This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Alix Nichols will be awarding a digital box set of her bestselling series The Darcy Brothers to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
For sixteen years, they’ve hated each other...
and craved each other.
Widowed and betrayed, Eva Castellane will do anything to protect her daughter’s inheritance.
Standing in her way?
Alex Castellane—her late husband’s steely, magnetic half brother.
The man poised to take it all.
Her worst enemy.
Her forbidden temptation.
Stuck together in the family castle, their legal fight spirals into war…
until a common threat forces a reluctant alliance.
Desire blurs the lines.
Chemistry sizzles.
Rules get broken.
But as the verdict nears, one slip could unravel Eva’s explosive secret…
A Duchess with a Secret stands alone within the Montevor Royals Saga. It is a spicy contemporary enemies-to-lovers romance with forced proximity, family secrets, and a hard-won HEA.
Read an Excerpt
Alex
The air outside the basement at Mount Evor Secret Service feels colder than it did inside. It isn’t exactly chilly; just crisp enough to bite, which I welcome wholeheartedly. It clears my head.
“I’m going to walk to the hotel,” Eva says. “I need air.”
“I was about to say the same.”
She shoots me a look. “Please don’t. I don’t want to start thinking we have things in common.”
“What about the duchy?” I taunt.
“Of all the things we don’t have in common,” she quips, “the duchy is the one we don’t have in common the most.”
I smile despite myself. The pretty shell has some humor.
“May I walk beside you?” I ask.
“If you must,” she says after a beat. “But don’t think I’m warming to you.”
“Understood.”
We fall into step, heading toward the hotel located in the city’s historic center. She keeps her arms folded tight across her chest like a shield.
“I want you to know I will fight you with everything I’ve got. Dirty. No-holds-barred,” she warns. “My lawyer, Pauline, is very good at her job.”
I glance over. “So, this is your idea of small talk?”
“If you’d prefer silence…”
“No, this is delightful.”
We keep walking. Pombrio glows in the late-September dusk. The limestone facades catch the last golden rays and appear to be lit from within. Lined with old trees starting to turn, cobbled streets stretch ahead, winding gently. Cafés hum with end-of-day energy, clinking glasses, and low laughter. A faint whiff of woodsmoke rides the breeze.
I’d enjoy this stroll more if Eva weren’t so close. Her presence is magnetic and annoying in equal measures. Her perfume doesn’t help. It has none of the sugary sweetness most ladies favor. Instead, it’s seductive in a sharp, provocative way that’s so much her.
Author Interview:
What genre do you read? Who's an author you read?
AN: I mostly read romance, but I also enjoy non-fiction. When it comes to romance, I have a few all-time favourites. Jane Austen is at the very top for me. And, yes, she’s so much more than a romance writer, but Pride and Prejudice remains, in my opinion, the greatest romance of all time. I also love Kresley Cole for her addictive paranormal romance, Julia Quinn for her witty and charming historicals, and Jill Mansell for her feel-good contemporary stories that always leave me smiling.
AN: I mostly read romance, but I also enjoy non-fiction. When it comes to romance, I have a few all-time favourites. Jane Austen is at the very top for me. And, yes, she’s so much more than a romance writer, but Pride and Prejudice remains, in my opinion, the greatest romance of all time. I also love Kresley Cole for her addictive paranormal romance, Julia Quinn for her witty and charming historicals, and Jill Mansell for her feel-good contemporary stories that always leave me smiling.
What book are you reading right now, and what do you like about it?
AN: Right now I’m reading non-fiction: Atomic Habits by James Clear. I really like how practical and straightforward it is. It breaks down the science of habit formation into small, manageable steps that actually feel doable. As a writer, I find it especially useful for building better routines around my creative work. I’ve already started applying some of the ideas to my daily writing process.
AN: Right now I’m reading non-fiction: Atomic Habits by James Clear. I really like how practical and straightforward it is. It breaks down the science of habit formation into small, manageable steps that actually feel doable. As a writer, I find it especially useful for building better routines around my creative work. I’ve already started applying some of the ideas to my daily writing process.
Favorite sports.
AN: Believe it or not, it’s water polo. I even wrote a whole romance trilogy whose heroes are professional water polo players (it’s called Playing to Win). There’s something about the intensity, the teamwork, and the physicality of the sport that really appeals to me. Plus, it’s not a sport you see very often in romance, so it was fun to explore it in a series. Yay to hunks in speedos!
AN: Believe it or not, it’s water polo. I even wrote a whole romance trilogy whose heroes are professional water polo players (it’s called Playing to Win). There’s something about the intensity, the teamwork, and the physicality of the sport that really appeals to me. Plus, it’s not a sport you see very often in romance, so it was fun to explore it in a series. Yay to hunks in speedos!
Favorite thing about the state/country that you live in.
AN: I live in France, and there are so many things I love about this country. But if I had to choose just one thing, I’d say it’s the cafés and the castles. Well, that’s two things, actually. I adore writing in French bistros — the atmosphere, the coffee, the people-watching, all of it. And I never get tired of visiting the beautiful historic castles scattered across the country. They’re both endlessly inspiring. The former gave me the idea for my first romcom series, Bistro La Bohème. The latter has inspired my current romance saga, the Montevor Royals, which includes my latest book, A Duchess with a Secret.
AN: I live in France, and there are so many things I love about this country. But if I had to choose just one thing, I’d say it’s the cafés and the castles. Well, that’s two things, actually. I adore writing in French bistros — the atmosphere, the coffee, the people-watching, all of it. And I never get tired of visiting the beautiful historic castles scattered across the country. They’re both endlessly inspiring. The former gave me the idea for my first romcom series, Bistro La Bohème. The latter has inspired my current romance saga, the Montevor Royals, which includes my latest book, A Duchess with a Secret.
What is your writing process like? Are you more of a plotter or a pantser?
AN: I try to write in the morning when my mind is at its freshest and most creative. I’m very much a plotter, by necessity. If I try to pants a book, I tend to wander so far off track that I end up completely lost and unable to finish the story. Having a solid outline helps me stay focused and actually reach “The End” without too many detours (though I still allow myself some flexibility along the way).
AN: I try to write in the morning when my mind is at its freshest and most creative. I’m very much a plotter, by necessity. If I try to pants a book, I tend to wander so far off track that I end up completely lost and unable to finish the story. Having a solid outline helps me stay focused and actually reach “The End” without too many detours (though I still allow myself some flexibility along the way).
AA: Alix Nicholas, Thanks for being here at Always Reading.- Melissa
About the Author:
Alix Nichols is a caffeine addict, a longtime fan of Mr. Darcy. She pens sexy romantic comedies and romantasy. Her books have been described as "pure pleasure" (Kirkus Reviews) that “keep fans of romance hanging off the edge of their seat” (Romantic Times).
At the age of six, she released her first book. It featured highly creative spelling on a dozen pages stitched together and bound in velvet paper.
Decades later, she lives in France and still writes. Her spelling has improved (somewhat), she has become a Kindle Scout winner, Chanticleer First Place winner, USA Today bestseller, Book Riot's Top 100 Must-Read International Romance author, and Amazon All-Star for being one of the 100 most-read authors in Kindle Unlimited.
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/author/alixnichols
Website: http://www.alixnichols.com
Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/alixnichols
Facebook: http://facebook.com/AuthorAlixNichols
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alix-nichols
Newsletter Signup (and a free bundle!): http://bit.ly/alix-freebook
Alix Nichols is a caffeine addict, a longtime fan of Mr. Darcy. She pens sexy romantic comedies and romantasy. Her books have been described as "pure pleasure" (Kirkus Reviews) that “keep fans of romance hanging off the edge of their seat” (Romantic Times).
At the age of six, she released her first book. It featured highly creative spelling on a dozen pages stitched together and bound in velvet paper.
Decades later, she lives in France and still writes. Her spelling has improved (somewhat), she has become a Kindle Scout winner, Chanticleer First Place winner, USA Today bestseller, Book Riot's Top 100 Must-Read International Romance author, and Amazon All-Star for being one of the 100 most-read authors in Kindle Unlimited.
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/author/alixnichols
Website: http://www.alixnichols.com
Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/alixnichols
Facebook: http://facebook.com/AuthorAlixNichols
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alix-nichols
Newsletter Signup (and a free bundle!): http://bit.ly/alix-freebook
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