To Surrender to a Rogue by Cara Elliott (Book Review)

Title: To Surrender to a Rogue
Author: Cara Elliott
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

My synopsis/thoughts: Alessandra della Giamatti, or Alessa, belongs to a group of scholars who call themselves the Circle of Scientific Sibyls.  They are all women - intelligent women, who have bucked society's rules to gain the knowledge that they have.  In private, they call themselves the Circle of Sin.

Alessa is a widow with a young daughter, Isabella.  She has fled from Italy because of a scandal that she wishes to forget, but isn't finding it easy to adjust to England's standards.  Somehow she continues to run into Lord James Jacquehart Pierson - or Black Jack and they go together about as good as oil and water.  Kind words rarely pass between them and yet they seem  to be drawn to each other. 

Jack was a soldier and a war hero, but he has an artistic side and is taking lessons in painting/drawing - and is quite good.  Based on a recommendation from his brother, he gets asked to accompany a group going on a archaelogical dig in Bath, in order to record findings with his art.  When he arrives, he discovers that one of their experts is Alessa.  Alessa is perturbed to find Jack in Bath and goes so far as to suggest that he "bought" his way in and will be bored in a matter of days.  Alessa also discovers that someone from her Italian past is also a member of this group - Frederico Bellazoni - and he is trying to blackmail Alessa into helping him recover a golden imago.

I liked Alessa's sarcasm where Jack was concerned and that she wasn't afraid to speak her mind - even if it did go against the times.  In the beginning, their relationship reminded me a little of the couple on the old tv series Moonlighting - (am I dating myself?).  They were both really sarcastic and a little mean, but you could tell that there was a spark between them - it was just going to be a matter of when.  This did have a twist at the end which I was not expected and that always makes a book more satisfying when you don't figure it out in advance!

This is the second book in The Circle of Sin trilogy - the first was To Sin With a Scoundrel which I reviewed back in March.  The third book - To Tempt a Rake - is due out in March of 2011.

~I received a copy of this book from Hachette in exchange for my review.~

To Surrender to a Rogue

Publisher/Publication Date: Grand Central Publishing, June 2010

ISBN: 978-0-446-54131-2

360 pages

To Sin With a Scoundrel by Cara Elliott (Book Review)

Title: To Sin With a Scoundrel
Author: Cara Elliott
Publisher: Forever/Hachette

About the book: A widow known for her scientific scholarship, Lady Ciara Sheffield is shadowed by rumors that she poisoned her husband. A rogue notorious for his rakehell antics, the Earl of Hadley is not accused of murdering anything -- save for the rules of Polite Society. The only thing they have in common is seeing their names in the gossip columns of London's newspapers. Or is it?

Ciara needs a titled fiance to quell the slanderous speculations that may send her to the gallows. Hadley needs a brilliant scholar to decipher a mysterious manuscript in his possession. They agree on a temporary alliance. And so begins a seductive dance of sinful pleasures and hidden desires as they waltz through the mansions of Mayfair. . . with red-hot passion -- and danger -- at every turn.

My thoughts: This is the first book that I have read by Cara Elliott - but you can bet that I will be coming back for more. I enjoyed the fact that Ciara was a scholar - something that isn't always evident in the historical romances. The women are always smart, but to actually be a scholar and have that to be part of the story line is rare (of course, it just might be I am reading the wrong books! <: ) This book also had a mix of mystery and humor, but when you mix a scholar with a scoundrel what do you expect? Cara's next book in this series, To Surrender to a Rogue is due out in June. I failed to mention that the series is Circle of Sin.

To Sin With a Scoundrel
Publisher/Publication Date: Forever, Mar 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-446-54129-9
384 pages

~This book was provided free for my unbiased review from Hachette Books.~

To Sin With a Scoundrel - Blog Tour (March 2 - March 13)

To Sin With a Scoundrel
by Cara Elliott

A reclusive widow known for her scientific scholarship, Lady Ciara Sheffield is shadowed by rumors that she poisoned her husband . . . A rakehell rogue notorious for his devil-may-care antics, Lucas Bingham--the Earl of Hadley--is not accused of murdering anything--save for the rules of Polite Society. The only thing they have in common is seeing their names featured in the lurid gossip columns of London's newspapers. Until an ancient manuscript draws them together.

Ciara needs a titled fiancé to quell the slanderous speculations which may send her to the gallows. Lucas needs brilliant scholar to help his elderly uncle decipher the secrets of the mysterious manuscript. So when her friends urge her to accept the earl's proposal of a temporary alliance, Ciara decides that she has no choice but to make a deal with the Devil. And so begins a seductive dance of sinful pleasures and hidden desires as the two of them waltz through the mansions of Mayfair. Lies, intrigue, treachery, sex. They find themselves facing slanderous whispers, unscrupulous relatives-not to speak of their own simmering passions, which quickly ignite into dangerous flames. It's a potent mix and the result may be explosive-and perhaps deadly-if they don't watch their step.

AUTHOR BIO

I started creating books at the age of five, or so my mother tells me. And she has the proof — a neatly penciled story, the pages lavishly illustrated with full color crayon drawings of horses and bound with staples — to back up her claim. I have since moved on from Westerns to writing about Regency England, a time and place that has captured my imagination ever since I opened the covers of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

I have a BA and an MFA in Graphic Design from Yale University and now work as the creative director of a lifestyle sporting magazine, a job which lets me combine my love of the printed word with my love of art. I’m very fortunate in that my work allows me to travel to interesting destinations around the world — however, my favorite spot is London, where the funky antique markets and used book stores offer a wealth of inspiration for my stories.

Places you can find Cara Elliott: Website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter.

You can also read an excerpt of To Sin with a Scoundrel and sign up for my giveaway.

Participating Blogs:

http://thecajunbooklady.blogspot.com/ Feature, Giveaway 3/2/2010
http://sumanam.wordpress.com/ Feature, Review, Giveaway 3/2/2010
http://reesspace.blogspot.com Feature, Giveaway 3/2/2010
http://justanothernewblog.blogspot.com Giveaway 3/2/2010
http://www.thehappylittlewren.com Feature, Giveaway, Q&A 3/2/2010
http://zestynachos.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/2/2010
http://sexywomenread.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/2/2010
http://booksoulmates.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/3/2010
http://fictionvixen.com Feature 3/3/2010
http://booksoulmates.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/3/2010
http://myfoolishwisdom.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/3/2010
http://www.masoncanyon.blogspot.com Feature, Giveaway, Guestpost 3/4/2010
www.mgpblog.com Review, Giveaway 3/4/2010
http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com Giveaway, Q&A 3/4/2010
http://bridget3420.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/4/2010
http://myfoolishwisdom.com Review, Giveaway 3/4/2010
http://www.saveyspender.com Review, Giveaway 3/4/2010
http://seductivemusings.blogspot.com/ Feature, Review, Giveaway, Guest Post 3/5/2010
http://smexybooks.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/5/2010
http://mom2mycrazy2.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/6/2010
http://stacievaughansblog.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/7/2010
http://bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com/ Feature, Giveaway 3/8/2010
http://www.takingtimeformommy.com Review, Giveaway 3/8/2010
http://booksandneedlepoint.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/8/2010
http://frugalplus.com/ Review, Giveaway 3/9/2010
http://www.saveyspender.com Review, Giveaway 3/9/2010
http://www.kballard87.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/10/2010
http://thisbookforfree.com Review, Giveaway, Q&A 3/10/2010
http://digiscrapping.net/blog Review, Giveaway 3/10/2010
http://www.mybookaddictionandmore.wordpress.com Feature, Review, Giveaway 3/11/2010
http://www.eclecticbooklover.com Review 3/11/2010
http://carolsnotebook.wordpress.com Review, Giveaway 3/11/2010
http://whole-new-you.com Feature, Review 3/11/2010
http://triciareads.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/11/2010
http://razloversbookblog.blogspot.com/ Feature, Giveaway 3/11/2010
http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/12/2010
http://bridget3420.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/12/2010
http://brokenteepee.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/13/2010
http://www.startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/ Review, Giveaway 3/13/2010
http://www.rundpinne.com Review, Q&A 3/13/2010
www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/13/2010
http://www.renees-reads.blogspot.com/ Review, Giveaway 3/13/2010
www.bibliophilicbookblog.com Feature, Review, Giveaway 3/13/2010
http://myreadingroom-crystal.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/13/2010

To Sin with a Scoundrel - Giveaway!

To Sin with a Scoundrel
by Cara Elliott

A reclusive widow known for her scientific scholarship, Lady Ciara Sheffield is shadowed by rumors that she poisoned her husband . . . A rakehell rogue notorious for his devil-may-care antics, Lucas Bingham--the Earl of Hadley--is not accused of murdering anything--save for the rules of Polite Society. The only thing they have in common is seeing their names featured in the lurid gossip columns of London's newspapers. Until an ancient manuscript draws them together.

Ciara needs a titled fiancé to quell the slanderous speculations which may send her to the gallows. Lucas needs brilliant scholar to help his elderly uncle decipher the secrets of the mysterious manuscript. So when her friends urge her to accept the earl's proposal of a temporary alliance, Ciara decides that she has no choice but to make a deal with the Devil. And so begins a seductive dance of sinful pleasures and hidden desires as the two of them waltz through the mansions of Mayfair. Lies, intrigue, treachery, sex. They find themselves facing slanderous whispers, unscrupulous relatives-not to speak of their own simmering passions, which quickly ignite into dangerous flames. It's a potent mix and the result may be explosive-and perhaps deadly-if they don't watch their step. (Hachette)

Giveaway

I have five copies of this paperback book to giveaway courtesy of Hachette Books. For your first entry (MUST DO THIS ONE FOR ANY OTHER ENTRIES TO COUNT) just leave a comment. Oh - and leave your email address.

For additional entries you can sign up to follow (old followers let me know), Twitter or post it on your blog. Each entry must have it's own comment. (Four entries total.)

This giveaway if for U.S./Canada only - no PO boxes and will end Mar 9!