Thinking of this beautiful quote as I write today.

My hero has absolutely no idea that soon he’ll be feeling this way about my heroine . . . ♥

As both a reader and a writer, I’m kind of obsessed with tropes. What about you? Do you have a favorite? Or favorites?

via Boobies & Noobies on Twitter

I’ve got a juicy newsletter going out next week — on the 30th, to be precise — and it’s going to feature some very fun stuff!

Three lucky readers will each receive the entire set of my Penhallow Dynasty series . . .

. . . An exclusive Q&A with fellow historical-romance author Angeleke Kaldis and a giveaway of her marvelous book Tempted by Curiosity . . .

. . . A super-fun review of Engaged to the Earl that knocked my socks off . . .

. . . And the latest news about my next book, The Worst Duke in the World.

If you haven’t signed up for my VIP newsletter, would you like to? There’s an easy-peasy form on my site and on my Facebook page, too. Remember, as a subscriber to my newsletter, you’re automatically entered into all my giveaways!

Isn’t this t-shirt from Love’s Sweet Arrow — a romance bookstore in Chicago — the coolest?!?

Photos via Love’s Sweet Arrow on Twitter

Want to order one? Click here to go to their website’s purchase page.

Of course it’s always absolutely wonderful to receive a glowing review of one’s book, but when one wins the praise of a self-described romance curmudgeon, then . . . wow!

Says the Our Coast Bookmonger:

Over the years, this book reviewer has developed a reputation as a curmudgeonly sort when it comes to romance novels. So imagine my astonishment when I picked up Engaged to the Earl, the fourth book in Spokane author Lisa Berne’s Penhallow Dynasty series, and found myself devouring it like a plateful of bonbons. Nary a cynical thought crossed my mind. Not one dismissive “harrumph” passed my lips.

Engaged to the Earl is an extravagant confection of a book. Set in the Regency period, it is amusing, detailed and lively. . . .

If you want a story that will make you chuckle, swoon and generally feel warm-hearted, Engaged to the Earl fits the bill.

Want to read the review in its glorious entirety? Click here.

To learn more about Engaged to the Earl, click here to go to the Avon Books/HarperCollins website where you can see all your ordering options, listen to an audiobook sample, and read a long juicy excerpt.

ICYMI! Sharing this glorious post from Julia Quinn!

Want to snag your own copy of Engaged to the Earl? It’s available in print, ebook, and audio (and the narrator is amaaaaaaaaazing!). Click here to go to the Avon Books/HarperCollins website.

Tomorrow! I’ll be a guest host at the Romance of Reading group on Facebook!

I’m in some amazing company!

It’s one of the nicest and most interesting groups around, and I’m looking forward to some fun bookish chat and some lovely giveaways I’ve got planned. Stop by if you can. Not a member? Ask to join. Their admins are speedy-quick. :)

Oh, and here’s a quick glimpse of one of my giveaways . . .

All four books in my Penhallow Dynasty series!

See you tomorrow, I hope!

I really enjoyed the essay “Lisa Kleypas Talks Changing Trends in Romance,” which was recently featured on Goodreads. Lisa’s such a rock star of the genre! (And she has a new book out, too! Who else is excited to read Chasing Cassandra?)

My favorite snippet from the essay?

The message of romance novels is that you are the heroine or hero of your own life. You, regardless of your gender identification, culture, appearance, belief system, disabilities, or age, deserve to love and be loved. Wholeheartedly, passionately, and entirely.

That’s not an unrealistic expectation. Don’t settle for less.

Beautiful!

And “Don’t settle for less,” has a lot of resonance for me . . . It’s something my heroine Gwendolyn Penhallow says in Engaged to the Earl:

Coming your way February 25th, 2020!

“But there is a moral to the story, my dears. It’s this: I hope you’ll always follow your dreams — and settle for nothing less than whatever is the best for you.“

Darn tootin’ we do. :)

via Bookstr

Or even sooner, if the book is really good. :)