Once I noticed the immediate “Freebie” for TBR Problem, I’ve to confess that my first thought was of the massive guide conferences of my earlier running a blog days, the place freebies abounded. Within the post-COVID panorama, many of those have vanished or modified significantly (after which there’s the historical past of RWA – however that could possibly be many weblog posts in itself.) Nevertheless, ARCs, e-book freebies and presents from buddies are nonetheless very a lot round, and we had no hassle discovering prospects this month. Lynn discovered a winner in her previous convention stash, and Caz has an e-book to share that she initially picked up as a freebie.
The Quick and Fascinating Story of Angelina Whitcombe by Sabrina Darby
Whereas I’ve an enormous TBR, it’s been a short time since I picked up a lot by means of freebies. For my TBR Problem learn this month, I went down reminiscence lane a bit and pulled a novella that I picked up at RWA about ten years in the past. Again earlier than RWA went off the rails, I used to take care of get guide information, publishing data, meet favourite authors and simply spend time with different guide bloggers. Alongside the way in which, I found numerous new-to-me authors and I all the time got here house with a field stuffed with what I hoped can be hidden treasures. The Quick and Fascinating Story of Angelina Whitcombe positively falls into that ‘treasure’ class. This novella by Sabrina Darby is a superb tackle the Magnificence and the Beast story.
The fundamental set-up is a tad uncommon. John Martin has come house haunted by the horrors of the Napoleonic Wars. He’s grow to be one thing of a hermit, residing within the ruins of an previous fortress on the household property within the north of England. His mom desires to see him married and settled and decides that she must get him enthusiastic about ladies once more, in order that he is likely to be motivated to discover a gently born spouse. So, what does she do? She hires him a mistress.
That’s proper. Angelina Whitcombe enters the image as a mistress for rent. As soon as a profitable actress, she has been spurned by her protector and is at considerably of a unfastened finish. She solutions the advert within the newspaper, and finds herself wandering across the desolate fortress damage, ostensibly there to sketch the panorama. She manages to engineer a gathering with John, however the chemistry that builds between them is all too actual.
The attractive love story that ensues is a strikingly lovely one. John and Angelina are each wounded souls, even when the hermit-like John is probably the extra apparent ‘Beast’ character on this state of affairs. Regardless of the considerably cynical setup of the story, there’s something extremely tender in regards to the writing on this novella. John and Angelina begin to join on a deeply emotional degree and so they grow to be one another’s most secure, most trusted particular person. Ms. Darby’s writing offers this story a really romantic really feel.
For sure, all of this makes among the pressure within the story really feel even sharper. In any case, Angelina is aware of she has been employed for a job. And the way can she inform John that with out dropping his belief? Then there’s the distinction of their stations. Angelina is the kid of actors, who has been an actress and courtesan herself. The distinction in stations between her and somebody of the landed gentry, resembling John, would seem nearly inconceivable to bridge. Maybe the ending is a contact inconceivable, however the guide is written in such a means that one desires to consider in it anyway as a result of these are characters whom readers will wish to see driving off into the sundown for his or her much-deserved blissful ending.
In the event you’re within the temper for a romantic story, this novella delivers. The Quick and Fascinating Story of Angelina Whitcombe is certainly a reasonably quick novella, and supplies a beautiful afternoon or two of studying.
Ranking: A- Sensuality: Heat
~ Lynn Spencer
Purchase it at Amazon
Lengthy Winter by Rachel Ember
I’ve learn and reviewed books three, 4 and 5 in Rachel Ember’s Wild Ones collection, however haven’t learn the primary two; I picked up guide one, Lengthy Winter, some time again, and have been ready for the possibility to dive in, an opportunity this month’s TBR Problem immediate – “freebie” – supplied.
Lengthy Winter is a character-driven,friends-to-lovers romance stuffed with longing and understated emotion set on the Nebraska ranch owned by the Chase household. Due to a very odd clause of their grandfather’s will, a Chase has to dwell on the ranch for a complete of twenty-one years or forfeit it to a different relative, and the duty of ‘staying’ fell to the eldest Chase brother, Robbie, who, after the loss of life of his beloved father when he was eighteen, grew to become dad or mum in addition to brother to his youthful siblings. From then on, he put Danny and Johnny first, primarily forfeiting a lifetime of his personal whereas ensuring they’d all the pieces they’d want to have the ability to strike out on their very own when the time got here. And now, they’ve achieved simply that and Robbie is alone. Not that he resents them or regrets his selections, however he can’t deny that life is fairly lonely.
Lance Taylor’s life was modified ceaselessly when, on the age of 9, Danny Chase sat subsequent to him on the college bus sooner or later and so they grew to become finest buddies. Lance grew up on the neighbouring property, however was by no means allowed to have or make buddies; his alcoholic father spent all his cash on drink and Lance by no means had sufficient to eat or respectable garments to put on. Changing into buddies with Danny meant Lance was type of ‘adopted’ by all three Chase brothers – even Robbie, though he was ten years older. Through the years, Lance developed fairly the crush on the mild, softly-spoken Robbie, although he knew nothing might ever come of it. When he was sixteen, after a lifetime of neglect and distress, and years of his unrequited crush on Robbie, Lance determined he wanted to depart.
Six years later, Lance comes again into the Chase’s lives in a most surprising means when, in desperation, he calls Danny to ask him to return to bail him out of jail. He’s been arrested for stealing a automobile (a automobile that had been his till his former boyfriend modified the title after which maliciously reported it stolen) and Danny is the one particular person he can flip to for assist. However Danny isn’t on the town and doesn’t get Lance’s message till the following morning, when he calls Robbie to ask him to go bail Lance out.
To say Robbie is shocked on the request is an understatement, however he’s prepared and keen to assist, no questions requested; Lance had been – is – like one of many household in spite of everything. However there’s little hint of the candy, shy boy who used to take a look at Robbie together with his coronary heart in his eyes within the lovely, elegant and closed-off younger man Robbie collects from the native jail, and Robbie doesn’t fairly know learn how to relate to him. Lance is clearly giving off ‘don’t ask’ vibes so Robbie falls again into their established sample: Lance would by no means let Robbie handle him the way in which he wished to, so Robbie would simply make certain he had one thing to eat and someplace to sleep when he wished them – and he can do the identical now.
When the climate interferes with Lance’s plan to seek out some other place to gap up earlier than his court docket look the next week, he finally ends up staying with Robbie within the transformed hayloft on the ranch that has served as Robbie’s residing house for the reason that principal home was destroyed in a hearth. Robbie, who has lengthy been conscious of his bisexuality however has by no means acted on it, can’t deny that he’s very drawn to grown-up Lance, and as Lance realises that his long-ago crush hasn’t gone away, he can’t assist however discover the indicators of curiosity Robbie is inadvertantly sending his means. The enforced proximity shortly results in sexually-charged longing and kindling want, and although Robbie is aware of Lance isn’t going to be sticking round – he has one other life (as a photographer and mannequin) in Chicago – possibly, only for these few days, he can take one thing he desires for himself and handle Lance.
Lance and Robbie are well-developed, advanced characters who’re straightforward to love, and their chemistry crackles properly. Lance’s childhood with an emotionally distant and neglectful father has (not surprisingly) led to his having points round self-worth and belief, and Robbie, who needed to take duty for his youthful brothers and the ranch at a younger age, has spent most of his grownup life taking care of everybody however himself. Seeing Robbie lastly reaching out for one thing he desires for himself and Lance lastly discovering his place with somebody who actually cares about him is de facto beautiful. Although the story takes place over a couple of week, there’s a really feel of a slow-burn to their romance, and I preferred the way in which their historical past is drip-fed all through the novel in flashbacks that give us a glimpse into Lance’s lonely, uncared for childhood and the way his friendships with the Chase brothers gave him the type of security he’d by no means had earlier than.
The writing is powerful and atmospheric; the isolation of ranch life in winter is fantastically conveyed – the writer creates a powerful sense of the routine essential to run such a spot – and Robbie’s emotions of deep loneliness actually leap off the web page. I loved the story rather a lot, though I needed to ding it a bit as a result of Lance veers perilously near TSTL territory with a slightly nonsensical resolution he makes close to the tip. I’m additionally a bit ambivalent about the truth that whereas the guide ends on an HFN, it’s actually solely half Robbie and Lance’s story, which continues (and reaches the HEA) in guide two, Indicators of Spring. Regardless of that, nonetheless, Lengthy Winter deserves a stable advice, and for those who’re within the temper for a snowed-in, slow-burn romance that includes lonely cowboys and many pining, this is likely to be simply the guide for you.
Ranking: B Sensuality: Heat
~ Caz Owens
Purchase it at Amazon