Book Tour Stop and Review: A Baron in Her bed by Maggi Anderson

Welcome to Maggi, who generously provided me with a copy of A Baron in Her Bed. Read on for my thoughts. 

Maggi will be awarding the winner's choice of a backlist eBook to two randomly drawn commenters during the tour, and a $30 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter so be sure to comment!

~My review~

A great, fun, intrigue filled read!

A Baron in her Bed was a lovely mix of nice description  chemistry, intrigue and romance. Horatia is headstrong, if a little silly at times, and Guy is a good mix of rake and gentlemen. Their initial meeting, with Horatia disguised as a boy was fun and started the story nicely. I was glad this wasn't played out for too long either - Guy fairly quickly discovered she was a woman and it lead to some great chemistry-filled scenes.

Intrigue-wise, the story is fairly driven by the various threats to Guy's life as well as some questions about his past but the romance still remains in the forefront. The final scenes are exciting and the plot is creative enough to hold your attention without becoming too involved. I wouldn't say it kept me on the edge of my seat but I always like a bit of suspense and it gave me enough to keep me satisfied.

Interestingly I connected more to the hero - I think because his rakish ways were fairly quickly put behind him but he still managed to retain his charm. Horatia was feisty but she did have a knack for getting herself into trouble and at times I wondered why she didn't, for once, listen to her father or Guy. She comes across a little silly at times.

But for a nice Regency flavour without the usual - the Almacks, the dinners etc - this was a fun, captivating read. I enjoy Regency reads but often feel like I'm reading the same thing and this was a real, refreshing departure from that. I would expect most fans of Regency romance to enjoy this.

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London, 1816. A handsome baron. A faux betrothal. And Horatia's plan to join the London literary set takes a dangerous turn.

Now that the war with France has ended, Baron Guy Fortescue arrives in England to claim his inheritance, abandoned over thirty years ago when his father fled to France after killing a man in a duel. When Guy is set upon by footpads in London, a stranger, Lord Strathairn, rescues and befriends him. But while travelling to his country estate, Guy is again attacked. He escapes only to knock himself out on a tree branch.

Aspiring poet Horatia Cavendish has taken to riding her father's stallion, "The General", around the countryside of Digswell dressed as a groom. She has become bored of her country life and longs to escape to London to pursue her desire to become part of the London literary set. When she discovers Guy lying unconscious on the road, the two are forced to take shelter for the night in a hunting lodge. After Guy discovers her ruse, a friendship develops between them.

Guy suspects his relative, Eustace Fennimore is behind the attacks on his life. He has been ensconced in Rosecroft Hall during the family's exile and will become the heir should Guy die. Horatia refuses to believe her godfather, Eustace, is responsible. But when Guy proposes a faux betrothal to give him more time to discover the truth, she agrees. Secure in the knowledge that his daughter will finally wed, Horatia's father allows her to visit her blue-stocking aunt in London. But Horatia's time spent in London proves to be anything but a literary feast, for a dangerous foe plots Guy's demise. She is determined to keep alive her handsome fiance, who has proven more than willing to play the part of her lover even as he resists her attempts to save him.

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Maggi Andersen and her lawyer husband are empty nesters, living in the countryside outside Sydney with their cat and the demanding wildlife. Parrots demand seed, possums fruit, ducks swim in the stream at the bottom of the garden, and the neighbours chickens roam their yard providing wonderful eggs. She began writing adventure stories at age eight. Three children, a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Arts in Creative Writing degree later, her novels are still filled with adventure and suspense, but are also passionate romances. Georgette Heyer among others, brought inspiration to her seductive Regencies and she also writes darker, Victorian novels, contemporary romantic suspense and young adult.

She supports the RSPCA (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to animals) and animals often feature in her books.  Find Maggi online here and buy A Baron in Her Bed here.