Super Book Blast: The Perfect Duke by Dawn Ireland (Excerpt + Giveaway)

I've joined a super book blast to promote Dawn Ireland's book, The Perfect Duke.

Dawn will be giving away a $20 Amazon gift card to one randomly chosen commenter. To see which other blogs have joined this super event, click here.

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About the book:

Blurb:

Known as The Marble Duke amongst the Ton, Garret Weston, the Duke of Kendal sets himself apart from his peers. Nothing will hinder his guilt-driven attempt to become a perfect duke. Nothing that is, save the alluring and imaginative betrothed he’d thought dead. His intended believes-of all things-that she is a Vicar’s daughter. The “perfect” duke needs a “perfect” duchess, but how was he to discern her suitability? Employing her as a governess to his niece seemed like an ideal solution. But whose “suitability” is being tested? His betrothed refuses to see he is beyond redemption. And most grievous of all, she stirs his blood, making him forget what’s important.

Cara believes fairy tales really can come true, until she meets the unrelenting and arrogant Duke of Kendal. He looks like a Prince, but acts like a Beast. Why must he challenge her at every turn? Her greatest peril is her attraction to the vulnerable, seductive man behind the title. A match between them would be impossible. But can she show him, without losing her heart, that “perfect” is in the eye of the beholder?

Excerpt:

Garret’s voice stopped Cara before she reached the door. “What of the cut on my chest?”

She turned back, fighting to sound normal. “It didn’t look that bad.”

He picked up the cloth, soaped it, then stalked toward her. Everything about him belied fluid grace as he handed her the fabric, a challenge in his gaze.

With as much indifference as she could muster, she dabbed at the cut on his chest.

“Harder,” he breathed, his dark velvet voice sending shivers down her spine. “You’ll not hurt me.”

She cleansed the cut, admiring the feel of the hard muscle beneath the cloth. Her fingertips extended beyond the material to caress his moisture-slicked skin. She stepped closer, until his chest was the only thing in her vision.

The rag dropped between them. Of their own volition her fingers spread, pressing her hands flat against the hard contours of his body. She began an exploration, noting the fine dusting of curling golden hair that tickled her palms as she moved them upward.

The smell of the ointment clung to him, but it couldn’t block his alluring scent, a mixture of brandy, wood, and spiciness. She inhaled deeply, savoring the heady combination as she ran one fingertip around his nipple, marveling at the pebbling on the outside edge.

Part of her brain acknowledged she shouldn’t be doing this, but she couldn’t seem to stop.

Loved the excerpt? Buy the book on Amazon!

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About the author:

"Once Upon a Time" are four of Dawn’s favorite words. Her love of story became a love of romance when she read Georgette Heyer’s, Devil’s Cub. It inspired her to write stories with strong characters that discover love is never easy, but always worthwhile. Dawn’s written several award-winning novels set in Georgian England – an era filled with rules and intrigue. Her characters often defy “Society” as they pursue love, run away, pursue, run away – well, you get the idea.

Then again, she might write romance in order to do the research. What other profession encourages you to sit in the audience at Harlequin’s Male Model search, and take notes, or just sigh?

Dawn lives in a Victorian home in Upstate New York with her husband and very independent cats. When she’s not writing, she’s singing, gardening, learning to play the harp or wood carving. If you’d like to learn more about Dawn and her novels, go to her website at www.dawn-ireland.com

Links:
Website: www.dawn-ireland.com
Soul Mate Publishing Authors: www.smpauthors.wordpress.com

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Dawn will be giving away a $20 Amazon gift card to one randomly chosen commenter. To see which other blogs have joined this super event, click here.

Review: Echoes in the Mist by Andrea Kane

Get the book on Amazon

The enmity between the Kingsleys and the Caldwells started six years ago when Trenton Kingsley made the mistake of falling in love with Vanessa Caldwell. When Vanessa died mysteriously, all fingers pointed to Trenton -- and his family's reputation suffered a terrible blow, despite Trenton's insistence of his innocence. The ruination of their good name led to his father's decline and eventual death -- and Trenton's exile.

He has returned to Sussex to confront the man who was responsible for the Kingsley's ruin: Baxter Caldwell. Trenton's plan of revenge is simple but he does not count on fate intervening in the form of Ariana Caldwell, the youngest and the only innocent in that family.

Ariana was too young to understand the anger and confusion that happened all those years ago. She never met the man who caused her sister's death. When she finally meets Trenton Kingsley, she doesn't meet her as an enemy but as a man who saves her in her family's maze on a foggy, starless night -- and she feels a searing interest in this stranger. When Trenton reveals his identity, Ariana is confused: how could this man who showed her such gentleness be responsible for such sadness in her family?

Trenton cannot figure out his own attraction to Ariana. Her resemblance to Vanessa is uncanny -- but it is Ariana's purity that draws him to her. But what of revenge? A chance encounter with Queen Victoria gives Trenton the opportunity to deliver a killing blow: ruin the sister, ruin the family.

When a royal edict arrives, commanding Ariana to marry Trenton Kingsley, a gamut of emotions run through her: trepidation, fear ... but also excitement. Blood and loyalty compels her to take her brother's side -- but there is a small part of Ariana that doubts the story of Vanessa's death.

Marriage to his sister's enemy isn't what Trenton expected. He tries to maintain a distance from his wife but he cannot help but be undone by her passionate response to him.

I had difficulty thinking of where to start while I write my thoughts on Echoes in the Mist. When I found out that Andrea Kane's historical backlist was being re-published by Open Road Media, I immediately took a look at the titles. I didn't read Kane in the 90s because I was limited to a student's book allowance but I had heard of her even then. When the publisher gave me the opportunity to review one of Kane's books, I asked for a recommendation and they suggested Echoes in the Mist.

I read it and enjoyed it. And slept very late finishing the book. It's amazing that this book was originally published in 1994 and is almost twenty years old and has stood the test of time. This is testament to Andrea Kane's skill as a writer and storyteller.

The plot is a bit complicated:
The story begins with a revenge plan.
Then it gets complicated a little bit when the hero falls in lust (?) with his enemy's younger sister.
Then they get married and discover a wonderful physical compatibility.
But the hero is still intent on pursuing his revenge. What about his lovely wife who is caught in the middle?
Our hero's nemesis also has plans against the hero.
Then Kane introduces a very curious twist. And our hero thinks he is mad.
The heroine tries to help the hero and discovers very awful things about her own family and is held captive by them.
Then the hero rescues the heroine and all is resolved.

It all seems like a tangle but the book reads very well and everything is presented clearly and settled nicely in the end.

What I thought was odd was the white owl, Ariana's maid, Theresa (who loved to quote Sir Francis Bacon) and Dustin Kingsley -- not quite deus ex machina -- but these three characters functioned as support for the hero and heroine. Always ready with advice and a shoulder to cry on: Theresa's near omniscience about the Caldwells didn't settle well with me. I understand that the owl is supposed to foreshadow the role Trenton would play in Ariana's life and Dustin was supposed to be "the voice of reason" but it all felt too convenient. Would Ariana and Trenton's relationship have worked out without their interference? I think, yes, though it might have taken them longer to realize it. I realize that the author needed to use some plot device to move the story forward and it all works out in the end.

This is not a perfect story but, as a whole, it was very good and very enjoyable.

Echoes in the Mist is the first book in Andrea Kane's Kingsleys in Love duology. The second book, Wishes in the Wind, is Dustin's story.

To find out more about Andrea Kane and her books, visit her website. She's also on Facebook and on Goodreads.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes. Many thanks to Caroline of Open Road Media for the opportunity. Yes, this is an honest review.

Book Bargains! (plus a video from Amanda Scott)

First off, a really great offer: Beverley Kendall is offering her latest New Adult book, Those Nights in Montreal for FREE on Smashwords (with code: CU52W) and on US iTunes.

Read my review of it here (Really enjoyed it. ^_^).

Then, here's a video of Amanda Scott, known for writing historical romances set in the Highlands. In the video, she "describes the important role of history in her work. Aspiring to write the kind of "painless history" that effortlessly transports readers back in time, Scott explains how research and a voracious desire for the details helps her construct vivid stories."* Her backlist is currently being republished in digital form by Open Road Media.



Now, here are this week's Kindle finds:

Secrets of a Proper Countess by Lecia Cornwall

$0.99 on Amazon

I'm a big fan of Lecia Cornwall and I thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel.

All three of her published books are currently on sale at $0.99 -- her latest book, The Secret Life of Lady Julia will be released on May 28.

Twice a Rake by Catherine Gayle
FREE on Amazon

This is book 1 of Catherine Gayle's series, Lord Rotheby's Influence.

Once Upon a Ballroom: An Anthology of Short Stories by Maya Rodale, Katharine Ashe, Caroline Linden and Miranda Neville
FREE on Amazon

Four big names in the historical romance world. Four short stories with excerpts of their other works. Free. Enjoy! ^_^

Love's Promise by Cheryl Holt
$0.99 on Amazon

This is a new book from Cheryl Holt. It's a full-length novel and is the first book in her new series, the Lord Trent Trilogy.

The Devil's Envoy by Jasmine Cresswell
$0.99 on Amazon

The premise is curious: a stranger washes up along the shore near the heroine's village and he pretends (?) not to speak English. Then something happens and the heroine gets captured and it's the hero who saves her.

Lady Sarah's Redemption by Beverley Eikli
$2.99 on Amazon

A spoiled heiress from India pretending to be a governess, a rebellious sixteen-year-old charge, a revenge plot = very interesting. At $2.99, a great price, IMHO, considering the cost of the paperback.

As always, a Caveat: Always check the prices before clicking on the "Buy" button. All these prices are accurate as of the time of posting.^_^

*from the press release from Open Road Media

Review: Lord of Wicked Intentions by Lorraine Heath

Rafe Easton is the youngest of Pembrook's Lost Lords and the most mysterious. Left by his brothers in a workhouse, Rafe has had to fend for himself for 12 years, waiting for his brothers to return to reclaim their legacy. Their fortunes and name restored, Sebastian and Tristan have settled into their new lives but Rafe remains on the fringes of his brothers' lives. What happened to Rafe all those years ago? Even his brothers wonder and Rafe isn't ready to share his secrets with anyone. He is content to live and work at The Rakehell Club, where he rules over men's lives and their fortunes with games of chance.

Evelyn Chambers is the beloved bastard daughter of the Earl of Wortham. Despite the circumstances of her birth, she enjoyed her father's affection and lived a comfortable life in his house. When her father died, her fate rested on her brother's hands -- and for the new Earl of Wortham, it was time to exact revenge on the usurper of his father's attentions. Geoffrey has no use for his father's bastard and had no intentions of fulfilling his promise to see for Evelyn's future. At the first opportunity, he auctions Evelyn to the highest bidder to cover his debts.

And Rafe wins her -- and doesn't quite understand how he got himself in this situation and why he willingly saddled himself with a woman he didn't want -- or did he?

Of the three Lord Lords, I thought Rafe suffered the most. He lost his father, his heritage, his name -- everything his brothers lost -- but he lost even more: he lost his childhood and his brothers. He's been on his own since age 10 and has learned to never trust or depend on anyone. His brothers have returned and have settled into their own lives -- but Rafe remains unsettled -- unready to open himself up to his brothers or anyone else. Rafe is a reluctant hero, refuses the spotlight and any credit to any good that he has done. He has defined himself by the past -- that he wasn't capable enough or strong enough for his brothers to take along with them.

At the crux of Rafe's struggles is his sense of self-worth, which is zero -- an irony, considering his personal worth has more than that of his brother, the Duke's. He can buy and sell houses, horses, and even people -- but, despite all the money in the world, despite the incredible power he wields, despite the fancy clothes he wears and the fancy house he owns, Rafe is still a pauper deep inside.

"You don't really intend to give me the residence, do you?" she asked in that raspy voice that seemed a bit rougher since last night.

"I said I would."

She peered over at him. "But it and everything in it must be worth a fortune."

He shrugged as though it hardly mattered, because in truth it didn't. He purchased items because he could, but he took no pleasure in them or the act of obtaining them.

"How can you value it so little?"

"Perhaps the better question is how can I value you so much?" As soon as he heard the words, he wanted to such them back in. He didn't value her, not at all, but he knew what awaited her with him. Guilt prodded him to give her what he could so she would forgive him for the things he couldn't.
- pp. 76-77

Eve is coming from a world wherein she was assured of her value. Her father cherished her and loved her -- but all that was stripped away from her by her half-brother. And now, Evelyn has nothing and no one.

It isn't hard to imagine why these two souls deserve each other -- they've both lost so much and deserve so much and Lorraine Heath writes their story with such intensity and poignance that you cannot help but be affected by their story.

Throughout the series, Rafe's brothers often wondered about their youngest brother: What's wrong with him? What happened to him? When Rafe finally articulates everything that he has bottled up inside him: all the hurt, resentment, insecurity, pain and loneliness -- my heart just ached so much and I was near tears.

But this is what I appreciate the most about Lorraine Heath's storytelling: she doesn't wipe the slate clean but allows her characters to still carry their scars. Rafe is still Rafe -- but Rafe's a much better person now that he has found love.

Magical is not the word to describe this story because it would mean that something miraculous and beyond human happened to the characters. Wondrous is a better word -- no magic wands, no fairy godmothers -- just plain human determination: Rafe and Eve fought against what they felt for each other and then fought for what they felt.

Lord of Wicked Intentions is the final book in Lorraine Heath's The Lost Lords of Pembrook series. To find out more about the author and her books, visit her website. She's also on Facebook and on Goodreads.

To read my reviews of the rest of the series, click below:
Book 1: She Tempts the Duke
Book 2: Lord of Temptation

There is also an e-novella, Book 2.5: Deck the Halls with Love, which is part of the series.

A final note: I loved this exchange between the hero and heroine. Yes, it's the requisite drunken scene where things are confessed but I love, love, love how Lorraine Heath wrote it:

He chuckled low. "After everything that's happened to you, how can you remain so damned optimistic?"

"I wouldn't much like being the other way." She squinted. "You need to stop drinking. You're becoming blurred."

He smiled, a real smile, she thought, but it was so difficult to see. The room was growing dark around the edges, and she was having a devil of a time keeping her eyes open.

"I believe you're the one who's blurred," he said, and she could have sworn she heard the amusement in his voice.
- p. 226

Review: When She Said I Do by Celeste Bradley

I've been waiting for Celeste Bradley to release a new book and, after two years, When She Said I Do is finally here.

Calliope Worthington and her family sought refuge in the first house they saw after their carriage gets swept away in the river. The house looked abandoned and the Worthingtons are relieved to have a place to recover after their near-death experience. What they didn't know is that the owner of the house is at home, and he doesn't take too kindly to strangers, especially to strangers taking liberty with jewels and other valuables that clearly do not belong to them.

Ren Porter has come to Amberdell to die. His body and spirit broken -- and breaking more with each passing day, he has sworn off human companionship and prefers living in the shadows and darkness of his empty house. Their first encounter proves enlightening -- and awakens something in Ren that he thought had died a long time ago and so he strikes a bargain with Callie: one command in exchange for one pearl.

Callie ought to refuse and run away but, instead, she surprises Ren and herself when she agrees to the bargain.

When I read Callie and Ren's first "meeting," it worried me. I hadn't expected to read such eroticism in a Celeste Bradley book -- and the strong erotic tones continues after the bargain was struck and Ren proceeds with his seduction of Callie. I kept on reading because this is Ren's story and because Button (from Bradley's previous series) showed up -- and my decision proved somewhat rewarding -- this is a novel with a lot of good points and a few not-so-good points.

Here's are the major aspects of the story:
1. Callie and Ren's interaction:
Ren's so dark and morbid, so bent and rigid -- and Callie is this very fluid human being. I liked how Ren gradually shifted from "beast" to man with Callie's gentle urging. I thought Callie was a great match for Ren -- she was tenacious and whimsical.

"Are you quite sure you won't reconsider? Just a cook ... and a few housemaids, of course. A laundress. Perhaps a stable boy. A housekeeper to run matters. And it wouldn't hurt to do something with the grounds ..."

He turned to gaze her from the depths of his hood. She couldn't see his eyes but she glared at him anyway. His eyes were in there somewhere. How far off could they be?"

"No."

The toe-tapping increased in speed. "I'm afraid I can't hear you. It must be the muffling effect of all that wool. Say again?"

He stepped forward slowly until he loomed over her and she could feel the warmth of him on her skin. Despite her suddenly hammering pulse , she managed to keep her gaze fixed on his "eyes."

Worthingtons had great fortitude.

Said fortitude took a blow when he leaned close into her and bent his hooded head next to hers.

"No." It was only a murmur, husky and deep. It rang through her like a bell. Her heart skipped, her knees weakened, and there was something wrong with her vision ...

She managed to draw a breath. "Go? I that what you said? Go hire a full staff, this very day? Well, I did have a relaxing day of lying about planned, but if you insist --"
- pp. 71-72

She exasperates him; he annoys her -- they are a classic opposites-attract tandem. I have to say I preferred the lighter moments of the story over the darker ones. I understand why Bradley introduced a darker kind of sexy for Ren because it is who he is -- and he does shed a bit of his doom-and-gloom aura towards the end of the story, but I didn't like the lack of transition: lighthearted turns heavily erotic so quickly (read pp 175 - 180).

2. The Worthingtons:
First books in a series always bear the burden of introducing the main characters that will be featured in the series -- and it is a challenge to do so without overshadowing the main hero and heroine and the main story. The challenge is even greater in When She Said I Do, considering the number of members in the Worthington family.

They are:
- the Worthington parents (Iris and Archie)
- the Worthington aunts (2 of them: Poppy is obsessive compulsive and the other one, Clementine, hides dogs in her bosom.)
- the Worthington siblings: Daedalus, Castor and Pollux, Atalanta, Elektra, Orion and Lysander (who is dead?)

From the description and narrative, they seem like a very vibrant and eccentric family but I think they encumber the story and slow down the main plot with too many voices and too many personalities.

Attie was particularly confounding -- she's part of the more sinister aspect of the story (read Chapter 8 and then pp. 336 - 340). I thought she wasn't resolved properly in this story and I wonder if she will still have a role to play in the later books in this series.

Then there are Ren's relatives (?), Bertrice and Henry, who are the other half of the sinister aspect. This wasn't developed very well and felt a bit extraneous -- which leads me to a question: What was the purpose of introducing danger in this story? Ren and Callie didn't need any more reasons to come together -- their banter, their own personalities, the situation they were in were enough to propel the story forward.

3. Ren's former group + Button:
They are never named. Long-time Bradley fans will be thrilled to see them again but new readers might be a bit confused by their presence in this book.

I've read most of the books in Bradley's backlist (my favorites are her Runaway Brides and Heiress Brides series) but it took me a while to recall them. Thankfully, the author provides an extensive guide to the characters in her books on her website. Click here.

Button is a delight, as always. It's uncanny how incredibly efficient and skillful he is. He's served as fairy godfather in many of Bradley's stories. ^_^

There are a lot of loose ends in the story (Ren and Callie's relationship with the nearby village and its inhabitants), the presence of Ren's former group, etc. -- but Bradley does succeed in presenting a unique love story in Ren and Callie.

When She Said I Do is the first book in Celeste Bradley's new series (about the Worthingtons). The next book, And Then Comes Marriage, features Castor and Pollux Worthington and will be released on July 30, 2013. To find out more about Celeste Bradley and her books, visit her website. She's also on Facebook and on Goodreads.

Review: A Woman Entangled by Cecilia Grant (ARC)

Pre-order on Amazon (Release date: June 25, 2013)
In Defense of Kate Westbrook

Kate is beautiful and elegant, intelligent and well-mannered -- and she knows it. She also knows that these traits that she possesses are her ticket to a better, more elevated life than the one she is currently living. Kate is aware of her vanity and her ambitiousness, but she is even more aware of how torturous and agonizing it is to be shunned by society -- to be limited to a particular place -- just because her father married for love, and married a woman deemed unsuitable by society. Kate is determined to change the course of her life, and of her sisters' lives -- and she plans to use any means necessary to attain her goal.

Stupefaction was her stock-in-trade, and she would not stoop to the tedious false modesty of pretending not to know it.
- loc 128

In current times, Kate would be considered a social climber -- even in her own time, her own ambitions (and the very Machiavellian way in which she plans to achieve it) would make her a usurper of sorts. But I liked Kate. I liked her honesty and the very relentless, single-minded way in which she is chasing after her dreams.

And her dreams, while they sound materialistic and mercenary, are actually informed by something deeper and more meaningful: her need for acceptance -- not just of herself, but of her entire family.

Men thought her unfeeling, she knew. Heartless, Mr. Blackshear had pronounced her, the last time he'd come to call. Of course he'd laughed as he'd said it, good-natured and brotherly, though they both knew he had reason to mean it.

Well, be that as it would. She carried enough already, what with worrying for her younger sisters' welfare, scheming to make connections that could better all their prospects, and striving to somehow mend the great rift in Papa's family. She had neither time nor energy enough to feel guilty for every young man she'd disappointed. They'd surely all go on to find girls who could afford the luxury of marrying for love, and they'd be happier than they ever could have been with her.

Beauty faded, after all, and with it, the love it had inspired.
- loc 371

Kate's family actually reminded me of the March family and Kate and her sisters' lives run on parallel lines with Jo and sisters -- except that the personalities and birth orders aren't the same. Viola Westbrook has the same sentiment and interests as Jo. Bea is a mix of Beth and Meg. Rose is the shy side of Beth. And Kate is Cecilia Grant's Amy March.

Throughout the novel, Kate proclaims herself to be practical -- to be above foolish romantic notions -- but, the irony is, she is the greatest dreamer of them all. She believes she can fix the twenty-three-year-old estrangement between her father and his family -- and she has persevered in trying to make a connection where none exists -- where none could exist. Some might see Kate as being prideful because she thinks no man, except a peer, deserves her -- but, with each letter she delivers personally to her aunt's door, she shows a humility that borders on abasement. In so many years that she has done this, she has never received a reply or an acknowledgement -- but she keeps hoping and dreaming.

From guarded to unguarded. Kate is defensive for the most part of the story -- her beauty has made her an expert at deflecting men's unwanted interests. She has also shielded herself with rationalizations about what her sisters need and what she needs to do for her sisters, but, as Kate slowly realizes her dream, when the door finally opens to Kate, the experience slowly chips away at the armor that has long protected her and her illusions.

...Wished she'd never indulged the hope of one day being Lady Astley, never set out to charm Lord Barclay, never caused pain to Louisa Smith.

She wished Mr. Blackshear had been the eldest son of a titled man, with spotless connections.

This whole thing is impossible. He'd told her nothing she hadn't already known, with those words.
- loc 3404

As she moves forward, she becomes more and more exposed -- until, finally, the core of her confronts her with staggering clarity. That life isn't perfect. That she cannot make things fine. That love cannot be commanded. And that her person is not a commodity to be sold to the highest bidder.

It's when Kate is at her lowest point that she gains her dignity and discovers pride in herself, in her origins, in her family.

It is difficult to love Kate (in the same way it was difficult to love Amy) but we have to (grudgingly) admire her. She emerges from her story a new person, a better person, a person changed by love. (And I think she is my favorite of the three heroines of Cecilia Grant's series.)

Now on to the novel ...

One of my favorite characters in the story, Baron Barclay, says one of my favorite lines in the story: "The reality of war would make a very poor play. ..." -- but Cecilia Grant makes it so that the reality of love does not make a very poor romance. Her hero and heroine are imperfect and so ... ordinary ... that I didn't think they would have an interesting story to tell.

A Woman Entangled is a beautiful tribute to the common, to the mundane, to the dull and obscure: Nick is a barrister with a small practice, made smaller by his brother's marriage to a woman of ill-repute (read: A Gentleman Undone) but he is working towards his goal: a seat in the House of Commons, and the respect of his peers and betters. He fancied himself in love with Kate three years ago but he understands that Kate wants someone grander, more important than him.

"We wouldn't suit, I know." He half raised a hand to forestall her speaking. "Not only because you've set your sights on a more rarefied existence than I shall ever be able to provide, but because I have aspirations of my own. And -- I trust this won't offend you -- you're not the woman to enter into those hopes with me, and stand at my side through thick and thin, as I would desire a wife to do."
- loc 1309

Throughout the novel, Nick and Kate talk about how unsuitable they are for each other, that their plans cannot include the other -- but they are their best and most honest selves when they are together. Cecilia Grant shows us that love, by its very nature, is epic and is beautiful even at its most mortifying. There's a bit of Jane Austen in Grant's writing and how she infuses dignity to her characters and their lives.

A Woman Entangled is the latest installment in Cecilia Grant's Blackshear Family series and will be released on June 25, 2013. To find out more about Cecilia Grant and her books, visit her website. She's also on Facebook and on Goodreads.

Disclosure: I received the ARC through Edelweiss. (Thank you to Cecilia Grant and to Random House for accepting my request.) Yes, this is an honest review.

Kindle Book Bargains!

A Rose in Winter by Kathleen Woodiwiss

$3.99 on Kindle (Discounted from $7.99)

An oldie but goodie!  I remember reading this book when I was in high school. This utilizes the Beauty and the Beast trope and really love the heroine's name: Erienne.

The Lawman by Lily Graison
FREE on Kindle
Book 1 of The Willow Creek Series

118 pages, 55 reviews, average rating of 4.1 from 55 reviews

The Fairy Tale Bride by Kelly McClymer
FREE on Kindle

Originally published by Zebra (Kensington) in 2000. 119 reviews on Amazon: 40 5-stars, 31 4-stars.

When Dreams Come True by Cathy Maxwell
$1.99 on Kindle

Many of Cathy Maxwell's backlist are currently priced at $1.99 to $3.99.

Bride of Dunloch by Veronica Bale
$2.99 on Kindle

Veronica Bale's debut novel and Book 1 in her Highland Loyalties Trilogy. The entire series is prices at $2.99 per book. All of them have an average rating of 4.6 stars.

Mary Jo Putney's Lost Lord Series Bundle
$14.29 for 4 books on Kindle

Book 1: Loving a Lost Lord
Book 2: Never Less than a Lady
Book 3: Nowhere Near Respectable
Book 4: No Longer a Gentleman (Read my review here.)

I love, love, love this series! This is an excellent bundle! Very excited for book 5: Sometimes a Rogue to come out this September. ^_^

As always, a Caveat: Always check the prices before clicking on the "Buy" button. All these prices are accurate as of the time of posting.^_^