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Well Met
RECOMMENDED: Well Met by Jen DeLuca is $1.99! This is a contemporary romance set at a Ren Faire! Carrie gave this one a B:
It’s playful and fun with an undercurrent of powerful, mutual empathy and mutual emotional care.
All’s faire in love and war for two sworn enemies who indulge in a harmless flirtation in a laugh-out-loud rom-com from debut author Jen DeLuca.
Emily knew there would be strings attached when she relocated to the small town of Willow Creek, Maryland, for the summer to help her sister recover from an accident, but who could anticipate getting roped into volunteering for the local Renaissance Faire alongside her teenaged niece? Or that the irritating and inscrutable schoolteacher in charge of the volunteers would be so annoying that she finds it impossible to stop thinking about him?
The faire is Simon’s family legacy and from the start he makes clear he doesn’t have time for Emily’s lighthearted approach to life, her oddball Shakespeare conspiracy theories, or her endless suggestions for new acts to shake things up. Yet on the faire grounds he becomes a different person, flirting freely with Emily when she’s in her revealing wench’s costume. But is this attraction real, or just part of the characters they’re portraying?
This summer was only ever supposed to be a pit stop on the way to somewhere else for Emily, but soon she can’t seem to shake the fantasy of establishing something more with Simon or a permanent home of her own in Willow Creek.
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I’m Only Wicked with You
I’m Only Wicked with You by Julie Anne Long is $1.99! This was mentioned in a Hide Your Wallet post and a Cover Snark post. How often does that happen?! This is book three in the Palace of Rogues historical romance series.
USA Today bestselling author Julie Anne Long continues her Palace of Rogues series with a brand-new romance about an ambitious American and a headstrong British heiress.
He’s the battle-hardened son of a bastard, raised in the wilds of New York. She’s the sheltered, blue-blooded darling of the London broadsheets, destined to marry a duke. Their worlds could only collide in a boardinghouse by the London docks…and when they do, the sparks would ignite all of England.
Nothing can stop Hugh Cassidy’s drive to build an American empire…unless it’s his new nemesis, the arrogant, beautiful, too-clever-by-half Lady Lillias Vaughn. The fascination is mutual. The temptation is merciless. And the inevitable indiscretion? Soul-searing—and the ruination of them both. Hugh’s proposal salvages Lillias’ honor but kills their dreams for their futures…until they arrive at a plan that could honorably set them free.
But unraveling their entanglement inadvertently uncovers enthralling truths: about Lillias’ wounded, tender heart and fierce spirit. About Hugh’s stunning gentleness, depth, and courage. Soon, Hugh knows that as surely as he’d fight a thousand battles to win her…the best way to love Lillias means breaking his own heart.
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Love at First
Love at First by Kate Clayborn is $1.99! Clayborn is an autobuy author for some of the Bitchery. I believe this one is a stand alone and not part of any series. Have you read this one? What’d you think?
A sparkling and tender novel from the acclaimed author of Love Lettering, full of bickering neighbors, surprise reunions, and the mysterious power of love that fans of Christina Lauren, Sarah Hogle, and Emily Henry will adore.
Sixteen years ago, a teenaged Will Sterling saw—or rather, heard—the girl of his dreams. Standing beneath an apartment building balcony, he shared a perfect moment with a lovely, warm-voiced stranger. It’s a memory that’s never faded, though he’s put so much of his past behind him. Now an unexpected inheritance has brought Will back to that same address, where he plans to offload his new property and get back to his regular life as an overworked doctor. Instead, he encounters a woman, two balconies above, who’s uncannily familiar . . .
No matter how surprised Nora Clarke is by her reaction to handsome, curious Will, or the whispered pre-dawn conversations they share, she won’t let his plans ruin her quirky, close-knit building. Bound by her loyalty to her adored grandmother, she sets out to foil his efforts with a little light sabotage. But beneath the surface of their feud is an undeniable connection. A balcony, a star-crossed couple, a fateful meeting—maybe it’s the kind of story that can’t work out in the end. Or maybe, it’s the perfect second chance . . .
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First Time in Forever
First Time in Forever by Sarah Morgan is $2.99! This is the first book in the Puffin Island series. Fans of Morgan’s romance say this one lacks some oomph, but is still a lovely and sweet ride to an HEA. It has a 4-star average on Goodreads
Windswept, isolated and ruggedly beautiful, Puffin Island is a haven for day-trippers and daydreamers alike. But this charming community has a way of bringing people together in the most unexpected ways…
It’s been a summer of firsts for Emily Donovan. From becoming a stand-in mom to her niece, Lizzy, to arriving on Puffin Island, her life has become virtually unrecognizable. Between desperately safeguarding Lizzy and her overwhelming fear of the ocean—which surrounds her everywhere she goes!—Emily has lost count of the number of “just breathe” pep talks she’s given herself. And that’s before charismatic local yacht club owner Ryan Cooper kisses her…
Ryan knows all about secrets. And it’s clear that newcomer Emily—with her haunted eyes and the little girl she won’t let out of her sight—is hiding from something besides the crazy chemistry between them. So Ryan decides he’s going to make it his personal mission to help her unwind and enjoy the sparks! But can Puffin Island work its magic on Emily and get her to take the biggest leap of trust of all—putting her heart in someone else’s hands?
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RHYTHM by Marie Lipscomb is also on sale today. Lipscomb is known for writing diverse male body types and I enjoyed this one about a sensitive drummer who ends up sharing a cabin with a heroine looking for a quiet getaway.
I thought Well Met was cute, although the romance isn’t super strong. I found the behind the scenes look at the Renaissance Fair to be the best part. We go as a family to a large Ren Fair near us almost every year. Lots of fun.
I DNF’d Love at First because I really disliked the heroine. Her manipulative tactics were distasteful to me. I was rooting for Will to make his apartment into a short-term rental.
I’m enjoying The Palace of Rogues series! The side characters are a lot of fun.
WELL MET has grown to be one of my favorite romances of all time (thank you pandemic comfort reading) but I say that as someone who likes low angst funny (but not super slapstick gimmicky) contemporaries esp where people have “normal” jobs. I can understand why it wouldn’t be for everyone.
I loved that the main characters Ren Faire personas even allow some fake dating.
LOVE AT FIRST has a similar low key vibe. I call it “grounded contemporary”(as in grounded in reality with fewer fairy tale aspects) and honestly I’m always ready for more of it. If it’s a contemporary where no one is a billionaire or celebrity? No too cutsey but not too angsty? That is the Jill sweet spot right there.
@Jill Q, you might enjoy Things We Never Got Over. I think it would land in your reading “sweet spot”.
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I read Love At First in January, and good God was it great. There’s this one moment that I still think about. Highly recommend. I really need to read more Kate Clayborn!
Kate Clayborn can do no wrong in my eyes. Her books make me laugh and cry. I could not have loved Love at First more!
Who Speaks for the Damned, by C.S. Harris is 1.99 on amazon today. This is a great historical mystery series. It is one of the more recent books in the series. I’m not sure that it could be read as a stand alone — there are some plot lines that run through the series. Next book comes out in early April, so perhaps more will go on sale in the lead up to the new release.
@JillQ- I love that term “grounded contemporary”. The only thing I would add is a nice heaping dose of competence and a “no small towns” caveat.
Actually I really adored Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes which is pretty firmly set in a small town. That’s the exception, not the rule for me though.
And I highly recommend Love at First and really any Kate Clayborn.
I enjoyed Well Met as well. I recommend reading the series in order (Well Met is the first) – I accidentally read them out of order and it detracted from my enjoyment a bit.
I’m also Kate Clayborn hive – her writing is just lovely. Love at First was perhaps not my favorite of hers (that’s probably Love Lettering, although it’s really difficult for me to choose). Anything by her is very well worth reading. She’s one of my few auto-buys/auto-borrows.
I liked Well Met and First Time in Forever
A couple more great bargains on historicals; Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore is $1.99 on Kindle.
A Dangerous Madness by Michelle Diener is FREE! Before she wrote sci-fi and fantasy, she wrote historical romance, and this one has a great spy/suspense plot tied to real historical events. I loved it.