Today’s Steals and Deals at AAR…..

We’ve never reviewed Christina Dowd’s Castles in the Air, but I suspect this Medieval historical romance will appeal to many of our readers. Here’s the Amazon blurb:

Bound by the King . . .

The document, signed and sealed by King Henry himself, commanded lady Juliana of Lofts to marry Raymond, Count of Avraché.

Shattered by the Past . . .

She refused, though it was treason to defy one’s king. What man would have her once he discovered her secret?

One Knight Would Crusade for His Lady’s Heart

Yet Raymond would not be denied. And when he came for her, she’d learn that even the strongest will cannot resist the softest touch.

It’s for sale at Amazon for 1.99 here.




Her Heart for a Compass
, written by the Duchess of York, got a B from us. Here’s our review. We wrote:

Caz: Even though I don’t really know what I expected from Her Heart for a Compass going in, I came away from it satisfied.  I do think the ending was a bit rushed, but it’s a well put-together piece of historical fiction about a little-known historical figure, with a nice dash of romance here and there.  I enjoyed it, but the writing and pacing issues we’ve both mentioned mean I’m settling on a B grade overall.

Evelyn: The story kept my interest throughout but it doesn’t reach DIK category for me either. It was a satisfying read, and I, too, feel it’s a very solid B.

It’s on sale at Amazon for 1.99 here.



Cat Sebastian has received a slew of DIK grades from us. (You can see all our reviews of her books here.) Caz gave this one a B+. She wrote:

It Takes Two to Tumble is the first book in a new series from Cat Sebastian entitled Seducing the Sedgwicks, which features a group of siblings who had a most unconventional, bohemian upbringing in a household comprising their father, his wife, his mistress and various itinerant hangers-on.  This first instalment features the eldest son, Benedict, the vicar of the parish of St. Aelred’s in Cumberland, a deeply compassionate, kind, sensitive man who yearns for the ‘normal’ life he never had while growing up.  The arrival at nearby Barton Hall of gruff, authoritarian naval captain Philip Dacre sees Benedict  gradually coming to the realisation that perhaps he needs to re-define exactly what ‘normal’ means to him, in this touching, beautifully written, character-driven romance from the pen of Cat Sebastian….

The ending is a little too pat as well, but in spite of all those things, I enjoyed the book a lot.  The writing is warm, intelligent and engaging, and the two protagonists are so compelling and – ultimately – charming, that it’s impossible not to be captivated by them and their story. It Takes Two to Tumble has a number of flaws, but I found myself so drawn in by the writing and characterisation that it was easy for me to see past them and enjoy the book regardless.  It may not quite reach the standards of The Soldier’s Scoundrel or The Ruin of a Rake, but it’s a lovely read and still a head and shoulders above so many of the other historical romances currently on offer.

It’s on sale at Amazon for 1.99 here.



We gave For Butter or Worse got a very happy DIK from us. We wrote:

For Butter or Worse is a contemporary romance following workplace rivals who fake a relationship for public relations reasons, only to find themselves actually enjoying the charade.

Nina is a female chef in a fairly male-dominated industry, and the last thing she needs is her coworker throwing her under the bus on live TV. Nina knows Leo hated her on sight, and she has no interest in placating his ego, especially given that he isn’t even a chef.

Leo is a businessman trying to keep his family’s restaurant legacy afloat. He’s proud of what his father built, and wants to keep its foundation strong, but he fears he’ll never be respected in the food world. Being on a cooking show was supposed to help the brand, but Leo can’t help sniping back when Nina needles him. Unfortunately, this clash only escalates, culminating in an on-air fight that makes Nina look really, really bad.

When the paparazzi mistakenly believe the caustic coworkers to be a couple, Leo and Nina decide it will be mutually beneficial to fake a relationship to generate good publicity. Their plan just might work, as long as they can keep their mutual loathing under control.

I loved this book, which contains so many of my favorite things: mental health representation, rivals to lovers, reality television and well-written secondary characters. In particular, the depiction of anxiety is poignant and important and I found the families of the main characters to be very real; they add to the narrative without drawing too much attention away from the plot.

It’s on sale at Amazon for 2.99 here.


You can see all our current deals at our Amazon storefront here.

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