Smart Bitches Trashy Books | All of the romance, none of the bullshit.

Not a clue on this one, but I might hunt it down and read it! Tall, dashing repressed musician types are just my cuppa.  ;-)

Hell, I’ll give it a try:  Princess Olympia St. Leger in Laura Kinsale’s “Seize the Fire”?  I know that’s wrong, but it’s worth a shot.

OR Belinda Hamilton in Gaelen Foley’s “The Duke”? 

Dammit!  I know I’ve read this book.  I can see the hero playing the piano!  But I can’t remember which one!  Argh! 

We wants the title.  We does, my precioussss.

Grace Cheval in “His Every Kiss” by Laura Lee Guhrke.

It’s on my TBR pile.

Dylan Moore is the hero—his name sounds like a poet’s.

Delilah Desmond, The Devil’s Delilah by Loretta Chase

I know, I know.  I haven’t actually read it.  It was a complete guess because you said it was one of your favorites and I know you like L.C.

That was just a shot in the dark, because I know there’s a musician in the Guhrke book—but after skimming it, I see it’s the heroine who plays the violin.

It’s not Gabrielle Le Couer of Betina Krahn’s A Perfect Mistress, is it?  I can’t remember the music part, but the rest of the plot is similar.

Maybe Faith Merridew from Anne Gracie’s The Perfect Stranger?

Will someone please come up with the correct title so I can add this to my TBR list, it sounds pretty good

Somebody please guess this book so I can go buy it!

*delurks*

Celia Penmaris from “The Tea Planter’s Bride” by Rosemary Rogers! 

*relurks*

Um.  Actually I haven’t finished reading the book yet, and am suddenly unsure as to whether the hero (Grant Hamilton, whose name I don’t *think* is punned in the title, but maybe I’m being obtuse today) plays any musical instruments.  I think he rides horses, but am fairly sure they don’t count.

Dammit.

This is driving me crazy. 

The description of the heroine sounds a lot like Amanda Amberley from Edith Layton’s “Lord of Dishonor”, but I don’t remember anything about the hero playing the violin and Layton is still writing historical fiction as far as I know.

Must. Stop. Obsessing.

This doesn’t fit most of the clues, but it is set in the Georgian period and it most obviously uses the word “devil” in it.

Next I’m trying a Georgian with “light” in the title, and then one with “wolf” in the title.

Although I’m sure I’ve read the personal ad one, but the violin is throwing me off.

OK, so the guess is:

Diana Westmount from Jo Beverley’s Devilish.

Again, only because it has devil in the title.

(Let’s see: Ranulf, Wolfscar, Lucien, hmmm.)

OK, strike the last guess.

I’m going with Lady Adriana St. Ives from Barbara Samuel’s The Black Angel.

Shooting in the dark, mostly, but at least I’m shooting.

(And Samuel fits a few more of the clues.  I think.)

The book is LADY OF DESIRE, by Gaelen Foley staring the Impetuous Lady Jacinda Knight as heroine and Earl of Rackford as the hero estranged from his father.

Do I win??

Fleur Monley, The Sinner by Madeline Hunter?

I think that Suisan is getting very warm with her last guess, but I think that the hero’s name might actually be Lucien.

All my l33t Google skills will only get me:

Madeline ______ in Barbara Samuels’ “Lucien’s Fall.” But the hero is Lucien Harrow.

No one seems interested enough in the heroine to list her full name and Barbara Samuels has no website!  Aargh.  Not that I’ve read it or anything.

Okay, I lie like a dog.  She has a website.  Her name is Barbara Samuel (NO s on the end), and she doesn’t list anything about the book, so I still don’t know the heroine’s last name!  Aargh.

godamn it sarah, I just came back to post the same thing.

Someone named Madeline, who falls for Lucien Harrrow, who’s a musician in Barbara Samuel’s Lucien’s Fall.

I’m NEVER going to get a title. Never, never, never.

discrete sobbing

(By the way, I hate Luciens in novels too.)

I think I have to go to bed before I hurt myself trying to win this thing.

Walk away, walk away, walk away.

Trust me, Suisan, the damn heroine’s name is NOT out there on the web.  It’s listed variously as Madeleine or Madeliene or Madeline, but apparently, she doesn’t have a last name.  So someone whose actually READ the book or at least OWNS it is going to have to get this.  POUT.

And it was the Guhrke book I was thinking of earlier.  Obviously.  Not this one.  Sigh.  Although I promise I’ll buy it and read it and love it if it’ll get me a title!

I know that there is a database that lists hero and heroine names linked to the title of the romance novel.  Maybe Madeleine’s last name is listed there.  I am not sure because I cannot remember how to get to the site (I think that I have it bookmarked on my computer at work .....)

I *really* shouldn’t be obsessing about this since I already have a coveted SB title of my own.

I’m just gutted because that Guhrke book sounds PAINFULLY close to the one I just finished. SHIT! At least the damn thing is not set in Austria… then we’re talking ritualistic suicide on my part.

I would lov eto give this a try *G*

Anne Rice - Violin?

Hugssss
Linda.H.

lovelysalome,
Trust me, your book is different and better. (I haven’t read the other one, but I Just Know.)

No idea about the mystery book.

Hi,

Lucien’s Fall by Barbara Samuel. The heroine is Lady Madeline Whitethorn and the hero is Lucien Harrow, Lord Esher (as he was introduced to Madeline) but the back blurb has him listed as Lord Lucien Esher.

Susan

kate r has spoken… and it was good.

(although it would comfort me to know you’d read the other one and STILL thought mine was better!)

*sob* Foiled by Google.  Who woulda thought it?

Cool, paperbackswap had a copy that I quickly ordered.

Dedicated to professionalism at all times and also to displaying grace in defeat, I say, “Congratulations, Susan. That’s got to be correct.”

Slinking off to go quietly sob in a teacup. Lucien, Damien, Wolfscar, I should have gotten this. I’ll try to cheer myself up by reminding myself that at least I have a new oldie to add to the TBR pile. Sniff.

Brain like a sieve. I read this back in ‘96, have the book SOMEWHERE in my house, and can’t find it. and obviously, couldn’t remember the heroine’s full name.

Suisan’s much more gracious than I am.  I’ve been pouting all day.  I’ll never trust Google again!!!  ::sob::

I wish paperback swap included Mexico. I’d gladly pay the postage to send my books, but I guess nobody else would.

Just a completely random guess: Lily by Patricia Gaffney? And the heroine’s name is, of course, Lily.

Wow, Susan got it, with what looks like a significant assist from Sarah F. Congratulations, Susan. DAMN. That was a fun bout, eh, kids? And seriously, terrible hero name and clunky cliches aside (virtuous daughter attempts to live down rakish mama’s reputation! Hero sets out to sexx0r her, only to be hoist by his own petard!), this book will make you curl your toes, it’s so good. The secondary romance between the mother and Lucien’s best friend is also excellent--good enough that I wish more time and attention had been paid to it.

Sounds great. Another book for my TBR pile.

Did I win?  I will gladly share my title with Sarah F. :)

From what I recall, Madeline’s last name is never really mentioned but she signs a letter at the end of the book with her full name. 

It was a good read thus I have it on my keepers’ shelf :)

I’d be happy to be lesser nobility until I won in my own right.  Congrats, Susan.  Next time, dammit.  Next time.

Congratulations, Susan!

The description also fits reasonably well with “Lady Barbara’s Dilemma” by Marjorie Farrell, a book I enjoyed very much.  Lady Barbara is 25 and unmarried and feeling somewhat adrift.  In hopes of moving forward with her life, she becomes engaged to a handsome lord who clearly admires her and treats her well, only to find herself attracted to Alec Gower, a gifted violinist.  A talented amateur pianist, Lady Barbara is confused by her feelings and unsure what to do, since Alec appears to be far beneath her on the social scale.  As it turns out, he is estranged from his aristocratic family, who look down on his desire to devote himself to his music.  One of the reasons I liked this book so much was that it was socially aware yet in what seems a realistic way—one of Lady Barbara’s friends and fellow music aficionados is a Jewish man, and the book doesn’t preach or make everyone sing Kumbaya, nor does it make those who can’t accept the friendship into Regency Nazis.  It’s a shame Farrell is no longer writing, because she takes themes such as this and presents them more subtly and believably than many others.  I also recommend her “Miss Ware’s Refusal”, a precursor to this book, for a poignant and romantic book about a hero blinded in the wars.