Today’s Steals and Deals at AAR…..
Eloisa James is one of those authors whose historical romances, even when flawed, are often worth the read. An Affair Before Christmas (Desperate Duchesses Book 2) is certainly worth 1.99! In our review, we wrote:
The novel begins with a prologue about two young lovers in Paris. The Duke of Fletcher and Miss Perdita Selby are newly engaged and deeply in love. Yet in spite of their bliss, there is a cloud on the horizon: Whereas Fletch can’t wait to make love to Poppy, she repulses his more ardent advances and claims that ladies don’t like that. He hopes he will change her mind on their wedding night.
Four years later, the Fletchers’ marriage is deeply troubled. Both partners are thoroughly unhappy, and they have not shared a bed in months. Matters come to a crisis at a reception given at the house of the Duke and Duchess of Beaumont (incidentally, the reception that takes place close to the end of Desperate Duchesses, the first volume in this series). Fletch blames Poppy in front of both his best friend and a well-known gossip for their marriage’s failure. As a result, Poppy leaves him and moves in with Jemma, the Duchess of Beaumont, the only woman of the ton notorious enough that Poppy’s meddling mother will not visit her there.
Both Poppy and Fletch are very young, and they act young. They are inexperienced and deeply insecure. Their marriage has led them into a vicious circle: Poppy has been drilled by her mother on how to be a proper duchess, and she desperately tries to fulfil all these regulations: be elegantly dressed, do charitable work, act decorous at all times. In addition, she has been taught that sex is dreadful and in truth, she does not enjoy it, even if she submits to it dutifully. (Don’t worry, she is not just being silly or prudish here. There is an explanation.) In turn, Fletch is in despair because he thinks his wife does not desire him. To remedy this, he has made himself into the sexiest man in London, using the whole arsenal of clothes, hair and body, thereby frightening Poppy the more. I have to admit I adored the idea of the man turning himself into a fashion plate to gain this beloved’s attention.
Fletch and Poppy live apart for several months, only meeting occasionally. They do think about each other and about what they want from their marriage constantly, however. And both begin a vital process of inner growth. We hear more about Poppy here, and I thought her development just delightful. Fletch’s development gets less attention, but I found it equally well done. I loved these characters because they are young and unsophisticated, but not stupid, and when they get together again (before and while they have sex), the scenes are both sexy and heart-warming.
It’s on sale here.
Fires of Winter by Johanna Lindsey is 1.99. Here’s the blurb:
Lovely and dauntless, abducted by invaders from across an icy sea, Lady Breena vowed vengeance swearing no Viking brute would be her master no barbarian would enslave her noble Celtic heart, but then came Garrick Haardrad, the proud and powerful son of a ruthless Viking chieftain.
It’s on sale today for 1.99 here.
A Rose in Winter by Kathleen Woodiwiss is also on sale for 1.99. Here’s the blurb:
The fairest flower in Mawbry is Erienne Fleming, the enchanting, raven-haired daughter of the village mayor. Charming, spirited and exquisitely lovely, she is beset on all sides by suitors, any one of whom would pay a king’s fortune for a place in her heart. But Erienne has eyes for only one: the dashing and witty young Yankee, Christopher Seton.
But marriage for love is not to be, for her irresponsible and unscrupulous father, crippled by gambling debts, is intent on auctioning off his beautiful daughter to the highest bidder. And in the end, Erienne is devastated to find it is the strange and secretive Lord Saxton who has purchased her–a mysterious, tragic figure who wears a mask and a cloak at all times to hide disfiguring scars gained in a terrible fire some years back.
But in the passing days, Saxton’s true nature is revealed to her. A gentle and adoring soul, he treats his new bride with warmth and abiding tenderness, yet appears to her only by daylight. She, in turn, vows to be a good and loyal wife to him. And then Christopher Seton reenters Erienne’s world.
Conflicted by emotions she cannot suppress, Erienne valiantly attempts to remain honorable to her elusive, enigmatic husband but feels herself irresistibly drawn to Seton’s passion, his fire, and his secrets. Entangled in intrigues she doesn’t yet understand, Erienne Fleming will soon have to make a devastating choice: between love and honor…between her duty and her heart.
You can purchase it for 0.99 here.
Sweet on You by Carla de Guzman is charming. In our review, Caroline wrote:
Sweet On You is holiday fare worth tasting.
Sari Tomas owns a coffee shop called Cafe Cecilia, part of a beans-to-cup coffee business she and her sisters inherited. When Gabriel Capras moves in next door to open Sunday Bakery, Sari doesn’t take it well. The rivalry becomes a prank war, but the two neighbors start enjoying each other in a way that suggests a feeling other than dislike.
This story got off to a rocky start with Sari’s insta-hate for Gabriel. It’s just… inexplicable. A coffee shop owner should be thrilled to have a destination bakery move in next door, and immediately open negotiations on cross-promotion. Instead, Sari decides to hate him based on… him saying she’s gorgeous, and her deciding that it can’t be true because she thinks her thighs are too big? Then she bans customers from bringing his products into her shop. What kind of business sense is that? (Gabriel, on the other hand, is lovely. No matter how hostile Sari is, he’s polite, generous, and kind.)
Now, yes, the two get off on the wrong foot for no rational reason. But once you accept that they’re enemies, their rivalry is actually quite charming. They play pranks back and forth on each other, but never unprofessionally – nobody sabotages someone’s food safety, or makes the other look bad. The pranks are just funny (hiring a marching band for a serenade!) and end up increasing the profile and profits for both businesses. Unfortunately, it’s only a matter of time until Sari becomes irrational again. She has over-developed abandonment issues which she projects onto Gab, and mostly I wanted her to get the therapy her sister kept recommending.
What’s positive? I adored the setting of this book. The author brings the Philippines to delightful and vivid life, from the role of family to the unique holiday traditions, like Simbang Gabi, the early morning masses in the days leading up to Christmas. The Laneways, the shopping street where Sari and Gabriel’s stores are located, has the feel of a small town, with the store owners having parties and gossip networks and killer karaoke parties. And where I live, it’s a time of year when I love to vicariously warm up by reading about tropical settings.
The other highlight of this book are the descriptions of food. Not since I read Laura Ingalls Wilder have I so desperately wished to reach into the pages of a book and pull out a feast of its contents. Sinturis muffins! Bibingka! Puto bumbong! I don’t even know what these things are, and I desperately want to shove them in my face. The author does not explain these to readers (it’s part of the Own Voices vibe – she doesn’t translate Tagalog, either) but Google is your friend, at least until you see a picture of what she’s describing and collapse in a pile of envious drool. I would marry Gabriel just to taste his cooking. Having one of Sari’s custom coffee blends to accompany it? Heaven.
You can get it for 1.99 here.
You know what you’re getting with a Maisey Yates love story and that’s almost always a good thing. Here’s the blurb for Merry Christmas Cowboy:
Cowboy Wolf Garrett is delighted his brother is happily married—really, he is. But time can never heal Wolf’s own wounds, so being surrounded by such marital joy is a bit…much. A trip to his extended family’s ranch in Copper Ridge seems the ideal change of scenery. Until he meets local innkeeper Violet Donnelly and realizes he’s exchanged one form of torture for another—trying, and spectacularly failing, to resist their instant, wildly hot chemistry.
Violet knew Wolf was trouble the moment he walked into her inn. But it’s a whole new level of trouble when she discovers that their secret nights have left her pregnant! Especially when she has six feet of gorgeous, furious cowboy demanding that she come home with him for the holidays and marry him. Wolf has lost more than she could ever imagine, but Violet believes in the power of love to heal, and she’ll do anything to give their future family a chance. Wolf has already given her so many firsts—dare she hope he’s about to become her first Christmas miracle too?
It’s on sale at Amazon for 1.99 here.
If, in the rare chance you don’t already own it, The Devil in Winter–the #1 pick in our last AAR Top 100 poll–is on sale for 2.99 here. (Our review is here.)
You can see all our current deals at our Amazon storefront here.
As an Amazon Affiliate, we earn a very small percentage of whatever you buy using our links. And remember, we get a percentage of EVERYTHING in your cart when you’ve begun your shopping with our links. That tiny sliver of money is what enables us to stay on line, so please, visit our links and click through to Amazon. Thanks!