Blog Tour: A Midsummer Bride by Amanda Forester

Please welcome author Amanda Forester as she promotes her latest book, A Midsummer Bride.  Enjoy the excerpt that she has shared with us after my thoughts on the book!

Publisher: Sourcebooks
Date of publication: November 2013

Miss Harriet Burton, a horrendously rich American heiress, laughs too loud, states her opinion directly, and even conducts science experiments. Her uncle is desperate to get her off his hands and is offering a king's ransom to anyone able to arrange a suitable marriage that comes with a title. 

To avoid marriage, Harriet swears off all men, until she meets Duncan Maclachlan, Earl of Thornton. But when Thornton is falsely accused of being a traitor, Harriet must use her knowledge of chemistry to find the real culprit and spark true romance.

My thoughts:

A Midsummer Bride was a fun read.  It is the second book in the "Marriage Mart" series.  I review the first book, A Wedding in Springtime back in May here.  I actually liked this one more than the first.  I felt like it flowed better.  The mystery in the book was fun.  Who is the spy and who is setting Duncan and Harriet up?  I have to say that I was surprised at the culprit.  I was on the wrong track!  

As for the romance, I loved watching Harriet and Duncan fall for each other. They were well matched.  I loved Harriet.  She was like a fish out of water being American born with no idea how to act in English society.  It made for some funny scenes.    Along with the romance and mystery, it looks like there is the potential for another romance in the next book?  I really look forward to seeing if I am right.

  

Thank you for inviting me here to visit today.  I am excited for the release Midsummer Bride, a Regency with an unusual cast of characters.  First of all, the hero is a Scottish earl, Lord Thornton, who is actually a bit shy around ladies.  Second, the heroine, Harriet Redgrave, is an American heiress, brought unwillingly to England where her grandfather is trying to keep her from returning to America by marrying her off to a member of the aristocracy.  Third, they find themselves in a house party with notable members of society, a thief, and a spy. 

Here is an excerpt from Midsummer Bride.  Harriet has just discovered that her grandfather, Lord Langley, has contracted with a renowned matchmaker to find her a titled husband.  She tries to escape to the library to be alone for a moment but finds Lord Thornton instead.

 “Good evening.”

Harriet jumped with a small shriek and put one hand on her heart and the other on the doorknob. She could make a quick escape if she had to. “Who’s there?”

“Sorry if I gave ye a fright.” Lord Thornton stepped out of the shadows toward the light of a single candle. “I stepped into the library to collect some papers from my desk.” He held up a stack of letters.

Harriet sighed in relief. “I am sorry to invade your privacy. I had no idea there was anyone here.”

“Are you lost?”

“No, I simply needed to escape for a moment.”

Thornton frowned. “Is someone bothering ye, Miss Redgrave?”

“Yes! Lots of someones.” Harriet walked further into the room and sank onto the settee.

“Can I be of assistance? I am most willing to be at yer service, as I offered earlier.” Thornton sat beside her but still at a respectable distance. “Who has disturbed ye?”

“Men!”

Thornton leaned back, his eyebrows raised. “All of us?”

“Well, not all at once perhaps, but men in general have been a pox to me.”

“I deeply regret being a pox to anyone. Please tell me what injury you have to report so I may appro­priately apologize for the misdeeds of my brethren.”

Harriet smiled. The Scotsman before her was appar­ently made of sterner stuff than most Londoners she had met, given that he received her unusual proclama­tion without censure. “First of all, my grandfather has hired a matchmaker to tie me down and hitch me up to some gentleman with a title.”

“Anyone in particular?”

“No, just a man with a title. Doesn’t matter if he is eighty years old or lives on a diet of whiskey and beer. If he has a title, I’m up for bids.”

The corner of Lord Thornton’s mouth twitched up. “If I meet any elderly drunken lechers with a title, I shall let ye know.”

“Much appreciated.” She kept her tone flat but could not keep from smiling.

Midsummer Bride is the second book in the Marriage Mart Series.  Miss Harriet Redgrave, a horrendously rich American heiress, laughs too loud, states her opinion directly, and even conducts science experiments. Her aristocratic grandfather is desperate to get her respectably wed and is offering a king's ransom to anyone able to arrange a suitable marriage that comes with a title. In contrast, Harriet is interested in science and avoiding matrimony – until she meets Duncan Maclachlan, Earl of Thornton. Thornton has sworn to never marry for money, but is drawn to the irrepressible Harriet. What begins as friendship, and a desire to prevent his castle from being destroyed by some chemistry experiments gone wrong, sparks into a reaction that threatens to consume them both.

Thanks so much for inviting me.  I hope a little Midsummer Bride will warm your hearts this holiday season!    I love to hear from readers so come visit me at my website, facebook, or twitter.

What kind of characters do you enjoy?  Are you intrigued more by the girl next door, someone unconventional and unusual, or characters who are somewhere in between?  Comment for a chance to win of copy of Midsummer Bride!

About the author:

Amanda Forester holds a PhD in clinical psychology and a Masters degree in theology. As a psychologist, she has worked as a clinical researcher and a university instructor (what they call you when they don’t want to give you tenure). None of which has anything to do with writing romance novels. After trying for many years to stop the internal storylines floating around her head, she finally gave up and wrote one down. Now when she is caught daydreaming and talking to herself she can just say, “I’m plotting a scene for my next novel,” which sounds so much better than, “I’m hallucinating and responding to internal stimuli.”

Amanda lives in the Pacific Northwest with her officer and a gentleman husband and their two remarkably active, naturally brilliant children. They share their home with two fiendishly destructive cats and one lazy dog. 

The Highlander’s Series represents Amanda's first venture into writing historical fiction, so she would greatly enjoy hearing from readers. website, facebook, or twitter.