Daily Deals: Small towns, big differences
Marcus Wilding: Duke of Pleasure by Carole Mortimer. $ Free
From the Jacket Copy:
In this scintillating prequel novella to her Dangerous Dukes miniseries, USA TODAY bestselling historical author Carole Mortimer delivers a feast for the senses!
England, 1815
He’s the most accomplished lover in England, and the finest tutor in pleasure that ever lived!
Lady Julianna Armitage is on a mission:
 - The goal: Discover passion and learn the true art of lovemaking, something she never experienced in her short, loveless marriage.
 - The teacher: The devastatingly handsome Marcus Wilding, Duke of Worthing; the one man she could never have?until now.
 - The outcome: Pure, decadent, indulgent satisfaction!
Julianna is determined to maintain control, but as Marcus unleashes a sensual siege that awakens her every sense, it soon becomes clear that losing control can be the most delicious thing of all!
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Carolina Home by Virginia Kantra. $ 1.99
From the Jacket Copy:
Home to the Fletcher family for generations, Dare Island is a fishing village rocked by changing times—its traditions slipping away like sands of the North Carolina coast. Single dad and fishing boat captain Matt Fletcher deferred his own dreams to support his innkeeper parents and build a future for his sixteen-year-old son. Matt has learned to weather life’s storms by steering a steady emotional course…and keeping a commitment-free approach to love.
Newcomer Allison Carter came to Dare Island to escape the emotional demands of her wealthy family. The young teacher aims to build a life here, to make a lasting place for herself. She doesn’t want to be another Woman Who Once Dated Matt Fletcher. It’s both tempting and dangerous to believe she can be something more.
Then Matt’s brother Luke makes a sudden return home, with a child of his own—and a request that will change all their lives. With a child’s welfare at stake, Matt must turn to Allison to teach him to let go of the past, open his eyes…and follow his heart.
I like that time is divided between Matt and Allison building both a physical relationship and an emotional one. The sex is fun and hot with the two of them obviously getting along in bed yet this didn’t feel like the gratuitous boinking that so often annoys me because it’s included only because it’s expected in today’s romance books. Yes, the smexy comes first, but soon Matt is looking forward to sharing his thoughts and missing the opportunities to talk about his daily problems with Allison when he can’t see her. While she in turn soaks up the family atmosphere around the Fletcher Sunday dinner table and, with Matt’s encouragement, spreads her wings of independence from her controlling parents. I could see them developing the ties of a deep foundation on which to build a future together.
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Mistress of Fortune by Holly West. $ .99
From the Jacket Copy:
London, 1678
Isabel, Lady Wilde, a mistress to King Charles II, has a secret: she makes her living disguised as Mistress Ruby, a fortune-teller who caters to London’s elite. It’s a dangerous life among the charlatans, rogues and swindlers who lurk in the city’s dark corners, but to Isabel, the risk is worth the reward.
Until magistrate Sir Edmund Godfrey seeks Mistress Ruby’s counsel and reveals his unwitting involvement in a plot to kill the king. When Isabel’s diary containing dangerous details of his confession is stolen, she knows she must find it before anyone connects her to Mistress Ruby. Especially after Sir Edmund’s corpse is discovered a few days later?
Isabel is sure that whoever stole her diary is Sir Edmund’s killer—and could be part of a conspiracy that leads all the way to the throne. But as she delves deeper into the mystery, not even the king himself may be able to save her.
81,000 words
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The Marquess of Cake (Redcakes Series #1) by Heather Hiestand. $ Free.
From the Jacket Copy:
Coffee. . .tea. . .or a pastry chef sweeter than any confection. . .
Scotch trifle fit for Queen Victoria, scones with clotted cream. . .Alys Redcake knows the way to a man’s heart. Yet she is unaware that with each morsel–and flash of ankle–she is seducing the handsome marquess frequenting her father’s tea shop. Unmarried at twenty-six, Alys’s first love is the family business. But thoughts of the gentleman’s touch are driving her to distraction. . .
With his weakness for sugar, the Marquess of Hatbrook can imagine no more desirable woman than one scented with cake and spice. Mistaking Alys for a mere waitress, he has no doubt she would make a most delicious mistress. And when he finds himself in need of an heir, he plans to make her his convenient bride. Yet as they satisfy their craving for one another, business and pleasure suddenly collide. Will Hatbrook’s passion for sweets–and for Alys–be his heart’s undoing?
Michael is a good communicator. He tells her exactly what he wants from her and why (because he’s very attracted to her and she’s smart and he likes that), but she refuses to believe it. Instead, she decides he must want A, but then she thinks he must want B, but then she thinks he must want C, and none of them are what he flat-out told her he wanted at the 58% mark. And she’s doing this for no reason I can tell. It’s as if someone said, “And I want a Big Misunderstanding here.”
After the 58% mark, the rest of the book was an exercise in frustration and I may have acquired whiplash from all of Alys’s back-and-forthing. Because up to that point, everything was progressing logically and I was seriously invested in the story (as in A-grade invested), I was that much more frustrated with the rest of the book.
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I love Virginia Kantra’s books. Her PNR series is also great ;-)
For some reason, the selection of “Aristocratic Title + Random Positive Noun” in today’s deals really cracked me up.
I mean, what’s next? The Viscount of Schadenfreude? The Baron of Red-Stilettos? The Earl of Sleeping-through-The-Alarm-But-It-Works-Out-Because-Your-Train-Was-Running-Late-Anyways?
Love Virgina Kantra’s books from the beginning, she writes what I would want in a relationship. Please try one of her books and you will be hooked. I consider her books 5 stars.
Another Virginia Kantra fan here!
Alright, alright- I have been looking for a new author so you have sold me on Virginia Kantra. :-) Thanks
If I recall correctly, the Marquess of Cake is a historical with an anachronistic cover? Annoying. The sequel appears to have one too.
@hapax: Ooh, The Baron of Red-Stillettos? I might have to steal that title! :)
I think the Marquess of Cake cover only appears anachronistic at first glance. If you look closely, you realize the cover model is wearing Victorian formalwear (or perhaps standing up at a wedding).
Damn, at free, I was willing to give Marquess of Cake a try, even though [see all of the above]. Unfortunately it is .99 now. [Says the author with a .99 sale on a book right now, so I should probably not be posting this, but damn, too much wine.] Anyway, the caveats have given me pause.
I’ll probably buy it anyway.
@pooks: I just got it for free at Amazon.
@MaryK: Huh, well, so did I. Thanks for telling me so I could try again.
Not sure what happened last night. Maybe my ‘too much wine’ impaired my mad Amazon skillz!
@Tabs: I’m not sure how that differentiates it from 99.5% of other historical romance covers.