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Thieves, Mail-Order Brides, & More

Spellbound at Pemberley

Spellbound at Pemberley by Abigail Reynolds is $2.49 at Amazon! I thought this might appeal to the Bitchery as there is a magical Darcy. And also the description mentions dragons!

Fitzwilliam Darcy is a powerful mage and master of illusions. His abilities make him the perfect man for a dangerous mission to end the devastating war with Napoleon – a mission that would leave him little chance of returning alive. When he meets the enchanting Elizabeth Bennet, whose magical Talents are as deep as they are inexplicable, he knows he needs her help. And there’s only one way to get that – marriage. Immediately.

Elizabeth wants nothing to do with his plan. Marrying Darcy would mean breaking her strong and beloved magical bond to Longbourn and giving up the use of her Talent forever. Then dragons enter the war in Europe, and England’s survival hangs in the balance. And Elizabeth must make the ultimate sacrifice.

In this first book of the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Mage trilogy, dragons are already watching their newlywed journey to Pemberley, and a shocking discovery will force them to question everything they believe. Can they learn to trust each other and work together to save their country–and their lives?

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

The Midwinter Mail-Order Bride

The Midwinter Mail-Order Bride by Kati Wilde is $2.99 at Amazon! This is a fantasy romance with an arranged marriage or sorts. It was recently highly recommended on our latest Rec League for books with Madmartigan and Sorsha vibes!

Some might call Princess Anja of Ivermere brave for offering herself up as a bride to Kael the Conqueror, a barbarian warlord who’d won his crown by the bloodied edge of his sword. It was not courage that drove Anja from her magic-wielding family’s enchanted palace, however, but a desperate attempt to secure a kingdom of her own — even if she has to kill the Conqueror to do it. She expects pain beneath his brutal touch as she awaits her chance. She expects death if he discovers the truth of her intentions.

She didn’t expect Kael to reject her and send her back to Ivermere.

Raised in the ashes of the Dead Lands, Kael fears nothing — certainly not the beautiful sorceress who arrives at his mountain stronghold. And no matter how painful his need for her, he has no use for a bride who would only tolerate his kiss. Yet the more of Anja’s secrets he uncovers during their journey to return her home, the more determined he becomes to win the princess’s wary heart.

And Kael the Conqueror has never been defeated…

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

The Candid Life of Meena Dave

The Candid Life of Meena Dave by Namrata Patel is $2.49! This was mentioned on the site before. I believe this one skews more toward women’s fiction or fiction with strong romantic elements. Have you read this one?

A woman embarks on an unexpected journey into her past in an engrossing novel about identity, family secrets, and rediscovering the need to belong.

Meena Dave is a photojournalist and a nomad. She has no family, no permanent address, and no long-term attachments, preferring to observe the world at a distance through the lens of her camera. But Meena’s solitary life is turned upside down when she unexpectedly inherits an apartment in a Victorian brownstone in historic Back Bay, Boston.

Though Meena’s impulse is to sell it and keep moving, she decides to use her journalistic instinct to follow the story that landed her in the home of a stranger. It’s a mystery that comes with a series of hidden clues, a trio of meddling Indian aunties, and a handsome next-door neighbor. For Meena it’s a chance for newfound friendships, community, and culture she never thought possible. And a window into her past she never expected.

Now as everything unknown to Meena comes into focus, she must reconcile who she wants to be with who she really is.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

To Kiss a Thief

To Kiss a Thief by Susanna Craig is $1.99! This was featured in August 2016 Hide You Wallet post. Redheadedgirl said, “Second chance, arranged marriage, secrets and lies, basically full of catnips. All the catnips.” But reviews on Goodreads that the hero is a bit undeserving of the heroine. The next book in the series is on sale for 99c as well!

Can a marriage made for money blossom into something more?

Sarah Sutliffe, Lady Fairfax, dreams of love—until she overhears her new husband proclaim his heart will never be hers. Devastated, she offers no defense when a sapphire necklace disappears during a ball and she is accused of its theft. Instead, she runs away from the scandal…and the heartbreak.

St. John, Viscount Fairfax, has sworn never to love again. How could a mousy merchant’s daughter tempt him to break that vow? Three years after Sarah vanished, St. John uncovers her hiding place. Now, he’s out to prove she’s a thief before she steals his heart.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

The Lady Plays with Fire by Susanna Craig

The Lady Plays with Fire

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The Lady Plays with Fire

by Susanna Craig
April 23, 2024 · Zebra Books
Contemporary RomanceParanormalRomanceScience Fiction/Fantasy

I am a sucker for an interesting premise and this book certainly has one. In this series, the female leads write for a newspaper for women, by women. Specifically, young women. In this book, it is the reviewer who takes centre stage.

Julia Addison works as a companion to a sort-of related aunt-in-law. On the side, she secretly pens her reviews of plays put on in London under the nom de plume Miss On Scene. The subject of one of her reviews, Ransom Blackadder (the alias for Lord Graham Dunstane), takes offence at something she says in her review. Graham decides to retaliate by writing a play called ‘The Poison Pen’.

Right, but how do the two real people meet? Julia’s employer/aunt-in-law hires a box at the theatre for the season. Only when they arrive, it is occupied by Graham. The box manager, thinking to make a quick buck, hired out Graham’s box because it is so rarely occupied. Graham reluctantly accepts the aunt-in-law’s suggestion that they share for the evening. While their alter egos might be engaged in a war of sorts (although all the anger really comes from Ransom), their true selves are intrigued by each other.

While this is book two in the series, I had no trouble following the story despite not reading book one. I did have other troubles though. Several times, especially towards the end of the book, I found myself going huh? Some things aren’t explained fully (like Graham’s proposal) and other things seem to come out of nowhere. I couldn’t quite relax into the story because I kept being bounced out of it.

Julia is a difficult character to get a read on because she’s supposed to be this wide-eyed innocent, but she drops these saucy, worldly remarks. I suppose in real life that wouldn’t be so odd. People contain multitudes. But in the book world it meant that I felt I never quite got to know Julia all that well because I was often surprised by what she said. Graham is the grumpy, surly type which I usually enjoy reading, but in this instance it really brought home to me that if I had to interact with such a person in real life, I would cheerfully chuck him in the bin. At least for the first half of the book, the grumpiness came from a place of anger, which I don’t love. But also, the grumpiness seemed to be his sole defining characteristic for the first half of the book until he falls in love.

One final red flag for me. There are some transactional kisses in this. Graham agrees to let Julia watch the rehearsal if she kisses him. That she wanted to kiss him anyway is by the by. For me, I have no tolerance for transactional kisses no matter how teasing and sexy they’re supposed to be.

Based on this review, you’re probably surprised that I read the book in its entirety, but I did and I finished it in a couple days. Overall, it’s an okay read. If you’re needing an interesting premise inside a historical romance, I think this book might scratch that itch.

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