DAILY DEALS: From Regency Ballrooms to Bollywood Brides
Book Dealsdaily deals8 Comments
Hotter than Wildfire by Lisa Marie Rice $ 1.99
From the Jacket Copy:
The world knows her only as Eve. . . .
Though her songs have sold millions she is an enigma, a bewitching mystery. But to former Delta Force operator Harry Bolt, she is an angel whose sultry, smoky voice brought him back to life after the nightmare of Afghanistan. Nothing else matters.
And now a scared, helpless beauty has walked through the door of his San Diego private security firm, running from something secret, something deadly . . . and Harry knows immediately that this is the woman who saved him. He is the last hope for this intoxicating siren without a past—not even in his hottest dreams did he imagine that the lady Eve could be so tempting, so achingly desirable. But though she burns to lose herself in Harry’s powerful arms, Eve is wary of trusting this tough, haunted ex-soldier who promises to protect her. Surrender could mean sweet ecstasy or certain doom. Can she open her heart, even if it means risking her life?
Merger of the Heart by Melia Alexander $ 0.99
From the Jacket Copy:
He’s about to acquire a whole lot more than a business…
When her grandfather dies, Jessica Adams inherits the family construction business. But there are strings attached. Big, deal-breaking strings. For one, Jessica’s grandfather was in the process of selling the company to a national firm. And two? The big wig who made the offer for Jessica’s business is none other than Daniel Spencer, her ex-lover and the father of her seven-year-old son. Only Daniel doesn’t know.
What started as a standard business acquisition has turned Daniel’s entire world?and his plans?inside out. But even as he offers her the deal of the lifetime, everything changes when he meets her son. Their son. Now Daniel is laying everything on the line to put together a much different kind of merger…if he can convince Jessica to take the biggest risk of her life.
The Duke and I With 2nd Epilogue by Julia Quinn $ 1.99
From the Jacket Copy:
Can there be any greater challenge to London’s Ambitious Mamas than an unmarried duke?—Lady Whistledown’s Society Papers, April 1813
By all accounts, Simon Basset is on the verge of proposing to his best friend’s sister—the lovely and almost-on-the-shelf—Daphne Bridgerton. But the two of them know the truth—it’s all an elaborate ruse to keep Simon free from marriage-minded society mothers. And as for Daphne, surely she will attract some worthy suitors now that it seems a duke has declared her desirable.
But as Daphne waltzes across ballroom after ballroom with Simon, it’s hard to remember that their courtship is a sham. Maybe it’s his devilish smile, certainly it’s the way his eyes seem to burn every time he looks at her . . . but somehow Daphne is falling for the dashing duke . . . for real! And now she must do the impossible and convince the handsome rogue that their clever little scheme deserves a slight alteration, and that nothing makes quite as much sense as falling in love.
The Bollywood Bride by Sonali Dev $ 1.99
From the Jacket Copy:
Ria Parkar is Bollywood’s favorite Ice Princess–beautiful, poised, and scandal-proof–until one impulsive act threatens to expose her destructive past. Traveling home to Chicago for her cousin’s wedding offers a chance to diffuse the coming media storm and find solace in family, food, and outsized celebrations that are like one of her vibrant movies come to life. But it also means confronting Vikram Jathar.
Ria and Vikram spent childhood summers together, a world away from Ria’s exclusive boarding school in Mumbai. Their friendship grew seamlessly into love–until Ria made a shattering decision. As far as Vikram is concerned, Ria sold her soul for stardom and it’s taken him years to rebuild his life. But beneath his pent-up anger, their bond remains unchanged. And now, among those who know her best, Ria may find the courage to face the secrets she’s been guarding for everyone else’s benefit–and a chance to stop acting and start living.
Rich with details of modern Indian-American life, here is a warm, sexy, and witty story of love, family, and the difficult choices that arise in the name of both.
The new Bridgerton book is set the generation before the current series. I liked it a lot. Made me laugh pretty hard in a couple places.
Thank you for mentioning the rape scene in the Quinn book–I’ve noticed that often those situations are not even mentioned in reviews. It’s not something that’s a trigger for me; it’s frustration that readers don’t seem to realize there’s something that happened that’s _wrong_. Often they’re not even necessary scenes. I’ve liked Quinn’s books–does this scene have an actual purpose to the plot? If not, I think I’ll skip it…
@Wendy – Yes it does have an actual purpose in the plot. The heroine desperately wants a child and the hero because of childhood issues is without conversation refusing her. I am not saying this justifies her actions, however it does explain where her desperation comes from – she has absolutely no understanding of his refusal. Why do these romance couples neglect to communicate with each other – at least a little bit!
Sonali Dev is coming up 2.99 for me.
I was so annoyed with the heroine’s insistence that she must have a child in The Duke and I. Why don’t her husband’s wishes on the matter count? If he’s a duke and he doesn’t want an heir, then he must have strong reasons. This heroine came across as a spoiled child to me.
@Janine: I felt that both of them behaved badly. That Daphne was in the wrong is obvious, but Simon deliberately deceived her and took advantage of her ignorance. Daphne’s wishes shouldn’t supersede Simon’s, but neither should he get to decide for her what their marriage would be like. Whatever his reasons were for not wanting an heir, Simon should have explained them to Daphne to begin with, rather than misrepresenting the matter. And once Daphne did learn the truth, she could have given him time to see if he could work through these issues, rather than forcing him to do something he didn’t want. I don’t think her desire to have children was wrong, or made her spoiled; the problem is that she forced the issue in a way that is clearly wrong.
As Mary Beth wrote, this is yet another romance in which the characters failed to communicate. I would like to think that Quinn would have done a better job with the plotting and conflict had she written The Duke and I at a later point in her career.
The Duke and I made me so mad when I read it. I loved the first half – it was so much fun. I love JQ’s ability to write witty banter and humorous scenes. And then after they married it got much darker and angsty-ier, even without the rape. I know that irl marriage can be heavier than courtship, but in this book it felt like a bait and switch.
@Rose: It’s been a long time since I read the book so I don’t recall Simon’s deception anymore. I agree that there’s nothing wrong with wanting children, but forcing another person into parenthood against their will is a huge wrong. Bringing a child into the world is big step, and if a parent isn’t ready for it, the child is the one who suffers most.
I think that my annoyance was also exacerbated by the lack of childless by choice couples in romances (at the time I read the book, they were even more rare than they are now). I felt the reader was meant to sympathize with Daphne’s goal enough to forgive her what she’d done and I just didn’t.
It’s funny, from looking at notes I made right after finishing the book, I see that at the time I thought both characters were pretty likable. But all I remember now is how much Daphne’s decision bothered me.