Today I'm hosting a book that shows the erotic excitement of when opposites attract. In The Princess and the Prepper by Barbara Elsborg a woman who appears to have everything really has nothing until she meets a man hiding from the harshness of reality. Keep reading to discover my impression of the book along with the chance to win a copy. Also, make sure to visit the other blogs hosting this tour to learn even more about this sexy read. Let's get started by giving Barbara a big welcome......
Most of my stories are set in the UK. One of the golden rules for authors is to write about what you know, a rule I ignored from day one but luckily I have been to Wyoming where The Princess and the Prepper is set. But I went in the summer, not the winter so I had to research and imagine what the snow would be like for my story. Mad, bad and dangerous – according to the web. We’ve had a quite a bit of snow in the UK this year, and some hysteria from the press though we get over excited at a couple of inches. My experience of REAL blizzards is limited.
My heroine, Lili, finds herself dumped half naked in the middle of a snowy nowhere. In reality I suspect she’d have not lasted for very long at all before she succumbed to hypothermia and died. Lucky for Lili, my hero turns up to save her. But what Lili should have done was think before she acted and that’s not bad advice for life. Take a moment to consider whether what you’re planning to do is the right choice. If it’s something that might put you or those you love in peril, then take steps to ensure your safety. Tell someone where you’re going, take the right equipment, don’t overestimate your ability.
I wish I followed my own advice. I once went on a tour under a glacier – with a German speaking guide and an all German group. I don’t speak German. So when we were underground – very freaky, very dark and very slippery – I ended up going the wrong way and really scared myself. Not the right time to find I’m claustrophobic. I found the group again and wanted to go to the surface, but no, we had to keep going down on rickety ladders and I was too scared of being left behind to not go with them. When I finally saw the sun again, I almost broke down in tears. I climbed on hands and knees up a slope to my husband who’d been off skiing, only to see him white with pain and desperate to go to the hospital. He thought his appendix had burst. It was a kidney stone – which apparently is more painful than childbirth. Hmm.
Next time I do anything remotely dangerous, I’m going to make sure he comes too. Mind you he can’t speak German either.
Grant lives in an isolated cabin for a reason. He’s prepared for almost every eventuality. The last thing he wants is some needy person interfering with his ordered life. When he gets into bed with a woman he rescued from certain death—just to warm her up, of course—Grant discovers something else he’s not prepared for. His heart opening.
A match made in heaven, until secrets come knocking. Lili is not just a simple woman in need of shelter, and unless she can survive dealing with her background, it doesn’t seem possible the happiness that’s fallen out of a blizzard can heal Grant’s own past.
EXCERPT:
Grant Houston heard Shadow bark as he dropped down through the trees. As he stepped out onto the road, it took a moment to register what he saw wasn’t a hallucination. A half-naked woman limped toward him with Shadow padding behind. Grant had been carrying wood into the cabin when the wolf had tugged at his sleeve. He’d listened, heard a large vehicle, noted it had stopped with the engine running, and decided to come and check. He’d almost turned back when he heard it pull away. He clenched his jaw. Not hard to guess what had happened. The driver had dumped her. Bastard.
He stopped a few yards away, not wanting to alarm her, but she kept going, head down, until she collided with his chest. His arms came out instinctively to wrap around her and prevent her falling. She looked into his eyes and turned to Jell-O. He tightened his grip and groaned.
The thought of dropping her, going back to his place, and pretending he’d never seen her flittered through his head. As if. He had his cell phone but even if he wrapped her in his coat, she might die by the time the emergency services made it out there, and if he took off his coat, so might he. He wished he had a choice, but he didn’t. Supporting her with one hand, he pulled the hat from his head and stuck it on hers, then unbuttoned and unzipped his coat and picked her up so her legs settled on his hips. She was light as a feather.
“Put your arms around me.” His voice was gruff. He didn’t use it much. Resentment surged in his chest at the disruption to his life. By this act of human kindness, he’d have to allow people into his world.
He was relieved when she slid her fingers onto his back under his coat. Even with his shirt and sweater between her and his skin, he quickly felt her coldness. After a brief struggle he managed to pull the zipper over her back so they were wedged tight together. This was not the time to have an erection, but his cock wasn’t listening. Did it ever? Her lower legs were exposed but at least most of her was covered. He linked his arms under her backside, clasping his gloved hands together to support her weight, and began to walk.
The woman’s face was pale, and she shivered violently against him. The smell of her awakened memories he’d buried, the soft scent of coconut and vanilla reminding him of the last time he’d held a woman in his arms. The memory surged up his throat and choked him. His foot caught on a tree root, and he almost fell. Shadow growled.
“Okay, okay, I’m paying attention,” he muttered.
The woman he carried was tall and slender, too slender, though her breasts…. He increased his pace. The sooner he got her back to his cabin the better, even though the thought of her being there disturbed him. But stronger than that feeling was another, one he hardly recognized, a desire to protect her. Some fucking truck driver had dumped her and she’d have died if he hadn’t come along, if Shadow hadn’t alerted him. He could feel her heart beating against his chest, the gentle warmth of her ragged breathing hitting his throat, the wet chill of her body seeping through his clothes, and even as he desperately tried to keep his cock under control, it swelled further. There ought to be a prize for the time to have the most inappropriate erection.
He stopped a few yards away, not wanting to alarm her, but she kept going, head down, until she collided with his chest. His arms came out instinctively to wrap around her and prevent her falling. She looked into his eyes and turned to Jell-O. He tightened his grip and groaned.
The thought of dropping her, going back to his place, and pretending he’d never seen her flittered through his head. As if. He had his cell phone but even if he wrapped her in his coat, she might die by the time the emergency services made it out there, and if he took off his coat, so might he. He wished he had a choice, but he didn’t. Supporting her with one hand, he pulled the hat from his head and stuck it on hers, then unbuttoned and unzipped his coat and picked her up so her legs settled on his hips. She was light as a feather.
“Put your arms around me.” His voice was gruff. He didn’t use it much. Resentment surged in his chest at the disruption to his life. By this act of human kindness, he’d have to allow people into his world.
He was relieved when she slid her fingers onto his back under his coat. Even with his shirt and sweater between her and his skin, he quickly felt her coldness. After a brief struggle he managed to pull the zipper over her back so they were wedged tight together. This was not the time to have an erection, but his cock wasn’t listening. Did it ever? Her lower legs were exposed but at least most of her was covered. He linked his arms under her backside, clasping his gloved hands together to support her weight, and began to walk.
The woman’s face was pale, and she shivered violently against him. The smell of her awakened memories he’d buried, the soft scent of coconut and vanilla reminding him of the last time he’d held a woman in his arms. The memory surged up his throat and choked him. His foot caught on a tree root, and he almost fell. Shadow growled.
“Okay, okay, I’m paying attention,” he muttered.
The woman he carried was tall and slender, too slender, though her breasts…. He increased his pace. The sooner he got her back to his cabin the better, even though the thought of her being there disturbed him. But stronger than that feeling was another, one he hardly recognized, a desire to protect her. Some fucking truck driver had dumped her and she’d have died if he hadn’t come along, if Shadow hadn’t alerted him. He could feel her heart beating against his chest, the gentle warmth of her ragged breathing hitting his throat, the wet chill of her body seeping through his clothes, and even as he desperately tried to keep his cock under control, it swelled further. There ought to be a prize for the time to have the most inappropriate erection.
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THE BOOK:
This is ultimately a story about loss and two people recovering from their losses through the healing power of love. These are likable people who have gone through horrendous experiences and grab on to the one moment of happiness that presents itself. They appear opposites at first but their mutual pain brings them together in a night of steaminess that leads to an unexpected, yet completely satisfying conclusion.
Lili was the child her parents never really wanted. She never lived up to their expectations no matter how hard they tried to mold her into the perfect Princess. She had dreams, but through her parent's machinations, those dreams have continued to go unfulfilled. She's now trapped in a nightmare of physical and emotional abuse from which a haphazard plunge into a dark and snowy night seems a better alternative. This one moment of bravery after years of accepting the abuse could be her final act, but the stranger who rescues her epitomizes her dream and she'll do anything to stay with him....even if it means learning how to cook and make a decent cup of coffee.
Grant prides himself on being prepared for everything but finds himself uncertain in how to deal with a pampered Princess who isn't what she appears. He's been hiding out after the loss of his family with only a wolf for company. He doesn't like the chaos she brings with her to his quiet life or lonely heart but he can't turn away a damsel in distress. She brings a smile to his face and forces him to deal with his demons. He's scared of being forced into living again but knows he can't let the bit of light she's brought to his darkness go no matter how different they appear.
This story is a modern-day fairytale where the Princess is rescued by the handsome hero. This hero is slightly tarnished though and the Princess isn't picture perfect. Their path to a HEA starts out steamy with a bit of desperation attached to it and leads into an entire hometown standing up for what's right in a completely heartwarming conclusion. Ms. Elsborg is a master at pulling at the reader's heart strings and this book once again leaves me believing in fairytales and her on my must read list.
My rating for this is an A-.
*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
BUY LINKS: AMAZON | ARe | BN | BOOKSTRAND | DECADENT PUBLISHING | SMASHWORDS
AUTHOR INFO:
Barbara Elsborg lives in West Yorkshire in the north of England. She always wanted to be a spy, but having confessed to everyone without them even resorting to torture, she decided it was not for her. Vulcanology scorched her feet. A morbid fear of sharks put paid to marine biology. So instead, she spent several years successfully selling cyanide.
After dragging up two rotten, ungrateful children and frustrating her sexy, devoted, wonderful husband (who can now stop twisting her arm) she finally has time to conduct an affair with an electrifying plugged-in male, her laptop.
Her books feature quirky heroines and bad boys, and she hopes they are as much fun to read as they are to write.
Website: http://www.barbaraelsborg.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbaraElsborg
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Thanks for having me on your blog!!
ReplyDeleteOh, this was such a cute story. Loved it!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tradermare!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great guest post. It was fun hearing about the ski trip from hell, and reading the lovely review.
ReplyDeleteDont hesitate to grab The Princess and the Prepper. I've read it, and it's in my read-again pile as one of the best.
You're such a sweetie, Arlene!!
ReplyDelete