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Romantic Times Rewind: May 1994 Reviews

Smart Podcast Trashy Books Romantic Times RewindIn this week’s podcast episode, we’re looking at the book reviews for the May 1994 issue of RT Magazine.

Thank you to Mari, the Romance Girl for this issue!

You can also find all the RTRW content at our category page for Romantic Times Rewind. 

And, most importantly, if you want to listen and follow along with this entry, we have more detail in the audio, but you can click play and listen and read and absorb all the visual goodness:

Ok, let’s get started!

We’ll discuss the cover in the next episode, and there’s hardly anything to say about it.

A truly epic cover. On the left is David Alan Johnson in HEAVEN with a full John Oates mullet shirtless and hairy chested wearing low slung black pants and a gun. There's a mustache. There's smoldering. Then a crown at the top on top of purple fabric, and on the right another cover model this time a photograph of another white dude with a mustache, leading a horse with a sleeveless chambray shirt open over a bare chest and with jeans and a massive belt buckle. It's just glorious.

Really, nothing going on with this cover, right? Yeah, sorry about that.

Historical Romance

I selected Dreaming of You which got four stars?

DREAMING OF YOU Lisa Kleypas Avon 4 (Excellent) SETTING: Regency England PREVIOUS TITLES: Then Came You, Only In Your Arms While on a research trip into London's underworld, novelist Sara Fielding saves gambling club owner Derek Craven's life. All Sara wants is a chance to gather information for her next novel in Derek's club. Having risen from poverty to wealth, Derek is a hardened man who deliberately keeps a wall of ice around his heart. He has no desire to allow a country innocent like Sara into his infamous club or his life. But the intrepid miss charms Derek's employees, until he has no choice but to allow her free run of the place. Tired of being a simple country girl, Sara casts off her inhibitions, and attends one of Derek's notorious assemblies. Behind a mask, she becomes her own book's heroine and finds herself in Derek's arms. Learning his mistake, Derek sends Sara away, and she eventually returns home, dreaming, not of her long-time fiancé, but of Derek.

With some judicious match making by Lady Lily, Derek and Sara are forced to confront true feelings for one another, while they are just discovering happiness, another plots their downfall. Readers will be enchanted this refreshing, yet poignant romace Lisa Kleypas has created three dimensional characters and a plot will keep you entertained from beginning to end. SENSUAL (325 pp., $4.99)

Dreaming of You
A | BN | K | AB

The rubric is VERY interesting especially regarding this book:

RATINGS KEY ***** Classic ****½ (4½ stars) Exceptional **** (4 stars) Excellent *** (3 stars) Very Good ** (2 stars) Good * (1 star) Acceptable

When 5 stars means “Classic,” and Dreaming of You gets 4 stars, it is indeed a strange time!

Amanda selected Prince of Thieves, and the greatest thing about discovering books in this issue is discovering the covers, which aren’t included in the magazine (we imagine because black and white would not be attractive, and full color for the whole magazine was not possible).

PRINCE OF THIEVES Melinda McRae Topaz 4 (Excellent) SETTING: Regency England PREVIOUS TITLES: An Unlikely Attraction, Country Wedding Honoria must reclaim her neck-lace, even if it means saving notorious thief Gentleman Jack Derry from the hangman's noose and hiring him to steal her inheritance back from her uncle. The charming, roguish thief can hardly believe that he is not to hang, but is to masquerade as the lovely young lady's fiance while purloining her pearl and ruby necklace. Jack knows the ways of the gentry and can easily fit into Honoria's plan, but he does not expect to be enchanted with his innocent--yet sensual-partner in crime. On her uncle's estate, Honoria and Jack become entangled in a desperate gambit. While trying to fool others, they find themselves falling in love and awakening a deep and dangerous passion. In order to save Honoria and regain what is rightfully hers, Jack is forced to stop hiding from his painful past, and to learn to trust in the power of love.

Melinda McRae's PRINCE OF THIEVES is a delightful, fast-paced, playful, sensual romp. Melinda McRae moves into the world of longer historical romance with ease, and her latest tale will garner her many new and adoring fans. SENSUAL (May, 368 pp., $4.99)

Y’all, there are very few images of this cover, but I found one:

Prince of Thieves - an illustration of a man pressing a woman against a wall. He's shirtless but his pants are VERY SHINY and VERY TIGHT and the brightest thing on the page is the upper curve of his buttcheek

Look at that shiny tight buttock!

I may have to haunt used book stores looking for some of these books.

Series

There were several 1-star reviews inside this section, which to recap means “Acceptable.” (Fabio’s historical romance got 2 stars in this issue.)

Amanda selected Dancing in the Dark by Lynn Erickson:

in Lynn Erickson's DANCING IN THE DARK (2), a steely, cynical mercenary finds his tough-guy image shattered when he agrees to help a naive and vulnerable socialite kidnap her son from his wealthy Greek father. While the story is unevenly paced and the relational development is not always convincing, the uplifting ending is heartwarming indeed.

Dancing in the Dark by Lynn Erickson - a man in a white tshirt and jeans sitting on a wall with a blonde woman in a white dress. She's leaning into him with her hand on his shoulder.

Harlequin Superromance had gold leaf borders and big illustrations on the covers back in the early 90s!

Also, everything about that picture says mercenary with a tough-guy image. All the details: tough. Guy.

I picked The Best is Yet to Be by Tracy Sinclair, which got 1 star:

Tracy Sinclair winds up the month with THE BEST IS YET TO BE (1). A lovely biographer's plan towed a much older electronics tycoon. goes awry when she falls under the spell of his young-er best friend and colleague. Very classic in approach, this nicely written romance will definitely please Ms. Sinclair's longtime fans.

Today in nothingburger reviews…and the cover is very of its time, too!

The cover is mostly stripes with an illustration of a woman with big blowy wavy hair embracing a guy with every white guy's 90s hair cut

 

Regency

My pick: Old Lover’s Ghost by Joan Smith sounds VERY GOOD. Get a load of this:

OLD LOVER'S GHOST Joan Smith Fawcett 3 (Very Good) The venerable Joan Smith takes us on a wild and wacky ghost hunt -Regency style. Miss Charity Wainwright is rather tired of accompanying her father from one noble mansion to another soothing some of England's most troubled spirits. Still, a chance to deal with a famous Cavalier ghost, as well as a disturbing new shade, is almost irresis-tible. And, for a young lady interested in matrimony, the estate's handsome owner is a definite bonus. John, Earl of Merton, does not believe in supernatural nonsense and greets his mother's special guests with considerable skeptic-ism. It soon becomes clear that, however real the Cavalier may be, the more recent apparitions are the result of a very human effort to

extort a large sum of money from the family coffers. Can Charity and Merton discover the identity of the dastardly villain behind this nefarious plot? Readers will revel in the supernatural delights of this merry romp. (May, 188 pp., $3.99)

She’s a Regency ghost hunter with her dad, there’s a famous and troublesome ghost called the Cavalier, and the Earl of Merton is like, ‘This is bogus, but I’m humouring my mom.’

SUPERNATURAL MERRY ROMP! I am here for this subgenre. The cover gives very little away as to the ghost hunting romp-ness, but again, this sounds nifty.

Old Lover's Ghost with two cutout illustrations of a man and woman in Regency winter garb with hats, scarves and she's carrying a GIANT Muff. It looks like a sheep. The cutouts are against a photograph of some old buildings I Presume of the era

I found a teeny tiny version of the original cover:

a tiny image of the cover showing a figure in white gesturing with one arm out toward a white man and woman in Regency garb. he's holding a candle, and has his arm around her, and they both look concernedCreepy!

Amanda selected Sweet Fancy, which led us to a side trip into  Reba McEntire, Kelly Clarkson, and this performance: 

The book is not about the “Fancy” from the song:

SWEET FANCY Sally Martin • Avon 2 (Good) Rising star Sally Martin takes another step forward on the road to Regency excellence. She is the toast of the London stage, beguiling her mostly male audience with the lyric beauty of her voice and the tantalizing mystery of her identity. Always appearing

with her face hidden behind an elaborate costume mask, Miss Merrythought is an enigma that the handsome Viscount Rossiter is determined to solve. To his astonishment, the lady not only refuses his proposition but ends up a guest in his home as the protegee of his matchmaking grandmother. Is the young woman really the long lost heiress she claims to be? More to the point, is his wounded heart safe in her care? Although there are still rough spots here and there, Ms. Martin has made considerable progress in her command of Regency verisimilitude in this stylish period piece. (May, 224 pp., $3.99)

Get a load of the cover! MOST PASTORAL:

Sweet Fancy by Sally martin - a watercolor style illustration of two people sitting by a canal in period clothing in the background with a heron in the water in the front

That’s really beautiful, isn’t it?

Mainstream and New Reality

The codes for this section are a journey for us:

The list of of May Ratings has two-letter codes without explanation until you get into the reviews: CS FU RM C VR CS F TT

They aren’t explained until you read the reviews, but without the answers, what would you guess that they mean?

Amanda also noticed that there is an Over 45 category, but it doesn’t get a letter abbreviation.

My pick: A Love Beyond Time by Flora Speer:

A Love Beyond Time - Flora Speer - a woman in a purple off the shoulder gown and a flower crown lunges into the surf being caught by a naked possibly man who is waist deep in the waves

THAT is the MATTER about which I AM TALKING.

Look at that glorious cover art. It’s so fuchsia. It’s so aquatic. There’s a FLOWER CROWN. Is he a merman? It’s perfect.

Not only that, that possibly naked ocean man time traveled through a computer!

Time-Travel A LOVE BEYOND TIME Flora Speer Leisure Love Spell 3 (Very Good) Whisked into Hank Marshes computer while trying to retrieve some valuable disks and notebooks for India Brant, Michael Bailey finds himself following in India's footsteps back to 779 Francia. When a strange, unusually dressed man falls from a tree at Lady Danise's feet she is intrigued and bewildered by the wounded man and her reaction to him. Nursing him back to health with the assistance of Charlemange's royal physician, Danise is inexplicably drawn to the stranger who has no memory of his past. Michael finds himself at home in Charlemange's he is enchanted by the beautiful angel who saved his life and is determined win her love. Confused by her feelings for Michael, Danise believes she is betraying her precious love Hugo. who has been dead but a year. In a magical and startling ter with Michael in the midst of a storm she finds peace and the miraculous answer to a prayer. Alas, there are those plotting to overthrow Charlemange, and Danise becomes a pawn in their vicious game of FOX and hound And to add to her heartache, Michael has mysteriously disappeared and Danise fears she may have lost him forever. A LOVE BEYOND TIME is a warm, touching tale of a powerful love that transcends the boundaries of time to unite two souls destined to be together throughout eternity. (May, 439 рр., $4.99) Lizabelle Cox

In case that’s too small to read, this is A RIDE.

Time-Travel
A LOVE BEYOND TIME
Flora Speer
Leisure Love Spell
3 (Very Good)
Whisked into Hank Marshes’ computer while trying to retrieve some valuable disks and notebooks for India Brant, Michael Bailey finds himself following in
India’s footsteps back to 779 Francia.

When a strange, unusually dressed man falls from a tree at Lady Danise’s feet she is intrigued and bewildered by the wounded man and her reaction to him. Nursing him back to health with the assistance of Charlemange’s royal physician, Danise is inexplicably drawn to the stranger who has no memory of his past.
Michael finds himself at home in Charlemange’s time.  He is
enchanted by the beautiful angel who saved his life and is determined win her love.

Confused by her feelings for Michael, Danise believes she is betraying her precious love Hugo. who has been dead but a year.

In a magical and startling ter with Michael in the midst of a storm she finds peace and the miraculous answer to a prayer. Alas, there are those plotting to overthrow Charlemange, and Danise becomes a pawn in their vicious game of
fox and hound. And to add to her heartache, Michael has mysteriously disappeared and Danise fears she may have lost him forever.

A LOVE BEYOND TIME is a warm, touching tale of a powerful love that transcends the boundaries of time to unite two souls destined to be together throughout eternity.
(May, 439 рр., $4.99)

Time traveled back to 779, hanging out with Charlemange. As you do.

Amanda selected Cat on a Blue Monday by Carole Nelson Douglas, which has a cat solving crimes at a Vegas cat show:

CATANI A BELUÉ MONDAY Carole Nelson Douglas TOR 4½ (Exceptional) Supersleuth Midnight Louie struts his snazzy stuff with superlative style in this saucy and splendiferous sally into spine-tingling suspense. Miss Temple Barr, publicist extra-

ordinaire, is fast becoming an expert on murder. Every time she gets involved with a convention, she ends up stumbling across a corpse. So it is with great relief that the only strange body she discovers at the annual Las Vegas Cat Show is that of an oddly shorn, but still live feline champion. The next cat attack, however, is infinitely more disturbing and leads to the suspicious death of a wealthy eccentric. Only the intrepid Midnight Louie can foil this fiendish plot against the cats of Las Vegas and save his lady from a very human killer in the process. A dazzling storyteller, Ms. Douglas provides a veritable feast of delight for connoisseurs of sparkling wit, engaging characterization, and imaginative invention. It's no mystery at all why this remarkable author's audience grows by leaps and bounds with every new book. (May, 384 pp., $21.95)

But wow, WOW did that review bury the biggest lede, which is in the book description:

As Louie, aided by a telepathic Birman cat named Karma, follows the scent of the killer, Temple is delving into the past of Matt Devine, the handsome young hotline counselor who’s captured her heart. 

A TELEPATHIC CAT. There’s a telepathic cat!

How do you not start every conversation without mentioning the telepathic cat? At the dry cleaners? Telepathic cat. Checking out at the grocery store? Telepathic cat! Honestly. I’d talk about that all day, and all night.

And now you know why I have managed a blog about romance for almost 20 years.

TELEPATHIC CAT.

Science Fiction

Amanda has found more time travel, and a very of-the-time cover for The Unknown Soldier by Mickey Zucher Reichert:

DAW: Mickey Zucker Reichert takes a break from her Bifrost Guardians series to bring us THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER (2), a standalone time-travel adventure, in which a soldier from the future is thrown back to the year 1985, where he ends up with severe injuries that land him in the Emergency Room of a hospital in Iowa. Although his two doctors at first believe him to be utterly demented, they see the light when terrorists from his timeframe make a murderous appearance at his bedside. Now, it is up to the three of them to find a way to destroy the time-travel device that could devastate the whole continuum. Ms. Reichert maintains a lively pace and introduces interesting characters to keep our attention fully engaged.The Unknown Solider - an illustration in a very 70s style with a guy in a sportcoat pointing some kind of ray gun while an ER and a futuristic city loom behind him. the illustration is mostly purple blue yellow and red

This time, the time traveler ends up in an ER in Iowa.

I selected Pigs Don’t Fly by Mary Brown:

The ilustrated cover for Pigs Don'T Fly which features a blonder person in a green gown leading a horse, a pig with pings, and a man with a blindfold and doublet on who is holding onto the horse's tail for guidance

That’s a photo courtesy of a person on Reddit,  which gives you an indication of how few of these covers are easy to find online.

That poor guy in the blindfold. He’s going to have a bit of a day.

BAEN BOOKS: Baen Books has two wonderful offerings for discerning fans to savor this month, beginning with PIGS DON'T FLY (4½), the long-awaited second fantasy adventure by Mary Brown, who made a big splash in the genre with the earlier Unlikely Ones. A young woman is thrust out of her quiet existence and onto the traveller's road, where she collects a gaggle of wounded creatures, including a blind knight, a lost homing pigeon, and a most curious piglet with wings. While this odyssey appears to develop along conventional lines, albeit with an uncommonly rich texture, Ms. Brown deftly pulls the carpet right out from under our feet in a marvelously surprising fashion. Don't miss this brilliantly conceived, superbly crafted and eminently beguiling fantasy foray.

There are sections of that review that read like the start of a joke with a VERY pun-tastic punchline.

Mystery and Intrigue

Amanda picked Dead in the Cellar by Connie Feddersen:

ZEBRA: Connie Feddersen (AKA Carol Finch) brings back Amanda Hazard, Nick Thorn, and the entire town of Vamoose, Oklahoma, in DEAD IN THE CELLAR (4). CPA Amanda Hazard is going to the farm of Elmer Jolly to help him figure out his tax forms. When she gets to the farm, a storm breaks out. When it subsides, Amanda finds Jolly, but he's dead. Sheriff Nick Thor comes out to the farm, and it is his conclusion that Jolly is, indeed, a tornado victim. Amanda thinks Jolly was murdered. Although Nick and Amanda are lovers (try to keep that a secret from the regulars at Velma's!), it takes quite a bit of convincing for Amanda to get Nick to agree with her. As she works her hardest trying to help Nick solve the killing of Jolly, an old flame of Nick's lights her way into town, making things a tad too uncomfortable for Amanda. DEAD IN THE CELLAR is a gently humorous, intriguing romantic mystery. The suspense element is very strong here, and readers will equally enjoy the fiery relationship between Nick and Amanda. Readers will be delighted with Ms. Feddersen's quick wit and fine style of writing in this story that's a treat for both romance and mystery fans.

Hiding a murder behind a tornado outbreak in Vamoose, Oklahoma?

Dead in the Cellar - Connie Feddersen - an illustration of a man's jeans-clad ass falling into a storm shelter while in the distance trees are being blown sideways on a farm, though the sky is blue

The cover is very eye catching, isn’t it?

Meanwhile, I win the “wait, what was that character name again?” contest this month with the review for Tickled to Death by Joan Hess:

DUTTON: The ever-intrepid Claire Malloy returns in Joan Hess's newest hardcover, TICKLED TO DEATH (2). Ever-sympathetic bookstore owner and amateur sleuth Claire Malloy is always willing to help out a friend, so she agrees to listen to her good friend Luanne's difficulties. It seems Luanne has gotten herself engaged to a fantastic guy named Dick Cissi. The only problem is that Dick's first two wives died under mysterious cir-cumstances, and the county sheriff is beginning to go through the motions of arresting Dick. Although this mess sounds less than thrilling to Claire, she agrees to investigate, for she knows that this is the only way she can get Luanne to stop whining. Much to Claire's sur-prise, she finds that there are some unusual circumstances behind the spectacular deaths, but she's not quite sure that the good dentist is innocent! TICKLED TO DEATH is the newest enjoyable outing in the popular Claire Malloy series. There are nice, comedic touches, and the ending, which is surprising, contains a touch more tragedy than is customary in this series.

“Luanne has gotten herself engaged to a fantastic guy named Dick Cissi…[whose] first two wives died under mysterious circumstances.”

WOW.

Tickled to Death - an illustration of a mostly sunken rowboat with red trim in a marshland with smooth light blue water

I feel so bad for that character’s time in middle school. And Dick, according to the cover copy, is a dentist!

What does “ticked to death” refer to? Is Dick Cissi the dentist murdering his former wives by tickling them?

NO idea. Couldn’t tell you.

That’s the reviews for this month! This was a journey, wasn’t it?

Our next episode will examine the advertisements and features in this issue, and that’ll air on May 17. There are so many, and they are so good.

And remember, if you join the Patreon, you’ll get access to the entire issue as a PDF.

What do you think? Have you read any of these? Do you remember some of these titles? Have you time traveled through your computer this week? 

Recommended Titles from Freya Marske, Chanel Cleeton, Lisa Kleypas and More!

A Power Unbound

RECOMMENDED: A Power Unbound by Freya Marske is $2.99! This is book 3 of The Last Binding series, a queer historical fantasy series that began with A Marvellous Light (which is in KU so if you haven’t read this trilogy, it’s easy to start). A Power Unbound was mentioned in Hide Your Wallet, and Freya Marske was a guest on the podcast to talk about the second book A Restless Truth. This trilogy is terrific, and A Power Unbound has a 4.39 star average on StoryGraph and 4.32 on Goodreads. Have you read this book?

A Power Unbound is the final entry in Freya Marske’s beloved, award-winning Last Binding trilogy, the queer historical fantasy series that began with A Marvellous Light.

Jack Alston, Lord Hawthorn, would love a nice, safe, comfortable life. After the death of his twin sister, he thought he was done with magic for good. But with the threat of a dangerous ritual hanging over every magician in Britain, he’s drawn reluctantly back into that world.

Now Jack is living in a bizarre puzzle-box of a magical London townhouse, helping an unlikely group of friends track down the final piece of the Last Contract before their enemies can do the same. And to make matters worse, they need the help of writer and thief Alan Ross.

Cagey and argumentative, Alan is only in this for the money. The aristocratic Lord Hawthorn, with all his unearned power, is everything that Alan hates. And unfortunately, Alan happens to be everything that Jack wants in one gorgeous, infuriating package.

When a plot to seize unimaginable power comes to a head at Cheetham Hall—Jack’s ancestral family estate, a land so old and bound in oaths that it’s grown a personality as prickly as its owner—Jack, Alan and their allies will become entangled in a night of champagne, secrets, and bloody sacrifice . . . and the foundations of magic in Britain will be torn up by the roots before the end.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

When We Left Cuba

RECOMMENDED: When We Left Cuba by Chanel Cleeton is $2.99! This one features a character from the first book in this series, Next Year in Havana, but I believe you can manage this one as a standalone. If I’m wrong, though, chime in below! Here’s what Sarah had to say:

When We Left Cuba is beautiful and fascinating. Better recommendation comes from my house sitter earlier this year who very shyly asked if she could read my ARC of book three because she loves the series so so much and was so excited that a preview copy was in her vicinity.

In 1960s Florida, a young Cuban exile will risk her life–and heart–to take back her country in this exhilarating historical novel from the author of Next Year in Havana, a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick.

Beautiful. Daring. Deadly. 

The Cuban Revolution took everything from sugar heiress Beatriz Perez–her family, her people, her country. Recruited by the CIA to infiltrate Fidel Castro’s inner circle and pulled into the dangerous world of espionage, Beatriz is consumed by her quest for revenge and her desire to reclaim the life she lost.

As the Cold War swells like a hurricane over the shores of the Florida Strait, Beatriz is caught between the clash of Cuban American politics and the perils of a forbidden affair with a powerful man driven by ambitions of his own. When the ever-changing tides of history threaten everything she has fought for, she must make a choice between her past and future–but the wrong move could cost Beatriz everything–not just the island she loves, but also the man who has stolen her heart…

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Cold-Hearted Rake

RECOMMENDED: Cold-Hearted Rake by Lisa Kleypas is $1.99! Elyse reviewed this one and gave it an A:

Cold-Hearted Rake has the elements that make me love Kleypas so much as a writer: female friendships, a hero who is a rake but somehow also emotionally aware, a setting that’s fully developed and not a backdrop, and scalding sexual tension.

A twist of fate…

Devon Ravenel, London’s most wickedly charming rake, has just inherited an earldom. But his powerful new rank in society comes with unwanted responsibilities . . . and more than a few surprises. His estate is saddled with debt, and the late earl’s three innocent sisters are still occupying the house . . . along with Kathleen, Lady Trenear, a beautiful young widow whose sharp wit and determination are a match for Devon’s own.

A clash of wills…

Kathleen knows better than to trust a ruthless scoundrel like Devon. But the fiery attraction between them is impossible to deny—and from the first moment Devon holds her in his arms, he vows to do whatever it takes to possess her. As Kathleen finds herself yielding to his skillfully erotic seduction, only one question remains:

Can she keep from surrendering her heart to the most dangerous man she’s ever known?

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

The Rogue Not Taken

RECOMMENDED: The Rogue Not Taken by Sarah MacLean is $3.99! Elyse read this one, and gave it an A:

Let me start by saying that The Rogue Not Taken by Sarah MacLean is my favorite book of hers to date. If you’ve read her, or know me, then you know that I just said a thing. I mean, there is a scene in this book where the hero sensually rubs honey on the heroine’s body while she dreamily describes the bookstore she’ll own one day.

 

Lady Sophie’s Society Splash

When Sophie, the least interesting of the Talbot sisters, lands her philandering brother-in-law backside-first in a goldfish pond in front of all society, she becomes the target of very public aristocratic scorn. Her only choice is to flee London, vowing to start a new life far from the aristocracy. Unfortunately, the carriage in which she stows away isn’t saving her from ruin . . . it’s filled with it.

Rogue’s Reign of Ravishment!

Kingscote, “King,” the Marquess of Eversley, has never met a woman he couldn’t charm, resulting in a reputation far worse than the truth, a general sense that he’s more pretty face than proper gentleman, and an irate summons home to the Scottish border. When King discovers stowaway Sophie, however, the journey becomes anything but boring.

War? Or More?

He thinks she’s trying to trick him into marriage. She wouldn’t have him if he were the last man on earth. But carriages bring close quarters, dark secrets, and unbearable temptation, making opposites altogether too attractive . . .

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Fantasy, Contemporary, and Historicals on Sale!

Today’s Books on Sale are quite an assortment!

The Bone Shard Daughter

The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart is $2.99 and a Kindle Daily Deal! This fantasy novel was mentioned on a previous Hide Your Wallet, and it is a bit of a dark read. Carrie, Elyse, and Aarya have all read this book, and had a lot of positive things to say – Elyse finished it and immediately had Rich download the audiobook so they could talk about it. 

In an empire controlled by bone shard magic, Lin, the former heir to the emperor will fight to reclaim her magic and her place on the throne. The Bone Shard Daughter marks the debut of a major new voice in epic fantasy.

The emperor’s reign has lasted for decades, his mastery of bone shard magic powering the animal-like constructs that maintain law and order. But now his rule is failing, and revolution is sweeping across the Empire’s many islands.

Lin is the emperor’s daughter and spends her days trapped in a palace of locked doors and dark secrets. When her father refuses to recognise her as heir to the throne, she vows to prove her worth by mastering the forbidden art of bone shard magic.

Yet such power carries a great cost, and when the revolution reaches the gates of the palace, Lin must decide how far she is willing to go to claim her birthright – and save her people.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Devil in Disguise

Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas is $1.99! Kleypas is an autobuy for many people, including several of us here at SBTB HQ. Catherine reviewed this one, and gave it a B-, saying

“It’s very much fanservice for readers who enjoyed the Wallflower series, with Lillian, Westcliff and Evie all appearing in the story, and Sebastian, who is now the Duke of Kingston, playing a particularly prominent role.”

Have you read this one?

New York Times bestseller Lisa Kleypas returns with an enthralling and steaming romance between a widowed lady and a Scot on the run—who may have connections to one of London’s most noble families.

“The devil never tries to make people do the wrong thing by scaring them. He does it by tempting them.”

Lady Merritt Sterling, a strong-willed young widow who’s running her late husband’s shipping company, knows London society is dying to catch her in a scandal. So far, she’s been too smart to provide them with one. But then she meets Keir MacRae, a rough-and-rugged Scottish whisky distiller, and all her sensible plans vanish like smoke. They couldn’t be more different, but their attraction is powerful, raw and irresistible.

From the moment Keir MacRae arrives in London, he has two goals. One: don’t fall in love with the dazzling Lady Merritt Sterling. Two: avoid being killed.

So far, neither of those is going well.

Keir doesn’t know why someone wants him dead until fate reveals his secret connection to one of England’s most powerful families. His world is thrown into upheaval, and the only one he trusts is Merritt.

Their passion blazes with an intensity Merritt has never known before, making her long for the one thing she can’t have from Keir MacRae: forever. As danger draws closer, she’ll do whatever it takes to save the man she loves… even knowing he might be the devil in disguise.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Delilah Green Doesn’t Care

Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake is $2.99! I have several friends who love Blake’s F/F romances and they’ve been featured in Hide Your Wallet before. It has a 4.11 star average on StoryGraph, where readers say it’s funny, lighthearted, and a lot of fun. Have you read any?

A clever and steamy queer romantic comedy about taking chances and accepting love—with all its complications—by debut author Ashley Herring Blake.

Delilah Green swore she would never go back to Bright Falls—nothing is there for her but memories of a lonely childhood where she was little more than a burden to her cold and distant stepfamily. Her life is in New York, with her photography career finally gaining steam and her bed never empty. Sure, it’s a different woman every night, but that’s just fine with her.

When Delilah’s estranged stepsister, Astrid, pressures her into photographing her wedding with a guilt trip and a five-figure check, Delilah finds herself back in the godforsaken town that she used to call home. She plans to breeze in and out, but then she sees Claire Sutherland, one of Astrid’s stuck-up besties, and decides that maybe there’s some fun (and a little retribution) to be had in Bright Falls, after all.

Having raised her eleven-year-old daughter mostly on her own while dealing with her unreliable ex and running a bookstore, Claire Sutherland depends upon a life without surprises. And Delilah Green is an unwelcome surprise…at first. Though they’ve known each other for years, they don’t really know each other—so Claire is unsettled when Delilah figures out exactly what buttons to push. When they’re forced together during a gauntlet of wedding preparations—including a plot to save Astrid from her horrible fiancé—Claire isn’t sure she has the strength to resist Delilah’s charms. Even worse, she’s starting to think she doesn’t want to…

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The Hookup Plan

The Hookup Plan by Farrah Rochon is $2.99! This is part of  Rochon’s The Boyfriend Project series, and was also mentioned on a previous Hide Your Wallet. It has a 3.87 star average on StoryGraph, and I will confess, this is one of my favorite illustrated covers because of her shoes. Have you read this one?

Strong female friendships and a snappy enemies-to-lovers theme take center stage in this highly anticipated romantic comedy from the USA Today bestselling author of The Dating Playbook.

Successful pediatric surgeon London Kelley just needs to find some balance and de-stress. According to her friends Samiah and Taylor, what London really needs is a casual hookup. A night of fun with no strings. But no one—least of all London—expected it to go down at her high school reunion with Drew Sullivan, millionaire, owner of delicious abs, and oh yes, her archnemesis.

Now London is certain the road to hell is paved with good sex. Because she’s found out the real reason Drew’s back in Austin: to decide whether her beloved hospital remains open. Worse, Drew is doing everything he can to show her that he’s a decent guy who actually cares. But London’s not falling for it. Because while sleeping with the enemy is one thing, falling for him is definitely not part of the plan.

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YA Sci-Fi, Lisa Kleypas, & More

Hana Khan Carries On

RECOMMENDED: Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin is $2.99! This was recently mentioned in the comments of our Podcasting Romances Rec League. Sneezy and Carrie read this one and gave it a B+:

Carrie: Although I’ve never been to Canada, I felt right at home in this book. Sneezy and I did a lot of squeeing over this story, just…not so much about the romance element, which was – eh, fine. Reader beware – this book will make you laugh and cry, but above all, it will make you so, so hungry!!

 

From the author of Ayesha at Last comes a sparkling new rom-com for fans of “You’ve Got Mail,” set in two competing halal restaurants

Sales are slow at Three Sisters Biryani Poutine, the only halal restaurant in the close-knit Golden Crescent neighbourhood. Hana waitresses there part time, but what she really wants is to tell stories on the radio. If she can just outshine her fellow intern at the city radio station, she may have a chance at landing a job. In the meantime, Hana pours her thoughts and dreams into a podcast, where she forms a lively relationship with one of her listeners. But soon she’ll need all the support she can get: a new competing restaurant, a more upscale halal place, is about to open in the Golden Crescent, threatening Three Sisters.

When her mysterious aunt and her teenage cousin arrive from India for a surprise visit, they draw Hana into a long-buried family secret. A hate-motivated attack on their neighbourhood complicates the situation further, as does Hana’s growing attraction for Aydin, the young owner of the rival restaurant—who might not be a complete stranger after all.

As life on the Golden Crescent unravels, Hana must learn to use her voice, draw on the strength of her community and decide what her future should be.

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Devil in Disguise

Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas is $1.99! This is the seventh book in the Ravenels series and Catherine gave it a B-:

Devil in Disguise is a low-stakes, sexy romance, with cameos from some of my favourite characters from the other Wallflowers and Ravenel stories. It did suffer from one significant flaw (don’t play the Our Love Is Doomed card if it will be thrown away halfway through the story).

New York Times bestseller Lisa Kleypas returns with an enthralling and steaming romance between a widowed lady and a Scot on the run—who may have connections to one of London’s most noble families.

“The devil never tries to make people do the wrong thing by scaring them. He does it by tempting them.”

Lady Merritt Sterling, a strong-willed young widow who’s running her late husband’s shipping company, knows London society is dying to catch her in a scandal. So far, she’s been too smart to provide them with one. But then she meets Keir MacRae, a rough-and-rugged Scottish whisky distiller, and all her sensible plans vanish like smoke. They couldn’t be more different, but their attraction is powerful, raw and irresistible.

From the moment Keir MacRae arrives in London, he has two goals. One: don’t fall in love with the dazzling Lady Merritt Sterling. Two: avoid being killed.

So far, neither of those is going well.

Keir doesn’t know why someone wants him dead until fate reveals his secret connection to one of England’s most powerful families. His world is thrown into upheaval, and the only one he trusts is Merritt.

Their passion blazes with an intensity Merritt has never known before, making her long for the one thing she can’t have from Keir MacRae: forever. As danger draws closer, she’ll do whatever it takes to save the man she loves… even knowing he might be the devil in disguise.

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Stars, Hide Your Fires

Stars, Hide Your Fires by Jessica Best is $1.99! Dahlia mentioned this one over the summer of July 2023 Queer Romances. Dahlia described this as a “delightful genre-mashup combines a fun space adventure, compelling mystery, and Sapphic romance laced with intrigue, betrayal, and banter.”

A wanted thief. A murdered emperor. A killer loose on the station.

Knives Out goes sci-fi in this gripping YA mystery set in space.

As an expert thief from a minor moon, Cass knows a good mark when she sees one. The emperor’s ball is her chance to steal a fortune for herself, her ailing father, and her scrappy crew of thieves and market vendors.

Her plan is
1. Hitch a ride to the planet of Ouris, the dazzling heart of the empire.
2. Sneak onto the imperial palace station to attend the emperor’s ball.
3. Steal from the rich, the royal, and the insufferable.

But on the station, things quickly go awry. When the emperor is found dead, everyone in the palace is a suspect—and someone is setting Cass up to take the fall. To clear her name, Cass must work with an unlikely a gorgeous and mysterious rebel with her own reasons for being on the station. Together, they unravel a secret that could change the fate of the empire.

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Beauty and the Baller

Beauty and the Baller by Ilsa Madden-Mills is $1.99! This is an opposites attract romance between a former beauty queen and a former professional football player.

An NFL quarterback turned small-town coach gets sacked by a Texas beauty queen in this swoony, passionate romance from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills.

Gorgeous, talented, and brilliant, NFL quarterback Ronan Smith has the world in his hands. But after losing his career and his fiancée in a car accident, he falls into a pit of grief and bad choices. When a mysterious girl shows up to his party, he feels drawn to her and makes her his…for one night.

Former beauty queen Nova Morgan is on a mission. Scantily clad as a princess from a galaxy far, far away, she sneaks into a high-profile party to capture the attention of her favorite quarterback. But her hopes crash after an awful one-night stand.

Fast-forward two years. Broke and desperate, Nova returns home to Blue Belle, Texas, where, by a cosmic twist of fate, her broody neighbor is none other than Ronan, the shiny new football coach everyone adores. But he has no idea who she is.

The booster club keeps shoving women at Ronan to keep him in town. His solution? He proposes fake dating to Nova. But things heat up for real under these Friday-night lights when he realizes she’s the one who slipped away.

Has this jaded beauty found her forever baller, or will his past keep them apart?

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Vintage Cover Art Behind the Scenes with Sharon Spiak and Shirley Green

In Episode 606. Behind the Scenes of Classic Cover Art: Shirley Green and Sharon Spiak, I learned about the behind-the-scenes process of creating some of the romance covers I know very well. It was a fascinating conversation, and if you’re at all interested, there’s a transcript as well as a few pictures in the show notes.

I also did a bonus episode video for the members of the podcast Patreon sharing images that Sharon and Shirley sent me, as well as a clip where they described one major photoshoot that became the stepback for the original cover Elizabeth Hoyt’s Scandalous Desires.

I had a really good time putting this together, and had additional images that didn’t fit in the podcast entry, so I thought you might like to see the bonus video, and check out the before/after cover images that show how the art moves from photograph to painting to book covers.

You can find Sharon Spiak on Instagram and at SharonSpiakArt.com. You can find Shirley Green’s portfolio and stock image collection at ShirleyGreenPhotography.com.

And you can find the podcast wherever you get your favorite shows, and find us on YouTube!

And here are some of the images they shared with me!

The cover for For the Love of a Pirate by Edith Layton is one of my all time favorites, as I’ve mentioned. For the Love of a Pirate with the author's name in white on purple, and a painted image of two people about to go to bone town on some very jagged rocks with a wave about to drown them.

 

Here are some of the photos taken for that cover from the studio:

A photo of a White male model with his shirt off in black pants kneeling on a pillow and a bench with a White model with blonde hair and a pink dress straddling his leg. Behind him you can see another bench that she is also kneeling on.

Check out the pillows and the benches! Eventually, they’ll be jagged rocks, but I’m sure the models appreciated the pillows!

Another show from the photo shoot, this time his white shirt is half off and dangling down his back and he's intimately pressing his mouth against her neck.

This is in the video but I love the progression from photo to painting to cover for A Duchess a Day:

photo for Duchess for a Day with a white woman with long brown hair and a gold dress holding an apple in one hand as she leans away from a shirtless model in tan pants and boots. There are hands visible at the bottom right holding her dress away from her body and a stool and a block are visible behind the male for him to perch on while they pose

Note the hands in the lower right holding the dress out, and the stool with the phone book? maybe? (remember those?) behind him.

Painting by Sharon Spiak based on the photo, with the dress spreading out past the edges of the painting, and now he's leaning on a tree stump and they're in a glade in a forest.

And, of course, the cover:

The. final cover with the title A Duchess a Day by Charis Michaels on top of the painting images

Wow, right? Gorgeous.

Also in the video, but still worth looking at again:

A photograph of a white blonde woman in a wedding dress and waist length veil, resting her hand on a male model's chest. His shirt is open but still tucked in OF COURSE and she seems to be standing on a stool

Bridal gown, check.

Shirt unbuttoned but STILL TUCKED IN? Check!

The painting:

The same couple from the photograph but now they're on a stone staircase outside in a rose garden

And the stepback for Marrying Winterbourne: 

The printed stepback of marrying winterbourne, where the painting is now shaded in pink aside from the human figures

Isn’t that wild?

Here’s the stepback process for Lord of Darkness by Elizabeth Hoyt

A photograph of a woman leaning atop a shirtless man. She's in a gold gown that's off the shoulder, he is shirtless, she's semi-straddling him, and behind him are pillows and blankets to prop his arm on

Per Elizabeth Hoyt’s fabulous Pinterest, I know that the models pictured are Thierry Pepin and Michelle Cortabitarte. Lots of cushions! And a wooden bench or box!

And the resulting stepback image:

The leaning couple are now almost reclining on a stone bench in a very green garden and her gown is now peach colored

Seriously I could look at these all day. Fascinating.

But as I learned during the recording (and the audio was not usable, alas) the real star of every photo shoot is Rocky.

This is Rocky the Rockstarr Pomeranian, who you can follow on Instagram.

Sharon a white woman with red hair is holding the edge of the model's dress while she looks over her shoulder at the camera. On Sharon's lap is a very happy brown pomeranian and there are props and backdrops visible behind her

Rocky is clearly underused as a book cover model, right?

A pair of models recline in mid-pose with Rocky perched on their laps. A woman in a red period gown sits on top of a man laying down in a shirt Unbuttoned But Still Tucked In! And rocky looks very happy.

Shirt! Unbuttoned! But Still Tucked In!

And a very handsome Rocky.

Here’s cowboy Rocky with Timothy Adams:

A white man with great cheekbones in a cowboy hat and fringed jacket holds Rocky, who is wearing a bandana and hat to match

The hat, y’all.

Goggles?

A white dude with a leather jacket holding Rocky, who is wearing a pair of goggles

Goggles!

One more of Rocky? Yes, one more!

A blonde woman with a white empire gown holds Rocky, who is wearing a big bow!

As I mentioned, if this is your thing, you can find Sharon Spiak on Instagram and at SharonSpiakArt.com.

You can find Shirley Green’s portfolio and stock image collection at ShirleyGreenPhotography.com.

MOST importantly, Rocky the Rockstarr Pomeranian is on Instagram!

And you can find the podcast wherever you get your favorite shows, and find us on YouTube!

What are some of your favorite classic covers?

 

 

 

A Kleypas and Some Contemporaries

Scandal in Spring

Scandal in Spring by Lisa Kleypas is $2.99! This is book four in the Wallflowers Quartet. I can’t remember if this one or the first one was my least favorite out of the four, but that being said…they’re all very good.

Quirky and fun-loving American heiress Daisy Bowman is the last unmarried Wallflower. Her exasperated father has informed her that if she can’t find a husband by the end of her third London season, she will be forced to marry a man she hates—the ruthless entrepreneur Matthew Swift.

Daisy is horrified. A Bowman never admits defeat, so she decides to do whatever it takes to marry someone . . . anyone . . . other than Matthew. What she doesn’t count on, however, is Matthew’s unexpected charm, or the blazing sensuality that soon flares beyond both their control. And Daisy discovers that the man she has always hated just might turn out to be the man of her dreams.

But when a scandalous secret is uncovered, it could destroy both Matthew and a love more passionate and irresistible than Daisy’s wildest fantasies.

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The Flatshare

RECOMMENDThe Flatshare by Beth O’Leary is $2.99! This is a KDD. We had a great guest review of this one and Lisa the Librarian gave it an A-:

It was romantic, sweet, hot, funny, and original – everything I’m looking for in a romance. I can definitely see myself rereading this in the not-too-distant future.

Tiffy and Leon share an apartment. Tiffy and Leon have never met.

After a bad breakup, Tiffy Moore needs a place to live. Fast. And cheap. But the apartments in her budget have her wondering if astonishingly colored mold on the walls counts as art.

Desperation makes her open minded, so she answers an ad for a flatshare. Leon, a night shift worker, will take the apartment during the day, and Tiffy can have it nights and weekends. He’ll only ever be there when she’s at the office. In fact, they’ll never even have to meet.

Tiffy and Leon start writing each other notes – first about what day is garbage day, and politely establishing what leftovers are up for grabs, and the evergreen question of whether the toilet seat should stay up or down. Even though they are opposites, they soon become friends. And then maybe more.

But falling in love with your roommate is probably a terrible idea…especially if you’ve never met.

What if your roommate is your soul mate? A joyful, quirky romantic comedy, Beth O’Leary’s The Flatshare is a feel-good novel about finding love in the most unexpected of ways.

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The Neighbor Favor

The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest is $2.99! Thank you to everyone who let us know about this sale; hopefully it lasts through today! Both Elyse and Aarya picked this one for February 2023’s Hide Your Wallet.

In this heart-fluttering romance by Kristina Forest, a shy bookworm enlists her charming neighbor to help her score a date, not knowing he’s the obscure author she’s been corresponding with.

Shy, bookish, and admittedly awkward, Lily Greene has always felt inadequate compared to the rest of her accomplished family, who strive for Black excellence. She dreams of becoming an editor of children’s books but has been frustratingly stuck in the nonfiction division for years without a promotion in sight. Lily finds escapism in her correspondences with her favorite fantasy author, and what begins as two lonely people connecting over e-mail turns into a tentative friendship and possibly something else Lily won’t let herself entertain–until he ghosts her.

Months later, still crushed but determined to take charge of her life, Lily seeks a date to her sister’s wedding. And the perfect person to help her is Nick Brown, her charming, attractive new neighbor, whom she feels drawn to for unexplainable reasons. Little does she know that Nick is an author–her favorite fantasy author.

Nick, who has his reasons for using a pen name and for pushing people away, soon realizes that the beautiful, quiet woman from down the hall is the same Lily he fell in love with over e-mail months ago. Unwilling to complicate things even more between them, he agrees to set her up with someone else, though this simple favor between two neighbors is anything but–not when he can’t get her off his mind.

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Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert is $1.99! This is Hibbert’s young adult debut and it was mentioned on a previous Hide Your Wallet. Shana just recommend this one on audio.

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Brown Sisters trilogy, comes a laugh-out-loud story about a quirky content creator and a clean-cut athlete testing their abilities to survive the great outdoors—and each other.

Bradley Graeme is pretty much perfect. He’s a star football player, manages his OCD well (enough), and comes out on top in all his classes . . . except the ones he shares with his ex-best friend, Celine.

Celine Bangura is conspiracy-theory-obsessed. Social media followers eat up her takes on everything from UFOs to holiday overconsumption—yet, she’s still not cool enough for the popular kids’ table. Which is why Brad abandoned her for the in-crowd years ago. (At least, that’s how Celine sees it.)

These days, there’s nothing between them other than petty insults and academic rivalry. So when Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods, she’s surprised to find Brad right beside her.

Forced to work as a team for the chance to win a grand prize, these two teens must trudge through not just mud and dirt but their messy past. And as this adventure brings them closer together, they begin to remember the good bits of their history. But has too much time passed . . . or just enough to spark a whole new kind of relationship?

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Historical Romances, T. Kingfisher, & More

Nora Goes Off Script

Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan is $1.99! Shana gave this one a C+:

Nora Goes Off Script made me laugh out loud, and offered a soothing fantasy about discovering your humdrum life is someone else’s perfection. It felt more like women’s fiction than romance, and I found myself wishing for more flavor in the love story, and in Nora’s meatloaf.

“The perfect escape.” — USA Today

“Readers who loved Emily Henry’s Book Lovers are sure to savor Nora Goes Off Script .” — Shelf Awareness

Named one of the Best Beach Reads of Summer 2022 by The Washington Post • USA Today • Cosmopolitan • Southern Living • Country Living • Business Insider • Buzzfeed • Book Riot • The Augusta Chronicle

Nora’s life is about to get a rewrite…

Nora Hamilton knows the formula for love better than anyone. As a romance channel screenwriter, it’s her job. But when her too-good-to work husband leaves her and their two kids, Nora turns her marriage’s collapse into cash and writes the best script of her life. No one is more surprised than her when it’s picked up for the big screen and set to film on location at her 100-year-old-home. When former Sexiest Man Alive, Leo Vance, is cast as her ne’er do well husband Nora’s life will never be the same.

The morning after shooting wraps and the crew leaves, Nora finds Leo on her porch with a half-empty bottle of tequila and a proposition. He’ll pay a thousand dollars a day to stay for a week. The extra seven grand would give Nora breathing room, but it’s the need in his eyes that makes her say yes. Seven it’s the blink of an eye or an eternity depending on how you look at it. Enough time to fall in love. Enough time to break your heart.

Filled with warmth, wit, and wisdom, Nora Goes Off Script is the best kind of love story—the real kind where love is complicated by work, kids, and the emotional baggage that comes with life. For Nora and Leo, this kind of love is bigger than the big screen.

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The Jade Temptress

The Jade Temptress by Jeannie Lin is $1.99! This is an opposites attract historical romance with some mystery elements. Readers loved the setting, while others mentioned it didn’t capture their excitement as well as the first book. Readers, what are your opinions?

Welcome to the infamous Pingkang Li—home of the celebrated Lotus Palace courtesans, and a place of beauty and treachery…

Charming and seductive, Mingyu is the most sought-after hostess in the pleasure quarter. She has all men wrapped around her finger—except Constable Wu Kaifeng, the one man she can’t resist, the only man to have placed her in chains.

Wu Kaifeng’s outwardly intimidating demeanor hides a reluctant, fierce attraction to beautiful Mingyu. But the passionate temptation she presents threatens to destroy them both when a powerful official is murdered and they find themselves on a deadly trail. Amid the chaos, a forbidden affair could change Mingyu’s fate forever, for following her heart is bound to have consequences…

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Cold-Hearted Rake

RECOMMENDED: Cold-Hearted Rake by Lisa Kleypas is $3.24! This is book one in the Ravenels series and book two and five are also on sale. Elyse reviewed this one and gave it an A:

Cold-Hearted Rake has the elements that make me love Kleypas so much as a writer: female friendships, a hero who is a rake but somehow also emotionally aware, a setting that’s fully developed and not a backdrop, and scalding sexual tension.

A twist of fate…

Devon Ravenel, London’s most wickedly charming rake, has just inherited an earldom. But his powerful new rank in society comes with unwanted responsibilities . . . and more than a few surprises. His estate is saddled with debt, and the late earl’s three innocent sisters are still occupying the house . . . along with Kathleen, Lady Trenear, a beautiful young widow whose sharp wit and determination are a match for Devon’s own.

A clash of wills…

Kathleen knows better than to trust a ruthless scoundrel like Devon. But the fiery attraction between them is impossible to deny—and from the first moment Devon holds her in his arms, he vows to do whatever it takes to possess her. As Kathleen finds herself yielding to his skillfully erotic seduction, only one question remains:

Can she keep from surrendering her heart to the most dangerous man she’s ever known?

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The Seventh Bride

The Seventh Bride by T. Kingfisher is 99c at Amazon! This is a Bluebeard retelling and is just shy of 250 pages. I’m unsure if this is YA or not. The main character is fifteen, but I’m a strong proponent that the age of the main character doesn’t necessarily determine the genre.

Young Rhea is a miller’s daughter of low birth, so she is understandably surprised when a mysterious nobleman, Lord Crevan, shows up on her doorstep and proposes marriage. Since commoners don’t turn down lords—no matter how sinister they may seem—Rhea is forced to agree to the engagement.

Lord Crevan demands that Rhea visit his remote manor before their wedding. Upon arrival, she discovers that not only was her betrothed married six times before, but his previous wives are all imprisoned in his enchanted castle. Determined not to share their same fate, Rhea asserts her desire for freedom. In answer, Lord Crevan gives Rhea a series of magical tasks to complete, with the threat “Come back before dawn, or else I’ll marry you.”

With time running out and each task more dangerous and bizarre than the last, Rhea must use her resourcefulness, compassion, and bravery to rally the other wives and defeat the sorcerer before he binds her to him forever.

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