~The Forgiven Duke Book Review & Giveaway~

About the Book:

Tethered by her impulsive promise to marry Lord John Lemon - the path of least resistance - Alexandria Featherstone sets off toward Iceland in search of her parents with a leaden heart. A glimpse of her guardian, the Duke of St. Easton - the path less traveled by - on Dublin’s shore still haunts her.

Will he come after her? Will he drag her back to London, quelling her mission to rescue her treasure-seeking parents, or might he decide to throw caution to the wind and choose Foy Pour Devoir: “Faith for Duty,” the St. Easton motto. The Featherstone motto Valens et Volens: “Willing and Able,” beats in her heart and thrums through her veins. She will find her parents and find their love, no matter the cost.

The powerful yet wing-clipped Duke of St. Easton has never known the challenge that has become his life since hearing his ward’s name. Alexandria Featherstone will be the life or the death of him. Only time and God’s plan will reveal just how much this man can endure for the prize of love.

About the Author:

When she was six, Jamie’s parents met Jesus and soon after started a church. It changed everything.

Road trips with her dad—to and from Bible studies across Indiana—were filled with talks of things beyond earth’s bounds – creation and the fall, God and Jesus and the rapture, the earthly walk compared to the spiritual walk, and how we are born for more than what we can see or touch.

The highlight of those nights was stopping at a truck stop in the middle of the night where her dad would spend a little of the offering basket on two slices of pie and a couple of Cokes. Nothing ever felt so special as a middle of the night slice of pie with her dad. And nothing could stop the writing pouring out of her.

As Jamie’s relationship with God grew, she discovered her heart was filled with songs and poetry. During high school she wrote lyrics for her brother’s band. (And she sang them too!) After college, Jamie married, had two sons and decided to stay home with them. While she home schooled she wrote skits, poems, plays and short stories for school and church.

When her eldest son turned five she dove into the world of novels. She’d read romance novels for years, but couldn’t relate to the flawless, saintly heroines in Christian romance novels. So she decided to write her own.

Snow Angel was born on a frosty night in an old farmhouse in Fishers, Indiana, where the cold floor gave plenty of motivation for the snow scene. Jamie loves to write late at night when the house is quiet and the darkness seems alive. Elizabeth and Noah had been playacting in her head for a long time, so the story went fast.
Ten years later Snow Angel was published and won the ForeWord magazine Romance Book of the Year winner, was a National “Best Books 2007” Awards winner, and a 2008 RITA Awards® Best First Book finalist. It was the beginning of her dream career.

Jamie and her husband Tony have been married for twenty-one years and live in Indianapolis with their three sons and a giant of a dog named Leo.

If she could only say one thing to her readers it would be, “Live the dreams God has destined you for!”

My Thoughts:

     First let me say that I am not a Romance novel reader, so at first I did not think I would enjoy this book.  Once I started reading the book I couldn't seem to put it down.  I caught myself waking up with the book still opened to the page I was on and obviously fell asleep reading.  

     This is a story of Lady Alexandria Featherstone, whom parents have gone missing and presumed dead for a year now.   She decides instead of going to London to be with her Guardian Duke Gabriel Ravenwood she is going to go and find her parents because she doesn't believe them to be dead.  Lord Lemon is there to assist her as she has promised herself to him even though the Duke is very much in Love with her and has promised to marry and take care of her.  Her travels take her to Iceland to find her parents, while she is there she discovers that she too has a detective spirit about her.  However, She comes to a dead end and is not sure where to go from here.

      I have to ask Do you think Gabriel will continue on this journey to find his love?  Will Alexandria and Lord Lemon marry?  Does she find her parents?  You must read this book to find out, and I have 1 copy to give one of my lucky readers to give away.  

Mandatory Entry: Follow me via GFC, and leave your GFC name! Like The author Jamie Carie on Facebook and tell her Southern Mom of 4 sent you!  This is worth 1 entry each)  This entry must be done first or all other entries will be deleted.  Leave your email address so that you may be contacted.  The winner will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be drawn.

Optional Entries: Each entry is worth 1 unless otherwise noted!

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 This giveaway is open to the US, and will be ending on April 29,2012 at midnight EST.  I will draw the winners name via Random.org and email them.  The winner will have 48 hours to respond and then another winner will be drawn.

 “Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or

services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it 

on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally 

and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance 

with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the 

Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”