Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
This week’s topic:
Quick Reads Under 150 Pages
1. Into the Bargain – 87 Pages
Title: Into the Bargain
Author: Colleen Cowley
Series: Clandestine Magic
Publication Date: Jan. 31, 2024
Synopsis: A young lady with no income—and shortly no home—must be in want of a wizard husband.
Pen Novak has two weeks to find someone to marry. Otherwise, she’ll be spirited off to live with her awful uncle. Fortunately, her town’s omnimancer is on the market, and he plans to choose someone at a ball in thirteen days.
Unfortunately, he’s not the type to appreciate cleverness, persistence or anything else Pen has to offer.
Enter the wizard’s intriguing assistant, who makes her a bargain: a magical brew that could virtually guarantee her selection, in exchange for a favor. Which he won’t specify. Nor will he tell her his name.
Of course she shouldn’t accept. Especially as she starts to notice his fine eyes and tempting lips.
But with all the job openings in town meant for men only, what other choice does a young lady—or, rather, a not quite so young lady—really have?
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Review
2. The Ice Duchess – 102 Pages
Title: The Ice Duchess
Author: Tracy Sumner
Publication Date: July 22, 2021
Synopsis: A scandalous countess plays matchmaker…for a man she once longed to take for herself.
Georgiana Whitcomb, Countess Winterbourne, is known as the Ice Countess for her rebellious ways and refusal to marry again. But a scandalous Christmas wager fashioned by Georgiana’s childhood obsession changes everything.
The demanding duke needs a bride…
Dexter Munro, mere days from becoming the Duke of Markham, made a promise to his dying father to find a wife by the Twelfth Night. Except the only woman he’s ever desired has vowed never to marry again. Not even to become his duchess.
Georgiana and Dex share a sizzling attraction and a wicked past…but is their scorching passion enough to melt the Ice Countess’ heart?
If you adore sexy Dukes, feisty Duchesses, and a steamy second-chance romance set in the magnificent Regency era, The Ice Duchess is the historical for you!
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Review
3. Loved by the Lyon – 125 Pages
Title: Loved by the Lyon
Author: Collette Cameron
Series: The Lyon’s Den
Publication Date: Nov. 18, 2020
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing
Synopsis: Enter the world of the most notorious gambling den in London, where matches are made… unusually. Welcome to the world of THE LYON’S DEN: The Black Widow of Whitehall Connected World, where the underground of Regency London thrives… and loves.
It’s amazing how quickly a marriage of convenience can become so very complicated…
Kingston Barclay cannot inherit the dukedom soon enough. With siblings to support and a nearly bankrupt estate, an opportune marriage is his last hope. But his best-laid plans are upended when he discovers his best friend’s lovely sister sneaking around the Lyon’s Den. His immediate attraction to her would make her a most inconvenient bride, given his circumstances. Convincing his heart of that, however, is another matter entirely…
The last thing Vanessa Becket needs is another man in her life. Between her conniving stepbrother, a parade of fortune hunters, and the investigator who failed to reclaim her stolen jewels, she’s had enough. But when she finds herself in a notorious gaming hell, she discovers something far more valuable than missing gems. A temporary arranged marriage to Kingston could solve all her problems. If she manages to not fall for him in the process, that is…
It was supposed to be a simple arrangement. But given their histories—and the secrets Kingston is keeping—the road to happily ever after will surely be anything but simple.
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Review
4. Arch-Conspirator – 128 Pages
Title: Arch-Conspirator
Author: Veronica Roth
Page Length: 128
Publication Date: Feb. 21, 2023
Publisher: Tor Books
Synopsis: Outside the last city on Earth, the planet is a wasteland. Without the Archive, where the genes of the dead are stored, humanity will end.
Passing into the Archive should be cause for celebration, but Antigone’s parents were murdered, leaving her father’s throne vacant. As her militant uncle Kreon rises to claim it, all Antigone feels is rage. When he welcomes her and her siblings into his mansion, Antigone sees it for what it really is: a gilded cage, where she is a captive as well as a guest.
But her uncle will soon learn that no cage is unbreakable. And neither is he.
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Review
5. Poison and Honey – 130 Pages
Title: Poison and Honey
Author: Kristen Brand
Series: Dark and Otherworldly (Book 1)
Publication Date: July 15, 2020
Synopsis: Leigh Morgan has known that magic existed ever since an unearthly monster abducted her sister. It’s why she’s in Otherworld now, posing as a servant in its dark, decadent palace. She’s gathering intelligence and working with a small band of allies to bring down the Others and free their human captives. Her mission depends on blending in, so the last thing she wants is to attract the attention of a cunning prince.
Dredarion Rath wants one thing: to disgrace his older brother and prove himself the worthier heir to the throne. And out of all the servants in the palace, he chooses Leigh to help him. Just her luck.
Now Leigh has to keep her work a secret from a bewitching man who sees right through her–and who’s not nearly as cold and inhuman as he seems. She can’t screw this up, or the humans forced into servitude will never go home. But juggling two conspiracies at once, it’s only a matter of time before it all comes crashing down, and the man she’s falling for has her executed for her betrayal…
LINK: Goodreads | Amazon | Review
6. Ancient Sentinel – 137 Pages
Title: Ancient Sentinel
Author: Katie Reus
Series: Ancients Rising #7
Publication Date: Jan. 24, 2023
Synopsis: He never expected her…
Jaguar shifter Ren never expected to fall for anyone again—not after the last woman he opened his heart to tried to cut it out. Literally. But the moment he met Grace, he fell fast and hard for the sweet human. Except she’s made it clear she’s only looking for friendship, and he wants it all.
Grace officially has a crush on her friend—a quiet jaguar shifter with kind eyes and deadly skills. But he hasn’t given any indication he wants more than friendship. So she vows to move on—until they’re given an assignment by their Alpha. When they’re stuck together under the same roof, sharing one bed, it becomes impossible to hide her attraction.
When danger comes for them, they’ll be forced to decide whether their bond is worth risking everything.
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Review
7. The Rose and the Claw – 140 Pages
Title: The Rose and the Claw
Author: Nancy O’Toole
Series: The Twin Kingdoms #1
Page Length: 140
Publication Date: Aug. 2, 2021
Publisher: Midnight Tide Publishing
Synopsis: A woman on a mission…
Rose Gardner never thought she’d leave the small town of West Ridge. But when her husband dies at war, she must return his arms to his place of birth to set his spirit to rest. After traveling into enemy territory, Rose falls into a trap. Held captive in an enchanted manor, she finds herself face to face with a beast who is equally horrifying and kind. Will she manage to complete her quest or be pulled in by the secrets of the manor?
A man haunted by his past…
Trapped within his own home and in the body of a hideous beast, Kris never wanted to share his prison with another. As much as Rose may draw him in with her beauty and stubborn strength, he knows she must escape before the next full moon. After all, he remembers all too well what happened to the previous caretaker.
The dead won’t let him forget the blood on his hands.
LINK: Goodreads | Amazon | Review
8. A Mirror Mended – 144 Pages
Title: A Mirror Mended
Author: Alix E. Harrow
Series: Fractured Fables #2
Page Length: 144
Publication Date: June 14, 2022
Publisher:Tor
Synopsis: A Mirror Mended is the next installment in USA Today bestselling author Alix E. Harrow’s Fractured Fables series.
Zinnia Gray, professional fairy-tale fixer and lapsed Sleeping Beauty is over rescuing snoring princesses. Once you’ve rescued a dozen damsels and burned fifty spindles, once you’ve gotten drunk with twenty good fairies and made out with one too many members of the royal family, you start to wish some of these girls would just get a grip and try solving their own narrative issues.
Just when Zinnia’s beginning to think she can’t handle one more princess, she glances into a mirror and sees another face looking back at her: the shockingly gorgeous face of evil, asking for her help. Because there’s more than one person trapped in a story they didn’t choose. Snow White’s Evil Queen has found out how her story ends and she’s desperate for a better ending. She wants Zinnia to help her before it’s too late for everyone.
Will Zinnia accept the Queen’s poisonous request, and save them both from the hot iron shoes that wait for them, or will she try another path?
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Review
9. Levkaseon – 145 Pages
Title: Levkaseon
Author: Sarah Westill
Series: Gen-Heirs: The Guardians of Sziveria (prequel)
Page Length: 145
Publication Date: Nov. 4, 2021
Synopsis: The enemy is closer than she realizes…
When a sudden outbreak of human rabies syndrome threatens Haven City, Ciarra Jonatis finds herself in an awkward dilemma. She needs answers, fast, and only one man can help her find them. The one man she loved, lost… and betrayed. As Shield Guardian Levkaseon, she’s responsible for the city’s health, there’s no room for personal conflict, or regrets.
Falsely imprisoned to ensure his silence after discovering an attempt to weaponize the HRS virus, Terran Kaine agrees to assist on the promise of his release and national protection. His rare touch-based talent gives him a unique advantage, allowing him to see inside the human body and identify specific pathogens. But nothing turns out to be easy, especially his freedom. Conflicting anger wars with desire and Terran is faced with a difficult choice. Forgive Ciarra, or let the past dictate the future.
Emotions run high as their buried passions surface. A distraction they can’t afford as treachery finds them at every turn and their research begins to unravel a dangerous truth. One an elusive enemy will kill to keep hidden. Either they trust each other, or lose everything…
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Review
10. How to Steal a Lyon’s Fortune – 149 pages
Title: How to Steal a Lyon’s Fortune
Author: Alanna Lucas
Series: The Lyon’s Den Connected World
Page Length: 149
Publication Date: April 28, 2021
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing
Synopsis: Enter the world of the most notorious gambling den in London, where matches are made… unusually. Welcome to the world of THE LYON’S DEN: The Black Widow of Whitehall Connected World, where the underground of Regency London thrives… and loves.
When it comes to stealing a Lyon’s fortune, it takes two to right a wrong.
Visitors to the Lyon’s Den, run by the mysterious Mrs. Dove-Lyon, usually wish to find a spouse, but Audrey has quite another goal in mind. She needs help to secure an invitation to Lyon’s masquerade, the annual event hosted by her once-stepfather, Vincent Lyon, so that she may retrieve the statue he stole from her late mother.
Mrs. Dove-Lyon knows just the person to take Audrey to the ball, a shrewd matchmaker that she is, also sees an opportunity to help Lord Peter Dermott, who has been recommended to her as being in urgent need of a wife.
When Peter meets Audrey, the attraction is instant, but she presents him with a huge dilemma. Her plan to take the statue is daring, and if it fails, his reputation will be ruined.
However, if he walks away, he will most likely lose her, and the chance to make her his…
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Review
Great list! I haven’t read any of these which seems to be a common theme for everyone’s list haha.
lol – I noticed the same. 🙂
These look good! I’m going to check out “Into the Bargain” for sure.
That’s a good one! I hope you enjoy it if you get a chance to read it!
I haven’t read any of these, but they look fun! I’ll keep them in mind.
Arch-Conspirator is on my list this week too. 🙂 I thought it was so good! I really like the look of Into the Bargain — I’ll check it out.
It was definitely a unique read and the first time I read an Antigone retelling. 🙂
Oooh, a Mirror Mended sounds amazing — I’ve been meaning to read this series.
It’s so good!!!! I hope you get a chance to read it soon. It’s a pretty quick read. 🙂