Today’s Steals and Deals at AAR…..
This one makes people crazy. It has a scene in it that utterly fails in terms of consent. And yet, it’s a beloved book. So YMMV. For me personally, the romance works–despite said scene, the heroine has tons of agency and the leads have chemistry off the charts. Again, YMMV.
A Well Pleasured Lady is marvelous entertainment and is likely one of the best romances you will read this year. Christina Dodd, in her first book as a lead author for Avon, has proven amazing versatility in this romance set in 1793, and not the medieval period for which she is best known. This book is going on my keeper shelf; it has a sensational storyline, clever dialogue and writing, characters who will earn your love, and chemistry as potent as anything Bill Nye could mix up.
It’s on sale for 1.99 here.
This one isn’t as good as The Hating Game, but it has its quirky charms.
One of the strongest things about this story is the characters – they’re all stellar. Ruthie is excellent, Teddy is perfect, Melanie is amazing. Some of my favorites are the Parlonis, two elderly ladies who live to annoy the young’uns – they are a delight. Melanie actually really surprised me, because I thought she might fall into the unfortunate archetype of ‘ethnic best friend/fairy-godmother’ but she develops into a fully-rounded character it’s easy to become invested in. I really appreciated that every character has intrinsic motivations and characteristics, they feel natural and necessary to the story. Ruthie also isn’t your stereotypical self-depreciating type, she has self-esteem and confidence. Despite having little life experience, and not much of a personal life, Ruthie does demand to be treated with respect and that really endears her to the reader.
The story is pretty stellar, the plot is substantial and has a clear trajectory, and the chemistry between the main characters has room to blossom. The best kind of plot seems to flow naturally from the presence of characters together and driving the action, and this book has that. The main obstacle to things moving forward in the story is Ruthie herself, and I liked that. She is in her own way a lot of the time, which is both in character and something she needs to grow and move past. Other details that really stand out are Teddy’s tattoos and the Parloni’s fashion choices; both are described in striking, individual detail that really brings them to life.
It’s on sale for 1.99 here.
This historical romance is a winner!
So many marriage-shy bachelors in historical romance cite the misery of their parents’ marriages as the reason they don’t wish to wed, but in Rex’s case, the author has taken the time to flesh those reasons out a bit, and – through his relationship with his social butterfly of a mother – to show that he’s a kind and honourable man. He finds Clara’s honesty refreshing, and, realising she defines herself in terms of everything she is not – she’s not beautiful (like Irene), she’s not clever (like Irene), she’s not confident (like Irene) – determines to show her that she’s a wonderful person in her own right.
Clara blossoms during the course of their friendship, but it’s a gradual and subtle change and, with Rex’s gentle encouragement and support, she gains confidence and a sense of self as she finds her own inner strengths and the ability to meet challenges head on. The attraction between Rex and Clara is palpable from the very beginning, and their romance is a lovely slow-burn that evolves naturally out of the genuine and unexpected friendship that grows between them. Ms. Guhrke does a great job of showing Rex falling head-over-heels in love without his having a clue he’s doing it as he discovers that the trouble with true love is that one never knows when it is going to strike – and that it’s all he never wanted.
It’s on sale for 1.99 here.