Daily Deals: Three contemporaries and a Scottish Highlander
Falling for Max by Shannon Stacey. $ 1.99 AMZN | Google
From the Jacket Copy:
Max Crawford has reached the point in life where he’s starting to think about settling down. Unfortunately, he’s always been a little awkward when it comes to social interactions, and working from home doesn’t help. He spends so much time alone, painting beautiful, historically accurate model trains that half of Whitford has begun to joke that he may be a serial killer. Not exactly prime husband material.
Tori Burns has found happiness in Maine, thanks in large part to her shifts at the Trailside Diner. She likes the work, and she loves the local gossip. When shy, geeky Max Crawford becomes a regular, she’s intrigued. When she finds out he’s in the market for a wife, she’s fascinated?and determined to help.
Molding Max into every woman’s dream turns out to be much easier than expected. But has Tori’s plan worked a little too well? As she turns his comfortable life all sorts of upside down, she’ll have to find a way to show just how she’s fallen for him?the real him.
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You Had Me at Hello by Mhairi McFarlane. $ 1.99 AMZN | Google
From the Jacket Copy:
Rachel and Ben. Ben and Rachel. It was them against the world. Until it all fell apart.
Ten years after they said goodbye, Rachel bumps into Ben one rainy day. As they talk, the years melt away.
But life has moved on. Ben is married. Rachel is not. And slowly but surely, Rachel feels the return of the broken heart she can’t do anything to mend.
Couldn?t put down ONE DAY? Love WHEN HARRY MET SALLY? Then this is the book for you. Hilarious, heartbreaking and everything in between, you’ll be hooked from their first ?Hello?.
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The Highlander’s Bride by Michele Sinclair. $ .99 AMZN | Kobo
From the Jacket Copy:
BOUND BY DUTY
Highland laird Conor McTiernay had always dreamed of an enduring love. But the reality of women who desired him only for his title and lands made him swear off marriage forever. That is until he first set eyes on the Englishwoman his men found hiding in the forest. Beneath the dirt and grime it was clear Laurel Cordell was beautiful. But would she prove to be yet another beguiling seductress or had Conor finally found the one woman who could lay claim to his heart?
DRAWN BY DESIRE
Laurel trusted that the Scottish chieftain would keep her safe from the cruel laird from whom she had escaped. Looking deep into Conor’s silver eyes she saw not only his calculating warrior ways but his quick arousal to passion. But before they can explore the growing desire between them, their newfound love is threatened by secrets from her past.
This was originally published in 2007 through Kensington and from the reviews, it sounds like it is solidly in keeping with the Garwood heroines who are beautiful, feisty, great with weapons, beloved by the people and entrancing to the hero yet adorably unaware of her adorableness.
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Missing by Noelle Adams. $ .99.
From the Jacket Copy:
Sex would never be enough…
Nathan Livingston has more in his life than he can handle–a high-powered job in D.C. politics, a sixteen-year-old daughter he’s raising alone, and another daughter who ran away from him, whom he hasn’t seen in two years.
He doesn’t have anything left to invest in a real relationship. A night of hot sex with Lynn every three months is as much as he’ll allow himself, and it doesn’t matter that it never feels like enough.
Lynn shouldn’t be involved with someone as high-profile as Nathan, since it could negatively affect her successful web magazine, but she just can’t resist their nights together.
Then his complicated personal life catches up to their no-strings-attached affair, and they both find out everything they’re missing.
The best thing about the Noelle Adams books is that they feature largely adult individuals whose romantic conflict isn’t based on the fact that they are afraid to talk to each other or that their first response is to assume the worst about their partner.
Nathan and Lynn begin to have a relationship that is primarily sexual in nature – meeting every three months for a torrid night and then returning to their jobs. Nathan is a political consultant whose family tree includes a former president and various other political luminaries. Lynn is an editor of an online magazine that is only a few steps up from a tabloid. She runs this magazine with her ex husband. Her sleeping with Nathan would diminish her magazine’s already shaky reputation.
But Nathan’s got another big secret. His oldest daughter ran away and he’s searching for her. He can’t have an intimate relationship without ultimately revealing that detail.
I liked that the big emotional movements came from Nathan and not Lynn. It’s often the other way around. As with other Adam’s heroines, Lynn is self sufficient and pragmatic. I really enjoy Adams’ voice and her rather sensible romances.
One of the biggest impediments to Nathan and Lynn being together is never resolved on page and that is how Lynn will continue running her magazine despite having a public relationship with Nathan. I was also disappointed a little that the issue with Lynn’s ex husband wasn’t completely resolved. I wasn’t sure whether I was supposed to take that Nathan would always have these jealousy issues or those scenes were included just to show how Nathan and Lynn could argue and still be in love.
Amazon and Kobo have Susan Cooper’s THE DARK IS RISING on sale for $1.99 today (maybe it will be around longer, but I can’t say for sure). This is the second title in the Dark is Rising Sequence, but can be read first since OVER SEA, UNDER STONE has different characters and nothing would be lost by reading these two out of order.
The entire series is one I buy regularly for everyone, not just young readers, within shouting distance. I own all five books in many formats, including audio, and think it’s a must read for anyone who loves Celtic lore and Arthurian legend. Cooper’s writing is beautiful. /fangirl squee
I just finished Falling for Max and it’s one of my favorite Kowalski books. Max is close to bumping Sean off as my favorite Kowalski hero. He’s totally socially inept, but so much fun to watch