{BLOG TOUR} THE GEEK GIRL AND THE SCANDALOUS EARL by GINA LAMM ~ REVIEW and INTERVIEW

Welcome to The Bookish Babe's stop on the blog tour for The Geek Girl and the Scandalous Earl. My stop includes a review and interview with author Gina Lamm. Thanks to Sourcebooks for inviting me to take part in the tour.

Series: Stand alone
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date: 3/5/13
Format: ARC
Pages: 352
Source: Received from publisher for review

THE STAKES HAVE NEVER BEEN HIGHER…

An avid gamer, Jamie Marten loves to escape into online adventure. But when she falls through an antique mirror into a lavish bedchamber—200 years in the past!—she realizes she may have escaped a little too far.

Micah Axelby, Earl of Dunnington, has just kicked one mistress out of his bed, and isn’t looking to fill it with another—least of all this sassy, nearly naked girl who claims to be from the future. Yet something about her is undeniably enticing…

Jamie and Micah are worlds apart. He’s a peer of the realm. She can barely make rent. She’s wi-fi. He’s horse-drawn. But soon the pair will do anything to avoid a Game Over.

The Geek Girl and the Scandalous Earl (whew, that's a mouthful) is a fun, charming story of a time-traveling girl and the man she loves.

I'm a big fan of time-travel books, of books in which a character is a "fish out of water" and must adjust to the time they are stuck in. TGGaTSE was a fun take on that particular storyline, mostly because of Jamie, the Geek Girl. What made Jamie so much fun was that she is such a spirited character. She is an avid gamer, a regular RPG-er. She swears a lot, asks questions, and doesn't take no for an answer. As you may guess, she doesn't exactly fit in when she lands in 1816 England.

As for her Earl, Micah...well, any man who's described as looking like Colin Firth gets an automatic pass from me. Micah was given an authentic voice for a man of Regency London. That means he's appropriately stuffy, honor bound, but like a good scandalous Earl, Micah knows how to turn things up behind closed doors.

The story got off to a quick start, with Jamie landing in 1816 within a few pages. That was good because I like my stories to have a fast pace, but I also felt like I didn't know Jamie and her situation very well. Once she lands in London, the plot continued to move forward quickly, still a good thing, but I did feel the relationship did move a little too quickly, particularly the love. I really didn't see where the feelings were coming from. As the story continued, with Jamie and Micah getting to actually know one another better, I did feel the chemistry between them, particularly in the bedroom. Holy wow! There was some seriously hot bed action happening between Geek Girl and Scandalous Earl! Two thumbs up!

There is nice secondary mystery involving a woman from Micah's past, and a dangerous woman from his present. That aspect provided good tension and drama between Micah and Jamie, and really moved the plot forward.

The Geek Girl and the Scandalous Earl was charming and a lot of fun. I look forward to seeing what the future, or past, holds for Jamie and Micah.



Favorite Quote:

  Her heart sped at the way he guided her. His hand on the small of her back burned her. He led her through the swirling steps--one, two, three, one, two, three--spinning her in dizzying circles. Their eyes were locked, their hands clasped, and she rested her other palm on his muscled shoulder, she didn't know if she was Jamie Marten, songwriter and self-avowed geek girl from 2012, or Miss Jamie Marten, genteel and refined English miss from 1816.  ~eARC, 29%

 

Interview with Author Gina Lamm 

 

 
Describe Geek Girl & the Scandalous Earl, Twitter-style. 

GL:  A modern day geek girl gets sucked through a mirror and falls in love with a handsome and haughty earl. Hijinx and hot lovin’ to follow.


What was your inspiration for the story?
GL:  I had just finished reading Stephen King’s book ON WRITING. While driving home one evening, I mulled over something he said. The common rule of thumb is “write what you know.” But Stephen King’s opinion was we should write what we LIKE. While tumbling that idea over in my head, I thought about it. What do I love? Online games like World of Warcraft. But what else do I love? Regency romances. While turning the corner onto the narrow country road, the idea for Jamie and Micah was born. I started writing as soon as I got in the door.


Do you have a routine that you use to get into the right frame of mind to write?
GL:  Not at ALL. I used to write poetry when I was a teenager, and I’ve sort of taken the same approach to writing fiction. A line would pop into my head, and it would instantly have to be written down. That happens now, too. I’ll be thinking of the story, and a line drops from the ether into my fingertips. It can be sort of annoying. For instance, there are chapters and chapters of THE GEEK GIRL AND THE SCANDALOUS EARL’s sequel that were written on, of all things, my iPhone. A bit inconvenient. J


What do you think sets Geek Girl apart from other books in the genre?
GL:  I don’t know of any book that really mashes these two particular worlds together. Jamie is very modern, very independent, and very opinionated. Micah is very traditional, very proper, and also very opinionated. Being able to use both modern geeky and proper Regency voices was incredibly fun, and I think the juxtaposition is something that most people will enjoy.


What made you choose to set the story in 1800s London?
GL:  I’ve been addicted to Regency romances since I was a teenager. My sister and I used to devour those little Signet category books like they were sacks of candy. I love the pageantry, the society, and the heroines and heroes who manage to find love despite all those ridiculous rules. And the clothes! I am a bit of a costume whore.


Do you have a favorite Historical Romance or time travel book/series?
GL:  My all-time favorite Regencies are from Catherine Coulter. I adore THE WYNDHAM LEGACY, and THE SHERBROOKE BRIDE, as well as many others. As far as time travel, I have to say that Lynn Kurland’s STARDUST OF YESTERDAY is my all-time favorite. A little paranormal element in that one as well, which makes me happy.


What book (besides your own, of course) do you wish everyone would read?
GL:  Oh gosh, it’s like asking me to pick my favorite fur kid! Okay, I’ll try.

I wish everyone would read DOLORES CLAIBORNE, by Stephen King. I know, it’s hardly a romance, but the voice in that book is INCREDIBLE. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read it. I’ve read it to shreds. That book is as human as anything I’ve ever read, and I think it’s really helped me to understand how deeply people can really feel.

 

Thanks to Gina for stopping by.  

 

 

About the author:
Becoming a magician proved to be less interesting than Gina Lamm had anticipated when she was six, so in her adult life, she’s turned to writing.

This belly-dancing, wisecracking, marshmallow-addicted mother of three energetic fur-children loves nothing more than penning funny, emotional tales of love, lust, and entertaining mishaps.

Married to a real live superhero, she and her family live in North Carolina, surrounded by tobacco farms, possums, and the occasional hurricane.

Connect with Gina at:
Website  |  Twitter  |  GoodReads 

 

 

 

Order The Geek Girl and the Scandalous Earl at:



Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Book Depository