My Ever-Growing TBR Pile 7/27/2013 (Some of these are FREE)

Just released and looking forward to as I enjoyed the first two in the series, Lisa J. Yarde's Sultana: Two Sisters. With each book, she transports me to Moorish Spain and the Sultana's strong legacy. ****The first two books in this series are FREE right now. Merely head over to Amazon and search Lisa J. Yarde.)

Once bound by a deep friendship, both are taken captive and sold into the harem of Sultan Yusuf I of Granada. A young girl with a hidden heritage, Esperanza Peralta, forges a new identity as Butayna, Yusuf's lover. She becomes the mother of his firstborn and his first wife. The Jewess Miriam Alubel takes the name Maryam and bears Yusuf several children. She aligns her interest with those of Yusuf's mother, whose devilish schemes alter more than her son's future. Butayna finds a strong ally in Yusuf's sister Leila, her former mistress, but not even Leila can direct the course of the future. The clash between former friends is inevitable, as each finds diverging paths in a dizzying rise to power beside their husband. Both remain aware of the struggle ahead of them, for only one heir may inherit Yusuf's throne and only one woman can claim the revered title of Mother of the Sultan.

Another author I've read before and enjoyed...I don't know how I missed the release of this one, but I did, and it's on my wishlist now, Jeannie Lin's The Sword Dancer.

Sword dancer Li Feng is used to living life on the edge of the law—a woman alone in the dangerous world of the Tang Dynasty has only her whirlwind reflexes to trust. She will discover the truth about her past, even if that means outwitting the most feared thief-catcher of them all...

Relentless, handsome and determined, Han sees life—and love—as black and white. Until he finally captures the spirited, courageous Li Feng, who makes him question everything he thought he knew about right and wrong. Soon he's faced with an impossible choice: betray the elusive sword dancer he is learning to love, or trust his long-disregarded heart and follow her to dangerous, tempting rebellion...

Michelle Diener's In Defense of the Queen. I did not read the first two, but the blurb says we don't have to. I'm on top of this one because ever since I read her Daughter of the Sky, I've been eager to read her next book. Going to get my hands on this one. I'm also participating in her blog tour. :)

An artist never betrays her patron . . . especially one of the world's most powerful kings.

Susanna Horenbout has learned this lesson from the cradle. But when she receives a letter from her father telling her to do just that, she faces a dilemma. Betray Henry VIII, or carry out the request of her father’s employer, Margaret of Austria, and pass secret information to Henry’s queen, Katherine of Aragon.

Caught between the machinations of her husband and her nephew, the Emperor Charles, Queen Katherine needs all the allies she can get. But what can Susanna really do to help her, and even if she does, will it be enough?

Susanna and her betrothed, Parker——one of Henry's most trusted courtiers——balance on the knife’s edge of treason as they try to make sense of both international and domestic conspiracies. Sometimes, it's better the enemy you know . . .

Spotted on netgalley and dying to read because it's a woman mechanic and old cars!!! She Who Dares (LOVE THAT TITLE. That screams strong woman) by Jane O'Reilly.

The Ugly Duckling meets Top Gear when a plain Jane mechanic comes face-to-face with the bad boy of rally racing...

Nic Sinclair spends most of her time hiding under the bonnet of a car. With her obsession with engines, a total lack of feminine wiles, and a stepsister who looks like Barbie, she understands that it’s the safest place to be.

But when Nic’s stepsister sells her half of their vintage car business and does a runner, Nic is forced to set down her wrench and deal with the fallout. Soon she’s engaged in a battle of wills with her new business partner, superstar rally driver Sebastian Prince — a battle he dares her to win.

I was sold on this title as soon as I spotted it on Netgalley. A woman Pinkerton agent!!! Need I say more? Gunpowder Tea by Margaret Brownley.


In a case that could change her career, Miranda uncovers a love that will change her life.

When Miranda Hunt sees the classified ad for an heiress to the legendary Last Chance Ranch, she knows assuming the identity of Annie Beckman is the perfect cover. As one of the finest agents for the Pinkerton Detective Agency, Miranda has been tasked with apprehending the Phantom – an elusive and notorious train robber thought to be hiding on the sprawling ranch.

But she isn’t the only one there with something to hide. Wells Fargo detective Jeremy Taggert is working the scene undercover as well. And although their true identities are a secret, it is impossible for Jeremy and Miranda to hide the spark that flares between them.

This just sounds good and I love EC's BLUSH line. This is a historical romance and I found it while browsing the Coming Soon list on their website. Freedom's Embrace by Kianna Alexander. It's on my wishlist.


Jonathan is the only doctor within several days’ ride of Graham, Pennsylvania, and he’s desperate for a nurse to assist him. His salvation comes in the form of Naomi, a runaway slave who shows up ill on his doorstep. When she agrees to be his nurse in exchange for treatment, his world lights up.

Unfortunately, not everyone in town approves of Jonathan’s new nurse. His mother and some of his patients express their distaste, but she’s captured Jonathan’s heart, and he’ll defend her at any cost.

When Naomi’s former master rides into town, Jonathan discovers just how far he’ll go to keep the woman he loves from being torn from his arms, and from freedom’s embrace.

Kindle freebie. (Still free today, 7/27) I've read this guy before and have faith it will be a decent read...Colin Falconer's Anastasia.

When American journalist Michael Sheridan jumps into the Whangpoa River to save a woman he met in one of Shanghai's taxi clubs, his life is changed irrevocably. A Russian refugee, Anastasia Romanov bears an extraordinary resemblance to the princess of the same name, who was rumored to have survived the brutal murder of her family at the hands of Bolshevik revolutionaries.

The fate of the youngest daughter of the last Russian Czar has become one of the most talked-about mysteries of the time. But Michael's Anastasia is suffering from amnesia and remembers little of her life before Shanghai.

Unraveling the mystery of Anastasia's identity and past takes them both from the streets of Shanghai to the decadence of pre-war Berlin and London, from Bolshevik Russia to New York just before the Wall Street crash. Michael is the only man who has ever helped Anastasia without wanting something in return - but can she give up the chance to be a princess for true love?

And here are three titles that are STILL FREE as of 7/27. I'm adding them here at the last minute so you can go download them as well.

The Shipwreck by Glynnis Campbell. I like the idea she is taking him captive. What a pleasant change from all this crap featuring men keeping women captive.

When his wife and children die, Viking marauder Brandr has nothing left to live for, so he sails away on one final voyage. A storm at sea leaves him shipwrecked, alone, and barely alive on a foreign coastline. Along the Pictish shore, Avril, a warrior maid and the victim of a Viking berserker, banished from her ancestral home of Rivenloch to a seaside cottage, dreams of the day she’ll raise her sword, take back the castle that is rightfully hers, and find her half-Viking daughter a proper father. Discovering a broad-shouldered, fair-haired, broken castaway washed up on her beach among the wreckage of his longship, she takes him captive and binds him in chains. She refuses to be a Viking’s victim again...never imagining that soon her fiercest enemy will earn her trust, invade her heart, and enthrall her senses.

Cuban Sun (Sofia Koury, #1) by Ann Bauer, Bryn Bauer. The title caught my eye. I love stories that take place on the Latin islands.

Thirty one year old Law student Sofia Koury thought she found a refuge from memories of her mother's suicide and life with her controlling father. But when her mentor Alexander Quintis proposes her for an internship on his colleague's yacht, events move into dangerous waters.

At first excited by the prospect of fieldwork, the attacks onboard make Sofia realize that someone she trusts is not as they seem. Caught in the whirlpool of antique cars, surveillance and defense training, Sofia struggles to uncover the deception ahead.

She must now rely on intuition and lessons from her painful past to complete her assignment and say alive. Sofia faces the challenge of her life navigating a budding relationship, self-discovery and uncertain future all under the sultry Cuban Sun.

Something very different: Fallen Far from the Tree by Lilith Giardini. The idea of a commune that strengthens women and weakens men...oh hell yeah.

Disheartened with her advertising job, Eve Breitner, does just that when she moves to a rural intentional community in North Carolina to share idealism and property. Soon she wonders if the nobility of this ecological, egalitarian goal will offset the hardship of living below the poverty level. While Eve loves her country jobs, can she make the adjustment to be so radical? The community works to toughen the women and soften the men. Sexism is turned on its head with aggressive feminism. Then Eve meets Paolo, an Italian political radical who is fed up with sharing and softening. He courts Eve and forces her into a decision between a monogamist relationship with him or living with this alternative society. How far will Eve stray from the past she knows while exploring new paths? Fallen Far from the Tree shares Eve's adventure as she searches for relevance and love in her life.

What new books hit YOUR TBR that you're really excited about?