RECOMMENDED: It Takes Two to Tangle by Theresa Romain is $2.99. Elyse reviewed this book (Grade: B) and liked the heroine a lot:
For all my bitching about Henry, I quite liked this It Takes Two to Tangle. It captured me emotionally, and I loved, loved, love the heroine. I also really, really wanted Henry and Frances to get together. It elicited the same reaction in me as my favorite Jane Austen books do “Jesus you two! Can’t you just FIGURE IT OUT AND GET TOGETHER!?” Even though I knew this book came with a HEA guaranteed, I was afraid somehow Henry and Frances would wind up apart. Romain’s ability to draw me into the story that deeply is impressive.
If you’re a Regency fan who likes unconventional heroines, pick this book up for sure. If you like the Tragically Wounded Hero, like I do, pick it up. If you need your hero to really have his shit together, you may want to avoid it. Henry gave me heartburn sometimes, but the great conflict, and a kick ass heroine, kept me reading.
Wooing the Wrong Woman…
Henry Middlebrook is back from fighting Napoleon, ready to re-enter London society where he left it. Wounded and battle weary, he decides that the right wife is all he needs. Selecting the most desirable lady in the ton, Henry turns to her best friend and companion to help him with his suit…
Is a Terrible Mistake…
Young and beautiful, war widow Frances Whittier is no stranger to social intrigue. She finds Henry Middlebrook courageous and manly, unlike the foppish aristocrats she is used to, and is inspired to exercise her considerable wit on his behalf. But she may be too clever for her own good, and Frances discovers that she has set in motion a complicated train of events that’s only going to break her own heart…
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The Lotus Palace by Jeannie Lin is .99c. This is book 1 in Lin's Pingkang Li Mysteries series, and has a 4+ star average. This is a historical romance/mystery set in Tang Dynasty China.
It is a time of celebration in the Pingkang Li, where imperial scholars and bureaucrats mingle with beautiful courtesans. At the center is the Lotus Palace, home of the most exquisite courtesans in China…
Maidservant Yue-ying is not one of those beauties. Street-smart and practical, she's content to live in the shadow of her infamous mistress—until she meets the aristocratic playboy Bai Huang.
Bai Huang lives in a privileged world Yue-ying can barely imagine, yet alone share, but as they are thrown together in an attempt to solve a deadly mystery, they both start to dream of a different life. Yet Bai Huang's position means that all she could ever be to him is his concubine—will she sacrifice her pride to follow her heart?
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RECOMMENDED: Astor Place Vintage by Stephanie Lehmann is $1.99 right now. This historical is recommended by Heather S. who wrote in her email to me:
This book is great for fans of turn-of-the-century-New-York fiction, people who adore vintage fashion and department stores as they were back in the day, and those who enjoy “time-slip-ish” stories a la Susanna Kearsley (the story switches POV back and forth between the two female protagonists).
When a vintage clothing store owner in New York City discovers a journal from 1907, she finds her destiny at stake as the past and present collide. The past has a seductive allure to Amanda Rosenbloom, especially when it comes to vintage clothing. She’s devoted to running her shop, Astor Place Vintage, but with Manhattan’s rising rents and a troubled economy, it’s tough to keep the business alive. Meanwhile, she can’t bring herself to end an affair with a man who really should be history. When Amanda finds a journal sewn into a fur muff she’s recently acquired for the shop, she’s happy to escape into the world of Olive Westcott, a young lady who lived in New York City one hundred years ago.
As Amanda becomes immersed in the journal, she learns the future appeals to Olive. Olive looks forward to a time when repressive Victorian ideas have been replaced by more modern ways of thinking. But the financial panic of 1907 thrusts her from a stable, comfortable life into an uncertain and insecure existence.
She’s resourceful and soon finds employment, but as she’s drawn into the social circle of shopgirls living on the edge of poverty, Olive is tempted to take risks that could bring her to ruin. Reading Olive’s woes, Amanda discovers a secret that could save her future and keep her from dwelling in the past.
It’s Olive, however, who ends up helping Amanda, through revelations that come in the final entries of the journal. As the lives of these two women merge, Amanda is inspired to stop living in the past and take control of her future.
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RECOMMENDED: Lady Mercy Danforthe Flirts with Scandal by Jayne Fresina is $2.99 – along with a lot of other Sourcebooks releases. Elyse read and reviewed this book (B+) and liked it a lot:
I would have given Lady Mercy Danforthe Flirts with Scandal an A except that the first third of the book dragged for me. Mercy was initially annoying, and Rafe a bit flat, but once the story starting picking up momentum, the characters really started to shine. I’d certainly recommend this book, but I’d caution to be patient and let the story grow.
As for me (Sarah), I tried to read it, twice, and couldn't get past how annoying and pushy I found Lady Mercy. She was like Emma on steroids for me. I should push through that first part and give it one more try, right? Yeah, I probably should.
When a Perfectly Proper Lady…
Lady Mercy Danforthe always has a plan. It's what makes her such a successful matchmaker, and why she's obligated to spend a great deal of time generously organizing the lives of her friends and family. But there's one man beyond her help. One man whose recklessness she can't rein in; whose chaos she can't contain. Her ex-husband, Rafe Hartley. Her one—and only!—mistake.
Flirts with a Reckless Rogue…
Rafe has never forgiven Mercy for running out on him. Their hastily annulled marriage may have one lasted three hours, but that doesn't mean he needs her help finding a proper wife. Someone needs to teach little Miss Know-It-All a lesson about keeping her adorably freckled nose out of other people's business. And it just so happens that Mercy “Silky Drawers” Danforthe still owes him a wedding night…
A Scandal's Never Far Behind
Woohoo! I have been wanting to read Lin, but the price point for NOOK was too rich for my reading budget to try a new author. Thanks Sarah!
Thanks for the link to the Jeannie Lin book! I’ve been wanting to read her book after taking a course from her at RWA last summer.
Tried to buy the lotus Palace and it’s geo restricted, damnit….
I wish Lin’s book were a Carina Press instead of Harlequin HQN. 🙁 Although, at that price, I am sorely tempted to break my vow not to buy DRM-protected e-books.
The Lotus Palace is still $6.59 at Kobo. Sad!
Yay! You’re welcome! Please let me know what you think of it?