A SISTERS DUET
by Cheryl Holt
June 10 - July 12, 2024 Virtual Book Tour
WITH ONE LOOK
CHERYL HOLT dazzles readers once again with her new two-book SISTERS duet! It’s two fun, fast-paced, and dramatic tales of love forevermore…
JACKSON BENNETT is an army veteran who was seriously wounded in India while saving the life of a royal cousin. As his reward, he’s become the new Earl of Thornhill. But it’s an honor he doesn’t want. After barely surviving his final tour of duty, his view of life has been altered. He simply likes to loaf, gamble, and revel in every decadent activity he can find.
THEODORA CRONENWORTH is a dreamer and idealist who thinks the world should be a much fairer place, particularly for women. She works hard to improve women’s lives, and she definitely believes prominent men should behave better.
When Jackson meets Theodora, he’s humored by her energy and pluck, but he’s a confirmed bachelor who doesn’t think he could ever fall in love. With one look, he’s completely smitten, and with Theodora rattling his debauched existence, nothing will ever be the same.
WITH ONE KISS
Fall in love with CHERYL HOLT all over again! She delivers the companion novel in her fun and dramatic SISTERS duet! It’s another tale of passion, forbidden romance, and love forevermore…
CHARLOTTE CRONENWORTH was born into a rich, prominent family, but after her father’s death, her fortunes plummeted. To support herself, she’s been teaching at a girl’s boarding school. Just as she’d begun to feel secure and complacent, the school went bankrupt, so it was closed and the students sent home. She’s been cast to the winds of fate, and she’s hoping to find employment as a governess, but she’s not optimistic. A woman on her own is never safe in her personal circumstances.
WINSTON WAINWRIGHT is Earl of Dartmouth. His title is one of the oldest and most esteemed in the kingdom, and he’s a rich, pompous snob. He takes his high status for granted and he’s confident of his elevated spot in the world. He was raised to believe that lesser mortals should bow down to his exalted self, and he never regrets his conceited attitudes or haughty habits.
When Winston meets Charlotte, there’s an instant attraction, and he’s enough of a rogue to feel entitled to act on it. He’ll be delighted to trifle with her, but she’s so far beneath him. He would never have honorable intentions. But with one kiss, he’s totally ensnared, and she just might be the one woman who can make him happy forever…
Book Details:
Genre: Regency Period Historical Romance
Published by: Indie
Publication Date: June 19, 2024
Series: A Sisters Duet
Series Link: Amazon
Read an excerpt from WITH ONE LOOK:
CHAPTER ONE
Theodora Cronenworth, called Theo by her family, strolled down the London street toward her home. She’d just attended the latest rally of the Matron’s Brigade, and she was lost in thought, struggling to deduce why she was still a member.
The group claimed to have begun a crusade against the dandies and vixens of the demimonde. The city had become a den of iniquity and they were determined to clean it up. Illicit conduct was rampant, and from the most toplofty aristocrat to the lowliest opera dancer, people were openly wallowing in sin and vice.
There seemed to be no limit to their depravities and civic leaders ignored what was happening. In fact, many of them were the worst offenders. So the Brigade had been formed.
The ladies had shrouded themselves in the mantle of moral indignation, and their purported goal was to root about decadence, but from Theo’s perspective, they simply argued amongst themselves over which direction to take. They also liked to point fingers as to who was sufficiently devoted to the cause and who wasn’t.
When they finally chose a target, it was a female who had no power or rich friends to protect her. The Brigade liked to punch down at those who couldn’t fight back and their focus enraged Theo.
In her view, if a woman was lured into wickedness, it was always the fault of a corrupt man. She constantly suggested they shame some of the scoundrels who instigated so much of the trouble, but the group wouldn’t hear of it. She’d flat-out been apprised that they didn’t dare harass any important males, and their cowardice infuriated her. None of their motives were true and they were a gaggle of hypocrites.
Her stepmother, Georgina, had encouraged her to join. Theo was clever with words, and she’d been tasked with writing pamphlets that would spread their message, but any message she penned was watered down to irrelevance.
Though she never discussed it, her own family had been destroyed by a cad when she was a little girl. Her mother had run away with him and vanished forever. Theo had never learned his name or any other information about him, but he’d never been held to account for his mischief.
Shouldn’t he have been? Could any prominent gentleman ever be forced to answer for his dissolution? Shouldn’t women demand better behavior from them?
Well, if the tepid antics of the Matron’s Brigade were any indication, no changes would ever occur.
She shoved the issue out of her mind. It was a beautiful May afternoon, the sky clear, the temperature balmy, and it was silly to waste any energy fretting about the situation. She wasn’t the Brigade’s prisoner and she didn’t have to continue to participate.
***
Excerpt from Cheryl Holt by WITH ONE LOOK. Copyright 2024 by Cheryl Holt. Reproduced with permission from Cheryl Holt. All rights reserved.
Review of With One Look:
5 stars!
One of the best of the genre!
With One Look is the first of acclaimed romance author Cheryl Holt’s new duology, A Sisters Duet, and what a fabulous beginning it is! A young woman ponders her uncertain future in Regency London should she decide to dissolve a lackluster engagement to her step-brother. At the same time, an injured career soldier, elevated to the ranks of the nobility, finds himself with too much time on his hands and no real purpose in life except gambling. With one look, however, both their lives are destined to change course forever.
At 24 years of age, Theodora Cronenworth is sweet, kind, and somewhat naïve; her personality shaped by her mother’s abandonment when she was a small child and her father’s, subsequent, cold neglect. She believed her stepmother’s claim that her father died without a will or making arrangements for her or her sister’s futures and was dependent upon her for her every need. She and her sister are effectively estranged since Charlotte left home to take a position as a teacher at a boarding school. It is implied that Theo was denied the education she desired, but she is well-informed and favors a more modern life for women. The reality of her dependency and need to have a man in her life for protection or advocacy, a predicament for all women at that time, was really brought home.
Sergeant Jackson Bennett, now the Earl of Thornhill by award of the King, spends his time gambling to support his long-time mistress, Lola, and his father, Cedric. The injury that ended his army career causes him constant pain and prevents him from riding; he’s a man without a mission in life. Jackson is kind to those less fortunate and avowed bachelor-for-life. His continued relationship with Lola is strained, but he avoids ending things with her because their liaison burned her bridges with her family, and he knows he’s as much to blame as she is.
Theo and Jackson have an immediate attraction to one another. While Theo firmly believes no good will come of their knowing each other, she is irresistibly drawn to him, guilt-ridden because of her engagement to her step-brother, Arthur. Jackson is infatuated early and takes every chance to further their acquaintance (except break it off with Lola.) Sounds like a straightforward storyline, right? But plot twist after plot twist shocked and surprised me, and the basic story quickly became one of the best I’ve ever read in this beloved genre. Those who started as obnoxious but seemingly harmless characters turned out to be hiding devious pasts, self-serving agendas, and the potential for true evil. Surprising past connections between other characters waited to jump out at critical points in the story. I read the last 75 percent of the story in one sitting, and now I can’t wait to get on with the next book!
I recommend WITH ONE LOOK to romance readers who enjoy
suspense and a touch of spice in a Regency setting.
Author Bio:
She’s also a lawyer and mom, and at age forty, with two babies at home, she started a new career as a commercial fiction writer. She’d hoped to be a suspense novelist, but couldn’t sell any of her manuscripts, so she ended up taking a detour into romance where she was stunned to discover that she has a knack for writing some of the world’s greatest love stories.
Her books have been released to wide acclaim, and she has won or been nominated for many national awards. She is considered to be one of the masters of the romance genre. For many years, she was hailed as “The Queen of Erotic Romance”, and she’s also revered as “The International Queen of Villains.” She is particularly proud to have been named “Best Storyteller of the Year” by the trade magazine Romantic Times BOOK Reviews.
She lives and writes in Hollywood, California, and she loves to hear from fans.
Catch Up With Cheryl Holt:
www.cherylholt.com
Goodreads
BookBub - @CherylHolt
Instagram - @cherylholtauthor
Twitter/X - @TheCherylHolt
Facebook - @officialcherylholt
Tour Participants:
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Wasn't it a fantastic escape!?! I LOVED reading WITH ONE LOOK.. and can't wait to hear what you think of WITH ONE KISS. Definitely a duology I'm going to want to read again.
ReplyDeleteHi Paula. Thank you so much for hosting me today and for taking the time to read and review my new novel, WITH ONE LOOK. I had so much fun writing it, and I'm grateful to hear how much you enjoyed reading it. Your review is lovely and I'm thrilled by all your kind words.
ReplyDeleteTo any readers who stopped by today, thank you so taking a minutes to read more about my new SISTERS duet. If you haven't tried my books before, they're fast-paced, and dramatic, so they're very fun to read. I'm also renowned for writing the very 'best' villains, so there are plenty of characters you'll love to hate, and their antics will keep you whipping through the pages to see what happens next. To celebrate my book tour, I'm giving away 10 autographed print copies, and the tour is ending shortly, so be sure to enter the giveaway so you don't miss out.
Thx again Paula. And thx to everyone for taking a minute to read about my new books. I'm always grateful for your kind attention.