Guest Post: A Most Unusual Duke (Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde) by Susanna Allen ~ #BookTour

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I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the A MOST UNUSUAL DUKE by Susanna Allen Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

Top 5 Favorite Movies

I’m keeping to a costume drama theme given my love for the Regency Era — but not all of them take place at that time in England. Okay, so three of them do, I may be obsessed.

Why do I like them so much? I think it’s the sensory qualities of these films, as it’s something that writers are exhorted to do, to evoke the senses in their narratives. Each of the below are rich in all five as well as hitting all romantic notes required.

I want to see them all, all over again. I think I’ve got a binge on the horizon!

Shakespeare in Love (1998)

As a former theater critic I’ve seen my fair share of Bardic productions, and have a long-time love of the plays (which I gave to Arthur, Duke of Osborn in A Most Unusual Duke). The cast is fab and you just can’t go wrong with a Tom Stoppard script. It’s a beautiful synthesis of Shakespearean text and top notch banter.

Emma. (2020)

There’s a Wes Anderson vibe to this that may or may not go down well, depending on your own preferences; what I love about the highly-mannered approach is how it starts to break down as Emma’s meddling behavior comes home to roost. Even her hair starts to fall apart the closer she gets to self-awareness. I judge all adaptations of this popular Jane Austen novel on its execution of That Picnic Scene and holy moly, this was absolutely gutting, possibly the most painful yet (that’s a good thing). Glorious on every level, from performance to costume to art department.

Persuasion (1995)

This feels the most authentic, time-period-wise to me. Indeed, director Nick Dear went the extra mile and encouraged the cast to avoid being too hygienic. That must have been some set! I adore Amanda Root as Anne Elliot, whose wretched family, lead by an immaculate Corin Redgrave, ruined her life by persuading her to reject the advances of Ciarán Hinds — er, Captain Frederick Wentworth. It all works out in the end, but the journey there is wonderfully heart-tugging.

A Room with a View (1985)

The cornerstone of my period drama obsession. I saw it on the eve of setting out on my first trip to Europe, and if I imagined myself as Lucy Honeychurch, alas, I did not experience a sudden embrace in a poppy field. Merchant Ivory would go on to make a slew of films evoking many a time period, but this is the pinnacle, with its impeccable cast including Dame Judi Dench, Dame Maggie Smith, Rupert Graves, Julian Sands — Daniel Day Lewis! I ration viewings strictly as I don’t want to ever get tired of it.

Sense and Sensibility (1995)

What a year for Jane Austen movies! Another amazing cast, a brilliant adaptation by Emma Thompson, a glorious debut for Kate Winslet — and Alan Rickman at his stoic best. I can be relied upon to explode into tears when Edward tells Elinor he is not married. I could explode into tears right now just thinking about that scene.

Honorable mention: Pride and Prejudice (Greer Garson/Olivier)

This is so… okay, it’s not bad-bad, but it’s so wrong in so many ways. The leads are far too advanced in age for their roles, the clothing isn’t right, and Olivier is clearly gritting his teeth throughout his entire performance: he disliked Darcy as a character and Garson as an actor. But for me it is Garson who makes the whole thing worthwhile. It’s the way she exits nearly every frame: she turns her head, lofts her nose, and glides offscreen. Love it!

 

Title: A MOST UNUSUAL DUKE (Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde #2)
Author: Susanna Allen
Pub. Date: December 28, 2021
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Formats: Paperback, eBook, Audiobook
Pages: 288

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, Book Depository, Bookshop.org

Bridgerton meets Werewolves Within in this sparkling shapeshifter Regency romance mixed with humor, steamy chemistry, and fantasy.

The Duke said he’d never get married…

The Prince Regent insists his cousin and fellow bear shifter, Arthur Humphries, the Duke of Osborn, take a mate to ensure the continuation of their species. After all, Arthur is an Alpha, so he must set a good example. The duke would very much prefer to continue his comfortable bachelor lifestyle, but the Prince Regent is not a bear to be poked.

Beatrice, the widowed Marchioness of Castleton, is in possession of a powerful secret. She knows all about Shifters, her horrible late husband being one of them. At any moment, Beatrice could reveal the secrets of the Prince and those like him—unless the Prince can make sure she marries another Shifter.

A marriage between the Duke of Osborn and Beatrice is far from ideal for either one, but at least they won’t fall in love…right?

Witty, fantastical, and entirely unique, A Most Unusual Duke is perfect for readers looking for:

• A delicious Regency romp with a paranormal twist • A devilishly handsome Alpha hero
• A marriage of convenience
• A magical world to sink your teeth into

 

Grab all 3 books in the Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde series now!

 


 

Susanna Allen…… moved to Ireland for twelve months — in 1998. Having gained a Master of Philosophy in Irish Theatre Studies from the Samuel Beckett Centre, Trinity College, she embarked on a career in theatre criticism, eventually moving into feature writing on all things cultural, as well as lifestyle-oriented subjects for major Irish titles across newsprint and magazines.

Writing as Susan Conley, she is the author of Drama Queen and The Fidelity Project, both published by Headline UK, and the soon-to-be republished That Magic Mischief. Her memoir, Many Brave Fools: A Story of Addiction, Dysfunction, Codependency… and Horses is published by Trafalgar Square Books and recounts the growth and insights she acquired after having taken up horse riding as an adult, post-divorce.

Susan is living her life by the three Rs: reading, writing and horseback riding, and can generally be found on her sofa with her e-reader; gazing out a window and thinking about made-up people; or cantering around in circles. She loves every minute of it!

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 

2 winners will receive a finished copy of A MOST UNUSUAL DUKE, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Week One:

4/4/2022 Books a Plenty Book Reviews Review
4/4/2022 Fyrekatz Blog Review
4/5/2022 The Reading Devil Guest Post/IG Post
4/5/2022 More Books Please blog Review/IG Post
4/6/2022 @theheavycrownreads Review
4/6/2022 BookHounds Guest Post/IG Post
4/7/2022 A Court of Coffee and Books Review/IG Post
4/7/2022 Sadie’s Spotlight Excerpt/IG Post
4/8/2022 Owl Abridged Review/IG Post
4/8/2022 Angel’s Guilty Pleasures Excerpt/IG Post

Week Two:

4/11/2022 Quill Tree Fox Review/IG Post
4/11/2022 #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog Excerpt/IG Post
4/12/2022 Nagma | TakeALookAtMyBookshelf Review
4/12/2022 Fire and Ice Review
4/13/2022 Eli to the nth Review/IG Post
4/13/2022 Two Points of Interest Review
4/14/2022 The Momma Spot Review/IG Post
4/14/2022 @jypsylynn Review
4/15/2022 onemused Review/IG Post
4/15/2022 Rajiv’s Reviews Review

 

 

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I'm an outdoor sun loving reader living near San Fransisco. I’m a mother, wife, animal & book lover. I'm the owner, reviewer & mind behind Angel’s Guilty Pleasures. My favorite animals are horses & dogs. As for reading I love all things paranormal & urban fantasy & my favorite shifters are dragons.

One comment on “Guest Post: A Most Unusual Duke (Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde) by Susanna Allen ~ #BookTour

  1. I love the premise of this book!