Random Romance Sunday: Velvet And Lucian Go To The Beach

The Book: Tainted By Temptation by Katy Madison

The Particulars: Historical Gothic Romance, Avon, Upcoming release January 25, 2011

The Blurb:

Which were more dangerous–his secret desires…or her own?

Cruel false gossip and scandal follow Velvet Campbell everywhere she goes in London—and for the sake of her sanity she must get away. Accepting a position as a governess at an estate in remote Cornwall, Velvet hopes to start over, untainted by rumor. But she finds to her dismay that her new employer—the darkly handsome Lucian Pendar—is, himself, the subject of whispered insinuations…that he hurled his wife to her death from nearby treacherous cliffs.

But angel or demon, Lucian affects Velvet in ways she never dreamed possible, causing her heart to race, stealing the breath from her body with a look. As their mutual attraction grows, there is no resisting the passion that flares between them. Yet, as secrets from both their pasts rise to the surface, Velvet is haunted by one inescapable question: has she found a kindred spirit, her destined love…or placed herself in dire peril?

Is It In Wendy's TBR?: An ARC landed on my desk at work this week, so yeah.

Any Reviews?: Not yet, as the book doesn't come out until late January. However the author has garnered some quotes from authors Anna Campbell, Laurie Brown and Carla Cassidy....if you're one to pay attention to such things.

Anything Else?: I'm highlighting this book for two reasons: 1) it's a Gothic! and 2) that cover art isn't doing this debut author any favors. Why? Because I love Gothics. I especially love historical Gothics with no paranormal crap tucked inside the pages. Looking at this cover and title though? Yeah, no clue. Generic title with equally generic cover art. I mean, I guess you could go out on a limb by saying the crashing surf is Gothic-y, but that's a major stretch (says me).

Anywho.....

I know all Gothic cover blurbs sound identical, but I cut my teeth on these sorts of books in my younger pre-Super Librarian days. I wasn't into these books for the romance. Oh no. I read authors like Barbara Michaels and Victoria Holt because the darker atmosphere and mystery-like plots appealed to me. Also there's something inherently compelling about a tall, dark, mysterious, and maybe slightly dangerous hero. You want to climb inside his head, poke around in the dark corners, and see what makes him tick. I also think that some of the best Gothics were heroine-driven stories - and admittedly I'm a bit of a heroine-centric reader (major understatement of the year).

And honestly, this sounds like it could be full of Old School Gothic-y Goodness. Cornwall! A hero named Lucian! A heroine named Velvet! It's like the Wayback Machine has dumped me back in time to when I was 16 and poking around the shelves at my local public library. That teeny piece of me that's still stuck in my teenage years is literally swooning....