Add a heroine with a bustle and the will to kick major butt. Then include enough contrivances to keep them fighting while getting them alone and possibly without key pieces of clothing, and what do you have? A romance novel. What else? Enough lessons about life, love, and everything in between to help you with your own happily-ever-after.Lessons like...?Romance means believing you are worthy of a happy ending ?Learning to tell the prince from the frog ?Real-life romance is still alive and kicking ?No matter how bad it is, at least you haven't been kidnapped by a Scottish duke (probably)Sarah Wendell is cofounder of one of the top romance blogs, SmartBitchesTrashyBooks.com.

    To interview both reclusive Baron Charles de Gillesmont of Ch-teau Reynard in Bordeaux and business genius Valentine Gordon of California's Dry Stone Wineries; compare Old World and New, passion and profit, centuries of tradition and the very latest technology. But suddenly Bell's career is the last thing on her mind. Because Charles and Valentine are not just opposites but enemies, locked in lethal rivalry by their only common bond, the women they choose to love. Once, Charles's wife now Bell. How can Bell, loving one, still feel the draw of the other? Yet only by throwing herself into both worlds in turn can she finally recognize her own-

    A team of contemporary fiction scholars from both sides of the Atlantic has been assembled to provide a thorough and readable analysis of each of the novels in question. The books in the series will all follow the same structure:a biography of the novelist, including other works, influences, and, in some cases, an interview; a full-length study of the novel, drawing out the most important themes and ideas; a summary of how the novel was received upon publication; a summary of how the novel has performed since publication, including film or TV adaptations, literary prizes, etc.; a wide range of suggestions for further reading, including websites and discussion forums; and a list of questions for reading groups to discuss.

    His colleagues are an assortment of misfits, including Prendy (plagued by doubts) and captain Grimes, who is always in the soup (or just plain drunk). Then Sports Day arrives, and with it the delectable Margot Beste-Chetwynde, floating on a scented breeze. As the farce unfolds and the young run riot, no one is safe, least of all Paul. Taking its title from Edward Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Evelyn Waugh's first, funniest novel immediately caught the ear of the public with his account of an ingénu abroad in the decadent confusion of 1920s high society.

    After the young Viking prince Mikkel sets Devin free on the Irish coast far from home, Bree and Devin embark on separate journeys to courage. Readers will be captivated by the unfolding drama as Bree sails to Norway on the Viking ship and Devin travels the dangerous road home. They both must trust their all-powerful God in the midst of difficult situations. In "Mystery of the Silver Coins," Bree finds herself in a physical and spiritual battle for survival. With another young slave, she makes a daring escape from the ship as soon as it reaches harbor. They hide in the woods as Mikkel and his Viking sailors begin a relentless search, certain that Bree is responsible for a missing bag of silver coins. Bree must face her unwillingless to forgive the Vikings, and Mikkel begins to wonder: Is the God of these Irish Christians really more powerful than our own Viking gods' In "The Invisible Friend," Bree arrives in Norway and is sent to work as a slave for the family of Mikkel, her Viking captor. She struggles to adjust, feeling worthless and disrespected, and wondering why God wants her in Norway. Her prayers are answered when she is given the opportunity to teach Mikkel's grandparents to read using an illuminated Bible stolen from an Irish monastery. In the "Heart of Courage," Bree learns that her brother, Devin, her sister, Keely, and her friend, Lil, will set out for Ireland. She longs to go with them. Instead, Mikkel asks her to be a cook for voyage to Greenland. Somehow her excellent food becomes inedible and the Vikings think she's trying to sabotage their voyage. Join Bree and Devin for more adventures in this fourth installment of the "Viking Quest" series.In "The Raider's Promise," Bree, Devin, and Mikkel enter a new world with the explorer Leif Erikson. Their first task: build a shelter to survive the winter. But danger lurks from within the shadows on the horizon of a life where everyone needs the courage to win. Can Mikkel conquer his enemies and find new purpose for his life' Will he keep his promise to Bree and Devin to take them home to Ireland' Will he keep his pledge of honor, even if it means death'