RECOMMENDED: Flash DABWAHA Sale! To celebrate advancing to the Sweet Sixteen in the DABWAHA, Courtney Milan has lowered the price of The Heiress Effect for one day to .99c. NICE!
We have two reviews for this book from RedHeadedGirl and Carrie, and both gave it As.
Like every other book by this author, the use of language is superb. It’s also fairly long, which gives both couples time to develop. One thing I appreciated is that the characters develop quite a bit on their own, not always as part of a couple or a potential couple. Jane refuses to run to Oliver every time she has a problem (although when she does, he’s awesome). Emily learns to save herself without depending on her sister. Oliver makes his own decisions about what his direction should be. So one of the many messages of the book is that you have to be your own person – but you also need people who will stand behind you when you really need them, and who will give you space when that’s what you need at the time.
COURTNEY MILAN HOW DO YOU BRAIN.
There was NOT A GOOD GODDAMN THING I DID NOT LIKE ABOUT THIS BOOK. Nothing.
Milan writes terrific historical romance, so if you've been curious, grab this one today, k? And please let me know what you think!
Miss Jane Fairfield can't do anything right. When she's in company, she always says the wrong thing–and rather too much of it. No matter how costly they are, her gowns fall on the unfortunate side of fashion. Even her immense dowry can't save her from being an object of derision.
And that's precisely what she wants. She'll do anything, even risk humiliation, if it means she can stay unmarried and keep her sister safe.
Mr. Oliver Marshall has to do everything right. He's the bastard son of a duke, raised in humble circumstances–and he intends to give voice and power to the common people. If he makes one false step, he'll never get the chance to accomplish anything. He doesn't need to come to the rescue of the wrong woman. He certainly doesn't need to fall in love with her. But there's something about the lovely, courageous Jane that he can't resist…even though it could mean the ruin of them both.
The Heiress Effect is the second full-length book in the Brothers Sinister series. It is preceded by The Governess Affair, a prequel novella, and The Duchess War, the first book in the series. Each book stands alone, but those who prefer to read in order might want to start at the beginning.
Goodreads | Amazon | BN | Kobo
In today's weirdness, Amazon has listed Tessa Dare's Spindle Cove series as the daily deal. The series is four books (and three novellas) but on the Daily Deal page, only two are listed. Your guess is as good as mine. So far they aren't price matched but my fingers are crossed that later today other retailers match the price, so I'm leaving the other retailer links below if the price changes mid-day.
Note: this series has been on sale quite a bit, but if you missed it, grab it now. Or gift it. Or do both! This is terrific historical romance, no question.
A Night to Surrender is book 1 in Tessa Dare's Spindle Cove trilogy, and it's $2.99. I really liked the series (though this was my least favorite of the books). The setting, the characters, especially the women and their relationships to one another, are terrific. This book was nominated for a RITA in 2013 so there are two RITA Reader Challenge reviews: HarperGray gave it a C+ and Kelly gave it an A-.
Welcome to Spindle Cove, where the ladies with delicate constitutions come for the sea air, and men in their prime are… nowhere to be found. Or are they?
Spindle Cove is the destination of choice for certain types of well-bred young ladies: the painfully shy, young wives disenchanted with matrimony, and young girls too enchanted with the wrong men; it is a haven for those who live there. Victor Bramwell, the new Earl of Rycliff, knows he doesn't belong here.
So far as he can tell, there's nothing in this place but spinsters… and sheep. But he has no choice, he has orders to gather a militia. It's a simple mission, made complicated by the spirited, exquisite Susanna Finch—a woman who is determined to save her personal utopia from the invasion of Bram's makeshift army.
Susanna has no use for aggravating men; Bram has sworn off interfering women. The scene is set for an epic battle… but who can be named the winner when both have so much to lose?
Goodreads | Amazon | BN | Kobo | iBooks
A Week to be Wicked by Tessa Dare is part of today's Daily Deal. This is book 2 of the series (hence my confusion that the “series” is a deal but only two books are discounted). This is a story for every girl who has felt that her intellectual pursuits made her so unique she was lonely – and for every girl who loved dinosaurs. It's a road trip romance, it's adorable and funny, and it's $1.99 today.
Minerva Highwood, one of Spindle Cove's confirmed spinsters, needs to be in Scotland. Colin Sandhurst, Lord Payne, a rake of the first order, needs to be…anywhere but Spindle Cove.
These unlikely partners have one week to
• fake an elopement
• convince family and friends they're in “love”
• outrun armed robbers
• survive their worst nightmares
• travel four hundred miles without killing each other
All while sharing a very small carriage by day and an even smaller bed by night. What they don't have time for is their growing attraction. Much less wild passion. And heaven forbid they spend precious hours baring their hearts and souls. Suddenly one week seems like exactly enough time to find a world of trouble. And maybe…just maybe…love.
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RECOMMENDED LIKE WHOA ONE OF MY FAVORITES: A Lady by Midnight is my favorite of the Spindle Cove series. I gave it an A- when I reviewed it:
A Lady By Midnight contained all of those things I loved. A hero denying to himself how much he adored the heroine. A heroine who didn't understand why he rejected her but attempted to persevere anyway. And Definite Reasons why the hero made himself so miserable, reasons that, when revealed, revealed more about him and about her. It's delicious.
This is also part of today's daily deal at Amazon, and is priced at $1.99. Fingers crossed for price matching fairies (who I envision look like a cross between the fairies from Sleeping Beauty and the Powerpuff Girls, plus book magic wands).
After years of fending for herself, Kate Taylor found friendship and acceptance in Spindle Cove—but she never stopped yearning for love. The very last place she'd look for it is in the arms of Corporal Thorne. The militia commander is as stone cold as he is brutally handsome.
But when mysterious strangers come searching for Kate, Thorne steps forward as her fiancé. He claims to have only Kate's safety in mind. So why is there smoldering passion in his kiss?
Long ago, Samuel Thorne devoted his life to guarding Kate's happiness. He wants what's best for her, and he knows it's not marriage to a man like him. To outlast their temporary engagement, he must keep his hands off her tempting body and lock her warm smiles out of his withered heart. It's the toughest battle of this hardened warrior's life . . . and the first he seems destined to lose.
Goodreads | Amazon | BN | Kobo | iBooks
Scandal Wears Satin by Loretta Chase is $2.99 right now. This is the second book in her Dressmakers series, and it has a 3.85 star average at GoodReads. Chase is one of the best historical writers I've read, ever, though this series isn't doing it for me as much as some of the others due to the suspension of disbelief required for the plots to work. That said, as Jane mentioned in a podcast, Chase can't write a bad book. She's got mad skills.
From the Journals of Sophia Noirot: A dress is a weapon. It must dazzle his eye, raise his temperature . . . and empty his purse.
A blue-eyed innocent on the outside and a shark on the inside, dressmaker Sophy Noirot could sell sand to Bedouins. Selling Maison Noirot's beautiful designs to aristocratic ladies is a little harder, especially since a recent family scandal has made an enemy of one of society's fashion leaders.
Turning scandal to the shop's advantage requires every iota of Sophy's skills, leaving her little patience for a big, reckless rake like the Earl of Longmore. The gorgeous lummox can't keep more than one idea in his head at a time, and his idea is taking off all of Sophy's clothes.
But when Longmore's sister, Noirot's wealthiest, favorite customer, runs away, Sophy can't let him bumble after her on his own. In hot pursuit with the one man who tempts her beyond reason, she finds desire has never slipped on so smoothly . . .
I agree – though I’m looking forward to “Vixen in Velvet” (because it’s a new Loretta Chase book), I’m finding the Dressmakers series to be largely forgettable. I will argue the “she can’t write a bad book” point, though – “Captives of the Night”. I’ve tried twice to read that book, to no avail. It’s just BORING. I managed to make it a few chapters in, but have never gotten any further. The characters just don’t hold my interest, no matter how badly I want them to.
Thank you Thank you! I have been wanting to get some of Tessa Dare’s Spindle cove books and this was the perfect opportunity! I wouldn’t have known about the sale without your daily emails, so I am very grateful. Plus I didn’t have The Heiress Effect yet either, so picked that one up too. Just wanted you to know that I appreciate your efforts at letting us readers know about these great sales.
@HeatherS: I quite liked Captives of the Night, but Your Scandalous Ways was a DNF. I remember how shocked I was at the time after coming off a binge reading of all those lovey books that came before. Don’t Tempt Me the second in The Fallen Women series didn’t thrill me either. All in all though I can’t think of any writer who is as consistent as Chase in writing wonderful couples.
I agree with RedHeadedGirl about The Heiress Effect. Even in Milan’s books where I don’t like the heroine (it happens!) I still love the books…..she’s that good!
Okay shoot me, but I cannot understand the love for the Spindle Cove series. I have tried on several occasions the read them, but the first one is the only one I ever finished. I must be defective.:(
I am curious and hopful about Vixen in Velvet (great title), but what I really want to read is Lady Clara’s story, I hope the wait isn’t too long.
@ mel burns: I agree with you re Tessa Dare so you’re not alone. She’s like the vaudeville of historical romance. I can’t really believe in her plots and some of her characters, particularly the heroines don’t pay even lip service to the mores of the time. I’m being harsh, I know, because I haven’t read all her books but ever since I met Lucy in her first book (can’t remember the name), I haven’t wanted to.
I already have the Milan and the Chase, so nothing here for me this time. But I also want to thank Sarah for all her work in giving us these deals. I usually end up buying one or two books, so this is an unusual situation for me.
Yes, I second that! This is a great bunch of deals, and all hail SB Sarah for sharing the wealth. I actually have all of these already, lol, but I’m still happy to see they’re on sale!
I’m hoping Sourcebooks will do a sale on Kearsley’s “The Firebird”, since she has soundly trounced all competition in DABWAHA up to this point. 🙂
I agree, the dressmaker series isn’t quite as fun for me, but my favorite Loretta Chase’s are some of my favorites ever: Lord of Scoundrels, Lord Perfect, Mr. Impossible. Perfect, irrepressible fun.
I like Tessa Dare, but I totally understand what you guys are saying about her. I enjoy them, but they are basically wallpaper romances featuring 19th century women who happen to sound a lot like they are from 2014. She has a nice voice, but the historical anachronisms drive me up the wall. The one with the Duke and the barmaid? The Lady and the blacksmith? Again, a part me of enjoyed it but another part of me was like . . . NO. Just . . . no. And that’s really the tip of the ice berg in regards to relationships that would have been scandalous or even illegal back then, but are more socially acceptable now.
I often have the own the books already problem, but that says far more about me than this website.
@Christine, Heather, & Bamaclm:
You are SO welcome! I’m glad the deals posts are useful for you. Will you let me know how you like the books you’ve bought?
@Terrie:
“Perfect, irrepressible fun” is one of the best Loretta Chase descriptions yet. So accurate!
I really like what I’ve read of the Spindle Cove series so far! I love the touch of humour in the narrative and the breezy way all the dialogue just seems to flow. Every character, even the supporting cast, felt sufficiently developed, which is really rare. I definitely recommend them for people looking for romance that knows how to really balance drama with light.
I think I’ll have to pick up that Courtney Milan book given the rave reviews even though I haven’t read the first one. People say such great things about her, it seems like a no-brainer to try this!
Bitten By Books’ weekly multi-genre list of free and cheap Kindle reads here:
http://bittenbybooks.com/free-read-friday-startling-large-list-of-118-free-multi-genre-books-32814/
I’ve read “Scandal Wears Satin” – like I said, I find the Dressmakers books to be pretty forgettable (and WHAT is with the “She’s a Noirot” comments throughout all the books? Is this supposed to be scandalous? A bad thing? I don’t get it and it’s annoying.).
I read “Any Duchess Will Do” by Dare and liked it, and the rest of the books listed here are patiently waiting their turn on my Kindle.
I haven’t read any of Courtney Milan’s books except “Unclaimed”, and perhaps “Unveiled”. I loved “Unclaimed” so much that I’m afraid to read anything else of hers – so I keep her books on my Kindle in case I get up the nerve.
This is a big thing for me with Loretta Chase, too – I started with “Lord of Scoundrels” and then read the Dressmakers books and “Your Scandalous Ways” and attempted “Captives of the Night” (DNF x2 for me). I’ve read two of her old regencies (“Devil’s Delilah” and “Knave’s Wager”) and really enjoyed them, but I’m half-afraid to read any more of her books for fear of that tepid “Meh, what does everyone see in this?” reaction. Do you guys know what I’m talking about? Am I the only one who hoards books on her Kindle but hasn’t read them for fear of being let down?
@HeatherS, I’m hoarding some Milan books on my Kindle, not so much because I’m afraid to read them, but saving them for an reading emergency. I’m also hoarding paperback versions of the old Chase Regencies. But you should go ahead and read Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase because it’s great! No fear! And it’s hysterically funny. I enjoyed the rest of the Carsington family books too, except for Miss Wonderful which really bored me.
I’m just disappointed because I already own, or have read, all of these bargain books, so no deals for me today.
I hoard books on my Kindle too and for the same reason. The Milan books are terrific….I think The Governess Affair is an amazing book and worth reading just for the subject matter alone and how everything unfolds. It’s all good.
I agree with Karin. Mr Impossible is a lot of fun and Lord Perfect is too…..I really like the heroine Bathsheba who really doesn’t deserve that moniker.