 Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own. #SundayShelfie + Review You know that thrill you get when someone’s writing is just really, really good? I had it often when reading Cat Sebastian’s The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes. Sebastian is someone who’s writing I just *delight* in, to an extravagant amount. There are so many lines in this ARC that I wanted to share as evidence of how good it is—like one about cake & religious icons—so many moments when I felt a smile growing & also greedily thought, I *H A V E* to get a copy of this for my shelves. This book picks up action-wise during and after The Queer Principles of Kit Webb, taking Marian Hayes and Rob Brooks as its focus. After shooting her duke bigamist-husband, Marian “kidnaps” the charming Rob Brooks (formerly a highwayman who has been presumed dead for a year) & they travel to visit her sick father & prepare for any fallout from the shooting. TPCoMH is a rich & sexy cornucopia of tropes: 🖤 Road Trip 🖤 Some Epistolary 🖤 Forced Proximity 🖤 Oops I blackmailed you to lovers 🖤 A tiny bit of the forbidden (though that’s not really a big dissuasion bc our leads have big IDGAF energy) 🖤Some Deception Plot & a dynamic between MCs that honestly makes my wings soar & my whole reading persona lusty: she is severe & uptight & authoritative & he LOVES IT & thinks she is PERFECT. When I tell you I loved how this became part of their intimate moments... There’s so much to love about this romance: the humor (honestly I cracked up all the time), the care (from both of them), Marian’s fierceness & what this book says about motherhood & parenting in general, the found family this group makes 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺, & what it means to choose yourself. I loved it & adored it. 5 ⭐️. Release date: 06/07.
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 Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own. My feelings for Cat Wynn’s Partner Track are complex. There are some things I loved & then there are things that had me going what?! internally. The book starts when attorney Perdie Stone scores a big victory against Ivy League grad, now defense attorney, & impossible hottie Carter Leplan. A major snowstorm & not enough rooms at the hotel result in an only one bed situation which turns into—as these things often do in a romance—a steamy hook-up. When Perdie returns home she soon realizes that Carter is a new partner at her firm, a fact that’s more than infuriating given how long she’s fought for a similar position. But they can’t stay away from each other & things get heated between them again & again. Other reviews mention the steam of this one & it’s true, it’s so hot 👏🏻. There’s one office scene involving red underwear that had me feeling all kinds of things. You can feel the heat coming off the pages & it is y u m. The chemistry between them is explosive & it’s offered as a reason why the characters can’t resist each other, despite Perdie’s *numerous* attempts to break things off. Speaking of Perdie, it was great finding an unlikeable heroine & seeing her ultimately pursuing the things that will fulfill her. I repeatedly got the sense that Perdie Stone doesn’t stay down for long. She’s in her late 30s & she’s assured & knows how to take her pleasure & I can only applaud her for all of those things. Carter is beta hero heart eyes: he is extremely sexy, self-aware, & sensitive. Also a dirty talker. But the romance arc is filled with frustrating & confusing mixed messages on Perdie’s end & often propelled forward by jealousy. In the end I didn’t feel super confident in the stability of their relationship though the last couple of chapters including the epilogue are cute & a nice touch. The romance itself unfolds in a muddled, frustrating way for this reader but I really appreciated aspects of the characters & the scintillating passages that pepper its pages. 3 ⭐️. Out now.
 Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own. I had never read Vivienne Lorret before but I took the leap after a trusted friend’s recommendation. How to Steal a Scoundrel’s Heart has a lot to offer with a former rake hero who’s all **this is just temporary, of course it’s not love** energy, a heroine who really tries to wrangle control over her “ruin” fallout, & a sweet & sensual love story that delights. In the eyes of (most of) Society Prudence Thorogood has been ruined. She approaches known rake, Leo, Marquess of Savage, & asks him to shortlist her as a possible mistress option. They’ve met before though, & unbeknownst to Prudence Leo is so smitten (I mean it’s only lust, nothing more 🤣) with her that he agrees immediately. She moves in with him & basically the rest of the book is them navigating that arrangement & their unexpected emotions toward the other. The basic interactions between Prudence & Leo give me everything I’m looking for. I stan a resourceful, determined heroine who’s willing to do what it takes to survive in a society that wants her to crumple, to stay down. & I’m all heart eyes for a hero who is gone from the word go but fights it every step of the way. The friendship rep in here made me happy & intrigued (looking at you, Sterling), the hero’s protective streak is 👏🏻, & I love some heisting. What doesn’t work for me so much is how a weightier topic is handled, specifically Prudence’s lingering trauma over her first sexual experience, which was painful physically & emotionally. Honestly I even felt unsettled about Prudence & Leo’s basic arrangement given that fact & Prudence’s feelings about having sex with someone again. I think it’s a matter of how it’s executed for me. Setting aside that aspect of the plot, as well as the random dog on the cover which @angelareadsromance mentioned in earlier Stories 🤣, overall this romance is a lot of fun & I’ll definitely think about picking up another Lorret book in the future. 4 ⭐️. Release date: 05/24
 Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own. I think Alexis Hall is one of the best banter writers I’ve read & it’s very apparent in A Lady for a Duke. Wouldn’t it be so great if we were as quick, funny, & astute as an Alexis Hall character? Let me just say I welcomed those moments of humor with open arms because so much of the romance is a rich, dense, & incredibly thoughtful plumbing of emotions, heart, & friendship. Which is amazing…& also served really well by an occasional bon mot for levity. A Lady for a Duke has everything & it just feels so colorful to me. I don’t think I’m in danger of forgetting the characters—they’re truly magnificent in their own ways, from the leads—indomitable Viola Carroll & the sternly principled & honorable Justin, duke of Gracewood—to Viola’s brother, a not very bright but also affable person called Badger who is beloved by his wife, (a magnificent would-be puppet master with a heart) Louise. The story, too, is unforgettable, featuring a trans heroine who, as she says, made choices that severed her from her old life—as a beloved best friend to Gracewood—but that allowed her to live as herself. This childhood best friends, class difference (Viola is a lady’s companion) romance has bold & romantic speeches & moments, stunning descriptions, a devastating sense of drama, & an absolutely lovely Epilogue that serves up major feels. Check out the CWs but this book is soo good & highly recommended! 5 ⭐️. Release date: 05/24.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own. There are some books that just feel effortless & that’s Mia Sosa’s The Wedding Crasher. You all, this book is funny, sharp, FUN, family-centered & as sexy as forearms. Featuring a hot but semi-awkward hero, a heroine who isn’t afraid to tell the truth even when the truth puts her between a rock & a hard place, & a fake dating situation that turns into something that could change their lives forever. Solange is Lina’s—from The Worst Best Man—cousin. Dean is Max’s—from the same aforementioned book—BFF. They’re brought together when Solange helps encourage Dean’s fiancée to be honest about her heart after Solange catches said fiancée in an intimate moment with someone else before the ceremony. The chemistry between these two is played up beautifully—these two CARE—as is their conflict, which is thoughtful and well done. Their sex scenes had me internally clapping, including moments like him sliding down the wall bc he’s so overwhelmed by the hotness of it all. Me too, Dean, me too. This is such a good book & a stellar example of a fantastic rom com that activates emotions on *all* levels. 5 ⭐️. Out tomorrow!
 Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own. 📖 Q: have you ever been to Paris? Eight Weeks in Paris by S.R. Lane is one of those books that I just fell into—it’s a blissful (& also angsty) Paris-set trope-fest that engaged me on every level & felt like Moulin Rouge meets French Kiss. Trope-wise, this is opposites attract, sunshine & the grumpy, coworkers, caretaking, stormed in, forced proximity. (Do you hear my heart going pitter patter?) Nicholas Madden is a “serious actor” who gives me Richard from Lucy Parker’s Act Like It vibes. He’s got a grumpy, temper-fueled, brilliant rep & he’s very invested in the current film he’s starring in with Chris Lavalle, a stunningly attractive man mostly known as a model & influencer. Including film scenes + real life scenes it’s easy to see the two becoming confused—something the book really makes clear—especially as both leads wrestle their feelings over the magnetism of their relationship & as Nicholas in particular considers what he might lose by publicly coming out. The writing & plot are sublime, the emotion is so stirring, & this is the kind of book I could read again & again bc there’s so much there. I wish I could have read more past HEA, especially since the big fight hurt me so bad 😆. 5 big ⭐️ for this one. Please check it out! Release date: 05/31.
 Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own. I have a family history of addiction & drug & alcohol abuse & I was both wondering how those topics would be treated in a romance & also aware that I was coming to the table with my own experiences & feelings on the topic. Now that I’ve offered that review caveat I’ll say that in general I love redemption stories + second chance stories, how much hope they offer & how satisfying the narrative arc often is, & in the case of Trusted & True by Rhenna Morgan, protagonist Callie Moore is clearly invested in making good choices & in “making amends.” She’s obviously done a lot of work thinking about her past actions, triggers, and motivations & leans heavily on the things that help her stay healthy & safe. In general I really enjoyed Rhenna Morgan’s focus on blue collar leads & found family with this romance, & the hero Danny’s admissions that professionally, he’s not satisfied. But I have two big problems with this romance. First, the relationship between Danny & Callie just moves so quickly. The end, in particular, feels rushed. Second, two of Callie’s past actions—really big & tbh troubling admissions—are just lobbed into the plot & then they’re pretty easily dismissed by the characters…but not by me. Callie made a huge mistake when she was a teen in particular—one that makes me feel very uncomfortable but the other characters are kind of like, oh it’s okay (obviously exaggerating some here). I believe in second chances but the execution of a second chance arc just doesn’t totally work for me in this book. Maybe if these were things the characters had started to process before the book started—instead of being quickly introduced in this book—it would have been more successful for me. 2.5 ⭐️. Release date: 05/24
 Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own. Francesca May’s Wild and Wicked Things is a dark, engrossing story where magic is both something that’s craved & feared…if you’re smart. It’s set in the years immediately after magic helped ravage soldiers in war & opens with protagonist Annie going to Crow Island, where the father who left her & her mother lived & died. As the blurb mentions Annie’s soon fascinated by her neighbor Emmeline, a rumored witch who seems to know Annie’s estranged best friend Bea—also on the island & newly married. Basically this is a twisting, twisted book that’s quite dark but also has hope, found family, & love too. I’ll be honest—some of the discussions of magic confused me (like it’s premise within the book 🥴) but the setting & the plot-points are compelling & entertaining to watch unfold. As is the complex characterization (though I didn’t really find a lot to grab onto with Bea). This book isn’t for the faint of heart, really. It is scary & gory in spots 😆. But the Sapphic representation, the sense of danger & recklessness, of throwing off weight & enjoying oneself, are all winning. 4 ⭐️. Release date: 03/29
 Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own. Tessa Bailey is one of my fave authors—how many times have I skimmed my fave parts of her books? (please do not ask 😆)—& yet I was still stunned in the best way by Hook, Line, & Sinker. Friends to lovers usually isn’t a trope I stand up & cheer for but for an author who writes magnetic attraction so well to also be a romance master of pacing & a slow burn? It takes it to a whole new level. This book gave me even more than I expected. Hannah is a LEADING LADY & I loved her so much. Sweet & sarcastic & loving & loyal—I could only applaud how she took up for Fox. (BTW, Melinda I hate you.) Hannah’s actions throughout the book show again & again that she is there, that she loves Fox for who he is. & Fox. He is a walking dreamboat. His care of Hannah is so fantastic—there’s a small line about how he’s dying to get antiseptic on her cut & I SWOONED. (Not to mention how he decorates her room or the other gestures he makes). This book gave me everything & I can’t wait to add it to my shelves. Thank you, Tessa, for another amazing book 🥵. 5 ⭐️. Release date: 03/01
 “‘What are you doing?’ he demanded, mostly because he couldn’t fucking wait to hear it. He wanted inside her confetti-strewn head every chance he got. It was the only foreign country he could remember wanting to visit.” Well if this book isn’t a gosh darn delight. Act Your Age, Eve Brown had me smiling & even LOLing on a family road trip; it’s winsome, quirky, & sexy & on a *totally* unrelated note I just bought some unnecessary glasses for my husband (jkjkjkjk). At the beginning of the novel Eve Brown is staring down another career that didn’t work out. Her stunned parents issue some tough love: Eve won’t receive any more trust money until she satisfies some employment conditions & she must find a new place to live. She takes off for the countryside where she meets rude, supremely starchy Jacob Wayne, owner of a Bed & Breakfast, at a job interview he’s hosting for a chef position. When Jacob follows her to offer her a chance to show off her skills—after initially blowing her off—she accidentally runs over him & yada yada yada, winds up with the chef job. If you’ve been reading the Brown Sister series you want to read this latest electric installment. & if you haven’t then you’ll want to read it too . It’s grumpy & the sunshine, starchy & the charmer, forced proximity, opposites attract fantastic-ness & I laughed internally & got other major feels all the way through. I love how Eve and Jacob find friends (& lovers) in each other, how neither one of them has to change to entice the other into tolerating or wanting them. A big hurrah! for Eve, who learns so much about herself (her awareness that she is on the autism spectrum like Jacob—and how we see his thoughts about it too—feels particularly lovely) & for Jacob, both of whom take brave steps toward each other. I felt like I could have used a little more time with Jacob’s breakthrough but really he is working toward it through the whole book & can you blame him for realizing how foolish he’s been almost right away? (<—talking to myself.) This book is a joy-filled (maybe it would be more accurate to say joy-inducing) ending to a great series. 5 ⭐️ |
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