Blog Tour: Miss Armistead Makes Her Choice by Heidi Ashworth with giveaway!

A themed tour with Prism Book Tours

Welcome to my tour stop for THE ROSE GARDEN TOUR for
Miss Armistead Makes Her Choice
by Heidi Ashworth

Roses in the Miss Delacourt Series

It all begins when the Dowager Duchess of Marcross sends her grandson, Sir Anthony Crenshaw, to accompany her niece, Miss Ginny Delacourt, to their country estate to check on the roses. The Dowager is concerned since her neighbor is keen on stealing cuttings from her spectacular rose garden for Rosehaven, his rose-inspired country home. On the way, they have a carriage accident and are held up by highwaymen but it isn't until they are quarantined at Rosehaven for the pox that Ginny's and Sir Anthony's love begins to bloom.

Thus the series begins...

The regency is a time period full of drama and romance.  Very much like the second decade of the 1900's in America (think flappers and prohibition) its fashions, culture and sensibilities were vastly different from those just prior and just after.  It was a period of transition in England, the only country which experienced "the regency" (this same time period is referred to as the "empire" period in France and was the tail end of the "colonial" era in America) and had its own fashions, (ankle-length muslin dresses were worn primarily during this time) language terms (what was known as a reticule in the regency was a pocketbook, bag or purse shortly thereafter) and what we would call fads (the rage for all things classical Greek in dress and furniture comes to mind). 

 

 

 

 It was an era created by the tastes of three men:  George, the Prince Regent or "Prinny", who reigned from 1811-1820 as regent during his father's (George the III) illness, John Nash, an architect whose style dictated everything from buildings to furniture to fashions, and George, Lord Brummell (aka Beau Brummell) who is known for creating the simple and elegant black suit men still wear today. 

                The Regency was also a time of romance, one that was far looser in its customs and strictures than it was during the Georgian period just prior and the Victorian era right after.  It has been said that the maid who followed her mistress wherever she went during the days of Victoria was a natural consequence of the less guarded regency period.  Though a young man and woman were rarely allowed to be alone together prior to their marriage, it was much easier for them to slip under the radar and be together with none the wiser.  Also, amongst the upper classes, marriages were far less likely to be arranged than they had been in the past and though the practical married for reasons of economics, land and class status, there were many who threw caution to the winds and married for far less prosaic reasons--such as love. 

Above all, the Regency was a time period overly concerned with "appearances".  The true state of affairs did not matter nearly as much as how they appeared to those of society.  If one could appear to be bored (it was unfashionable to be overtly enthusiastic about much of anything) well heeled, well-mannered, and well to do, it hardly mattered if, in reality, one was one oar shy from taking a trip down the River Tick.  When the vile truth was discovered, many people found it preferable to put a period to their existence than to live a life of ostracization from society.

                Mr. Colin Lloyd-Jones is faced with one such dilemma at the outset of Miss Armistead Makes Her Choice and decides to eschew going out in society for the time being.  And then a beautiful young lady arrives in town and all of his common sense goes out the proverbial window. 

 

Heidi Ashworth, the author, has a beautiful rose garden and each stop is showcasing one of her roses. 

Here is mine:

 

Miss Armistead Makes Her Choice

(Miss Delacourt #6)

by Heidi Ashworth
Adult Historical Romance
Ebook, 274 pages
April 24th 2014 by Dunhaven Place Publishing

Mr. Colin Lloyd-Jones and his friend, Sir Anthony Crenshaw, make a pact to avoid the fair sex during the course of an entire season in order to nurse their wounded hearts. As they shake hands on it, they have no idea that one would soon be off on a trip to escort a young lady to the country and the other soon to fall head over heels in love with Miss Elizabeth Armistead. Sadly, Miss Armistead is only interested in those she trusts not to become so besotted with her beauty that they cannot see her true self. Prior to meeting Colin, she had only met one man fitting that description and she has promised to be his bride. However, Mr. Cruikshank is not due to arrive in London for a full month. Can Colin convince Miss Armistead that he loves her for more than her beauty before her betrothed's ship arrives on British shores?

 

Purchase from Amazon.

 
Heidi Ashworth, author of the popular Miss Delacourt series, including the award-winning Miss Delacourt Has Her Day, is a busy wife and mother who's grateful for a bit of peace and quiet in which to write. An unapologetic anglophile, she is determined to return to England to see the home of Jane Austen, a landmark she missed during her first trip across the pond, though she knows Lord Byron's house to be a suitable substitute. She's smitten with books, chocolate, and roses, not necessarily in that order, and is never averse to a round of Guitar Hero.

Website - Blog - Goodreads - Facebook

Tour-Wide Giveaway

- US Grand Prize: $50 Amazon gift card and paperback copy of Miss Armistead Makes Her Choice
- 3 ebooks of Miss Armistead Makes Her Choice (US and open INT to these countries: England, Canada, Belguim, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Poland, Italy, France, Japan, and Australia)

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Follow the Tour!

5/18 - Launch

5/19

Kelly P's Blog

Pieces of Whimsy

Brooke Blogs

My Ereader and Me

Coffee Books & Art

5/20

I Am A Reader

The Wonderings of One Person

All That's Written

5/21

The Written Adventure

Getting Your Read On

Mommynificent

Little Lisa

5/22

My Devotional Thoughts

Katie's Clean Book Collection

Laughing With Lizzie

I Love to Read and Review Books :)

5/23

Bookworm Lisa

Mel's Shelves

My Love for Reading Keeps Growing

5/25 - Grand Finale

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I loved this story! To read my review, follow this link.

Thank you to Prism Book Tours for including me in this tour and good luck to Heidi with this new book, and to any future stories!

Your affectionate friend,