The Saucy Wenches Book Club

Award-winning author Alyssa Cole’s Reluctant Royals series continues with a woman on a quest to be the heroine of her own story and the duke in shining armor she rescues along the way. New York City socialite and perpetual hot mess Portia Hobbs is tired of disappointing her family, friends, and—most importantly—herself. An apprenticeship with a struggling swordmaker in Scotland is a chance to use her expertise and discover what she’s capable of. Turns out she excels at aggravating her gruff silver fox boss...when she’s not having inappropriate fantasies about his sexy Scottish burr. Tavish McKenzie doesn’t need a rich, spoiled American telling him how to run his armory...even if she is infuriatingly good at it. Tav tries to rebuff his apprentice, and his attraction to her, but when Portia accidentally discovers that he’s the secret son of a duke, rough-around-the-edges Tav becomes her newest makeover project. Forging metal into weapons and armor is one thing, but when desire bu...

The door swooshed open. A tiny woman in a purple miniskirt, red boots, and a black T-shirt that read STAND BACK—I’M GOING TO TRY SCIENCE walked through. Miriam Shephard had arrived. The Book of Life , Deborah Harkness

Her gaze latched onto his and he felt the connection between them like a physical thing. Molten metal waiting to become shaped; if he let it go cold, it would become an ugly, useless lump instead of the beautiful item he knew they were capable of creating together. She was a claymore's length away from him and it was still too far.   A Duke By Default ~~Alyssa Cole

“As for Celaena,” he said again, “you do not have the right to wish she were not what she is. The only thing you have a right to do is decide whether you are her enemy or her friend.” ~Sarah J Maas, Heir of Fire ( Throne of Glass #3)

You know how it goes: you get in a bit of a reading rut and nothing really feels right. All the books you read are itchy, and then you can't even bring yourself to pick anything up. So you browse your TBR looking for something you shelved ages ago but never got around to, and now you're hoping there's a treasure in the pile. A few years ago I was deep into my discovery of dark romance and read a few Alessandra Torre novels, which I thoroughly enjoyed, when I shelved her then-latest, Moonshot , a baseball romance that wasn't right for me at the time. Fast forward a couple of years, I see that cover, remember wanting to read it, and check it out from my library's eBook catalog. Friends, it was exactly what I needed, an intense romance with that elusive something more, an unputdownable read that I devoured in about a day. Come with me through the jump and I'll tell you all about it. Except for the spoilery good stuff, of course. You need to read that yourself!

Certain loves can't be fought. The harder you tried, the harder you would be knocked back, over and over again, until it beat you into submission, until your heart caved and body surrendered. Love like that didn't know the rules of society; it didn't care about life mistakes. It only knew what must be, and what would happen—no matter what. Moonshot ~~Alessandra Torre

And so, we are no longer slaves, no longer potters. We are a hoof and we own this land that is our Lot. We ride free, we fight free, we live and die ... free. ~ The Grey Bastards ( The Lot Lands #1), Johnathan French

Hi Readers, it’s me again. Back with more CLV questions. Yes, I know. The series is over. But the spinoff lives on. So, I wanted to get these last couple of books wrapped up before Wild Hunger is released. To catch you up, here are my reviews for the first CLV book, Some Girls Bite , and the book immediately before this one, Blood Games . Check our Chicagoland Vampires tag for the rest! So, without further ado, follow me after the break to see my questions about Dark Debt ! This going without saying, but SPOILERS ABOUND!

“We cannot forget joy. No matter how deep our rage and pain.” ― Nalini Singh, Ocean Light

“I love you,” he repeated, shaking her again. “I have for years . And he hurt you and made me watch because he’s always known how I felt, too. But if I asked you to pick, you’d choose Arobynn, and I. Can’t. Take. It. ... “You’re a damned idiot,” she breathed. “You’re a moron and an ass and a damned idiot.” He looked like she had hit him. But she went on, and grasped both sides of his face, “Because I’d pick you .” And then she kissed him. ~ Sarah J. Maas, The Assassin’s Blade    The Assassin and the Underworld   ( Throne of Glass , book #0.4)

"Miss Le Moyne, if you remember only one thing I have ever taught you, let it be this: you can never please everyone. As an artist, if your work doesn't inflame at least part of the audience, then you might as well call it quits and sell insurance. And that goes for you too, Mr. Scientist. The world needs more boundary pushers, not more boundary creators." The Casquette Girls ~~Alys Arden

There’s a lot of romance on our e-readers these last few weeks. Whether we’re basking at the beach, unwinding after work, or seeking solace from current events, most of us are diving into romance, with a bit of fantasy and mystery to round it out. Click to see what we're reading now! 

“Smile again,” he whispered. I hadn’t smiled for him. Ever. Or laughed. Under the Mountain, I had never grinned, never chuckled. And afterward ... And this male before me ... my friend ... For all that he had done, I had never given him either. Even when I had just ... I had just painted something. On him. For him. I’d — painted again. So I smiled at him, broad and without restraint. “You’re exquisite,” he breathed. ~ Sarah J. Maas, A Court of Mist and Fury