Throwbacks & the Review Pile ~ 5/31/12

Out with the old, in with the new?  Not anymore!

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We hope to be able to bring attention to some older titles (released 5 or more years ago) that may not be at the top of the current bestseller list, but still deserve a spot in your To-Be-Read pile.

"To Sir Phillip, With Love" Bridgerton Family Book 5
Author:  Julia Quinn
Publication Date: 2003

Sir Phillip knew that Eloise Bridgerton was a spinster, and so he'd proposed, figuring that she'd be homely and unassuming, and more than a little desperate for an offer of marriage. Except… she wasn't. The beautiful woman on his doorstep was anything but quiet, and when she stopped talking long enough to close her mouth, all ... he wanted to do was kiss her…and more.

Did he think she was mad? Eloise Bridgerton couldn't marry a man she had never met! But then she started thinking…and wondering… and before she knew it, she was in a hired carriage in the middle of the night, on her way to meet the man she hoped might be her perfect match. Except…he wasn't.

Her perfect husband wouldn't be so moody and ill-mannered, and while Phillip was certainly handsome, he was a large brute of a man, rough and rugged, and totally unlike the London gentlemen vying for her hand. But when he smiled…and when he kissed her…the rest of the world simply fell away, and she couldn't help but wonder…could this imperfect man be perfect for her? 

This was the very first book I read by Julia Quinn and I fell in love with the Bridgerton Family.  I think it happened when Eloise's brothers came to "rescue" her.  I then had to go back and read every book Julia had written and I've read every one since.  I don't read much mainstream romance anymore, but this is one author that is on my must-read list.

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From the Review Pile is hosted by Stepping Out of the Page every Thursday.

The aim is to showcase books that you've received but haven't yet got around to reading.

 

"Masquerade"

Author:  Nancy Moser

Publication Date:  8/2010

Adventure, Romance, and a Risky Charade in 19th-Century New York City. — 1886, New York City: Charlotte Gleason, a rich heiress from England, escapes a family crisis by traveling to America in order to marry the even wealthier Conrad Tremaine. She soon decides that an arranged marriage is not for her and persuades her maid, Dora, to take her place. What begins as the whim of a spoiled rich girl wanting adventure becomes a test of survival amid poverty beyond Charlotte's blackest nightmares.

As for Dora, she lives a fairy tale complete with gowns, jewels, and lavish mansions -- yet is tormented by guilt and the presence of another love that will not die. Will their masquerade be discovered? Will one of them have second thoughts?
There is no guarantee the switch will work. It's a risk. It's the chance of a lifetime.

I love the premise of this book and adore the cover.  I just haven't gotten around to reading it yet.  Maybe I'll move it to the top of my pile and try to read it this week.

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I look forward to getting lots of great book ideas for my TBR from everyone's Throwbacks and Review Pile.

Happy Reading!