tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500526696994805022024-03-18T12:02:03.361-07:00The Misadventures Of Super LibrarianBlogging for truth, justice and the right to read what you want.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485867264936716806noreply@blogger.comBlogger2779125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350052669699480502.post-13636869342198818632024-03-16T15:56:00.000-07:002024-03-16T15:56:53.202-07:00Sit and Stay Awhile: Unusual Historicals for March 2024Settle in folks and be prepared to stay awhile because this month's Unusual Historicals post is <i>14 titles long</i>. It's so long that Blogger told me I hit too many characters when inserting tags on this post. Grab a beverage of your choice, put your feet up and prepare to dive in - because I guarantee there has to be something for everyone this month.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3vfTzle" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="302" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghBU8LW9shRQ-Jk35yQ-fk4xnZhMppwW87OE6n33vH13Ao4uHphAYm4MJHC3OK1ugyUx4UHSSJwsEyxUk4f7sAvchCbs9cCNAEoTw95YC2XWqmhLlu-JHqu6oSIcMfwc66PQfSj2vj3IvEr4L8qQWgtXqty_rcPnhyphenhyphen2x6famVBa2Nq34u2scouW8q7skHW/w129-h200/916ZtnvS8yL._SY466_.jpg" width="129" /></a></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3vfTzle" target="_blank">The Phoenix Bride</a></b> by <a href="Natasha Siegel " target="_blank">Natasha Siegel </a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>It is 1666, one year after plague has devastated England. Young widow Cecilia Thorowgood is a prisoner, trapped and isolated within her older sister’s cavernous London townhouse. At the mercy of a legion of doctors trying to cure her grief with their impatient scalpels, Cecilia shows no sign of improvement. Soon, her sister makes a decision born of desperation: She hires a new physician, someone known for more unusual methods. But he is a foreigner. A Jew. And despite his attempts to save Cecilia, he knows he cannot quell the storm of sorrow that rages inside her. There is no easy cure for melancholy.</p><p>David Mendes fled Portugal to seek a new life in London, where he could practice his faith openly and leave the past behind. Still reeling from the loss of his beloved friend and struggling with his religion and his past, David is free and safe in this foreign land but incapable of happiness. The security he has found in London threatens to disappear when he meets Cecilia, and he finds himself torn between his duty to medicine and the beating of his own heart. He is the only one who can see her pain; the glimmers of light she emits, even in her gloom, are enough to make him believe once more in love.</p><p>Facing seemingly insurmountable challenges, David and Cecilia must endure prejudice, heartbreak, and calamity before they can be together. The Great Fire is coming—and with the city in flames around them, love has never felt so impossible.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>A grieving young widow, whose husband perished from the plague, and a Jewish doctor fall in love despite insurmountable odds, oh and the minor detail that the Great Fire of London is about to burn the city to the ground. I've seen this setting crop up in historical romances before, so it's not quite as rare as hen's teeth - but darn close.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/48VY1Do" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="305" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu0ujG5DYkmas2un5YuFBFvbcSb5WospAHjs1xBvFGwhn2ipsjIdEsrNQzw2bU6ohTKTKRrLMZVIoLVBle2Ma-TTjqiRNKxVDfKJCIChEQEu8HArUWa8odv2EBYX3wrwkOb93DaNyjDw71Ct_VMRE_NgfEbjW84nfODM_aaXCrWnBvRJkgDhJ0DFhfoT-C/w131-h200/81Cw2FppM0L._SY466_.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><a href="https://amzn.to/48VY1Do" target="_blank">The Dance of Desire</a> by <a href="https://www.delphineross.com/" target="_blank">Delphine Ross </a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>Best friends make bad spouses . . . and worse scandals.</p><p>When Angela Bartham of the notorious Bartham family is stranded at the altar on her wedding day, she's saved from ruin by her old friend Sunny, the Earl of Sunderland. He offers a startlingly generous proposition: a marriage of convenience that will last exactly one year. Long enough for society to stop gossiping. Long enough for the press to lose interest. Then they’ll quietly annul their unconsummated union.</p><p>Left without choices, Angela agrees. But Sunny is no longer the sweet but awkward boy she grew up with—and who once loved her. A mysterious trip abroad has transformed him into a surly, secretive beast of a man who can’t seem to stand the sight of her. Nor is Angela the romantic girl who once danced all night under the moon. She’s a heartbroken beauty trapped in a fake marriage that can’t end soon enough.</p><p>To avoid the chattering crowds, Angela and Sunny flee London to spend their year of marriage in Paris. But what they don’t take into consideration is that emotions aren’t particularly rational . . . especially when there’s only one bed in the gothic feline-laden chateau they’re stuck inside near the Bois de Boulogne. Forced proximity reveals hidden depths, turning their marriage of convenience into a messy affair of the heart. Will Angela and Sunny's dance of desire come to an end, destroying everything they hold dear—including their friendship?</p></blockquote><p></p><p>Beauty and the Beast with a marriage of convenience thrown in between a ballerina and the Earl who was once infatuated with her. Oh, and they leave London for PARIS! This is the second book in Ross's <i><a href="https://amzn.to/48S0EGg" target="_blank">Muses of Scandal</a></i> series.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/4ag9dfi" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlMN_NBSF8SaISj7bz4kCFFUGtLEwTsYhhGzlzQe-KVoRRRc5JtY4yKEwCW2fu9cM_Qyaealhbj4FHvlYIQc4yXqomsINm2njFVWZNJDJ0qyzhJqg6kzFsVoeFF4EEhVvEGfWVRaRXj-p85cjrGqNcV67OXCXxCdzwVPy9dOJSKvBKnnWRhkLDQVPWU2jl/w134-h200/81m+r9rmQlL._SY466_.jpg" width="134" /></a></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/4ag9dfi" target="_blank">Obsession at the Opera</a></b> by <a href="https://delphineroyromance.com/" target="_blank">Delphine Roy</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>She’s the only woman he cannot resist.</p><p>Jerome Saint Yves has always put duty, hard work and family first. Just once, on the eve of returning to his homeland, did he heed his desire and spend an unforgettable night in the arms of a ravishing opera singer. Now his only goal is to make a name for himself as a Parisian architect. But the woman he thought he would never see again is much closer than he believes.</p><p>Stella Cardinelli is a woman on the run. Pursued by a wicked lord determined to possess her at any cost, bound by a promise made to a dying friend, she flees London and crosses the Channel with a stolen heirloom in her pocket. The prestigious opera houses of Paris offer a fresh start, until she comes face to face with Jerome, the only man who made her understand the true meaning of passion.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>Once again, Paris! This time our hero is an architect and the heroine is an opera singer with a stolen heirloom...and a stalker. This is the second book in Roy's <i><a href="https://amzn.to/4agZENa" target="_blank">Bleu Blanc Rogue</a></i> series.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/4clkYmg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="288" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Vo7yhnH8Fl6P3x1LrcJOYjVyaE1gSKmJ3iUBb5IUwsMaJP7dpBa0gJVOHUDg4iNVW2yvz9J3AwLTjg13UkWD3UW_MpqjA4WGOw2xz571jggwUif19vFgLu4_eTPqXYeov72nyILK-aUjStbm10wnfxP8wwsHz4NCaPp2PQernjQAPjgNFHvI_ah6LXx8/w129-h200/51VzgcGeaaL._SY445_SX342_.jpg" width="129" /></a></div><a href="https://amzn.to/4clkYmg" target="_blank">The Love Remedy</a> by <a href="https://elizabetheverettauthor.com/" target="_blank">Elizabeth Everett</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>When Lucinda Peterson’s recently perfected formula for a salve to treat croup goes missing, she’s certain it’s only the latest in a line of misfortunes at the hands of a rival apothecary. Outraged and fearing financial ruin, Lucy turns to private investigator Jonathan Thorne for help. She just didn’t expect her champion to be so . . . grumpy?</p><p>A single father and an agent at Tierney & Co., Thorne accepts missions for a wide variety of employers—from the British government to wronged wives. None have intrigued him so much as the spirited Miss Peterson. As the two work side by side to unmask her scientific saboteur, Lucy slips ever so sweetly under Thorne’s battered armor, tempting him to abandon old promises.</p><p>With no shortage of suspects—from a hostile political group to an erstwhile suitor—Thorne’s investigation becomes a threat to all that Lucy holds dear. As the truth unravels around them the cure to their problems is clear: they must face the future together.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>Corporate espionage in a Victorian era apothecary means that in order to save her business the heroine has to turn to a private investigator hero. Then things get complicated (as they do). This is the first book in the author's <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3vgKcSk" target="_blank">Damsels of Discovery</a></i> series.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3wTDlPc" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="296" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW_8wjl40wxXv9-j67wHHcu2K6ZfmXBsDBKkujdt9weoBQt-0BXp-G1YiNI7KPD0zldvGwsSZZCsleAhhNG76PohJ8fGXicZUzKd6cQWs_L9DEE6oXVgT2VbjjMyc_kp95wAxaSggz6G4Ro146XNwEMwmR0VWqAi7_7FWYoFPkL3XBiPOd8nfNy-jZw4qb/w127-h200/91nBlCzngQL._SY466_.jpg" width="127" /></a></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3wTDlPc" target="_blank">The Viking and the Runaway Empress</a></b> by <a href="https://sarahrodi.com/" target="_blank">Sarah Rodi</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>Bound by duty</p><p>Tempted by desire</p><p>Guard to the Byzantine emperor, Viking warrior Destin is tasked with delivering his sovereign's runaway bride-to-be to Constantinople. Abandoned at birth, Destin has spent years making something of himself, and with this final task comes the promise of land and riches. Only, the fiercely beautiful Livia refuses to be wed! Destin must return her unharmed—and untouched—but the closer they grow on their journey, the harder it becomes for him to hand her over…</p></blockquote><p>Viking warrior for hire falls for the runaway bride he's supposed to deliver to his boss in Constantinople. Minor complication that. Also, it's a road romance. Gimme!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3wYqHhT" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="306" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwK0GPpL4AU0H4PA_QAERMCeLuBJI1DGnrEUyzInPDM06lIsooGiyrDV7TFsIPCMFRhKfnKvttnUGIFo4tSk7s4sHAxBs83BCAwT5lqcGJTwkCr_93sYxznnGnlxOMzGlEhk7RCYKv4AaYc9hEGas4jwjwUhCXAbJed91yRBnX_cviwNOmXvJeLLbItOjT/w131-h200/9114VnEggDL._SY466_.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3wYqHhT" target="_blank">Lady Charlotte Always Gets Her Man</a></b> by <a href="https://www.violetmarshauthor.com/" target="_blank">Violet Marsh</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>Lady Charlotte Lovett should have never run away upon discovering her betrothal. But when one has been promised to a man who, rumor has it, killed his previous two wives, one does what one must. The only thing that can get her out of this engagement is proving that Viscount Hawley is as sinister as she thinks he is. And the person who would know best is his very own brother.</p><p>In many ways, Dr. Matthew Talbot is the exact opposite of his sibling—scholarly, shy, and shunned by society. But like his brother, he has secrets, and he doesn’t need Charlotte exposing them in her quest to take down the viscount. It only seems prudent to help her while keeping her from poking her nose in all the wrong places. But as they put their hearts at risk to grow closer to each other, they are also getting closer to a dangerous confrontation with Hawley.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>The publisher is literally marketing this for fans of <i>"...Evie Dunmore, Enola Holmes, and Netflix's Bridgerton!" </i>AND IT'S A GEORGIAN! It's set smack dab in the middle of the 18th century. Ugh. I hate everything. Anyway, a heroine determined to not marry a cad turns to the only one who can help, his shy, scholarly brother (as you do). </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3Tm2j0T" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="296" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAwEnUCF-Zgmwp1-5qLKRceQNWNf8M0kIzfNWWQCeiWYP6MOY7kqdKNCWT7WZBwRkN2qflTVSyukenCk3X0oHCO8im11WkhE2lfYmgG0NsddTIOjS0IxC6fz1TxvYgiDOpQlRkB_nGyNVpsKH2_r7JphSvJmOhemST1yfMpf-uYL4g-tqjb8VVNZ4NGFtA/w133-h200/51jyJ2BUw4L._SY445_SX342_.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3Tm2j0T" target="_blank">Lord Ashley's Beautiful Alibi</a></b> by <a href="https://cerisedeland.com/" target="_blank">Cerise DeLand</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>Augustine Bolton lives amid the social whirl and treachery of the stylish court of Josephine and Napoleon Bonaparte. When Gus’s dearest friend, Amber, disappears, Gus must find her before the deputy chief of police finds Amber and carts her off to his bed—or to la Force.</p><p>But Gus’s means are few and her own duties as an agent in Amber’s network mean she is also suspect. Gus needs help.</p><p>Kane Whittington is just the man for the job.</p><p>He has worked for London merchant-cum-spymaster Scarlett Hawthorne for years and welcomes Scarlett’s call to build a large espionage network in Europe. His first task is to find the missing head of Scarlett's espionage network.</p><p>The best person to help him is the lady’s best friend whom he’s never met. But when he sets eyes on ravishing Augustine Bolton in Josephine’s salon, Kane recognizes the black-haired beauty as the one he kissed years ago on the road to Malmaison during a botched abduction of Bonaparte.</p><p>Kane must persuade the beautiful Gus to allow him to help her. He suggests the cover for their escapade is simple: They show the gossipy Parisian court they enjoy a mad love affair. Thus, Gus gains an ally—and Kane acquires an alibi.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>NAPOLEON BONAPARTE'S COURT!!!!!! A hero and heroine both embroiled in espionage join forces to find a lost agent. To do that our hero needs an alibi and what better than a steamy fake affair? This is the first book in the author's <i><a href="https://amzn.to/4afRpkb" target="_blank">Scarlett Affairs</a></i> series.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3Vk2VXK" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="283" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVk1nvL-Z5ojifERArCcNQrCgXdvWkgycGj4nUwfoEPRG7Z7suBNPb6k6ZeaCARP1tormrDy7wfZdNkAGRuJWuoOlOIAwWuqR88tG539wo-4ePKVYu6XNeiTuo4OKLSmTpns6n6ODOCaYBGNkbnoK0-UKOdtbr-FlsPYQYMpzmzrcoLlu3ag07kHo9lPp2/w127-h200/41sWawlpS7L._SY445_SX342_.jpg" width="127" /></a></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3Vk2VXK" target="_blank">A Housemaid to Redeem Him</a></b> by <a href="https://lauramartinauthor.com/" target="_blank">Laura Martin</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>An exiled gentleman’s world…</p><p>collides with Cinderella’s!</p><p>After receiving news of his father’s ailing health, Richard Digby must leave his self-imposed exile and return to the town that holds haunting memories. He forms an unlikely connection with his father’s intriguing and defiant housemaid, Rose, who also finds herself on the fringes of society after her troubled past. Richard is intent on leaving again, but keeping his distance from Rose while they’re in such close quarters is proving harder than he ever imagined! </p></blockquote><p></p><p>The Prodigal Son returns when his father falls ill but has no intention for staying long - so needless to say his attraction to his father's housemaid is most unwelcome and not exactly practical. Oh, and naturally she has secrets - because of course she does...</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/43kB0ZC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="285" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8A5O808rwpZcxDl4qooDf5_ylKQdX4u6hU2dXzfu_JU5eVt9D5MGOaCoouBoOqxj3Ft4l6mULamVZ9_SgbYTHZHzsafP31EqUWNqX2c0Ps8peON26yngVfpqc4_1waQqwbN12h4FmcPMvagt2OiJDwwcl2RXsrj8P08mqA56b0fh-j-ULQMP2AmoTPMAa/w128-h200/51MJ5hqX8GL._SY445_SX342_.jpg" width="128" /></a></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/43kB0ZC" target="_blank">Not Quite a Scandal</a></b> by <a href="https://www.blissbennet.com/" target="_blank">Bliss Bennett</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>An inheritance lost. A betrothal threatened. A scandal brewing…</p><p>Outspoken Quaker Bathsheba Honeychurch knows how difficult it is for an unmarried woman to successfully champion political change. Her solution? Wed best friend Ash Griffin as soon as he comes of age and begin remaking the world. But when Ash’s urbane, aloof cousin arrives with inconceivable news, Sheba’s future dreams are suddenly at risk…</p><p>The death of the Earl of Silliman reveals an appalling lie: it is not Noel Griffin, but his long-lost cousin Ash, who is the true heir to their grandfather’s title. Raised to place family above all, Noel accepts his grandmother’s bitter charge: find Ash, disentangle him from his religious community, and train him to take on the responsibilities and privileges of a title that Noel had been raised to believe was his. Noel certainly won’t allow a presumptuous, irritating Quakeress to thwart him in doing his duty—no matter how fascinating he finds her...</p><p>When scandal threatens both their reputations, can Sheba and Noel look beyond past dreams and imagine a new world—together?</p></blockquote><p></p><p>A passionate abolitionist, our heroine gets a rude surprise when the man she had plans to marry (and aid her in her cause) turns out to be the rightful heir to an earldom - well, at least according to his cousin, our hero, who is not terribly happy about it either. This is the second book in Bennett's <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3PkBNUM" target="_blank">Audacious Ladies of Audley</a></i> series.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3vcfyJM" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="296" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7COiiWKtKOsoN3lxy6g0J6inEepWfPiFIdynjgwRrWWKbGcECS6v1b08CbGZkeg35CNz3kZp8R0y7OS6QfRhyphenhyphenWcDec5HKHOlDn7rvB8LhI25SQx_x1nuCiksvmR5VuCPJnCLJvyHjrHqyIjBbxV5jCVGcis3koj4va7eu3tqqJB48grf_HquY3_2-0Q1n/w133-h200/51cxJcjh5aL._SY445_SX342_.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3vcfyJM" target="_blank">An Unlikely Arrangement</a></b> by <a href="https://www.cindypattersonbks.com/" target="_blank">Cindy Patterson</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>In 1902, Abigail Dupree is but a breath away from her grand societal failure. To save her family from humiliation and financial ruin, Abigail becomes a bargaining trade in her mother’s eyes. A bargain that will extinguish Abigail’s last hope of a happily-ever-after. If only she could return to the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina, she might have a chance to reunite with the only man who has the power to save her reputation.</p><p>Garrett Barringer, arrives in Charlotte, North Carolina to escape a past that no longer wants him. He takes an undisclosed position with Mr. Dupree. When it is revealed that part of Mr. Dupree’s purpose for bringing him on board is to chaperone his beloved daughter, Garrett abruptly discovers that he has taken on more than he bargained for. Abigail Dupree is more beguiling than any other woman he’s encountered, but he must resist his heart for the sake of propriety and to keep a promise made to her father.</p><p>When her father hires Garrett Barringer, a man that seems far too young to be a lawyer, and possesses far too many favorable characteristics, Abigail resists his charm but cannot deny her heart is compelling her toward him. But she will not allow the man to ruin an opportunity she has waited for nearly five years.</p><p>Garrett is suddenly aware what his life was and what it could become in the presence of Abigail Dupree. Will he be able to give up the woman who has stolen his heart, for her happiness?</p><p>Abigail stands to lose all if Garrett Barringer sees past her physical beauty and uncovers the ugliness of her imperfect past. Will Abigail continue on the condemned path she’s fashioned for herself, or trust that God wants a future for her she never believed possible?</p></blockquote><p></p><p>Folks, I'm fairly confident this is an inspirational - and I typically don't feature inspirationals in these posts but early 20th century, North Carolina and a series that is titled "<i>Brides of Biltmore</i>." I'll admit it, I saw <a href="https://www.biltmore.com/" target="_blank">Biltmore</a> and had a Pavlovian response. It is what it is.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3Tm2EAH" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKwW9E_n4PAPersgRiz5F709vs2GDfVmt1aKPf0iymjOtSyGHsEt9nw9iT2fdUTisPFLQUIxJvIzuSl3ke3AK6SlyxgJK3Jrx7MYyw6FodmqSLkLlWhjlCVmEVLewohuF1na6TNhnKGF7rZBGRioANosxeNvNl4BYYJnnuXoNHUGVhpQhekgWsK_aNq8Jg/w134-h200/81qTDYTY3SL._SY466_.jpg" width="134" /></a></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3Tm2EAH" target="_blank">Prince of Fire</a></b> by <a href="https://sophianyewrites.com/" target="_blank">Sophia Nye</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>Six years ago, Dallan mac Murrough fell in love with the perfect girl. Though he was young when he proposed to her, he knew she was the only woman he could ever love. For reasons she never chose to share, she denied his proposal and shattered his heart. When their paths cross years later, anger and bitterness bubble to the surface despite his best efforts at civility.</p><p>When Niamh first sees Dallan after years apart, her heart melts. He has all the same qualities as the boy she loved, except he is now very clearly a man–a strong, confident man with eyes that make her forget everything but the memory of him; a man with a gaping wound that she knows she made, and a smile so disarming she’d agree to just about anything.</p><p>Except marriage.</p><p>There’s no way Niamh will let herself give in to her feelings for Dallan. She broke his heart once because of a secret she carries, and she couldn’t bear to do it again. She loves him too much for that.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>A heroine with a secret who broke his heart years ago is reunited with the hero. Oh, and she's still in love with him. I mean, what could possibly go wrong? This is the second book in the <i><a href="https://amzn.to/4adsi1y" target="_blank">Warriors of the Fianna</a></i> series.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/48VSNro" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-RrGNR1ZH5Bk7eDadGrJeDX1ym00r5-Vkb_nF9ldfv_izKCm5lwDzRs7mDqppUmNfWBcOTaJoHW9AZNd9QwO8CdO6CvK9x4Z8o2zcBbhFLhljA13HQR6uzD3yNpE-42gtrOcgH5dXAix5yK6oyrhR31_VOaB7VeGuFAhH7Of2njqr5ywFqvayCfSxMTnl/w134-h200/81SnHS4GMFL._SY466_.jpg" width="134" /></a></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/48VSNro" target="_blank">Duke Undone</a></b> by <a href="https://www.jenniferseasonsauthor.com/" target="_blank">Jennifer Seasons</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>Scandalous paintings of the ton are taking London by storm, and Joss Rainville, Duke of Somerton, is the latest target. Flattering as the nude is, it simply won’t do. Left a failing dukedom by his late father, Joss needs his latest venture, sole proprietorship in London’s newest theatre, to be successful. Any scandal and investors disappear—which he sorely needs. He’s going to track down this Anonymous artist and make them pay dearly. Only Joss doesn’t expect his trap to catch Lady Ceranora Castlebury, the most frustrating female of his acquaintance... and the most irresistible.</p><p>Fed up with aristocratic, over-entitled men dictating the rules of society, Nora sets about putting them in their proper place. A brilliant artist, she takes great satisfaction in painting noblemen in the nude, giving them a taste of what it’s like to be a woman, to feel exposed and powerless. When she paints the Duke of Somerton and he miraculously tracks her down, she realizes she’s perhaps gone too far. But she refuses to apologize. Men don’t, why should she? Oh no, Nora won’t apologize to the duke for the insubordinate attitude, or the argument... but she will apologize for the kiss that lands them unexpectedly in wedlock.</p><p>One passionate kiss in a moonlit garden and their fates are sealed. Forced to marry, they cannot deny their attraction. But when Nora’s secret is uncovered and revenge comes calling, they discover they cannot deny their hearts, either.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>A heroine with an ax to grind against aristocratic men (girl, who doesn't?) gets caught in the crosshair's of a Duke when her scandalous painting of him threatens his latest business venture. This is the second book in <i><a href="https://amzn.to/4afZK7D" target="_blank">The Castleburys</a></i> series.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3wQUJDY" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyzDeafG2rkqPVEXiRJdtU2s5v3dpKaunAzFpqPNcena69NJ8rDSQr8D1RwvKSYcwncqtLn8A5m_rBJw3zsISQ9oc9Xx3oo943ku6K0HY3ChymEUqsUkagVkUK3Eq0Yc9kUq42Zj7GX7XP_dYFyCtpsJeNnM9aU_xw39SjVp6_ZobMpjyjWOcy1OTcg20P/w134-h200/61+75cIqMjL._SY466_.jpg" width="134" /></a></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3wQUJDY" target="_blank">Seven Days at Mannerley</a></b> by <a href="https://www.audreylancho.com/" target="_blank">Audrey Schuyler Lancho</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>The suitcase she found changed everything. The contents? An elegant dress and an invitation in another girl’s name. Twenty-three-year-old Mary would go to the ball, enjoy how the rich lived just for one night, and then quietly slip back into her real life, sorting rubbish as a poor barmaid. No harm done. Of course, there wouldn’t be much of a story to tell had it turned out that way.</p><p>It’s 1870 in rural England, and Mary assumes the identity of the suitcase owner, Agnes. When Mary’s one night at Mannerley estate turns into a seven-day, hilarious farce, she quickly makes friends, finds suitors, and keeps fibbing. Not only does Arthur, the heir himself, fall for her, but so, too, does Mr. Singh, his friend visiting from India, making advances in plain sight of the heir. Making matters worse, a former workmate recognizes Mary and extorts her: she must steal a golden watch from the heir for him or have her true identity exposed and risk being thrown in jail, which could mean death––and that would certainly ruin her stolen, er, borrowed ball gown.</p><p>The only way Mary can get close enough to Arthur to steal his watch is via sensuality and flirtation. But as Mary scrambles to cover her tracks, her lies and crimes compound, weaving themselves into an impossible tangle. All the while Agnes, the real owner of the fancy ball gown, is making her way ever-closer to Mannerley. Happily ever after seems as unlikely as a barmaid among dandies, when Mary's only possible escape is a confession and the hope her scandalous true love will risk his reputation to defend and forgive her.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>Our poor barmaid heroine shoots her shot when a suitcase containing a fancy dress and equally fancy invitation lands in her lap. When one day turns into seven, and our heroine's cover is blown, farce and blackmail ensue. This is the first book in the aptly titled <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3wY5hBs" target="_blank">Love and Lies</a></i> series.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/4clGVl9" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="296" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFx39YF_fwKJxT77QODezZi7HqRVngiBa7myxtZmklLCwD1YLPOgg8Rei3Bq3LqrHbbz4f3BNsCu-RnwhymfAhzjXWEEjM7qX2Rr4K11V_7UVVYi-m8Ypby9xQbaJ1FoR32ewJUK9u2EjjTqQ4nkQE3oEej6gW1y6OhmSTn20fOajSZJSzZXa-ZZD_vMZ/w133-h200/51mQHg7vpIL._SY445_SX342_.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/4clGVl9" target="_blank">The Falcon Laird</a></b> by <a href="http://www.susanfraserking.com/" target="_blank">Susan King</a> (<span style="color: red;"><i>Reprint</i></span>)<p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>She never expected a miracle from her enemy . . .</p><p>After burning her Scottish castle to prevent the English from claiming the ancient gold hidden there, Lady Christian is captured and locked in an iron cage. Desperately ill, she sees an archangel—but he is just the English knight ordered to move her to a convent, take her castle, and find the gold.</p><p>Sir Gavin Faulkener has secrets of his own—including a gift of healing that brought only tragedy. But the beautiful Scottish rebel unexpectedly recovers in his care and he is ordered to marry her to claim her property—only to discover that her castle is a smoking ruin overrun by loyal Scots and the gold has vanished.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>Enemies to Lovers is one of those tropes that is just more delicious in medievals - probably because the stakes tend to be high (and believable...). First published in 1996 as <i><a href="https://www.fictiondb.com/title/the-angel-knight~susan-king~21635.htm" target="_blank">The Angel Knight</a></i>, the author has also included <i>"added content"</i> to this reprint edition.</p><p>Whew! I have to go lie down now. Happy browsing y'all! <b>What Unusual Historicals are you looking forward to?</b></p>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485867264936716806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350052669699480502.post-52045677767798005472024-03-15T12:11:00.000-07:002024-03-15T12:11:24.390-07:00Reminder: #TBRChallenge Day is March 20<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrbIq1qOMZNKyS-ZXel12CsOFkJmrUaw7-BGfMMuZvLymsc3hkqrVVEk2h8U8hcbLBH4s5umKoSA5pP_bXXkR3OMAljt7Z5yGpmR_BOEUkPgZ6Bdh5vwK4PkDSI0GVJIqMHZgffHMW3Aok0aI0TdPaByw6JxP97Fy6TaePdiWEkUX3CWQ0x22Kq2OzCkG/s1920/Green%20Simple%20Illustrative%20Shopping%20List%20(1).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="TBR Challenge 2024" border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrbIq1qOMZNKyS-ZXel12CsOFkJmrUaw7-BGfMMuZvLymsc3hkqrVVEk2h8U8hcbLBH4s5umKoSA5pP_bXXkR3OMAljt7Z5yGpmR_BOEUkPgZ6Bdh5vwK4PkDSI0GVJIqMHZgffHMW3Aok0aI0TdPaByw6JxP97Fy6TaePdiWEkUX3CWQ0x22Kq2OzCkG/w360-h640/Green%20Simple%20Illustrative%20Shopping%20List%20(1).png" width="360" /></a></div><br /><br /><div>Y'all welcome to March and can I just say work has been kicking my tail for the past couple of weeks. This is has always been the start of my busy season but it seemed to go from 0 to 100 a lot faster than usual. Or else I'm just flippin' old. Probably the latter. Anyway, after a mini-slump that last month's #TBRChallenge helped pull me out of, I'm looking forward to our next challenge day which is <span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;">Wednesday, March 20</span><span>. This month's optional theme is <b>Not in Kansas Anymore</b>.</span></span><p>Hey, don't hate the player, hate the game on this one folks. It was a suggestion offered up in my annual theme poll. Although truly, this one isn't as complex as one might think. My mind immediately goes to Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz; a heroine who finds herself in extraordinary circumstances. This theme suggestion makes me think of characters in transition - new job, new town/city, still reeling from a relationship break-up etc. </p><p>However if you feel like this month's theme is too much like work 😂, remember that the themes <i>are</i> completely optional. The goal of the challenge has been, and always will be, to read something (anything!) that's been languishing in your mountain range of unread books. </p><p>It is certainly not too late to join the Challenge (to be honest it's <i>never</i> too late). You can get more details <i>and</i> get links to the current list of participants on the <b><a href="https://wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com/p/tbrchallenge-2024.html" target="_blank">#TBRChallenge 2024 Information Page</a></b>. </p></div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485867264936716806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350052669699480502.post-29134959180292614442024-03-13T06:00:00.000-07:002024-03-13T06:00:00.136-07:00Review: A Snowbound Scandal<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgopNzPMt6kRwmgtkogXnfTwORwtPpL3BPCLmahSplUABCfW5iL8YlYUnZUrbjnmAU4nKUdUJv-g4zFoRRAE0hV-rNPpNqy5fUq5q7loFCPrP2DEBxmWTO6czqoj9LdC0g6Oh53sH3919_0e0PmaP_eTDTfatMLkJdt2ak9FhaR87fgMFYlaAhu7DxHmJpI/s466/71WdV+JYzBL._SY466_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="295" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgopNzPMt6kRwmgtkogXnfTwORwtPpL3BPCLmahSplUABCfW5iL8YlYUnZUrbjnmAU4nKUdUJv-g4zFoRRAE0hV-rNPpNqy5fUq5q7loFCPrP2DEBxmWTO6czqoj9LdC0g6Oh53sH3919_0e0PmaP_eTDTfatMLkJdt2ak9FhaR87fgMFYlaAhu7DxHmJpI/s320/71WdV+JYzBL._SY466_.jpg" width="203" /></a></div>I must have been drunk when I downloaded <b><a href="https://amzn.to/3wN2ZoB" target="_blank">A Snowbound Scandal</a></b> by <a href="https://www.jessicalemmon.com/" target="_blank">Jessica Lemmon</a> back in 2018. I have no other explanation as to why I would have downloaded a book featuring <i>"a Texas politician and oil tycoon"</i> hero other than I must have been blindingly, black-out drunk. Seriously, we should all be concerned for my liver.<p></p><p>Chase Ferguson is one of the youngest mayor's in Dallas' history and loaded thanks to his family's oil money. However, the man has regrets - namely Miriam Andrix. Mimi is an environmentalist but that didn't stop the two from having a passionate summer fling. <i>Um</i>, Chase might not have told her that he was fabulously wealthy thanks to oil money and of course by the time she finds out - they've caught feelings. Before you think this might be some sort of conflict for our heroine - rest assured, it's not. No, Mimi is in <i>lurve</i> and ideals be damned. Anyway, what splits these two apart is more the fact that they're from "different worlds." Chase ultimately sends her away because his family has ambitions for him and he "knows" being the wife of a politician with Big Oil money will slowly kill her. He puts her on a plane back to Montana. </p><p>That was ten years ago and Chase, now mayor, is up for reelection. His opponent has dug up his past with Mimi, including a lovely photo of her taken three years ago at a protest rally against Big Oil. He's scheduled to go to his fabulous vacation home (OK, mansion) over Thanksgiving to unwind, which just so happens to be located outside of her hometown of Big Fork, Montana. The least he can do is warn her that a potential media storm is headed her way.</p><p>They run into each other, in of all places, the grocery store. Words are exchanges, sparks fly, and of course while enjoying Thanksgiving dinner with her family Mimi just can't let it go that Chase is all alone in his big, giant, fabulous mansion. So she hops in her truck to take him leftovers and pie and because she's a romance heroine, keeps going up to his isolated place even after the snow starts falling fast and furious. Because, <i>of course</i>. Bingo bango, she's now snowed in at his place.</p><p>It's a testament to the author's abilities that my left eye didn't twitch uncontrollably while reading this. It is competently written, the pages turn easily, and it features textbook Desire steaminess and angst. This is book two <a href="https://amzn.to/43emZwq" target="_blank">in a trilogy</a> about the Ferguson siblings so between Chase's siblings and Mimi's family, the secondary character field is crowded, but not overly confusing or unnecessary. </p><p>What didn't work for me is mainly a romance heroine who doesn't so much as waffle about being in a relationship with Big Money Oil Man Chase when she's supposedly so passionate about her environmentalist ideals. Like there's not even a blip there. In fact it's Chase who broke things off ten years ago to "protect" her. Then there's Chase - reader, let me tell you I damn near guffawed when he said he wanted to be mayor because he knew he could do some good and since he was already rich that made him less likely to be corrupt and take bribes.</p><p><i><b>HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!</b></i></p><p>I damn near broke a hip falling out of bed after reading that.</p><p>Given my intense dislike for politician characters in my fiction reading, I'm still confused as to why I downloaded this book back in 2018, but it wasn't a complete waste of my time. It's a fast, steamy read and Lemmon hits her beats in the snappy, quick Desire line. I'd read another book by Lemmon, meaning that ultimately, this was a success.</p><p>But seriously, Wendy? Why did you download this one?</p><p><b>Final Grade = C</b></p>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485867264936716806noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350052669699480502.post-75050459154837785742024-03-10T16:02:00.000-07:002024-03-14T06:04:28.633-07:00Ranty McRant Review: A Likeable Woman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFuS1qxvQuMsYAYIRhkUYAnpb4JznPtOVBQkwNqoZ3SufYs68M6lORiS5ptmHPTjxHqAkoQF43z-ZvcX3QrEYXpyTj398WtfBYXtNv7h_CqHEG9kvCZTkBo0I1bMb9Xj0BlL0aie4qkLK46-54mV_dzT-ySOn_tsbTtuLlkow5crtbFdTJXzKMGJVKuOyD/s466/91rMbBxzgxL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="309" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFuS1qxvQuMsYAYIRhkUYAnpb4JznPtOVBQkwNqoZ3SufYs68M6lORiS5ptmHPTjxHqAkoQF43z-ZvcX3QrEYXpyTj398WtfBYXtNv7h_CqHEG9kvCZTkBo0I1bMb9Xj0BlL0aie4qkLK46-54mV_dzT-ySOn_tsbTtuLlkow5crtbFdTJXzKMGJVKuOyD/s320/91rMbBxzgxL._SY466_.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>Yes, I'm still making my way through some long neglected ARCs and I can tell you exactly why I downloaded <b><a href="https://amzn.to/48O7egM" target="_blank">A Likeable Woman</a></b> by <a href="https://www.maycobb.com/" target="_blank">May Cobb</a> last year. Like a fool I got sucked in by a promo email sent by NetGalley. The fact that it was slated for July 2023 and the back cover blurb read like a primetime soap opera - I'm only human. I took a flier on what could have panned out to be sudsy, compulsive beach read. Let's just say it was like getting stung by a jellyfish.<div><br /></div><div>I can't talk about how much of a <b>Hate Read</b> this one turned into without spoiling damn near everything - so that's your warning.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="color: red;">Ranty Spoilery McSpoilerkins Ahoy!</span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div>When Kira was a young teenager her mother "committed suicide." Everyone in their small, affluent Texas town had no trouble believing that Sadie killed herself. She was flighty, artistic, prone to dramatics, and behind closed doors everybody knew Kira's father was an abusive asshole. The problem is, Kira has never believed it. She worshipped her mother. Was closer to her than anyone else. Mom wouldn't kill herself and leave her. She just <i>wouldn't</i>. Kira is so vehement that eventually her rich-with-oil-money Granny packs her off to boarding school. Now living in Los Angeles, Kira hasn't been back to East Texas since and is all set to ignore the invitation to her childhood frenemy's vow renewal ceremony when Granny calls. She has something that belonged to Kira's mother, something that Kira needs to see - something that has convinced Granny that maybe Kira has been right all this time. Sadie did not kill herself.</div><div><br /></div><div>The plan is for it to be a quick trip. Get in, get what Granny has of her mother's, get out. Kira is stuck in her own life, marking time. She needs closure to move on and is hopeful she'll finally find some. Meeting her at the airport is her first and only <i>twu wuv</i> Jack. Also Jack's booze-swilling, pill-popping bitch of a wife and their young autistic son. Jack, still as handsome as ever. Jack practically a goddamn father of the year. Jack, whose wife is a bitch, but still - <b><i>HIS WIFE!</i></b> This guy's life is messy as shit but that doesn't stop Kira from having to change her panties around him the whole damn book.</div><div><br /></div><div>Folks, I thought this behavior was exceedingly gross and Kira as a character never recovers from it. I'm supposed to root for this person on their quest for the truth? <i>Really?!</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Turns out what Granny has is a book that Sadie was writing. A book that was mostly confessional diary written directly to Kira - but that somehow Sadie thought someone might publish someday. Seriously, I hate everybody. Anyway, what follows is Kira not dropping her life to read the whole damn book in one sitting because then this book would be 100 pages long and we flit back and forth between Kira being the dumbest dumb bunny ever and chapters told from Sadie's messy and equally dumb bunny point of view. </div><div><br /></div><div>The apple definitely did not fall far from the tree folks.</div><div><br /></div><div>The readership of this blog is primarily a romance genre related one - so y'all will know what I'm talking about when you read a story featuring a heroine who is a young woman, but her pop culture references feel way too old. The author never comes out and gives the ages her characters definitively but they feel and act like Millennials. Probably somewhere in their 30s. The problem here is the references are <i>very</i> Gen X. I'm firmly Gen X and I <i>barely</i> remember 8-Track car stereos. But Kira remembers her parents' car having one. She also had a poster of REM's <i>Green</i> album on her wall (1988) and her high school senior sister pulls on acid-washed jean shorts in one flashback scene. And these are just a few of things that didn't read "right" to me. Even if I'm being generous - it would put Kira and all her frenemies looking down a very short hill barreling towards 50. This book was published in 2023. It reads more like something that would have made sense to be published in the early 2000s.</div><div><br /></div><div>Something like this though, I could look past if I'm enjoying the story and characters. Reader, the only reason I didn't DNF this book is because, <i>Lord help me</i>, I had to find out who killed <b>Dumb Bunny Kira's Dumb Bunny Mommy</b>. And Kira, besides not reading the damn "book" in one sitting (which the author tap-dances around because golly, there's all these events planned surrounding the insipid vow renewal), is so slow on the uptake you just want to scream in her face after a while. She starts suspecting people whose motives are weak as hell (if they have one at all). There's a secondary character who OBVIOUSLY wants to tell her something IMPORTANT but Jack and small town gossip tell her the guy is bad news. </div><div><br /></div><div>Take a wild guess how that turns out?</div><div><br /></div><div>But the thing that really got to me? The unresolved feelings for Jack and the fact the author damn near writes it like I'm supposed to believe this is some great unrequited love. Look, is his wife a bitch? <u><b>Yes.</b></u> But, and maybe this is my old age talking, I felt sorry for her. Her son is autistic, and she's obviously still struggling with that diagnosis (this is only natural IMHO). On top of that her husband is goddamn Mary Poppins (<i>"practically perfect in every way"</i>) and now the girl he never forgot from high school is in the back seat of their rental car. So yeah, Melanie may be a bitch, but maybe there's a reason for that.</div><div><br /></div><div>It ends exactly the way I expected it would, with the Bad Guy being exactly who I expected it to be. Is this a soap opera? Yes. It ticks <i>a ton</i> of those boxes, and I honestly probably could have gotten behind this more if 1) the plotting was better and 2) Kira wasn't so blindingly stupid and distasteful. It became a hate read very early on and stayed that way to the bitter end. Damn my black soul for wanting the whodunit confirmed so I can lord over this terrible book that it didn't fool me.</div><div><br /></div><div>Although it fooled me into finishing it - so maybe I shouldn't gloat.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Final Grade = D-</b></div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485867264936716806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350052669699480502.post-37571531191078357652024-03-04T06:00:00.000-08:002024-03-04T06:00:00.135-08:00Review: The Collective<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikvpwjrMNo7XJLysnjyzmJSZeZa4X_pZ60gWxanIperFol8BzPjZAdoY33mnN4fCimdzRUx8dP4WjLLIHML6-fLuWybURa63HPwRh5SrLDCL6-8vEyFFs_q0SdVMWDQbsA7xJCOHumK5Zzu-OcCFpzob1wGsV5fcyDrcI_sSL8RTiE7Axw1f51D1et32is/s466/81p134CmVBL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="307" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikvpwjrMNo7XJLysnjyzmJSZeZa4X_pZ60gWxanIperFol8BzPjZAdoY33mnN4fCimdzRUx8dP4WjLLIHML6-fLuWybURa63HPwRh5SrLDCL6-8vEyFFs_q0SdVMWDQbsA7xJCOHumK5Zzu-OcCFpzob1wGsV5fcyDrcI_sSL8RTiE7Axw1f51D1et32is/s320/81p134CmVBL._SY466_.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>Part of my bid to clean out neglected (see: old) ARCs from my Kindle - I recently bookmarked some of the suspense titles I had languishing where I can score audiobook copies via one of my library cards. Next up on the hit parade of this challenge is <b><a href="https://amzn.to/3V00lpG" target="_blank">The Collection</a></b> by <a href="https://www.alisongaylin.com/" target="_blank">Alison Gaylin</a>, a book I was very excited to read when it was released back in 2021 and...<i>here we are</i>. Holy crap y'all, this book was a <b>RIDE!</b><p></p><p>Camille Gardner is a woman spiraling. Four years ago her 15-year-old daughter, Emily, went to a frat party with a boy and was found barely alive, raped, abandoned on a cold night in the woods near the exclusive private college. On her deathbed Emily tells her mother that the boy, Harris Blanchard, is the one who did this to her. When Emily dies there's a trial and Blanchard's white, privileged, monied parents buy their son's innocence by smearing Emily's name. </p><p>Camille's marriage disintegrates, therapy gets her nowhere, and Harris Blanchard continues to live his best life, even receiving a prestigious humanitarian award from his university. Camille attends the event and, <i>naturally</i>, there's a wee bit of a kerfuffle. It's after that very public meltdown that a mysterious woman passes Camille a business card - a private Facebook support group where women share their grief and rage over the death of their children. It's from that group that Camille gains entry into The Collective, a splinter group on the dark web who spill out their darkest fantasies against the people they feel are responsible for the death of their children. Camille thinks it's role playing, a twisted form of therapy that is actually helping her get out of bed in the morning - and then she comes to the terrifying realization that The Collective is not mere role playing. The Collective are vigilantes. A truth that Camille is realizing far too late...</p><p>This is most definitely a book you need to prepare yourself for prior to reading because Gaylin practically holds the reader's head under the water that is Camille's grief and rage. It drips off the page. It's in the crevices between the sentences and smeared in the margins. You wonder how Camille is getting through her days, only to realize that it's her grief and rage that are propping her up. It's smothering to the point of suffocation and one of the more emotional stories I've <i>ever</i> read. It's just that the emotion here is blind hatred and rage.</p><p>Stories about vigilantes seldom have any heroes, and that's certainly the case here. As the bodies start dropping it's hard to feel sorry for the victims who definitely get what they deserve in an eye-for-an-eye sort of way. The people you do feel sorry for are the ones who make the mistake of crossing The Collective. People who step out of line and threaten the group's ability to exist and operate in the shadows. This makes Camille an eventual problem because while, in the beginning, she does follow assignments and instructions with blind obedience, her curiosity gets the better of her. That's when she discovers how much danger she truly is in.</p><p>I'll be honest and say I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the ending. What I do recognize is that it pushes the book firmly into thriller territory and it also features one hell of a twist. Y'all the twist is SO. GOOD! Is it a happy, sunshine ending? Honestly? <b><u>No</u></b>. But it's not like the author was making promises that there was going to be one. The raw emotion in this story, the depiction of rage, grief and hatred - to expect skipping through a wildflower strewn meadow at the end and Camille finding some peace would be unrealistic for the story the author is telling. Gaylin lays zero groundwork for this kind of thing, so it's not like I felt that I, as the reader, was being lied to, manipulated, or that a promise was broken.</p><p>It's a dark, and in many ways, challenging read. There's a lot of unpack in this one, landing it on my short-list for thrillers that would make a dynamite book club read.</p><p><b>Final Grade = A</b></p>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485867264936716806noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350052669699480502.post-72945669591403149582024-02-29T06:00:00.000-08:002024-02-29T06:00:00.143-08:00Review: Temporary Wife Temptation<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtS9Ssi8d8Yvb4r2b5SqJqccjuu_49DMHdKJCRY16BMPRurUznqBj7WIOiGvForq0_NIhtp3556tsJHh3pMvz_G7It6q6GavC1AeK0sGYJplRKUd9whqZhaAl2dO3uwaFbYKF8E-_ZaONlXcyZkXMn2sbEbou6OQHoYbnnC_0QayhRTNY6QPQpw_qzyaXE/s466/71a7Fmh36PL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtS9Ssi8d8Yvb4r2b5SqJqccjuu_49DMHdKJCRY16BMPRurUznqBj7WIOiGvForq0_NIhtp3556tsJHh3pMvz_G7It6q6GavC1AeK0sGYJplRKUd9whqZhaAl2dO3uwaFbYKF8E-_ZaONlXcyZkXMn2sbEbou6OQHoYbnnC_0QayhRTNY6QPQpw_qzyaXE/s320/71a7Fmh36PL._SY466_.jpg" width="203" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sexy, romantic cover</td></tr></tbody></table><b>Note</b>: <b><a href="https://amzn.to/3SVwRGP" target="_blank">Temporary Wife Temptation</a></b> by <a href="https://jaycilee.com/" target="_blank">Jayci Lee</a> was published by Harlequin Desire in 2020. In 2022, Harlequin repackaged the story, slapped it with a cartoon cover I want to set on fire and retitled it <b>The "I Do" Dilemma</b>. You can still purchase the digital version, but only under the new cover and title, hence the link in this review directing to that edition. I'm posting the original cover to this review because it's <i>a million times</i> prettier and more fitting to what's inside the tin but I'll post the new cover below so we can all be outraged together. Thanks for coming to my <a href="https://www.ted.com/" target="_blank">TED talk</a>. <p></p><p>+++++</p><p>One of my local libraries recently had a romance author program of which Lee took part. Wanting to support the program, and the library staff who put it together, I attended and ended up purchasing one of Lee's single titles while there. I knew I had several of her Desires languishing in my TBR, and decided this first book in her <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3OWHJTo" target="_blank">Heirs of Hansol</a></i> series was the place to start. </p><p>This book features the kind of preposterous plot that I tend to gobble up in category romance - the modern day marriage of convenience. Garrett Song is very close to being named the new CEO of his family's fashion empire, that is until his very traditional (and domineering) grandmother lowers the boom on him - she's arranged a marriage for him. To a woman he's never met. The selling point for Granny being that the family is the equivalent of "old money" in Korean society and her grandson needs a wife. Garrett has been bristling against tradition and family expectations his entire life and is not about to go quietly. He immediately tells Granny he can't marry her chosen bride because, well, he's already engaged to the love his life. One minor problem with that - Garrett isn't engaged, let alone believes in love or wants to get married. He needs a temporary wife and fast - but where will he find a woman desperate (and crazy) enough to accept this proposal?</p><p>Turns out he doesn't have to look far. Natalie Sobol works in Hansol's HR department. She worked with Garrett briefly on an interim basis while he was stationed in New York and she's been in Los Angeles - but now Garrett is in LA and she gets an up close and personal view of how desperately good-looking he is. But she's determined to swallow her hormones as she's gunning for a promotion that would take her to the New York office. She needs the bump in salary and the New York home base to secure the adoption of her orphaned niece. The child's grandparents live in New York and Natalie thinks if she's also in New York they'll stop contesting the adoption. Besides the fact she has to be offered that promotion is that a husband would help her cause tremendously - showing the courts she could provide her niece with a loving, stable, two-parent home. </p><p>We all know where this is going. Garrett proposes a temporary marriage to solve both of their problems. Of course it doesn't take long for the feelings to become all too real given the scorching chemistry pinging off both of them from the jump. These two are desperately attracted to each other, and as they pretend their way through a fake engagement, walk down the aisle, and create a happy home, they both fall hard and fast. Of course getting Garrett to admit his feelings, <i>out loud</i>, when he's emotionally adverse is ultimately what propels the reader to the Black Moment. </p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikFqzirUOuxppgOHPBx0lBwmiiIeMe1RcKJtLqvubG6Vmn3jHA37GFi3103mV5dKt2gE9YtcvrES-dv_cu05khbL4T4R_l_XCtzSoF0an9JU1pgiW1VzIX7g2MkBJXODovhaJxelqQr-hadbwDtd65rehPeDFFM_E4D_QpkLt9-MvwwyDDSbInRjFzvggL/s466/71KZIKAkatL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="298" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikFqzirUOuxppgOHPBx0lBwmiiIeMe1RcKJtLqvubG6Vmn3jHA37GFi3103mV5dKt2gE9YtcvrES-dv_cu05khbL4T4R_l_XCtzSoF0an9JU1pgiW1VzIX7g2MkBJXODovhaJxelqQr-hadbwDtd65rehPeDFFM_E4D_QpkLt9-MvwwyDDSbInRjFzvggL/s320/71KZIKAkatL._SY466_.jpg" width="205" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ugh, I hate it</td></tr></tbody></table>A few things I really liked about this story was the setting (the author writes about Southern California well in a compact word count) and the portrayal of both sides of the coin of the Korean American experience. Garrett's family is very traditional. Natalie is the product of a biracial marriage (her mother now gone, her father always aloof, her sister killed in a car accident) and knows little about Korean traditions. Garrett is a prototypical romance hero - the one who was done wrong by a former fiancé and therefore doesn't believe in "love," and Natalie is the soft-hearted romance heroine who recognizes her growing feelings well before he does. I also really enjoyed that the author included the relationships the couple was building with Garrett's family and the niece's grandparents. It really rounds out the romance and helped me buy-in that these two crazy kids would make it.<p></p><p>That said, the hero being closed off emotionally is what leads us to the <b>Black Moment</b> and <b>Third Act Break-Up</b>. He's one of those guys that instead of just saying "I love you, let's stay married" buys the heroine a pair of earrings and thinks she'll infer what he means 🙄. That said, it does make for a decent grovel and declaration of <i>twu wuv</i> at the end. I also felt the pacing was a little off at times - like the author didn't fully stick the landing on some of the story's beats. Desires are short (around 200 pages) and sometimes that necessitates shortcuts, like a jump in the timeline. These weren't horribly executed here, but they could have been better blended at times.</p><p>All that said, this was an enjoyable read that I started and finished before my bedtime. Desire as a line is dead (RIP) but I'll read more Lee.</p><p><b>Final Grade = B-</b></p>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485867264936716806noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350052669699480502.post-81043423158860150692024-02-27T06:00:00.000-08:002024-02-27T06:00:00.133-08:00Mini-Review: The Dead Girls Club<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFuMveL6AXZoSa2hvjgNr_848ZR7_bW8KI3b-JAuFII_6M2xaQHW6Q51Jo6IrshyAHfUOGEcISRxcqyQVcIRn-RB0gLQHDRZBvrzqNm_W70qOyBMdppOX7O5GyX10eAeku8K0da8lHGqjtC7JRVYRjiCAWYjTh0Hb3eGZVIsw4BD61GBZFVnQHppOGyrkv/s466/91DmeWq-JjL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="307" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFuMveL6AXZoSa2hvjgNr_848ZR7_bW8KI3b-JAuFII_6M2xaQHW6Q51Jo6IrshyAHfUOGEcISRxcqyQVcIRn-RB0gLQHDRZBvrzqNm_W70qOyBMdppOX7O5GyX10eAeku8K0da8lHGqjtC7JRVYRjiCAWYjTh0Hb3eGZVIsw4BD61GBZFVnQHppOGyrkv/s320/91DmeWq-JjL._SY466_.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>In a continuing (futile) bid to clean out neglected ARCs from my Kindle, I recently looked at the mystery and suspense titles I had languishing that I could, in turn, score audiobook copies of via work. First up in this project is <b><a href="https://amzn.to/42Ji9Hc" target="_blank">The Dead Girls Club</a></b> by <a href="https://damienangelicawalters.com/" target="_blank">Damien Angelica Walters</a>, a suspense horror title from late 2019. <p></p><div>In 1991, Heather Cole is a pretty typical pre-teen girl. She's got a best friend, Becca, and with two other girls, they form The Dead Girls Club. Like a lot of kids, they're a bit obsessed with the macabre - ghost stories, serial killers, Stephen King novels, things that go bump in the night. While there are four of them, Becca is the undisputed leader of the group, and has a love of ghost stories - which is how she starts telling the girls stories about The Red Lady, the spirit of a witch who was murdered centuries before. Heather knows these are just stories, until Becca starts acting weird, insisting The Red Lady is real. And then, Becca ends up dead.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thirty years later, Heather is a child psychologist, happily married, and has done everything to put that summer, Becca, and The Red Lady behind her. It's a secret she has buried deep, until one day a necklace arrives in the office mail. The other half of a Best Friends Forever necklace. The half that belonged to Becca. The half that Heather knows Becca was wearing the night she died because Heather was there. Someone knows Heather's secret and is toying with her - but who?</div><div><br /></div><div>Let's get this out of the way right up front - this sounds like a supernatural thriller with an unreliable narrator but...it's not. There's non-woo-woo explanations for everything, so just roll with it. Also, while Heather most definitely runs around halfcocked, calling her an unreliable narrator strains. Oh, don't get me wrong, she's Annoying AF - but she's mainly sloppy and stupid - not gorked out on pain meds and booze.</div><div><br /></div><div>The first half of this book is really slow. The story goes back and forth in time - Annoying AF Heather in Present Day and Annoying AF Becca in 1991. And by the end I felt bad for thinking either of them was Annoying AF, but there you have it. It's a lot of Heather freaking out in present day and Becca telling scary stories in 1991. That's it. I basically kept listening because I had to know what Heather's secret was and what really happened to Becca - especially once I figured out the whole "supernatural" thing was a bit of a red herring. </div><div><br /></div><div>However by around the 50-60% mark things really start to cook and I couldn't tear myself away. I raced to the finish and then met my final quandary. Yes, bad people are punished. Just not all the bad people. The reader finds out what happened to Becca, but secrets get kept, the world keeps on turning, but justice for Becca? At the end of the day? Only partly.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Final Grade = C+</b></div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485867264936716806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350052669699480502.post-71551180804608501882024-02-25T07:00:00.000-08:002024-02-25T09:48:33.866-08:00Like a Box of Chocolates: Unusual Historicals for February 2024February always seems to be a bit of a "slump month" for me and this year that manifested in both reading and blogging. I've had a terrible case of the blahs. Which is why this month's Unusual Historicals post is a little later than usual - I couldn't find the spoons to draft it up last weekend because I knew it was going to be <i>long</i>. Hey, it's a good problem to have but long blog post means Wendy has to find words, and words have been <i>hard</i>. Luckily I seem to have adopted <a href="https://herhandsmyhands.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Azteclady</a> to my unusual historical payroll, who has been doing a bang-up job on sending me suggestions as she comes across them - it's why these posts have been so robust of late. So if you've been enjoying these posts lately, raise a glass to AL who has been a tremendous help!<p><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3T6E9IZ" target="_blank"></a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3OU2W0m" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="291" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggzvaPglRT4Zz9xltEpGODBb-M7SBEvBjOnYzTzTxdTF2HF5CyA9-oRqubyoPBSbo8YP9jNlwOC33hN9bmd-Q54jMGuUCnPJwQYFPLC6GP4S90fUrWnHHayZ25kBXy-921re4gNUmVDLBJqPDei2yVE8ZyuK44o7P0HJ7a5CZ0RXD9Z04pz5_Lmjesz470/w125-h200/81uPWVy3yaL._SY466_.jpg" width="125" /></a></b></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3OU2W0m" target="_blank">The Temple of Persephone</a></b> by <a href="https://www.isabellakamal.com/" target="_blank">Isabella Kamal</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>Persephone Honeyfield is witty, intelligent, and very aware that the only way to escape the monotony of the life she shares with her father and sister in the English countryside—and the wagging, ever-critical tongues of the people around her—is through marriage. She also knows the likelihood of it being a love match is nearly zero.</p><p>Aidon Barrington has carried on the legacy of his family’s funeral furnishing business, losing himself in the process. A shell of his former charming self, he’s traded his reputation as a rake for that of a recluse and regularly appears in the scandal sheets as London’s mysterious Lord of the Dead.</p><p>When Persephone finds herself at Gallowsgate—the old Barrington estate—on a seemingly simple errand, an unexpected run-in with the Lord of the Dead himself leaves her on the brink of ruination. With no other way to silence the village rumor mill, or save her sister’s reputation, Persephone agrees to marry Aidon, becoming the wife of a man she hardly knows.</p><p>Persephone finds herself increasingly fascinated by her new husband, whose kind, patient nature stands in stark contrast to the ever-swirling rumors about him. But when the gossip begins to sound more like reality than fiction, she attempts to uncover the truth behind the Lord of the Dead while discovering she may have already lost her most guarded possession: her heart.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>OMG, the hero is essentially a funeral director y'all! Go ahead, try to think of the last time you read that in a romance novel, let along a historical romance novel. Essentially the Persephone myth dropped in Regency England, this also happens to be the author's debut.</p><p><br /></p><p><b><a href="https://amzn.to/42Ueoic" target="_blank"></a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/49Hmehs" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="302" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtO1Zafeu9UcUGZ7H0HL4OkKgemf54uwLtncFArVdTHt8kvVSwtG3Aac-ndBsL8MXLzp1_32dNgP_jhtZIWL7ah6Px792rQmZwvx8jyzdVz-iWDOo7JvZOo_KwngK0n72yyvMqfNx_I5Cxh6FLt_T8QjR-54J6WNNfjHEqR594oNG_P41RUYcHG8Dx3wpd/w129-h200/81NWvrfrl5L._SY466_.jpg" width="129" /></a></b></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/49Hmehs" target="_blank">A Gentleman Never Tells</a></b> by <a href="https://jodiellenmalpas.co.uk/" target="_blank">Jodi Ellen Malpas</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>Frank Melrose is on the cusp of taking his father's printing business global—the last thing he needs is the distraction of any woman, let alone the dazzling Taya Winters.</p><p>He's under pressure from the newspaper to unmask the mysterious highwayman causing havoc in Belmore Square, but his infuriating clashes with Taya keep slowing him down.</p><p>What's more, he's sure that the highwayman is right under their noses—and that exposing their identity will end not only his story, but ruin his family, too...</p></blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><p>The second book in the author's <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3uSazgX" target="_blank">Belmore Square</a></i> series features a hero running the family's printing business whose work gets tangled up with the heroine. How much you want to bet she knows more about the mysterious highwayman than she's letting on?</p><p><br /></p><p><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3USSSbL" target="_blank"></a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3T8jvs3" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ZQtLenHZbiV6Ybcp5bk0aZw5LPVL6gz-Cc7ppngJ59BhlcGp3K30wrN3caoUk53Exj-Lf2bEN1njZM47oaqqRV6ScFcbTqrp5FBF8-PwjSEExbVbnEjYJdI2ugN2gPYQ64R5aAO47yrEsTvtgqhjMK38cPH2WmQ02U6YtIGHi6SIcinWJDgXdDcFHLhU/w134-h200/810EevGrjzL._SY466_.jpg" width="134" /></a></b></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3T8jvs3" target="_blank">Knight of Darkness</a></b> by <a href="https://sherryewing.com/" target="_blank">Sherry Ewing</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>Sometimes finding love can become our biggest weakness…</p><p>Wymar Norwood understands responsibility. His two brothers have been in his care since his parent’s death. With his title and lands stripped from him by the usurper Stephen, he aligns himself with the Empress Matilda, the rightful Queen of England. If he can win her favor and become her champion knight, he prays all will be returned to him.</p><p>Lady Ceridwen Ward of Norwich is out to prove not only to herself but the Empress that she is more than capable of protecting those she loves. She hides herself in the guise of a knight and follows along with her men to Lincoln to raise her sword for the Empress’s cause. But life can become complicated, especially after your identity is revealed.</p></blockquote><p></p><p><i>::Kermit flailing::</i> ENGLAND DURING <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Anarchy" target="_blank">THE ANARCHY</a> OMG! I'm hard-pressed to think of another medieval that mines this period in English history. A hero who lost everything and a heroine (a chick in pants story!) with something to prove. This also appears to be the first book <a href="https://amzn.to/4bNZSgc" target="_blank">in a series</a> (I mean, the hero does have two brothers so...</p><p><br /></p><p><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3wvAagn" target="_blank"></a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3wvwg7f" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="294" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwNKNaM7B3gIq6_G7-oCGgQOygKBF1-LPCa2UDMBn7qg0WoYY-Nhi6IZCDYLPqhsMpoW1P_WE5LDvBt5-Nfq08YIl986cgFd4n9thju5BIEOAoTLv0vUq-dNvoKI7K6QKbOSpnQySwHNyU_FaIzMFuOo2ZBRWv_0vxVATSz6mGomsgtbCm4r7F077JOZH4/w126-h200/81KKLMgvSRL._SY466_.jpg" width="126" /></a></b></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3wvwg7f" target="_blank">In Want of a Viscount</a></b> by <a href="https://www.lorraineheath.com/" target="_blank">Lorraine Heath</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>American Leonora Garrison has come to England in desperate search of investors to keep her family business afloat but instead finds surprising pleasure when she visits an exclusive ladies’ club and dares to kiss a stranger, who leaves her yearning for more.</p><p>With a libertine for a father, Viscount Wyeth, more commonly known as Rook, vowed to live his life above reproach, with nary a hint of disgrace. Until one night, he takes a mysterious beauty into his arms, a lady who tempts him to cast his sterling reputation aside in favor of more wicked pursuits.</p><p>When fate reunites the couple, they are torn between desire and duty. Leonora may want the viscount, but she needs a stakeholder not a lover. When caught in a compromising situation that places everything they hold dear at risk, they must determine how best to win. However, in this scandalous game, nothing except love takes all.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>The third book in Heath's <i><a href="https://amzn.to/4bQgC6r" target="_blank">Chessmen</a></i> series has a nice twist on the American heroine traveling to England - she's not looking for a titled husband, she's looking for a investor to save the family business. Adding a hero who is overcompensating to live down the sins of his father and I'm intrigued...</p><p><br /></p><p><b><a href="https://amzn.to/49DZ23W" target="_blank"></a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/42RuKZ0" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="281" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFWNCeEHN36YJ6GSL87dYoAFLzm2zpGMft-XngWX5Z4xt_IUpU6FdYtZ4vfoqlAoSnypd_VCvZy5mMoDhUUsIZYbPcRqUQrklDiH6rlx8fkyeIhP804fgwRBETs13cS6o7TQ5OEADJRCrqhN5Eapx9WItqJGgGkmByJELvpFoO7iuGZkOr5gMXmgD_zDCS/w121-h200/81bQaE6YjVL._SY466_.jpg" width="121" /></a></b></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/42RuKZ0" target="_blank">Margins of Love</a></b> by <a href="https://www.saraadrien.com/" target="_blank">Sara Adrien</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote>When Feivel “Fave” Pearler, is the golden boy of the Ton, but the haute-couture jeweler has a secret. Rachel Newman, a debutante who dares to defy societal expectations for a chance at true love. Their spicy romance is a perilous journey of love against all odds, challenging the confines of their world. When a gossiping blackmailer puts their impossible hope for a future together in jeopardy, they both navigate the greed and scorn of the aristocracy. Read their story and find out how they find a way to sidestep fate and gain a chance at forever in this historical romance that captures your heart?</blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><p>If all illustrated covers looked this one I wouldn't hate them so much. Someone make a note of that, will you? Anyway, this is the first in Adrien's <a href="https://amzn.to/42RBndW" target="_blank"><i>Infiltrating the Ton</i></a> trilogy, and while I firmly believe that people are "<a href="https://wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com/2020/08/gestation-and-birth-of-monthly-unusual.html" target="_blank">neither genre nor trope</a>" I want to point out the series features Jewish characters; although what makes this first book unusual is that the hero is a jeweler who, naturally, has a secret. Because what's a romance without some secrets?</p><p><br /></p><p><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3Ickv85" target="_blank"></a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3wqK56W" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="296" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlVn0T4hyphenhyphenZSEst0Tuuug4qYOSPxNwAnKnyOTkGkwrnaQv3x67rZ4tw6zjqK94fujf5wBiSgQIi1FenMN5nj87gXjubJi3N_w_DkdIL2ViW6rle514uMUPfl7LpccbRBJObCio78io0PUELTZ_bAltT4kQGMmjxmeikS_oyc07ITl9x2wFti5TIOyKxd2zJ/w127-h200/81b0iVIsz0L._SY466_.jpg" width="127" /></a></b></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3wqK56W" target="_blank">The Return of His Caribbean Heiress</a></b> by <a href="https://lydiasanandres.com/" target="_blank">Lydia San Andres</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>An unforgettable first kiss </p><p>An unexpected second chance… </p><p>It’s been five years since the night Leandro Díaz kissed heiress Lucía Troncoso before she left for Europe. He’d known they were from different worlds and would have to part, yet losing her still hurt… Now she’s returned but Leo isn’t the man he once was. Hardened by life, he holds Lucía at a distance and refuses to give in to their reignited attraction. Until danger hits and they’re forced closer than ever before… </p></blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Every month I look at the new Harlequin Historical offerings and every month I resolve to go on a binge of them through my TBR. Set in the early 20th century, San Andres' latest Caribbean-set historical features a reunion, cross-class romance.</p><p><br /></p><p><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3TbgvLq" target="_blank"></a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/49LM57Z" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Rk9Brl6lpryK5xE7qGrCsWRhkfmNI0tLbBfkf3wh49KN-ZzW3lUrjFy2gckK3WV_hHQNumn7KzpeJw8W9sY2PR7MSrVfaoE42xiR1lF1yW3KglgJdFS0zCesU-mpYT8yIhpHJOrpUrKg7ME5HddhF9JSi990SOMhMccIwJRSTAKGVvWM3zdYvJQlwmfw/w134-h200/81ANAfG5QOL._SY466_.jpg" width="134" /></a></b></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/49LM57Z" target="_blank">The Husband Heist</a></b> by <a href="https://alyxandraharvey.com/index.html" target="_blank">Alyxandra Harvey</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>As a duke’s twin sister, Lady Summer is used to being both noticed and ignored---and she finally means to use it to her advantage.</p><p>First, she steals art from The Mayfair Art Collectors Society with none the wiser. Well, except for Eliot Howard, the Earl of Blackpool, a rakehell and the bane of her existence. But as the art she steals with her madcap friends rightfully belongs to Eliot’s aunt, Summer is certain he will not get in the way.</p><p>The trouble is, she has also accidentally stolen a list of women spies working for the Crown. Someone is using the art exhibit to pass messages about an auction to sell off the code that will reveal the names and put them all in danger. Summer is determined to protect them.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>A heist gone wrong when the heroine steals from the wrong person and unwittingly stumbles across espionage. This is the third book in Harvey's <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3uSbr5d" target="_blank">Dainty Devils</a></i> series featuring unconventional heroines. </p><p><br /></p><p><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3IdtfLk" target="_blank"></a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3uMSuky" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDpI4NWjEE3Hh6YFmiMkfbbjHjaVRnYPAZ955ej7cl6EWFMU7sKX7uJ577qv-EoK_aazFlVg8DLf9JPvchO7CKYZzKDMNyxnVzdGelSiOwx4dsEzJvarYdfEux4-pDrOTM0Ou0QwmaHKc0agYqMX8SD7wD2wWOtrOn59fWxDCsvhw44LIOFeHDGYT25y96/w134-h200/81vXB9RueQL._SY466_.jpg" width="134" /></a></b></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3uMSuky" target="_blank">To Steal a Marquess</a></b> by <a href="https://maevegreyson.com/" target="_blank">Maeve Greyson</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>Alec Douglas, Duke of Lionwraith, a war hero betrayed on the home front while he was away at battle, trusts no one and prefers his solitude. But when his sister begs for help because she is ruined, he vows to make the man responsible pay. When the vile rakehell proves impossible to find, Alec isn’t swayed. He can just as easily destroy his enemy with a subtler attack. The Marquess of Ardsmere’s business provides the best wines and rarest imports to the finest houses in all the realm—but by the time Alec is finished, West Belgium International will cease to exist.</p><p>But the despicable marquess can’t be the ruination of Alec’s sister, because the man does not exist. However, Lady Francis, better known as Frannie and sometimes as the Marchioness of Ardsmere, is quite real. Born in Belgium after a terrible accident killed her father, Frannie was introduced to the world as the family’s ward rather than an Ardsmere daughter, and a fake Ardsmere son was fabricated for her to marry to keep the wealth, lands, and privileges of the title away from a heartless cousin. The ruse has served quite well, but now some quarrelsome duke threatens everything because his lightskirt sister tossed her reputation to the wind and ridiculously named the pretend marquess responsible.</p><p>Frannie is not about to lose her lucrative empire or expose herself as a fraud. There’s naught to be done but assume her usual role as the imaginary marquess’s wife and put the deplorable duke in his place. However, when she meets Alec’s sweet, trusting sister, she can’t bring herself to finish the poor girl off or take down her handsome brother. Cursing her soft-heartedness, Frannie agrees to help Alec. Not just because he’s a tempting challenge she can’t resist, but also because his sister is kindness itself.</p><p>While tracking down the real foe responsible, Alec and Frannie come together in a complicated dance that not only risks riches and reputations but also their hearts. Frannie’s life of lies has always provided everything she needs—except love. What’s she to do when the man who steals her heart despises anything that isn’t true?</p></blockquote><p></p><p>OK, I'll be honest - back cover blurbs that are long enough to be the novel tend to annoy me - but I'm still intrigued. This is the second book in Greyson's <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3OUJNLH" target="_blank">Sisterhood of Independent Ladies</a></i> series and features a hero bent on avenging his sister's honor except for the minor detail that the man who did her dirty doesn't actually <i>exist</i>. He's a fabrication created so the heroine wouldn't lose everything after her father's death. Now the heroine is a quandary, her delicate house of cards about to topple.</p><p><br /></p><p><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3SQ6ty6" target="_blank"></a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/49HmpJE" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="296" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyC-mCUxx8lPT16dI7Qw0CDBo6YDTdgE5DFGKHn5vzGVFevdOBMBr8QEdL_WlWPiwKckfVcxpe43_JjtpqfwDt-POPOdUUBxfhcHomqqHe299X9ZVCuOX50JDHleipbsyGmArM4hYwQGCJFhuVrnOAEyOtfJLHjhhV7q7qFoAVaQNEUB__i5DK9mTxD1wo/w127-h200/81Ek5ZAfBKL._SY466_.jpg" width="127" /></a></b></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/49HmpJE" target="_blank">Convenient Vows with a Viking</a></b> by <a href="https://lucymorrisromance.com/" target="_blank">Lucy Morris</a> and <a href="https://www.harlequin.com/shop/authors/29397_sarah-rodi.html" target="_blank">Sarah Rodi</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>Two Viking short stories</p><p>Two alliances at the altar!</p><p><i>In Her Bought Viking Husband</i> by Lucy Morris, Orla strikes a deal with enslaved Jarl Hakon to protect her land. She’ll buy his freedom if the handsome warrior marries her! In <i>Chosen as the Warrior's Wife</i> by Sarah Rodi, at the emperor’s bride show, Viking Fiske must choose noblewoman Kassia to save her from an unhappy fate. But his new bride holds a secret that threatens their newfound desire…</p></blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><p>What's better than one Viking? Well two Vikings of course! Every Morris book I've read so far I've enjoyed and Rodi is an author I still need to try. Both of these stories sound great, so in the pile it goes!</p><p><br /></p><p><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3SUIv4L" target="_blank"></a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3T9LveJ" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ2jggVrSdRFBV69G-BjOKAdElsx6zn5sFvd7TJ85OnHSTPwaveqJFfOD1J2-xB7PykXy6TbmqyA_u7uRaRtIaIyE4LfRUg1nwiTTTOTQ3DPc9biGVyX_hSyJv-sykM5rIqf7zGwPGjA1CvyRfOOKCA0WkzSUU8K71WiG4vZeIu6bdeyV3fMO5DCcvh63z/w134-h200/81h+vjECExL._SY466_.jpg" width="134" /></a></b></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3T9LveJ" target="_blank">The Lady of a Lyon</a></b> by <a href="https://lindaraesande.com/" target="_blank">Linda Rae Sande</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>She's a former courtesan. He was once her favorite client. Will a conniving earl thwart a matchmaker's efforts to see them reunited?</p><p>Newly widowed viscountess and mother to a young boy, Annabelle reluctantly returns to London in the hopes of securing invitations to Society events. Although she’s more than able to run the Burwick viscountcy on behalf of her son, Benton is in need of a titled father to help him along in life. Worried someone will recognize her—she was one of the ladies of The Elegant Courtesan before Burwick made her his viscountess and took her off to his country estate—Annabelle soon realizes she can’t hide her identity when one of her former clients confronts her. Embarrassed and angered by his overtures, Annabelle decides to leave her fate in the hands of matchmaker Bessie Dove-Lyon.</p><p>As a lieutenant colonel in the British Army and the second son of an earl, Jeffrey never expected to inherit an earldom and have to marry. Now he's in a quandary. He’s in desperate need of funds, for the Year of No Summer has left the earldom’s coffers empty. When he spies his favorite flame-haired courtesan in a tailor’s shop with a young boy, Jeffrey doesn’t realize she’s become a respectable lady. His comment about her son is mistaken as an insult, and he fears he may have missed his opportunity with the woman he still finds irresistible.</p><p>Learning he can win a wealthy woman in a game of chance at The Lyon’s Den, Jeffrey agrees to the Black Widow of Whitehall’s matchmaking method.</p><p>When he discovers Annabelle is the prize, the stakes may be more than he can afford, for if she ends up in the arms of a man he trusts, his heart—and a friendship—will surely be broken.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>A former courtesan who married well, now widowed, in need of a new titled husband to aid in her young son's development and a second son who suddenly finds himself inheriting the keys to the kingdom. Oh, and it just so happens that he was once her favorite client. This is another entry in the larger "<a href="https://amzn.to/49xJkYs" target="_blank">Lyon's Den</a>" world and I am nothing but trash for heroines who have "reputations." </p><p><br /></p><p><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3OQoElN" target="_blank"></a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3T9SVi3" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSFt198B9cBf3jIiyUrAMkGTTSCAuHThaO1vx3Qn0TpStXTl_w-mRNBkQRZWYK9PHyf22i6XqcfVatnPlU0vT0f4KjI4kl-kneHlBcvJKLgwqUYV_gYIA111L1NQU9fonD-lBbVqGc2ZA6YE71G0dEUbZFN9t0O-JS7k1pshhyGk4_Vj7A-v2EvyfRo8Ub/w134-h200/815FYoybTCL._SY466_.jpg" width="134" /></a></b></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3T9SVi3" target="_blank">The Hawk Laird</a></b> by <a href="http://www.susanfraserking.com/" target="_blank">Susan King</a> (<span style="color: red;"><i>Reprint</i></span>)<p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>When a haunting prophecy leads to revenge - will the truth lead to love?</p><p>From the moment Isobel of Aberlady sees the stranger emerge from the shadows to spirit her away from a besieged Scottish castle, she knows it is at the cost of her freedom—and his. Renowned for her visions, the lovely, isolated Isobel has been protected until the Scottish rebel takes her hostage for his own ends. Outlawed and unjustly accused of betraying his leader, falconer Sir James Lindsay needs his good name restored—and Lady Isobel, whose prophecy caused his undoing, is his only weapon.</p><p>Intending to exchange the valuable lady for another hostage, James takes Isobel deep into his forest lair. He does not count on finding an abandoned goshawk who needs his help—nor does he expect to fall in love with the beautiful prophetess. Amid treachery and hope, passion and betrayal, their love becomes the one shining light, a source of retribution, renewal, and finally destiny foretold—and forever ....</p></blockquote><p></p><p>For us old farts who still read blogs (😂), King is one of the authors part of the long-running <a href="https://wordwenches.com/" target="_blank">Word Wenches</a> blog. This medieval is a reprint of her 1998 book <a href="https://amzn.to/3wBjEv3" target="_blank">Laird of the Wind</a> that was published by Penguin's long-running Topaz line. A heroine who has a vision of her own abduction and a falconer (!) hero desperate to clear his name. This sounds like my favorite kind of a medieval - one you can really sink your teeth into, swooning along the way.</p><p>Whew! Another robust month. <b>What Unusual Historicals are landing in your TBR this month?</b></p>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485867264936716806noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350052669699480502.post-38303048304394458842024-02-23T06:00:00.000-08:002024-02-23T10:47:47.081-08:00Review: When Grumpy Met Sunshine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_kkXaXJBN2_1vQYtcCyOKhc5ymXZcjEXczeAYahal-_3TXcL4MM8iR8yLZzJJjnSyKldERe17_F7l23GRVVvr7gEK3gNoGi8f1NJr0fsTU1jSkeLVCuYFkdHuWJfcHYAS5cJWybcpTGupRy5a3cmWI_GgzcLAR74k1sFnrnoRjDG1S_hmhCBfy8i9rGDg/s466/71lU+NiYjGL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="304" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_kkXaXJBN2_1vQYtcCyOKhc5ymXZcjEXczeAYahal-_3TXcL4MM8iR8yLZzJJjnSyKldERe17_F7l23GRVVvr7gEK3gNoGi8f1NJr0fsTU1jSkeLVCuYFkdHuWJfcHYAS5cJWybcpTGupRy5a3cmWI_GgzcLAR74k1sFnrnoRjDG1S_hmhCBfy8i9rGDg/s320/71lU+NiYjGL._SY466_.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>I have loved some of <a href="https://charlottestein.net/" target="_blank">Charlotte Stein</a>'s erotic romance work. I would go so far as say she is one of the very few erotic romance writers out there that I will even bother to read anymore. Why? She writes passion. Not an endless series of kinks supposedly there to titillate - <u><b>actual passion</b></u>. The kind of soul-searing passion that has the reader gripping their Kindle and screaming "OMG WHEN ARE THEY GOING TO KISS ALREADY I CAN'T TAKE MUCH MORE OF THIS!!!!!!!"<p></p><p><i>Ahem</i></p><p>Which would make one think that I'd be super anxious to read her new contemporary romance, <b><a href="https://amzn.to/3T4VFgI" target="_blank">When Grumpy Met Sunshine</a></b> the minute I scored an ARC many (<i>many</i>) months ago. Oh gentle blog reader, let me give you a peak inside Wendy's warped reader brain:</p><p>1) Apparently the hero of this book was inspired by the Roy Kent character on <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10986410/" target="_blank">Ted Lasso</a>. I refuse to get Apple TV (I realize I've sold my soul to Google but I have an deep-seated dislike for Apple), have never seen Ted Lasso, and have no idea if the hero in this book is remotely like Roy Kent. What I do know is I <i>loathe</i> when authors let "inspirational" tidbits like this slip. My mind immediately goes to fan-fiction and stays there.</p><p>2) It cannot be overstated how much I hate the illustrated cover trend on EVERY. SINGLE. CONTEMPORARY. ROMANCE. being published. Stein writes sexy. I KNOW she writes sexy. This cover is about as sexy as my elderly grandmother's cotton dressing gown.</p><p>3) While I'm at it - I kind of hate the "grumpy sunshine" thing. Hey remember when we didn't have cute names for everything in the genre? We just called this shit <b>Opposites Attract</b>.</p><p>Thanks, now get off my lawn.</p><p>Anyway, the book. Reviews for this one are all over the place. Readers seem to really be loving it or really <i><b>not</b></i> loving it. I was firmly set on dragging my feet and probably unearthing this ARC from my Kindle three years from now (as you do), but <a href="https://herhandsmyhands.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Azteclady</a> told me to read it, so I moved it up the queue. </p><p>And here I am - word vomiting all over my blog. You're welcome.</p><p>Alfie Harding is a grumpy ex-footballer (soccer for us Americans...) who is getting harassed into writing his memoirs. For that he needs a ghostwriter, of which he's scared off a good many already with his surly, uncooperative attitude. Finally, in a last ditch effort to get this thing done, the publisher brings in Mabel Willicker, cute as cotton candy fluff, There's bickering, there's a lot of romcom-style banter, and the partnership ends up sticking. She's needling him, getting him (ever so slowly) to open up, and some progress is being made - until this business relationship gets mistaken for a new romance and is splashed all over social media and the British tabloids. There's nothing for it, to extricate themselves from the misunderstanding, and to get the book done, they have to fake it. That is until they make it - which <i>boy howdy...</i></p><p>Stein has a very particular writing style that takes some getting used to. As much as I have loved some her work, I recognize this as a hurdle not everyone will clear - so I always tell readers to try a sample first. It'll save you time. </p><p>This one kicks off with a lot of banter and a lot of romcom style shenanigans. Unfortunately, after a while, the banter doesn't seem to go anywhere. They're talking in circles. In fact they're talking without really saying a whole lot or worse still - not saying <i>enough</i>. Stein teases the reader with some <b>really interesting character backstory</b> (both Alfie and Mabel had alcoholic fathers and grew up in working class neighborhoods) but none of it is explored with much depth. Alfie carries the baggage of his reputation (a brawling, bruising footballer) while Mabel carries the sting of a thousand cuts of living in a fatphobic world. Girls that look like Mabel do not date guys like Alfie. This is all good stuff, stuff I could sink my teeth into and yet? Endless, endless banter. Just streams of it. And for all the talking that these two do they decide to stop talking at the end to necessitate a third act break-up (that lasts a year!) and then we get THE WORLD'S LONGEST EPILOGUE where all the heartfelt emotion comes pouring out and we get the happy ending.</p><p>Look, I'm not a monster - this one managed to hit me in the feels in a few places. Even during the THE WORLD'S LONGEST EPILOGUE. But in the end it's the lack of emotional depth (I needed more of the backstory to really root for these two as a couple) and the pacing that held this back for me. The trademark Stein tension seemed muted here (probably because I needed <i>more character backstory...</i>) and the sex is all backloaded in the final third of the story. I wasn't anxious for them to "do it" because the tension was so thick, I was anxious for them to "do it" because I was hoping that maybe more emotional bits would rise to the surface. They do - in THE WORLD'S LONGEST EPILOGUE but by that point I was ready to move on. Some good parts but I never got the whole.</p><p><b>Final Grade = C+</b></p>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485867264936716806noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350052669699480502.post-79933109406436284522024-02-21T06:00:00.000-08:002024-02-21T06:00:00.283-08:00#TBRChallenge 2024: The Raven Prince<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-IqBDOuGM0uX4k8V4mGsHSt7X2jQqVbjVoMZFZBS48S5lu1Ngo458r-DNBygtVFVtWpXp7fnFAyfEC6FCjxoyoppt7zB20U80zH3ryrdodWFays2zSWHaKXrpuEKogUI3js_e-4rhZD6pGrcQsVZV37qRlrckM_fiJWHk3An8J-ICr2tcA7JB7MBxFid/s466/812E-rfP4zL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="289" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-IqBDOuGM0uX4k8V4mGsHSt7X2jQqVbjVoMZFZBS48S5lu1Ngo458r-DNBygtVFVtWpXp7fnFAyfEC6FCjxoyoppt7zB20U80zH3ryrdodWFays2zSWHaKXrpuEKogUI3js_e-4rhZD6pGrcQsVZV37qRlrckM_fiJWHk3An8J-ICr2tcA7JB7MBxFid/s320/812E-rfP4zL._SY466_.jpg" width="198" /></a></div><b>The Book</b>: <b><a href="https://amzn.to/3I3rZtY" target="_blank">The Raven Prince</a></b> by <a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/contributor/elizabeth-hoyt/?lens=forever" target="_blank">Elizabeth Hoyt</a><div><br /></div><div><b>The Particulars</b>: Historical romance (Georgian!), 2006, first in <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3wq45Xd" target="_blank">The Princes Trilogy</a></i>, In Print</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?</b>: Because everybody and their dead grandmother has read this book - except for, apparently, me. In fact, it's my first read by Hoyt <i>ever</i>. Look, I <i>know</i>. I can hear y'all screeching across cyberspace as I type this...</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b>Spoilers Ahoy!</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><b>The Review</b>: I have not been reading. And when I do try to pick up a book for some good ol' fashioned eyeball reading? I've been left feeling very meh about the whole experience. Part of it is me and part of it is the books. That is until I dug <b>The Raven Prince </b>out of my TBR. I didn't read this so much as inhale it in a matter of hours.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anna Wren is a respectable young widow who lives in a respectable country cottage with her mother-in-law and an inept maid they hired to save her from the poorhouse. They've been muddling along alright since Peter's death, but the nest egg wasn't all that robust when he succumbed to a fever and now finances are getting tight. Anna needs a job - the problem being that jobs are scarce for respectable young widows living in the country.</div><div><br /></div><div>Edward de Raaf, the Earl of Swartingham, is the last of his line - scarred from a small pox epidemic that claimed his entire family as a child. His first wife died in childbirth (the babe also perished) and it's past time for him to do his duty. He needs to remarry. He needs children. Certainly for the title, but also because deep down, Edward wants a family. It's why he's back at Ravenhill Abbey, desperately hoping to recapture the sense of home he felt there as a child. Instead all he's done is cement his reputation for having a bad temper and scaring off secretaries. He's gone through two already, and he's ordered his estate manager to find him another in an obscenely short amount of time.</div><div><br /></div><div>We all know where this is going. The estate manager is in a bind. Anna needs a job. Yes, it's highly unusual, borderline scandalous, to employ a mere female as a secretary, but she's a widow (no innocent miss) and frankly the estate manager has no desire to tell Edward he's failed in his mission. After some minor spluttering and sparring, the arrangement is made. It also doesn't hurt that Anna is intelligent and the best damn secretary Edward has ever had.</div><div><br /></div><div>I fell right into this story. Grumpy, growly Edward who has lost so much. A widowed Anna who spent her whole life doing the right thing only to end up with a husband who did-her-dirty prior to his death. Working for Edward is just the first step in a series of choices she makes in this story that upends her perfectly respectable and boring life. What did doing "the right thing," "the expected thing," ever get her? She's done with that. She's going with her gut, and eventually her gut tells her she wants Edward.</div><div><br /></div><div>One thing I've always heard about Hoyt is that she has a penchant for the <b>Bananapants</b> - and boy howdy, she does. I loved the set-up but will admit my eyes crossed once we got to the brothel. Yep, you guessed it! We get the heroine who hides her identity at an upscale London brothel so she can bang it out with the hero. They meet twice (!) and in <b>Classic Dunderheaded Hero</b> fashion, he has <i>no clue</i> who he is boning. He went there to stop thinking about Anna, had the best damn sex of his life, and failed in his mission. Yep, still getting pants-feelings around Anna. Then, <i>of course</i>, he figures it out some time later when they're back in the country. And <i>of course</i> this all leads to a blackmail plot thread that leads to a duel (yes, <i>a duel</i>) in a brothel (yes, <i>a brothel</i>) at the end of the story 🤨</div><div><br /></div><div>Oh, and did I mention the heroine believes she is barren because she was married for something like four years and never got pregnant? But <i>of course</i> our hero has a <b>Magic Wang</b> - so just roll with it. </div><div><br /></div><div>(I'm actually more forgiving of this nonsense in historical romances because lack of modern medical understanding and all that).</div><div><br /></div><div>Which makes it sound like I didn't like this book. I did! Did I mention I inhaled this in a matter of hours? Also, there's even a delightful dog in this story - hence me finally reading it during Furry Friends theme month. An agreeably affable (and giant!) wolfhound / mastiff mix that doesn't have a name until nearly halfway through when the heroine finally goads the hero into accepting one of her suggestions.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the end, I rather enjoyed it. Some of the bananapants stuff was a bit out there, but I liked these characters, I liked them together, and the love scenes were suitably steamy. I've already decided that I really need to do my best to plow through the rest of this series at some point this year.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Final Grade = B</b></div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485867264936716806noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350052669699480502.post-6521736731420612022024-02-16T06:00:00.000-08:002024-02-16T06:00:00.142-08:00Reminder: #TBRChallenge Day is February 21!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrbIq1qOMZNKyS-ZXel12CsOFkJmrUaw7-BGfMMuZvLymsc3hkqrVVEk2h8U8hcbLBH4s5umKoSA5pP_bXXkR3OMAljt7Z5yGpmR_BOEUkPgZ6Bdh5vwK4PkDSI0GVJIqMHZgffHMW3Aok0aI0TdPaByw6JxP97Fy6TaePdiWEkUX3CWQ0x22Kq2OzCkG/s1920/Green%20Simple%20Illustrative%20Shopping%20List%20(1).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="TBR Challenge 2024" border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrbIq1qOMZNKyS-ZXel12CsOFkJmrUaw7-BGfMMuZvLymsc3hkqrVVEk2h8U8hcbLBH4s5umKoSA5pP_bXXkR3OMAljt7Z5yGpmR_BOEUkPgZ6Bdh5vwK4PkDSI0GVJIqMHZgffHMW3Aok0aI0TdPaByw6JxP97Fy6TaePdiWEkUX3CWQ0x22Kq2OzCkG/w360-h640/Green%20Simple%20Illustrative%20Shopping%20List%20(1).png" width="360" /></a></div><br /><br /><div>Hey, so is it just me or does 2024 feel like it's been 6 months long already? Y'all I'm tired and Not. Reading. So here's hoping that the #TBRChallenge on <span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;">Wednesday, February 21</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span>will kick my butt into gear.</span><span style="color: red;"> </span><span>This month's (always) optional theme is</span><span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Furry Friends</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">.</span></span><p>Another suggestion from the annual theme poll, this one is all about animals and/or pets who worm their way into our hearts as our couple are falling in love. Not gonna lie, I had to leverage looking at some GoodReads lists to see what I could dig out of my dormant print TBR.</p><p>That being said, remember that the themes <i>are</i> completely optional. The goal of the challenge has been, and always will be, to read something (anything!) that's been languishing in your mountain range of unread books. </p><p>It is certainly not too late to join the Challenge (to be honest it's <i>never</i> too late). You can get more details <i>and</i> get links to the current list of participants on the <b><a href="https://wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com/p/tbrchallenge-2024.html" target="_blank">#TBRChallenge 2024 Information Page</a></b>. </p></div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485867264936716806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350052669699480502.post-20483378250486147182024-02-03T14:25:00.000-08:002024-02-05T17:57:36.099-08:00Library Loot Review: Only Say Good Things<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3HO816B" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="309" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkYIHQ8-KJP4kY6B7KW8-VdwNUq2OJyCtsM4brZbL5aTdSGVHrCl-ylNqGILb9pspuSXbFX0MUEsSUg3RlPRgTXSlW2eknwwxrvCqTgknPvO86mDSD-XEVPp8lRW_8mkrwo6-63OaXzEyo2VoM_iBuT7Ch3VosjHNkMJWIDX-dqnC3yZdScqBgyXeiDaNs/s320/81eB753jK6L._SY466_.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>I don't watch reality TV. Just the concepts of easily 99% of it I find off-putting and gross. So it's not terribly shocking that I never watched <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Girls_Next_Door" target="_blank">The Girls Next Door,</a></i> a reality series about Playboy founder Hugh Hefner and his bevy of blonde girlfriends who lived at his mansion. Why anyone would want to watch a show about an old man parading around with blonde models who could have been his grand-daughters - sorry y'all, didn't get the appeal. <p></p><p>Which probably begs the question - why was I drawn to reading <b><a href="https://amzn.to/3UrSAbH" target="_blank">Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself</a></b> by Crystal Hefner? She joined the series towards the end of it's run and was married to Hefner the last five years of his life. I'm never entirely sure what draws me to some celebrity biographies over others, but in this case I think I was hoping for some honesty - and boy howdy, that's what I got.</p><p>Crystal Harris was a lost 21-year-old woman when, on the urging of a friend, she submitted a photo to Playboy. This photo scored her an invite to the annual Halloween party at the Playboy mansion. It was at that party that Hugh Hefner spotted her in the crowd of beautiful young women and beckoned her to join him behind the velvet rope with him and his harem of girlfriends. She spent the weekend at the mansion and a couple weeks later when Hefner called - she moved in permanently.</p><p>If you want to be flippant about it, this is a book about a young woman, adrift, who thinks she's found her Golden Ticket, only to get more and more lost once she's inside the mansion. And what's inside that mansion wasn't shocking to me, Harris simply confirms it. Hefner is a narcissistic misogynist trying to keep up the appearance that he's "The Man." He's a lonely, sad man obsessed with his legacy with no idea what love really is, although Harris suspects he secretly wants it. The mansion itself is frozen in time, largely unchanged from the 1970s, almost like Hefner is trying to stop time from moving forward. And in what is surely the world's most perfect metaphor? It's discovered after Harris falls desperately ill that the mansion is riddled with black mold.</p><p>If 2023 was the year of <a href="https://wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com/2023/11/library-loot-mini-reviews-celebrity.html" target="_blank">Britney Spears' memoir</a>, 2024 should be the year of Crystal Hefner's. In one important way these two women are very much alike - they're people pleasers. Even as Crystal was feeling trapped, the idea that she should could open her mouth, say no, pack up and leave - these thoughts didn't occur to her. She eventually <i>does</i> leave, becoming Hefner's highly publicized "runaway bride" - only to gaslight herself into going back and eventually marrying him. And this is where the book gets interesting because Harris, bless her heart, cares for Hefner in a way that a young person would care for an aging relative. She becomes protective of him and his legacy. She's outraged to realize that instead of storing various gifts and memorabilia per Hefner's instructions - the storage units were empty. Trusted employees had been ripping him off. This man was not good for Crystal, honestly I can't imagine he was good to any woman <i>ever</i>, but towards the end she was loyal, she took care of him, and upon his death she kept the party line to <i>"only say good things."</i> She fell into protecting and preserving his legacy. She was lost when she met him and she was just as lost (if not more so) after he died. Hence this book appearing seven years after his death. Honestly I think it took her that long to even start unpacking all her baggage and the impression I get after finishing this book? She's still unpacking.</p><p>Crystal Hefner has lived a life that will mean she has her fair share of detractors. Those who can't believe she allowed herself to traipse into the situations that she did. Those who think she's a gold-digger. And certainly those who think she's on a money grab now, seven years after his death, overturning the various ugly rocks littering the garden that is Hugh Hefner's legacy. I don't see any of that. I finished this book believing that Crystal wrote it because <b><i>she</i></b> needed to. Not only for herself, but for all the young women out there just as lost as she was. That finally, with some time and perspective, she was ready to fling the doors off the literal hinges. That this was her story, her legacy, and she was going to scatter it out into the open to let the winds carry it away. I think Crystal Hefner is on her way to finding out who Crystal Harris truly is, and I wish her nothing but the best.</p><p><b>Final Grade = A</b></p>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485867264936716806noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350052669699480502.post-67921150387726745882024-01-28T17:23:00.000-08:002024-01-28T17:23:50.126-08:00Library Loot Mini-Reviews: Karma And Dead TeensMy reading in 2024 has started out like my reading in 2023 - I'm going great guns on audiobook listening but my eyeball reading, <i>um</i> not so much. Happily living in a library dense area and being eligible to get cards in multiple jurisdictions means I'm not suffering for want of audiobook content. Here's what I've listened to recently:<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/4bhtnGM" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="303" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAGUtrTYC3KNJPPYqzz9PMhlUbu0CcQLGstkYgfeyhHwV-TMFWeC5rvzhJJqOr7dozTxofggMvIWSU6SSSOcTGTwldzoAZWrmNTZyNT947tOTA3MqlpAGHwv4aqBLZefMMfgVb-Zf3GDhxq4M95Nps7XBE51daWOiS9oeERbABKMR86U4dCIIrT_KW9jJg/s320/71unw9pkScL._SY466_.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>Boy George has written a couple of books already but his latest, <b><a href="https://amzn.to/4bhtnGM" target="_blank">Karma</a></b>, is being touted as a definitive memoir. I wouldn't classify myself as a Boy George and/or Culture Club fan, despite generally being a sucker for 1980s pop. I'll be honest, I read this for George's personality. I'm not above enjoying some well-done catty bitchiness. I mean, when you've mainlined as many soap operas as I have in 40+ years it's to be expected.<div><br /></div><div>This was, unfortunately, not very good. It's written in a way where it's assumed the reader is a fan and/or already knows at least some of the details of George's life. Hey, I've seen the <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0520929/" target="_blank">Behind the Music</a> episode, but that's about it. You're just dumped right into this book and he starts talking about people in his life like you, as the reader, already know who these people are. I had to resort to Google a couple times just to make the puzzle pieces fit.</div><div><br /></div><div>What does work in this book is George's disarming self-awareness. I mean yes, there's an exorbitant amount of astrology talk, but even with his foibles George comes off as a straight shooter. This is a guy who will say it to your face and not just behind your back. He also owns and acknowledges his own foibles and failings. To be blunt, this is a guy I would love to have a one-on-one conversation with. Not only would it be a lot of laughs, but it would be an interesting, intelligent conversation. He never comes off as a phony. Also, even though I felt this book wasn't particularly well written as a memoir, the chapter where he talks about his mother's death was very well-written and very moving. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Final Grade = C-</b><br /><div><br /></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3UdIP0L" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="311" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZVlSf2KKj-lYckyt0gArMQEFjKmBErzHPQucsZKpeciGH_F8A8g_J_MkUc4TE_MDsYgMfRqw3wMF-NWsns41LfC_umIZ3mB2zqrmXz7xLmQU4cXLadgdHXOnbflm0kCLBC3_YfPPj4_4ZMr4Mr5-h5-FQQegsir4XAlqWhsOFCKVUkEZU5FIIcpMUoo4/s320/81QKWMydKhL._SY466_.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>I'm quickly developing a yen for teen suspense, probably because that's what Teenage Wendy desperately loved to read and self-preservation had me moving to adult suspense by the time I was 13. Nostalgia is a powerful drug. Anyway, I heard about <b><a href="https://amzn.to/3UdIP0L" target="_blank">Win Lose Kill Die</a></b> by <a href="https://www.cynthiamurphy.co.uk/" target="_blank">Cynthia Murphy</a> somewhere and this is another book with problems - but listen, sometimes all I want is to get sucked into a crazy, twisted ride, and on that score this one delivered.</div><div><br /></div><div>Morton Academy is a British boarding school that caters to the cleverest and smartest kids. You don't need to be a blue-blood born with a silver spoon in your mouth, so long as you're clever and smart you've got a chance. Which is how Liz ends up there, despite neglectful, largely absent parents.</div><div><br /></div><div>The previous year Liz and her friends were welcomed into the school's secret society, Jewel and Bone. However on the night of their initiation there's a horrible accident. Liz sustains a head injury and the golden Head Girl of the school, Morgan, accidentally drowns. Liz spent the entire summer recuperating at home and while she's still haunted by what happened, she's ready to be back at school. That is, until the new head girl, the one named to replace Morgan, also ends up dead. Soon the best and the brightest of the student body start dropping like flies...</div><div><br /></div><div>The story centers around Liz, her two BFF's Taylor and Kat, Taylor's hottie boyfriend, Marcus (Head Boy) and new student, Cole - who Liz quickly develops a crush on. Morgan's death was chalked up to an unfortunate accident, but two dead bodies dropping in quick succession at the start of the new term, and the head mistress acting cagey and secretive soon has our clique turning into amateur sleuths.</div><div><br /></div><div>This was a middle of the road read for me for a long time. For the sheer number of bodies dropping (it's more than 3 by the end...) the story lacks urgency, and frankly I expected the teen characters to be a lot more freaked out than they were. Also, "accidents" start befalling them personally, including Taylor who gets a cut on her face thanks to a rusty nail found in a make-up brush. I'm sorry folks, but a pretty teen girl with a hottie boyfriend who develops a festering wound <i>ON HER FACE</i> and refusing to see the school nurse about it? It beggars belief. </div><div><br /></div><div>Then we get to the ending. Other reviews have cried foul, basically saying it doesn't make any sense. Does it defy some logic? Well, yes. Did I care? Not really. Honestly it's twisted and gruesome and perverse and well, I'm only human. I walked into this thinking I was getting a teen suspense novel and really it's more teen thriller / horror adjacent. It certainly wasn't without it's faults, but by the end I didn't care. I'm already planning on reading more by Murphy.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Final Grade = B</b></div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485867264936716806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350052669699480502.post-36304479160608633282024-01-22T06:00:00.000-08:002024-01-25T20:03:06.704-08:00Mini-Reviews: Aggressively Fine<p>Part of my reading resolution for 2024 is taking a deeper dive into my Kindle and pulling out long lost ARCs. Unfortunately my first two picks for the new year fell into the "aggressively fine" category. I don't know about you all, but there's something about average reads that can be just as depressing as the duds. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_roUFdkapDmit8L7PE4InnHQBMxkU5hZ9YYm3YqWKBecxFuZ606nJALHwI46eu8ZzuEULFOPO8wOomRiL5jJ_vj_n_snGBs7qdO7yvLuUZqPCtIC_FsqklJKd7Kw6oRg4K4st_Ex45H3bbHx5vuHbgFI2EVtwBqk_29koGhTKSzEl5w5z3nEa9Zz81oo/s466/91P4hoV7lfL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="295" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_roUFdkapDmit8L7PE4InnHQBMxkU5hZ9YYm3YqWKBecxFuZ606nJALHwI46eu8ZzuEULFOPO8wOomRiL5jJ_vj_n_snGBs7qdO7yvLuUZqPCtIC_FsqklJKd7Kw6oRg4K4st_Ex45H3bbHx5vuHbgFI2EVtwBqk_29koGhTKSzEl5w5z3nEa9Zz81oo/w127-h200/91P4hoV7lfL._SY466_.jpg" width="127" /></a></div>Harlequin Blaze was never a favorite line of mine, but a few still ended up finding their way into my TBR, usually because the back cover blurb tickled my fancy in some way. <b><a href="https://amzn.to/3SaG4e0" target="_blank">Make Mine a Marine</a></b> by <a href="https://candacehavens.com/" target="_blank">Candace Havens</a> was published in 2016 (yikes on bikes Wendy) and is, from what I can gather, part of a series featuring hunky Marines. <p></p><p>Chelly Richardson is marking time in Nashville when an obsessive ex who won't take the hint that they broke up has her making the drastic decision to get out of dodge. She heads to Texas only to discover the friend she was planning to crash with took off to elope (and said "friend" knew Chelly was on her way). She's near broke, her car is on it's last gasp, so Chelly decides to do the one thing that always gives her some comfort - she comes across an estate sale and stops. That's where she meets said hunky Marine, Matt Ryan. His parents have died and he's left with their house full of "stuff" (Mom was a bit of a collector with plans to remodel the house) and instead of hiring an expert to liquidate the holdings, he's doing it himself - <i>and a terrible job of it</i>. Chelly tells him he's underselling stuff and before you know it - bingo bango she's staying in his pool house, takes on liquidating his parents' stuff, and will help him remodel the house to put on the market. He gets the help he obviously needs and Chelly gets a leg up in starting her own business.</p><p>On the surface this story is fine. Unfortunately it takes enough wrong turns that ultimately sink any hope I might have had for a solid category romance. Look, I get that the police do not have the best track record with domestic situations but Chelly doesn't even take a whiff near the cops about the obsessive ex. She just <i>runs</i>. In fact that's her solution to every problem life throws her way - she runs. Yeah, she's one of <i>those</i> heroines. Then there's the fact that she's a hot mess and our frickin' Lieutenant Colonel hero just offers her the keys to the kingdom even though he acknowledges she's a hot mess. She's flighty and artistic, he's so uptight he probably starches his underwear. The conflict in the story centers entirely around their inability to communicate with each other and assuming the worst. </p><p>Is this the worst category romance I've ever read? Absolutely not. Is it pretty ho-hum? Yes.</p><p><b>Final Grade = C</b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmVA82339ILLB9-XzPKwL7hFUSWfC8nOUEFtUhV_W1_DsjvXmRh619uTy6uWX3wGjBbYZT7wGIVMXgLoLu3WnReHOnjSH6PcKkjLrOJgu_Agl8cv0ujVIpWXQP5KQFtxXH8NPPc8zNHUlCCUNE4IWBpmiUWlwfjh9vuXRy8GCgODuW4-vvwWFkf-Exs3Hw/s466/9144SuTHdHL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmVA82339ILLB9-XzPKwL7hFUSWfC8nOUEFtUhV_W1_DsjvXmRh619uTy6uWX3wGjBbYZT7wGIVMXgLoLu3WnReHOnjSH6PcKkjLrOJgu_Agl8cv0ujVIpWXQP5KQFtxXH8NPPc8zNHUlCCUNE4IWBpmiUWlwfjh9vuXRy8GCgODuW4-vvwWFkf-Exs3Hw/w134-h200/9144SuTHdHL._SY466_.jpg" width="134" /></a></b></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3tYLiBv" target="_blank">Dead Dead Girls</a></b> by <a href="https://www.nekesaafia.com/" target="_blank">Nekesa Afia</a> was a debut historical mystery that I was pretty intrigued by when I downloaded the ARC in 2021 - and well, here we are. And of course I was intrigued! It's set in the 1920s during the Harlem Renaissance! What's not to love about that concept? Unfortunately, while I found the heroine intriguing, I was let down by the pacing and writing.<p></p><p>It's 1926 and young Black women are turning up dead in Harlem. Their bodies are being dumped in front of Maggie's Cafe, where Louise Lloyd works as a waitress and where the dead girls all worked in the not-so-secret speakeasy run by the proprietor's son <i>ahem</i> serving the customers more than bootleg liquor if you catch my drift. Ten years earlier Louise escaped the clutches of a kidnapper and rescued captive girls in the process. She was dubbed the "Hero of Harlem" - notoriety she's been running from since and that helped lead to her estrangement with her father. Through a series of happenstance (OK, it's Louise's temper getting the better of her) she ends up in the cross hairs of the cops - and the lead detective on the dead girls' case says they won't press charges on one condition - she has to help them. Frankly Louise can get into places, talk to people, that the white cops cannot.</p><p>What I liked best about this book was Louise as a character - she had depth and contradictions that I found intriguing. Her estrangement from her father, her relationship with her three sisters, her relationship with her girlfriend. The author really embraced the era and setting and it's also a book that is unapologetically queer. </p><p>Unfortunately the pacing is a mess. Most reviews cite a slow beginning, but I was more bored with the final 1/3 of the story - which by then our "bad guy" has been unmasked and the whole thing slogs on until I literally noticed there was less than 5% left and we were rushed to the final showdown. The transitions between chapters were also a problem which didn't do the pacing any favors. To give one example: in the final chapters of the story Louise breaks into an apartment and finds a secret compartment. Then the chapter ends. One would think that at the start of the next chapter would be Louise still in the apartment revealing what she found, right? Nope. It's a completely different scene - we have no idea how Louise got out of the apartment undetected, and what was in the secret compartment isn't revealed until several pages into the next chapter. </p><p>Nothing about the pacing of this story was smooth and while I liked the story for the most part, I was just ready for it to be over by the time I got to 60%. I will say this though, the author wasn't afraid to "go there" and kill her darlings. There's a shocking turn towards the end that actually made me gasp in a <i>"Oh wow, I can't believe she did that..."</i> sort of way.</p><p>Will I read the next book in the series? Jury still out but it's looking doubtful. Frankly I found Louise's lover a little annoying and it seems like she plays a more prominent role in Book 2. Maybe? But honestly, I'm feeling kinda meh about the idea at the moment...</p><p><b>Final Grade = C+</b></p>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485867264936716806noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350052669699480502.post-68164986417850070532024-01-17T05:30:00.000-08:002024-01-17T05:30:00.128-08:00#TBRChallenge 2024: The Boy Is Back<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/47SaQhH" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="The Boy Is Back Book Cover" border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="310" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgacel571DKnZf7AgWcv8EN7pmqIJ4UNCX37-Eh4P1K0gh8guyAFxpJisXkksJABBAeYSqveV43gKxrm1iHYY15A-sciKUoQ0BgM0Kr-wPmsrJ5waZFfgNPt5-NoDBFEJKrfFDO89lCOqlN4m_s-FN6jmW7fbuEMbQZeQuawWd-hnhSXZU1sQcP5YeyKAE4/w213-h320/81RPjyPNelL._SY466_.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><b>The Book</b>: <b><a href="https://amzn.to/41XjXfz" target="_blank">The Boy Is Back</a></b> by <a href="https://megcabot.com/" target="_blank">Meg Cabot</a><div><br /></div><div><b>The Particulars</b>: Contemporary Women's Fiction / Romance Adjacent, Book 4 in the <i>Boy</i> series, In Print, 2016</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?</b>: I'm a fan of Cabot's YA <i>Princess Diaries</i> series and I snagged a copy of this ARC from work. Yes, I'm <b><i>aware</i></b> the book came out in 2016. Anyway, the ARC has been in my TBR all this time and it fit perfectly with this month's <b>Once More With Feeling</b> theme, so here we are.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>The Review</b>: A couple of things right out of the gate - while this is book four in a series, the series seems <i>very</i> loosely connected. I have not read the previous <i>Boy</i> books and did just fine reading this one as a stand-alone. Also, remember when books with illustrated covers <b><u>actually meant</u></b> "romantic comedy?" This one definitely takes some broad strokes and while aspects of the story weren't always "funny" to me (more on that in a bit) - it was an enjoyable reading experience once I reminded myself to not take it so bloody seriously.</div><div><br /></div><div>Reed Stewart is a golf pro whose game has been on the skids and now he's summoned back home to Bloomville, Indiana - a place he left 10 years ago and never looked back from. His parents, who disowned him and threw him out on his ear, are in serious hot water. They tried to pay for a dinner at a local casual dining establishment (think Applebee's) with a postage stamp they told the waitress was worth $100. Yeah, turns out it was only worth $4, the cops were called, and charges have been pressed. This is just the latest in a series of incidents with his parents. Feral cats setting up camp around their home, out of control "collecting" turned to hording, and turns out...they're broke. <i>Flat broke</i>. His older sister, Trimble, has washed her hands of them and basically tells the middle brother, Marshall, and his wife, Carly, that it's their problem now - hence begging Reed to come home after a 10 year exile. If nothing else they need his help financially to sort out the mess.</div><div><br /></div><div>The fly in the ointment? The girl Reed left behind, Becky Flowers. The night Reed's father disowned him happened to be their prom night. Teenage drinking, a golf cart, and a country club swimming pool later - Becky has a dislocated shoulder, Reed hightails it out of town, and she never hears from him again. Now running her father's moving company, Becky specializes in helping seniors downsize and get their affairs in order - which is how she enters back into Reed's orbit. His sister-in-law, Carly, hires Becky to help sort out the mess with his parents. She is also dating the owner of the local wine and cheese shop, although it's a relationship on life support by the time Reed blows back into town.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is a epistolary retelling of Austen's <i>Persuasion</i>, with the story told through emails, text messages, and group chats. It works surprisingly well and was compulsively readable. I tore through the majority of the book in a couple hours one evening.</div><div><br /></div><div>What doesn't work as well? There are uncomfortable underpinnings to the humor. The situation that Reed's parents are in is not a laughing matter, but is played that way through the tone and some light wackiness. It's a little squirm-inducing at times. Also some of the humor is aging <i>rapidly </i>- like Reed's niece who is obsessed with wearing her <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Massasoit" target="_blank">Chief Massasoit</a> costume (although there's some funny bits about parenting and cultural appropriation during those scenes). Again, the only way this really works is if you <b>don't take it seriously</b>, which is generally easier for me to do with a Cabot novel because she tends to keep her tone so light and frothy.</div><div><br /></div><div>While there is a second chance romance in this book, there's also a fair number of secondary characters and it takes a while for Reed and Becky to cross each others' paths again. Also, while it was FANTASTIC that Becky and Reed pay lip service to 10 years being a long time, they're not kids anymore, they've both grown up, yada yada yada - they still are incredibly hung up on each other and fall right back into a relationship without too much heavy lifting. It's all right as rain in the end without the reader seeing any real "work" for the two characters to get there.</div><div><br /></div><div>Is this a good book I would recommend? Well, it depends. I certainly had issues with it, but it kept me entertained and it hit my brain candy sweet spot. I don't have a burning desire to necessarily go back and read the other books in this series, but I also don't regret reading this one - if that makes any sense whatsoever. I had a good time reading it even with the quibbles, even though it didn't change my life. Oh, and I liked the ending. The resolution to what's been going on with Reed's parents and how Reed and Becky address their new relationship (he's in California, she's in Indiana). He's not doing all the taking and she ain't doing all the giving. That was good enough for me.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Final Grade = B-</b></div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485867264936716806noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350052669699480502.post-11862445204784198952024-01-15T07:00:00.000-08:002024-01-15T07:00:00.137-08:00Pop the Champagne: A Bonanza of Unusual Historicals for January 2024The first Unusual Historicals post for 2024 is an embarrassment of riches. Can I guarantee all of these will be winners? No. But hot damn, we're spoiled for choice this month. Without further ado, or more unnecessary preamble, happy browsing! And Dear Lord, do not send me all y'alls credit card bills.<div><br /><div><p><b><a href="https://amzn.to/4aVPFh5" target="_blank"></a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFHQpli1CpTSKFI9we7uSpQdzL5AgXC1vplm2sAb1xDMJ6LuiG6Bu7roHl527uCOnWH4k3aKsMNg7rh-FLq6Fra-ddoI-zo5CMah7m9GfQcAe1Q6vFeoF_83XOOvJV-63JZ3ILACHIf1yBK8n0niTw8E3eP2qEdkWkxI-i8zkZwad5DbjK7r8OcJVJJOa/s466/91EGA1Vp0JL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="296" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFHQpli1CpTSKFI9we7uSpQdzL5AgXC1vplm2sAb1xDMJ6LuiG6Bu7roHl527uCOnWH4k3aKsMNg7rh-FLq6Fra-ddoI-zo5CMah7m9GfQcAe1Q6vFeoF_83XOOvJV-63JZ3ILACHIf1yBK8n0niTw8E3eP2qEdkWkxI-i8zkZwad5DbjK7r8OcJVJJOa/w127-h200/91EGA1Vp0JL._SY466_.jpg" width="127" /></a></b></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3tUr8bM" target="_blank">Liaison with the Champagne Count</a></b> by <a href="https://www.harlequin.com/shop/authors/23977_bronwyn-scott.html" target="_blank">Bronwyn Scott</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>In a picturesque French château…</p><p>A battle of wills is about to ignite!</p><p>Julien Archambeau, Comte de Rocroi, has dedicated his life to reclaiming his family’s lands. Only Lady Emma Greyville-Luce now stands in his way. The British heiress is the new owner of the vineyard that’s the final piece of his plan. Much to Julien’s frustration, Emma won’t relinquish what’s now hers, and soon it’s not just champagne corks that start to fly, but sparks…of desire! </p></blockquote><p> </p><p></p><p>This is the first book in Scott's <i>Enterprising Widows</i> series and y'all it is chock-full of Unusual Historical catnip! Victorian era set, each book in the trilogy follows a widow rebuilding her life after losing their husbands in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holmfirth_floods" target="_blank">1852 Holmfirth Flood</a>. In Book One, the hero wants to reclaim his ancestral lands, only to have a British widow standing in his way. It's France post-Revolution, post-Napoleon, set against the backdrop of the champagne industry. I'm really looking forward to this whole series!</p><p><br /></p><p><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3vJxHhG" target="_blank"></a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkhEJ-QnIlI6u5zS7f3iGojF76H-_ilFt9iFXA2mwdB5VWyJwNQLF38jV2xi08wgfwPx1KLHu3incBuBCsMygZhASvXICz6LdScwIUUFUBQQukGRuJAYVXx06X0Uxx4u_w9zLBopBP2VJ0UvsKZsGyRqs5OQLtkFluE2c9JVNv8J1Cmn0UY1WC1dBWmKl/s466/81chEdsLtnL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkhEJ-QnIlI6u5zS7f3iGojF76H-_ilFt9iFXA2mwdB5VWyJwNQLF38jV2xi08wgfwPx1KLHu3incBuBCsMygZhASvXICz6LdScwIUUFUBQQukGRuJAYVXx06X0Uxx4u_w9zLBopBP2VJ0UvsKZsGyRqs5OQLtkFluE2c9JVNv8J1Cmn0UY1WC1dBWmKl/w134-h200/81chEdsLtnL._SY466_.jpg" width="134" /></a></b></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/48zSQtk" target="_blank">The Mayor of Maxwell Street</a></b> by <a href="https://www.averycunninghamauthor.com/" target="_blank">Avery Cunningham</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>The year is 1921, and America is burning. A fire of vice and virtue rages on every shore, and Chicago is its beating heart.</p><p>Nelly Sawyer is the daughter of the “wealthiest Negro in America,” whose affluence catapulted his family to the heights of Black society. After the unexpected death of her only brother, Nelly becomes the premier debutante overnight. But Nelly has aspirations beyond society influence and marriage. For the past year, she has worked undercover as an investigative journalist, sharing the achievements and tribulations of everyday Black people living in the shadow of Jim Crow. Her latest assignment thrusts her into the den of a dangerous vice lord: the so-called Mayor of Maxwell Street.</p><p>Born in rural Alabama to a murdered biracial couple, Jay Shorey knows firsthand what it means to be denied a chance at the American dream. When a tragic turn of fate gave Jay a rare path out, he took it without question. He washed up on Chicago’s storied shores and forged his own way to the top of the city’s underworld, running Chicago's swankiest speakeasy, where the rich and famous rub elbows with gangsters and politicians alike.</p><p>When Nelly’s and Jay’s paths cross, she recruits him to help expose the Mayor and bring about lasting change in a corrupt city. But Jay also introduces a whole new world to Nelly, one where her horizons can extend beyond the confines of her ivory tower. Trapped between the monolith of Jim Crow, the inflexible world of the Black upper class, and the violence of Prohibition-era Chicago, Jay and Nelly work together and stoke the flames of a love worth fighting for.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>This debut is published by Disney's Hyperion Avenue imprint (<i>"commercial fiction and nonfiction for adults"</i>) which is to say that this book <i>might</i> be more historical fiction / romance adjacent than genre romance - but honestly y'all, <i>I don't care</i>. Chicago! Prohibition! A debutante turned investigative journalist! A speakeasy owner! This sounds fantastic!</p><p><br /></p><p><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3SfMwSe" target="_blank"></a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqq4MmrkD0Zplc4Pkt4DEZbFBiQqCtgkJi1FDzkIA1pzeQH5K23T-4xsRTEMDDUATS23bpFxoL-VQMBvFHaoIrDLRHBTm4wcJJ_dOeI94rLqu6x0QEJmenpsvVk1HxWJjYcI3kDZo92z-U8l-gaKUMNV9Is815IlPQmwSXqMVn6RTGRX9ofQS1_jikWvMq/s445/51Be2Ug4rgL._SY445_SX342_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="296" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqq4MmrkD0Zplc4Pkt4DEZbFBiQqCtgkJi1FDzkIA1pzeQH5K23T-4xsRTEMDDUATS23bpFxoL-VQMBvFHaoIrDLRHBTm4wcJJ_dOeI94rLqu6x0QEJmenpsvVk1HxWJjYcI3kDZo92z-U8l-gaKUMNV9Is815IlPQmwSXqMVn6RTGRX9ofQS1_jikWvMq/w133-h200/51Be2Ug4rgL._SY445_SX342_.jpg" width="133" /></a></b></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3U13C7B" target="_blank">Seduction at the Chateau</a></b> by <a href="https://www.dragonbladepublishing.com/team/delphine-roy/" target="_blank">Delphine Roy</a> (<i><span style="color: red;">Kindle Unlimited</span></i>)<p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>A wicked game of seduction turns into insatiable desire.</p><p>The last surviving member of his family after the Revolution, Guy de Cazal leads a life of decadent pleasure in Paris. But his past catches up with him when he agrees to a wicked wager with a notorious beauty—she will take him as a lover if he can seduce the innocent young lady his parents intended him to marry many years before.</p><p>Antonia Saint Yves dreams of overcoming her reserved nature and leaving the family nest before she well and truly becomes the spinster aunt. An invitation to attend a fashionable house party seems like the perfect opportunity, until she comes face to face with Guy, the object of her adolescent infatuation. Guy never even looked her way when she was a shy, awkward girl, but now the heat in his gaze is unmistakable... and impossible to resist.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>A hero who lost his entire family in the Revolution enters into a wicked wager to seduce an innocent only to have the tables turned on him. Complicating matters? The innocent was, at one point, the young woman his parents wanted him to marry. Another book set in France.</p><p><br /></p><p><b><a href="https://amzn.to/48ChOID" target="_blank"></a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3hcbXbfXA2O_aeA5OSPguQROSwtyDKoROTHQEMu35wWpWGh1bI1v74QKwBiTDRo7uSz88oX1v4zj4t-sFrygnD3lHiUd6AnIIwYV3QIWJvJE2XP4CCVmptyAGo67r07BCHkzFosfjavy6l83bHdinPFWoNgeas9WcJrX8wo8OF4-9pDYZYF3LF0d-4l1/s445/51m2PuOYaML._SY445_SX342_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="283" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3hcbXbfXA2O_aeA5OSPguQROSwtyDKoROTHQEMu35wWpWGh1bI1v74QKwBiTDRo7uSz88oX1v4zj4t-sFrygnD3lHiUd6AnIIwYV3QIWJvJE2XP4CCVmptyAGo67r07BCHkzFosfjavy6l83bHdinPFWoNgeas9WcJrX8wo8OF4-9pDYZYF3LF0d-4l1/w127-h200/51m2PuOYaML._SY445_SX342_.jpg" width="127" /></a></b></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3S1n5m9" target="_blank">A Marquis to Protect the Governess</a></b> by <a href="http://parkerjcole.com/" target="_blank">Parker J. Cole</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>Romance and scandal ignite in the Palace of Versailles…</p><p>A Cinderella governess…</p><p>With a royal secret!</p><p>Reeling from the discovery that everything she knew about her life was a lie, Isadora is forced to take up a position as a governess in the brooding Marquis de Lyonnais’s household. As she helps the marquis bond with his orphaned nephew, Isadora can’t help but be drawn to the man behind the title. But can she trust him to protect her secret…one that’s so explosive it could rock the court of King Louis XV! </p></blockquote><p></p><p>Apparently January is the month for historical romances set in France? Who knew! Cole's second book for Harlequin Historical is set in 1750, so a few years before the fun and games of the Seven Years' War. A heroine of diminished circumstances with a Big Secret, takes a governess position only to fall in love with a marquis. All this against the backdrop of Louis XV court? What could possibly go wrong?</p><p><br /></p><p><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3HjGc5R" target="_blank"></a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ9USdBn4gjThIl1ImRgiqy363H3sReiQg5AJ0BBXCiD-6lQUhJf_NeGtehVwXwi7ntCJqeTnJC35-KSh6DJ1mkW8l4HKJWNhOE94QwyOHx7-f2VFQdm2-jLDnj577pPD8ZQaUd5qly_ueOyPvBjlfJqMCqvVZWoL5wGx4DOTbuYtwk2tSjDTmJpLvQPmJ/s466/9121ZQMYx9L._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="303" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ9USdBn4gjThIl1ImRgiqy363H3sReiQg5AJ0BBXCiD-6lQUhJf_NeGtehVwXwi7ntCJqeTnJC35-KSh6DJ1mkW8l4HKJWNhOE94QwyOHx7-f2VFQdm2-jLDnj577pPD8ZQaUd5qly_ueOyPvBjlfJqMCqvVZWoL5wGx4DOTbuYtwk2tSjDTmJpLvQPmJ/w130-h200/9121ZQMYx9L._SY466_.jpg" width="130" /></a></b></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3S1nbdv" target="_blank">The Lady Thief of Belgravia</a></b> by <a href="https://www.allisongreyromance.com/" target="_blank">Allison Grey</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>London, 1879. The city’s most notorious pickpocket is about to become the jewel of high society…</p><p>Della Rose learned her trade as a pickpocket on the vice-ridden streets of the notorious Seven Dials. But when the handsome Cole Winthrop offers her a huge sum of money to steal from his arch nemesis, the nefarious Duke of Salisbury, it seems Della’s days of deceit and thievery could soon be behind her.</p><p>To do the job she must go undercover as a member of high society, learning to walk, talk, ride and flirt like a lady. Which also means pretending to be Cole’s cousin…</p><p>As an undeniable attraction grows between them, Della must fight to stay focused. Succeeding in her mission could be her ticket to a new life. And this thief won’t let the small matter of falling in love get in her way…</p></blockquote><p>A pickpocket heroine hired by our hero to steal from a Duke finds herself preparing for the job by getting schooled in the ways of being a lady. A Pygmalion story featuring a pickpocket heroine in the late Victorian era? It's enough to get me to overlook the illustrated cover. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><p><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3vw8GGR" target="_blank"></a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwbePi8jstwcB2yUpGr3ng-VwmxOfPTUgZVPBpccACYytb8wjwVqXDgzluGDotVYwoUlo4gCGxmIqDr-juhfBjVQgdZNoxRuAiNoLwJGqXWB9FdflJnBJ0MdGryToDmuOkDBPx4sV1stx26M_daYqjLOenJT7vomGKhvaYzqf5Nvvrb1kQsWsH_PQID8he/s466/81GHTzUELiL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwbePi8jstwcB2yUpGr3ng-VwmxOfPTUgZVPBpccACYytb8wjwVqXDgzluGDotVYwoUlo4gCGxmIqDr-juhfBjVQgdZNoxRuAiNoLwJGqXWB9FdflJnBJ0MdGryToDmuOkDBPx4sV1stx26M_daYqjLOenJT7vomGKhvaYzqf5Nvvrb1kQsWsH_PQID8he/w134-h200/81GHTzUELiL._SY466_.jpg" width="134" /></a></b></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3O1BSvM" target="_blank">A Rogue to Cherish</a></b> by <a href="https://www.hildiemcqueen.com/" target="_blank">Hildie McQueen</a> (<i><span style="color: red;">Kindle Unlimited</span></i>)<p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>Can he abandon a life of opulence to follow his heart to be with someone who possesses nothing but the richness of love?</p><p>Grant Murray’s extravagant lifestyle is maintained by his string of lovers. Upon an opportunity to make his own wealth, Grant uses every charm in his arsenal to convince an older lover to gift him the money. The luster of his lifestyle dulls upon meeting a beautiful woman, who although a servant, her life is richer in ways his can never be. Grant comes to the realization that he can never actually be a free man unless he breaks the ties that bind him to his extravagant lifestyle. Will he make the sacrifice?</p><p>Wren Darrow is thankful for a place to live and work as a servant at a grand estate. When a handsome gentleman pursues her, she is wary of his intentions. Although he is kind to her, she is more than aware of the difference in their stations. Just as she begins to consider his courtship, she learns the horrible truth about his lifestyle. Her shattered heart demands she walk away but what about love?</p></blockquote><p></p><p>This is a late December release I missed last month but who cares about that? OMG THE HERO IS KEPT MAN!!!!!! Captivated by a mere servant, what will happen after he falls hopelessly in love and she learns of the true nature of his lifestyle?</p><p><br /></p><p><b><a href="https://amzn.to/47vnKlf" target="_blank"></a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaiAEfgVcq8w2_ayNfy7tEtN434E9SIsVcsFz8QoCv98TbHxsBF4CBpO5jpiDvgGU2nmrA-XcC5VxFc3sPY8AxieNE5cZU_hj91wsrXyJ2-aaW92cTkhyaaMEFdBKnW9TeFrzT_qTHKPzH78ZEBuF5j_BdM6v1loKb1hLjk7vB7gwspvgoMCVY88yl4tHz/s466/915PxVF4fIL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="296" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaiAEfgVcq8w2_ayNfy7tEtN434E9SIsVcsFz8QoCv98TbHxsBF4CBpO5jpiDvgGU2nmrA-XcC5VxFc3sPY8AxieNE5cZU_hj91wsrXyJ2-aaW92cTkhyaaMEFdBKnW9TeFrzT_qTHKPzH78ZEBuF5j_BdM6v1loKb1hLjk7vB7gwspvgoMCVY88yl4tHz/w127-h200/915PxVF4fIL._SY466_.jpg" width="127" /></a></b></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3TYAs90" target="_blank">Snowed in with the Viking</a></b> by <a href="https://lucymorrisromance.com/" target="_blank">Lucy Morris</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>Stranded in the Arctic</p><p>With a lone-wolf Viking!</p><p>Lost in the remote wilderness in a snowstorm, Embla is rescued by local “Wildman” Runar and taken to his cabin—with just one bed! But as he warms her icy body with his, passion inflames them both… She’s been warned against this man her entire life—but as she realizes she could be stranded with him for weeks, it seems her only option is to trust him…and their intense attraction! </p></blockquote><p> </p><p></p><p>Morris' latest stand-alone is a Viking romance with an Artic twist. They're snowed in! Trapped in his cabin! With only one bed! And naturally he has a "reputation" that the heroine has been warned away from. This sounds fantastic and I'm sucker for survivalist storylines in romance.</p><p><br /></p><p><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3O3tuf9" target="_blank"></a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_AK3f96kbZc-hB9k-9oh4A43gRwBya4dgQdBGvNBI_kOyoHsoZK6I8p8wvkmfcUaCBKGpRdoDMaZXt7hp8s28d67l0R6Vhpcr4GmlinPbZYjcBzLkCbqIpf3lo7KQYSzPdZfbnA6xXJqmqZ03l2H4SYQn3mxc7H_gLAHaCA8Jy46-1io1hCTO06b-gaEN/s466/81t77aiOjuL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="305" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_AK3f96kbZc-hB9k-9oh4A43gRwBya4dgQdBGvNBI_kOyoHsoZK6I8p8wvkmfcUaCBKGpRdoDMaZXt7hp8s28d67l0R6Vhpcr4GmlinPbZYjcBzLkCbqIpf3lo7KQYSzPdZfbnA6xXJqmqZ03l2H4SYQn3mxc7H_gLAHaCA8Jy46-1io1hCTO06b-gaEN/w131-h200/81t77aiOjuL._SY466_.jpg" width="131" /></a></b></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3U24clG" target="_blank">Never Blow a Kiss</a></b> by <a href="https://lindsaylovise.com/" target="_blank">Lindsay Lovise</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>The utterly charming Emily Leverton has a dark past and is determined to leave it behind in her respectable new role as a governess. But when she is recruited by a secret network of governesses who spy on the ton, it may just be a way to redeem the dark secrets of her past.</p><p>Straddling the worlds of the ton and the working class, as an ex-solider turned railroad magnate, Zach hunts killers for the Metropolitan Police by day and dutifully attends balls at night. In neither world has he met a woman with the brazenness to mock him. So when a saucy governess blows him a kiss he is determined to catch her, never expecting that when he does he will find an intelligent, quirky woman hiding more than her true name. As Zach peels back the layers of Emily’s lies, he falls for the street-wise woman who handles a dagger like a pro and kisses like a mistress. But when his affair with Emily intertwines with his hunt for a killer, he discovers Emily is hiding an explosive secret—one that could destroy them both.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>Lovise's debut is the first in a new series about governesses who spy on the ton - which includes the heroine of this first book. The hero is an ex-solider (swoon) and railroad magnate (double swoon!) working for the Metropolitan Police to apprehend villains - which is how he crosses paths with the heroine.</p><p><br /></p><p><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3tT72P6" target="_blank"></a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW8iYHPT74is9cOhrJFf1TuDvhcCzMRPNN0gMVMf4IGQxiBeI8Q6lfu-jAiRMfLh7MpZ3zTA2a50USxZhgCvW7hUaYN25c-IT1cSKBOa43qo3QYEuNic9NqgchMEBOp1W90t3Bsk5Wg95MA1M9aNW3TO_GAtA51-eAVjz5xRMPCqxRiUcxXoM7hppwEvds/s466/81MdaklAcfL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW8iYHPT74is9cOhrJFf1TuDvhcCzMRPNN0gMVMf4IGQxiBeI8Q6lfu-jAiRMfLh7MpZ3zTA2a50USxZhgCvW7hUaYN25c-IT1cSKBOa43qo3QYEuNic9NqgchMEBOp1W90t3Bsk5Wg95MA1M9aNW3TO_GAtA51-eAVjz5xRMPCqxRiUcxXoM7hppwEvds/w134-h200/81MdaklAcfL._SY466_.jpg" width="134" /></a></b></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/47zqQF0" target="_blank">The Lyon's First Choice</a></b> by <a href="https://www.saraadrien.com/" target="_blank">Sara Adrien</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>Step into Harley Street’s world of medical miracles, where Dr. Phil Rosen excels in surgery but struggles to mend his broken heart. Could the Black Widow lead a brave nurse to his rescue?</p><p>Meet Nurse Shira, a woman of courage who dared to defy societal norms by choosing a career over reputation. Her journey leads her to the bustling clinic on Harley Street, where destiny intertwines her path with the dashing surgeon who saved her friend’s life. In his presence, she discovers that her passion for medicine has guided her straight into the arms of love.</p><p>In a story where the lines mustn’t be crossed between a surgeon and his nurse, Mrs. Dove-Lyon teaches a lesson on embracing taboos to find love. Join the story that unveils the drive of London’s most notorious matchmaker and witness the love match she forges like no other.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>Part of the larger connected <a href="https://www.dragonbladepublishing.com/about-the-lyons-den/" target="_blank">Lyon's Den</a> world, this is Adrien's second book to feature doctors on Harley Street. Folks, I am <i>trash</i> for nurse heroines and what we have here is a historical doctor / nurse romance and OMG get this in my eyeballs right now!</p><p><br /></p><p><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3Hgoikz" target="_blank"></a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA06y_SWtMyzUW2FNfwR-B0zLt2wUlhDYF5uuPbA3kaEHwEjV1R40p9q3CsvAsdbCWtTUtwqUF-htOh9eSi_b78BNn7OmoqihNTqqtAbtgT6C11tK2Ffmx4c-vbZrd3c4eGo_8MZcb_IoGVvYRl63oUg0tTDwEsL9xw-WiexHcOYWBK9xqW-3s7KVYfEhp/s466/81aCqMKxeNL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA06y_SWtMyzUW2FNfwR-B0zLt2wUlhDYF5uuPbA3kaEHwEjV1R40p9q3CsvAsdbCWtTUtwqUF-htOh9eSi_b78BNn7OmoqihNTqqtAbtgT6C11tK2Ffmx4c-vbZrd3c4eGo_8MZcb_IoGVvYRl63oUg0tTDwEsL9xw-WiexHcOYWBK9xqW-3s7KVYfEhp/w134-h200/81aCqMKxeNL._SY466_.jpg" width="134" /></a></b></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/48TxAP3" target="_blank">Mayfair Misfit</a></b> by <a href="https://www.jenniferseasonsauthor.com/" target="_blank">Jennifer Seasons</a> (<i><span style="color: red;">Kindle Unlimited</span></i>)<p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>A cold heart meets blazing passion . . . can it be love?</p><p>Stifled by the rigid confines of Mayfair society, Lady Carenza Castlebury lives a secret life. One full of passion and color in the heart of London’s rookery, where she sings in a tavern as the infamous Masked Meadowlark. Coveted by many, claimed by none, Carenza refuses to conform to a life dictated to her by her controlling father, the powerful Earl of Castlebury. She will run away from his every attempt to quell her freedom, regardless of what her father believes—and regardless of any man he sends to bring her home. Or so she thinks, until she encounters the one man who stops her—and her heart—dead in her tracks.</p><p>Commoner Damon Crowe has made a lucrative living digging through the secrets of the rich and titled. In the recovery business, Damon thinks nothing of assisting the Earl of Castlebury in retrieving his spoiled daughter from her covert nighttime escapades before her ruse is discovered. Damon sees only a hefty payout on an easy assignment. Truly, how big a problem can one nobleman’s bored and pampered daughter be?</p><p>Turns out, she’s a rather large one. But when Carenza’s brazen nature puts her directly into the path of the Revivalists—a group of murdering noblemen rampaging London—Damon can no longer deny his feelings for the passionate hellion.</p></blockquote><p>A Lady with a desire to preform, hemmed in by societal restrictions falls for a private investigator-like hero hired by her Daddy to bring her to heel. Oh these historical romance fathers, will they <i>never</i> learn? </p><p> </p><p></p><p><b><a href="https://amzn.to/47Aecpj" target="_blank"></a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcrhpVXf17V4_atjyozdjPlaeXq45JKIyMpbFfj34Bpkb9gGjMtFp9DEbVeMnI-MG2AKiqiJI53sAdCnJ5urajIiYzPzuV4zImv1nOvQIzJe35SyzmKX_namcRCqq9u4nwanIxFT01MB-GkSeYns8i9ZcNNaEG9bADirZb-RQ0VoQbaM6p9c1KvrvStcfu/s466/81pPeD4gTlL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="285" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcrhpVXf17V4_atjyozdjPlaeXq45JKIyMpbFfj34Bpkb9gGjMtFp9DEbVeMnI-MG2AKiqiJI53sAdCnJ5urajIiYzPzuV4zImv1nOvQIzJe35SyzmKX_namcRCqq9u4nwanIxFT01MB-GkSeYns8i9ZcNNaEG9bADirZb-RQ0VoQbaM6p9c1KvrvStcfu/w123-h200/81pPeD4gTlL._SY466_.jpg" width="123" /></a></b></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/47z5I1M" target="_blank">It Takes a Rake</a></b> by <a href="https://annabennettauthor.com/" target="_blank">Anna Bennett</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>She’s about to face her biggest challenge yet…</p><p>Since she was a girl, Miss Kitty Beckett has been adept at finding trouble: sneaking brandy, running away, and getting under the skin of the boy who, like her, was an apprentice to an architect. Now Kitty’s a talented heiress who can take a dry building plan and breathe life into it with her pencils and paints. Also? She can spot a rake at a hundred yards—and she won’t be tricked or charmed into marriage. Certainly not by a man who might interfere with her dreams. When Bellehaven Bay announces its first ever architectural design contest, she vows to win—with a little help from her childhood rival.</p><p>Turning her buttoned-up nemesis into a certified rake.</p><p>Leo Lockland, a hardworking architect with a gift for numbers, has returned home after a few years in London, and he has secrets. The biggest? He’s been in love with Kitty since they were both apprentices. She refuses to give her heart to any man, but Leo’s determined to beat the odds—even if it means learning how to be a rake. Fortunately, Kitty’s willing to tutor him in the nuances of fashion, flirtation, and seduction in exchange for his help with the contest. But the whole plan would fall apart if she knew how he felt, so he’ll have to be very convincing.</p><p>Let the lessons begin…</p><p>Leo proves to be a surprisingly quick study in the ballroom, on the beach, and in the bedchamber. Before long, he’s softening Kitty’s hard edges with his wicked words and kissing his way past all her defenses. Perhaps she’s a bit too skilled at teaching, because her lessons are threatening to backfire, putting her closely guarded heart in grave danger…</p></blockquote><p>The third book in Bennett's <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3O7ikpN" target="_blank">Rogues to Lovers</a></i> series gives us our second Pygmalion theme of the month, but this one is a role reversal with the hero (carrying a torch for the heroine, because <i>of course</i> he is...) getting made over in all the ways of rakedom. Oh and just a small minor detail that THEY'RE BOTH ARCHITECTS OMG! </p><p><br /></p><p></p><p><b><a href="https://amzn.to/48uHUNJ" target="_blank"></a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRKh_Lff2U1KSKzV7Jxi0cqJT0DojkonhCwLM9rpto7awhS8o9iVful5jVq6sXdhN1CWXsYN8U_MxX_UGmmUwnyrT7KQzisQmYwLbADCTOD93guxoEOOD-lE3Dw1oT452DThtbl7WDFdi_3CFAya0hw1Qs-LKhyEsjssysovrWGLm0iZcSLCDoqDdap7Fs/s445/51wErLcMRHL._SY445_SX342_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="287" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRKh_Lff2U1KSKzV7Jxi0cqJT0DojkonhCwLM9rpto7awhS8o9iVful5jVq6sXdhN1CWXsYN8U_MxX_UGmmUwnyrT7KQzisQmYwLbADCTOD93guxoEOOD-lE3Dw1oT452DThtbl7WDFdi_3CFAya0hw1Qs-LKhyEsjssysovrWGLm0iZcSLCDoqDdap7Fs/w129-h200/51wErLcMRHL._SY445_SX342_.jpg" width="129" /></a></b></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/4aZOL3t" target="_blank">Protecting Her Heart</a></b> by <a href="https://shadowmountain.com/author-book/nancy-campbell-allen/" target="_blank">Nancy Campbell Allen</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>When newly graduated medical doctor Charlotte Duvall receives word that her father has died, she immediately leaves America and returns home to see to her family’s estate. Among her father’s possessions is a box of her late mother’s letters, which feels like a balm to Charlotte’s grief-stricken heart. But the letters contain some inconsistencies that suggest there was more to her mother’s death than Charlotte had been told. She turns to the one man she trusts more than anyone—her treasured friend and director of London’s police force, John Ellis.</p><p>John Ellis has harbored feelings for Charlotte ever since he first met her. Tucked into his heart are thoughts of her sharp mind, quick wit, and remarkable beauty. Though he has not yet found the courage to share his feelings with the young doctor, he is eager to help her in her hour of need.</p><p>Investigating the details of a death was not how Charlotte imagined she would find love, but as she and John work to unravel a dark web of secrets and lies, she finds herself relying on him more and more—and opening her heart to him in the process.</p><p>As the danger draws ever closer, John vows to do everything in his power to protect Charlotte from harm. But he fears protecting her heart might come at the cost of breaking his own.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>A doctor heroine comes home only to stumble across family secrets. To solve the mystery, she needs to investigate her mother's death and for that she needs the hero's help, a man who is carrying a torch for her (because <i>of course</i> he is...). This is late Victorian, and published by Shadow Mountain Publishing, so readers should <u>expect</u> <b>chaste and/or just kisses</b>. </p><p><br /></p><p><b><a href="https://amzn.to/4b6UsN4" target="_blank"></a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHwhnzWfkhuD2xe9TBTDAU_S1CS2tMSA9xvV5Yf5HX0gXGRscN3_NZq8MDBsp9xNdfPOop7IKTgZ-6X2deHScs2aVWBE38jCs1pfFg4n_hN22cP0mARXNDhk5MR7OMrooMIbR4AEiFOYFGtDVLzcIqgV6fLuYNQoMVfe1ec8AYBjuDzCJOUyig9v2LbY5d/s466/81veL1lL34L._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="305" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHwhnzWfkhuD2xe9TBTDAU_S1CS2tMSA9xvV5Yf5HX0gXGRscN3_NZq8MDBsp9xNdfPOop7IKTgZ-6X2deHScs2aVWBE38jCs1pfFg4n_hN22cP0mARXNDhk5MR7OMrooMIbR4AEiFOYFGtDVLzcIqgV6fLuYNQoMVfe1ec8AYBjuDzCJOUyig9v2LbY5d/w131-h200/81veL1lL34L._SY466_.jpg" width="131" /></a></b></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/4aXJGIU" target="_blank">Crossing the Bridge</a></b> by <a href="https://nmcunningham.com/" target="_blank">Nancy Cunningham</a><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>Can two wounded hearts find peace in a time of war?</p><p>1944. Widow Poppy Guilford is fighting to save her farm, the one thing tethering her to her husband - and the legacy promised for their young son. But a devastating secret from her husband's past threatens to derail her struggle to save the property and keep her son by her side.</p><p>Former soldier JB Beaton's wartime injuries and personal losses have left him with scars, both inside and out. Believing he's too damaged to be the father his son deserves, he leaves him with his sister and takes on a job as a farmhand, far away from the city and his failures.</p><p>Poppy, battling the elements and the heartache of her husband's secret, finds the new farmhand is never far from her thoughts, and JB's world is thrown into disarray by one of the most beautiful and capable women he has ever met. Neither can battle the surge of attraction they both feel.</p><p>In a small town where gossip reigns, will they surrender to duty or follow their hearts?</p></blockquote><p>This debut novel from Australian author Cunningham has garnered a few awards Down Under - including the Romance Writers of Australia Valerie Parv Award (for unpublished manuscripts). A former soldier who abandons his son to the care of his sister (oof!) and accepts a job on the widowed heroine's farm. This sounds right in my wheelhouse.</p><p>Whew! I feel the need to suddenly go lie down. What a way to kick off the new year! <b>What Unusual Historicals are you looking forward to in the new year?</b></p><p></p></div></div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485867264936716806noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350052669699480502.post-60197638812623571492024-01-12T06:00:00.000-08:002024-01-12T06:00:00.134-08:00Reminder: #TBRChallenge Day is January 17<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrbIq1qOMZNKyS-ZXel12CsOFkJmrUaw7-BGfMMuZvLymsc3hkqrVVEk2h8U8hcbLBH4s5umKoSA5pP_bXXkR3OMAljt7Z5yGpmR_BOEUkPgZ6Bdh5vwK4PkDSI0GVJIqMHZgffHMW3Aok0aI0TdPaByw6JxP97Fy6TaePdiWEkUX3CWQ0x22Kq2OzCkG/s1920/Green%20Simple%20Illustrative%20Shopping%20List%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="TBR Challenge 2024" border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrbIq1qOMZNKyS-ZXel12CsOFkJmrUaw7-BGfMMuZvLymsc3hkqrVVEk2h8U8hcbLBH4s5umKoSA5pP_bXXkR3OMAljt7Z5yGpmR_BOEUkPgZ6Bdh5vwK4PkDSI0GVJIqMHZgffHMW3Aok0aI0TdPaByw6JxP97Fy6TaePdiWEkUX3CWQ0x22Kq2OzCkG/w360-h640/Green%20Simple%20Illustrative%20Shopping%20List%20(1).png" width="360" /></a></div><br /><br /><div>Here we are and happy 2024! A new year means a new #TBRChallenge and we're kicking things off on <span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;">Wednesday, January 17. </span><span>This month's (always) optional theme is</span><span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Once More With Feeling</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">.</span></span><p>This suggestion came from the (now) annual theme poll I open up and I think it's perfect for the first month of a new year. With this theme my mind drifted to second chance or redemption themes so popular in romance. Reunion romances, a main character returning to their hometown or moving to a new city, maybe taking a new job or changing careers - this month's theme really leans into the concept of "starting over." </p><p>That being said, remember that the themes <i>are</i> completely optional. The goal of the challenge has been, and always will be, to read something (anything!) that's been languishing in your mountain range of unread books. </p><p>It is certainly not too late to join the Challenge (to be honest it's <i>never</i> too late). You can get more details <i>and</i> get links to the current list of participants on the <b><a href="https://wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com/p/tbrchallenge-2024.html" target="_blank">#TBRChallenge 2024 Information Page</a></b>. </p></div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485867264936716806noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350052669699480502.post-13927763022613667092024-01-05T06:00:00.000-08:002024-01-05T06:00:00.139-08:00Review: There Should Have Been Eight<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/47lK8NQ" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="346" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl3COpDZRneT4SeWBJ0syYBhiHpiEWgFAahmHhnTjEHKE-dbhsIec-bZAWacjToopoKiFmsBEWxJquHfSD_25mMBWZkayOibjjYYR55qCu-szrTvA8_hJhyphenhyphen5y08KxYAuw_ZrdcKWJ-aAvQiQ7BlMR6YrwrvA0D6XnQGtRtlftL7IXlyPrsxrtV4B10Rf8e/s320/Singh_.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>While some of y'all count down the days for a new <a href="https://nalinisingh.com/" target="_blank">Nalini Singh</a> paranormal release, I'm over here wishing she wrote more suspense novels. Two years after her last suspense release, she drops <b><a href="https://amzn.to/47lK8NQ" target="_blank">There Should Have Been Eight</a></b>, and what has become apparent to me with this third stand-alone suspense title is that Singh writes what I call <b>slow burn</b> suspense - and that it's by design.<p></p><p>They were a group of eight friends who grew up together, continued to live in each others' pockets through college, when the suicide of the group's bright light sent them scattering into the wind. Now, nine years later, they've agreed to come back together for a reunion. Luna, who makes her living as a photographer, agrees to go, despite a devastating health diagnosis she hasn't told her friends about (she's going blind thanks to a genetic condition) and she's still angry that Darcie had her sister, Bea, cremated. No funeral. No chance for any of the friends to say goodbye. </p><p>Darcie is now married to Ash, who once upon a time was desperately in love with her sister Bea. There's Luna's best friend, Vansi, a nurse, and her husband, Phoenix, a doctor. Kaea is the playboy of the bunch, now a successful lawyer and then there's Aaron, who's dream it is to open his own restaurant, and his fiancée, Grace - a newcomer that Luna will be meeting for the first time. They agree to come together in a remote manor owned now solely by Darcie, the rest of her family now gone. The manor comes complete with breathtaking views, isolation, secret passages, a burned out wing thanks to a mentally ill ancestor, oh and impending bad weather. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?</p><p>Turns out, quite a bit. However it takes some time to happen. It starts with creepy pranks, someone leaving Bea's childhood doll for Darcie to find, then moves into suspicious accident territory, until finally someone ends up dead. This book, while similar to Singh's two previous suspense novels in some ways, has one important difference - this one is actually more claustrophobic. Instead of a small town or upscale cul-de-sac, Singh leans all in on Gothic with this book isolating the action to this group of eight people, the memory of Bea (who casts a long shadow), and a creepy house. The story is told exclusively from Luna's point of view. Luna, always documenting with her camera. Luna, slowly going blind and incandescently angry with Darcie that she was robbed of saying goodbye to Bea. Her special, precious Bea. </p><p>When I say this is a slow burn, I mean it. It takes a while for the action to come in and Singh focuses on building the Gothic atmosphere and tension. And naturally, Darcie's ancestors, the previous owners of the manor, come into play as Luna tries to unravel what's exactly happening. The world-building is evocative and extremely well done. </p><p>That said, I wasn't in love with this as much as Singh's previous suspense novels. The twists didn't work quite as well for me and to be honest, I disliked most of these people. There's also events and choices made at the end of the story that just left me with a slight deflated feeling. Like the one person that I didn't totally hate, I'm not sure I like all that much anymore? If that makes any sense.</p><p>However, what is done well is the overall theme of this story - that of obsession. This isn't a story about friendship or even love. Nope, it's obsession all day long and twice and Sunday. And naturally Bea is at the center of it all. </p><p>I'm left slightly conflicted. This didn't work as well for me as Singh's other suspense novels, but there's still bits to admire here. The Gothic atmosphere, the world-building, and how obsession runs through the story - but I never entirely got wrapped up in it. In some ways it felt too cool, remote, almost distant. Like looking through the lens of Luna's camera - which I suspect might have been the point.</p><p><b>Final Grade = B-</b></p>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485867264936716806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350052669699480502.post-26551544301568345152024-01-01T07:00:00.000-08:002024-01-01T07:00:00.139-08:00Reading Year in Review 2023<p>2023 is dead. I would say long live - but let's be honest, it's a year I think a number of us would like to put behind us. I spent a good chunk of 2023 just wanting to crawl into bed and stay there - mainly because my ability to compartmentalize took a long walk off a short pier. I also completely threw over my health and well-being - so 2024 will be the year I knuckle down, make long overdue doctor's appointments and get serious about better habits. All this adds up to a rather rocky reading year, as it was difficult for me to sustain any real momentum. My goal every year is to get through 100 books and well, I got to <b>81</b> in 2023. Not great, but not a dumpster fire either. Here are how the grades broke down:</p><div><b>A</b> Grades = 5</div><div><b>B</b> Grades = 35</div><div><b>C</b> Grades = 25</div><div><b>D</b> Grades = 10</div><div><b>F</b> Grades = 0</div><div><b>DNF</b> = 6</div><div><br /></div><div>Even though I read fewer books this year than last, I'm happier with my grade spread this year. My A grades were low (honestly, they're <i>always</i> low...) but for the first time in 2 years my B and C grades are not in a dead heat! My D grades were down and I didn't have a single F grade. Deciding to take a break from contest judging paid dividends. </div><div><br /></div><div>I am perpetually behind on my reading, so a reminder that my Best Of 2023 list features titles I <i>read</i> in 2023. Publication dates vary. Now, on to the books!</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="color: red;">Title links take you to full reviews</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMntwZQxvY9fqdrsuI-UkQRD8PzSjWabIsW6ZAw32W2j9EA9ZlFlh_pjV6_5F0ajjrbE2s0Dp-lw2f_CVa4JONF1lAlIMmhPG6hT6o1eFAujawi76LiQNTeW17Mulo27ECEI9H7s04QQfslvshSEvLBAzfQBJ8PVFfgMXLZseONZBQT-02OIfd43NInsgJ/s1640/Best%20of%202023.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMntwZQxvY9fqdrsuI-UkQRD8PzSjWabIsW6ZAw32W2j9EA9ZlFlh_pjV6_5F0ajjrbE2s0Dp-lw2f_CVa4JONF1lAlIMmhPG6hT6o1eFAujawi76LiQNTeW17Mulo27ECEI9H7s04QQfslvshSEvLBAzfQBJ8PVFfgMXLZseONZBQT-02OIfd43NInsgJ/w400-h225/Best%20of%202023.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><b><a href="https://wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com/2023/01/tbrchallenge-review-meant-to-be-family.html" target="_blank">Meant-To-Be Family</a></b> by Marion Lennox (Contemporary category romance, 2015) - A heartbreaking second chance gem from Lennox who infuses tragic realism (infertility, death of a child) to spin a hard-fought emotionally satisfying happy-ever-after. I was rung out in the best possible way when I finished the last sentence.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="https://wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com/2023/04/library-loot-review-little-wartime.html" target="_blank">The Little Wartime Library</a></b> by Kate Thompson (Historical fiction, 2023) - Yes, we <i>really</i> did need <i>another </i>World War II historical fiction novel. Thompson mines the true story of the Bethnal Green Library that operated in an unfinished tube station during the war. Two dynamite heroines, and a story that is equal parts triumph and heart-break. Oh, and did I mention both heroines get happy ever afters? Y'all know how I feel about "long" books - at over 400 pages I didn't want this one to end. <b>It's my number one with a bullet for 2023.</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="https://wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com/2023/05/review-desert-phoenix.html" target="_blank">Desert Phoenix</a></b> by Suzette Bruggeman (Historical fiction, 2023) - Based on a true story and set in a backwater Nevada mining town, a young German immigrant left for dead falls in love with a prostitute 12 years his senior. A dynamite <b>Hero In Pursuit </b>story, it needs to be read simply for how the author handles consent. It's <b><i>pure gold</i></b>. This one reminded me a lot of the sagas that were so popular in the 1970s/1980s but without many of the problematic elements those stories featured. It's a big sweeping story that I got completely lost in.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrJ3-mTxi3Xbs9fyRMujgh2oVKmIauLNTwqL8vifTTznZdmefm0tYblwOqq2pRL4Lr1aEOu8pfNAojava7r_F0babQxKvib8EAZQ234yQevWwJtuLbgbrCYI1FOUYFyuUxi6yRIhMoxiDDuqGp9su0dyL1vvpRhr0WG7KjYgyIuLLUNhLtahwtIr_oqLFe/s1640/Best%20of%202023%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrJ3-mTxi3Xbs9fyRMujgh2oVKmIauLNTwqL8vifTTznZdmefm0tYblwOqq2pRL4Lr1aEOu8pfNAojava7r_F0babQxKvib8EAZQ234yQevWwJtuLbgbrCYI1FOUYFyuUxi6yRIhMoxiDDuqGp9su0dyL1vvpRhr0WG7KjYgyIuLLUNhLtahwtIr_oqLFe/w400-h225/Best%20of%202023%20(1).png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><b><a href="https://wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com/2023/02/review-pretty-little-wife.html" target="_blank">Pretty Little Wife</a></b> and <b><a href="https://wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com/2023/05/review-replacement-wife.html" target="_blank">The Replacement Wife</a></b> by Darby Kane (Contemporary suspense, 2020 and 2021) - I burned through Kane's backlist in 2023 and the first two books, both stand-alones, were my favorites. Pretty Little Wife features a missing husband, which comes as a shock to his wife who left his body in a place where it was sure to be found. The Replacement Wife takes gaslighting to new heights thanks to a twisty suspense thread and the heroine's instability isn't because she's gorking herself out on booze and pills (shocking, I know).</div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="https://wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com/2023/04/review-hide.html" target="_blank">Hide</a></b> by Tracy Clark (Contemporary police procedural / thriller, 2023) - The first in a new series from Clark, our detective heroine returns from an administrative leave to a new precinct, new partner, and a new case that soon morphs into the hunt for a serial killer. A gripping story that mines current events (the first victim was last seen at a Defund the Police rally) and features dynamite world-building. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="https://wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com/2023/08/library-loot-mini-reviews-to-gore-or.html" target="_blank">The Soulmate</a></b> by Sally Hepworth (Domestic suspense, 2023) - A disquieting domestic suspense novel that pulled me out of month-long reading slump. The mystery of why a couples' new home along the rocky coast came so cheap is answered when they learn the hard way that an area near their property is a "favorite" spot for people choosing to commit suicide by jumping off the cliff. The heroine's husband has managed to talk down several people already, until the day he doesn't - and the heroine thinks she sees her husband push the woman off the cliff. But surely, that can't be right?</div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="https://wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com/2023/08/library-loot-mini-reviews-to-gore-or.html" target="_blank">Dead of Winter</a></b> by Darcy Coates (Contemporary suspense / horror, 2023) - Folks, this is horror adjacent so that's your warning that the gore level in this one is high. The heroine and her boyfriend are on their way to a secluded lodge in the Rocky Mountains when their tour bus gets stuck due to inclement weather. Soon they and their fellow travelers find refuge in a secluded hunting cabin to wait out the storm - and that's when the bodies start dropping. Part locked room, part survivalist story, this one kept me on the edge of my seat. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="https://wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com/2023/10/library-loot-mini-reviews-received.html" target="_blank">The Night Swim</a></b> by Megan Goldin (Contemporary suspense, 2021) - This was a great listen on audiobook given that the story follows a true crime podcaster. The heroine decides her next series will cover a rape trial in a small coastal town, which will put her listeners "in the jury box." She's not in town long though before she's distracted by a stalker, someone who wants to look into a "suicide" of a young woman 20 years earlier. This was a very difficult book to read and I was seething with anger by the end of it (content warnings for rape, gang rape, rape culture and slut-shaming) - but hot damn, it's amazing. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="https://wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com/2023/10/library-loot-mini-reviews-received.html" target="_blank">Sleepless City</a></b> by Reed Farrel Coleman (Contemporary hardboiled / crime, 2023) - A book where everybody is a villain. Hero, ex-military and a cop, from a family of cops (all with checkered pasts and presents) finds himself with a mysterious new boss when he takes on the roll of "fixer" for the department. Everyone is skating edges here or just flat-out crossing every line they come to. The world-building is breathtakingly fantastic, there's soapy edges (the hero has a <b>Secret Baby</b> because of course he does...) and to be frank it scratched the itch I've had since finishing Lawrence Block's <a href="https://lawrenceblock.com/series/scudder/" target="_blank">Matthew Scudder series</a>. I'm hoping there's a book two in the near future.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcoEBfhJWoIG0yRWNo9P5hdWM1t1tW8QmYsHKkqohlqCIfcXo9_0IMP_IdevnJhVDHmP7Yut8B1KN1OdV2xymlolEq2-Uvc36K_Vtz86lu2xm56-tNPWxr7_dgIAAbj9n13jTSBD7DW7l-M6jshCvES0zkLsBp75GZWOzc-9gWyzjS3xKoaVNeuG8v4YJ/s1640/Best%20of%202023%20(2).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcoEBfhJWoIG0yRWNo9P5hdWM1t1tW8QmYsHKkqohlqCIfcXo9_0IMP_IdevnJhVDHmP7Yut8B1KN1OdV2xymlolEq2-Uvc36K_Vtz86lu2xm56-tNPWxr7_dgIAAbj9n13jTSBD7DW7l-M6jshCvES0zkLsBp75GZWOzc-9gWyzjS3xKoaVNeuG8v4YJ/w400-h225/Best%20of%202023%20(2).png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><b><a href="https://wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com/2023/11/library-loot-mini-reviews-celebrity.html" target="_blank">Down the Drain</a></b> by Julia Fox (Memoir, 2023) - Sex, drugs and rock n' roll. OK, mostly sex and drugs. This is one of those seedy underbelly memoirs, and honestly Fox kind of scares the sh*t out of me. Here's the thing though, she can write her face off. This is one of the best celebrity memoirs I've read from a writing standpoint, and by all accounts, Fox didn't use a ghostwriter. Also the world-building here is fantastic, Fox transports the reader to New York City in the 1990s/2000s. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="https://wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com/2023/11/library-loot-mini-reviews-celebrity.html" target="_blank">The Woman in Me</a></b> by Britney Spears (Memoir, 2023) - Is this well-written? Quite frankly, no. But it's like reading the literary equivalent to a primal scream. There's a raw honesty to Britney's memoir, that largely focusses on her 13-year conservatorship, that is riveting, impossible to dismiss or ignore. This is a dynamite listen on audiobook thanks to Michelle Williams' narration. Her ability to convey emotional vulnerability and rage in her reading is superb. If she doesn't win a Grammy for her performance it'll be a tragedy. </div><div><br /></div><div>Do I wish I had read more in 2023? Yes. But I certainly can't complain too much as I found a number of quality reads. Only five of these were A grades, but these were all books that were memorable enough to stick with me. Also, looking back, 9 out of the 12 books mentioned here were ones I got from the library (either The Day Job or another jurisdiction that I have access to). Did I find myself on wait lists? Yes. Did I rightly care? No. <b><i>75% </i></b>of the quality reads I had in 2023 came from that most American of institutions - the public library. Support your local library folks - we're doing the Lord's work. </div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485867264936716806noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350052669699480502.post-41674920992347233522023-12-22T06:00:00.000-08:002023-12-22T06:00:00.142-08:00Review: The Engagement Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJhgDt4f_Zs-eUMQLecdnUU9oZHXmurW3lVvJYsnQtg4vehqS6q1GoiEAh00XiZEsoQ3_YrWCbY0w2u_gWUTkSvdDqOF3fUsrkl_eVAC9LHoSsLexmLC5z2bNkeDFsJ6CsnrGJ5SsMRKaKl-gB24jgFxLg4M5fxlspw_yo4Kt0WrU40IMSfN6rPrRYmMED/s466/81WAkbw2jwL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="310" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJhgDt4f_Zs-eUMQLecdnUU9oZHXmurW3lVvJYsnQtg4vehqS6q1GoiEAh00XiZEsoQ3_YrWCbY0w2u_gWUTkSvdDqOF3fUsrkl_eVAC9LHoSsLexmLC5z2bNkeDFsJ6CsnrGJ5SsMRKaKl-gB24jgFxLg4M5fxlspw_yo4Kt0WrU40IMSfN6rPrRYmMED/s320/81WAkbw2jwL._SY466_.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>2023 was the year I fell down a <a href="https://darbykane.com/" target="_blank">Darby Kane</a> rabbit hole. I burned through the first three standalone suspense novels and then patiently waited for <b><a href="https://amzn.to/41nD56b" target="_blank">The Engagement Party</a></b> - a December release. Touted as a mix of <a href="https://amzn.to/472jSI8" target="_blank"><i>And Then There Were None</i></a> and <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3RLkAEr" target="_blank">I Know What You Did Last Summer</a></i>, I buckled myself in and got ready for a ride. Unfortunately it was a ride I found bumpy and a little lacking.<div><br /></div><div>Emily Hunt was murdered the weekend of her college graduation at an affluent New England liberal arts college. At the center of the mystery are her closest college friends, tragic Mitch, power couple Alex and Cassie, and emotionally bankrupt Will. Emily's murder haunts all of them, naturally they know more than they're letting on, and they'll do anything to keep the past well and truly buried.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then Will, poor dumb bunny Will, gets engaged. For like the fourth time, but who's counting? His fiancée Ruthie wants to get the friends together to celebrate their engagement and picks a remote house on an island in Maine. As a storm is blowing in. <i>Convenient</i>. Also joining this house of horrors is Sierra, Mitch's business partner - who also happens to be in love with him. They're not on the island long before random weirdness starts happening and the first body is discovered in the garage.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'll be honest, it was the comp to <i>And Then There Were None</i> that made me pick up this book, and when that comp is dangled before me I just expect certain things. I expect to hate pretty much everybody (check) and I expect nearly everybody to die (yeah, not so much). I mean, half the fun of this type of story is that the characters you hate are the bodies that start dropping. And while I quite literally hated everybody in this story, not nearly enough of them ended up dead in the end. Sorry, not sorry. In fact, the first two dead bodies are tertiary characters we never meet alive on the page. This is a problem because Kane does such a good job of making me hate everybody that to have most of them <i>not</i> die is just, well, a bummer.</div><div><br /></div><div>I realize how this sounds, but if you're a suspense/thriller fan this is <a href="https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/iykyk/" target="_blank">IYKYK</a> kind of thing.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sierra is the innocent bystander character that we, as the reader, are supposed to rally around. The one who gets sucked into the madness only because she's an idiot who's in love with Mitch. And ultimately that's what annoys me about her. Everybody in this story, <i>literally everybody</i>, wants to protect "poor, tragic Mitch." Look, I get it - his childhood was jacked up. But he's such an unlikeable, almost passive aggressive in his sarcasm, character that I just wanted him to die. And no, I won't tell you if he does or not.</div><div><br /></div><div>Besides the fact that the body count isn't nearly high enough, the suspense thread is a blunt instrument. With a plot of this nature I want Machiavelli. Sorry, just do. I want twists, turns, who can you trust? This is more like a cudgel upside the head. </div><div><br /></div><div>All that being said, there <b>is</b> a very nice twist at the end that I did not see coming and it was really good. Unfortunately by then I just felt a little worn down by it all. Too many of these horrible people left alive, not enough deviousness on the part of our villain. It's not terrible, but it's not really what I wanted. And well, it's all about me.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Final Grade = C+</b></div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485867264936716806noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350052669699480502.post-89363146684264219352023-12-20T06:00:00.000-08:002023-12-20T06:00:00.134-08:00#TBRChallenge 2023: The Night Before Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDEUyIIz3g-fa80hqOQJyp1rhGUy68W3oZnMwYZNXAWzx-umRPitXeKk3F_D8StRW-KiZlnByRd9gQP37SbbAa_J9gfp93bFc1-jdapHsQwTcwZL3cSY8HhrPYeWUvSc4ieXVxexRFD1wsZo1AlJzayKzZsQAMzIKKQaTm9rfBWtcV-lgDyH9RpYQYbFtI/s466/81HQiTnAyPL._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="295" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDEUyIIz3g-fa80hqOQJyp1rhGUy68W3oZnMwYZNXAWzx-umRPitXeKk3F_D8StRW-KiZlnByRd9gQP37SbbAa_J9gfp93bFc1-jdapHsQwTcwZL3cSY8HhrPYeWUvSc4ieXVxexRFD1wsZo1AlJzayKzZsQAMzIKKQaTm9rfBWtcV-lgDyH9RpYQYbFtI/s320/81HQiTnAyPL._SY466_.jpg" width="203" /></a></div><b>The Book</b>: <b><a href="https://amzn.to/3RM7hoc" target="_blank">The Night Before Christmas</a></b> by <a href="https://brendanovak.com/" target="_blank">Brenda Novak</a>, <a href="https://www.dayleclaire.com/" target="_blank">Day Leclaire</a>, and <a href="https://www.molly-okeefe.com/" target="_blank">Molly O'Keefe</a><div><br /></div><div><b>The Particulars</b>: Contemporary romance anthology, Harlequin, 2009, Out of print, not available in digital (but at one point it was so check your digital pile and/or local libraries).</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?</b>: Molly O'Keefe is an autobuy. Her story won the RITA for Best Novella in 2010 and it's a Harlequin Christmas anthology. I am but a mere mortal.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>The Review</b>: Once again I waited until the 11th hour to pick out my TBR Challenge book, let alone actually start to read it - so I did what I always seem to do - I went diving into my cupboard of Harlequins and hit upon this anthology. And like most anthologies, it was a wildly uneven affair.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>"On a Snowy Christmas"</i> by Brenda Novak is distasteful and insulting, especially when you account for the fact this story was published in 2009 (I realize that was 14 years ago - but hear me out...). <b><span style="color: red;"><u>Spoilers Abound!</u></span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: red;"><u><br /></u></span></b></div><div><span>Adelaide and Maxim are political rivals, facing off in the primary. Maxim took over the Senate seat after Adelaide's husband died in a car accident. Maxim has since strayed from her husband on matters of politics and also implied not nice things about him - which makes Adelaide mad enough to take a run at the Senate seat. She's already garnered support from several wealthy donors which has knocked Maxim back on his heels, but he's not out yet. They're both on the same charter flight down to Los Angeles for a political engagement with the governor when they crash in the Sierra Nevadas. In the middle of a snow storm. One thing, naturally, leads to another.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>There's probably a decent story here somewhere but the whole politics thing already had me turning up my nose. Add to that Adelaide behaves a bit like a dumb bunny, and the Big Secret about her dead husband that Maxim has uncovered, but chosen not to use in the campaign against her? Well, there's corruption - which would frankly be enough - but no, Dead Hubby was also having an affair with an 18-year-old intern. <i>A male intern</i>. To be fair, the fact that he was having an affair with a teenager is portrayed as distasteful. Unfortunately just as much distaste is spent on the fact that it was a gay affair. And folks, I'm just too tired and too old to read this bullshit in 2023 and know it was published in 2009. This isn't a Harlequin Presents from 1985 (not that it wouldn't have been annoying back then either - but you catch my drift). Oh, and did I mention Dead Hubby was infertile but bumping uglies with Maxim two times results in Adelaide getting knocked up? And the first time they have sex she pretends it's her dead husband and Maxim knows she's pretending he's her dead husband? Ugh. I wanted to light this on fire.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><b>Final Grade = D-</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i>"The Christmas Baby"</i> by Day Leclaire starts out distasteful but the author pulls it off in the end by leaning in on the farce. Carrie is having the worst Christmas Eve ever. She woke up late for work, got caught in terrible weather on her commute, showed up to work only to be laid off, and came home to her crummy apartment to receive an eviction notice. Then, her ex, Chaz, has the nerve to show up. She ended things with him when it became apparent that he was a workaholic who would continue to push off making any sort of serious commitment to her because it was never going to be "the right time." Well, Chaz may want her back, but she's not convinced he's changed. She kicks him out only to have the next knock on her door be an elderly lady leaving a Christmas gift a Chaz. A large box with, <i>wait for it</i>, a baby inside. </div><div><br /></div><div>So yes, distasteful. Instead what ensues is a bit of comedy of errors between Chaz, Carrie, Chaz's brother, the brother's former girlfriend and Chaz's estranged parents. Misunderstandings and shenanigans ensue. The whole thing feels very cinematic and would make a decent Hallmark-style rom-com. Naturally, in the end, all the couples are back together - although I'm nowhere near convinced that any of the male leopards have truly changed their spots because....novella length. Not my thing, but I can recognize this was well-executed.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Final Grade = C</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i>"The Christmas Eve Promise" </i>by Molly O'Keefe is the gem of the bunch and worth tracking this anthology down at a library or used bookstore. Merrieta "Merri" Monroe is back home helping out at the family diner and she feels like an utter failure. No job, no more fiancé, and she's 3 months pregnant. A teeny little fact that nobody but her and her rat-fink ex know about. Also back in town? Gavin McDonnell, the boy she made herself a fool over and the boy she done wrong back in high school. He and his brother now run a shop repairing and building motorcycles. Gavin is divorced and his teenage son has just come to live with him. Lucas has become a regular at the diner, him and Merri get roped into helping with the town's annual Christmas celebration, and they both end up spilling their secrets to each other. They agree - she has to tell her parents about the baby and he has to be honest with his Dad by Christmas Eve. </div><div><br /></div><div>This was a cozy, small town read with just enough angst to keep the plot humming along. O'Keefe typically does well writing younger characters, and Lucas is a gem. A scared 14-year-old boy at a crossroads, already turned out by his mother and afraid his dad will do the same. Merri is the woman who had big ideas on how her life would turn out and naturally it's been one curveball after another. She needs to learn to be open, honest and to stop running away from happiness as it's smacking her in the face. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'll be honest, the romance is a little light here. The author leans hard into the fact that the couple has a past history to help carry us to the finish line, but I could have used a couple more chapters, a few more pages, to beef up this aspect of the story. But it's a heartwarming story that, frankly, washes away most of the distaste left in my mouth over the Novak entry. This was fairly early on in O'Keefe's career with Harlequin and you can see all the groundwork here for the superior Harlequin SuperRomances she published while writing for them.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Final Grade = B+</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>So yes, a fairly typical anthology reading experience. A story I wanted to light on fire, a well-executed story that just wasn't for me, and a superior story that made the experience worthwhile. Added bonus that the best story was also the last in the bunch - meaning I ended the 2023 TBR Challenge on an upbeat note.</div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485867264936716806noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350052669699480502.post-55403020752818995552023-12-18T06:00:00.000-08:002023-12-18T06:00:00.143-08:00Deck the Halls: Unusual Historicals for December 2023<p>Hey, so it's December. Don't ask me how we all got here. What I'll remember most about 2023 is the hazy blur of exhaustion I seemed to live with. 2024 might be the year that I finally need to knuckle down and take better care of myself - but that covers all the very not-fun stuff like nutrition, exercise, the buzzword du jour "mindfulness." It's all so bothersome, truly. In the meantime we're going to ring out (OK, more like kick out...) 2023 with the final Unusual Historicals post of the year. Once again, many thanks to <a href="https://herhandsmyhands.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">AztecLady</a> for uncovering a good chunk of these for me. December is traditionally a pretty slow month in publishing and we have six books this month!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3GOxTPf" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="292" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdEdKe8HiD-rE87yIazEKpuoSisWofs1pxOtEXSOZxHSI-kvG8DM5kHGcq6oujEjEB_M7DgIQCxRjO3fkAxNEuv5vGc7u38o_vmDpsA84kKIIy0TQSsECs03dBlTbRwUgUHEIFUEQzWUwzUQFLvNeHyBI37DTIbjmKbkSOWpS6jqR64JOSCj0ZWfRPQjyi/w210-h320/4117B7PdCcL._SY445_SX342_.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3GOxTPf" target="_blank">Whiskey War</a></b> by <a href="https://www.stacylynnmiller.com/" target="_blank">Stacy Lynn Miller</a><div><br /><div><div></div><blockquote><div>At the height of Prohibition and the dawn of the Great Depression, lesbian couple Dax and Rose look forward to a clandestine life together in Half Moon Bay, hiding a treasure trove of stolen whiskey.</div><div><br /></div><div>To save their floundering restaurant, Dax tries to offload the barrels in San Francisco, only to rouse her estranged brother-in-law, Logan. He sniffs out their stash, and soon they all get a taste of the dark side of bootlegging.</div><div><br /></div><div>Enter Grace Parsons, Rose's glamorous ex and Hollywood elite, offering a way out. But her intervention ignites a violent feud that puts everyone at risk. Can Dax and Rose survive the whiskey war they never wanted?</div></blockquote><div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Prohibition! San Francisco! My apologies folks, but this is actually <a href="https://amzn.to/3Tv1Awa" target="_blank">the second book in a series</a> featuring Dax and Rose, but now that it's on all our radars, we can back-track to <a href="https://amzn.to/3Tv1Awa" target="_blank">book one</a> if we so desire. Per the author's bio, she's former military and likes to infuse her stories with suspense as well as romance - also looks like there will be a third book in this series.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3RkSHme" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="283" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRc5PZBNBUpD84ldn1Og8l1QjWKlz8dLqMDxol8NcAw-EWlqXp2XIymoPY4fouAnWCTkECHXpODz83z-ZTmYS8cLw5y04xxGI3xnfhxmbiQcqoLVKDqh0hLWbLg0vL070LrKHrUTv1QVdZ6mYtWgs-nUaalrAu_X8y4OawkRywrmbas7VrD-71gRJISSjA/s320/51Ir9xaw5RL._SY445_SX342_.jpg" width="204" /></a></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3RkSHme" target="_blank">The Knight's Substitute Bride</a></b> by <a href="https://www.melissaoliverauthor.com/" target="_blank">Melissa Oliver</a><div><br /></div><div><div></div><p> </p><blockquote><div>Could the wrong bride…</div><div><br /></div><div>Be right for him after all?</div><div><br /></div><div>For the sake of his family name, Lord Robert must marry to seal an alliance with an Irish clan. Only, the woman at the altar isn’t who he was promised! Instead, it’s her sister, Lady Mairenn! The sharp-tongued Irish beauty is as reluctant to wed as Robert, but as friction turns to fire between them, she’s further derailing Robert’s plans for this purely pragmatic arrangement…</div></blockquote><div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Ah, the ol' I show up at the altar and it's not my intended but her sister instead trope. But alliances are alliances, and come hell or high water, a marriage there will be. This is the second book in the multi-author <a href="https://amzn.to/48gXWdx" target="_blank"><i>Brothers and Rivals</i></a> series, the first book being featured in <a href="https://wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com/2023/11/horn-of-plenty-unusual-historicals-for.html" target="_blank">November's Unusual Historicals</a> post.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3GKPSG9" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw5Vj4vYdO304V1gKwfXI6uiw7yURGlQLVc3oghmR8CtK7irckTROepGeLnpAw0tHWIALp8mHnsUNYWj4g6CoOHfFUYODxSN63s5fP0Sl-xb9lr38RNZYAxyyCek0fbdS_jVtg397FJX7uZGo26l7fK_Y5uNWzSG0ssEWb97TvbN_m4qiyx0gGNDAHweYX/s320/51GLAJDQqNL._SY445_SX342_.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3GKPSG9" target="_blank">Art of the Chase</a></b> by <a href="https://www.tracybrogan.com/" target="_blank">Tracy Brogan</a><p></p></div></div><div><div></div><blockquote><div>Above the glistening waters of Trillium Bay, the majestic Imperial Hotel awaits its first guests. It’s the summer of 1888, and names like Carnegie, Astor, Pullman, and Bostwick line the premier resort’s registry as society’s elite gather on its grandiose front porch to see – and be seen.</div><div><br /></div><div>But Chase Bostwick isn’t interested in being seen. As the second son of a wealthy financier, he’s only interested in work – in Chicago – so being tasked by his father to chaperone his wearisome mother and boisterous little sister during their Michigan summer holiday is Chase’s personal purgatory masquerading as paradise – for never was a man more ill-suited to leisure.</div><div><br /></div><div>Emerson McKenna isn’t interested in being seen, either – but she does want her artistic talents to be noticed. As the illegitimate daughter of a renown portraitist more infamous for his romantic dalliances than for his work, Emerson has schemed her way into a position at the hotel teaching doe-eyed debutantes to paint. She says her goal is to commission enough portraits from the resort’s wealthy patrons to finance her dreams of studying in Paris.</div><div><br /></div><div>But Chase has his suspicions…</div><div><br /></div><div>Thinking to ease his ennui, he sets about to unravel the mysteries of this enigmatic Miss and her tattered satchel full of secrets, but what he learns – from her questionable marital status right down to the potentially felonious embellishment of her artistic credentials – leaves him feeling captivated. And protective. When his misplaced chivalry sets in motion events which may do more harm than good, Chase and Emerson must work together to keep her safe – and in his arms.</div></blockquote><div></div></div><div>OK, not gonna lie - I'm really intrigued by this one. For one thing it's set in my home state of Michigan and for another, it's set at a hotel. Boardinghouses and hotels in historical romance flip a switch for me. Throw in an artist heroine with secrets to hide and well, I'm only human.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3tk7ndh" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="283" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg92p4fnMGEP6OB_jgUaiRlKRCwFlISQ5lB5KZvalb5KvOtn9TZLR4t-MlFP2xOdrzfjtCUq86sq-WybWxeYd4aEn5coQln7nF5y-Ppr-0w6N3_fjKT6m8fMU2XWoSgQ-lnt2ajFOi0rWDq5k4hJep2XkpOBLyy3h-Qdx49AE_5pVPzA49OwLEYGeXG67CI/s320/51pGpoYUg1L._SY445_SX342_.jpg" width="204" /></a></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3tk7ndh" target="_blank">An Unlikely Match for the Governess</a></b> by <a href="https://laurirobinson.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Lauri Robinson</a><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div></div><blockquote><div>The most unlikely match…</div><div><br /></div><div>might be the best fit!</div><div><br /></div><div>After the young twins she cares for are orphaned, their governess, Aislinn, will do anything to stay with them. So when their maverick uncle—aristocrat turned rancher—Luke returns to England determined to gain guardianship, she proposes a convenient marriage! As an unexpected connection develops between them, Aislinn begins to long for a real future with Luke. But his home is in Montana… Could it be hers, too? </div></blockquote><div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I'll admit it, I have baggage. In the early aughts many a good historical western author defected for across the pond, but before that it was like publishing was setting us up. The cowboys were now going to England or the blue-blooded daughters were the fish out of water in Texas or some such state. Eventually the pretense was discharged and historical westerns got rarer than hen's teeth. Harlequin Historical was about the only outfit still publishing them, but they killed them a few years back. But dare I hope? Maybe this new one by Robinson is Harlequin's way of testing the waters on westerns again - even if it's the story of "a spare" coming back to England after setting up shop in Montana. People, I'm desperate. This one goes on the pile.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3GK24a3" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwqTpAvkEipaCwQTi6bD7h3H-_qxR70fJHeT8z9kIToHizDFFYPxr_0zry1xc8B8O0uO86sxApeJTvAdn6I1M60WbAklurKBlt1bzlVnXxpp2AbXC6Io8d4I2RjUMxDsLAnZfYQZ2OHhMDrj0cnRaCSZdoe8HG1ptvF1VAYchMxJupwKTRWDCLout13Ff/s320/51kdLESyEzL._SY445_SX342_.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3GK24a3" target="_blank">The Gentleman's Gambit</a></b> by <a href="http://eviedunmore.com/" target="_blank">Evie Dunmore</a></div><div><div></div><blockquote><div>Bookish suffragist Catriona Campbell is busy: An ailing estate, academic writer’s block, a tense time for England’s women’s rights campaign—the last thing she needs is to be stuck playing host to her father’s distractingly attractive young colleague.</div><div><br /></div><div>Deeply introverted Catriona lives for her work at Oxford and her fight for women’s suffrage. She dreams of romance, too, but since all her attempts at love have ended badly, she now keeps her desires firmly locked inside her head—until she climbs out of a Scottish loch after a good swim and finds herself rather exposed to her new colleague.</div><div><br /></div><div>Elias Khoury has wheedled his way into Professor Campbell’s circle under false pretenses: he did not come to Oxford to classify ancient artefacts, he is determined to take them back to his homeland in the Middle East. Winning Catriona’s favor could be the key to his success. Unfortunately, seducing the coolly intense lady scholar quickly becomes a mission in itself and his well-laid plans are in danger of derailing...</div><div><br /></div><div>Forced into close proximity in Oxford’s hallowed halls, two very different people have to face the fact that they might just be a perfect match. Soon, a risky new game begins that asks Catriona one more time to put her heart and wildest dreams at stake.</div></blockquote><div></div><div>Let's be honest here - this book could go either way. It could be good (Suffragette heroine! Hero with secrets! Oxford!) or it could be a hot mess (historical romance doesn't have the best track record with "exotic" characters - including the use of the word exotic...). Also chatter I've read <a href="https://amzn.to/481b3j9" target="_blank">on this series</a> in particular has been all over the map. Readers seem to love them or loathe them, with not a lot in between. But so many of them have fallen under the "unusual" banner that I really need to give one of these a whirl via my library.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/41pQXN3" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="276" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAjZKxrtK14POEU2_gZw8z9zu61YzqrLxTHp2noPJKAN_4Hkbpwn6tRZKZN9Fii-GBJFBs6dIlNqzhvaM-6GpgaEZJRjy82hvwF981pETCORpy4QILLmF0SWUkEBArG_RA_n7cVi-xiVbZMK9umWWkDyeFAkVySTr3fNIzeDCyQXmCVEwHtmAmxb-f9uo6/s320/51jBiYmuWcL._SY445_SX342_.jpg" width="198" /></a></div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/41pQXN3" target="_blank">Second Duke's the Charm</a></b> by <a href="https://www.kcbateman.com/" target="_blank">Kate Bateman</a></div><div><br /></div><div>The wedding-night death of her much older husband left Tess Townsend the Dowager Duchess of Wansford—and still a virgin. Now she and her two best friends investigate London’s most scandalous crimes, and while Tess longs to experience physical pleasure for herself, she can’t risk losing her treasured independence...</div><div><blockquote><div>Cynical shipping magnate Justin Thornton never expected to inherit a dukedom, but he’ll do his duty. When the ravishing woman he kissed at a party turns out to be the Dowager Duchess, Justin sees an obvious solution: a marriage of convenience that will suit them both.</div><div><br /></div><div>But the passion that sparks between them is anything but convenient. As Tess works on a new case at the request of Queen Charlotte, her increasingly suspicious behavior makes Justin question her motives—and her past. The infuriating woman clearly can’t be trusted, but Justin doesn’t believe in love, so there’s absolutely no danger of him falling for his own wife...is there?</div><div></div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>VIRGIN WIDOW! I figure half of you are already one-clicking while the other half are all "no thank you ma'am." What intrigues me here is the premise of three best friends (all women) investigating crimes and shenanigans. Oh, and a hero who inherits a dukedom he hadn't planned on thinking the heroine and a marriage of convenience is the solution to all his problems. Oh, you poor deluded man. Also, while I haven't been able to find confirmation, this smells like the start of a new series.</div><div><br /></div><div>Whew! I hope you all enjoy a happy, healthy end to this hellscape year and that many fantastic books, including Unusual Historicals, await all of us as we step into 2024.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRc5PZBNBUpD84ldn1Og8l1QjWKlz8dLqMDxol8NcAw-EWlqXp2XIymoPY4fouAnWCTkECHXpODz83z-ZTmYS8cLw5y04xxGI3xnfhxmbiQcqoLVKDqh0hLWbLg0vL070LrKHrUTv1QVdZ6mYtWgs-nUaalrAu_X8y4OawkRywrmbas7VrD-71gRJISSjA/s445/51Ir9xaw5RL._SY445_SX342_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div></div></div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485867264936716806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350052669699480502.post-56057343825982901542023-12-15T14:45:00.000-08:002023-12-15T14:45:45.303-08:00Reminder: #TBRChallenge Day is December 20 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGAm4PwUcp1lVR4Vt011mBEMigNjLCQA9Eyh-j890w8RzeLtVSg8lcGsyJ_VO6tFp9dIRBrU9sBeVp1w11hiJbxXiIlf3lOSSEnVFDD6TVrjIgjKBjjnkvwD-gBOLCbdJdhcgu51-3R34wfquj2-DgzobvrNppQRDraCe0TrGUYzGERfxdsWCrYI9esg/s2000/TBRChallenge%202023.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1545" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGAm4PwUcp1lVR4Vt011mBEMigNjLCQA9Eyh-j890w8RzeLtVSg8lcGsyJ_VO6tFp9dIRBrU9sBeVp1w11hiJbxXiIlf3lOSSEnVFDD6TVrjIgjKBjjnkvwD-gBOLCbdJdhcgu51-3R34wfquj2-DgzobvrNppQRDraCe0TrGUYzGERfxdsWCrYI9esg/w309-h400/TBRChallenge%202023.png" width="309" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>We made it! The final month of the 2023 #TBRChallenge! The magic day is <span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;">Wednesday, December 20 </span><span>and this month's (always) optional theme is</span><span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Festive.</span></span><p>I've been hosting the Challenge since 2011 and this is the month where I think most of the participants groan out loud. My love of Christmas romances is pretty well known but I also understand that some readers really don't care for them (I totally "get" that). Hence what has been a tradition for the last several years of the Challenge - the optional <b>Festive</b> theme. Festive can mean <i>a lot</i> of things: holidays (not just Christmas), personal milestones, parties of all stripes (including house parties!), balls (masquerade or otherwise), heck any Regency where The Season is featured (um, which would be <i>a lot</i> of them...). Folks, there's lots of ways to run with this month's theme.</p><p>That being said, remember that the themes <i>are</i> completely optional. The goal of the challenge has been, and always will be, to read something (anything!) that's been languishing in your mountain range of unread books. </p><p>I want to thank everyone who participated and followed along with this year's Challenge. A couple of years ago I was really starting to burn out on blogging in general, this Challenge started to feel a little too much like work, but then 1) I stopped being stubborn, 2) asked for help and opinions and 3) y'all stepped up and showed out. The 2024 #TBRChallenge has been announced and sign-ups have begun! To learn more about the Challenge, <b><a href="https://wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com/2023/12/all-aboard-sign-up-for-2024-tbrchallenge.html" target="_blank">head on over to this blog post</a></b>.</p>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485867264936716806noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350052669699480502.post-82096821135795806482023-12-11T06:19:00.000-08:002023-12-11T06:19:34.498-08:00Review: The Nurse's Christmas Temptation<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaf1gPaFPRtRBoxhNJTTfBZJ9S1PZ4CV3SS_xcz0SN9dEdoVENe5rISHRaj2BoBFxYB3WcwxSPaIaEUI4rHleTvac6FzuHC3cU6PunermHsjBAindLUVvsI1u5r2sWtbZc_4q_ShTZnwKp4wKvp2N3cz36aggurMKQ4HrxhBjDpfvHQhbQRs0H7IldAS-a/s466/919WFwMICmL._SY466_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Book Cover: The Nurse's Christmas Temptation by Ann McIntosh" border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="295" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaf1gPaFPRtRBoxhNJTTfBZJ9S1PZ4CV3SS_xcz0SN9dEdoVENe5rISHRaj2BoBFxYB3WcwxSPaIaEUI4rHleTvac6FzuHC3cU6PunermHsjBAindLUVvsI1u5r2sWtbZc_4q_ShTZnwKp4wKvp2N3cz36aggurMKQ4HrxhBjDpfvHQhbQRs0H7IldAS-a/w203-h320/919WFwMICmL._SY466_.jpg" width="203" /></a></div>2023 will be remembered as the year my reading mood was <i>all over the place</i>. While I have several suspense novels by favorite authors waiting for me, what was I in the mood for? A cozy Harlequin with Christmas in the title. Some folks watch Hallmark movies, I read Harlequins with Christmas in the title. Don't hate the player, hate the game. Anyway, a Medical sounded good so I went diving into my Kindle to find the first one with "Christmas" in the title and lucky day - it was <b><a href="https://amzn.to/3tegoEO" target="_blank">The Nurse's Christmas Temptation</a></b> by <a href="https://www.authorannmcintosh.com/" target="_blank">Ann McIntosh</a>. I discovered McIntosh about a year ago and she's quickly moving to the top of my list for comfort read authors. This was a delightfully cozy read - the literary equivalent to a warm fuzzy blanket, a nice cuppa, a crackling fire in the fireplace.<p></p><p>Harmony Kinkaid has lost a lot in a short amount of time: her job, her boyfriend, and her grandmother. Christmas is fast approaching, the first since her beloved grandmother's death, and Harmony is already not looking forward to it when her mother drops the bombshell that she's going to spend the holiday with her new beau and finally meet his family. Harmony doesn't begrudge her Mom's newfound happiness (the woman deserves it) and she does invite Harmony to come along - but she just <i>can't</i>. She wants to crawl into a hole to wait out the holidays and she gets her chance when a temp job on a remote Scottish island falls into her lap. She jumps on it.</p><p>What Harmony didn't bargain for is that the Scottish island is considered "the North Pole of Scotland" and every year it's like Christmas throws up all over it. They hold a winter festival every year and it brings in a fair amount of tourism, which the island needs. On top of this? Her new temporary boss is the local "Laird" (a bit of an honorary title given to him by the locals) - Dr. Cameron MacRurie. The attraction is instant for both of them, and very unwelcome on her part. Not only is he her boss, he's a bit of a daredevil - just like her father. He has a long-term health condition, just like her father, and despite that health condition he takes risks with extreme sports with total disregard to life and limb. Her father's death from an extreme sports accident left a gaping hole in Harmony's life, made her mother's life exceedingly harder - nope, a daredevil man is the last thing Harmony needs in her life. So why can't she stay away from Cam?</p><p>This is a soft, big-hearted read and just what the doctor ordered. Cam and Harmony both have interesting baggage and spark off each other well. She's orderly and a little uptight. He's devil may care and charming as hell. The island and local village serves as it's own secondary character and the inhabitants add charm and color to liven up the Christmas setting. </p><p>The conflict relies heavily on internal angst and the fact that both Harmony and Cam are trapped by their own fears borne out of their respective childhoods - her, the death of her father, him, a mother who coddled him to the point of suffocation because of his Type 1 diabetes. Naturally they can only ignore the attraction for so long, fall into bed, and fall into love - which brings these fears bubbling right up to the surface.</p><p>This was a perfect holiday read. Warm, cozy, with enough small town charm to lighten my cold black heart. I really liked our couple and I was rooting for their happy ever after the whole way. McIntosh is definitely a newfound favorite.</p><p><b>Final Grade = B</b></p>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485867264936716806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350052669699480502.post-54044079903100896912023-12-07T20:35:00.000-08:002023-12-07T20:58:33.528-08:00Lemon Drop, Cartoon Covers and Smexy Surprises<p>Long time blog readers know of the existence of my youngest niece, Lemon Drop. Back in the day she was a regular fixture on this blog, appearing in my, now defunct, <a href="https://wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com/search/label/Month%20In%20Review" target="_blank">monthly reading round-up posts</a>. As my Day Job got more demanding, and more importantly, Lemon Drop hit school age, I felt it was best to retire her from blog appearances. She is now, <i>Lord help us all</i>, <b>13 years old</b>. I know! And much to my delight, she's a romance reader.</p><p>Here's the thing - she likes romance, kissing and sex off page is fine but graphic descriptions are <i>not</i> her thing. She still, quite frankly, finds the thought of the actual act a bit disgusting. I mean, she's 13 - and also I have to admit I find this refreshing given the fact that kids grow up too darn fast these days anyway. So I say, shine on Lemon Drop.</p><p>Well, here's the problem. The genre seems to love the idea of slapping illustrated covers on <i><b>every blessed adult romance</b></i> being published these days, <b>regardless of tone and/or content</b>. I will preach this with my last dying breathe - cartoon covers convey fun, light, frothy - <b>they do NOT signal angst or hot, graphic smexy times</b>. They just <u><b>DON'T</b></u>. So for that reason part of this exchange with my sister enrages me, but I also find it pretty funny because, <i>hello</i>, this is my niece we're talking about. Here's how it went down:</p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixt4p5aoJoxIe34xW9Ct6fMJHEifKlwYtr0b92GP_sVMkMYqc7JWjqfazYn4Kwsxb8wjN141-eRp_xDW9seDsCo-LVB3uBgEXx6pfK9ypWiPjURhbSQb-tVQuHTLK6jv01i4d_wnD_UNLaZ-DUiHVz8TAzapunBzpEQcMnS8AppvImnabU9vGJOTj86Wo3/s466/91b2nwLN3+L._SY466_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Book Cover: A Very Merry Meet Cute" border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="306" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixt4p5aoJoxIe34xW9Ct6fMJHEifKlwYtr0b92GP_sVMkMYqc7JWjqfazYn4Kwsxb8wjN141-eRp_xDW9seDsCo-LVB3uBgEXx6pfK9ypWiPjURhbSQb-tVQuHTLK6jv01i4d_wnD_UNLaZ-DUiHVz8TAzapunBzpEQcMnS8AppvImnabU9vGJOTj86Wo3/w210-h320/91b2nwLN3+L._SY466_.jpg" width="210" /></a></b></div><b><br />Wendy's Sister</b>: I'm in Lemon Drop's room. I see <a href="https://amzn.to/47HEc2O" target="_blank">A Very Merry Meet Cute</a> on her dresser. I read the back cover and see ADULT FILM STAR in the first line of the summary. Um, Lemon Drop, did you start reading this book?<p></p><p><b>Lemon Drop</b>: No but I think I should sell it. I went to put a bookmark in it so I could start reading and saw a bit that maybe isn't for me.</p><p><b>WS</b>: (opening to the page where the bookmark is and seeing the word COCK). Um, well, yeah, the summary mentioned an adult film star. Didn't you notice that? It means porn, so like there will be sex in this. Probably a bit more graphic than you want.</p><p><b>LD</b>: I thought that just meant a film star in regular movies. Not kids movies!</p><p><b>WS</b>: 😂</p><p><b>Aside from my sister</b>: I reminded her that I'm fine with her reading whatever but maybe I should at least check since she's not really wanting full graphic sex in her books. Gotta love her sweet naïve mind.</p><p>Insert Wendy grumbling about cartoon cover trend then<i> "Bless her heart though."</i></p><p>(<b>Wendy aside</b> - Sierra Simone writes HAWT which my sister didn't know but Julie Murphy wrote frickin' <b><a href="https://amzn.to/46NAZxA" target="_blank">Dumplin'</a></b> for cripes sake which my sister did know and well, here we are)</p><p><b>WS</b>: I just skimmed a page and read "warm hot cunt." I started laughing and Lemon Drop said <i>"Can you stop laughing at my failure?!?" </i>😂 Seriously, blog fodder. Lemon Drop and smut...</p><p><b>Lemon Drop</b>: Are you gonna let this go? Can't we get past my humiliation for this holy holiday? 😂</p><p><b>WS</b>: Seriously, I'm dying. My kid cracks me up.</p><p><b>Wendy</b>: This is going on the blog for sure.</p><p><b>WS</b>: She's so sweet. Cracks me up. But yes very naïve. Nobody should mess that up or I'll kill them. LOL. I mean, she knows everything but knowing and REALLY knowing are two different things.</p><p><b>Wendy</b>: My Man says enjoy it while it lasts 😂</p>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485867264936716806noreply@blogger.com7