Welcome to my tour stop! This is my second stop on this tour (you can find my review from my previous stop here). I have been a fan of Kilpack's since reading To Have or To Old years and years ago and am honored to share an interview with her! Check it all out below...
Rakes and RosesBy Josi S. Kilpack
Adult Historical Romance, Christian
Paperback & ebook, 320 Pages
May 5th 2020 by Shadow Mountain Publishing
Summary
A standalone novel in the Mayfield Family series with an unusual premise and an uplifting ending.
Lady Sabrina endured an abusive marriage, a miscarriage, and early widowhood to emerge as a smart, successful, confident woman who found a way to make her mark in a man's world. She has friends and purpose, but cannot hide from the emptiness she feels when the parties are over and the friends have gone home to families she will never have.
Harry Stillman may be charming and handsome, but he's a gambler and a rake who has made a mockery of his privileges. He turns to the mysterious Lord Damion for financial relief from his debts, but still ends up beaten nearly senseless by thugs and left in an alley.
When Lady Sabrina comes upon Harry after the attack, she remembers the kindness Harry once showed to her six years ago and brings him to her estate to heal. Though their relationship begins on rocky footing, it soon mellows into friendship, then trust. But Lady Sabrina needs to keep Harry at a distance, even if he is becoming the kind of man worthy of her heart. After all, she is keeping a secret that, if exposed, could destroy everything she's so carefully built.
ADVANCE PRAISE:
"Uplifting...Kilpack flips the typical Regency romance script, with the heroine rescuing the hero. Kilpack's strong, upright heroine who finds a way to claim her power in Regency society sets this love story apart. This magnetic tale will appeal to fans of emotional romance."—Publisher’s Weekly
“Kilpack takes traditional regency roles and challenges them. She shows how one person can make an impact in the world. I found the story and premise unique.”—Heather Gardner, Fire and Ice
“This is a story of redemption above all else…the ending was perfect.”— Lucinda Whitney, author of Rescuing the Prince
(Affiliate links included.)
Interview
For those new to the Mayfield Family series, what should readers know?
The Mayfield Family series is set in Regency England and is about a dysfunctional family trying to find their way back to connection. Though Rakes and Roses is the third book in the series, the books in the series do not need to be read in any particular order and each story stands alone.
Would you tell us a little more about the main characters from Rakes and Roses?
Harry is charming and handsome and yet has managed to squander his inheritance by living a dissolute life in London that has left him friendless and terrified.
After Lady Sabrina’s abusive husband died she became independent in ways most women never will be. She does not take this power for granted and tries every day to make the world a better place but she’s lonely and afraid she’ll never truly find happiness in a life alone.
What were Harry’s and Sabrina’s first impressions of each other?
They meet for the first time six years before the story starts when he helps her out of an awkward situation. She pegs him for a charmer and a rake and he pegs her for an anxious but beautiful older woman. They are both right. 🙂 When their paths cross again, his choices have caught up with him and she’s in a position to help. He finds her a harsh task master, and she finds him a ridiculously weak man.
Which character do you most relate to and why?
Probably Lady Sabrina. Though our situations are very different, I’m independent, ambitious, careful about letting people too close, but pushing forward with a brave face most days. My teenage self relates to Harry a bit, but luckily I grew out of my wild ways before I made too big of a mess.
What do you hope readers will take with them after they’ve read it?
That most of us are wounded in one way or another and sometimes we need help from those a bit further ahead of us on the road. It can be just as freeing to help someone as it can be to receive that compassion. I truly hope that this story helps readers gain insight into themselves or people close to them. Writing the story did that for me.
What challenged you most about writing this story?
I’ve never written a “playboy” before. Probably because I don’t love reading that character type, so I’m not drawn to writing it. But I like to challenge myself and Harry was my challenge in this story. To portray him properly, I needed to find my own place of compassion for him and also show the depth of change that helped him to move beyond his past. It forced me to set aside some of my own judgments and really “see” how our families and our circumstances can shape us. I went over and over his portions to make sure I didn’t let him off the hook too easily but also showed adequate compassion for his struggles.
What part or aspect of this story do you love the most and why?
I really love Sabrina. She’s strong but vulnerable, heroic yet anxious about her choices. She has learned how to thrive in a world not made for her, which I find impressive and inspiring. I really enjoyed bringing her to life.
What’s one of your hobbies or something we might not know about you?
I love to crochet. I’m not very good—I only know about 4 stitches and can’t read a pattern—but I love having something to do with my hands that creates something that otherwise wouldn’t exist. I mostly make blankets and scarves, but I really love it and feel disproportionate pride to the accomplishment of finishing a project.
When you want something to read and relax to, what genre do you reach for and what are some of your favorites in the genre?
I love to read women’s fiction, which is usually a deep dive into a woman facing some sort of life altering situation or choice. I appreciate the insight I gain into the world through the stories that do a good job of this and often think about portions of these stories for years to come. Liane Moriarty and Maria Semple are two of my favorite women’s fiction authors. If they wrote a new book every week, I would drop everything to read it.
What are you working on next?
I’ve finished Book Four in the Mayfield series, Love & Lavender, which is about Harry’s twin sister, Hazel. I need to do a bit more polishing on it, but it’s come together well. I’m also working on a contemporary romance. I’m lucky to be able to write a variety of genres and I enjoy the diversity and fresh challenge each genre gives me.
Other Books in the Series
(Linked to my reviews.)
About the Author
Josi S. Kilpack is the bestselling author of several Proper Romance and Proper Romance Historical series and a Cozy Culinary Mystery series. Her books, A Heart Revealed and Lord Fenton's Folly; were Publishers Weekly Best Romance Books of the Year. She and her husband, Lee, are the parents of four children.
Tour Schedule
May 04
My Jane Austen Book Club (Guest Blog)
Historical Fiction with Spirit (Review)
Austenprose—A Jane Austen Blog (Review)
All About Romance (Guest Blog)
May 05
Timeless Novels (Review)
Literary Time Out (Review)
May 06
For Where Your Treasure Is (Review)
Courtney Reads Romance (Review)
May 07
Fire and Ice (Excerpt)
Gwendalyn's Books (Review)
May 08
History Lizzie (Review)
Wishful Endings (Review)
May 09
Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen (Spotlight)
Relz Reviewz (Character spotlight)
May 10
Book Confessions of an Ex-Ballerina (Review)
Delighted Reader (Excerpt)
May 11
Frolic Media (Guest Blog)
A Bookish Way of Life (Review)
Bringing Up Books (Review)
May 12
Lu Reviews Books (Review)
May 13
English Historical Fiction Authors (Guest Blog)
Adventure. Romance. Suspense (Review)
May 14
Chicks, Rogues, and Scandals (Interview)
So Little Time…So Much to Read (Spotlight)
May 15
Storybook Reviews (Excerpt)
May 16
The Book Diva’s Reads (Review)
The Fiction Aficionado (Review)
May 17
Inkwell Inspirations (Spotlight)
Half Agony, Half Hope (Review)
May 18
Romance Junkies (Guest Blog)
Christian Chick's Thoughts (Review)
The Lit Bitch (Review)
May 19
The Caffeinated Bibliophile (Interview)
Heidi Reads (Review)
Bookworm Lisa (Excerpt)
Laura's Reviews (Review)
Katie's Clean Book Collection (Review)
May 20
The Silver Petticoat Review (Excerpt)
Joy of Reading (Review)
Austenesque Reviews (Review)
May 21
The Calico Critic (Spotlight)
Getting Your Read On (Review)
From Pemberley to Milton (Excerpt)
May 22
Wishful Endings (Interview)
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