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Trashed
Trashed by Mia Hopkins is $2.99! This is part of Hopkins’ Eastside Brewery series. Though I haven’t read any of Hopkins’ titles, I will say they get routinely recommended at my romance book club and I know Aarya has good things to say about them. But FYI, I believe this book is told through the hero’s POV.
He burns for her. Lucky for him, she likes to play with fire. . .
My name is Eddie Rosas, but everyone calls me Trouble. Since I got out of prison six months ago, I’ve had one goal: find my father, whatever the cost. My older brother says I need to move on. He also wants me to leave our gang, East Side Hollenbeck, and go straight, but I can’t–not until I uncover the truth about our family and its missing piece.
One problem? I’m distracted. My distraction’s name is Carmen Centeno. Smart, passionate, and tough as hell, Carmen is a woman from the neighborhood who’s built her career as one of the city’s top chefs. She’s a master of creating pleasure both in and out of bed. But when our connection deepens, how can I show her I’m not the trash everyone says I am?
The pressure’s rising. Carmen deserves a man she can depend on. And when the ghosts of my past rise up, I’ll have to outsmart them–or lose my shot at a future with the only woman who believes in me.
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The Queen of the Tearling
The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen is $1.99! Perusing the GR reviews shows that readers either loved it or really hated it. Many had issues with the world-building, though quite a number of readers praised the unconventional heroine. This is also the start of a trilogy. We’ve featured the book on sale before and there was a great discussion of the book’s elements in the comments.
On her nineteenth birthday, Princess Kelsea Raleigh Glynn, raised in exile, sets out on a perilous journey back to the castle of her birth to ascend her rightful throne. Plain and serious, a girl who loves books and learning, Kelsea bears little resemblance to her mother, the vain and frivolous Queen Elyssa. But though she may be inexperienced and sheltered, Kelsea is not defenseless: Around her neck hangs the Tearling sapphire, a jewel of immense magical power; and accompanying her is the Queen’s Guard, a cadre of brave knights led by the enigmatic and dedicated Lazarus. Kelsea will need them all to survive a cabal of enemies who will use every weapon—from crimson-caped assassins to the darkest blood magic—to prevent her from wearing the crown.
Despite her royal blood, Kelsea feels like nothing so much as an insecure girl, a child called upon to lead a people and a kingdom about which she knows almost nothing. But what she discovers in the capital will change everything, confronting her with horrors she never imagined. An act of singular daring will throw Kelsea’s kingdom into tumult, unleashing the vengeance of the tyrannical ruler of neighboring Mortmesne: the Red Queen, a sorceress possessed of the darkest magic. Now Kelsea will begin to discover whom among the servants, aristocracy, and her own guard she can trust.
But the quest to save her kingdom and meet her destiny has only just begun—a wondrous journey of self-discovery and a trial by fire that will make her a legend…if she can survive.
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The Curse of Chalion
The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold is $2.99! This fantasy novel has been recommended several times in the site’s comments over the years. Some readers felt their interest in the main character waned, but overall, they enjoyed the plot. It has a 4.1-star rating on Goodreads.
A man broken in body and spirit, Cazaril returns to the noble household he once served as page and is named secretary-tutor to the beautiful, strong-willed sister of the impetuous boy who is next in line to rule. It is an assignment Cazaril dreads, for it must ultimately lead him to the place he most fears: the royal court of Cardegoss, where the powerful enemies who once placed him in chains now occupy lofty positions.
But it is more than the traitorous intrigues of villains that threaten Cazaril and the Royesse Iselle here, for a sinister curse hangs like a sword over the entire blighted House of Chalion. And only by employing the darkest, most forbidden of magics can Cazaril hope to protect his royal charge — an act that will mark him as a tool of the miraculous . . . and trap him in a lethal maze of demonic paradox.
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Lovely War
Lovely War by Julie Berry is $1.99! This is a mix of young adult, historical fiction, romance, and fantasy. The reviews for this are astoundingly good and I’m so curious, but I’m also wary that it’ll tear my heart into pieces because it sounds real sad.
Read the novel New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network Kate Quinn called “easily one of the best novels I have read all year!” A critically acclaimed, multi-layered romance set in the perilous days of World Wars I and II, where gods hold the fates–and the hearts–of four mortals in their hands.
They are Hazel, James, Aubrey, and Colette. A classical pianist from London, a British would-be architect-turned-soldier, a Harlem-born ragtime genius in the U.S. Army, and a Belgian orphan with a gorgeous voice and a devastating past. Their story, as told by goddess Aphrodite, who must spin the tale or face judgment on Mount Olympus, is filled with hope and heartbreak, prejudice and passion, and reveals that, though War is a formidable force, it’s no match for the transcendent power of Love.
Hailed by critics, Lovely War has received seven starred reviews and is an indie bestseller. Author Julie Berry has been called “a modern master of historical fiction” by Bookpage and “a celestially inspired storyteller” by the New York Times, and Lovely War is truly her masterwork.
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Can Trashed be read as a stand-alone?
I’d say the romance in The Curse of Chalion is the weakest part of it, though you should absolutely pick it up if you like well-written fantasy with detailed worldbuilding.
However, Paladin of Souls, the second in the same world, is one of my favourite fantasy romances ever. The heroine Ista is about forty and has lived through a lot of grief, and now she has absolutely no time for anyone’s BS. The hero is in awe of her pretty fast and so was I, and it just feels like such a joyous celebration of the sort of character who’s usually a sidenote in a fantasy novel.
I adore The Curse of Chalion and it’s sequel, Paladin of Souls. Both are about grown, middle-aged adults who have SEEN SOME SHIT and just want to be left alone, except for this nasty habit of destiny that’s following them around. The world building is brilliant, the characters are flawed but still enjoyable, and the action is gripping.
A note about the very thin romance in Curse of Chalion: it’s been a while since I read it, but if I remember correctly it’s definitely a May/December thing. The ages and passage of time in the book are kind of fuzzy, but I want to say there’s at least 20 years between the two of them, and I think I recall that the hero was shocked to learn the young(er) lady was at all interested in and actively pursuing him, given the age gap. They’re still a charming couple, but a warning to people for whom that may not be their cup of tea.
Yes and yes on the above recs on Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls- Paladin is all the stars and 10 thumbs up!
(And I miss the hearts to agree with comments too)
Really enjoyed both Trashed and Thirsty, the first in the series (though I think the Eastside Brewery name is misleading, as it’s not really a focus in either). They are both HERO pov. Hopkins writes hot sexy times, and her heroes are down to go down. Trashed can be read as a standalone, but I definitely recommend reading them both because they’re great and there are recurring characters.
Loved both Trashed and Thirsty! Mia Hopkins did an outstanding job on both. The hero POV is truly excellent.
I loved The Curse of Chalion. It isn’t a book that requires a romance to be enjoyable (and I say that as someone who primarily reads romance) so even though I’m not generally a fan of May/December that aspect didn’t bother me. It’s also really good as an audiobook.
Bujold is an author I think of as Romance adjacent because even when her books don’t include romantic relationships they don’t violate my romance sensibilities. They’re character driven, the characters are likeable, and they end well.
LOVELY WAR is one of the best books that I have ever read. It’s one of those books where you don’t know what to do with yourself after you finish. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Is it sad? Sure. But it’s worth it.
I also recommend THE PASSION OF DOLSSA by Julie Berry, which is also $1.99 today on Amazon. This is a YA historical fiction with magical realism about young ladies who take care of each other during the Inquisition in France during a hunt for a heretic. It won the Printz Honor award in 2017.
The plot of Lovely War sounds utterly fascinating!
Joining the chorus of approval for Bujold’s Curse of Chalion and her other works in what she calls the World of the Five Gods. I don’t like Paladin of Souls as much as the others, but really love The Hallowed Hunt, a sort of prequel novel with a great central romance. There also five (I think) novellas, ranging from serious adventure to romance and humor, about Penric, who becomes a sorcerer when he accidentally acquires a demon with 12 personalities, all female (from the demon’s previous “riders”). I reread all of these a lot.
My brother gave me Curse of Challion as a gift; it is one of his comfort reads. I enjoyed it a lot and would recommend it.
I also read Lovely War, interesting and full of information about that era that I had not realized. Would recommend this one also.
Getting on treakle_eater’s bandwagon for Lovely War, here. Lovely War is BEAUTIFUL. Greek gods! Swoony WWII love stories! I got so excited that I quit the audio for print so I could finish the story in one evening. Is it sad? Sometimes, but it’s also happy, and the ending was really satisfying. FOR THE MOST PART, mind you. Passion of Dolssa is also BEAUTIFUL–I read it and thought, “Dang, Julie Berry ACHIEVED.” All the Truth That’s In Me is also a darn good read! I met her when she was promoting Lovely War, and she is someone who cares very deeply about research and craft and language. I will read anything she writes. Try her!
Thanks for the rec on Paladin of Souls! LMB is one of my favorites in spite of my lukewarm feelings toward “grizzled old dude x sharp young lady” pairings, which she does A LOT. (like, The Sharing Knife is 99% that and I still read it)
I had read Curse of Chalion and left off there, but I’ll have to pick that series back up. Thanks!