CANR
WORK TITLE: The Beast Takes a Bride
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.julieannelong.com/
CITY: San Francisco
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: LRC March 2021
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in CA.
EDUCATION:Attended college.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Worked in finance, software development, web and graphic design, and marketing and promotions, and as a musician for eight years.
AVOCATIONS:Museums, the ballet, the symphony, history.
AWARDS:Historical Romance—Short Category Prize, RITA Awards, 2016, for It Started with a Scandal.
WRITINGS
Also author of the blog Julie Chronicles.
SIDELIGHTS
Historical romance writer Julie Anne Long discovered her love for romance after sneaking a romance novel by Rosemary Rogers from her mother’s nightstand. She also loved history as a child, and she and her sister would act out scenes from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little House on the Prairie” memoirs. Despite Long’s affection for literature, she decided to pursue a career in music as a guitarist after graduating from college. After close to a decade of writing and performing music in the San Francisco Bay area of California, Long decided to merge her passions of drama, romance, and history into novel writing.
(open new1)In her personal website, Long talked about how she writes characters for her story and if she incorporates herself or those around her into them. She admitted: “I think every writer bases their characters, consciously or unconsciously, on people they know—and on themselves. Because your writing voice is inevitably determined by how you experience and interpret life—the events and people around you, the things you see and feel. I know that aspects of myself are in every single character in The Runaway Duke (well, maybe not Edelston).” Long continued: “The feeling of being a fish out of water, the longing to be understood, the unrequited love, the requited love, the facing up to responsibility, the longing to run away from it—I’ve grappled with all of that, and it’s all there.”(close new1)
Standalone Novels
The Runaway Duke, Long’s debut novel, is set after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. It tells the story of Roarke Blackburn, a duke who changes his identity and begins a new life after the battle, and Rebecca Tremaine, a tomboyish lady who ends up in an uncomfortable situation and turns to the former duke for help. Kathe Robin, writing online for RT Book Reviews, commented: “This impossible-to-put-down tale is peopled with unforgettable characters that make it a must-read.” Cathy Sova, writing for the Romance Reader website, observed that “the climax felt just a hair forced, but the ending was wonderful, and not what the reader may expect. Every character gets just what they deserve.” She added: “The Runaway Duke is a terrific debut—fresh, funny, full of unexpected twists, with a fabulous romance that’s as captivating as it is tender.”
Long’s second book, To Love a Thief, centers on a game that London lawyer Gideon Cole plays with the lives of pickpocket Lily Masters and her young sister in order to secure a marriage between himself and Lady Constance Clary, a union that will benefit his career. Reviewing the book for RT Book Reviews, Robin concluded that it “is a must for anyone who loves laughter wrapped in tears.”
“Holt Sisters” trilogy
Beauty and the Spy is the first book in a trilogy about Susannah, Sylvie, and Sabrina Holt, the orphaned and separated daughters of an accused murderess. In the first novel, Susannah is captivated by Kit Whitelaw, a spy who has been banished from society, and she captures his image in ink when she encounters him swimming nude. When accidents begin to surround Susannah, the two unravel a mystery that involves murder and blackmail. Robin, again writing for RT Book Reviews, remarked: “There’s enough action, romance, passion, wit and historical details … to have readers sighing with delight.”
Romance Reader at Heart website contributor Nancy Davis called Ways to Be Wicked, the second book in the trilogy, “original, sensual, at times dramatic, and sparkling with wit and humor, … a definite must read.” In this installment, Sylvie finds a letter hidden by her guardian that informs her she may have a sister. She then begins a journey in search of her lost sibling while simultaneously embarking on a journey of another sort with the handsome Tom Shaughnessy, owner of a famous theater.
The Secret to Seduction follows Sabrina, a clegyman’s adopted daughter, and Rhys Gillray, a nobleman who holds the key to connecting the Holt sisters. Armchair Interviews website contributor Amanda Collins called the novel a “charmingly sexy, and at times quite poignant story of two people who never intended to like one another, let alone fall in love.” A contributor to the Read for Pleasure website took issue with the book’s subplots and pace, commenting: “ The Secret to Seduction reads like a great novella unwisely expanded to book length.” However, RT Book Reviews contributor Kathe Robin felt that “the final volume in Long’s Holt Sisters trilogy fulfills readers’ desires for a passion-filled, lively romance brimming over with wit and wisdom.”
“Pennyroyal Green” series
Long launched her long-running “Pennyroyal Green” series with the 2008 title The Perils of Pleasure. The series is set in the Regency era in Pennyroyal Green, Sussex, England, and follows the lives, loves, and adventures of many of its residents, particularly those of the wealthy Eversea and Redmond families, long rivals driven by ancient secrets and feuds. In the first installment, Colin Eversea is saved from the gallows by Madeleine Greenway, who has been hired to rescue the rogue. But when Madeleine discovers that her paymaster wants Colin alive but her dead, she teams up with Colin in a race against time. Writing on the Curled Up with a Good Book website, Helen Hancox found the novel to be an “excellently written, at times amusing but also complex and enjoyable story about a man and a woman on the run, trying to clear the man’s name.” The series continues in Like No Other Lover, in which explorer and scientist Miles Redmond finds an unlikely romantic partner in beautiful toast of the town, Cynthia Brightly, who has had to leave London, one step ahead of scandal. “This, in my opinion, is one of the best types of love stories—when two already strong protagonists become stronger—because of their love for each other,” noted a Book Smugglers website reviewer of this second installment.
Another member of the Redmond family, Violet, goes in search of her missing brother, Lyon, in I Kissed an Earl. To do so, she stows away on the ship of sea captain Asher Flint, the Earl of Ardmay. When Flint discovers her, romantic complications ensue. Bette- Lee Fox, reviewing the book in Library Journal, felt that this “lushly written story of two strong, steadfast individuals … [is] exquisite for romance fans.” Alex Moncrieffe, the Duke of Falconbridge, vows revenge on Ian Eversea for breaking up his engagement in What I Did for a Duke. The vengeful Duke plants to take it out on Ian’s younger sister, Genevieve. However, this young woman has romantic entanglements of her own and turns the plot around. Fox dubbed this a “screwball comedy of errors that romance fans will devour” in her Library Journal review.
How the Marquess Was Won finds Lisbeth Redmond in competition with her former school teacher, Phoebe Vale, for the affections of Julian Spenser, Marquess Dryden. “Romance fans will savor every moment of this latest Pennyroyal Green title,” noted Fox in Library Journal. A Publishers Weekly reviewer similarly felt that the “snappy, playful banter between Phoebe and Julian will appeal to Regency fans.” It Happened One Midnight finds Jonathan Redmond drawn to the dangerous Thomasina de Ballesteros in a “captivating romance … [that is] poignant, funny, and heartbreakingly triumphant,” according to Library Journal contributor Kristin Ramsdell.
Between the Devil and Ian Eversea features an orphaned American, Titania “Tansy” Danforth, in the care of her English cousin, the Duke of Falconbridge, whose wife is Ian’s sister. Tansy has all of the county chasing her—all that is, except for Ian. However, that might change when Ian’s rival begins courting Tansy. “Long excels at creating sexual tension in this Regency historical romance,” noted online Historical Novel Society contributor B.J. Sedlock. It Started with a Scandal, the tenth series installment and a tale of opposites attracting, is a “charming, albeit very predictable story,” according to an online Smart Bitches Trashy Books contributor.
This Regency series concludes with The Legend of Lyon Redmond, in which Lyon and Olivia Eversea battle all obstacles and family feuds in order to find true love. A Publishers Weekly reviewer had a mixed assessment of this series finale, noting that it is “vivid and tender but lacks historical verisimilitude.” Writing in Booklist, John Charles had no such reservations, terming this novel a “triumph of scintillating wit and soul-searing passion.”
In an interview with All about Romance contributor Dabney Grinnan, Long commented on the inspiration for this eleven- novel series: “I wanted to write something that felt panoramic in scope and multi-dimensional, because I think it makes the stories feel that much more real to the reader. I also find real pleasure in character development, and the feuding families gave me a rich playground for that sort of thing. And as for the town … as a reader, I’ve always found a sense of place really helps invest me in a story, too, and I’ve always loved small town series. Many of my favorite authors have created stories where the setting, whether it’s Scotland, Botswana, Venice, or Regency England, is practically another character in the story.”
“Hellcat Canyon” series
Long turns to contemporary romance in her “Hellcat Canyon” series. As with her Regency books, Long also sets this series in a small town—Hellcat Canyon, California. In the series launch, Hot in Hellcat Canyon, the denizens of this small town are happily surprised when a star of the silver screen, John Tennessee “J.T.” McCord, lands in their small town because of a broken truck. Awaiting repairs, J.T. takes himself to the local diner, where he promptly falls in love with his waitress, Britt, whose smart conversation charms him. However, Britt, just out of a disastrous marriage, is in no hurry to get involved again. As the couple struggles to find romance, the townfolk root for them to overcome all obstacles, including the possible return of J.T.’s former girlfriend, also a star. “This laugh-out-loud treat is warmly emotional and richly satisfying,” noted a Publishes Weekly reviewer. A Kirkus Reviews critic was also impressed, commenting: “This book is a treat to read. The author’s love of wordplay is evident in the snappy dialogue that the hero and heroine trade, and it’s damn sexy.” Similarly, Booklist contributor Charles thought that the novel “brilliantly showcases [Long’s] deliciously sharp sense of humor and rare gift for creating realistically quirky, wonderfully engaging characters.”
The series continues with Wild at Whiskey Creek, in which Long focuses on another troubled romance. Glory Greenleaf has loved Eli Barlow since she was a kid, but that love was tainted when Eli arrested her brother for meth transportation. Glory finds an outlet in her music, but she and Eli now struggle to keep their romance going. A Publishers Weekly reviewer praised the “sparkling prose, witty scenes of small-town California, and meaningful romantic conflict,” in this installment. A Kirkus Reviews critic also had a high assessment, terming it a “splendid, delectable romance.”
Dirty Dancing at Devil’s Leap finds Avalon Harwood becoming reacquainted with her former flame, Mac Coltrane. After having fallen out of touch, the two unexpectedly are pitted against one another as they fight for rightful ownership of an old home in Hellcat Canyon. Though they initially avoid discussing their failed relationship, they eventually must face their past and their attraction to one another. “Cheeky repartee, liquid imagery, and quiet reflection on roads not taken show the author’s expanding stylistic palette,” asserted a Kirkus Reviews writer. A contributor to Publishers Weekly commented: “Sparkling banter, appearances of adorable children and animals, and moments of charming hilarity will gratify … readers.”
Another member of the Harwood family, Eden, stars in The First Time at Firelight Falls: A Hellcat Canyon Novel. Eden, a single mom, attempts to fend of the advances of Gabe Caldera, a military veteran and principal at the school her daughter attends. Eventually, Eden realizes that she has developed feelings for Gabe and gives him a chance. “The First Time at Firelight Falls is a sweet story with some humor and drama,” asserted a writer on the Harlequin Junkie website. A Publishers Weekly reviewer suggested: “Vivacious banter and rich rapport among the secondary characters invigorate this enchanting, fun, and realistic series.” A contributor to Kirkus Reviews suggested that the book “highlights Long’s deftness at staging small-town romance.” Writing again in Booklist, Charles predicted: “Romance readers will find themselves happily succumbing to Long’s numerous literary charms.”
“Palace of Rogues” series
In 2019, Long launched her “Palace of Rogues” series, which is set in Regency England and centers around a boarding house owned by Delilah Swanpoole, also known as Lady Derring. In an interview with Savanna Walker, contributor to BookPage, Long discussed the concept of the series, stating: “The notion of a ‘true home’ is a theme I’ve explored more than once in my books. I think it’s a yearning everyone has—to belong, to know your true family, whether they’re related to you or not. And I just loved the idea of a colorful, revolving cast of characters of various ages and social strata who move in and stir things up for a core cast—so many opportunities for connection, conflict, secret intrigues and passions, comedy and tenderness, scandal, growth, you name it!” Long continued: “When you throw a disparate bunch of characters together, anything can happen, so it presents a wealth of storytelling opportunities. Moreover, it seemed an opportunity for two women to shine with strength—Delilah and Angelique.”
Lady Derring Takes a Lover finds Long introducing the title character, whose husband died leaving her in massive debt. One asset that remains is a building by the docks, which she and an unlikely business partner, her husband’s mistress, Angelique, turn into a boardinghouse. One of their first guests is ship captain Tristan Hardy, who becomes a romantic interest for Delilah. A contributor to the Book Binge website asserted: “This was a wonderfully romantic story.” Ray Thompson, reviewer on the Historical Novel Society website, commented: “It is the author’s use of wit and irony that makes this story really stand out. Highly recommended.” A Kirkus Reviews writer described the volume as “unique, delightful, and swoonworthy.” Charles, the Booklist critic suggested: “The author’s literary prowess is in glorious full bloom with an engaging cast of exquisitely rendered characters.”
Angel in a Devil’s Arms focuses on Angelique, offering more information on her scandalous past. She meets a boarder named Lucien Durand, whose past is equally shadowy and who develops a strong attraction to her. A writer on the Harlequin Junkie website suggested that the book showcased “the author’s talent for writing witty dialogue and great descriptions.” A Publishers Weekly reviewer predicted: “Readers will enjoy this rich depiction of how the past informs but does not dictate the future.”
Lady Lillias Vaughn, a boarder at Lady Derring’s boardinghouse, is the star of I’m Only Wicked with You. Lillias meets Hugh Cassidy, another boarder, and initially clashes with him, but their attraction to one another cannot be denied. Meanwhile, Lillias deals with renovations in her family’s home, and Hugh, an American politician, plots a run for office in New York. “Long’s distinctive metaphor-rich style is a treat, a visual and textural tapestry,” asserted a Kirkus Reviews writer.
(open new2)In After Dark with the Duke, opera singer Mariana Wylde runs away to London after her beauty was blamed for causing a duel. She finds refuge at the Grand Palace on the Thames, where she meets James Duncan Blackmore, the Duke of Valkirk. The two fall for each other while he teaches her Italian. However, while he considers remarrying, she is given offer to perform in Paris, leaving their relationship in jeopardy. A contributor to Publishers Weekly remarked that “Long’s intelligent, complex protagonists and their credible hidden depths feel remarkably real.” Writing in Library Journal, Melanie C. Duncan noted that the author offers yet “another strong heroine and the entertaining residents of the Grand Palace.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor described it as being “an enemies-to-lovers romance that deserves to be savored.” Booklist contributor John Charles called it “another bravura blend of bracing wit and thrilling romanticism.”
With You Were Made to Be Mine, the Earl of Brundage requested for former English spy Christian Hawkes to look for his missing fiancée, Lady Aurelie Capet. Aurelie has settled at the Grand Palace on the Thames while figuring out how to get to Boston. Christian finds her but also comes to understand that the earl is involved in treason. In a review in Library Journal, Kellie Tilton noticed the “new set of intriguing circumstances and the familiar cast of charming characters” in this series continuation. A Kirkus Reviews contributor described it as being “a tense and tender historical romance that may be the strongest and yet most flawed of the Grand Palace on the Thames books.”
How to Tame a Wild Rogue finds Lady Daphne Worth dealing with her poor economic situation by working as a companion for an older woman. As she attempts to flee from the woman’s husband and his unwanted advances, privateer Lorcan St. Leger steps in to help. They pretend to be married so they can stay at the Grand Palace on the Thames. As they get to know each other, though, they worry about Captain Tristan Hardy’s career in catching smugglers. A contributor to Publishers Weekly exclaimed that “readers won’t want to put this down.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor claimed that this novel is “seething with emotional quakes in the vein of Lisa Kleypas.” The same critic admitted that “the epilogue might split readers, but most will enjoy its promise of more stories to come.” In a review in Library Journal, Neal Wyatt insisted that “series readers will be delighted, and those yet to discover Long will have found a treasure.”
With My Season of Scandal, Whig Member of Parliament, Lord Dominic Kirke, is bored by high society, while debutante Catherine Keating is excited to get into it. They meet while staying at the Grand Palace on the Thames and are immediately drawn to each other despite their contrary views on society. London society notices Dominic’s interest in her and spread rumors about his otherwise private life. A Kirkus Reviews contributor found it to be “another appealing addition to this series of Regency romances anchored by a London boardinghouse.” In a review in Library Journal, Wyatt pointed out that “Long writes romances for romance novel lovers.”
In The Beast Takes a Bride, Alexandra Bellamy is released from jail by her husband, Colonel Magnus Brightwall, who she has not seen since their wedding day five years earlier when he abandoned her. They stay at the Grand Palace on the Thames but immediately draw questions from their proprietors if they are even a couple. A Kirkus Reviews contributor said that the novel is “a keeper, fusing the beauties of historical romance with present-day ideas of individual happiness.” Reviewing the novel in Library Journal, Neal Wyatt acknowledged that The Beast Takes a Bride “showcases her sharp skill for character detail, dialogue, pacing, and tone,” adding that it is “a book to treasure.”(close new2)
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, September 15, 2015, John Charles, review of The Legend of Lyon Redmond, p. 44; April 15, 2016, John Charles, review of Hot in Hellcat Canyon, p. 28; May 15, 2018, John Charles, review of The First Time at Firelight Falls, p. 29; February 15, 2019, John Charles, review of Lady Derring Takes a Lover, p. 35; October 15, 2021, John Charles, review of After Dark with the Duke, p. 32.
Kirkus Reviews, April 1, 2016, review of Hot in Hellcat Canyon; November 1, 2016, review of Wild at Whiskey Creek; August 15, 2017, review of Dirty Dancing at Devil’s Leap; April 1, 2018, review of The First Time at Firelight Falls; February 1, 2019, review of Lady Derring Takes a Lover; February 15, 2021, review of I’m Only Wicked with You; October 15, 2021, review of After Dark with the Duke; May 15, 2022, review of You Were Made to Be Mine; May 15, 2023, review of How To Tame a Wild Rogue; June 1, 2024, review of My Season of Scandal; October 15, 2024, review of The Beast Takes a Bride.
Library Journal, February 15, 2006, Kristin Ramsdell, review of Beauty and the Spy, p. 104; July 9, 2010, Bette-Lee Fox, review of I Kissed an Earl; February 25, 2011, Bette-Lee Fox, review of What I Did for a Duke; December 9, 2011, Bette-Lee Fox, review of How the Marquess Was Won; June 28, 2013, Kristin Ramsdell, review of It Happened One Midnight; October 1, 2021, Melanie C. Duncan, review of After Dark with the Duke, p. 74; May 1, 2022, Kellie Tilton, review of You Were Made to Be Mine, p. 80; June 1, 2023, Neal Wyatt, review of How To Tame a Wild Rogue, p. 101; January 1, 2024, Neal Wyatt, review of My Season of Scandal, p. 63; August 1, 2024, Neal Wyatt, review of The Beast Takes a Bride, p. 79.
MBR Bookwatch, March 1, 2005, Harriet Klausner, review of To Love a Thief.
Publishers Weekly, March 19, 2007, review of The Secret to Seduction, p. 49; November 21, 2011, review of How the Marquess Was Won, p. 39; August 17, 2015, review of The Legend of Lyon Redmond, p. 57; March 21, 2016, review of Hot in Hellcat Canyon, p. 60; October 17, 2016, review of Wild at Whiskey Creek, p. 56; February 19, 2018, review of The First Time at Firelight Falls, p. 61; July 31, 2017, review of Dirty Dancing at Devil’s Leap, p. 69; September 30, 2019, review of Angel in a Devil’s Arms, p. 93; September 27, 2021, review of After Dark with the Duke, p. 58; May 1, 2023, review of How To Tame a Wild Rogue, p. 57.
ONLINE
All about Romance, http://allaboutromance.com/ (February 1, 2017), author interview.
Armchair Interviews, http://reviews.armchairinterviews.com/ (December 28, 2007), Amanda Collins, review of The Secret to Seduction.
Book Binge, http:// bookbinge.com/ (July 28, 2010), review of I Kissed an Earl; (January 2, 2020), review of Lady Derring Takes a Lover.
Book Smugglers, http://thebooksmugglers.com/ (February 1, 2009), review of Like No Other Lover.
BookPage, https://bookpage.com/ (November 14, 2019), Savanna Walker, author interview.
Curled Up with a Good Book, http://www.curledup.com/ (March 15, 2017, Helen Hancox, review of The Perils of Pleasure.
Dear Author, http://dearauthor.com/ (May 14, 2007), Jayne, review of The Secret to Seduction; (April 16, 2015), review of It Started with a Scandal.
Good, the Bad and the Unread, http://goodbadandunread.com/ (November 29, 2016), review of Wild at Whiskey Creek.
Harlequin Junkie, http://harlequinjunkie.com/ (November 25th, 2016), review of Wild at Whiskey Creek; (May 2, 2018), review of The First Time at Firelight Falls; (December 31, 2019), review of Angel in a Devil’s Arms.
Historical Novel Society, https://historicalnovelsociety.org/ (August 1, 2014), B.J. Sedlock, review of Between the Devil and Ian Eversea; (May 1, 2019), Ray Thompson, review of Lady Derring Takes a Lover.
Julie Anne Long website, http://www.julieannelong.com (February 17, 2025).
Novel Knight, https://www.novelknight.com/ (May 19, 2018), review of The First Time at Firelight Falls.
Quinn’s Book Nook, https://quinnsbooknook.com/ (October 28, 2015), review of What I Did for a Duke.
Read for Pleasure, http://www.readforpleasure.com/ (August 13, 2007), review of The Secret to Seduction.
Respiring Thoughts, http://www.respiring-thoughts.com/ (January 23, 2014), review of I Kissed an Earl.
Road to Romance, http://www.roadtoromance.ca/ (July 13, 2004), Tina Burns, review of The Runaway Duke.
Romance Novel News, http://www.romancenovelnews.com/ (September 29, 2015), Jennifer Porter, review of The Legend of Lyon Redmond.
Romance Reader, http://www.theromancereader.com/ (December 28, 2007), Cathy Sova, review of The Runaway Duke.
Romance Reader at Heart, http://romancereaderatheart.com/ (December 28, 2007), interview with author; Nancy Davis, review of Ways to Be Wicked.
RT Book Reviews, http://rtbookreviews.com/ (December 28, 2007), Kathe Robin, reviews of The Runaway Duke, To Love a Thief, Ways to Be Wicked, and The Secret to Seduction.
Smart Bitches Trashy Books, http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/ (September 12, 2013), review of Like No Other Lover; (May 27, 2016), review of It Started with a Scandal. *
Julie Anne Long
USA flag
San Francisco-based romance author Julie Anne Long has been a storyteller from almost the moment she could write: Her first completed work of fiction was an illustrated (courtesy of Crayola) opus about talking apples.
Today Julie Anne Long lives and writes in the the San Francisco Bay Area where she enjoys museums, the ballet & the symphony.
Genres: Historical Romance, Romance
New and upcoming books
October 2024
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The Beast Takes a Bride
(Palace of Rogues, book 8)
Series
Holt Sisters Trilogy
1. Beauty and the Spy (2006)
2. Ways to Be Wicked (2006)
3. The Secret to Seduction (2007)
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Pennyroyal Green
1. The Perils of Pleasure (2008)
2. Like No Other Lover (2008)
3. Since the Surrender (2009)
4. I Kissed an Earl (2010)
5. What I Did For a Duke (2011)
6. How the Marquess Was Won (2011)
7. A Notorious Countess Confesses (2012)
8. It Happened One Midnight (2013)
9. Between the Devil and Ian Eversea (2014)
10. It Started With a Scandal (2015)
11. The Legend of Lyon Redmond (2015)
12. Malcolm & Isabel (2018)
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Hellcat Canyon
1. Hot in Hellcat Canyon (2016)
2. Wild at Whiskey Creek (2016)
3. Dirty Dancing at Devil's Leap (2017)
4. The First Time at Firelight Falls (2018)
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Palace of Rogues
1. Lady Derring Takes a Lover (2019)
2. Angel in a Devil's Arms (2019)
3. I'm Only Wicked with You (2021)
4. After Dark with the Duke (2021)
5. You Were Made to Be Mine (2022)
6. How to Tame a Wild Rogue (2023)
7. My Season of Scandal (2024)
8. The Beast Takes a Bride (2024)
Novels
The Runaway Duke (2004)
To Love a Thief (2005)
In a Nutshell...
Well, where should I start? I was born and raised in California, and I've lived here my entire life, usually with at least one cat. I won the school spelling bee when I was in 7th grade; the word that clinched it was 'ukulele.' I originally set out to be a rock star when I grew up, and I have the guitars and the questionable wardrobe stuffed in the back of my closet to prove it.
But writing was always my first love.
Julie at Literacy Signing at RWA Conference in Reno, July 2005 (photo by Candice Hern)
Julie In a Nutshell...
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Julie's
Truly Random Photo Gallery
I was editor of my elementary school paper (believe it or not, Mrs. Little's fifth grade class at Glenmoor Elementary did have one); my high school paper (along with my best high school bud, Cindy Jorgenson); and my college paper, where our long-suffering typesetter finally forced me to learn how to typeset because my articles were usually late (and thus I probably have him to thank for all the desktop publishing jobs that ensued over the years).
Won a couple of random awards along the way: the Bank of America English Award in High School (which basically just amounted to a fancy plaque saying that I was really, really good at English); and an award for best Sports Feature article in a College Newspaper (and anyone who knows me well understands how deeply ironic that is). I began my academic career as a Journalism major; I switched to Creative Writing, which was a more comfortable fit for my freewheeling imagination and overdeveloped sense of whimsy. I dreamed of being a novelist.
But most of us, I think, tend to take for granted the things that come easily to us. I loved writing and all indications were that I was pretty good at it, but I, thank you very much, wanted to be a rock star. Which turned out to be ever-so-slightly harder to do than writing. A lot more equipment was involved, that's for sure. Heavy things, with knobs. It also involved late nights, fetid, graffiti-sprayed practice rooms, gorgeous flakey boys, bizarre gigs, in-fighting—what's not to love?
But my dream of being a published writer never faded. When the charm (ahem) of playing to four people in a tiny club at midnight on a Wednesday finally wore thin, however, I realized I could incorporate all the best things about being in a band — namely, drama, passion, and men with unruly hair — into novels, while at the same time indulging my love of history and research.
So I wrote The Runaway Duke, sent it to a literary agent (see the story here), who sold it to Warner Books a few months after that...which made 2003 one of the most extraordinary, head-spinning years I've ever had. I'm now with Avon books, and the author of the Pennyroyal Green, Hellcat Canyon and Palace of Rogues series.
Why romance? Well, like most voracious readers, I read across many genres, but I've been an avid romance reader since I got in trouble for sneaking a Rosemary Rogers novel out of my mom's nightstand drawer (I think it was Sweet Savage Love). Rosemary Rogers, Kathleen Woodiwiss, Laurie McBain...I cut my romance teeth on those ladies. And in general, I take a visceral sort of pleasure in creating a hero and a heroine, putting them through their emotional paces, and watching their relationship develop on the page. And of course, there's much to be said for the happy ending. :)
And why Regency Historicals? Well, for starters, I think we can blame Jane Austen. Her inimitable wit, compassion and vision brought the Regency vividly to life for generations of readers. If Jane Austen had written romances about Incas, for instance, I think, we'd have racks and racks of Inca romances in bookstores all over the country.
But I'm a history freak, in general. When we were little, my sister and I used to play "Little House on the Prairie"—we religiously adhered to the "schedule" outlined in the books, making mud pies on baking day and pretending to milk our long-suffering malamute, Shadow, when it was time to milk the cows. That could be when it started.
If you've made it this far and you're dying to know more JAL trivia, in this section you can visit the Julie Answers Questions About Julie page to read some FAQs or peruse my truly random photo gallery.
Julie's Truly Random Photo Gallery
I found these various motley photos when I was cleaning out my desk drawer, and I decided to let them tell a little bit of the story of my life.
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I'm not sure whether you can see the blissed-out expression on my face clearly, but that horse I'm hanging on to might as well have been The Black Stallion for how ecstatic I was to be anywhere near a horse. His name was Apache, and he was a cranky old gray-and-red gelding assigned to me at horseback riding camp when I was 9 years old. We had a love/hate relationship, which may have begun when I tried to share a piece of my peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich with him — it accidentally fell into one of his gigantic nostrils instead of his mouth. My attempt to retrieve it made us both a little frantic. He bit me once, and stepped on my canteen another time, leaving a perfect horsehoe-shaped imprint in it.
He and another horse at the camp named Sultana inexplicably loathed each other, and whenever we went on trail rides they sought each other out and picked fights involving much embarrassing nipping and snorting. I got even with Apache, though: right before our "show" on the last day of camp (we rode around barrels in a circle, etc.), I decorated his mane and tale with bright orange yarn ties. He looked very pretty.
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This photo is a perfect example of why few "good" photos of me exist: whenever a camera is turned on me, for some reason I seem to feel compelled to make a face or do a high kick, or both. That's me and my friend Lisa (who always manages to look lovely in photographs) right before her wedding a few years ago.
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Dear God! Look at that hair!! It's like an entity!! This is my cat Domenic (his face is at the top of the photo), who, contrary to appearances, did not fling himself off the chair; he's just sleeping on his back in the sun.
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I think this was my 7th grade birthday party. I love how we all look so earnest, like the fate of the world depends on how well we dance to this particular song. I can't remember what the song was; given that we're all more or less in Hustle formation, I'm guessing it was something by KC & the Sunshine band. That's me in the green Dittos; my sister Karen is in the right hand corner next to me. And clockwise from the left front is Marla, Patty, Cindy, Dana, and Leona.
How old are you? ~Rose Birchall, St. Clair Shores, MI
Why, I'm 5' 8"! Thanks for asking, Rose.
Next question...
Is it true that you did five backflips were you saw that cute cover for your book the Runaway Duke? ~Danielle DeBuono, Wheaton, IL
Well, that's only part of the story, Danielle. The five backflips were followed by a triple sow cow, after which I hovered "Matrix"-like in mid-air for an ecstatic moment before flapping my arms rapidly to ensure a safe and graceful landing, upon which I did an arabesque—
Oh, sorry. Got carried away there.
Isn't it a wonderful cover? Warner has a very talented art department. I feel very fortunate!
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When does a historical romance writer have time for romance?~Kris Coffey, San Francisco, California
Ah, you see—that's where the word "historical" comes in. Yes, it's absolutely true: my schedule is insane these days, and some things have been, um, sacrificed. I do have a wish list, however—see the "Who do you think is hot?" question below. If you all buy my books, I might actually make a living at this and have time for a love life again. Meanwhile, maybe I should have a telethon...
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What do you remember about your first kiss? ~ Joanie Newman, West Virginia
I was about eight years old, and my friends Dana Salsedo and Timmy Coon (who is no doubt known as something more dignified now, like "Tim" or "Timothy," but he was definitely "Timmy" back then) and I were playing The Dating Game in my backyard. Dana and I were the bachelorettes, and Dana and I sat on the swings on the swingset while Timmy asked a series of incisive questions, such as "What's your favorite soda?" and "What's your favorite candy bar?" At last, Timmy decided I was the bachelorette for him (Was it my daring candy bar preference—5th Avenue? Who knows?), and we repaired to the garage for our "date." I had a quick impression of the smell of gasoline from the lawn mower, a row of shovels and rakes hanging on the wall—and then Timmy planted one on me, right on the lips. Ah, maybe that's why my love life has featured so many, er...rakes, as it were, over the years. (Oh, stop it. I can hear you groaning from here).
I think my first real kiss happened in the cab of a pale blue Chevy pickup truck. Unfortunately, I can't reveal the details here. :)
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Who do you think is hot?
I loved this question. That's all it said: "Who do you think is hot?" Just like that. A cryptic email without a signature. It cracked me up. I figured the lack of parameters gave me carte blanche to interpret the question however I pleased, so I decided to answer it with a list of —well, men, of course. Living, dead, real and fictional, all hot for a combination of reasons—looks, brains, talent, integrity. Totally off the top of my head (it's a random list, and it may expand or contract with time), here are some hot ones (you're probably going to laugh at some of them):
Gregory Peck in Spellbound (And in To Kill a Mockingbird. And well...in just about anything.)
Joshua Bell
Jamie Fraser
Geoffrey Palmer in "As Time Goes By"
Jon Stewart (yum)
Yuri Possokhov—dancer and choreographer with the San Francisco ballet
Daniel Day Lewis (especially in Last of the Mohicans)
Colin Firth
Rhett Butler
Bono Vox (rock star, activist, dad, hunk...)
Alex Randall from M.M. Kaye's Shadow of the Moon
Steve Martin
Richard Feynman (I'm a sucker for a brainy man, but he was also funny and he had an extraordinarily open mind and found joy in most everything)
Ted Koppel (I read somewhere that he stayed home with the kids while his wife finished school, and though no amount of googling could help me verify this , I've had a soft spot for him ever since).
Christopher Plummer in The
Sound of Music
Alan Rickman (I wish I had an alarm clock that said "Good morning, Julie," in Alan Rickman's voice).
Gavin Newsom, current San Francisco mayor (for brains, passion, daring, wit... and he's pretty, too. Kind of makes me glad he won the coin toss when I voted. Kidding! Just kidding! It was more a rock/paper/scissors thing...)
Hugh Laurie as Dr. House Possibly my ideal man. What that says about me, I'm afraid to look at too closely.
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How does your family feel about you writing historical romances? Especially the love scenes? ~ Danielle DeBuono, Wheaton, Illinois
Well, maybe it's because I'm from the San Francisco Bay Area (where we're not exactly known for our, er, reticence), or maybe it's because my mom had historical romances in the house for almost as long as I can remember, but no one in my family is the least bit bothered by it. No one I know, as a matter of fact, is the least bit bothered by it. I was, in fact, encouraged to write a romance. And everyone wants to put their two cents in regarding the love scenes. I don't know if that makes me fortunate or not.
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Do you ever write into your stories characters based on people you have known (without naming names) such as the ornery boy in your 4th grade class or the little girl down the street you played with? ~ Jackie Wisherd, La Mesa, California
You know, I think every writer bases their characters, consciously or unconsciously, on people they know—and on themselves. Because your writing voice is inevitably determined by how you experience and interpret life—the events and people around you, the things you see and feel. I know that aspects of myself are in every single character in The Runaway Duke (well, maybe not Edelston). The feeling of being a fish out of water, the longing to be understood, the unrequited love, the requited love, the facing up to responsibility, the longing to run away from it—I've grappled with all of that, and it's all there.
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What time is it in your heart, and what time is it in your mind? ~Mary Ann Jones Orlando, Florida
I'm glad you asked, Mary Ann. It's always 4:30 p.m. in both my heart and mind.
What inspired you to choose to write a Regency as your first book? ~Daniela Brüggemann, Duisburg Germany
That's Jane Austen's fault. And to some extent, Amanda Quick's.
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(Note: It's not a typo—the next five questions were indeed asked by Melissa Lawson of New London, Connecticut. She wins the prize for sending the most questions—so I sent her some bookmarks and a tiny vintage locket. Thanks, Melissa!)
What is a typical day in the life of Julie Anne Long like? ~Melissa Lawson, New London, Connecticut
Well, currently, it goes a little like this: My alarm goes off and I slap at it resentfully, and then I lay there for a while in paralyzed disbelief that it's already morning. I open my eyes; there's usually a cat crouching on my chest in a spinx-shape, gazing at me ardently, and I roll over and tip him off, gently. I fumble for my glasses, get resignedly out of bed, stick the contacs in, make some tea, stagger off to work (yep, I still have a "job"), work all day, then stagger home and write. And work on my website. And other promotional-type things. And answer emails and phone calls from friends and family and editors, and pay bills etc., and so on. Sometimes I jump on my mini trampoline while I watch repeats of The Simpson's. In short, it's a blindingly glamorous life. LOL. (You don't get rich overnight when you're a first-time author—it's a building process).
That's a typical day for the past six months or so, anyway. For the past six months or so, I've been almost...surreally, insanely busy with two deadlines for two books and first-time author start-up things (like websites and promotion and conferences) and my job and all the other details of life. But in a way, it's exhilerating, too: I think the more you do, the more you can do, and it's fun to challenge yourself to accomplish all of it. (This was written in May 2004; I think I'll revisit this question at the same time next year to see if anything has changed).
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What do you like to do do when you're not writing?
~Melissa Lawson, New London, Connecticut
Hmmm...on a typical weekend when there's time (ha!), I enjoy the things that beautiful Northern California and the Bay Area have to offer: the San Francisco ballet, concerts, fantastic food, hiking, movies (I look forward to the yearly animation festival—I confess that I love cartoons, but not all of them), long meandering conversations with friends, discovering odd or beautiful little things in in antique stores (OK, they're more like "junk stores") and thrift stores and bookstores, choosing random things to attend out of "the pink section" (the entertainment section of The Sunday San Francisco Chronicle), like Vietnamese underwater puppet shows or lectures on backyard bugs... Shoot, even going to Target can be an adventure, if you're with the right person.
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Where do you write? ~Melissa Lawson, New London, Connecticut
Everywhere. Mostly at my desk at home. But I also write on the bus (I live in a big city; we take trains and buses everywhere), in waiting rooms, in the park... And if thinking about plot counts as writing (I kind of like to think it does), then I write in the shower, too, and sometimes in staff meetings and in line at the grocery store. When you have a deadline, you seize opportunities to write as they arise, of necessity.
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If you could dine with any author dead or alive, whom would it be and why? ~Melissa Lawson, New London, Connecticut
Dine with an author?? Why on earth would anyone want to dine with an author?? We're a wretched bunch: giddy one moment ("I got a good review!") wracked with insecurity the next ("What if I can never write another decent book again??"), etc. You have to be half-crazy to make writing your life's work. Just kidding -- mostly! Half my friends these days are authors, and I love them all. I think, however... I think I'd have to choose Jane Austen. From her letters, she sounds exactly like someone I'd love to have in my circle of friends: caustically witty, unnervingly observant, loyal and passionate and intelligent and kind. Who wouldn't want to have dinner with someone like that?
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Do you plan to write only historicals or will you venture into other genres? ~Melissa Lawson, New London, Connecticut
I love historicals—and I have ideas for books set in periods other than the Regency—but I'd love to write contemporaries, too—I have quite a few ideas. I also love writing essays and articles. Given enough time, I'd probably be a writing machine.
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How long does it take you to write a book? ~Melissa Lawson, New London, Connecticut
Well, I wrote The Runaway Duke over the span of about a year and a half—but I didn't work on it every day, and I put it aside for several months during that period, too (I didn't have a deadline). My second book, To Love a Thief (Warner Forever, April 2005) was mostly written during an approximately four and a half month period, and I worked on it every day, feverishly, on the bus on the way to work, at home at night, whenever and wherever I could steal time. I think it definitely helps to plot a book in advance (for me, anyway), but how long it takes to write a book probably depends on the circumstances of your life at any given time—and the deadlines involved.
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I am a high school mathematics teacher in a very low income and transient population school. What great thoughts of inspiration and sage advice would you give to high school students in this day and age? ~Christine Womack
I'm flattered and humbled that you think I might have anything sage to say! Because, frankly, I'm still figuring life out myself; to be alive and human, I think, is to be constantly attempting to figure life out and learning from the things that life throws your way.
But I will say this: no matter what happens to you in high school, and no matter how you identify yourself or how others identify you (perhaps it's a word, like geek, jock, stoner, etc.)—high school absolutely isn't the sum total of your life, even though it may feel that way at the time (I remember that feeling). Life really begins after high school. With energy and imagination and persistence, you can reinvent yourself again and again. Life is a process of becoming. It takes some of us longer than others to reach our dreams, because life might want you to take what feels like a rather indirect route to your dreams, but if you keep working, you really can make it happen—and discover new dreams along the way. (God, I sound like I'm going to burst into a chorus of "Fame.") Trust me: I did a lot of different things before I became a published author, and all of those things seemed somehow necessary to lead me here. And my beginnings were pretty darn humble and my route to my dream erratic and occasionally turbulent. Hope that helps a little!
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Of all of the heroines you have written about, which one would you like to trade places with and why? ~Joy Isley, Mesa, Arizona
So far I've only written about two heroines...and there are moments in the books where I'm very glad I'm not either of them (for instance, when Rebecca Tremaine in The Runaway Duke finds herself being manhandled by a highwayman), and other moments where...well, picture this: you're alone with a gorgeous man—Connor Riordan from The Runaway Duke—in an isolated hunting box; there's a crackling fire; the two of you have been fighting against your desire for each other for days...
Say no more, right??
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What are your favorite books, romance and non-romance?
~ Alan Berkman, Modesto, California
This was another thought-provoking question...what constitutes a "favorite" book? I've loved every moment I spent with certain books—but I would never pick them up again, possibly because even though they may have been beautiful or riveting, I found them too...wrenching, or too exhausting, or too something, to revisit. So I decided to answer this question by listing books I've happily read over (and sometimes over and over) again through the years. At the risk of leaving off books I love, I decided to write this list off the top of my head. In no particular order:
The Once and Future King (T.H. White)
Gone With the Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
Sense and Sensibility (Jane again)
Emma (and again)
Persuasion (guess who?)
High Fidelity (Nick Hornby)
Lady Chatterley's Lover (D.H. Lawrence)
Bridget Jones' Diary (Helen Fielding)
London (Edward Rutherford)
The Age of Innocence (Edith Wharton)
The Deverry books by Katherine Kerr
Diana Gabaldon's books
The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
Through the Looking Glass (Lewis Carroll)
Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman (Richard Feynman)
Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
Cherie (Colette)
The Little House books (Laura Ingalls Wilder)
Operating Instructions (Anne Lamott)
Sleeping in Flame (Jonathan Carroll)
All the Harry Potter books (J.K. Rowling)
A Room with a View (E.M. Forster)
The problem with making lists is that you always leave off millions of things you'd like to include... I may add to this list as time goes by.
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What advice would you give aspiring writers?~ Doreen De Salvo, San Francisco, California
Write! Quit aspiring to write, and actually write! If you really want to write, nothing can or will stop you. No matter how busy or beleaguered you are, you can carve time out of your day or week to write. Write, and then share your writing with other writers. And read—across all genres. Good writing in any genre can inform romance writing as well, and help you keep your voice and craft sharp and fresh.
Long, Julie Anne. My Season of Scandal. Avon. (Palace of Rogues, Bk. 7). Apr. 2024. 384p. ISBN 9780063280953. pap. $9.99.
HISTORICAL ROMANCE
The welcoming and supportive Grand Palace on the Thames boarding house, run by the wonderful Delilah and Angelique, opens its doors once more (after How To Tame a Wild Rogue). Checking in this season is Catherine Keating, visiting from the country for her first (and likely only) London season. Also on the guest list is the powerful and savvy Lord Dominic Kirke, a force of nature in the political world who must find new lodgings because his mistress set fire to his mansion. Unlikely as it seems, Dominic and Catherine begin to form an abiding friendship as he helps her find her feet, and she helps him find his way. Their story builds wonderfully through conversations--held in corners of ballrooms, in front gardens, over group dinners--so that by the time the two take a step that Dominic fully knows is dangerous to them both, Catherine is already there. As would be expected from the vapidly inclined ton, danger indeed arrives--in the form of a scandal that the two resolve in heart-sweeping fashion. VERDICT Long writes romances for romance novel lovers. Suggest her to fans of Tessa Dare, Lisa Kleypas, and Stephanie Laurens's early "Cynster" novels.--Neal Wyatt
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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"My Season of Scandal." Library Journal, vol. 149, no. 1, Jan. 2024, p. 63. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A779736284/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=af2d96b6. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
Long, Julie Anne MY SEASON OF SCANDAL Avon/HarperCollins (Fiction None) $9.99 4, 23 ISBN: 9780063280953
A country miss meets a jaded reformist politician in her first London season.
Slightly older than the average debutante, Catherine Keating is still a wide-eyed newcomer hoping to be dazzled by London's beau monde. Lord Dominic Kirke, a Welshman by birth and a Whig Member of Parliament, finds high society boring, but he relishes crossing verbal swords with its powerful members on behalf of his poor constituents. When the two meet as new guests at the Grand Palace on the Thames boardinghouse, no one predicts that they will strike sparks off each other. Their initially unplanned meetings in the ballrooms for various gatherings turn into a secret friendship, which then hums with unspoken desire that neither can resist for long. But Dominic is a self-confessed rake who has no intention of ruining a country doctor's daughter, while Catherine suspects that he's feeling more for her than he admits. Their evenings at the cozy inn, with its kind and quirky inhabitants, wrap them tighter in warm intimacy, countering their attempts to keep a safe emotional and physical distance. London society has taken notice, though, and personal and political jealousy soon threatens Dominic's closely held privacy and Catherine's reputation. Long is masterful in building sensual suspense, and the story throbs with metaphors that conjure images of hearts and bodies under siege from sensations the protagonists battle. Though the third-act breakup is such a frequent feature in her books that it can feel forced, the potency of her style and her skill at building complex characters do much to compensate. The epilogue strikes a poignant note, extending beyond the main characters to promise many stories of others yet to be told.
Another appealing addition to this series of Regency romances anchored by a London boardinghouse.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Long, Julie Anne: MY SEASON OF SCANDAL." Kirkus Reviews, 1 June 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A795674031/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=f4891934. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
Long, Julie Anne. The Beast Takes a Bride. Avon. (Palace of Rogues, Bk. 8). Oct. 2024. 368p. ISBN 9780063281172. pap. $9.99. HISTORICAL ROMANCE
The eighth entry in Long's wonderful "Palace of Rogues" series (following My Season of Scandal) is another lovely read. Alexandra Bellamy is in Newgate prison, trying to be charming enough to survive the night, until her husband, the war hero Colonel Magnus Brightwall, walks in and orders her release. As she steps out of jail in her crumpled golden ballgown, she wonders at Magnus's appearance but not his heavy silence. It is the first time she has seen him since he cast her aside on the day of their wedding five years ago. He takes her to the Grand Palace, a delightful boardinghouse on the Thames, whose proprietors, Angelique and Delilah, welcome them with a bit of worry mixed with their usual dedication to comfort. It is clear that all is not well between the couple--if they are a couple at all. Long makes that question the center of the story as it flows across their relationship, from their first meeting to the night Magnus casts out Alexandra to the moment they both start to fight for each other. VERDICT This latest from Long (an LJ Best-Booked author) showcases her sharp skill for character detail, dialogue, pacing, and tone. A book to treasure.--Neal Wyatt
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Wyatt, Neal. "Long, Julie Anne. The Beast Takes a Bride." Library Journal, vol. 149, no. 8, Aug. 2024, pp. 79+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A804538408/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=928a3525. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
Long, Julie Anne THE BEAST TAKES A BRIDE Avon/HarperCollins (Fiction None) $9.99 10, 22 ISBN: 9780063281172
A marriage of estrangement becomes real just as it's ending.
Alexandra Bellamy kissed her first love goodbye on the day of her wedding to war hero Colonel Magnus Brightwall, widely known as the Beast. The seeming betrayal stalled her new life and led to five years of separation from her husband, who went off to Spain as a diplomat without her. Now Magnus has returned to England and proposed a permanent separation, but not before they pretend to be a happy couple so as not to jeopardize his imminent elevation to Earl of Montcroix. Saddened that her action hurt her husband, Alexandra agrees to the plan--and thus begins their stay at the guesthouse known as the Grand Palace on the Thames. Their forced proximity and the presence of the inn's charmingly eccentric inhabitants bring Alexandra and Magnus to a pained understanding of the happiness they could have had together.This "Beauty and the Beast" rewrite is evocative of some of Lisa Kleypas' and Sherry Thomas' historical romances, where marriages must be rebuilt by two complicated people healing the wrongs they did to each other and baring their true selves. Long's thoughtful prose is studded with striking analogies for emotions and character traits that reward attentive reading. For instance, unfulfilled love is compared to the weather: "Did it merely spend itself like a storm, and then make way for new weather?" There are also some chuckle-inducing moments, with the style ably buttressing the plot, which asserts that romance is hollow without a man respecting a woman's choices and selfhood.
A keeper, fusing the beauties of historical romance with present-day ideas of individual happiness.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Long, Julie Anne: THE BEAST TAKES A BRIDE." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Oct. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A811898621/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=f26bba83. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
Long, Julie Anne. How To Tame a Wild Rogue. Avon. (Palace of Rogues, Bk. 6). Jul. 2023. 384p. ISBN 9780063280915. pap.
$9.99. HISTORICAL ROMANCE
When privateer Lorcan St. Leger sees Lady Daphne Worth dangling out of a window on a rope she fashioned of bedsheets, he offers aid, and the two find themselves arm in arm as a storm that will shut down their part of London begins to break. They take refuge in the Grand Palace on the Thames, which series fans (the last was You Were Made To Be Mine) know is the boarding home of Delilah and Tristan and Lucien and Angelique. Lorcan has complicated history with both men, and Daphne and Delilah were somewhat spiky childhood acquaintances. Needing refuge but caught in a web of past relationships, Lorcan and Daphne pretend to be married. The delightful plot dances from there, but the strongest part of the reading experience is Long's deft writing. She creates deep emotional attachments across characters, both romantically and companionably, and her dialogue simmers and sparkles. Reading the book is akin to sinking into a sofa in the boarding home and being welcomed to great company. VERDICT Series readers will be delighted, and those yet to discover Long will have found a treasure, quickly seeking the lull series run.--Neal Wyatt
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Wyatt, Neal. "How To Tame a Wild Rogue." Library Journal, vol. 148, no. 6, June 2023, p. 101. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A752767761/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=d1f9e6c6. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
Long, Julie Anne HOW TO TAME A WILD ROGUE Avon/HarperCollins (Fiction None) $9.99 7, 25 ISBN: 9780063280915
A smuggler-turned-privateer and a lady on the run are forced to seek shelter together in a stormy London.
The latest guests in the Grand Palace on the Thames boardinghouse have never known the safety of a loving home. When Lorcan St. Leger crosses paths with Lady Daphne Worth, he's just brought his ship into port ahead of a storm that's shutting down the city. Lady Daphne is escaping out the window of a house where she fears assault from her new employer's lecherous husband. Unwilling to abandon her to the dangers of the docklands, the hardened sailor escorts her to what he first assumes is a bordello but discovers is a cozy hotel filled with unusual occupants. Learning that there is only one available space--a two-bedroom suite--they claim to be married so they may wait out the tumultuous weather. Thus begins a lovely new episode in the Palace of Rogues series, in which the author works romance alchemy on the familiar tropes of forced proximity, opposites attract, and a fake relationship, with magical results. Along with the pleasures of peeking in on series regulars, readers will witness the slow build of sexual and emotional ties between a former orphan from the slums and a woman once destined to marry a fellow aristocrat. As they spend time alone in their suite to build a convincing story about their nonexistent couplehood, Lorcan and Daphne realize they're revealing hidden facets of themselves that no one else has known or could have been trusted with. Long imbues their every gesture and utterance with delicate weight. Metaphor and similes abound, making visible the ineffable threads that weave two people into one self when they share past griefs, present desires, and future wishes. The emotional punch is lightened from time to time by the other guests' quirks, culminating in the classic arc of a harmonious society. The couple's dark moment of choosing between prescribed paths and taking a risk is inevitable but the narrative moves past it speedily. The epilogue might split readers, but most will enjoy its promise of more stories to come.
A Regency romantic drama seething with emotional quakes in the vein of Lisa Kleypas.
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"Long, Julie Anne: HOW TO TAME A WILD ROGUE." Kirkus Reviews, 15 May 2023. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A748974203/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=9d2e3440. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
How to Tame a Wild Rogue
Julie Anne Long. Avon, $9.99 mass market (384p) ISBN 978-0-06-328091-5
Long continues her hot stteak with the spicy sixth Palace of Rogues Regency romance (after You Were Made to Be Mine). Lady Daphne Worth, daughter of an indebted viscount, takes a job as a live-in companion to an older woman to improve her family's finances. Then her employer's husband makes unwanted advances, leading Daphne to flee through her chamber window using her bed sheet as a rope. It's not quite long enough, however, and she would be left dangling as the "storm of the decade" approaches if not for privateer Lorcan St. Leger coming to her rescue. The pair shelter from the flood at the Grand Palace on the Thames boarding house, pretending to be married to obtain a room. Lorcan grew up in the St. Giles slums while Daphne was raised in an impoverished aristocratic family under immense pressure to marry wealthy, but as the pair maintain their romantic charade, they come to recognize each other as fellow survivors. Their steamy budding love is imperiled, however, by the suspicions of the boarding house proprietress's husband, Capt. Tristan Hardy, who made his career catching smugglers. Heightened emotions, palpable passion, and just the right amount of suspense keep the pages flying. Readers won't want to put this down. Agent: Steve Axelrod, Axelrod Agency. (July)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 PWxyz, LLC
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"How to Tame a Wild Rogue." Publishers Weekly, vol. 270, no. 18, 1 May 2023, p. 57. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A749619632/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=9ab8e047. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
Long, Julie Anne YOU WERE MADE TO BE MINE Avon/HarperCollins (Fiction None) $8.99 6, 28 ISBN: 978-0-06-304510-1
The runaway French fiancee of an English diplomat is followed to England by a recently freed spy with his own agenda.
Having fled the man she was engaged to marry, young Lady Aurelie Capet finds her way to the Grand Palace on the Thames boardinghouse and manages to fake her way into becoming a temporary lodger under the name Mary Gallagher. Anxious to head to Boston and her only surviving family, she is only waiting to liquidate some assets for the trip when Christian Hawkes crashes into the dockside inn, bleeding from a knife wound. The motley inhabitants rally to his aid, mistaking him for an expected new guest. But it is Aurelie, posing as the widowed Mrs. Gallagher, who volunteers to watch over the feverish man, realizing that her recent misfortune has shown her how tough she is in dire straits. From then on, the tension ratchets up, both from the couple's magnetic sexual and emotional attraction and the reader's awareness of his real mission--finding her--and his chameleonlike skills. As always, Long's style, with its evocative phrases, casts a spell. She is also deft at weaving the protagonists closer to each other while building a sense of dread: How will the knot be unraveled, and will the truth of their past entanglements with the same man lance old poisons or infect their budding love? But the normally nimble writer missteps in forcing a conversation about Aurelie's flight after the third-act breakup, worsening the black moment through a choice that is inexplicable and unnecessary and potentially hurts the hero's heroic status. The eventual resolution involving the villain is somewhat hollow as well, because it makes Aurelie's recent past a tool to serve the hero's character arc. The familiar members and new guests of the boardinghouse provide needed comfort even as the new couple add a frisson of excitement and uncertainty.
A tense and tender historical romance that may be the strongest and yet most flawed of the Grand Palace on the Thames books.
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"Long, Julie Anne: YOU WERE MADE TO BE MINE." Kirkus Reviews, 15 May 2022. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A703414063/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=88cf85bf. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
Long, Julie Anne. You Were Made To Be Mine. Avon. (The Palace of Rogues, Bk. 5). Jun. 2022.368p. ISBN 9780063045101. pap.
$8.99. HISTORICAL ROMANCE
Christian Hawkes has been released from prison, exchanging his fortune for his release. When the Earl of Brundage asks Christian to find his missing fiancee, the former English spy jumps at the easy way to refill his coffers. Diving into the investigation, Christian begins to sort out where and why Lady Aurelie Capet might have gone, while also taking the opportunity to pursue his long-held instinct that the earl may be dabbling in treason. Between her fear of the earl and her growing desperation, Aurelie finds solace at the Grand Palace on the Thames and among the lovely company, as she attempts to secure passage to Boston. After a mysterious man shows up at the door, bleeding from a stab wound, Aurelie is determined to assist a fellow soul in need. When Christian awakes from the stabbing, he is aware of two things: he has managed to track down Aurelie, and his suspicion about the earl is dangerously correct. As the two, with the help of the Grand Palace regulars, work to secure their freedoms from the earl, they begin to dream of an idyllic future together. VERDICT With a new set of intriguing circumstances and the familiar cast of charming characters, Long returns to "The Palace of Rogues" series in this fifth welcome visit (following After Dark with the Duke) to the Grand Palace on the Thames.--Kellie Tilton
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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"You Were Made To Be Mine." Library Journal, vol. 147, no. 5, May 2022, pp. 80+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A703277635/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=441959ed. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
After Dark with the Duke. By Julie Anne Long. Nov. 2021. 384p. Avon, $8.99 (9780063045095); e book, $5.99 (9780063044159).
After an angry mob fueled by a false rumor descends upon her lodgings, opera diva Mariana Wylde, the "Harlot of Haywood Street," seeks refuge at the Grand Palace on the Thames. There Mariana receives a warm welcome from not only the proprietors but also the rest of the guests staying at the boarding house. Well, all except one, General James Duncan Blackmore, the duke of Valkirk. To say that James, who literally wrote the book on honorable behavior, is a tad frosty towards Mariana would be an understatement. However, if Mariana possesses one skill besides being gifted with a voice like a nightingale, it is her ability to decipher exactly what a man wants, even an enigma like James. When choreographing the delicate dance of seduction, Long (I'm Only Wicked with You, 2021) once again proves she is a literary equivalent of Balanchine by expertly timing the romantic push and pull between her protagonists until she ultimately delivers their smoldering and sensual pas de deux. The latest in the Palace of Rogues series is another bravura blend of bracing wit and thrilling romanticism.--John Charles
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2021 American Library Association
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Charles, John. "After Dark with the Duke." Booklist, vol. 118, no. 4, 15 Oct. 2021, p. 32. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A696451959/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=e475b608. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
Long, Julie Anne AFTER DARK WITH THE DUKE Avon/HarperCollins (Fiction None) $8.99 11, 30 ISBN: 978-0-06-304509-5
Desire and disdain collide as an opera singer who's been publicly shamed clashes with a priggish, aristocratic military hero.
Soprano Mariana Wylde seeks refuge at the London docklands boardinghouse known as the Palace of Rogues after a duel between a former lover and a current fan makes her a tabloid scandal. To her dismay, Gen. James Duncan Blackmore, the Duke of Valkirk--who's lodging there temporarily while writing his memoirs--takes an immediate dislike to her for her perceived debauchery. Initial skirmishes between the two culminate in a mean-spirited action on his part, precipitating an apology and a period of forced proximity between them. While the duke, who speaks Italian, gives private lessons to the soprano, who only sings it, they begin to slowly share their fears and traumas, and the two bruised souls drop their bellicose facades and begin a secret affair. Despite their electric attraction, however, her disrepute presents an insurmountable barrier to a legitimate relationship in his eyes, yoked as he is to his own reputation as a moralist. Long specializes in crafting tension between people whose sexual and intellectual compatibility are at odds with their place in social hierarchies and prescribed gender roles. But even as British society seems unlikely to accept this union, the plucky proprietresses of the Palace of Rogues and the other charming lodgers there model alternatives to a conventional life. It's up to the duke to overcome his black-and-white perspective as he comes to see how sexist stereotypes demonize nonconforming women while excusing men. If the novel's agenda is obvious--questioning the patriarchal hypocrisy that condemns women after taking away their choices--the execution is subtle and moving. Scenes where the protagonists' spoken words compete with their body language mirror the strain between socially dictated mores and individual desire. The only sour note is the hero's background, which falls into a long romance tradition of British imperialists--one that needs to be retired, or at least interrogated.
An enemies-to-lovers romance that deserves to be savored.
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"Long, Julie Anne: AFTER DARK WITH THE DUKE." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Oct. 2021. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A678748448/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=f7288a3f. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
Long, Julie Anne. After Dark with the Duke. Avon. (Palace of Rogues, Bk. 4). Nov. 2021. 384p. ISBN 9780063045095. pap. $8.99. HISTORICAL ROMANCE
The Grand Palace on the Thames has new guests. Opera singer Mariana Wylde (nicknamed the "Harlot of Haywood Street" by the broadsheets) arrives just before curfew, begging for a room. She never expected an old lover and a new beau to come to blows over her, let alone fight a duel that almost killed both and caused her fall from fame. But Mariana's arrival is a godsend for the ladies of the Grand Palace, who quickly set about planning an event to restore her reputation and fill their coffers. The other new guest is the respected general James Blackmore, Duke of Valkirk, who sought rooms at the Grand Palace for solitude to work on his memoir. He's quite contemptuous of Mariana at first, since he saw too many young men die in battle to tolerate their potential deaths over a woman of her ilk. But there's something about Mariana that makes him feel alive again, and he's not quite sure how to deal with these feelings. VERDICT Long continues her "Palace of Rogues" series (after I'm Only Wicked with You) with another strong heroine and the entertaining residents of the Grand Palace. A must-buy for libraries that own the series.--Melanie C. Duncan, Washington Memorial Lib., Macon, GA
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2021 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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"Long, Julie Anne. After Dark with the Duke." Library Journal, vol. 146, no. 10, Oct. 2021, p. 74. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A678264987/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a9b9b71b. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
Julie Anne Long. Avon, $8.99 mass market (384p) ISBN 978-0-06-304509-5
Rumors and respectability are at the forefront of Long's exceptional fourth Palace of Rogues Regency romance (after I'm Only Wicked with Yon). Disgraced opera singer Mariana Wylde flees her London home after she's threatened by a mob accusing her of using her feminine wiles to incite a duel. She finds refuge at the Grand Palace on the Thames, a boarding house run by Delilah Hardy and Angelique Durand where war hero James Duncan Blackmore, the Duke of Valkirk, also resides. The image-con-scious duke initially rebuffs and ridicules Mariana, until Delilah and Angelique step in. As penance for his poor behavior, James offers to teach Mariana Italian, and their enjoyable tutoring sessions soon lead to frank discussions and intense attraction. But as Mariana considers an offer to sing in a new opera in Paris and James contemplates remarrying after the death of his wife five years before, it seems the differences in their social stations may be insurmountable. Long's intelligent, complex protagonists and their credible hidden depths feel remarkably real, while the slow-burning evolution of their romance and genuine impediments to their love will keep readers hooked. Add in witty dialogue and sharp commentary on class restrictions, and the result is a standout historical romance. Agent: Steve Axelrod. the AxelrodAgency. (Dec.)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2021 PWxyz, LLC
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"After Dark with the Duke." Publishers Weekly, vol. 268, no. 39, 27 Sept. 2021, p. 58. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A677981455/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=86f18ad0. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.