Virtual Review Tour & Giveaway for The King of Threadneedle Street by Moriah Densley

Join Moriah Densley as she tours the blogsphere on her Review Tour for The King of Threadneedle Street, sponsored by Goddess Fish Promotions.  Please leave a comment or question for Moriah to let her know you stopped by.  Moriah will be awarding a genuine Victorian-style pearl jewelry set inspired by the book, including necklace, bracelet, and earrings to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.  Please make sure to fill out the Rafflecopter form below.  You can follow Moriah’s tour here.  

The King of Threadneedle Street

by Moriah Densley

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Book Description:

He owns three shipping companies, a diamond mine, and his own castle.
He knows Portuguese, Hindu, Mandarin and Morse code.
His assets net thirteen million.

Lord Preston wants the one thing money can’t buy…

Andrew Tilmore, Lord Preston, the financial prodigy dubbed “The King of Threadneedle Street” wants the one prize out of reach: his childhood sweetheart. The papers can waste a sea of ink scandalizing over his lavender-eyed Alysia; so what if she is the daughter of his father’s mistress?

Alysia Villier learned the craft of the courtesan from her infamous mother―by osmosis apparently. A gifted artist who almost won the Prix de Rome, Alysia is not interested in following in her mother’s footsteps, since Andrew ruined her for any other man. But with her legal guardian—Andrew’s father―in control of her inheritance, she has little choice in the matter.

Keeping Alysia out of trouble and away from eager suitors becomes a cross-continental quest for Andrew. Not his old-fashioned family, the disapproval of the ton, nor even Alysia’s dedication to duty and propriety will stop him. Playing newspapers and investors like pawns, tumbling world markets, inciting riots… has he gone too far?

Jewelry making is a hobby I’ve enjoyed for years. When writing the scene in The King of Threadneedle Street where Andrew gives Alysia a rare lavender pearl jewelry set, I went wild with my imagination. I created a Victorian-style pearl, onyx, and crystal jewelry set as a prize for my blog tour giveaway, here’s where the inspiration came from:

Before Alysia dressed for dinner, Marsden delivered a small white case and left without a word. She unfolded the note to see Andrew’s capricious scrawl. He wrote, Please wear these for me tonight. She unwrapped the chocolate truffles and nibbled on one as she opened the lid of the box.

She gasped — an elaborate jewelry set glowed in the lamplight. Breathtaking pearls, a smoky lavender color and set in designs she had never seen the like of. The necklace was not merely a strand, but an arrangement that resembled an elaborate tiara, or half of a snowflake. Woven into delicate patterns with graduated-sized pearls, it looked like some priceless artifact discovered in an ancient tomb.

Alysia dropped her dressing robe to hold the necklace against her collar. She fastened the clasp and tried on the matching earrings and bracelet. Exquisite. And that he had picked the color to complement her eyes? Romantic. She looked in the mirror to see the luster of the pearls reflecting the lavender facets of her eyes, making them paradoxically smoky and bright. He would like that, she thought.

She put away the red taffeta dress laid out on her bed and dug in the back of the wardrobe for the sheer lavender and silver gossamer gown with the dropped sleeves and low-cut back. She checked the ensemble in the mirror and beamed at her reflection; Andrew knew what he was doing.

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Moriah Densley sees nothing odd at all about keeping both a violin case and a range bag stuffed with pistols in the back seat of her car. They hold up the stack of books in the middle, of course. She enjoys writing about Victorians, assassins, and geeks. Her muses are summoned by the smell of chocolate, usually at odd hours of the night. By day her alter ego is your friendly neighborhood music teacher. She lives in Las Vegas with her husband and four children. Published in historical and paranormal romance, Moriah has a Master’s degree in music, is a 2012 RWA Golden Heart finalist, 2012 National Reader’s Choice Award “Best First Book” finalist, and 2012 National Reader’s Choice Award finalist in historical romance. She loves hearing from readers!

LINKS

Website + blog: http://moriahdensley.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MoriahDensley

Twitter: http://twitter.com/moriahdensley

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/moriahdensley/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17826397-the-king-of-threadneedle-street

My Review

Taking a page out of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, author Moriah Densley gives us the tale of the forbidden love between the son of a nobleman and the daughter of the nobleman’s former mistress in The King of Threadneedle Street.  Likable characters, good dialogue, a bit of intrigue and a splendid romance kept me turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next.   While keeping true to the historical settings and behavior of the period, Ms. Densley also gives us insight into the changes society would be undergoing during the Victorian period. 

The daughter of a famous courtesan, Alysia Villier has spent her childhood years at the home of Lord and Lady Courtnay.  Falling in love with their son Andrew was not something she planned, and not something they wanted to accept.  Living life on her own terms was definitely something she planned to pursue.

Raised alongside the daughter of his father’s former mistress, Andrew, Lord Preston, has been in love with Alysia since he was twelve.  Realizing his parents are hypocrites, Andrew is determined to make his own fortune and wed the woman of his choice.  Even if she swears they can’t have a future together.

Ms. Densley did a wonderful job developing Alysia’s character.  While a daughter who loved her mother, Alysia is determined not to make her mother’s mistakes.  She intends to pursue her talent in drawing and painting and plans to support herself by selling her art.  She doesn’t intend to sell her body or soul and become any man’s possession.  She also intends to stay away from Andrew, the man who has stolen her heart.

Ms. Densley also does a good job developing Andrew’s character.  While the indulged son of a nobleman, Andrew easily sees his father’s shortcomings and the hypocrisy of society in general.  Determined to gain his freedom and financial independence, Andrew will do whatever it takes, including becoming the “king” of the British stock market, in order to finally claim the woman he loves.

Will Andrew be able to free both himself and Alysia from his father’s financial holdings?  Will Alysia finally give in to Andrew’s love?  You’ll have to read The King of Threadneedle Street to find out.  I enjoyed it and I think you will too.

My Rating:  4 out of 5 Stars

FTC Disclosure:  I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

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