COVER REVEAL America's First Daughter by Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie

America’s First Daughter

By: Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie

Releasing March 1^st, 2016

William Morrow

In a compelling, richly researched novel that draws from thousands of letters and original sources, bestselling authors Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie tell the fascinating, untold story of Thomas Jefferson’s eldest daughter, Martha “Patsy” Jefferson Randolph—a woman who kept the secrets of our most enigmatic founding father and shaped an American legacy.

From her earliest days, Martha “Patsy” Jefferson knows that though her father loves his family dearly, his devotion to his country runs deeper still. As Thomas Jefferson’s oldest daughter, she becomes his helpmate in the wake of her mother’s death, traveling with him when he becomes American minister to France. And it is in Paris, at the glittering court and among the first tumultuous days of revolution, that she learns of her father’s liaison with Sally Hemings, a slave girl her own age.

Patsy too has fallen in love—with her father’s protégé, William Short, a staunch abolitionist intent on a career in Europe. Heartbroken at having to decide between being William’s wife or a devoted daughter, she returns to Virginia with her father and marries a man of his choosing, raising eleven children of her own.

Yet as family secrets come to light during her father’s presidency, Patsy must again decide how much she will sacrifice to protect his reputation, in the process defining not just Jefferson’s political legacy, but that of the nation he founded.

Link to Follow Reveal:

http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/07/americas-first-daughter-by-stephanie.html

Goodreads Link:  

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25743802-america-s-first-daughter

Pre-Order Links: 

Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo

                                               

About Stephanie:

STEPHANIE DRAY is a bestselling and award-nominated author of historical women’s fiction. Her series about Cleopatra’s daughter has been translated into six different languages, was nominated for a RITA Award and won the Golden Leaf. As STEPHANIE DRAVEN, she is a national bestselling author of paranormal romance, contemporary romance, and American-set historical women’s fiction. She is a frequent panelist and presenter at national writing conventions and lives near the nation’s capital. Before she became a novelist, she was a lawyer, a game designer, and a teacher. Now she uses the stories of women in history to inspire the young women of today.

Stephanie’s Links:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 

About Laura

Laura Kamoie has always been fascinated by the people, stories, and physical presence of the past, which led her to a lifetime of historical and archaeological study and training. She holds a doctoral degree in early American history from The College of William and Mary, published two non-fiction books on early America, and most recently held the position of Associate Professor of History at the U.S. Naval Academy before transitioning to a full-time career writing genre fiction as the New York Times bestselling author of over twenty books, Laura Kaye. Her debut historical novel, America's First Daughter, co-authored with Stephanie Dray, allowed her the exciting opportunity to combine her love of history with her passion for storytelling. Laura lives among the colonial charm of Annapolis, Maryland with her husband and two daughters.

Laura’s Links:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 

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ARC REVIEW The Great Estate by Sherri Browning

The Great Estate, book three in Sherri Browning's Thronebrook Park series. In the last book these two broke my heart you see the progression of their relationship deteriorating in the previous two. Sophia and Gabriel story is a heart breaking one and I love them it's a second chance romance at it's best. I love the setting and the period of time. Edwardian time is a great period; the clothes, the new fangled invention of the automobile, woman's suffrage, it's the calm before the storm (WWI). I loved this book, as with the others it is well written, enjoyable, and the characters are all likable.

Gabriel Thorne saw his wife being kissed by another man and he was heart broken, he also came to realize he hasn't been the best husband so he left to Italy to reinvent himself as a more romantic husband so he could win over his wife again. Sophia Thorne was young and naive when she married Gabriel, her mother convinced her a wife should not enjoy herself in the marriage bed, so despite the fact that she loved him with all her heart she held back. The falling point of their relationship was the death of their son. Sophia was afraid it would happen again and Gabriel had not idea how to help her and ended grieving in his own way and becoming uber involved in the Thornebrook Estate.

The event of another man kissing Sophia spurred a change in both of them. With Gabriel gone for a year Sophia takes up the reigns of running the beloved Thornebrook Park and has even raised the incoming money. When Gabriel returns they struggle with dealing with the changes in both of them especially since Sophia isn't ready to relinquish her hold on running the estate.

Overall, I loved reading the entire journey of Sophia and Gabriel from book one to the end of this one. There is a great change in both of them that just reinforces the love they share for each other.

ARC REVIEW Wedding Matilda by Heather Hiestand

Book six in the Redcakes series by Heather Hiestand, Wedding Matilda, doesn't quite have the same magic as the other books. I love this series I have read all of them, as much as i enjoyed the idea of this book the characters and the plot this one seemed really drawn out almost like it should have been just a novella. Ewan I loved, Matilda because of the stress she was going through I can't complain because I have no idea how I would react in that kind of a situation.

Ewan Hales has been a background character for the previous books. Matilda Redcakes has faded in to the background since her major taboo by not marrying the father of her child and has since taken over the cake factory in Bristol. Ewan and Matilda know each other through work but don't work with each other very much if any at all until the quality of  the cakes in the last shipment is lower than normal. It leads back to the flower they got had something added into it.

Ewan always thought he was an orphan, he was recently visited by a solicitor and informed he is the only heir to Earl of Fitzwalter. The old man is a right bastard gives Ewan an ultimatum work for him in one of the little factories or nothing at all. Upon hearing the the problem with the Redcake cakes is the flower from the factory owned by Fitzwalter Ewan chooses that factory and solve the problem or else lose one of their best clients.

Matilda Redcakes has a hard enough time running the factory and raising her son she doesn't need the added problems of bad flower but that's just the beginning. Soon after tracing back the supplier of the bad flower her son is kidnapped. Everyone drops everything to help Matilda especially Ewan. After seeing Matilda again after herself opposed seclusion to Bristol he has felt a connection to her. From then on out the story is all about finding the boy and Ewan convincing Matilda she should marry him.

Overall, I did enjoy reading the book but I think it was too long for the storyline.

ARC REVIEW Starry Knight by Nina Mason

Starry Knight is the first book to Nina Mason's Knights of Avalon series. I really wanted to like this one unfortunately it wasn't what I expected. The blurb was just vague enough that it wasn't how I thought it would play out. I pictured a brooding recluse in a Scottish Highlands Castle and a reluctant socialite trying to start a career as a paranormal investigator. But what it doesn't tell you is that the recluse is a well known author and a string puller for the Scottish Parliament. The socialite is going to work for a vampire hunter in in New Orleans. I figured most of the story would be centered on Callum hiding the truth about who he is and Vanessa trying to figure it out as they fall more and more in love. That kinda happened, the first half-ish of the story and then the rest was annoying filler. The only really interesting is the Avalon aspect and their wasn't near enough of that in the book. I can see the potential of Avalon in the other books, but this one wasn't even a very good intro for that.

Callum died on the battlefield and was returned to the living by Queen Morgan Le Fay and used as breeding drone. After 200 years Callum was sentenced to death for only siring male children. He was aided in escape learned how to change his form. When he returned home it was all different. Hiding from the Queen he stayed in hiding and survived another couple of centuries.

Vanessa doesn't want to be a disappointment to her parents but as political family she finds no joy in it what they want for her. She wants to study the paranormal and has recently taken a job as an assistant to a Paranormal investigator in New Orleans but first she wants to uncover the vampire living in Castle Barrogill. She never expected to fall into lust so quickly with the owner. She also found the ghost that has been haunting the castle for 500 years who told her the truth about everything. Now with the information she was seeking and her newfound love for Callum she struggles with what to do.

Overall, I what I did enjoy was a couple of chapters out of the whole book. I am curious about the books to come because that has piqued my interest. This book just didn't do it for me.            

ARC REVIEW Deception by A.S. Fenichel

I am really loving this series. I have had book one, Ascension, on my TBR list and when I saw this one up for review on NetGalley I grabbed it and read them both back to back. I love the Regency setting in a fantasy/paranormal type story; like a Regency Urban Fantasy. It was done well not flawlessly but I liked how Fenichel worked it. Ascension was a great first book a great introduction. Deception was really good as well Lillian is absolutely awesome. When I get around to making my Steampunk costume I am making it with a skirt like hers.

Lillian Dellacourt is the best demon hunter The Company has and with the Demon Master closer than ever to entering our world. With a new partner in tow Lilly must find a way to stop it from happening and find the leak somewhere in their organization. Dorian Lambert has always acted as the right hand man to Drake Cullum, the man in charge of The Company, and now he finds himself partnered up with the woman he has been in love with since she became a hunter.

Lillian is out to find what dark secrets hide behind the Earl of Shafton and Dorian was sent to keep an eye on her. Together they unravel the bumpy history of the Company and find out where the Demon Master is trying to come through next all while trying not to fall into each others arms. Lillian keeps pushing Dorian away because his French title, one he refuses to use; and Dorian keeps trying to tell her it doesn't matter he would love her no matter what.

Overall, while I do love the books the one thing that bugged me is that it is the same as the first, the bare bones of the book are the same. Boy and Girl are in love, girl pushes boy away, boy finds out girl's secret, they make love, and a family member kidnapped. Yeah a lot of books have the same trope and other similar things but in a series with them so close it's noticeable. Other than that I look forward to more in the series.

ARC REVIEW Beware of Me by Cynthia Eden

Cynthia Eden's Dark Obsessions series book four, but every book is a stand alone. However in the case of Ethan Barclay reading the previous books will give an insight into who Ethan really is. I love this series. This book has the right mix of suspense and romance it is very well balanced. It does get a tad repetitive always referring to the past. But I loved Carly and Ethan and I hope the series isn’t over yet.

Ethan Barclay is criminal, he is a murderer, but he's not the villain of the story; Ethan is the anti-hero. Now I dislike stories that glamorize the criminal lifestyle, this isn't one of them. Ethan is bad he is what he is and he doesn't try to be anything else. He knew as a child he was destined to be something better then what he was. He worked hard to get where he is and now that he has reached his monetary goal he plans to go straight and he wants the one who got away.

Carly Shay was young and stupid and paid the price for it. She has lived in hiding away from her past the only reason she reappeared in Ethan's life was because her stepsister needed her. Now the bad guys are coming out of the woodwork to seek vengeance for the man her and Ethan killed. Carly has had a hard time moving on and even after all these years she still is on edge. The reappearance of Ethan in her life is comforting but scary she doesn't want to want him after everything that happened and then he just walked away; she just wants to be left alone to her life. Ethan's showing up after all these years is for her protection the news that old enemies are after her.



Ethan never wanted to leave Carly; he always thought he wasn’t good enough for her. He may have walked away from her but he never let her go. He has kept tabs on her all these years and now with her life on the line he is willing to do anything to keep her safe even from the FBI.



Overall, it was a great read, and in the end it even surprised me with whodunit.   

ARC REVIEW Never Die Alone by Lisa Jackson

Lisa Jackson's ongoing series following Rick Bentz and Reuben Montoya two New Orleans Homicide detectives continues to have more then their fair share of the worst of the worst. This is book eight and as far as the series goes this can be read as a stand-alone. It does talk about a past case as it references to a secondary story line Lisa Jackson is building up to for another book. It does get redundant as it is mentioned more then a few times, I think unnecessary but then I have read that book so it just maybe that way for me. Other than that the book is classic Jackson suspense light on the romance but nail-biting suspense I couldn't put it down I didn't want to put it down, I'm glad my kids can find food on their own. The whodunit was a surprise if not a little cheesy.  

(***SPOILER***... unless you have read the previous book, Devious... a notorious killer from a previous book is back. It's awesome and because it it just a secondary story in this book and its such a tease!)

Brianna Hayward is a twin-less twin; she lost her sister in high school and it changed her life forever. Brianna is now a psychiatrist who runs a help group for other like herself. She is also trying to prove her cousin is innocent of crimes he didn't commit. Her cousin was convicted of murdering his twin sisters on their twenty-first birthday, he was labeled the 21 Killer. Brianna is alone in her belief until one of her friends from the Twin-less Twin group discovers her twin daughters missing.

It should have been the best night of their lives, Zoe and Chloe were turning twenty-one but the night went wrong and now they are both hog tied naked in a basement room with a scary looking naked guy singing Happy Birthday, badly. Zoe always the strongest of the two tries to escape and now she is lost in the swamp separated from her twin. Chloe needs to be the strong one, after their attempted escape Chloe was recaptured; now she needs to get herself out of this before he catches Zoe again.

Bentz has no reason to believe Brianna Hayward, but something about it reminds him of Olivia and how they first meet. So he goes out on a limb and starts to follow up on the missing twins. Also thrown into the mix is crime reporter Jase Bridges. Jase went to school with Brianna and her sister and has a secret he has kept from Brianna for years but the attraction is there and he tries to stay away but the story of the 21 Killer and the missing twins is too good to pass up.

Overall, with all the emotional turmoil from both past and present experiences, and the suspense of being chased by a mad man it ties you up inside. If you haven't read any of the other books this would be a good one to start at.