Thanks to the publisher for complimentary finished copy and the publisher & Edelweiss for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own. [This pic was taken from the fire tower trail in Frozen Head State Park!] I take every chance I can here to shout about Charlie Adhara’s Big Bad Wolf series & the author is back with the opening to a spin-off, Pack of Lies. The lead in this series, Eli, is sly, incorrigible, bold, & provocative & his voice jumps from the page. Now the manager of a mountain retreat owned by Cooper & Oliver (the leads of the books in the Big Bad Wolf series), Eli is brought into a mystery investigation surrounding whatever strange, supernatural creature is targeting a rival lodge owner, & all the while, of course, he must hide that he is a wolf shifter. Easy, right? Also easy is managing his attraction & feelings for actor Julien Doran, who is hiding his own secrets, chiefly his investigation into his brother’s earlier death. Like with all fantastic series it’s such a joy to return to them, to see beloved characters take on new life & to see where they’ll go. Both Julien & Eli have big trust issues & I appreciated that they temporarily set that aside for some steam . There’s a surprising twist, some solid-hitting emotion, & an ending that left me wanting more. Like tomorrow. I highly highly recommend this series if you love PNR—these characters will work themselves into your heart very easily! 4.5⭐️. Out now!CWs: violence, death.
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Thanks to the publisher for the complimentary finished copy. All opinions provided are my own.Is this the most eccentric romance I have ever read? I think so. Maybe it’s because the hero was once dead & the heroine Angelika Frankenstein-ed him, making him from a couple of different available corpses & bringing him back to life in hopes he would be in love with her (& also in hopes of having a huge accomplishment to mark down in her brother’s feud with another scientist- rival). Maybe it’s because the most romantic moments and even the lesser give full Morticia & Gomez from Addams Family vibes, a comparison made by others & which had me excited to pick this one up. Maybe it’s just all of the little small details. And there are many 🤣. Angelika’s attraction to thighs. Victor eating his apples. The pig. But Sally Thorne’s Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match is absurd and stuffed with quirkiness (it cannot be contained) & also with goodwill. Because no matter what the Frankensteins do or how many natural laws they break, it’s made very clear that they do have big hearts as well. Just your conventional type of romance 😆 . It was hard for me to pin down my feelings on so much of this book including a love triangle-ish situation. On one hand the love triangle often leads to more absurdity so it fits the theme but on the other it goes too far for me. But this book has some truly romantic moments, a general sense of exuberant & romance-loving IDGAFs, the leads have a real & true appreciation for the other, & there’s a Frankenstein story that had me saying “what?!,” “oh,” “that’s really sweet,” & probably “what” again 😆. It’s a romance that breaks a lot of the rules & part of me was like “no! Don’t do that” & the other part was like “this is fun” 🤣 . 4⭐️. Out 09/06.CWs: Angelika looks at the other MC’s genitalia when he’s dead while she is designing the resuscitated body to come. Angelika really wants a baby & they question whether Will will be able to impregnate her. Violence. Reference to death of parents. Theft.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.Funny, occasionally silly, & filled with lots of science, Marie Curie, and cat adoration, Love on the Brain wears its nerdiness proudly and I love that. Then there are those hot scenes & a hero who is *very* clearly into the heroine & she has no clue. Really. She has no clue ;) . Ordinarily, I love that too. But in this case Bee’s cluelessness feels like a bit much, especially after the other lead, hunky engineer Levi Ward, tells our Bee over & over again that he’s never hated her & she keeps insisting again & again that he did & he does. Not to mention the other moments in the book when Bee is oblivious—like about a certain item she wears that would be confusing to a lot of people. In some ways this book & Hazelwood’s writing style give me Mariana Zapata vibes. Approachable, quirky heroine who doesn’t always see the writing on the wall but in this case some of the things about the heroine & the story itself lose their charm after a while. I will gladly take a STEM heroine, pining, & an opposites attract couple who actually are pretty similar (right?!), but I would have liked more subtlety from the story itself, especially on the miscommunication front. 3.5⭐️. Out now!CW: Her previous fiancé cheated on her with BFF. Sexism in the workplace.
Hi and welcome to my Blog Blitz stop for Sangu Mandanna's The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches! Summary.A warm and uplifting novel about an isolated witch whose opportunity to embrace a quirky new family—and a new love—changes the course of her life. As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don’t mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she’s used to being alone and she follows the rules...with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos "pretending" to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously. But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and…Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he’s concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat. As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn't the only danger in the world, and when peril comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn’t know she was looking for.... My Review.Sangu Mandanna's The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is one of those books that makes me so happy to be a reader. It’s magic-filled & wonderful & the grumpy & the sunshine relationship at its core—not to mention the found family, the whimsy & the iron—had me squeeing. I love this book so much! In The Very Secret Society witch Mika Moon is hired by the residents of Nowhere House to be a magic teacher for three witch children. She takes on what seems like a huge task even though witches aren’t out in the open & aren’t supposed to be together out of set & infrequent social gatherings. In addition to the children, there are four other caretakers living at Nowhere House, including a striking & very grumpy librarian named James Kelly who is also amazing & gave me heart eyes. I will say that I fell in love with both leads because they’re both stunning. Mika’s funny & I love how she can laugh at herself, how brave and cheerful she is (without being annoying!). There’s a caretaking scene & just a sense of care running throughout the pages—I have every feeling that these leads have found true love and family & it makes my heart swell. This book is enthralling & I loved it from beginning to end. I can’t wait to add it to my shelves. 5⭐️. Out 08/23. An excerpt.When the spellwork part of the meeting was complete, Primrose cleared her throat. "Finally, does anyone have any news they'd like to share?"
"It's okay to say it's time to gossip, Primrose," Mika said merrily. "We all know that's what comes after the spellwork." "Witches don't gossip," sniffed Primrose. This was patently untrue, however, because gossiping was precisely what they proceeded to do. "My ex-husband wanted to get back together last week," said Belinda Nkala, who was in her forties and never had time for anyone's nonsense. "When I turned him down, he informed me that I am apparently nothing without him. Then he left," she added calmly, "but I fear he's going to be suffering from an inexplicable itch in his groin for a few weeks." Several witches laughed, but Primrose set her lips in a thin line. "And have you been playing such petty tricks lately, Mika?" "Oh, for the love of fucking god, Primrose, what does this have to do with me?" "It's not an unreasonable question, precious. You do like to take risks." "For the millionth time," Mika said, irked beyond belief, "I post videos online pretending to be a witch. It's just a performance." Primrose raised her eyebrows. Mika raised hers right back. "Hundreds of people do the same thing, you know. The whole witch aesthetic is very popular!" "Witchcore," Hilda said, nodding wisely. "Not quite as popular as cottagecore or fairycore, but it's up there." Everyone stared at her. "I didn't know fairies were real!" shouted Agatha Jones, who was almost as old as Primrose and tended to believe all young people needed to be shouted at lest they miss the import of her pronouncements. "Whatever next!" "You see, Primrose?" said Mika, ignoring this interruption. "People call themselves witches all the time. I'm not putting myself or you or anyone else at risk. Nobody who watches my videos thinks I'm actually a witch." It was unfortunate for Mika, then, that at that precise moment, over five hundred miles away, in a big house in a quiet, windy corner of the Norfolk countryside, a skinny old man in a magnificent rainbow scarf and enormous fluffy slippers was saying exactly the opposite. “Absolutely not!” This came from Jamie, the scowling librarian, who was not in fact the skinny old man in the scarf and slippers. That was Ian. And the third person in the library was Lucie, the housekeeper, a chubby, round-cheeked woman in her fifties, who sighed as if she knew exactly how this argument was going to go. (She did know, and she was right.) Ian smoothed down the tail of his scarf and replied, in the deep voice that had charmed audiences in many a small theatre over his eighty-odd years, "Don't be difficult, dear. It doesn't become you." Jamie was unmoved by this criticism. "You can't seriously be considering bringing that"-and here he jabbed a finger at the dewy, sparkly face on the screen of Ian's phone-"into the house?" "Why not?" Ian asked. "Well, for one thing, there's no way she's a real witch," Jamie said irritably. This was not unusual. Most of the things Jamie said were said irritably. "What kind of witch would show off her magic on a platform with millions of viewers?" Mika would have been immensely gratified to hear this, had she been there, but it looked like her double bluff had not hoodwinked Ian. "She's a real witch," he insisted. "How the hell can you possibly know that?" "I have excellent observation skills. Just watch part of the video." Ian wiggled his phone like he was dangling a lollipop in front of a toddler. "A minute. That's all I ask." Jamie's glare stayed firmly in place, but he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against his desk to look over Ian's shoulder. Gleeful, Ian tapped the screen and the video started to play. Excerpted from The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna Copyright © 2022 by Sangu Mandanna. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. 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.
Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @williammorrowbooks for the complimentary finished copy & @avonbooks and Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own. Wow, Sarah MacLean doesn’t play around with Heartbreaker. Honestly it feels like she took some of *my* favorite things & wrapped them in a stunning package & said “please knock yourself out with good feelings, Jessica” . I’m trying to think of how this book could have been any better & it’s just not possible to me. From its seemingly mismatched leads—a thief from the rough & tumble part of London & an uptight duke—to its “chase me” vibes, to its badass group of Belles & the ways said leads show they care over & over again…it’s quite a one-two- to infinity punch. I adore how Adelaide Frampton is written & how Henry, the aforementioned duke, is so aware of her strength, courage, & effectiveness. This isn’t a book where the hero is sleeping on the heroine’s attributes . & Henry is basically a perfect hero. Or at least perfect for me. Coming at the reader with big “not like other toffs energy,” his background gives him empathy, a sense of fun, & sportsmanship & it’s easy to see how they work together despite their difference in status. Who could have suspected that a thief & a duke would be so good together? Okay me. I suspected . Powerfully written, sensual & hot & passionate, funny & romantic & trope-tastic, filled with moments where the leads try as hard as they can to protect each other, Heartbreaker both packs a heart wallop & had me grinning. I’m pretty sure this one’s going on my best of 2022 list! In conclusion this is the first time I’ve been sexually attracted to the name Henry. 5 ⭐️. Out 08/23.CWs: violence. Horrible rich white people—mostly men—only caring about themselves. It’s implied that Adelaide’s father “all but insisted” that she become physically intimate with her former fiancé, who was of his choosing. Kidnapping. Probably others.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.I don’t read many romantic thriller series that focus on the same leads so Rebecca Zanetti’s Laurel Snow Thriller books have been an interesting shift for me. Visceral books propelled along by their protagonist, the aforementioned Laurel, who has an eidetic memory & is the possessor of numerous degrees, the Laurel Snow series has intrigued me ever since she first arrived home to an isolated part of Washington state, a place where serial killers have recently come out of the woodwork. In book 2, You Can Hide, FBI agent Laurel & Fish & Wildlife officer Huck work together to solve a new series of violent crimes, all the while dealing with many external challenges (including Huck’s ex & Laurel’s apparently without-a-conscience sister). Relationship-wise, at the beginning of this book the two leads don’t really have a relationship but they do have a history. You Can Hide delivers a decent mystery & twist & it effectively sets up the next book. While the tension between leads is still there, I didn’t really appreciate how they’ve lost momentum at the beginning of this one & how it happens off page—it feels like a womp womp moment. If you’re looking for a romantic thriller that doesn’t skimp on the visceral, the shocking, or the keen observations offered by a genius protagonist, you might like the Laurel Snow series. 3.5 ⭐️. Out 11/29.CW: brutal murders & references to sexual assault. Reference to abusive mother. References to infidelity. References to PTSD. Reference to one of the murder victims having had sex with a minor--according to the book it isn’t technically against Washington State’s law since the minor is 17. Reference to intimate photographs of sexual partners taken without their consent including in the case of the 17 year old.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.📖 what’s a long-running romance series that’s still releasing books that you’re still loving? Honestly it was *so* fun to be back in the world of the Baylor family, the Baylor Investigative Agency, the magic-wielding heroes + heroines & the monsters, the loving relationships, etc etc with Ilona Andrews’s Ruby Fever. Ilona Andrews’s Hidden Legacy series is one I recommend again & again (like in yesterday’s Trope Tuesday post) & it’s sooo good whether you’re a reader of urban fantasy or not. The first three books in the series focus on Nevada Baylor, & these last three, including Ruby Fever, focus on her sister Catalina, who’s head of the Baylor House in the cutthroat world of magic & Houses & power. I don’t want to ruin the plot of this one but suffice it to say that baddies are back & we learn some secrets related to Catalina & Alessandro…not to mention a couple of enticing pages concerning the last sister, Arabella. (Pleaseeee let there be more books!!). If you haven’t read these books yet please please put them on your list! 5 ⭐️. Out 08/23.Lots of CWs, including murder (including a reference to a woman who was pregnant at the time) & violence. Catalina’s grandmother had an unconscious woman serve as her surrogate without her consent.
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.
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