Tuesday, September 23, 2014

REVIEW including an AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Priceless 
The Rothvale Legacy #1




Synopsis

Ivan Everley, 13th Baron Rothvale, will tell you himself he's the LAST person on earth who should have custody over a priceless collection of art, but since when does the irony of life ever fall in line with what somebody wants? Ivan might be a Lord according to British law, but he's just a regular guy with an appetite for speed...and women...and some dominating kink in the bedroom. Yeah, just a regular guy who happens have Olympic gold medals stashed away in his house. Riiiight. His public profile is merely a sham--his private life a carefully guarded secret borne out of the pain of betrayal. Even his famous cousin, Ethan Blackstone, doesn't know the whole story about the man he considers a brother.

Lord Ivan has a plethora of problems piled up to his aristocratic eyeballs--that only get more complicated when a beautiful art conservationist shows up to appraise his inherited collection of paintings--but that doesn't stop him from digging himself in deeper. Nope, not a bit. Once Ivan gets a taste of Gabrielle Hargreave, mistaken identity or not, he can't think of anything else but how perfect she felt in his arms the night he first laid his eyes on her.

He wants her, and what Ivan wants, Ivan gets. He is Lord Ivan after all. Gabrielle soon discovers that the Dom in him isn't taking 'no' for an answer. But, yet, Gabrielle Hargreave might just teach our discontent lord a thing or two about life, and about himself, and help them both discover the undeniable truth in what it means to find something genuinely...priceless.



Review

When Rare and Precious Things was released in February, it was with a sense of sadness that I bid farewell to the characters that I'd grown to  love.

So there's no need to tell how you excited I was with the release of Priceless, the first book in the Rothvale Legacy. Yes I did take into consideration that this series wouldn't have Ethan and Brynne as the focus, but instead as supporting characters, but I was good with that.

This first book and the series are based around Baron Rothvale aka Ivan Everley aka Ethan's titled cousin and Gabrielle Hargreave aka Gaby aka Brynne's best friend and roommate.

Ivan and Gaby first meeting is a case of mistaken literally but the sparks that fly between them certainly aren't.
As much as Gaby wishes she could forget what transpired between them, Baron Rothvale can't wait to contact the agency in the hopes that he'll see the mysterious and beautiful "Maria" again. Except things don't quite work out how he'd planned.

Fast forward a few weeks and Gaby and Ivan are, unbeknownst to them,  brought together at his lordship's Irish Estate. Gaby is there to catalogue his art collection, a grad student sent by University of London.  His Lordship is still feeling the after effects of his tryst with "Maria".

Needless to say this meeting doesn't go quite well and ends again with Gaby running back to London with her tail between her legs, Baron Rothvale's accusations still ringing in her ears.

In case of third time lucky, the pair are thrown together again at Ethan and Brynne's wedding, as maid of honour and best man respectively. Is this Ivan's chance to apologize profusely for his actions? Make amends for his actions and persuade Gaby to give him one final chance?

I enjoyed every minute of Priceless. 

It was funny, especially the banter at times between Gaby and Ivan, well when they were on speaking terms that is.

The chemistry between the two is out of this world and there's no way either of them can deny it. And when they do come together, all I can say is Wow!!!

The outer person you see with both Gaby and Ivan are just facades they want you to see. The real Gaby and Ivan are hidden under so many layers and behind so many secrets that it will be interesting to see them unwrapped.

Be warned this book ends on a cliffhanger and it will leave you asking yourself - what is Gaby going to say to that statement!!!!!!!

***** Stars for an amazing start to what is going to be an amazing series. 

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Here's a sneak peak at the cover and synopsis for Book 2: My Lord



My Lord The Rothvale Legacy II (Book 2)
October 2014

Add to Goodreadshttp://bit.ly/1xLn4pI

Synopsis

Priceless paintings...

Done in a master’s hand...

Revealed two centuries after they were created...

A collection of paintings has complicated Lord Rothvale’s life in ways he could never imagine. Actually, make that a beautiful art specialist from the University of London responsible for the complications in his life.

He’s sure about one thing though. Before Gabrielle Hargreave blew back into his sights on a stormy summer night, he never felt this good. She’s turned his world upside down, along with his wounded heart.

But Gabrielle is sporting a wounded heart of her own, and she’s terrified of risking it again on someone like Ivan. Will he hurt her as others have done? Or is Ivan Everley more than just commanding male beauty in a lordly package?

He will tell you he is, and knows how to keep his head in the game when it matters. The truth is clouded for these two and there is trouble afoot, but one thing is certain. Ivan has identified his target, and is determined to take the win—making Gabrielle his one and only Lady Rothvale.

A love beyond any price...

Lives intertwined over the ages...

Discoveries of the heart and of treasures hidden away...

“I want to be your lord and master, Gabrielle.” -IVAN EVERLEY
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I had the absolute honour of sitting down with Raine (figuratively speaking off course, with thousands of miles in distance and via a computer screen) and asking her a few questions about writing, inspirations and off course Priceless and his Lordship.
 
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I live in California with my husband and two teenage sons. I have been a lifelong reader but got the itch to write my own stories about six years ago. Once I started I just couldn't stop. Some things I enjoy doing besides writing are walking, crafting and gardening.
Why writing? 
Once I delved into my first book I discovered that creating the characters and the scenes were just as much fun as reading a really good book that you can't put down.
Do you write more by logic or intuition, or some combination of the two? 
I am a plotter. That means I have outlines and character bios on all of my people before I start the story. I know the ending when I begin. After I am into the story that is when I will start getting creative and tweaking things around.
Who would you say is your biggest supporter? 
Definitely Mr. Miller and my kids.
What do you think most characterizes your writing? 
Hmmm, interesting question. All of my books are themed around art, and that's pretty huge. I did study Art History at San Diego State and minored in it, so I guess I just put that into my books because I love it so much.
For those that haven’t read any of your books, how many books are there so far and what are their titles?
The Blackstone Affair
NAKED, Book 1
ALL IN, Book 2
EYES WIDE OPEN, Book 3
RARE and PRECIOUS THINGS, Book 4

CHERRY GIRL, Neil & Elaina I
MY CAPTAIN, Neil & Elaina II
Historical Prequels to The Blackstone Affair
The PASSION of DARIUS
The UNDOING of a LIBERTINE
The MAKING of LADY PERCIVAL
The Rothvale Legacy
PRICELESS, Book I
MY LORD, Book II
Historical Prequels to The Rothvale Legacy
The MUSE
Without giving to much away, can you break down Priceless for us 
A reluctant British Lord, Ivan Everley has paintings in his house that need to be cataloged and cleared out. He arranges for an art conservationist to come and take a look. Enter Gabrielle Hargreave, a beautiful young woman who is the professional he needs. She comes to his estate and they discover they have met before under some really strange circumstances and from that point on, Gaby is trying to get away from Ivan as hard as he keeps chasing her.
Who or what inspired this book? 
My Acknowledgments from Priceless:
I began to write this story over two years ago. It was envisioned and outlined before I ever penned Naked. Yes, it’s true. I have my composition book with the original notes to prove it. It’s all there in black and white. I treasure that simple book with the handwritten ideas and scribblings about a reluctant Lord of the Realm and a stubborn art conservationist. Of course, it all got put on hold when I found my inspiration for Ethan Blackstone and Brynne Bennett’s story in the Blackstone Affair … but I never forgot about my original characters of Gaby and Ivan. In fact, I placed them smack dab in the middle of my Blackstone world on purpose so I couldn’t forget about them. I wrote their beginnings into the climax at the end of All In so that I’d be forced to tell their story at some point. A very small portion of Priceless, mostly just the beginning, was published in the Stories for Amanda anthology to raise support for the Amanda Todd Foundation and awareness against bullying. I am happy to be bringing the full story to you now. I’ve fielded questions from loyal readers for the past two years asking patiently when might they get to finally know what was going on with our Ivan and Gaby all this time. Well, you’re about to find out, so a huge THANK YOU to my persistent fans. This one is all because of YOU.
Who is your favourite character and why? 
I just don't have one. That question is like asking a mother who her favorite child is, and why. I can't even begin to wrap my head around that one.
What's next on the cards for you?
 I am writing My Lord, Book II in Rothvale Legacy.
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If you haven't read Priceless yet, I highly recommend you grab a copy today. Purchase Links below.
Priceless Purchase Links:

Amazon US: 
http://goo.gl/S8DkOl
Amazon UK:  
http://amzn.to/1uJamC3
Amazon AU:  

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