Welcome to Cover Awe! This is where we discuss covers that catch our eye. In this edition, several of the covers break with convention on what we typically see. Let us know what you think! Elyse: I’ve talked a lot about thrillers and the commodification of female bodies, but this woman looks strong and powerful to me And I like that her stomach isn’t perfectly flat. Sarah: That’s really interesting. I dislike the pose and … Continue reading Cover Awe: Not the Usual
Goddess of the Hunt by Tessa Dare is $1.99! If you like historical romances with house parties, this book was mentioned in the comments of a Rec League post. Sarah gave this a C, citing difficulties with the heroine:
I loved everything except the heroine, Lucy. And despite my joy at discovering such elegant and delicious writing, and a collection of characters I eagerly pursued through the pages of the novel, Lucy’s complete idiocy, stubbornness, and determination to ruin herself in the eyes of society and in the eyes of the reader made it impossible for me to truly enjoy the book as much as I wanted. Because of her, the grade dropped bit by bit until the skill of the writing and the joy of the other characters were at outright war with my snarls at Lucy.
RECOMMENDED: The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare is $1.99! This is part of a huge romance Kindle Daily Deal sale and it’s being price-matched as well. Other romances in the sale include books by Sarah MacLean, Elizabeth Hoyt, and Katee Robert. Elyse really loved this book and gave it an A grade:
I totally recommend reading The Duchess Deal, but preferably while sober so you can really appreciate all of it. It’s the perfect blend of two of my favorite fairytale tropes, it’s got a hero who never an alpha-hole, it’s funny, and it’s got female friendship. What more could you want?
NB: This week, we’re taking a look back at some of our favorite and our most popular pieces of writing this year. We’ve got a week of best-of posts to share, with reviews, cover snark, sales, and more. We hope you enjoy this saunter through the archives, and most of all, we wish you and yours a wonderful holiday and a happy new year – with all the very best of reading. … Looking at … Continue reading Best of 2017 Reviews, Part Two!
The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare is a fairytale Regency that blends Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella and Batman. Seriously. And it’s amazing. I actually read it twice. The first time I was at home on a Friday night, enjoying a few rum and Cokes and unwinding. Apparently I can have exactly two drinks before I start loving everything and then forgetting I loved it. I woke up the next morning surprised to see … Continue reading The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare
Two years ago one of my favorite podcasts, NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour, dedicated an entire episode to romance novels. The host, Linda Holmes, was joined by two other NPR reporters and Smart Bitches’ own Sarah Wendell. The episode was 45 minutes of discussion of the romance genre and its many sub genres. I always enjoy the show, but what really impressed me in this installment was the uproariously good time the panel was having. … Continue reading Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare
Destiny’s Embrace by Beverly Jenkins is $1.99! Jenkins is this year’s RWA Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement awardee! Carrie read this one and gave it a B, saying that she wished she had read the previous books in the trilogy, but she loved the sense of place:
I loved how physical the world of the story feels – the blue sea in Cuba, the dresses, the parties, the dirt on the segregated train, the horses, and the discussions about American versus Cuban food.
How to Handle a Heartbreaker by Marie Harte is $1.99! This is a contemporary romance and readers loved the banter between the hero and heroine. However, others expressed wanting to knock the hero upside the head a couple times. This is the second book in the The McCauley Brothers series, and all four books are $1.99 each!
Do You Want to Start a Scandal is good. It’s so, so good. How good is it? It’s this good: I wake up at the ass crack of dawn on a Saturday because a big storm is rolling in and I’m getting pre-migraine twinges, so I take my usual migraine cocktail of Excedrin, ibuprofen and a muscle relaxer and plan on sleeping until noon. While I’m waiting for drugs to kick in, I start the book. … Continue reading Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare
