Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.I’m always here for a thief/con artist romance rec & if it’s paired with an uptight lead: SOLD. Like with every other Beverly Jenkins book I’ve read To Catch A Raven has a standout, resourceful, & irrepressible heroine, an intriguing amount of historical detail & info, & a hero who goes “what just happened?!” when the heroine blazes into his life. This book has an interesting premise: Raven Moreau & Braxton Steele must pretend to be husband & wife—& servants—to a South Carolinian Senator & his wife. Meanwhile they’re actually there to search for a stolen copy of the Declaration of Independence. They’re not there by choice, either. Instead, they’ve been forced to engage in this dangerous plan by the Pinkertons, who are aware of the activities Raven & her family, & once-upon-a-time, Braxton’s father, are/were up to. Fascinating layers abound in this book. Braxton is a wealthy, law-abiding tailor from Boston; Raven, an ex-convict who’s fiercely devoted to her family, frequently runs cons with the rest of the on-the-edge-of-a-respectable-life Moreaus in Jim Crow New Orleans. Braxton doesn’t take to the con/heist life right away & that nicely builds up some tensions between the two leads. As they travel throughout the South & then make their way North & Jenkins explores what their expectations are of each place—like, for example, how safe it’s expected to be for the Black leads—& the complicated people inhabiting each locale. These “older” leads are fun to watch & there are many poignant moments too, like when Braxton—who isn’t accustomed to manual labor—takes on extra tasks like washing because he knows it will help Raven. He has a real tender, loving side, & so does Raven for him. Really the only quibble I have is how Braxton’s almost engagement is incorporated into the story. But overall, To Catch a Raven is lovely historical romance! 4⭐️. Out 08/23. CWs: Jim Crow trains. Reference to human trafficking. Reference to attacks against Black people, especially in South Carolina. White supremacist parade. Miss Helen wants them to “pretend as if you weren’t” free before the war. Miss Helen’s husband, Aubrey, trashes the house they’re living in & their things. Reference to some of Braxton’s war experiences. Reference to death, including from yellow fever. Helen murders her husband.
0 Comments
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.Jen Devon’s well-written but emotionally harpooning debut Bend Toward the Sun inspired one of my recent memes about angst lol. The rural Philadelphia setting & love of nature are evocative (I felt like I could see the mist over the vineyard & the spiders’s webs glinting with dew & smell the dirt). The moments of the leads falling in love & noticing things about each other are lovely (not to mention when he gives her a flower or fixes her bun). It’s one of those books where so much is intricately captured & rendered. But boy did this read hurt often, from beginning to end, with a heroine biologist & nature-lover, Rowan McKinnon, who’s sooo stubborn about admitting she needs occasional help & admitting that she has lost her heart to the other lead Harry Brady, an OB who’s temporarily not working due to lingering trauma over losing a patient. Then Harry is sooo stubborn. Both leads could have benefited from regular therapy—I don't mean that flippantly. In short, in case you haven’t gotten the point , this book is so angsty. It’s relieved by those moments of loveliness plus shining friendship & found family, but damn, I was so relieved by the reconciliation (which was hard-won) & the Epilogue (so sweet). If you’re an angst-lover check this one out. There’s a lot to commend it. But it was a lot for this angst-wimp. 3.5 ⭐️. Out 08/09.CWs: Harry lost a patient immediately after labor & there are on page flashbacks. References to the end of other relationships. Anxiety attacks.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.Claire Kent is giving us so much post apocalyptic romance this year & I’m grateful for it. I’m such a fan of how she captures a post-asteroid world, where there's so much sadness and uncertainty but love is still possible. Embers flirts with forbidden love, featuring Rachel, who’s in her early 20s & Cal, who’s in his mid-40s or so & happens to be her former boyfriend’s grumpy father. Their relationship goes through quite an arc throughout the book, with them meeting when Rachel is 17 & her boyfriend still alive, to the two of them living alone & becoming closer, to becoming something more—a span of 5+ years. Despite the progression of their physical relationship (or maybe because of it?) Kent ramps up the angst in this one. While there’s so much to enjoy about Embers—the voice, the heroine becoming more independent as the book progresses, and the story of two lonely people connecting, in general the premise is not my fave, especially since Rachel is 17 when she first moves into Cal’s home. Nothing physical or romantic happens until Rachel is 22, but I’m kind of with Cal in this one: the potential power dynamics are somewhat troubling here. I just wish some of the details had been written differently because the way they *are* written it doesn’t feel like they’re on totally equal footing—something Cal suggests. Not to mention that there’s a speech Cal makes when Rachel is 22, referencing his feelings for her & their history together, that gives me somewhat ick, uncomfortable vibes. While Embers isn’t an unreserved win for me I am excited about the author’s next release in December. 3.5 ⭐️. Out 08/09.Lots of CWs including death, violence.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.Charis Michaels’s Awakened by a Kiss series is charming & bright, but please let me tell you that I was not saddened by the steam in A Duchess by Midnight—including while the MCs are birdwatching . From Wicked Stepsister and Mean Girl to a spinster with business aspirations, Drewsmina “Drew” Trelayne has undergone quite the change in the last few years. At the beginning of this book she’s happy to secure a job for herself as “stylist” to reclusive duke Ian Claybank’s nieces, who are about to participate in the Season but who aren’t prepared for it. United in their goal, living in the same house, & mutually appreciating the scenery in front of them , things heat up quickly between Drew & Ian. Maybe my fave thing about this book is just how attracted Ian is to Drew & vice versa. Drew still has some lingering insecurities about herself—she has orange hair & freckles & is very tall, all of which her cruel mother, no doubt, made her feel horrible about—& meanwhile, Ian makes it very clear to her & to others that she is what he wants. The chemistry between them is written beautifully & scintillatingly, & I was happy when they finally admit their feelings at the end, though wishing that Ian had been a bit less of a dumb dumb . The conflict between them feels a tiny bit lackluster to me but it all contributes to the low angst feel of the romance & I can’t complain about that too much. All in all this is cheerful, steamy fun & I love seeing a former Mean Girl who wants to try to live with kindness & empathy & follow her dreams get a HEA. 4 ⭐️. Out 07/26.CWs: emotionally abusive, cruel mother. References to past cruel behavior by heroine. References to violent Luddite Riot which a man was killed during. References to what I’m calling a religious cult of sorts, where the Duke’s nieces & sister were previously living.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own. This book isn’t quite Assassin Lite but there are so many things that got to my heart nonetheless. 🌻 Like a deliberately annoying lead + the lead who gets exasperated by him. 🌻 A grumpy & the sunshine combo. 🌻 Forced proximity. 🌻 I have to trust you (even though I shouldn’t) if I want to survive. 🌻 Let’s make a home together. In N. R. Walker’s The Kite Harry & Asher are both assassins who go on the run together once they realize that hits have been put out on both of them. Neither man is quick to trust so that makes the inevitable walls coming down all the better. The steam had me fanning my cheeks, the caretaking scenes grabbed at my heart, & I was genuinely happy to see them at the end, forging a new, safe life separate from the violence of their past. Be warned: there’s a lot of violence in this one & lots of deaths, some committed by the leads. In an effort to establish their own safety Harry also threatens a villain’s family in front of the villain only & while I think he was bluffing I prefer my leads to make less threats against possibly innocent people please & thanks. But on the whole The Kite really satisfied. 4.5 ⭐️. Out now!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.Anytime anyone is asking for recs in the Ilona Andrews-ish mode, I rush in shouting *Jessie Mihalik’s series.* Hunt the Stars was a fun introduction to the crew of Starlight’s Shadow & to the general tension that lingers post-intergalactic war & Eclipse the Moon, this upcoming release out 07/12, continues both of those trends with a sunshine & the grump story this time. Sunshiney data genius Kee has had feelings for grumpy Varro, a Valovan, since after he arrived on her ship in the last book. But he’s apparently resistant to her charms. So in an effort to remove herself from (supposedly) Unrequited Pining Central & also to get some much-needed data regarding the intergalactic threat they all used to work for, Kee stays on a planet by herself. Which prompts Varro to risk his own life if he isn’t also allowed off-ship by their Captain so that he can protect her. Me-ow. This story, with its confessions of mutual pining & feeling, with his multiple displays of protective feeling (including him sleeping outside of her room & the aforementioned threat of airwalking through space to chase after her!), does satisfy romantically on an emotional level. Their mutual care for the other comes in handy when his honor as a protector comes into question & the slow burn is always a nice touch! But I do wish that in addition to the romance that plays out on the pages they also established more of their past with the other. & with me 🥴😆. As it is, it just feels a little superficial to me, like a lost opportunity. This series has been entertaining & interesting. Check it out if you’re looking for something with high stakes & quite the (anticipatory) wait for spice! 4 ⭐️. Release date: 07/12.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own. Roni Loren’s Say Everything series is one that’s going on my fave contemporary romance series list—you can put that blurb right on the cover 😆. The latest installment, For You & No One Else, out now, warmed every cockle of my heart. I really loved this friends with benefits romance where they really are *friends* & lovers & eventually make an adorable and unfairly hot partnership. Therapist & mental health influencer Eliza hasn’t won over office-mate Beckham & that’s fine. But they strike up a friendship while unexpectedly shopping for a dog together *cue the soft, happy tears* & as a hacker & friend he’s there for her when a horrible date tries to publicly shame & bully her by posting a video of her without her consent rightfully going off on him (check out the CWs for more on this!). Gradually they move into something steamier, but there are big complications standing in the way including Beckham’s past & their different relationship wants. This age gap, forced proximity, workplace-ish romance is written so beautifully & captures how romance underlaid with a strong friendship can be so strong & heartwarming. The speeches that each makes about friendship, & later about love, really got to me in the best of ways. & the Epilogue. I didn’t need to see it go there, & it didn’t have to for the characters, but I absolutely loved seeing them sooo happy. Furthermore, seeing the other characters from past books—all of them one big, happy, extended family—was particularly welcome given the crappy news we’re dealing with in the Real World. This book & this whole series is fantastic. If I want sensitive romance with steam & compelling relationships with attraction & tenderness & respect & gentle challenges I’m rec’ing this one! Check it out if you haven’t already—you won’t regret it! 5 ⭐️. Out now!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own. Sophie Jordan’s The Scoundrel Falls Hard was such a fun read that ticks major boxes for me: 🔨 An unconventional pairing. Gwen Cully’s a blacksmith & Kellan Fox’s a conman whose con has been discovered & who takes refuge in her smithy. 🔨 She saves him. 🔨 Sizzling 🔥. Honestly Sophie Jordan writes such great 🔥 scenes. The build-up between the ever-resourceful, determined not to fall Gwen & Kellan, the charming rogue finding redemption in a quieter life, is superb & then when they finally fall 👀, let’s just say they aren’t the only ones to see 🥵 🔥 . 🔨 A standout heroine. She’s 28, nearly 6 feet tall, often wears pants, & is solely responsible for her home & livelihood until she gets some help from the friendly conman next door (he doesn’t actually live next door). I flew through the pages of this one. Sophie Jordan brings it on the emotional front too & by the ending my little heart was going pitter patter at how settled the couple is & how Kellan has found a home with his Viking love that’s far more satisfying than the rootless life he had before. This was a good time! 4.5 ⭐️. Release date: 08/23.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own. Ahhh this book. If you haven’t read a KD Casey book you must! Please 🥺. KD Casey is rapidly becoming one of my fave writers & for me the author shares many of those characteristics I love so much about Kate Clayborn’s writing: they’re deceptively quiet-ish plot wise but they’re absolutely stunning stories with so many romantic, smaller moments that add up to huge incontrovertible proof that two people have found their person 🥺🥺🥺. Oh yeah, & there’s baseball 😅. In Fire Season Reid Giordano, a recovering alcoholic who’s trying to find his way back professionally to the pitching he was once capable of—is traded from the minors to the Oakland Elephants. There he meets Charlie Braxton, a star pitcher who’s known for not saying a lot & who’s keeping his impending divorce a secret. They become friends & eventually more in the midst of stresses like Reid possibly being temporary in Oakland, Charlie’s experiences with anxiety, & Reid’s continual work toward maintaining his sobriety. Despite the last paragraph the overall tone of Fire Season is of hope & growth & making deliberate choices to try to be better & stronger. I absolutely love this book & I think its romantic moments—like them dancing together in a kitchen—will live with me rent free. Please check this author out! & then come chat with me 😆. 5 ⭐️. Release date: 07/19.
SummaryA disillusioned millennial ghostwriter who, quite literally, has some ghosts of her own, has to find her way back home in this sparkling adult debut from national bestselling author Ashley Poston. Florence Day is the ghostwriter for one of the most prolific romance authors in the industry, and she has a problem—after a terrible breakup, she no longer believes in love. It’s as good as dead. When her new editor, a too-handsome mountain of a man, won’t give her an extension on her book deadline, Florence prepares to kiss her career goodbye. But then she gets a phone call she never wanted to receive, and she must return home for the first time in a decade to help her family bury her beloved father. For ten years, she’s run from the town that never understood her, and even though she misses the sound of a warm Southern night and her eccentric, loving family and their funeral parlor, she can’t bring herself to stay. Even with her father gone, it feels like nothing in this town has changed. And she hates it. Until she finds a ghost standing at the funeral parlor’s front door, just as broad and infuriatingly handsome as ever, and he’s just as confused about why he’s there as she is. Romance is most certainly dead . . . but so is her new editor, and his unfinished business will have her second-guessing everything she’s ever known about love stories. My ReviewWow, Ashley Poston’s The Dead Romantics blew me away & had me freaking crying before taking my kids to gymnastics the other morning 😆. This book engaged me emotionally on every level—it kind of has a Book Lovers effect in that way. The story weaves in happiness & grief, joy & sadness, laughter & tears in a most affirming way—as the book makes us aware time & time again, that weaving is life itself. The sour sometimes but always the sweet too. At the beginning of the book ghostwriter Florence Day asks to write the last book on her contract as a non-romance bc according to her, “romance is dead.” (Ok, Florence, check back in with me later 🙄🤣). The editor Benji Andor, a hottie who clearly turns cold by her ask, says no. Shortly thereafter, Florence’s beloved dad passes & Benji Andor, her editor, arrives at her family’s funeral home as a ghost. Good thing that Florence can communicate with them—even if that actually made her infamous in her small town. This book obviously deals with some tough topics, including the loss of Florence’s dad, but it handles them so lovingly, so eager to see the possible beauty left in the world even through tears & wrenching sadness. I missed Florence’s dad even though he was only alive on page for a short portion of the book. Just as I was happy for her happy memories & the moments she shares with Benji—because Florence’s narration reeled me in & I could feel the fullness of her, of her family too, as a person. Quirky, funny, loving, hopeful, this book hits every note & I loved living in it for a while. Every character in The Dead Romantics feels special & precious. More books like this one, please. 5 ⭐️. Release date: 06/28.
|
About me.Give me that HEA, please.
Join my mailing list.Want to receive a weekly email with links to my latest blog posts? Sign up below!
Archives
April 2024
Categories
All
|