The Duke Who Didn’t
RECOMMENDED: The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan is $2.49! This is a KDD and I know many of you have been waiting for this to go on sale! Catherine gave this a squee grade:
The Duke Who Didn’t was always going to be a book that made me happy. Humour, food, and a gentle hero who just wants the heroine to be less stressed are a pretty good formula for getting onto my keeper shelf.
Miss Chloe Fong has plans for her life, lists for her days, and absolutely no time for nonsense. Three years ago, she told her childhood sweetheart that he could talk to her once he planned to be serious. He disappeared that very night.
Except now he’s back. Jeremy Wentworth, the Duke of Lansing, has returned to the tiny village he once visited with the hope of wooing Chloe. In his defense, it took him years of attempting to be serious to realize that the endeavor was incompatible with his personality.
All he has to do is convince Chloe to make room for a mischievous trickster in her life, then disclose that in all the years they’ve known each other, he’s failed to mention his real name, his title… and the minor fact that he owns her entire village.
Only one thing can go wrong: Everything.
Add to Goodreads To-Read List →
This book is on sale at:
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks!The Goblin Emperor
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison is $2.99! This is a fantasy novel with some steampunk elements, and I’ve seen this one mentioned a ton in Whatcha Reading comments. Readers say the writing is amazing, though I don’t believe there’s any romance here (if you’re wondering).
A vividly imagined fantasy of court intrigue and dark magics in a steampunk-inflected world, by a brilliant young talent.
The youngest, half-goblin son of the Emperor has lived his entire life in exile, distant from the Imperial Court and the deadly intrigue that suffuses it. But when his father and three sons in line for the throne are killed in an “accident,” he has no choice but to take his place as the only surviving rightful heir.
Entirely unschooled in the art of court politics, he has no friends, no advisors, and the sure knowledge that whoever assassinated his father and brothers could make an attempt on his life at any moment.
Surrounded by sycophants eager to curry favor with the naïve new emperor, and overwhelmed by the burdens of his new life, he can trust nobody. Amid the swirl of plots to depose him, offers of arranged marriages, and the specter of the unknown conspirators who lurk in the shadows, he must quickly adjust to life as the Goblin Emperor. All the while, he is alone, and trying to find even a single friend… and hoping for the possibility of romance, yet also vigilant against the unseen enemies that threaten him, lest he lose his throne – or his life.
This exciting fantasy novel, set against the pageantry and color of a fascinating, unique world, is a memorable debut for a great new talent.
Add to Goodreads To-Read List →
This book is on sale at:
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks!The Raven Prince
The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt is $2.99! Readers who love it especially like that the hero and heroine are both a bit unconventional: neither of them is superbly good-looking, a fact that has influenced their lives in several ways, and both are over thirty
There comes a time in a woman’s life when she must do the unthinkable – and find employment. For the widowed Anna Wren, that means taking a job as female secretary for the Earl of Swartingham.
Secretaries are always male – never female – as Anna well knows but the real downfall of her career is the realization that she is falling in love with Edward de Raaf – the Earl. But when she realizes that he is going to visit a brothel in London to take care of his ‘manly’ desires, Anna sees red – and decides to take advantage of the opportunity to also take care of her ‘womanly’ desires – with the Earl as her unknowing lover.
But the Earl has another reason for going to London. He is formalising his betrothal and trying (with little success) to forget about a secretary that has no right being female. Unhandsome, he knows that no woman wants him.
Except for the mysterious lady with whom he spent two unforgettable nights at Aphrodite’s Grotto, the most scandalous brothel in London. But when Anna’s plan is revealed, a bit of blackmail is thrown into the mix, a proposal is rejected and even the Earl himself will be unprepared for the intrigues that ensnare them.
Add to Goodreads To-Read List →
This book is on sale at:
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks!Kiss the Bride
Kiss the Bride is 99c! This is an anthology featuring three contemporary romance novellas from Laura Florand, Deirdre Martin, and Christie Ridgway. Readers say that the first story might be the weakest of the three, but that the other two really knock it out of the park.
Some men have only one thing on their minds–and for three unsuspecting women, it appears to be marriage! Looks like spring wedding fever is about to get hotter. . .
Early Bird Special by Deirdre Martin
Fashion exec Dana Fine lives a fabulous life of international travel and glamour. But it only takes a few days visiting with her matchmaking grandparents for her to long for something more. . ..Or maybe it’s sexy landscaper Josh Green who’s got her all hot and bothered. . .
Weddings Ink by Christie Ridgway
Luke Harper is the last man wedding planner Charlotte Bond would ever date again. Then her latest client demands that Charlotte get up-close and personal with the whole bridal party–including best man Luke! Soon business-only meetings turn to sultry nights–and suddenly Charlotte’s “never’ is coming dangerously close to “I do.”
All’s Fair In Love And Chocolate by Laura Florand
Going undercover as a bride-to-be, food blogger Eloise Layne is determined to learn charismatic French chocolatier Simon Casset’s famously guarded secrets. But somehow her man of mystery is succeeding in uncovering her every desire, one smoldering kiss at a time. . .
Add to Goodreads To-Read List →
This book is on sale at:
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks!
Don't want to miss an ebook sale? Sign up for our newsletter, and you'll get the week's available deals each Friday.
The Goblin King is one of my all-time favourites and definitely a comfort read. There is a rather understated romance (I almost missed it the first time), culminating in one of the loveliest declarations of love ever. Be aware that the pace starts quite leisurely before it picks up the mystery and conspiricy plotlines.
A few thoughts on The Goblin Emperor which I really enjoyed. 1) The ebook will probably open at the first chapter. I advise any new readers to page back and read the front matter which includes an explanation of the complicated naming conventions. 2) There is a very slight romantic thread toward the end. 3) This is not a debut novel as the blurb claims. Katherine Addison is a pen name for Sarah Monette.
Just chiming in to agree with all the love for Goblin Emperor – I spent the whole second half of the book literally BEAMING with happiness! – but also to say, please stick with it because the style of the language is so dense and archaic, I almost gave up in the first chapter. For me, it just took a couple of chapters for it to slip into place, and then everything became fabulous.
The Raven Prince is a fun and light
Also love The Goblin Emperor. Re-read last week due to stress and it was so helpful. I had a hard time moving on to any other books. I second the love for the (very mild) romance and for the heroine who is fierce. There are a number of other strong women in the book who I enjoyed, the opera singer and the cast off empress, for two. The language, while dense and archaic, as mentioned above, is part of the wonder of the book, drawing you along like a brook through a shadowy forest. Strongly recommend.
I know I liked The Duke Who Didn’t but I don’t remember very much about the hero, I’m afraid. I just know that the heroine is trying to patent her dad’s sauce. They live in a wonderful village where everyone loves each other. I don’t think there are any bad feelings to be had, which is a useful guarantee for me lately.
Loved The Raven Prince, but then I love Elizabeth Hoyt’s books.
Just here to add to the Goblin Emperor love. It’s quiet and deliberate and thoughtful, compelling and immersive, so not for those moments when you want swashbuckling and chandelier-swinging. But OMG SO SO SO GOOD! (I’ve recently picked up the audiobook, but haven’t listened yet because what if the narrator doesn’t get it right? o_0)
And definitely look up the naming conventions and titles and such. I muddled through my first read without them, but knowing correlations to miss/mrs/mr lord/lady etc. lessens confusion and adds enjoyment.
Waiting for Kareni to show up—THE GOBLIN EMPEROR is her favorite book, iirc.
@MaryK: I read everything in a book—from the title page all the way to the end of the acknowledgements. I’ve discovered so many interesting things about authors, books, the writing process, friendships (it’s fun to learn which writers are friends), inspirations, family situations, etc. I always recommend reading the “extraneous” information.
@DDD I also read everything in a book. But I’m also an inveterate credit watcher, staying till the very last frame. You never know what interesting tidbit you might pick up.
@DiscoDollyDeb – I will usually at least glance at that info but I didn’t used to do it with ebooks because you have to deliberately look for it. I learned my lesson with TGE. I suffered through the whole book confused by the names and only realized there was a glossary at the front of the book when I happened to pick up a paper copy. I was super irritated. Now, when an ebook opens to the first chapter, I back up to the beginning.
@ReadKnitSnark – For what it’s worth, I’ve really enjoyed the audio version, though I know opinions about narrators can differ. I thought he did a great job with a text that had to be difficult to read.
@MaryK Thanks for the encouragement! Yeah, it will probably be all right—I don’t buy audiobooks without listening to the excerpt, so I know he worked for me at least for that amount of time/book…
I am here, @DDD, to add to The Goblin Emperor love! Like @Vicki, I consider it a comfort read and just reread it.
I’d actually recommend beginning with the story and then dipping into the added material when it feels timely. In some formats, that material is at the beginning of the book; in others, it’s at the end.
You can add me to the group who reads everything in the book from cover to cover (unless I cast it aside after two paragraphs/chapters/thirds of the book).
Adding another book to Mt. TBR (The Goblin Emperor, joining The Duke Who Didn’t).
I wanted to like THE DUKE WHO DIDN’T, but couldn’t get past the fact that Jeremy had been lying by omission for NINE YEARS. I got a third of the way through and kept hoping he’d fess up, but no dice.
Three out of the four I’ve read and enjoyed. The Duke Who Didn’t … I can’t believe people wait for Courtney Milan’s books to go on sale … I can’t wait that long. I liked it a lot, but I liked the book that came after The Devil Comes Courting better. The Goblin Emperor is one of my favorites – I tried to talk a friend into reading it (she doesn’t like fantasy) by saying it was more like court intrigues in feudal Japan (due to the formality of the court) than elves doing magic. The The Raven Prince is my favorite of Hoyt’s prince book. Read and enjoy!
@ Kareni
I had the first edition of TGE, which gave the Guidance to Travellers as an appendix. Moving it to the front in later editions probably helps lots of readers, but I enjoyed figuring out elvish titles and naming conventions through context. I speak a language that uses suffixes to indicate number and articles, however, so I had already had some practice.