RECOMMENDED: Battle Royal by Lucy Parker is $1.99! Catherine gave this one an A-:
I loved Battle Royal. While it did have minor flaws, it more than made up for them with humour, tenderness, and food porn.
Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston is $2.99! This one is probably on sale because of the recent exciting movie news and I know many of you loved this one. Aarya gave this one a C- because she found the political world building too much of a distraction.
RECOMMENDED: The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite is $1.99! This is a Kindle Daily Deal. Carrie read this one and gave it a B+:
The book is evocative, interesting, and full of competence porn, fashion, art, and intelligent people saying intelligent things. Anyone who doesn’t mind a slow pace will love this.
RECOMMENDED: The Ones Who Got Away by Roni Loren is 99c! I really enjoyed this one and its portrayal of people living with trauma. I gave it a B+, but as it deals with victims of gun violence, I completely understand why readers may want to avoid it.
If the subject matter doesn’t scare you off and your catnip is friends to lovers, slow burn-y goodness, The Ones Who Got Away is highly worth the read.
When I really love an author, I often try to pace out diving into their back list as much as my own self-control will allow, leaving me with some guaranteed, go-to winners for when I really need them. This strategy definitely paid off with Jeannie Lin’s The Dragon and The Pearl, the second book in her China-set Tang Dynasty series. Two deliciously complex characters locked in a steamy battle of wills in a well-rendered non-European … Continue reading The Dragon and the Pearl by Jeannie Lin
I’ve been in a reading rut lately. It’s the worst feeling in the world, and my solution has been to try novellas instead. They’re less intimidating than full-length books: it’s an hour of my time instead of four, I don’t feel like I’ve wasted time if I hate the book, I don’t experience guilt if I DNF, etc. The list goes on and on. When Jeannie Lin released an anthology set in her 19th century … Continue reading Tales from the Gunpowder Chronicles by Jeannie Lin
The Lotus Palace is a historical romance/mystery set in Tang Dynasty China. It is the first in the short but fantastic Pingkang Li Mysteries Series. I adore the setting, the characters, and the delicate way that the issue of consent is handled given the many forms of inequality within the society in which our characters live. This is a slow-paced book, but one that allows a relationship to mature over time in a believable way … Continue reading The Lotus Palace by Jeannie Lin
The Black Lyon by Jude Deveraux is $3.99! This is one of the first romances Deveraux published. It came out in 1980 and has Old Skool qualities, but many readers say this is the book that turned them into Deveraux fans. I will also mention that if rape is a trigger for you, avoid this book or at least read cautiously. Any Bitchery members care to add their thoughts?
Gunpowder Alchemy is the first book in a steampunk series set in China during the Opium Wars. It’s a fun, fresh setting, with interesting, complex characters and a great balance of plot, romance, and steampunk geeky goodness. You should know that it’s an adventure series with a lot of romance, not a romance novel with a lot of adventure. Also, it ends on a cliffhanger (WHY GOD WHY). The plot involves Jin Soling, the daughter … Continue reading Gunpowder Alchemy by Jeannie Lin
RECOMMENDED: My Fair Concubine by Jeannie Lin is $1.99 at Amazon right now. This is a historical “My Fair Lady” style romance – set in the Tang Dynasty in China. It is just lovely – so, please, think about grabbing a copy. I think this deal expires tomorrow! The Nobleman Who Turned a Tea Girl Into a Princess… Yan Ling tries hard to be servile—it's what's expected of a girl of her class. Being intelligent … Continue reading Books on Sale: Historical Romance From Jeannie Lin, Mary Balogh, and Jude Deveraux
This guest review comes from Aarya Marsden! Thanks, Aarya! Aarya Marsden is a pseudonym for an Indian-American college student and long-time romance reader. Her favorite authors include Ilona Andrews, Nalini Singh, Lucy Parker, Alisha Rai, Jeannie Lin, Lisa Kleypas, Alyssa Cole, Tessa Dare, Meredith Duran, Mina V. Esguerra, Kate Clayborn, and many more. You can follow @Aarya_Marsden on Twitter, where she gushes about romance novels and is a firm advocate for a happily-ever-after. … TW/CW: … Continue reading Guest Review: Stealing Luna by Carla de Guzman
