Today, you are all in for a major treat. Treat I tell you! I somehow managed to twist the arm of the extremely talented and fabulous Julie Anne Long so much so, she agreed to give me an excerpt to post of her eagerly awaited January 2012 release, HOW THE MARQUESS WAS WON, the sixth book in her Pennyroyal Green series.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on the egalley of this fantastic book and thoroughly enjoyed it. The beautiful lyrical prose of Julie Anne Long doesn’t disappoint in this dry witted, tension wrought and emotional tale of the ruthless, cold Marquess Dryden, Julian Spenser, known as the Lord of Ice, falling for the most unsuitable Phoebe Vale, the paid companion to Lisbeth Redmond, the woman he firmly intends to marry.

Exclusive excerpt from HOW THE MARQUESS WAS WON

Coming January 2012 from Avon/HarperCollins

Copyright Julie Anne Long

 

Sparked by a single unforgettable encounter, tension—and forbidden fascination—have been building for days between The Marquess Dryden, the infamous Lord Ice, and Phoebe Vale, paid companion for the spoiled, exquisite heiress (and his prospective bride) Lisbeth Redmond. And then Lisbeth leads a group of house party guests, including the Marquess and her brother Jonathan, on a stroll to see picturesque ruins on Redmond Land and Phoebe becomes separated from the rest of the party…

 

What the devil—? A woman couldn’t just vanish into thin air. He scanned the pathway. Oaks had dropped their loads of leaves, but hawthorns were everywhere thick and rustling with tiny hidden creatures.

And then he saw the narrow passage between a Hawthorne and the trunk of a large oak.

He peeked through.

And there she stood, in an almost magical clearing , a circle of lush meadow grass not yet killed by frost bounded by, hidden by, Hawthorn and oaks and trees that hadn’t yet lost all of their leaves.

She was dappled in the shadows of leaves when she stood up, smiling, with a handful of green clutched in her fist.

“You see?” she presented, triumphantly. “I was right. Sage does grow here. And it smells heavenly.”

She pressed it to her nose and inhaled deeply.

He watched her close her eyes to isolate herself with the scent. All at once every corner, for some reason, filled with light.

He’d gone mute.

“There’s a region in France that claims sage helps in the easing of grief. They plant them around tombstones in their cemeteries,” she explained.

“How did you…”

But there really was no point in asking. She read things, she knew things, and out they came, little surprises. It was strangely like unwrapping little gifts, not all of which he appreciated. She clung to facts and information, like flotsam in a shipwreck. They’d saved her.

Mutely, he looked at her. Too full to speak. Her eyes were green. He knew that decisively now. A more facile man would have compared them flatteringly to something—leaves or moss or emeralds or some such—but all he would truthfully be able to say was that no one he’d ever known possessed eyes quite hers. It had little to do with their color. It was in the way that over the course of mere days he’d found himself saying things just to see how they would change: how humor would kindle them, and kindness soften them, and anger make them flash, and how he felt when the light of them was turned on him. How he wanted to hold up his hands before them and warm them.

“I read about it,” she told him anyway. She looked down at the bundle in her hand, indecisively. And then:

“Here.” She extended it to him. “A gift for you.”

He stared it.  All at once too many thoughts and impressions jostled for the exits, and none could escape in the form of words. So he did as she ordered: slowly, wordlessly, he reached for them.

And as she began to surrender them, her fingers brushed his.

He stopped breathing.

He’d once seen a man struck by lightning. He’d watched as the bolt held him helpless, motionless, arcing his body. Having its way with him.

It wasn’t unlike that.

Breathlessly, dumbly, they both stared at the place where their fingers met. Stunned to at last, at last, be touching. Skin to skin.

He dropped the herbs and seized her wrist. “Enough.”

The word was low and dark. And it thrummed command and something like a plea.

Slowly, slowly, she levered up her head, as if spooling courage on the way up. Her jaw was taut; her eyes were wide when they met his, but comprehension flickered in them.

The air suddenly seemed full of snapping sparks. One would have thought he’d captured a unicorn, for God’s sake, for how enervated he felt.

As he watched, a flush painted her from her collarbone upwards. Beneath his thumb, placed over a pale blue vein in that silky hand, her pulse raced.

He turned her palm up. He wished he could be certain she was the one who was trembling, for one of them was. Her hand was achingly soft, too vulnerable. It was cold, which struck him as poignant. He wanted to warm her. He needed to warm her.

And so he brought her palm to his mouth.

He softly opened his mouth against her skin, touched his tongue there, burned her with a kiss that was at once chaste and perhaps the most carnal he’d ever given.

Her head tipped back hard; her eyelids shuddered closed. She made a soft sound, a gasp of shock and pure sensual pleasure.

Mother of God.

He lifted his head with some effort. He curled her fingers closed over the place he kissed her, as if handing her a keepsake.

He knew he ought to. And yet he found he couldn’t relinquish her hand.

“Look at me, Miss Vale.” His voice a low demand.

A moment’s hesitation. She opened her eyes. He was absurdly thrilled to see them again. They were dazed and starry and wary. The sun haloed her, and the light both set her aglow and obscured her. As he stared, he withstood bolt after swift bolt of impression, each distinct and pure and primal:

Who kissed you first? I will kiss the memory of it away. I will run him through with a sword. I can’t recall kissing anyone before you. I am ruined. I am happy. I’m afraid. I need to leave. You need to leave.

He was holding her hand as though it was as delicate as an egg. Which rather contrasted his expression, which, little did he know, was edging toward the thunderous.

“I didn’t know I was going to do that,” he said finally.

“Do you always know what you’re going to do?”  Her voice was a low husk.

“Always.” He said shortly. It sounded like an accusation.

A heartbeat’s worth of silence passed.

“What are you going to do now?” And in her whisper was both sensual challenge and trepidation.

~*~*~

How great does that sound?! And that’s not the end. Julie Anne is generously agreed to give away an autographed copy of one of the other books in her Pennyroyal Green series and a signed coverflat of HOW THE MARQUESS WAS WON. Comment to enter to win!

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By Anticipated Reads, Avon Books, Giveaways69 Comments on Exclusive Excerpt: How the Marquess Was Won

69 Replies to “Exclusive Excerpt: How the Marquess Was Won”

  1. Wow! That was fantastic, I was really drawn into the scene. I’ve never ready any of Ms. Long’s books but I’m definitely going to start getting them now. Thanks for the sneak peak and the contest.

  2. Love it!! Oh I can’t wait to get my hands on it and read the rest. Fingers crossed, I would love to win!!!

  5. I know I already said this on facebook, but this has to be the most beautiful cover I’ve ever seen! I can’t wait to read it!

  6. hi julie,
    love to see you here.very nice can win your book especially your next book because i ordered 5 books from pennyroyal series :-).

  8. Wish it will be January tomorrow. So excited for this. Itching to know how Phoebe will change and teach “Lord of Ice” how to love. 😀

  9. I love this series! What I did for a Duke is was by far the best book I read in years! Thanks for sharing with us! I can’t wait to get my hands on this book! Love the gorgeous cover!

  10. Wow. That was terrific. I wondered how JAL could surpass What I Did for a Duke for intensity and emotion. It looks like she succeeded. Thanks for the excerpt.

  11. More please!

    Wow that was amazing. I didn’t want it to end. I’ll definitely be putting this on the wishlist. Thanks for sharing.

  12. I think I have a love/hate relationship with excerpts. I love getting a taste of appealing books, but I hate waiting for the release date to creep around. This one sound fabulous, just like the rest of the series, and is now on my upcoming TBR pile.

  13. I haven’t read that many of Julie Anne’s books, but I definitely have not been disappointed in the ones I have read. How the Marquess Was Won sounds like another winner. I am looking forward to reading Julian and Phoebe’s love story when it comes out. The cover is absolutely beautiful! Thanks so much for the excerpt and the giveaway!

  14. Oh my, I’m breathing heavy just reading that, can just imagine how the full length book will be! I absolutely LOVE the Pennyroyal series and I am so thankful for having discovered Julie Anne’s books!! Can’t wait for this one to release!!

  16. Oh, le sigh! I LOVE Julie Anne Long’s books! I can’t wait to get my hands on this one!

  17. Oh , is it hot in here? So good, so good. Do we have to wait so long for the release date? Relatively new on my list of authors, but love your work. Thanks.

  18. I’ve just started reading Julie’s books and I’m looking forward to reading more. Great excerpt. Plus, I loved that it was from his point of view.

  20. Love the color of the dress on this cover! And I always look forward to Long’s books. Thanks for the sneak peek!

  26. Oh boy, very nice excerpt! It sure makes you want to read more. I love the colors on the cover, too. (Does anyone else think the dress looks a little toooo long?)

  27. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
    You’re so sweet to share this excerpt with us Beverley. ((hugs))
    Julie too! 🙂
    Wonderful cover, really like the color!
    Awesome series, Pennyroyal Green, can’t wait to get my hands on this one!

    I’ve read JAL books for a while now, never a disappointment.
    It seems like HOW THE MARQUESS WAS WON is going to be another hit for JAL.

    Thank you for the give-away!

  30. You are right, WOW. That was an amazing excerpt. That was awesome and also REALLY mean. How in the name of sanity am I supposed to wait until NEXT YEAR to read this book?

    Sometimes you are not very nice, Beverley. 🙁

  35. A-MA-ZING !! That is one of the most gorgeous scenes I have ever read! And we have to wait until January for the book????? WAAAAAAAH!!! Sigh. He is without a hero to die for. Thanks for letting us take a peek!

  36. that was good, but to leave us hanging so — how mean 😉 looking forward to getting to read the rest

  37. Ahhhhh! I can’t wait to read this one. It’s sure to be another one of her books I reread :))

  38. I’m so thrilled you girls are enjoying the excerpt—thanks for stopping by and chiming in! Crossing my fingers you’ll all love the entire story!! (and that scene gets progressively steamier…but you may have already guessed that. 😉 Thanks so much, Bev, for posting it!! You’re the coolest.

  41. Beautifully written, I could almost smell the sage and see the sunlight through the trees.
    A great excerpt, certainly did the trick and got me hooked! I hope it does very well for you!

  43. Thank you for sharing and posting the excerpt to HOW THE MARQUESS WAS WON, it really sounds good. Can’t wait to read it!

  44. This book sounds really wonderful. I enjoyed reading the captivating and interesting excerpt!
    And what a pretty book cover! 🙂

  45. I don’t think I have read any of the books in this series. I believe I would have remembered. Her use of words, her phrasing is wonderful. What a richly written, vivid scene. I can see it would be very easy to get lost in this book. I am checking my TBR mountain now to see if I have any of her books. I have certainly been missing some very good writing.
    Thank you both for the excerpt.

  47. Thank you Julie Anne Long for the wonderful excerpt. I have not begun the Pennyroyal Green series yet. I must.

  49. Yes, What a deliciously intense scene between Phoebe and Lord Ice!! Lot’s of sparks flying!!
    I’d love to read how Phoebe melts the Marquess reserve.

  50. Pingback: The Season Blog

  51. I love it.I have to read more. Even though I’ve only read a few of the books in the series I still love it. Thanks for the excerpt.
    Carol L
    Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com

  52. 😀 I like a man who always knows what to do, so I gotta read more!!!
    Seems a great story!!!

  55. I have added this one to my TBR list. I have yet to read one of the Pennyroyal books but have read others by Julie Ann and really enjoyed them.

  56. I enjoy excerpts especially when it is from an author who is new to me. I haven’t tried any of Julie’s books yet but have been eyeing several of hers.

  57. Pingback: How The Marquess Was Won Exclusive Excerpt and Cover Revealed! « Historical Romance Addicts

  59. Love it! I just discovered Julie Anne Long in August. I finished I Kissed an Earl last night. Can’t wait!

  61. That sounds great! JAL is one of those authors I pick up without having to read the description cause I know I’ll love it. 🙂 I’d love a chance to win a book of hers, esp an autographed copy! 🙂

  62. This sounds like a great book. fan of julie’s book and would love to add this to my library. would love to win and read this book, so please choose me for the giveaway.

  63. I LOVE this series and Julie’s new book sounds amazing. The cover of this is so gorgeous! Thanks for chance to win one of her other books!

  64. Julie Anne Long is one of my auto-buy authors! What a great contest. Love your blog and the rating system of the reviews.

  66. I love Julie’s books…I’ve read many of her stories. Would love to read this one. Hope I win. Thanks for the info.

  69. This is such a tease and the wait too long. But I will be content to re-read the excerpt over and over til the book comes out. It will be on my wish list.

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