Enter to Win a print copy of LADY BRIDGET'S DIARY
(Keeping up with the Cavendishes Book One)
CHASING LADY AMELIA
Keeping Up with the Cavendishes #2
Maya Rodale
Releasing June 28th, 2016
Avon Books
In the second novel of Maya Rodale’s
enchanting Keeping Up with the Cavendishes series, an American heiress finds
her reputation—and heart—in danger when she travels to London and meets a
wickedly tempting rake
enchanting Keeping Up with the Cavendishes series, an American heiress finds
her reputation—and heart—in danger when she travels to London and meets a
wickedly tempting rake
Terribly
Improper
Improper
Lady
Amelia is fed up with being a proper lady and wishes to explore London, so one
night she escapes . . . and finds herself in the company of one Alistair
Finlay-Jones. He’s been ordered by his uncle to wed one of the American girls.
How lucky, then, that one of them stumbles right into his arms!
Amelia is fed up with being a proper lady and wishes to explore London, so one
night she escapes . . . and finds herself in the company of one Alistair
Finlay-Jones. He’s been ordered by his uncle to wed one of the American girls.
How lucky, then, that one of them stumbles right into his arms!
Totally
Scandalous
Scandalous
Alistair
and Amelia have one perfect day to explore London, from Astley’s Amphitheater
to Vauxhall Gardens. Inevitably they end up falling in love and making love. If
anyone finds out, she will be ruined, but he will win everything he’s ever
wanted.
and Amelia have one perfect day to explore London, from Astley’s Amphitheater
to Vauxhall Gardens. Inevitably they end up falling in love and making love. If
anyone finds out, she will be ruined, but he will win everything he’s ever
wanted.
Very
Romantic
Romantic
When
Amelia finds out Alistair has been ordered to marry her, he must woo her and
win back the angry American girl. But with the threat of scandals, plural,
looming . . . will he ever catch up to the woman he loves?
Amelia finds out Alistair has been ordered to marry her, he must woo her and
win back the angry American girl. But with the threat of scandals, plural,
looming . . . will he ever catch up to the woman he loves?
“Ah, Lady Nansen. Lord Nansen!” The duchess
and her charges paused before a couple that looked just like all the others
Amelia had been introduced to: they were of an indeterminate middle age, decked
in an array of brightly colored silks and satins, and honestly, a bit jowly and
gray.
“I
haven’t yet introduced you to my nephew and nieces.”
“And
we have been dying to make their acquaintance,” Lady Nansen said, fanning
herself furiously. “The ton has spoken of nothing else.”
The
duchess performed the introductions. Upon meeting James, the new duke, fawning
ensued.
Everyone
fawned over James these days—but then when his back was turned they whispered
about how his father was a horse thief and that James had been raised in the
stables and how tragic it was that Durham was now in his hands.
“And
Lady Claire.”
Amelia
watched as they took in Claire’s spectacles and her distracted, impatient
demeanor. She had not mastered the slightly
vacant look of a simpering miss and with a brain as sharp as hers, never would.
Amelia watched as Lady Nansen decided that Claire would never be an
“incomparable,” or whatever they called the popular girls of the ton, and
flitted her attention to the next sister.
“Lady
Bridget.”
Amelia
watched as her middle sister glided into an elegant curtsy. The duchess beamed.
Lady Nansen judged.
“Your
practicing is paying off,” Amelia murmured. She’d caught Bridget curtsying in
front of the mirror in the ballroom for an hour last Thursday.
“Do
shut up, Amelia,” Bridget said through gritted teeth. Unlike the other
Cavendish siblings,
Bridget actually
cared about fitting in here. She was obsessed with learning and following the
rules.
“And
Lady Amelia.” She gave a smile somewhere between gargoyle and simpering miss,
but perhaps more on the gargoyle side of the spectrum.
“You
must have your hands full, Duchess, trying to make so many matches.”
“It does give one something to do all
day,” the duchess replied, with a tight-lipped smile that
Amelia dubbed the One
Where I Am Smiling Even Though I Hate What You Just Said. “But I do have every
confidence that they will make splendid matches. In fact, I have someone
special in mind for Lady Amelia this evening.”
The
duchess beamed at her charges, as if they hadn’t been foiling her every effort
to marry them off. Amelia began to dread meeting “someone special.”
“I
say, Duke,” Lord Nonesuch or whatever began, “do you have an opinion on any of
the horses running Ascot?”
The
lords always asked James for his opinion on which horse would win a race, so
they might win a wager. And then they turned around and made snide remarks
about his experience raising and training horses—as if he were beneath them
because of this knowledge. Even though he now outranked them.
“I
do,” James said, smiling easily.
“Don’t
suppose you’d tell a friend who you think will be the winner?” Lord Nansen or
Nancy said jovially, with a wink and a nudge.
“I
might,” James replied.
This
was a conversation he’d had before and Amelia had begged him to do something
nefarious, like deliberately suggest a losing horse. But James refused and just
smiled like he knew the winner and never said a word.
“I
suppose you’re going to build up Durham’s stables,” his lordship said.
“Nansen,
he doesn’t have time for horses,” his wife said in that exasperated way of
wives. “He must find a bride first.”
The
duchess beamed, an I-told-you-so smile.
Then
Lady Nansen turned and fixed her attentions on Amelia. Her fan was beating at a
furious pace.
“And
Lady Amelia, have you found any suitors you care for?”
“After
having met nearly all of England’s finest young gentlemen, I can honestly say
that no, I have not found any suitors that I could care for,” Amelia said. “But
I do have a new appreciation for spinsterhood. In fact, I think it sounds like
just the thing.”
Just
the thing was a bit of slang she had picked up. Sticking forks in her eye
was just the thing (but only with the good silver!).
Flustering old matrons with an honest and direct statement was just
the thing.
Lady
Nansen stared at her a moment, blinking rapidly as she tried to process what
Amelia had just said.
“Well
your sister seems to have snared the attentions of Darcy’s younger brother,” she
said, evidently disregarding Amelia and focusing on Bridget, the one who cared
about fitting in and finding suitors.
“Are
Lord Darcy and Mr. Wright here tonight?” Bridge asked eagerly. Too eagerly. “I
haven’t seen them.”
“It’s
not a party without Darcy,” Amelia quipped.
Darcy
spent the majority of every social engagement standing against the wall,
glowering at the company, refusing to dance, and begging the question of why he
even bothered to attend.
But
that was neither here nor there and no one deigned to reply to Amelia, so she
sighed and lamented her choice in footwear quietly to herself. When Lord and
Lady Nansen took their leave and sauntered off, the duchess turned and fixed
her cool, blue eyes on Amelia.
“You
might endeavor to be a touch more gracious, Lady Amelia.”
The
Duchess always said everything in perfectly worded, excruciatingly polite
phrases. Translation: Lord above, Amelia, stop acting like a brat.
“I’m
just . . . bored.”
And
homesick. And unhappy. And dreading the future you have planned for me. And a
dozen other feelings one does not mention when one is at a ball.
“Bored?”
The duchess arched her brows. “How on earth can you be bored by all this?” She
waved her hand elegantly, to indicate everything surrounding them. “Is all the
splendor, music, and the company of the best families in the best country not
enough for you? I cannot imagine that you had such elegance and luxuries in the
provinces.”
Everyone
here still referred to her home country as the provinces, or the colonies, or
as the remote American backwater plagued by heathens, when Amelia knew that it
was a beautiful country full of forthright, spirited people. It was her true
home.
They
operated under the impression that there was no greater fun to be had than
getting overdressed and gossiping with the same old people each night, in
crowded ballrooms in a crowded city.
She
missed summer nights back home on their farm in Maryland, when she would slip
outside at night with a blanket, to look up at the vast, endless expanse of
stars.
This,
no matter what the duchess said, just did not compare.
Amelia
shrugged.
“We
already met half these people at the six other balls we have attended this
week,” she said. “The other half are crashing bores.”
Crashing
bores was a phrase Amelia had read in the gossip columns. The
violence of it appealed to her.
“I
suppose it would be too much to ask you to pretend to act like an interested
and engaging young lady.” Then, turning to Lady Bridget, the duchess said, “I
daresay she couldn’t.”
With
that, the duchess turned away.
She
turned away, leaving the words hanging in the air,
floating to the ground, just waiting for
Amelia to pounce on
them.
“Well
that was a challenge,” Claire said.
“I’m
not certain she could manage it.” Bridget sniffed.
Really?
Really?
“Is
that a dare?” Amelia asked, straightening up. Oh, she would pretend all right.
She would pretend so well they’d all be shocked. It would give her something to
do at least. “Because I will take that dare.”
“I’d
like to see you try,” Bridget replied. Then, muttering under her breath she
added, “For once.”
Amelia
reddened. Admittedly she hadn’t been taking this whole sister-of-the-duke
business seriously. But she would show them. So instead of sticking her tongue
out and scowling at Bridget, Amelia stuck her nose right up in the air and
turned away.
BUY NOW
Maya
Rodale began reading romance novels in college at her mother’s insistence
and it wasn’t long before she was writing her own. Maya is now the author of
multiple Regency historical romances. She lives in New York City with her
darling dog and a rogue of her own.
2. What three things about you might surprise your readers?
3. Is there a genre(s) that you think “I might like to write one of those.”?
I have plenty of stories in my head and even some drafts under the bed that aren’t romance and I would love to write them (read: the muse insists I must write them). One is a Young Adult novel, the others are grown up lady fiction. But all of them will end happily J
4. Tell us about CHASING LADY AMELIA
5. Where did the idea for the storyline come from?
6. What do you think readers will like/love about Alistair and Amelia?
Things to love about Amelia: her irrepressible spirit and love for her family.
7. What was your favorite scene from the book?
8. Who are some of your book boyfriends? What draws you to them?
Not Lord Darcy! I’m much more partial to Gilbert Blythe (If you don’t know who that is, I’m so sorry). But my book boyfriends tend to be the ones I’m writing currently about, so right now they are a hot, hunky Marquess (Lord Fox, of Lady Claire is All That) and a rebellious, American duke (the final book in the Cavendish series). I’m a lucky girl ;-)
9. If you had to pick a favorite cocktail of choice, what would it be? (It can be non-alcoholic too)
Something sparkling! Whether it’s champagne (or Prosecco, I’m not picky) or sparkling water with extra limes please thank you very much. Cheers!
10. What’s next for you?
Rodale began reading romance novels in college at her mother’s insistence
and it wasn’t long before she was writing her own. Maya is now the author of
multiple Regency historical romances. She lives in New York City with her
darling dog and a rogue of her own.
Q & A with Maya Rodale
1.
Tell us about yourself.
I’m a New York City girl who loves
to read and write romance novels (12 and counting!). I enjoy Beyoncé dance
parties, romantic comedies, and talking about why romance novels
matter. The hardest part of my day is staying up past 9pm. I married a
great guy who thinks all my books are about him and I have the most fabulous
dog who knows everything is all about her (Peek at pictures here!). My website is www.mayarodale.com, check it out!
2. What three things about you might surprise your readers?
1.
I once lived in London for a summer for graduate
school and spent much of it researching in the British Library and trekking
around to every museum and historical house (and gift shop). It has proven to
be tremendously helpful when writing my Regency romances.
2.
I’m very short—4 feet, eleven and three quarter
inches, barefoot. Do not forget my
three/quarters of an inch.
3.
I keep a list of all the books I read, organized
by year, color-coded by month. As one does.
3. Is there a genre(s) that you think “I might like to write one of those.”?
I have plenty of stories in my head and even some drafts under the bed that aren’t romance and I would love to write them (read: the muse insists I must write them). One is a Young Adult novel, the others are grown up lady fiction. But all of them will end happily J
4. Tell us about CHASING LADY AMELIA
Lady Amelia Cavendish is sister to a
duke and hates it. Alistair
Finlay-Jones is heir to a baron who hates
him. A series of events involving scandal, laudanum and lost shoes result
in these two running away for a perfect day around London, taking in the sights
and falling in love. When Amelia finds out Alistair had been ordered to marry
her, he must woo her and win back the angry American girl. But with the threat
of scandals, plural, looming…will he ever catch up to the woman he loves?
5. Where did the idea for the storyline come from?
The idea for Chasing Lady Amelia came from two distinct, but oddly
compatible, stories. The first is Pride
& Prejudice, which is the inspiration for book one in the Keeping Up
With The Cavendishes, Lady Bridget’s Diary. In both those
novels, there’s a runaway sister who definitely needs to have her story told
(where did she go!? With whom!? What kind of sexy fun trouble did she get
into?!) And then I noticed that the plot of my favorite movie of all time, Roman Holiday, starring Audrey Hepburn
and Gregory Peck, would dovetail perfectly. While her story inspired by that
film, Amelia quickly takes over and makes the story uniquely her own.
6. What do you think readers will like/love about Alistair and Amelia?
Things to love about Amelia: her irrepressible spirit and love for her family.
Things to love about Alistair: his
kindness, determination to do the right thing and the way he pleases Amelia, if
you know what I mean ;-)
7. What was your favorite scene from the book?
My favorite scene in Chasing Lady Amelia is a spoiler! (But don’t worry, no spoilers here). I’d been having trouble with the ending (I
wrote it, oh, three different ways) and over dinner and drinks with my husband
we schemed and plotted an alternate ending that is both funny, humorous, plays
on the Alistair’s worst fears and gives Amelia a say in her own destiny. It was a riot to write and is hopefully a
delight to read!
8. Who are some of your book boyfriends? What draws you to them?
Not Lord Darcy! I’m much more partial to Gilbert Blythe (If you don’t know who that is, I’m so sorry). But my book boyfriends tend to be the ones I’m writing currently about, so right now they are a hot, hunky Marquess (Lord Fox, of Lady Claire is All That) and a rebellious, American duke (the final book in the Cavendish series). I’m a lucky girl ;-)
9. If you had to pick a favorite cocktail of choice, what would it be? (It can be non-alcoholic too)
Something sparkling! Whether it’s champagne (or Prosecco, I’m not picky) or sparkling water with extra limes please thank you very much. Cheers!
10. What’s next for you?
I am Keeping Up With The
Cavendishes! I’ve just finished up book three in the series, Lady Claire is All That (12/27/16).
Readers will see this smart heroine make an unexpectedly perfect match with the
hunky “jock” of the haute ton, Lord Fox, in a story that riffs on the rom com She’s All That. Oh, and then I’m writing
the duke’s romance...
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