Invitation to Sin (thanks, Theresa!)

I don't know how I won things before the Internet--in addition to my awesome Twitter scores, my needlessly snarky comment on Theresa's February contest post got selected for signed-swag goodness from Sally MacKenzie, who writes a "Naked Nobles" series. Invitation to Sin is a four-novella anthology (Romance: Preserving the Novella Form since Whenever): MacKenzie's entry, "The Naked Prince," is definitely the best--funny and naughty and we're-in-love-cause-we-both-love-translating-Latin. Awwww--Regency nerds are the best.

Of the others, I most like Jo Beverly's "Forbidden Affections" for its Gothic-novel props, and kudos to Vanessa Kelly for an older-woman (OK, 32, but in 1813 that was superannuated) tale called "The Pleasure of a Younger Lover." Kaitlin O'Riley's "A Summer Love Affair" was pretty standard, but I do like it when the hero is inspired by the heroine to become a responsible adult.

And thanks to Gothamist's awesome "Ten Best Indie Bookstore of NYC" post, I was introduced to TWO Brooklyn bookstores I hadn't heard of: Book Thug Nation in Williamsburg and Unnameable Books in...uh...Park Slope or something? Welp, nope, Prospect Heights, I guess. Anyway: neither is hiring, more's the pity--but both had charming, friendly staff and awesome selection of used (both) and new (Unnameable). Definitely on the list for future purchases! Book Thug had a first American edition of Brideshead Revisited I've got my eye on.