 Thanks to the publisher for the complimentary hardcopy & the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.In my opinion Diana Biller’s Hotel of Secrets is a perfect historical & the couple in it is now one of my faves & imagine every other superlative you can think of attached to the end of this sentence because the book is that good. The lovely & formidable Maria Wallner is doing everything she can to bring her family hotel back to its glory days. But someone is also trying to kill her, a fact which really arouses US Treasury Secret Service Agent Eli Whittaker’s ire…& he really doesn’t know why that would be, he is not one to form emotional attachments & he is in Vienna for a job etc etc. This book. The Vienna setting is richly rendered—I can picture the sounds & the sights even now—& it’s even more striking with the epigraph journal entries at the beginning of chapters, each written by the fierce Wallner women. Biller makes it easy to see that this couple belongs together, despite their surface differences. He comes across as uptight & reserved & she’s a dynamo & a charming & also extremely driven when it comes to her hotel but they have similar characters & values, not to mention incendiary chemistry that’s also communication-focused. I love love when a FMC in a historical romance is experienced & it’s just not a big deal & we get that here, along with a celibate MMC who decides not to be that anymore. Dear readers, he actually goes to an illicit bookstore to educate himself about female pleasure!!! If I haven’t convinced you yet, I will note that one of my fave things about this book is the subtlety & the power of the increasingly frequent moments when Eli has “urges” or “impulses” to actively show support or kindness to the people he is bewilderingly coming to care for… This book is an act of magic & I adored it. 5 BIG ⭐️. Out now![ID: Jess, a white woman, wears a dark green dress & stands against a yellow wall holding the book.]
0 Comments
 Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.I don’t even really know where to start with my review of Vivienne Lorret’s Never Seduce a Duke. After reading the previous book in the series I knew this was going to be an accidental pregnancy book but I didn’t anticipate where the plot would start & go & end & wowie, it was pretty bonkers. This book features a broken-hearted heroine who wants to have a passionate affair before real spinsterhood & a glasses-wearing duke hero determined to find a missing book heirloom that he believes she has stolen. Quirky & charming, Never Seduce a Duke has its share of awww moments, including just how enticed the Duke is by the woman so many others have ignored. But as previously mentioned, I just don’t love the overall premise or all of the places the plot goes—& it goes a lot—& there’s an aspect of the plot that feels rushed. So is this book entertaining & adorable in moments? Yes. Is it bewildering or unbelievable in moments? Yes. I think there’s potential here but it just didn’t work for me. 3⭐️. Out 02/21.CWs: Previous death of all of their parents—the hero’s were murdered.
 Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.I can always count on Joanna Shupe to deliver the heat & the Gilded Age decadence & drama I’m looking for & The Duke Gets Even brought both of those…also an impoverished somewhat-uptight-but-not-really duke who *FINALLY* gets his happy ever after. The events at the beginning of this book overlap with some of the things we’ve seen in previous books in the series—namely how Duke Lockwood—Andrew Talbot—meets the beautiful, not-bound-by-convention Nellie Young & how she drives him a little bonkers with lust on the periphery of his various engagements/entanglements. This is a fast, lusty historical with another Shupe lead who is gone for the heroine. Nellie really shines for me as an unmarried woman pursuing her pleasure, no matter what society says. Though I wasn’t super enamored initially with the Duke—who annoyed me with what he was wanting to do with Nellie while also prepared to get engaged / be engaged to someone else—his desire for her was a welcome development. But while this book is sexy & fun & I really loved how Nellie’s dad just wants her to be happy & vice versa, I didn’t feel like Nellie’s change of heart regarding “conventional” HEAs is thoroughly set up & developed. Similarly, I wanted more set up for how their serious feelings develop so quickly—despite their antagonism for each other & how often he scandal-shames her. So this is another entertaining, hot read but also a bit superficial for me in terms of the relationship arc. 3.5⭐️. Out now!CWs: Heart defect. Previous one-time cocaine use. Death of mother. “Whore" remark. Sexual assault. Previous abortion.
 Thanks to the author for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.Cat Sebastian books make me so happy. Daniel Cabot Puts Down Roots—Cat’s upcoming novella release out 11/15–is another soft, sweet, loving book that starts with mutual unspoken pining between friends & ends with them as lovers making a bigger life together. The 1970s New York vibes are strong, the communication is lovely (& so is the steam!), & there’s no third act breakup after they decide to be together (yes yes yes). If the thought of a pediatrician & music critic combo, neurodivergent rep, and so much care sound good to you, give this one a try. Thanks to the author for another lovely read. 4.5⭐️. Out 11/15. CW: please consult the author’s note for a detailed list of CWs.
 Thanks to the publisher for the complimentary finished copy. All opinions provided are my own.#FlatlayFriday Anatomy edition This week on the wild & zany front I went searching for titles related to the human anatomy, all inspired by recent bookmail: S. T. Gibson’s A Dowry of Blood. Opening with a bloody image of the vampire Constanta killing her vampire husband, this book grabbed me & didn’t let go. I was pulled in by the haunting, violent, & yet sensitive story of Constanta & her life from the moment she was turned to the centuries that follow as she makes her way across Europe with her husband & their lovers. Creepy & dark, this book gave me all the Halloween vibes. If you’re looking for a cozy vampire story or an absurd and fun Kresley Cole IAD book this isn’t it. But in its pages there are lust & love, a real sense of history, & shining storytelling. 4 ⭐️. Out now!CWs include violence & death. I’m sorry my list isn’t more exhaustive for this one!
 Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.This or That: Historical Romance 18th century or 19th century Marriage of convenience or class difference I hate everyone but you MMC or dutiful, uptight MMC Wow, let’s give a round of applause for Finn Ransome, his sweetest soft secret heart & his basically 12 pack 😆. He was the standout of Eva Leigh’s How the Wallflower Was Won for me. Unfortunately some other parts of the book—including the heroine and conflict—don’t work for me as much. That could probably be my review in its entirety but I’m going to add more 😆 . This is a marriage of convenience tale with a cerebral wallflower heroine & a bold & studly gambler hero who is secretly very self-conscious about his intelligence, particularly when it comes to reading. From the beginning of their marriage these two burn up the sheets but the emotional intimacy is a long time coming, especially for our very smart heroine Miss Tabitha Seaton. Tabitha has big ambitions & she wants to use her brain & her drive to help others. All of that is admirable, & I loved seeing gambler Finn appreciate those aspects of her over & over again. But the conflict made me have bad feelings 😆, especially how Tabitha handles it all. Setting that frustrating moment of the plot, on paper this book has so much going for it. But while there are some moments that had me feeling the swoons (like the steam—Tabitha seems to have a lot of climaxes —), overall this one left me a little cold. 3⭐️. Out 09/27.CWs: Finn’s father makes insulting comments about his intelligence. Finn is self conscious and anxious about intelligence, especially when it comes to reading & books. Misogyny against women & Tabitha specifically when she tries to join a special club for learned people. This list isn’t exhaustive.
 Thanks to the publisher for the complimentary hard-copy ARC & the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.Jess Everlee’s The Gentleman’s Book of Vices feels so distinctive to me—it’s a MM Victorian romance set in a grim London that’s relieved by sex, friendship, genuine goodwill, & love, & all of these good things are related somehow plot-wise to the creation & publication of erotic texts written by one hero & read devotedly by the other. Charlie Price is engaged out of what he feels is necessity. But before his wedding he decides to conduct an investigation into the real identity of a favorite Queer erotica writer—secretly a bookshop owner named Miles Montague—in the hopes of getting his autograph. Soon after both men are drawn into a relationship that consumes them with desire, even as the “Real World” continues beating at their door. Both men have to make difficult choices, particularly Charlie, who becomes aware of his privilege & for once wants to take a real & difficult stand for what’s right. Everlee really builds up the suspense & the angst, & though I was frustrated for part of this plotline, by the end I was retrospectively happy about how it had all worked out as well as terribly relieved. I love love the found family in this one & how Miles also realizes he can make new friends—that he can feel safe somewhere that isn’t home. Though their relationship runs a bit fast for me—I felt like I was missing a little something from its arc—this is very good MM historical romance with a touching undercurrent of care & community that really warmed my heart. But also be advised this is not light reading material. 4.5⭐️. Out 11/29.CWs: Imprisonment & death of Miles’s previous partner. Previous blackmail. References to self-destructive behavior. Shame surrounding Alma’s (Charlie’s former fiancé) pregnancy & the lingering effects of that labor. Her parents made her give up baby for adoption.
 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.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.
|
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
February 2023
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
