2009 is going to be a year of some awesome historical romance debuts.  Believe it or not, it is time for the first one!  It’s Miranda Neville, whose historical romance debut, Never Resist Temptation, comes out today.  The title is reminiscent of Oscar Wilde, one of my very favorite of favorite snarky authors.  I read the first few chapters on Avon’s Love Gives Back site, and I can tell you that the Oscar Wilde title is definitely deserved.  Miranda had me laughing within the first five pages, and after I finished the excerpt, I immediately rushed out and pre-ordered it for my Kindle.  It looks to be the kind of romance I love–tartly clever dialogue, an intelligent hero and heroine, chapters filled with recipes from Antoine Careme (the first Celebrity chef!). . . .  The story itself is lovingly set amidst painstaking research on the running of kitchens from the Prince Regent’s to much smaller ones.  Most importantly, this book is engrossing from page one.

I definitely want to share this book with you, and so one person will win a copy of Miranda Neville’s Never Resist Temptation.  Here’s what you have to do to get a chance to win:

1.  Read the excerpt on Love Gives Back.

2.  For one chance to win, send an e-mail to courtney @ courtneymilan dot com, telling me the salary that Jacobin is offered in order to make French pastries.

3.  For a second chance to win, include in the e-mail one pastry that the Earl of Storrington asks Jacobin to make for him.

That is it!  You have three days–until Thursday, February 27, 2009, at 8 AM EST–to send the e-mail.  I’ll choose one winner at random from the entries.  (EDIT:  Should be Friday, February 27.  oops!)