of honor and integrity that give his life structureâand that contain the ferocious grizzly bear inside. Nowhere in those guiding principles is there room for the fierce-hearted, wildly free-spirited, and dizzyingly beautiful shapeshifter, Zephyr. Still, even though theyâve been friends most of their lives, Astar is able to keep Zephyr safely at armâs length. Heâs already received a list of potential princess brides who will make a suitable queen, and Zephyr is not on it.
A Longtime Obsession
Zeph has wanted the gorgeous, charming, and too-good-for-his-own-good Astar for as long as she can remember. Not that her longing for himâand his perfectly sculpted and muscular bodyâhas stopped her from enjoying any number of lovers. Astar might be honorably (and foolishly) intent on remaining chaste until marriage, but Zeph is Tala and they have no such rules. Still, she loves Astarâas a friendâand she wants him to at least taste life before he chains himself to a wife he didnât choose. Thereâs no harm in him having a bit of fun with her. But the man remains stubbornly elusive, staving off all of her advances with infuriatingly noble refusals.
A Quest to Save the World
But things change when a new terror threatens the Thirteen Kingdoms. Following prophecy, Astar and Zephâalong with a mismatched group of shapeshifter, warrior, and sorceress friendsâgo on a quest to stop a magic rift before it grows beyond anyoneâs ability to stop. Thrust together with Zephyr, Astar finds himself increasingly unable to resist her seductive invitations. And in the face of life-and-death battles with lethal monsters, he begins to lose sight of why having her, just once, is such a terrible ideaâŠ
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Zeph beelined to the fire, standing as close as she could without igniting her fancy skirts. âI like Castle Elderhorst. Suddenly Iâm a lady!âContinue reading →
Hi friends! Welcome to 2020 and our first “guest post!” I’m actually really surprised to say this, but I think it’s our first from Jess Michaels! And – as you see, it’s an excerpt from her book A Reluctant Bride that is out today! So you can read this snippet then go snag yourself a copy! Win!
Thomasinaâs feelings for Jasper have never been appropriate and she doubted the prudence of pretending to be his even for just one night. Once sheâs caught, everything escalates so quickly. Suddenly sheâs going to marry this stern, fascinating man who is not particularly pleased at her perfidy. Add to that her worry about where her wayward sister has gone and itâs a recipe for both passionâŠand disaster.
Thomasina couldnât feel her legs. Or her arms. They were all tingling out of control and she had no idea how she was keeping herself upright as she walked across the ballroom, forcing a smile at the felicitations her sisterâs guests called out. She had played the role of Anne before, of course, but she regretted agreeing to it this time. Schoolgirl pranks were nothing like thisâŠmonstrosity. Continue reading →
Hi friends! So uh, if you care, you’d probably have noticed we’ve been a bit MIA over here in ALBTALBS land. Just a lot yet nothing going on. Which … in part might explain this post.
In the Forgotten Empires magic is forbidden, dreams are destiny, and love is the greatest power of allâŠ
A PRISONER OF FATE
As Queen of the island kingdom of Calanthe, Lia will do anything to keep her people freeâand her secrets safeâfrom the mad tyrant who rules the mainland. Guided by a magic ring of her fatherâs, Lia plays the political game with the cronies the emperor sends to her island. In her heart, she knows that itâs up to her to save herself from her fate as the emperorâs bride. But in her dreams, she sees a man, one with the power to build a better worldâa man whose spirit is as strong, and whose passion is as fierce as her ownâŠ
A PRINCE AMONG MEN
ConrĂ, former Crown Prince of Oriel, has built an army to overthrow the emperor. But he needs the fabled Abiding Ring to succeed. The ring that Lia holds so dear to her heart. When the two banished rulers meet face to face, neither can deny the flames of rebellion that flicker in their eyesânor the fires of desire that draw them together. But in this broken world of shattered kingdoms, can they ever really trust each other? Can their fiery alliance defeat the shadows of evil that threaten to engulf their hearts and souls?
Hi friends! You might know that [adult] high fantasy romance is totally “my thing.” So when Anna Kashina contacted me about reviewing her upcoming book I was first, pretty starstruck, then [pretty immediately] was like “DOES IT FEATURE ADULT CHARACTERS AND IS THERE ROMANCE?!” And when she answered “yes” I was like “WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO BE A GUEST AT ALBTALBS?!!?” And she said yes!!! So here we are! I’m so excited to welcome Anna Kashina today! Her newest book Shadowblade is out today!
Romance in blade fights
There are two things I find irresistible in fantasy novels. One is a good romantic subplot, well balanced and integral to the story. The other is a good blade fight â especially the kind with a lot of cool technique behind it. Itâs an additional bonus â as well as a challenge â to make these fights emotionally gripping, as well as being technically cool. But if one manages to achieve all this, there is only one more step to the ultimate prize: to combine the two, using blade fights as a tool to advance the romance. Itâs so rewarding when itâs done well.
I am a sucker for a dark and dangerous male lead with a morally complex character. A superb swordsman, trained to become an elite assassin, in my mind, cannot fail as a romantic hero. In my books, I love to match these kind of guys with strong women who can stand up to them, and have hidden strengths of their own. When developing these characters and their relationships, a sword fight can become more engaging than a love scene, and so much more effective in showing off their strengths and limitations, as well as their morally complex sides. Continue reading →
Hi friends! So I know it isn’t Tuesday, but whatever! It’s the same deal. đ And – we have a new release TT Feature today! Played just came out on the 25th! Beverley Kendall was kind enough to share an exclusive with ALBTALBS, so I hope you enjoy it! Congratulations on your newest release, Beverley! And y’all – read the whole post for a freebie at the end! đ
The summer Josh and I got together, we agreed to keep things strictly physical.
And it was.
Until our casual hookups stopped feeling casual.
Having sex with him stopped being just about sex.
And the thought of calling a halt to it left me feeling empty and cold.
But Josh doesnât âdoâ relationships, so I called it quits before I started to fall. Luckily, I was able to move on from the experience completely unscathed, my heart fully intact.
Or so I thought.
Until I saw him again.
His arm was wrapped around her. And unlike me, she isnât a hookup or a âbootyâ call.
No, sheâs the girlfriend he told me he didnât want. And sheâs getting from him everything heâd said he couldnât give any girl.
So it turns out that Josh isnât averse to being in a relationship after all. He simply hadnât wanted to be in a relationship with me.
Exclusive Excerpt
Iâm in the zone, my muscles looser, my breathing even and my emotions calmer when the chirping of my cell phone sounds. Itâs on the dresser where I left it, too far and inconvenient to warrant me getting up to answer it. I let the call go to voicemail.
Not even ten seconds after it stops ringing, it starts again. Continue reading →
Hi friends! I played around with what day to post this, as Lucy Parker sent me this post on the 7th … but I figure the day after release is good, and we already have that graphic I made ages ago. đ
Anyway! I’m really excited to read this book. I quite enjoyed Pretty Face and I’ve had Making Up in my TBR. The Austen Playbook is obviously slated too. đ I’m super excited that Lucy sent this exclusive excerpt for us to enjoy, so without further ado … the book!
In which experienced West End actress Freddy Carlton takes on an Austen-inspired play, a scandal at a country estate, an enthusiastic search for a passion outside of actingâŠand the (some people might say icy*) heart of Londonâs most feared theater critic.
*if those people were being nice
Freddy Carlton knows she should be focusing on her lines for The Austen Playbook, a live-action TV event where viewers choose the outcome of each scene, but her concentrationâs been blown. The palatial estate housing the endeavor is now run by the rude (brilliant) critic whoâs consistently slammed her performances of late. James âGriffâ Ford-Griffin has a penchant for sarcasm, a majestic nose and all the sensitivity of a sledgehammer.
She canât take her eyes off him.
Griff can hardly focus with a contagious joy fairy flitting about near him, especially when Freddy looks at him like that. His only concern right now should be on shutting down his younger brotherâs well-intentioned (disastrous) schemesâor at the very least on the production (not this one) that might save his family home from the banks.
Instead all he can think of is soft skin and vibrant curls.
As heâs reluctantly dragged into her quest to rediscover her passion for the stage and Freddy is drawn into his research on a legendary theater star, the adage about appearances being deceiving proves abundantly true. Itâs the unlikely start of something enormousâŠbut a single revelation about the past could derail it all.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Freddy glanced at him, then away. âFortunately, most people in the West End arenât like Sadie. Sheâs in a class of her own.â In the interests of honesty, she added, âSheâs, like, next-level talented, though. I was twelve when I worked with her for the first time, and I still remember being literally speechless with awe watching her.âContinue reading →
Hi friends! I’m very excited that Reese Ryan agreed to share an exclusive excerpt of Engaging the Enemy with us at ALBTALBS!! It’s new as of this month, and is the third book in The Bourbon Brothers series. đ I’ve got this series in my TBR and am very excited to dive in. And isn’t that cover gorgeous?! đ
Hi friends!!! I’m so excited to welcome back our friend Theresa Romain! She’s absolutely fabulous! And she was the first person to figure out “ALBTALBS” stands for “A Little Bit Tart, A Little Bit Sweet!” Which yes is the actual name of this site! I know, right?! She’s also got a new book coming out on Tuesday – Lady Notorious! Whee! A good month for historical romance releases indeed!
Limecello, thanks for the chance to visit ALBTALBS! I always love stopping by here, and this time Iâve got an exclusive excerpt to share. Itâs from Lady Notorious, my next historical romanceâcoming your way next Tuesday, February 26.
In Lady Notorious, Cassandra Benton is an unofficial Bow Street Runner who works alongside her twin brother until heâs injured on a case. To cover the familyâs expenses, Cass takes a private case for George, Lord Northbrook. The scientifically-minded marquess, a dukeâs son, suspects his fatherâs life is in danger from one of the friends who formed a tontine with the dukeâa  survivorâs wagerâdecades before. But which friend is the culprit? To help George protect his father, Cass masquerades as a family cousin and infiltrates the ton. And the more she learns, the more she places her heart at riskâŠContinue reading →
Hi friends! I’m so excited to tell you about Beth Kery’s upcoming book Swim Deep. I’m not even quite sure how to describe it. A psychological thriller with romantic elements? A contemporary romance with some magical realism? A really great read that will scare you and thrill you but also warm your heart? ALL OF THE ABOVE?! Anyway it’s a deviation from most of Ms. Kery’s other books, so if you’re going in expecting a super steamy erotic romance (especially with BDSM) … don’t. This isn’t that book. This book gets all in your head though, and I loved that.
Anyway without further ado … the book info and excerpt! Enjoy!
Sheâd made a career out of studying light, but now sheâs entered a seductive, dangerous world of shadow and lies . . .
Anna Solas, poor artist working two jobs, is swept away by Evan Halifax, his charm and his good looks, and marries too quickly for her familyâs comfort. Evan takes Anna to his stunning lakeside mansion the North Twin on the Les Jumeaux estate, where she discovers he lived with his first wife Elizabeth until her disappearance and presumed death. He says they can live anywhere Anna wants to, but his explanations unravel bit by bit. Anna is increasingly uneasy, wondering what really went on in the decadent home theatre, who is watching her from the South Twinâthe matching home on Lake Tahoeâs shore, and the identity of the nightmare woman who appears to her at night, whispering a message she dreads hearing. She becomes determined to uncover the truth behind Elizabethâs life in order to save her own sanity.
A Legacy of Honor
