Barely a Lady by Eileen Dreyer... A Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway!

Barely a Lady... Book One in the Drake's Rakes Series

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Congrats to Aimee, Cheryl and Chanelle!

Olivia Grace has secrets that could destroy her. One of the greatest of these is the Earl of Gracechurch, who married and divorced her five years earlier. Abandoned and disgraced, Grace has survived those years at the edge of respectability. Then she stumbles over Jack on the battlefield of Waterloo, and he becomes an even more dangerous secret. For not only is he unconscious, he is clad in an enemy uniform.

But worse, when Jack finally wakes in Olivia's care, he can't remember how he came to be on a battlefield in Belgium. In fact, he can remember nothing of the last five years. He thinks he and Olivia are still blissfully together. To keep him from being hanged for a traitor, Olivia must pretend she and Jack are still married. To unearth the real traitors, Olivia and Jack must unravel the truth hidden within his faulty memory. To save themselves and the friends who have given them sanctuary, they must stand against their enemies, even as they both keep their secrets. In the end, can they risk everything to help Jack recover his lost memories, even though the truth may destroy them both?

Eileen Dreyer will not disappoint Historical Romance readers in Barely a Lady. What I found refreshing was the setting of this romance. Coming out of the pages of my usual Highlander romances, Barely a Lady is set during the 1815's, in Brussels and during the Battle of Waterloo. Dukes & Dutchesses, Lady's and Earls fill the pages, but so does deceit, betrayals, scandals, passion and treason (And let me tell you backstabbing doesn't even come close to what Olivia experiences from her husbands family). Well developed strong characters (and Olivia makes a perfect heroine), that seem to command the page even from the start, a good story with plenty of history and romance. The romance between Jack and Olivia was enjoyable, but Gervaise is an "interesting" charmer (and Jack's friend) and part of the picture too. Plus, Jack's amnesia makes for some very interesting reading! A good leisurely read for summer!

About Eileen Dreyer... Dreyer won her first publishing award in 1987, being named the best new Contemporary Romance Author by Romantic Times. Since that time she has also garnered not only five other writing awards from Romantic Times, but five RITA Awards from Romance Writers of America, which secures her only the fourth place in the Romance Writers of America prestigious Hall of Fame. Since extending her reach to suspense, she has also garnered a coveted Anthony Award nomination for her last paperback, Bad Medicine. She has over three million books in print world wide, and has made regular appearances on the Waldenbook and B.Dalton bestsellers list, and now the USA Today list. Eileen is an addicted traveler, having sung in some of the best Irish pubs in the world, and admits she sees research as a handy way to salve her insatiable curiosity. She counts film producers, police detectives and Olympic athletes as some of her sources and friends. She's also trained in forensic nursing and death investigation, although she doesn't see herself actively working in the field, unless this writing thing doesn't pan out. You can learn more about Eileen at her website EileenDreyer.com.

Want to know a few fun fact about Eileen?

* Eileen has written 25 contemporary romances as Kathl

een Korbel and am a member of the RWA Hall of Fame.

* Hugh Jackman and Kate Winslet were the models for Jack and Olivia.

* All my characters did their own stunts.

* Olivia's name was originally Annie. My characters' names tend to change as I write the book and get to know them better. And Olivia wasn't an Annie. I try and make sure all the names are corrected in editing, but occasionally, I miss one or two.

Now, if all that doesn't entice you, courtesy of Hachette Book Group I have 3 copies of Barely a Lady for a GIVEAWAY! Here's How to Enter...

Giveaway Has Ended!

* Let's all get in a little romance in this summer! All you need to do to enter is leave a comment with your email address!

* If you want to Tweet or Blog about the giveaway, that's great too! You'll get a bonus entry for spreading the word! Just leave me a link to where you tweeted or blogged!

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only (No PO boxes). The books will be shipped to the winners directly from the publisher. Contest ends 11:59pm EST on July 27th. I will randomly pick the winners the next day and email them! (please check your email.. winner must reply to me within 3 days! Thanks!) Good Luck!

I want to thank Anna of Hachette Book Group for sending along a copy of Barely a Lady to review! Today's post is also part of Eileen Dreyer's Blog Tour for Barely a Lady!