It Takes Two to Tangle by Theresa Romain (Guest Post/Giveaway)

Today I would like to give a warm welcome to historical romance author, Theresa Romain, joining us with the first book in a new series - It Takes Two To Tangle!

Brotherly Love

It’s no surprise that, over the course of a historical romance, the hero and heroine would grow. That they’d come to rely on each other, to build each other up, and to see each other in a new way.

And in IT TAKES TWO TO TANGLE, Frances and Henry do exactly that. She’s an impoverished war widow, and he’s a wounded ex-soldier. They understand each other because of what war has taken from them. But their journey to happily-ever-after wouldn’t be complete without their families—especially Henry’s brother.


Unlike many romance heroes, Henry has no title. He’s a younger son, brother to Jeremy, the Earl of Tallant (whom Henry calls “Jem,” because nicknaming an older brother is the sort of thing younger brothers do). The technical term for Jem is “a really nice guy.” He loves his troubled younger brother and truly wants to help. But help can be smothering, especially for a former soldier who lived in rough encampments and field for three years:

[Henry] ran his fingers through the loops of the Brussels carpet. Jem’s carpet, in Jem’s house. He was even wearing Jem’s clothing today. Everything he had was Jem’s, really, except for Winter Cottage. Henry could slide out of London without leaving a trace of himself behind.

But Henry decides not to leave London, bolstered in part by some very mysterious love letters. As his friendship with Frances grows—and as those passionate letters continue to arrive—Henry figures out how to rebuild a peacetime life for himself. 

I hope this isn’t too much of a spoiler, but there’s a duel near the end of the story as Henry defends his honor and that of the woman he loves. And once again, Jem tries to help Henry—this time, by begging his injured brother to be cautious. Do you think that worked? Heh.

He and Jem were separated by nearly a decade, by a title, by years apart. By temperament. By certainty. Jem was certain Henry was going to die or be disgraced, and he was certain there was nothing he could do about it. And he could not bear it.

It was a brother’s love, pure and simple, and as painful and fruitless as any other type of love.

Henry could not please his brother now. He had meant what he had said to Jem the day before; he was doing this for himself. If he backed down now, he would know that he had failed himself: that he could not let the war end, and that the French would never stop defeating him, and he would never truly come home. He could not let that happen.

It was fitting, somehow, that one last battle would allow him to begin a life of peace.

Besides, he had weapons Jem knew not of.

By the end of the story, Henry has—stumblingly, unwisely, but in the end, happily—found his way to a new life with Frances. And though he’d be reluctant to admit it at first, he knows in the end that he could never have rebuild his life on such a firm foundation without the help of his brother.

Brothers and sisters have always populated romance—from the Dashwood sisters in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility all the way up to those irrepressible Bridgertons by Julia Quinn. Who are some of your favorite siblings in romance?

IT TAKES TWO TO TANGLE BY THERESA ROMAIN – IN STORES SEPTEMBER 2013
Goodreads -Amazon - Kindle - B&N

He barely survived the war, but he’s ready to throw himself back into the ballroom’s line of fire
Though he lost the use of an arm in the Napoleonic Wars, Henry Middlebrook returns to London society and begins an ambitious courtship with the ton’s reigning beauty. When he experiences limited success, he decides to ask for assistance from the beauty’s companion, Frances Whittier. A soldier’s widow with a murky past, Frances admires Henry’s courage and sends him a secret letter. But he thinks the letter is from her mistress, and Frances must correct his mistake if she wants to engage his heart.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Historical romance author Theresa Romain pursued an impractical education that allowed her to read everything she could get her hands on. She then worked for universities and libraries, where she got to read even more. Eventually she started writing, too. She lives with her family in the Midwest, and is working on more regency romances. Please visit http://theresaromain.com/ for more information.

GIVEAWAY:
Sourcebooks is giving one reader a copy of It Takes Two to Tangle. Just leave a comment on this post answering the author's question and then fill out the rafflecopter below to enter.(Open to US and Canadian residents.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway