Longbourn's Songbird by Beau North ♥ Book Tour & GIVEAWAY ♥ (Historical Romance)

“Someday some lark is gonna spell you with a song, Will Darcy. She’ll call you with music and you’ll be as good as lost.”

In the autumn of 1948, young millionaire Will Darcy comes to the sleepy, backwater town of Meryton, South Carolina to visit his best friend, Charles Bingley. When Darcy becomes enchanted by a local beauty with a heavenly voice, his business dealings with Longbourn Farms may close the door to his romantic hopes before they are given a chance to thrive.

Still healing from heartbreak, Elizabeth Bennet takes solace in her family, home, and the tight-knit community of Meryton. That foundation is shaken when Will Darcy makes a successful offer to buy the family farm. Blinded by hurt, will Elizabeth miss the chance to find in him the peace and comfort her heart truly needs?

Confronting the racial, economic, and social inequalities of the times, Longbourn’s Songbird is an imaginative romance inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice and told through the lens of postwar America, a story layered with betrayal and loss, love and letting go.

First, I’d like to give bottomless and heartfelt thanks to everyone at Romance Novel Giveaways for being a part of my blog tour. I can’t wait to get into further discussion with you all! Now, a little setup for this excerpt. It is the night of Charles Bingley’s birthday party, and there is a great deal of tension and uncertainty between Will Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet, for reasons I can’t say lest I spoil the entire book! Needless to say, they are both floundering to re-establish the closeness they’d so recently built, while recognizing their mutual attraction to one another. I truly hope you enjoy this scene, it’s one of my favorites!

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She spotted Darcy out of the corner of her eye, admiring him as he moved through the crowd. He was dressed for the occasion in an inky black suit that was perfectly cut for his broad frame. With his hair combed neatly back, he bore an unapproachable, dignified look. Elizabeth found that she missed the rumpled man who’d thrown acorns at her window.

As she was watching him, his eyes flicked up and locked on to hers as if he’d sensed her stare. She turned away nervously, draining her glass.

“Oh buck up and get over yourself, Lizzie,” she mumbled to herself, and after finishing her second full glass of champagne, she was intent on speaking to him. She knew where they stood. She straightened her shoulders as she approached; suddenly glad she had raided her savings to buy the new dress she wore.

She felt like a star in the rich, emerald-colored chiffon that clung to her torso, leaving her arms and part of her back bare. The skirt floated like a cloud around her, stopping just below her knees. She allowed Lydia to style her hair that night, and when she stood before the mirror, she hardly recognized herself.

And judging from the dark look Darcy gave her as she approached him, neither did he. She swallowed and opened her mouth to say something brilliant and memorable.

“Hello.”

Darcy nodded to her. “Miss Bennet.”

Elizabeth faltered, his formality making her unsure. “I was just wondering,” she said in a rush, “what it is about a dance floor that terrifies you so?”

He looked taken aback for a moment. “Aren’t you afraid of me?”

“No.” She lied. “I’m not afraid. There’s no place for fear in Valhalla.” He gave her a considering look, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

“Do you know what terminal velocity is, Elizabeth?”

She shivered at the way he caressed her name. “Do you, Mr. Darcy? Whatever it is, it definitely sounds like something folks talk about at parties.”

“It’s what happens when an irresistible force”—he reached out and touched one of her silky curls, letting it slide slowly through his fingers—“meets an immovable object.”

Her eyes widened slightly. A nervous smile appeared on her face. “Immovable, are you? A fine pun, sir. I never would have thought you had it in you."

Beau North is a native southerner who now calls Portland, Oregon home with her husband and two cats. She attended the University of South Carolina where she began a lifelong obsession with English Literature. In her spare time, Beau is the brains behind Rhymes With Nerdy, an internet collective focused on pop culture. This is her first novel. Connect with Beau North on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, or through her blog.