Today’s Steals and Deals at AAR…..
Oh my–they don’t get much more old skool than this one. It was, back in the day, a DIK for us. Originally published in 1991, it’s a story set in a time where women were property and men were given free reign to treat them as they would. As we said in our review:
The story starts with a beating, the one of a mother before the eyes of her daughter; the ultimate test of power of a greedy, blood thirsty 12th Century, when women were but chattel, wombs for future destructors, and at best, bargaining chips for political negotiators.
Such is the fate of Rowena and her mother; respectable Ladies who must bend to the will of the step-son who wants an alliance with an old rich Lord, a snickering, dirty old Lord closer in image to the word disgust than desire.
Did I say ire and desire? Wait, it gets worst before it gets better, but well worth the wait.
Rowena naturally balks at having to consummate her wedding night but concentrates on her mother’s life and good health. Her rotten step-brother has told her that, once the deed is done and she is with child, maybe, just maybe, she’ll get her mother back (the same mother who begged her not to give in, who was ready to be beaten to death to spare her child the terrifying ordeal ahead).
Rowena laughs and cries at her fate and knows not what could possibly happen that would be worse.
But finally fate does take a hand in this desperate woman’s life. The old Lord keels over on the “nick” of time. But Gilbert the step-brother has a plan. He’ll find Rowena another donor before anyone suspects the old man has died.
So Warrick de Chaville is abducted. No one knows that he’s a knight nor Lord of Falkhurst nor Gilbert’s sworn enemy. No one knows he is possibly the last man on earth with whom Gilbert would want a forced alliance with, much less someone with whom he’d want to “lend” the body of his luscious step-sister.
Did I mention desire?
They’ll beat the knight senseless until they can chain him to a bed and gag him. Meantime, Rowena, the beautiful but virginal Lady Rowena, must. . . rape him to extract sperm and a son.
I don’t know which was more violent, the mother’s beatings or trying to have sex with a giant whose muffled screams and violent shudders only serve to remind the rapist of the humiliation he feels.
Yes, but then there is desire.
When Rowena realizes she must arouse her foe in order to accomplish the deed despite the compelling and tragic circumstances of their “mating”, she begins to feel attracted to Warrick. Desire, tormenting her and igniting him, forfeiting one life while humiliating another to greater bounds, this desire that permeates her body despite the violence and the pain that still lies ahead for her, astounds her. And hounds her. . .persistently despite her despair, and worst of all, overriding any justification, even the fate of a mother.
“I am glad ’twas you,” are her parting words to him, honest words that will haunt him when all he thinks of is revenge and words that will daunt him when he will use her own chains to bind her to his bed, watching her ire turn into her desire. . .
But blinded for the moment by his fury, he will begin her three day purgatory. He will give her like for like in every sense of the word. The blow to his pride however will last much longer, and he will do what he can to strip her of her own pride, to make a mockery of what was done to him. And through it all, ire is mixed with desire so that something else betrays Warrick other than his desire for Rowena, something just as blinding as fury; something incomprehensible to him that is neither lust nor greed. It is this something that from the very beginning has manifested itself in his contradictory behavior. It is something called. . . love.
This is a book I personally still enjoy but you have been warned!
It’s on sale for 1.99 here.
This is a stunner of a book. In our DIK review, we wrote:
The Song of Achilles concerns the part of the Iliad that most affects these two players in the Trojan War. Fate decrees that they will both die young and will not return from the war but also blocks their attempts to avoid this. This includes Thetis stealing Achilles away, to hide him as a female dancer in a far off land. The war is futile, and like most wars, born of greed not romantic notions of kidnapped beauties, such as Helen of Troy. Achilles, knowing his life will most likely end in his twenties, goes to war because he wants the glory and immortality that is bestowed on dead heroes.
‘…I do not think I can bear it…’ he said, at last. His eyes closed, as if against the horrors. I knew he spoke not of his death but of the nightmare Odysseus had spun, the loss of his brilliance, the withering of his grace. I had seen the joy he took in his own skill, the roaring vitality that was always just beneath the surface. Who was he if not miraculous, and radiant? Who was he if not destined for fame? ‘I would not care,’ I said…’ Whatever you became…We would be together.’
This is the crux of their story. Even though they know that in all probability they will both die young, Achilles cannot face a normal life, one where he would grow old with the man he loves, whereas it’s all Patroclus truly wants. Patroclus tries to change Achilles’ fate and though most readers will already know how and what occurs – it remains heartbreaking.
It’s on sale for 2.99 here.
I adore this book as did my very picky book club. As I wrote in my DIK review:
Alix Harrow’s latest offering, Starling House, transports readers to the heart of Eden, Kentucky, a town wrestling with the ghosts of its past—racism, environmental decay, and the decline of coal mining. Against this backdrop stands Starling House, a foreboding gothic mansion with a sinister reputation. Harrow’s narrative deftly weaves together elements of a hero’s journey (times two), supernatural intrigue, and a deft exploration of love and connection.
At the center of this narrative is Opal McCoy, a young woman whose life is mired in hardship. Working a dispiriting job at Tractor Supply and sharing a rundown hotel room with her gifted younger brother, Jasper, Opal has long abandoned any dreams of a brighter future for herself. Her determination lies in securing a better life for Jasper, whose brilliance shines as a beacon of hope in their otherwise gloomy existence. Yet, Starling House, a place most in town dare not approach, inexplicably draws Opal in her dreams.
Arthur Starling, the last surviving member of the enigmatic Starling family, is the guardian of the haunted mansion. His solemn duty is to protect the house and its surroundings from the menacing Beasts of the Underland. Harrow artfully paints Arthur as a man isolated by his responsibilities, doomed to follow in the footsteps of his ancestors who perished in the same quest. When Opal disregards his warnings and breaches the gates of Starling House, their lives become inexorably intertwined.
The chemistry between Opal and Arthur is palpable, an ever-present undercurrent of attraction, mistrust, and vulnerability. Their relationship, marked by secrecy and heated exchanges, unfurls gradually amidst the backdrop of supernatural threats, corporate greed, and the town’s painful history.
It’s on sale for 2.99 here.
Our reviewer didn’t love this Beverley, but Amazon readers give it 4.3 stars.
Beau Braydon has found himself unexpectedly elevated to a viscountcy he had no idea he was in line for and doesn’t want. Now Viscount Dauntry, he has inherited title, estates, wealth… and an extremely unpleasant dowager and her granddaughter (mother and daughter respectively of the previous incumbent) both of whom are still in residence at Beauchamp Abbey and who are seemingly immovable. A former army officer, Braydon’s intelligence, perfect memory and his ability to move freely about society have made him invaluable in the government’s search for the seditionists and would-be revolutionaries who have sprung up in England following the Napoleonic Wars. His work doesn’t leave Braydon a lot of time to spend trying to placate the two angry and resentful women he has been saddled with, and besides, he’s not someone who enjoys country living. He needs someone to run the Abbey on a day to day basis, and who will also be able to deal with the dowager and Isabella – and decides he needs a wife. Not having the time to embark upon a traditional courtship, Braydon instead mentions his plan to a friend, whose wife suggests her friend, Kitty Cateril, the young widow of an army officer.
Kitty’s husband was seriously wounded before she married him, but she loved him, even though their marriage had become increasingly difficult over the years. Now, however, she is suffocating under the weight of her mother-in-law’s grief; even though Marcus has been dead for two years, she refuses to put off her blacks, made Kitty’s life miserable when she went into half-mourning and basically expects Kitty to live as though she had died along with her husband. So when a letter from her best friend asks Kitty to consider the idea of re-marrying, she can’t help but be energized at the prospect of escaping the dreary life to which her mother-in-law wants to consign her.
Kitty can’t believe she’s considering the idea of marrying a man she has never met, but freedom beckons and she determines to make a good impression. She’s been told that the viscount wants a sensible, reliable wife, one who will manage his estates and his relatives, and live quietly in the country. Kitty is sure she’ll be able to manage his household, but thinks that perhaps her friend hasn’t told Braydon everything. Kitty isn’t exactly the shy, retiring type; she’s naturally vivacious and light-hearted, so when the viscount comes across her unexpectedly, romping across the fields with her dog, she thinks she’s ruined her chance of escape.
But while Kitty and Braydon don’t get off to the best of starts, there’s definitely a strong attraction there, and, as Braydon has pressing business in London and no time to change his mind, the wedding goes ahead as planned.
Two strangers getting married and having to adjust to a life together is a storyline that always appeals to me, and having enjoyed meeting Braydon in the previous book, I was looking forward to reading more about him in this one. As was the case in Too Dangerous for a Lady Ms Beverley’s research is impeccable and she has created an interesting story which makes excellent use of the historical background of the very unsettled political situation in the late Regency period. The gap between rich and poor was enormous, the Regent was expensive, ineffectual and despised, and those in power were still sensible of what had happened in France not so many years earlier and were worried about revolution. Braydon is called in by Lord Sidmouth, the Home Secretary, to assist in the investigation of a recently uncovered plot to assassinate three of the royal princes.
It’s on sale for 1.99 here.
We’ve reviewed two of these, Trade Deadline, and Goalie Interference, and given them both B+s. Here’s the blurb:
This box set includes all three full-length novels in the Hat Trick series:
Off the Ice
Tristan Holt may be at the top of his game, but hitting the books in the off-season means he’ll have a business degree to fall back on when it’s time to hang up his hockey skates. What seems to be a straightforward plan is complicated by his undeniable attraction to his sexy sociology professor, Sebastian Cruz.
Impressed by Tristan’s brain as well as his brawn, Sebastian can’t help lusting after the gorgeous jock. With tenure on the line, Sebastian won’t break the rules by becoming involved with one of his students—at least, not until the end of term. Once final grades are posted, though, their naughty mutual fantasies can become reality.
Tristan’s not sure he’s up for being the poster boy for openly gay hockey players, but Sebastian’s never been the type of man to keep his sexuality—or his relationships—in the closet. For Tristan, being with Sebastian might mean risking more than just his heart.
Goalie Interference
After a stellar season as goalie for the Atlanta Venom, Ryu Mori is expecting to hear he’s the new starting goalie for the team when he’s called into mangement’s office. Instead, Emmitt Armstrong—the incredibly hot, annoyingly bratty rookie—is here to compete for his spot.
Emmitt Armstrong is not about to waste the opportunity after grinding his way from the bottom to the top. If the Venom are looking for a meek, mild-mannered pushover, they’ve got the wrong guy. Ryu doesn’t want to admit the other goalie’s smart mouth turns him on. Beating Armstrong at practice feels good, sure, but there are other, more fun ways to shut his rival up.
In this league, it’s winner takes all. But there’s more to life than winning, and if Emmitt and Ryu can get past their egos and competitive natures, they might just discover they work better as partners than they ever imagined possible.
Trade Deadline
Daniel “Bellzie” Bellamy should be on top of the world—a Stanley Cup is the perfect topper to his fourteen-year NHL career. But despite the post-win high, something’s missing. When the chance to play for his hometown team, the Miami Thunder, comes along, he’s open to it. And when he runs into an old friend from his past soon after he makes the move, he wonders if it might be kismet.
Micah Kelly never thought he’d reunite with his childhood crush—and first kiss—again. Danny Bellamy moved on to bigger and better things when they were teenagers, and the idea that Micah’s relationship with the professional hockey player could be anything more than one-sided Instagram thirst seems too good to be true.
As the season goes on, Micah teaches Daniel to surf, and Daniel introduces Micah to his lovable pack of rescue dogs and the world of being a hockey boyfriend. Life is good. But when things on the ice don’t go as planned, they’ll have to decide if their rediscovered romance is built to last.
It’s on sale for 1.99 here.