The Duchess Deal
RECOMMENDED: The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare is $1.99! This is the first book in the Girl Meets Duke series. Elyse really loved this book and gave it an A grade:
I totally recommend reading The Duchess Deal, but preferably while sober so you can really appreciate all of it. It’s the perfect blend of two of my favorite fairytale tropes, it’s got a hero who never an alpha-hole, it’s funny, and it’s got female friendship. What more could you want?
When girl meets Duke, their marriage breaks all the rules…
Since his return from war, the Duke of Ashbury’s to-do list has been short and anything but sweet: brooding, glowering, menacing London ne’er-do-wells by night. Now there’s a new item on the list. He needs an heir—which means he needs a wife. When Emma Gladstone, a vicar’s daughter turned seamstress, appears in his library wearing a wedding gown, he decides on the spot that she’ll do.
His terms are simple:
– They will be husband and wife by night only.
– No lights, no kissing.
– No questions about his battle scars.
– Last, and most importantly… Once she’s pregnant with his heir, they need never share a bed again.But Emma is no pushover. She has a few rules of her own:
– They will have dinner together every evening.
– With conversation.
– And unlimited teasing.
– Last, and most importantly… Once she’s seen the man beneath the scars, he can’t stop her from falling in love…Add to Goodreads To-Read List →
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Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri is $2.99! This is a Kindle Daily Deal and is being price-matched at select vendors. This is an adult fantasy novel with some romantic elements. Though this is marketed as adult fantasy, some readers it felt like it was more YA. Empire of Sand has been on my TBR pile for a while; have you read this one?
A nobleman’s daughter with magic in her blood. An empire built on the dreams of enslaved gods. Empire of Sand is Tasha Suri’s captivating, Mughal India-inspired debut fantasy.
The Amrithi are outcasts; nomads descended of desert spirits, they are coveted and persecuted throughout the Empire for the power in their blood. Mehr is the illegitimate daughter of an imperial governor and an exiled Amrithi mother she can barely remember, but whose face and magic she has inherited.
When Mehr’s power comes to the attention of the Emperor’s most feared mystics, she must use every ounce of will, subtlety, and power she possesses to resist their cruel agenda.
Should she fail, the gods themselves may awaken seeking vengeance…
Empire of Sand is a lush, dazzling fantasy novel perfect for readers of City of Brass and The Wrath & the Dawn.
Add to Goodreads To-Read List →
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RECOMMENDED: Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep is $1.99! Elyse read this one and gave it a B+:
Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep is the first book in a fantasy series that features a badass female gladiator on a quest to reclaim the throne from her murderous cousin. It’s tremendous fun, although it wraps up quickly.
Gladiator meets Game of Thrones: a royal woman becomes a skilled warrior to destroy her murderous cousin, avenge her family, and save her kingdom in this first entry in a dazzling fantasy epic from the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Elemental Assassin series—an enthralling tale that combines magic, murder, intrigue, adventure, and a hint of romance.
In a realm where one’s magical power determines one’s worth, Lady Everleigh’s lack of obvious ability relegates her to the shadows of the royal court of Bellona, a kingdom steeped in gladiator tradition. Seventeenth in line for the throne, Evie is nothing more than a ceremonial fixture, overlooked and mostly forgotten.
But dark forces are at work inside the palace. When her cousin Vasilia, the crown princess, assassinates her mother the queen and takes the throne by force, Evie is also attacked, along with the rest of the royal family. Luckily for Evie, her secret immunity to magic helps her escape the massacre.
Forced into hiding to survive, she falls in with a gladiator troupe. Though they use their talents to entertain and amuse the masses, the gladiators are actually highly trained warriors skilled in the art of war, especially Lucas Sullivan, a powerful magier with secrets of his own. Uncertain of her future—or if she even has one—Evie begins training with the troupe until she can decide her next move.
But as the bloodthirsty Vasilia exerts her power, pushing Bellona to the brink of war, Evie’s fate becomes clear: she must become a fearsome gladiator herself . . . and kill the queen.
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We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks!The Devil’s Daughter
RECOMMENDED: The Devil’s Daughter by Katee Robert is $1.99 at Amazon! Elyse read this and gave it a B grade, saying that it could have used a bit more romance:
The Devil’s Daughter is high on tension, but light on gore and scares, so readers typically leery of suspense might consider this novel.
Growing up in a small town isn’t easy, especially when you’re the daughter of a local cult leader. Ten years ago, Eden Collins left Clear Springs, Montana, and never once looked back. But when the bodies of murdered young women surface, their corpses violated and marked with tattoos worn by her mother’s followers, Eden, now an FBI agent, can’t turn a blind eye. To catch the killer, she’s going to have to return to the fold.
Sheriff Zach Owens isn’t comfortable putting Eden in danger, even if she is an elite agent. And he certainly wasn’t expecting to be so attracted to her. As calm and cool as she appears, he knows this can’t be a happy homecoming. Zach wants to protect her—from her mother, the cult, and the evil that lurks behind its locked gates. But Eden is his only key to the tight-lipped group, and she may just be closer to the killer than either one of them suspects…
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Oooh. I heartily recommend both “The Duchess Deal” & “Kill the Queen”. Buy or borrow them now. Read them. But please note that they are very different, so choose the one to fit your mood.
“Duchess” is the first in a series that follows Emma’s group of friends; it’s one of those I’ve got collected under both the author’s name AND “Cheer Up” on my Kindle, because it’s one that will make me smile every time.
I read “Kill the Queen” a couple of months ago, & I’ve got “Protect the Prince” (book 2) pre-ordered. I love the world-building & the magic system. The ending surprised me, as I didn’t think the first book in a series (which this is) would end where it did! Vastly different in tone from “Duchess” but equally worth reading.
100% recommend Empire of Sand.
I’ve read and loved Empire of Sand. It’s definitely not YA, and I’m not sure why people would classify it as such. Perhaps it has to do with how the YA genre is now publishing books with more explicit adult content (I’m not talking about sex, but general tones and themes).
I’m also going to go a step further and classify EoS as a fantasy romance. It’s a forced marriage of convenience and follows the familiar romance beats with its own spin. The romance is *very important* and there is a HEA (this couple is done, the second book is about this heroine’s sister). It’s not a fantasy romance like Elizabeth Vaughan or CL Wilson, but more akin to Sharon Shinn. And no matter how you classify it, I think romance readers would love it.
I am so excited for the sequel and this is a brilliant Mughal-inspired fantasy.
Just got Devil’s Daughter and it was only 99 cents. Yay!
I’m sad that I won’t get to ‘The Duchess Deal’ and the rest of the ‘Girl Meets Duke’ series until probably the fall. (Especially after it took a year to get my copy back from my sister-in-law.) But I also really want to read ‘The Wallflowers’ series by Lisa Kleypas for the first time this summer before I get to that.
“The Duchess Deal” is also fantabulous as an audiobook. In case you’re like me and listen more than you read. Just sheer amazing fun.
*SPOILER*
My favorite exchange from The Duchess Deal is when he’s all “I want to horrible depraved things to you” and she’s all “hell yeah, let’s go!” and he’s confused by her response. Adorbs.