Sample Reading #10: Out of Her League: An Erotic Romance by Ava Archer Payne (e-novella)

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This is a new feature on my blog called Sample Reading. This is where I will talk about book samples that I've gotten online. I'll read the sample and will answer the very important question:

Will I buy it?

I discovered Ava Archer Payne's debut from Ramblings From This Chick's feature. The excerpt was interesting so I decided to download the sample on Amazon.




The Blurb:

Captain James Lancaster, formerly one of London’s most notorious rakes, returns to England a broken man after a brutal tour in the Crimea. He is wounded in body and spirit, his badly injured leg leaving him unable to walk without crutches.

Nurse Katherine Riley has spent her entire life caring for others, but lately she finds herself longing for more. On a whim she indulges in a secret cache of provocative lingerie—just a little something to make her feel beautiful beneath her drab gowns, even if no one else can see it.

When James glimpses the erotic beauty hidden beneath Kate’s prim and proper façade, he introduces her to a sensual array of forbidden delights. Healing takes on an entirely new meaning. As Kate nurses James to a full recovery, their liaison opens her eyes to an enticing new world. How will she ever return to the staid life she once knew?
- from Amazon.com's Product Description

I got the sample from: Amazon, Kindle
# of Pages: Almost 2 chapters of a 115-page novella

My Impressions:
I love that the heroine is a nurse! (I think it's the first time this year that I've read a historical romance novel with this profession.)

The setting (Victorian) is also a refreshing break from all the Regencies that I've been reading. (Apparently, I am a fan of regencies. ^_^)

Katherine is not classically beautiful nor is she current society's embodiment of beauty -- her breasts are too big and she's fleshy in parts that are supposed to be slim. But she strikes me as a woman who is very comfortable in her body -- and she doesn't seem to suffer from any sort of insecurity.

Her one indulgence is sexy lingerie -- intimate clothing that celebrate her body -- and she's been looking forward to casting off her plain uniform and have the chance to wear them.

But her brothers have other plans for her -- they've recently acquired a debt and they've arranged for Katherine to pay for it by using her services to take care of a wounded soldier.

But the soldier is not a stranger -- Katherine has met him before. Three years ago, to be exact. And Katherine knows he's out of her league. (The title! ^_^)

It's a short excerpt but the author does a good job of presenting enough of the story for potential readers to be interested.

I am curious about who Vanessa Kittworthy is. And what her relationship is to James. This bit of information especially intrigued me:

Upon his return from the Crimea, he had made the discovery that Vanessa Kittworthy, perfect being that she was, harbored an inbred contempt for weakness of any kind in others. This new knowledge afforded him a surprisingly enjoyable way to accomplish two things at once: torment Vanessa, and break up the otherwise dreary monotony of his days.
- loc 156

Are they friends? Are the engaged? If so, how will Katherine's presence affect that dynamic? How will Vanessa's relationship with James affect James and Katherine?


Price: $4.99 (for International?)

Will I buy it? As part of her tour, the author is hosting a giveaway, which ends in 5 days. I've joined! (Crossing my fingers!)

If I don't win, I'll go ahead and get my own copy. ^_^