As a reader I always love the commitment that marriage, or the promise of marriage, brings to a relationship. I know a lot of people say it's only a piece of paper but to me it's more than that. The ceremony, the circumstance, the pledge to one another in front of family and friends--they're all very important to me and they are equally important to my characters, Prince Thierry of Sylvain and Princess Mila of Erminia, in the first of my Courtesan Brides duo, ARRANGED MARRIAGE, BEDROOM SECRETS.
Here's the blurb:Princess Mila will safeguard her kingdom by marrying a neighbouring royal she barely knows. But she refuses to let Prince Thierry perfect his romantic arts with another woman. Disguised as his hired courtesan, the virgin princess plans to seduce her fiance before their wedding!
The mind blowing chemistry they discover can't be taught--or forgotten. Yet Mila's lie is unforgivable to a man like Thierry who prizes honour above all. Public scandal threatens all Mila's dreams and her country's future...unless this prince can let passion, and his heart, reign supreme.
I hope you'll look out for this book, scheduled for release in June 2016! You can preorder online now from your favourite Harlequin stockist. And please watch out for CONTRACT WEDDING, EXPECTANT BRIDE, Book 2 in the Courtesan Brides, which is coming out in August 2016.
I loved combining a royal theme with this arranged marriage story concept. It's almost like writing about another world all together. Expectations and lifestyles are so very different from those that we live in our day to day existence, don't you think? And because I made up the two kingdoms involved, it really was like writing a fairy tale at times (when I wasn't beating my head repeatedly against the keyboard and trying to wrangle these two very strong minded characters into existence.)Are you a royal fan or a fan of weddings? Or do you prefer to read stories that are about people who live more mainstream lives. Let me know in the comments below! In the meantime, happy reading everyone!
Woohoo Yvonne
ReplyDeleteI do love the sound of this story I love Royal weddings and I will be adding this to my to get list :) I love the glamour and the ups and downs that go into the planning and the finale :)
Have Fun
Helen
Hi Helen, so glad you love royal weddings! I hope you enjoy the story! Yes, there definitely is something about the glamour and ups and downs. It's like everything gets so condensed and yet magnified at the same time.
DeleteHi Yvonne, I like weddings and royals in a romance and am really intrigued by the virgin courtesan element of your story. It sounds wonderful!
ReplyDeleteIt was a lot of fun, in theory. Perhaps a little less fun actually making it work, LOL! But ultimately satisfying in the end. :-)
DeleteLove weddings, Yvonne. You just can't beat a good romantic one.
ReplyDeleteThat's for sure, Sue. We attended a wedding in April of friends of ours who were childhood sweethearts and finally got back together two years ago. Now, 40 years after they broke up they're truly blissfully married. Makes you believe in love, that's for sure.
DeleteWhat's better than a wedding? A royal wedding! Love them, both in fiction and in real life. My favourite -- which I mention at every opportunity -- was Prince Frederik of Denmark and our Aussie Princess Mary. I think because their romance story sounded SO like one of my favourite category romances. Plus his visible emotion when he watched his bride's arrival. Happy sigh.
ReplyDeleteBron, I watched the TV film/drama of their romance and it was just SOOOO beautiful. Proof positive (when my editor raised a question about a comment in my ms) that media leave the genuinely happy-ever-after royals alone and that happy-ever-after can happen in a royal romance.
DeleteI love weddings and I love your books too
ReplyDeleteOh, Tammy, thank you. You always make me smile. :-)
DeleteOoh, I just love all the pomp and ceremony of a royal wedding, Yvonne. They're...such an event!
ReplyDeleteAnd I Live the premise of your new release! Can't wait to read it.
I meant LOVE. I love the premise of your new book. Oops. ;-)
DeleteYvonne, this sounds like such fun! I'll definitely look out for it. And yes, any sort of wedding fascinates me, including royal ones. In fact I just wrote one the other day!
ReplyDeleteHope your September family wedding is enormous fun. Forget about slimming and just enjoy.