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The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels
RECOMMENDED: The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton is $1.99! I reviewed this one and gave it a B:
The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels felt very much like a Shelly Laurenston romance in a historical package. It’s loud, over the top, and has much more of a focus on wild action scenes.
A prim and proper lady thief must save her aunt from a crazed pirate and his dangerously charming henchman in this fantastical historical romance.
Cecilia Bassingwaite is the ideal Victorian lady. She’s also a thief. Like the other members of the Wisteria Society crime sorority, she flies around England drinking tea, blackmailing friends, and acquiring treasure by interesting means. Sure, she has a dark and traumatic past and an overbearing aunt, but all things considered, it’s a pleasant existence. Until the men show up.
Ned Lightbourne is a sometimes assassin who is smitten with Cecilia from the moment they meet. Unfortunately, that happens to be while he’s under direct orders to kill her. His employer, Captain Morvath, who possesses a gothic abbey bristling with cannons and an unbridled hate for the world, intends to rid England of all its presumptuous women, starting with the Wisteria Society. Ned has plans of his own. But both men have made one grave mistake. Never underestimate a woman.
When Morvath imperils the Wisteria Society, Cecilia is forced to team up with her handsome would-be assassin to save the women who raised her–hopefully proving, once and for all, that she’s as much of a scoundrel as the rest of them.
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The Witch’s Heart
The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec is $2.99! Carrie gave this one an A:
I was constantly surprised – sometimes delighted by a surprising event and sometimes heartbroken. The prose was stunning and the protagonist someone I wanted to spend all my time with.
When a banished witch falls in love with the legendary trickster Loki, she risks the wrath of the gods in this moving, subversive debut novel that reimagines Norse mythology.
Angrboda’s story begins where most witches’ tales end: with a burning. A punishment from Odin for refusing to provide him with knowledge of the future, the fire leaves Angrboda injured and powerless, and she flees into the farthest reaches of a remote forest. There she is found by a man who reveals himself to be Loki, and her initial distrust of him transforms into a deep and abiding love.
Their union produces three unusual children, each with a secret destiny, who Angrboda is keen to raise at the edge of the world, safely hidden from Odin’s all-seeing eye. But as Angrboda slowly recovers her prophetic powers, she learns that her blissful life—and possibly all of existence—is in danger.
With help from the fierce huntress Skadi, with whom she shares a growing bond, Angrboda must choose whether she’ll accept the fate that she’s foreseen for her beloved family…or rise to remake their future. From the most ancient of tales this novel forges a story of love, loss, and hope for the modern age.
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Heartmate
Heartmate by Robin D. Owens is $2.99! This is book one in the Celta’s Heartmates series, which I think has been mentioned few times on the site. It’s a sci-fi romance series with fated mates.
All his life, Rand T’Ash has looked forward to meeting his HeartMate, with whom he could begin a family. Once a street tough, now a respected nobleman and artisan, he has crafted the perfect HeartGift, which, in the custom of the psychically gifted population of the planet Celta, is the way a man finds—and attracts—his wife…
Danith Mallow is irresistibly drawn to the magnificent necklace on display in T’Ash’s shop, but she is wary of its creator, despite an overpowering attraction. In a world where everyone is defined by their psychic ability, Danith has little, placing her at the opposite end of the social spectrum from T’Ash. But T’Ash refuses to accept her rejection and sees it as a challenge instead. They are HeartMates, but can T’Ash persuade his beloved to accept her destiny by his side?
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A Town Like Alice
RECOMMENDED: A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute is $1.99! Carrie described this as a “classic romance” and gave it an A- grade. She does warn that the book does reflect the racism present at the time of the book’s setting, but she also said this:
Shute’s books are not revolutionary or visionary. What seems to interest him as an author is the heroism of the ordinary person.
Nevil Shute’s most beloved novel, a tale of love and war, follows its enterprising heroine from the Malayan jungle during World War II to the rugged Australian outback.
Jean Paget, a young Englishwoman living in Malaya, is captured by the invading Japanese and forced on a brutal seven-month death march with dozens of other women and children. A few years after the war, Jean is back in England, the nightmare behind her. However, an unexpected inheritance inspires her to return to Malaya to give something back to the villagers who saved her life. Jean travels leads her to a desolate Australian outpost called Willstown, where she finds a challenge that will draw on all the resourcefulness and spirit that carried her through her war-time ordeals.
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I had to get The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels after reading the sample aloud to the cat in my best (i.e., terrible) “pip-pip, cheerio” accent. It looks like it will be a good palate cleanser after some heavier reads.
WISTERIA SOCIETY is good, fluffy fun. Would definitely recommend if you’re in the mood for the silly, swashbuckling vibe.
Reading Carrie’s review of the THE WITCH’S HEART gives me that feeling of, “Did we even read the same book…?” because I found it boring and slow and found Angrboda (who should be super interesting!) so dull and passive.
A Town like Alice is one of those rare instances where I loved the book and the miniseries equally. It doesn’t hurt that I used to find Bryan Brown to be swoon worthy back in my younger years.I think I’ll have to buy the book and maybe see if I can find the miniseries somewhere.
@FashionablyEvil: I love how two people can read the same book but have completely different experiences with it! I’ve been meaning to read this one because I want more mythological historical fiction on par with Madeline Miller’s work.
People who didn’t like “Circe” complained about “nothing happening” in it, but I adored it for the long stretches of Circe doing her thing, developing her skills, and observing the world and people around her as she goes through her centuries-long life.
I just re-watched the A Town Like Alice miniseries during the pandemic! I’ve never read the book, a rarity.
I really enjoyed A Town Like Alice. It’s more of an old-fashioned saga than than a romance, although there is romance. I think it’s comparable to Coming Home by Rosamund Pilcher, or Sleep in the Woods by Dorothy Eden. They also reflect the racism of the time, if you can get past that.
Excuse me but if we are going to talk about Heartmate, someone needs to mention there are SNARKY TELEPATHIC CATS. You’re welcome. Books 1 and 2 are especially good, especially for their time.
I found THE WITCH’S HEART engaging. It kept my interest in a time when I’ve mostly managed only to enjoy full-on romance novels. I do read quickly and enjoy seeing the details of people’s lives and have a lot of patience once my attention is caught, though, so YMMV. I would recommend it to all who like mythic fiction.
I’m not so much on fated mates, but snarky telepathic cats??!! I’m checking out our library’s copy!
Ummm? Aren’t all cats snarky and telepathic? I thought that was a given.
Nevil Shute had several books that looked racism in the face and said “Well, this is just STUPID.” “The Chequer-Board” is the most overt, in my memory. So glad “A Town Like Alice” is still getting love–I’ve adored the book and miniseries for 20 years.
Not a sale, but…. someone mentioned the Stariel books in comments the other day. Just happened to be on Amazon looking for something else entirely and they informed me that Stariel #5 – A Rake of His Own released today. One clicked immediately, then went back to what I was looking for originally. Guess what I’ll be doing when I should be house cleaning this weekend.
I really enjoyed WISTERIA SOCIETY – it seems Gsail Carriger-esque, I think. Dry humor, strong female character, romance interest that doesn’t try to lessen the MC in any way. Appropriately melodramatic back story and villain. Lots of good fun.
HEART MATE is a curious one. The dialogue is so stilted and peculiar – it’s clearly an attempt to demonstrate linguistic differences representative of a society that developed based on Celtic Wiccan practices. I just found it really strained and awkward to read at times. Although some of the books are good, the love stories range from “really? She overcame her trauma that quickly?” to “Adoption is a valid choice, moron”. Book 8 is the only one I re-read relatively frequently bc it’s just a lovely, lovely story.
@HeatherS—it’s funny, because I loved CIRCE. I am pretty sure I put THE WITCH’S HEART on hold at the library on the strength of Carrie’s review and a blurb that called it a Norse mythology version of Circe, but it just didn’t work for me, alas!
@Sandra—I had apparently preordered the 5th Stariel book ages ago and was pleasantly surprised when an unexpected Amazon receipt appeared confirming delivery. I’ll be joining you in avoiding chores this weekend!
I took a look at the sample for the Wisteria Society and maybe I’m just not in the right frame of mind, but I think it’s a little (I can’t believe I’m saying this) too over-the-top, self-awarely cheeky for me…. And I adore Shelly Laurenston. I may regret not snapping this up later, but I guess that is a problem for future me…
Savor Me by Beth Bolden (part of her m/m contemporary Kitchen Gods series) is free right now. Also the first in Kait Nolan’s Bad Boy Bakers, Mixed Up With a Marine. And Jingle Kitty by Taryn Quinn (some hot novellas). Roped by Karen Kelley. More Than Dare You by Shayla Black.
It’s funny, because I am actively rereading book 8 of the Celta series today. I enjoy several of the other books, too, although book 1 is just not as strong. Also, some of the world building done in book 1 gets adjusted fairly quickly.
@fichen1, I can totally see why you would think it’s too over-the-top. The book is VERY aware that it’s trying to be funny. For me, it succeeded. I can also see that if I’d been in a different mood, it wouldn’t have.
@Valor, that is so true about the world building being retconned after book 1. I was just skimming over the titles and wondering which ones would I read again. I realized that books 9 and 10 irritated me so much (especially after my beloved book 8), that I forget that there were a whole lot of the early books that I actually loved. I guess that’s what I’m doing this week! Why read things from my TBR, when I can re-read books?
@Ely: Humor and horror are the two most difficult things to recommend. Never is it more obvious that People Are Different, not just their wiring but context. I may cackle and say “uh-oh, shit’s about to get real” when a spoon clinks against a teacup, but a vanishingly small segment of the population will recognize that as a shocking, aggressive breach of etiquette. If they’re not even going to see much of what amuses me, of course they won’t think it’s funny and will give me the stink-eye for recommending it.
I hate that there are two entire categories in which my most ringing endorsement can be “if you don’t love the sample, skip it.”