Syncopation
Syncopation by Anna Zabo is 99c! This is the first book in the Twisted Wishes series and is a m/m rockstar romance. So many of my friends love this series and it features a romance between aromantic and gay heroes. The sale is good until April 7th!
Twisted Wishes front man Ray Van Zeller is in one hell of a tight spot. After a heated confrontation with his bandmate goes viral, Ray is hit with a PR nightmare the fledgling band so doesn’t need. But his problems only multiply when they snag a talented new drummer—insufferably sexy Zavier Demos, the high school crush Ray barely survived.
Zavier’s kept a casual eye on Twisted Wishes for years, and lately, he likes what he sees. What he doesn’t like is how out of control Ray seems—something Zavier’s aching to correct after their first pulse-pounding encounter. If Ray’s up for the challenge.
Despite the prospect of a glorious sexual encore, Ray is reluctant to trust Zavier with his band—or his heart. And Zavier has always had big dreams; this gig was supposed to be temporary. But touring together has opened their eyes to new passions and new possibilities, making them rethink their commitments, both to the band and to each other.
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Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling is $2.99! This is a price-matched Kindle Daily Deal. Check out the other deals; there’s romance, historical fiction, and more. Some readers felt there were chapters that outshone others, while others recommend it on audio.
Mindy Kaling has lived many lives: the obedient child of immigrant professionals, a timid chubster afraid of her own bike, a Ben Affleck–impersonating Off-Broadway performer and playwright, and, finally, a comedy writer and actress prone to starting fights with her friends and coworkers with the sentence “Can I just say one last thing about this, and then I swear I’ll shut up about it?”
Perhaps you want to know what Mindy thinks makes a great best friend (someone who will fill your prescription in the middle of the night), or what makes a great guy (one who is aware of all elderly people in any room at any time and acts accordingly), or what is the perfect amount of fame (so famous you can never get convicted of murder in a court of law), or how to maintain a trim figure (you will not find that information in these pages). If so, you’ve come to the right book, mostly!
In Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Mindy invites readers on a tour of her life and her unscientific observations on romance, friendship, and Hollywood, with several conveniently placed stopping points for you to run errands and make phone calls. Mindy Kaling really is just a Girl Next Door—not so much literally anywhere in the continental United States, but definitely if you live in India or Sri Lanka.
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As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks!The Leopard King
The Leopard King by Ann Aguirre is $2.99! This is the first book in her paranormal romance series, Ars Numina. And man, that cover is amazeballs. Readers loved the emotions the hero and heroine experienced, but some wished there was a bit more information about the world and setting. The next three books in the series are also $2.99 each.
Proud. Imperious. Impassioned.
Until three years ago, those words applied to Dominic Asher, the leader of Ash Valley. His family has ruled the feline branch of the Animari for hundreds of years, guiding the pride through perilous times. Unspeakable loss drove him into seclusion, a feral beast nobody can tame. Now he’s wrecked, a leopard king in exile, and he wants nothing more than to die.
Fierce. Loyal. Determined.
Fortunately for Dom, those words still apply to Pru Bristow, his dead mate’s best friend. She’s had her heart broken too, but she never quits. With the conclave approaching, alliances with the Pine Ridge pack and Burnt Amber clans on the verge of collapse, she’s prepared to do whatever it takes to drag their leader back, before his second can start a war.
At best theirs seems like a desperate alliance, but when their mate bond turns hot and fierce, there’s no end to the questions and the doubts. Neither of them expects to fall in love. But sometimes people don’t know what they’re looking for until they find it.
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Duchess by Design by Maya Rodale is $1.99! This is the first book in the Gilded Age Girls Club series. Elyse read this one, but gave it a B-, as she didn’t believe the hero really deserved the heroine. Have you read this one? Do you agree with Elyse’s assessment.
In the first novel of Maya Rodale’s enthralling new series, an English duke vows to make an American seamstress his duchess…
In Gilded Age Manhattan, anything can happen…
Seeking a wealthy American bride who can save his family’s estate, Brandon Fiennes, the duke of Kingston, is a rogue determined to do the right thing. But his search for an heiress goes deliciously awry when an enchanting seamstress tumbles into his arms instead.
…and true love is always in fashion
Miss Adeline Black aspires to be a fashionable dressmaker—not a duchess—and not even an impossibly seductive duke will distract her. But Kingston makes an offer she can’t refuse: join him at society events to display her gowns and advise him on which heiresses are duchess material. It’s the perfect plan—as long as they resist temptation, avoid a scandal, and above all do not lose their hearts.
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I am…wary-to-nervous about a romance with an aromantic lead. Can anyone ease my fears about the likelihood of the romance “curing” aromanticism, the character turning out to have never been aromantic is the first place, aromanticism being conflated with “bad experiences in the past,” and/or the romantic character’s needs & boundaries being given priority over the aromantic one’s?
Much appreciated
–An aromantic romance reader
I was so confused by the aromatic heroes in the Syncopation description. I had to reread several times before I realized they’re “aromantic.”
Sarina Bowen’s Hard Hitter is on sale for 1.99 on Amazon. Been waiting years for it to go on sale.
@MaryK: I mean, romance heroes always smell good, so “aromatic” wouldn’t be too far off.
@Kat_blue: I haven’t read this one, so I can’t speak to the depiction. I do recommend reading the Goodreads and Amazon reviews, as many of them are pretty enlightening at how this is handled. It’s also been recommended and loved by several close friends whose opinions I trust on these things.
Sorry I couldn’t be of more help!
I read it multiple times as “aromatic” and couldn’t fathom what that implied. Were they opposed to personal hygiene regimens, really into burning incense, amateur parfumiers? Was genuinely perplexed until I read the comments!
Thanks to @kat_blue for the validation. I never put my aromanticism out there when discussing romance novels because it seems so “off” for a romance reader.
@Kat_blue: It’s been a few months since I read this one, but I recall that the aromantic relationship was done realistically and well, and there were no “cures.” I enjoyed it enough to order the 2nd book in the series, which turned out to be disappointing, but this first one was quite good.
I read this a year ago and barely remember anything about it. According to goodreads I gave it 3 stars, which I guess fits with it not being that memorable. I’m not aro, so take my assessment fwiw, but I liked that the aro hero got to stay aro and still get an hfn.
Here’s my GR review.
“The parts that worked for me, really worked. This is one of those hot, sexy stories that I enjoyed while reading it, but now that I’m done with it, I can see some annoying flaws.
I really didn’t care for the manipulative manager – and his behavior got stranger and stranger and more like a cartoon villain as the book progressed. And I still don’t really understand his motivation – beyond being a good plot device to bring our h/h together.
I’m always glad to read diverse queer characters and it was nice to read a pansexual, kinky, aromantic hero who wasn’t “cured” of being aro to get an hea.”
I just read it and my GR review would be pretty similar to Cleo’s particularly about the villain lol. There was definitely no “bad experiences in the past” as a reason, or prioritization of the romantic partners needs (imo but I am not aro either so my assessment may also be off!)
Spoilers (?)The aromantic partner (who does enjoy sexual relationships) does realise at the end of the book that the other hero is his person for life and wants that made clear to everyone (& they still going strong in book 3 which I have on pre-order but read the sample chapter of in the back of this one or the next one) but isn’t suddenly spouting his love and buying flowers and talking about how the other hero cured him and now he understands what love is etc
What’s the difference between aromantic and unromantic..? Both seem disinterested in romance and romantic feelings, but one is an identity, the other a characteristic? Is that right? Is Charlotte Collins unromantic, or could she be called aromantic? (‘I’m not romantic, you know. I never was.’ Good old Charlotte.)
From the Amazon comments (there was only one B&N comment) it’s hard to tell; some “It’s handled perfectly,” some “It’s done poorly,” a lot of “I don’t know what aromanticism is and I don’t know why it had to be included,” the usual.
But s***, it was only 99 cents!
Thank you to everyone who weighed in for me!
@Tam, labels can be tricky and highly personal, but the simplest way I’d describe aromanticism is how there are people who you love, but are not in love with. The passion and depth and loyalty is comparable to romantic love, but it’s not and there’s no “end goal” of trying to get them to date you. Everybody has (or at least I hope so) some relationships like that in their lives, but most people have (or want to have) romantic relationships as well. For aromantic people, we don’t look for those romantic relationships.
Sometimes. For some people. Because labels are messy.
I’m not sure whether I’d call Charlotte aromantic or not; too many different factors like the historical setting where the word doesn’t exist yet and her needing a marriage for practical reasons (but I do like to pretend a lot of “well-matched as partners but not passionately in love” side couples/backstory first marriages have at least one aromantic partner). I’d put “unromantic” as similar to “practical” or “pragmatic” I think, like you said, a characteristic of her personality rather than her sexuality.
I like romances in the same way I like crime thrillers, it’s not something I want to really happen in my own life but I get invested in the story and the characters. I’m not sure how I would want a romance with an aromantic hero to happen, so I’m interested in testing the waters with this one…