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The Spanish Love Deception
The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas is $2.99! I believe we featured this on a previous Book Beat and this was going around on Romance Twitter a month or so ago. Needless to say, I’m very curious.
A wedding. A trip to Spain. The most infuriating man. And three days of pretending. Or in other words, a plan that will never work.
Catalina Martín, finally, not single. Her family is happy to announce that she will bring her American boyfriend to her sister’s wedding. Everyone is invited to come and witness the most magical event of the year.
That would certainly be tomorrow’s headline in the local newspaper of the small Spanish town I came from. Or the epitaph on my tombstone, seeing the turn my life had taken in the span of a phone call.
Four weeks wasn’t a lot of time to find someone willing to cross the Atlantic–from NYC and all the way to Spain–for a wedding. Let alone, someone eager to play along my charade. But that didn’t mean I was desperate enough to bring the 6’4 blue eyed pain in my ass standing before me.
Aaron Blackford. The man whose main occupation was making my blood boil had just offered himself to be my date. Right after inserting his nose in my business, calling me delusional, and calling himself my best option. See? Outrageous. Aggravating. Blood boiling. And much to my total despair, also right. Which left me with a surly and extra large dilemma in my hands. Was it worth the suffering to bring my colleague and bane of my existence as my fake boyfriend to my sister’s wedding? Or was I better off coming clean and facing the consequences of my panic induced lie?
Like my abuela would say, que dios nos pille confesados.
The Spanish Love Deception is an enemies-to-lovers, fake-dating romantic comedy. Perfect for those looking for a steamy slow-burn romance with the sweetest Happily Ever After.
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One Good Earl Deserves a Lover
One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean is 99c! This is book two in the Rules of Scoundrels series and book one is also on sale. This book features a scientist heroine who is determined to learn about sexuality before her wedding night, and needs a rogue to help her with said research.
One Good Earl Deserves a Lover, the second book in New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean’s award-winning Rules of Scoundrels series, is a lively, romantic adventure, starring a lovable, sometimes bumbling heroine and a sexy, leading man who offer up plenty of steamy sexual tension.
Nearly engaged to Lord Castleton, the always proper and logical Lady Philippa “Pippa” Marbury wants to learn about London’s dark side before she happily heads off to the country and embraces married life. But it’s in London’s shadowy corners where she meets Cross, the brooding, mysterious bookkeeper of The Fallen Angel, London’s most notorious and coveted gaming hell. He’s a rogue in every sense of the word. Or is he?
The heroes of the Rule of Scoundrels books will steal the hearts of their heroines and readers alike!
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Her Big City Neighbor
Her Big City Neighbor by Jackie Lau is FREE! Yes, that’s right! You can start Lau’s Cider Bar Sisters series for the cost of nothing. This was mentioned on a previous Hide Your Wallet and Lau’s romances have usually been well reviewed here.
When small-town engineer Amy Sharpe inherits a house in Toronto, she decides it’s the perfect opportunity to start over and go back to school. Away from the family that takes her for granted, away from the ex who expected so much and gave little in return.
The new Amy enjoys wandering around the city and frequenting bubble tea shops, German beer halls, dim sum restaurants, and coffee bars serving Japanese pastries. She has a roommate with the same name as her favorite fictional character, and a group of friends who meet at a cider bar every couple of weeks.
The new Amy is also in lust with her brooding, tattooed next-door neighbor, Victor Choi, who is far from friendly but looks really hot cutting the grass without a shirt. Too bad the grass doesn’t grow faster.
As she starts telling him about her daily adventures—and as a little kissing in the garden becomes a regular activity—Amy finds her feelings are more than lust. But she fears she’s falling into her old patterns in relationships and refuses to let herself be underappreciated again.
Is Victor really more than a hot fling? And what’s he hiding behind that grumpy exterior?
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How the Marquess Was Won
How the Marquess Was Won by Julie Anne Long is $1.99! This is book six in the Pennyroyal Green series. I’m unsure if this series should be read in order, but sound off below if you have thoughts. Admittedly, I have a weakness for any characters referred to as an “ice lord” or “ice queen.”
The Scandal Sheets call him Lord Ice.
Ruthless, cold, precise, Julian Spenser, Marquess Dryden, tolerates only the finest—in clothes, in horseflesh, in mistresses. And now he’s found the perfect bride, the one whose dowry will restore his family’s shattered legacy and bring him peace at last: the exquisite heiress Lisbeth Redmond.
She’s about to play with fire…
But one unforgettable encounter with Lisbeth’s paid companion, Phoebe Vale, and the Marquess is undone. This quiet girl with the wicked smile and a wit to match is the first person to see through the icy facade to the fiery man beneath. But their irresistible attraction is a torment as sweet as it is dangerous, for surrendering to their desire could mean losing everything else they ever wanted.
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You can probably read the Pennyroyal Green series somewhat out of order and be fine, but it will be better to read it in order. There are a lot of characters that it helps to be familiar with in previous books in the series, so I would recommend reading it in order. This particular book is not one of my favorites from the series, but it is fine.
Totally enjoyed the Lau—I find her books to be like comfort food. Nothing extravagant, but reliable and delicious.
Per Goodreads (two stars), I did not enjoy the MacLean (mostly didn’t like that entire series), but cannot recall why. I think the series has a tendency to move from transgressive to abusive without an acknowledgment that that’s what’s happening. (A Rogue by Any Other Name is the worst on that front.)
Maybe I’d see it in a different light now but I recall thinking One Good Earl Deserves a Lover is the best of that series.
Get the Lau!
I’ve read every book in the Pennyroyal Green series except the last, but I don’t really remember this one.
I’ll third “get the Lau.” Just don’t read any of her books if you are hungry — the temptation to fly to Toronto to eat will be overwhelming.
I adore the whole Pennyroyal Green series, but this is probably my second favorite (first is Violet, in all her unique, horrible wonderfulness). I think of the bits with Charybdis whenever I pet my cat’s belly. Agreed with @Laurel that you really should read them in order, though.
BEGINNER’S LUCK and LUCK OF THE DRAW by Kate Clayborn (books #1 and 2 in the Chance of a Lifetime series) are $2.99 at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
A box set of the first four books in Pamela Clare’s Colorado High Country series is on sale for $0.99. I don’t often read “action/adventure” type romance, but I read all of this series (6 books) and loved it. It’s set in the CO Rockies focusing on a close-knit search and rescue team and has tons of competence pron, low angst, and lots of action.
Seconding @JenM regarding Pamela Clare: lots of technical detail and competence p0rn. If you like Kari Lynn Dell’s books, you will probably like Pamela Clare.
Re the Pennyroyal Green Series: YMMV. I read “What I Did for a Duke” without reading any of the other books and I loved it. I could see how there could have been a touch more depth to the supporting characters if I read the books in order but it didn’t detract. However, I tried to read “It Happened One Midnight” a couple months later and stalled out. The plot was self-contained, but a lot of the story focused on the hero’s relationship with his father/family. Not having read any of the prior books with that family those sections lacked something (depth? poignancy?) and I just couldn’t get invested in the overarching plot arc.
For Audible members, ACT YOUR AGE, EVE BROWN by Talia Hibbert is $3.95 today.
Personally, I can’t listen to romance audio books because secondhand embarrassment would have me driving off the road or dying on the couch. Reading sexy times? No problem. Someone narrating, which means TWO OF US ARE IN THIS TOGETHER? AT THE SAME TIME? *incoherent gibberish*
I’m going to differ and say “Get a different Lau!” I have liked every other book I’ve read by her. They’re comfort reads. I really enjoyed and would absolutely recommend the “Baldwin Village” & “Holidays with the Wongs” series.
To me, “Her Big City Neighbor” reads like a first novel. You know, when someone has a huge back catalog and you read their first books and they’re still figuring things out so there’s too much exposition about the wrong things, the rhythms of the plot are off, and nothing quite pulls together? That’s how this book is reading to me (it’s taken me months to get about halfway through. I read some of her other novels in an afternoon.)
But definitely check out her other books!
I got the Spanish Love Deception the last time it was recommended, and while I don’t regret getting it, the second half of the book really didn’t work for me. There were a LOT of homophone errors and odd turns of phrase that meant that once the main internal conflict (Oh, no, Our Hero hates Our Heroine) was gone, I had trouble staying invested.
Plus the main external conflict (mild spoiler, hero ends up in a position of job authority over heroine) was kind of hand waved IMO.
Cute start, didn’t nail the execution.
@Darlynne: I am so with you on being unable to listen to romance audiobooks. What can be hawt-hawt-hawt on the page can get rather cringey when you’re actually, ya know, hearing the words!
I have a category on my Kindle called “All Stalled” for those books that need to go into limbo for awhile. They don’t make me angry enough to DNF, but I have to put them on hold for assorted reasons. The Spanish Love Deception was sent to the corner at 66%. While the premise is delightfully tropey, the hero is as prim as an adorable corporate Captain America, and the prospect of a wedding date in Spain is appealing, the execution is not. There are the many, many editing issues, the whining heroine’s first person POV, and–omg–the lyyyying. I admit lies and the lying liars that tell them are a personal no fly zone for me, especially when the dishonesty just keeps spiraling. The only thing honest in the first two thirds of the book is the title. The novel isn’t terrible and I’ll probably finish it one of these days, but it may not be everyone’s cup of tea.
@Darlynne I think it depends a lot on the narrator. Female narrators — meh. Male narrators whispering sexy nothings in my ear — oh yeah. I mostly only listen to audio books with at least one male narrator.
I’m particularly fond of Brian Pallino (real name: Angelo Di Loreto), who sadly died last year.
@MsCellanie i have to agree with you on the Lau. Its the only book of hers i have DNF.
*adds another voice to the get the Lau and Long pile*
Darlynne I couldn’t agree with you more on romance audiobooks. I haven’t listened to a single one that I liked for exactly that reason!
@Annie Kate: Charybdis is one of my favorite romance heroes. The blue ribbon.
Sherry Thomas has put the first three Lady Sherlock books on sale for those outside the US. In Australia, for example, they’re $3.99 each. (Usual price is $11.99.)
I LOVE audiobooks,and listen to three a week on average. There are some incredible narrators out there that make the sexy times even sexier. When so many romance books sounding the same, with well-worn tropes and basic story lines, a talented narrator can make a good book into a great one by bringing the characters to life.
I was underwhelmed by the Jackie Lau book. I thought it was cute, but not memorable. There isn’t much plot, and Amy’s relentless cheerfulness felt forced. There is a LOT of eating in this book, and while that was fun, I kept wondering what graduate student could afford to eat out all the time. Definitely worth getting it for free, though.
The Julie Anne Long book is my favorite Pennyroyal Green book of the batch. The Lau looks interesting but only has a 3.7 Goodreads grade. With hundreds of books piled up in my TBR list I’ll have to pass. “How the Marquess was Won” has a 4.07. And while not a perfect indicator by any means, I have to use SOMETHING to keep me from tossing more on the pile willy-nilly. The Spanish Love Deception also is over 4. (my personal threshold if waffling) and already in that huge TBR pile.