We haven’t reviewed Outrageous, but it sounds like our jam.

A woman banished
Griffith, battle-seasoned warrior and the king’s most trusted emissary, expected to find a shallow, vain, frivolous woman at Wenthaven Castle. After all, as lady-in-waiting to thequeen, lovely Lady Marian had been in a position of privilege, yet she had been banished from the court amid rumors she had given birth to an illegitimate child.
An outrageous offer
When he arrived, Griffith found Lady Marian to be strong, intelligent and fiercely protective of the young baby in her custody…. and very suspicious of him. If he were smart, the knight would just deliver the message with which he had been entrusted. Instead, he longs to linger to delve into the mystery that is Marian, to discover what she so desperately fears-and why he so improperly wants her.

It’s at Amazon for 1.99 here.

While 14.99 sounds high for a Steal and Deal, this one is for five books. So, they’ll really just 2.99 each and so worth it. My favorite of these is tough to pick. It’s a tie between the first, The Best Man, and the last, Anything for You. Both are utter gems in my book. This is from our review of the latter.

Overall, though, I really loved Anything for You. Jessica is now one of my favorite characters from the Blue Heron series, and I liked seeing her and Connor get together. Yes, there were some mistakes made by each party, and a reader better versed in the realities of caring for someone with fetal alcohol syndrome might have more to say about how realistic or not the book was. It seemed well done to me, and was certainly well written, so I’d definitely recommend Anything for You to anyone who’s enjoyed Kristan Higgins before.

You can get the box-set here.

We gave this historical romance by Hawkins a B+. We loved the utterly NOT TSTL heroine!

As Gentleman James, Christian stole both the jewels and the hearts of the women of the ton. With his faithful sidekick Willie, he terrorized the roads out of London. He craves the excitement and freedom of his mask and rapier, which eases his thirst for revenge and allows him to keep painful memories at bay for one more night. But his metamorphosis from highwayman to perfect gentleman suddenly allows him access to circles he never aspired to, to members of society who hold the key to his mother’s unfortunate demise. Living for vengeance, Christian plays the consummate viscount by night and throws himself into his search for information by day. His hunt leads again and again to the Duke of Massingale, an infirm old recluse who rarely leaves Massingale house and never accepts visitors. How to search his house? How to find definitive proof of his guilt? Why, seduce his on-the-shelf granddaughter, of course.

Elizabeth is 25 years old, much too old to be having her first season. But that is exactly what she’s doing, at her grandfather’s insistence. She is in Town to dance and flirt and enjoy all the luxuries of London for one year before returning to her beloved home and peace. She has no desire to be married, but her face and fortune draw the attention of bachelor after bachelor. Her ploys to discourage them work, for the most part, except on one – the notorious Viscount Westerville.

This is where Hawkins takes a left turn from normal Regency historicals. It seems Elizabeth has read some novels herself, and knows that rakish Viscounts don’t fall in love willy-nilly with sharp-tongued spinsters, no matter how brown their eyes or big their fortunes. He’s up to something. However, Westerville is charming and exciting and has the happy habit of keeping the other suitors at bay. So Elizabeth allows him increasing liberties. That is until she discovers he’s more interested in her beloved grandfather than herself.

Elizabeth is the antithesis of the TSTL heroine. She sees through Westerville’s plot, and plans a little of her own. She forces Westerville to acknowledge her as an equal from the beginning. Instead of paying lip service to how much admiration Christian holds for Elizabeth, Hawkins creates a heroine worthy of that esteem. When combined with their attraction, this mutual respect creates a wonderfully believable relationship. Even the predictably conventional, irritatingly over-the-top climax that forces reciprocated vows of love is forgivable in the face of such a fulfilling partnership.

It’s on sale for 1.99 here.

Caz enjoyed this HR by Diane Gaston.

John Rhysdale (Rhys) is the bastard son of the Earl of Westleigh, who refused to acknowledge him or have anything to do with him, to the point of condemning him to penury after the death of Rhys’ mother when he was just fourteen.

Rhys was reduced to a life on the streets and managed to keep body and soul together when he discovered a talent not just for gambling, but for gambling and winning. Now a wealthy man, he is approached – completely unexpectedly – by his two half-brothers, William, Viscount Neddington (usually referred to as “Ned”), and Hugh, who have turned to him in desperation. Westleigh has brought his family to the brink of ruin, and they need money quickly if they are to have any hope of making a last-ditch effort to save the family from financial disaster. Ned and Hugh have figured out that a gaming club, run properly, could turn a profit quickly, and knowing of Rhys’ skill at the tables, approach him with a business proposition. They will use the last of their funds to purchase a suitable establishment and want Rhys to run it for them. Initially, Rhys wants nothing to do with it, but the prospect proves too tempting. Once he adds his own stipulation – that his father will acknowledge him publicly – he agrees to their proposal.

Lady Celia Gale is a widow who is left to support her adult stepdaughter and spiteful mother-in-law. The elder Lady Gale does nothing but complain about Celia’s penny-pinching ways and insult her at every opportunity, while Celia is doing her utmost to keep them solvent and to ensure that Adele has a Season and the chance to make a good match.

Celia’s father was a gambler whose love of gaming went far beyond mere liking and into addiction. Her late husband also frequented the tables and indulged himself in many other vices. Celia can see no other way to stave off penury for herself, Adele, and the dowager, than by utilizing her own skill with the cards. Even though she is continually worried that she may end up as her father did – addicted to cards, dice and any and all games of chance – she dons a cloak and mask and makes her way to The Masquerade Club.

She immediately attracts Rhys’ notice (and that of many of the other patrons), and it is not long before the acquaintance struck between them turns into friendship. Then one night, after Celia has had an uncharacteristically bad run of luck, Rhys impulsively offers her employment. Her presence at the club has generated a lot of interest and he believes she will be good for business, as the men who surround her are likely to gamble more, and that once word spreads, her presence and continued anonymity may encourage other women to attend. Before long, Celia becomes known as “Lady Fortune,” and many of the male members of the club are anxious to play with the intriguing, masked woman who, it is rumored, is the paramour of the club’s owner.

One of the things I really liked in the story was that Rhys was completely honest with Celia about his desire for her. He liked her as a person, enjoyed her company, and came to feel comfortable with her before asking her to share his bed. He also made it clear that the decision was hers and that if she turned him down he wasn’t going to renege on the business part of their relationship. Celia is most definitely tempted. She had been married at seventeen to a man chosen for her who turned out to be brutish and unpleasant, and since his death her life she has been weighed down by responsibility. I don’t normally like the “If I turn this guy down, I may never have the chance to experience hot-monkey-sex” trope, but it just about worked here. The heroine, while she hasn’t had particularly pleasant sexual experiences, isn’t a blushing virgin with a reputation to risk, but a widow who can thus be allowed more a little more lassitude in her intimate relationships. And she does think that yes, the hot monkey sex would be nice.

It’s on sale for 1.99 here.

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