This is a fun, clean, light contemporary romance that mixes both humor and some meaningful ideas about family in with the romantic feelz. Also:[image]
This is a fun, clean, light contemporary romance that mixes both humor and some meaningful ideas about family in with the romantic feelz. Also: Cancun setting! [image] ... and a really hot guy who's trying to keep our heroine away from his equally hot twin brother. If you're in the mood for a romantic escape, what's not to like?
Isabelle Lind had one of those crushes on her old college friend Marco Dawson ― the kind that lasts for years. The kind where the guy never sees you as more than a friend, because you're too shy and understated. And, most painfully, the kind where the guy dates and marries your roommate and best friend, Daisy.
It's about seven years later now. Belle has gained in confidence and style, and now has a successful career as a fashion designer, but she's never forgotten Marco. When a mysterious and helpful matchmaker (Pearl) happens to mention Marco is now divorced and will be at a week-long family reunion at a Cancun resort the next week, Belle decides it's time to take matters into her own hands and take a vacation (she needs one anyway, right?) and accidentally-on-purpose run into Marco.
It works like a charm, apparently, except the one she runs into first is Flynn, Marco's charming twin brother ... who Daisy has recently contacted, begging him to help her to get the chance to patch things up with Marco. What's a loyal brother to do? Especially when there's a sexy blond girl making eyes at him. Even if she thinks he's his brother. Duh: pretend to be your twin brother and keep her away from him! Of course!!
Flynn's impersonation scheme gets exploded a lot sooner than I expected, which actually made this book a lot of fun. He and Belle continue to maneuver, each trying to put their plans into play and block the other's, while fighting the attraction they have for each other. Flynn's surrounded by the rest of his family ― parents, sisters, nieces and nephews, and more, not to mention Marco ― and they're adorable. Meanwhile, Daisy is staring daggers at Belle.
A few things happened toward the end a lot more quickly than I thought made sense(view spoiler)[, especially when Belle suddenly realizes that Marco isn't as perfect as she remembered and then, in very quick succession, that Flynn is the one she really wants anyway (hide spoiler)]. I also could have lived without the Big Misunderstanding trope coming into play, but its role is very short-lived so I could deal. Generally, though, this is a great escape, with some satisfyingly hot kisses.
Now I need to go to Cancun, or Cabo, or somewhere ...
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for ... not a review, actually, but some copyediting. But she gets the review too. :)
Merged review:
[image]
This is a fun, clean, light contemporary romance that mixes both humor and some meaningful ideas about family in with the romantic feelz. Also: Cancun setting! [image] ... and a really hot guy who's trying to keep our heroine away from his equally hot twin brother. If you're in the mood for a romantic escape, what's not to like?
Isabelle Lind had one of those crushes on her old college friend Marco Dawson ― the kind that lasts for years. The kind where the guy never sees you as more than a friend, because you're too shy and understated. And, most painfully, the kind where the guy dates and marries your roommate and best friend, Daisy.
It's about seven years later now. Belle has gained in confidence and style, and now has a successful career as a fashion designer, but she's never forgotten Marco. When a mysterious and helpful matchmaker (Pearl) happens to mention Marco is now divorced and will be at a week-long family reunion at a Cancun resort the next week, Belle decides it's time to take matters into her own hands and take a vacation (she needs one anyway, right?) and accidentally-on-purpose run into Marco.
It works like a charm, apparently, except the one she runs into first is Flynn, Marco's charming twin brother ... who Daisy has recently contacted, begging him to help her to get the chance to patch things up with Marco. What's a loyal brother to do? Especially when there's a sexy blond girl making eyes at him. Even if she thinks he's his brother. Duh: pretend to be your twin brother and keep her away from him! Of course!!
Flynn's impersonation scheme gets exploded a lot sooner than I expected, which actually made this book a lot of fun. He and Belle continue to maneuver, each trying to put their plans into play and block the other's, while fighting the attraction they have for each other. Flynn's surrounded by the rest of his family ― parents, sisters, nieces and nephews, and more, not to mention Marco ― and they're adorable. Meanwhile, Daisy is staring daggers at Belle.
A few things happened toward the end a lot more quickly than I thought made sense(view spoiler)[, especially when Belle suddenly realizes that Marco isn't as perfect as she remembered and then, in very quick succession, that Flynn is the one she really wants anyway (hide spoiler)]. I also could have lived without the Big Misunderstanding trope coming into play, but its role is very short-lived so I could deal. Generally, though, this is a great escape, with some satisfyingly hot kisses.
Now I need to go to Cancun, or Cabo, or somewhere ...
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for ... not a review, actually, but some copyediting. But she gets the review too. :)...more
Evie Thomas, a high school senior, is so distressed by her father's cheating on her mother, and their subsequent divorce and his pending remarriage toEvie Thomas, a high school senior, is so distressed by her father's cheating on her mother, and their subsequent divorce and his pending remarriage to his affair partner, that she's soured on the whole idea of love. She even empties her bookshelves of all her very favorite romances, giving them away to the library and a Little Free Library box.
But the old woman who owns the Little Free Library gives her the gift of another book, called Instructions for Dancing, that leads Evie to a dance studio and, possibly, a chance at love. Frankly, she's not even looking for love, but the dance studio really wants her to join this amateur competition coming up.
And Evie has also suddenly developed a magical ability (not really a spoiler since this is in book's blurb and in the first 20 pages) to see a vision of a couple's most important past and future moments when she sees them kiss. The problem is, this magical ability is causing Evie more distress rather than less. It seems like every vision she sees shows the relationship ending sadly, even with heartbreak. It just confirms everything she thinks her dad's betrayal of her family has taught her.
This YA contemporary romance, set in our world with a dash of Zoltar-type fantasy (the characters even talk about the movie Big), has some surprising depth and heart, and some important things to say about love. But don’t go into it expecting all sweetness and light. Tears were shed, I’m just saying.
Nicola Yoon has a really delightful style of writing, with some quirky in-between chapters that give us insights into Evie's mind. The author's afterword also gives you some fascinating but painful insights into what was going on in Yoon's life that helped inspire this book. Diversity representation here: The main characters are black, and two of Evie's best friends are gay.
Minus points for giving Evie’s cheating father and the other woman too much of a pass in the end. I’m not saying she shouldn’t forgive him, I’m saying, don’t justify cheating. It’s a non-starter for me.
So I felt like I was slumming, in a literary kind of way, when reading this JAFF (Jane Austen fanfiction). One of my GR friends *waves to Shifra* loveSo I felt like I was slumming, in a literary kind of way, when reading this JAFF (Jane Austen fanfiction). One of my GR friends *waves to Shifra* loves JAFF and gave this one 5 stars, and I was all, hey, it's on Kindle Unlimited so why not?
In this variant of the Pride and Prejudice story, Elizabeth meets up with Darcy much earlier, when she's staying with her aunt and uncle Gardiner up in the area of Pemberley for several weeks one summer. Their initial meetings lead to some tension between them, but without Elizabeth's family in the way, the two of them come to an understanding much quicker and with far less drama. That is, until Elizabeth's father catches wind of her romance.
Mr Bennet doesn't even know who Darcy is, other than a rich guy who is - thinks Mr Bennet - certainly untrustworthy with his favorite daughter's affections. Plus, Mr Bennet has his own plans for Elizabeth's future. So he immediately takes steps to squelch their romance. Of course, it's not that easy.
I've read my share of JAFF (usually to my regret). This was a particularly odd version because Mr Bennet and Mr Collins have SERIOUSLY different characters than they do in the original, to their detriment. (I know, it's hard to believe Mr Collins' character could be worse, but Mary Smythe found a way.) It's necessary to make the plot here work, but I could never really get on board with this one. On the plus side, Mrs Bennet got a character upgrade from the original.
The writing style is okay, if rather uneven, and the book had a few funny and interesting scenes. It was weirdly fun seeing various famous lines from P&P pop up in the narrative, except they often came out of the mouths of different characters. So if you're a fan of P&P fanfic (and not picky about character makeovers or historical accuracy), you … could do worse?...more
So after two swings and misses on the Jane Austen fanfic, I went back to my GR friend Shifra's list of her top 10 JAFF novels, and read the Kindle samSo after two swings and misses on the Jane Austen fanfic, I went back to my GR friend Shifra's list of her top 10 JAFF novels, and read the Kindle sample of the one that came out on top, which was this one. It hooked me in enough that I actually decided to pay for it (it wasn't cheap, fair warning, but I was really needing some good P&P fanfic to take the taste of the mediocre ones out of my mouth).
In this iteration of Elizabeth Bennet and Darcy's tale, the point of divergence occurs when Darcy makes his first proposal to Elizabeth while she's visiting her friend Charlotte (who recently married Mr Collins). Rather than turning Darcy down flat, she asks him for some time to think about his proposal. Yes, she's still angry about his interference in Jane's and Wickham's lives, but he's intelligent, rich and handsome, and he inexplicably (to Elizabeth) has fallen in love with her, and he's promising to take care of her family if and when needed ... I guess this version of Elizabeth is a little more practical-minded than the original.
So after several days of mulling things over, Elizabeth accepts Darcy's proposal, though she warns him that she's not in love with him. Not a problem! says Darcy, sure that she'll fall for him soon. But as things develop, there are naturally bumps in the road (many of them familiar to P&P fans), Elizabeth isn't falling in love very quickly, and there are ample reasons during the engagement for both Elizabeth and Darcy to wonder if they're really doing the right thing. These being Regency times, it's very difficult to back out of an engagement, though.
So yes, I really did enjoy this one. It's much more romantic and relationship-focused than the original P&P, but it's pretty true to the original story and characters, and far more intelligently written than your run-of-the-mill fanfic. Lara Ormiston does a great job of digging into the characters' flaws and making them work through issues with a fair degree of realism.
And I'm a romantic at heart, I guess. This one got me in the feels. I probably wouldn't recommend this book to those who aren't down with Regency romance. But if you are, this one really is well done for the genre. It’s up near the top of my own JAFF list too! Will def reread when I need a romance fix....more
3.5 stars. I've read most of Susanna Kearsley's recent books, but I've bought a lot of her older ones on Kindle sales over the years that I still need3.5 stars. I've read most of Susanna Kearsley's recent books, but I've bought a lot of her older ones on Kindle sales over the years that I still need to read. This is one of those and, while I really liked parts of it, in other ways it shows its age (written about 30 years ago). Kearsley's definitely grown as an author since then.
The main character, 29 year old Julia Beckett, has been inexplicably and powerfully drawn to a historic home, called Greywethers, in an English village since she first saw it as a child. When it goes up for sale years later, she snaps it up. And immediately starts experiencing these odd events where she's reliving events in the life of Mariana, a young woman who lived in 1665, the plague year in England.
Mariana is forced to leave London when her mother's death from the plague leaves her as an orphan, and she moves into Greywethers with her self-righteous, abusive uncle, his downtrodden wife, their baby, and the wife's younger sister, who becomes Mariana's friend and confidante. Mariana also meets the local lord, Richard de Mornay, who is violently hated by her uncle, but Richard is clearly very interested in Mariana. Meanwhile, back in the present, a descendant of Richard's family is also very interested in Julia.
In Mariana Kearsley uses her patented dual-timeline approach, with one plotline set in our modern times and the other in a historical period (usually the late 1600's/early 1700's, which really seems to draw Kearsley). There's usually a paranormal element tying the two time periods together, and here it's **possibly a spoiler if you're particularly sensitive about these things, though it's disclosed pretty early in the book** (view spoiler)[straightforward reincarnation (hide spoiler)]. At least for me, that didn't work as well as the various other methods Kearsley has used in other books. (view spoiler)[ It was kind of odd when the heroine was reliving episodes in Mariana's life, because her body is walking around the town in modern times but her mind is back in the past. So kind of like sleepwalking? (hide spoiler)] There's also a lot of smoking by one of the main characters, which doesn't read so well for me in a 90's era romantic novel. Also: VERY abrupt ending. It's not terrible, but I would've liked a little more detail on how everything worked out.
YMMV. I thought this was a reasonably good book, but not one of Kearsley's best. I'd recommend The Winter Sea, The Firebird and The Rose Garden over this one. But if you're a Kearsley fan, it's worth a read....more
Madeleine Brent retro romantic suspense time again! A GR friend reminded me of this one a few days ago, and I was all, oh yeah, that one I read half oMadeleine Brent retro romantic suspense time again! A GR friend reminded me of this one a few days ago, and I was all, oh yeah, that one I read half of and then got distracted and ... never finished? Maybe I'd better fix that! So even though I have a bunch of ARCs I should be reading, here we are.
I enjoyed this one a lot! Chantal is a young woman who's a reasonably good trapeze artist with a mid-sized traveling circus, back around the late 1800s or early 1900s, with a very complicated past personal history. She was raised as a spoiled orphaned heiress through age 13, when her wealthy British family found out that there was a baby switch and her heartless uncle tossed her out. Before she could land in the orphanage they intended for her, she ran away to this circus that happened to be in the area, and they took her in.
Now she's about 17/18 and realizes that her time with the circus will be ending soon. Chantal has plans and hopes for medical school, but things are interrupted by the arrival of a mysterious stranger, a near-death experience for Chantal on the high bar (looks like someone was trying to kill her ...), and two more strangers who whip Chantal away to a brand new genteel British family. Where more drama ensues.
It's a fun read if not terribly deep. As I've said before, Madeleine Brent/Peter O'Donnell is a pretty talented storyteller if not a Great Author. Yes, it's still that same formula that Madeleine Brent books follow over and over: intrepid young British woman in exotic places and deadly peril, and usually two men who are pursuing her romantically. One of them is true love and the other is secretly a dastardly villain, but the author tries very hard to hide the ball on which man is which.
I don't think it's a coincidence that my favorite Brent books were the two I read first, before I started seeing all the plot similarities in these books. But they're quite fun reads when you're looking for a beach book kind of thing, and this one is up there with the better ones of Brent's. ...more
A friend gave me a whole set of Madeleine Brent's old historical romantic suspense novels a few years ago, and I've been gradually going through them.A friend gave me a whole set of Madeleine Brent's old historical romantic suspense novels a few years ago, and I've been gradually going through them. They invariably involve a plucky young British woman of genteel birth who finds herself either in an exotic foreign country or a highly unusual career, along with a large side helping of mystery, suspense and romance (which guy is the good guy who truly loves her and who is the secret murderer???).
In this version of Brent's formula, we have Bridget (Bridie) Chance, whose entire placid, proper Victorian life is upended when her father is killed in France in the course of trying to steal some valuable jewels. Bridie Cannot. Believe. what her father has been accused of, but no one else seems to have that trouble. And now there are detectives as well as other less savory sorts sniffing around for her father's jewel stash (there's gotta be one, right?). Bridie and her younger sister Kate are also now entirely destitute and thrown on the mercy of the world and a few unexpected friends.
The author made a weird big thing out of Bridie's overly expressive, mobile face — I'm picturing kind of a female Jim Carrey here — and so it wasn't surprising that she finds a job that takes advantage of that. It's certainly not a "proper" job for a Victorian lady, but it did make for some interesting reading.
Brent takes entirely too long to get to the exciting part of the story in this novel, but once the plot finally kicked into gear it was a very hard book to put down. In fact, I didn't put it down and whipped through it in one evening. Brent (a pseudonym of author Peter O'Donnell) isn't really a great author, but is a very competent storyteller. A reasonably fun read if you like old-fashioned romantic suspense novels....more
In this recent novella sequel to Shakespeare's The Tempest, Prospero's daughter Miranda travels back to Milan with him and finds life a lot more unpleIn this recent novella sequel to Shakespeare's The Tempest, Prospero's daughter Miranda travels back to Milan with him and finds life a lot more unpleasant than she expected. Everyone treats her like some kind of monster, she's confined to her rooms and only allowed out with a heavy veil, her fiance Ferdinand has disappeared, and her father is distant and uninterested in her welfare. The only bright spot in Miranda's life is one of the maids, Dorothea. Maybe she can help Miranda figure out what's gone wrong?
It's a warmhearted and well-intentioned novella that puts a very different twist on Shakespeare's story, with distinctly modern social views and occasionally veering into preachiness. It got a little too clunky for me and the plot didn't always flow smoothly or make total sense, but it had its moments. If a queer, feminist fantasy take on Renaissance Italy sounds like your cuppa tea, I'd recommend it.
Available for free right now as part of a set of four Tor LGBTQ+ novellas, with Tor's ebook of the month club....more
The violence between Houston’s powerful magical families breaks out again4.5 stars. Loads of fun! Final review, first posted on FantasyLiterature.com:
The violence between Houston’s powerful magical families breaks out again when Felix Morton is mysteriously murdered. Felix was involved in a private contract project involving an alliance between five magical Houses who are attempting to reclaim the Jersey Village suburb of Houston, which has become a pit for wild arcane magical creatures. If the reclamation succeeds, the land is worth a fortune, but Felix’s murder at the site puts a definite damper on the project.
Catalina Baylor — still recuperating from her broken heart when Alessandro Sagredo abruptly left her at the end of Sapphire Flames, six months ago — is told by her boss Linus Duncan to take over the investigation into Felix Morton’s death. The primary suspects are the four Prime magic users who were Felix’s business partners in the reclamation project. Difficult enough for Catalina, but she’s stunned to find out that Felix’s father has hired Alessandro to take Felix’s place on the project … and, though the other Primes don’t know it, Alessandro has also been hired to take down and kill whoever murdered Felix.
Catalina wants to keep her heart walled off from Alessandro so he can’t hurt her again. Alessandro is determined to protect Catalina from a Russian assassin called Arkan who, Alessandro says, is targeting Catalina in order to disrupt Linus’s ongoing investigation into the theft of several vials of the Osiris serum, which can confer strong magical powers on — or kill — the person who takes it. As Catalina and others in her family are attacked in various ways, it’s not clear who’s behind it: Arkan, Felix’s unknown murderer, or someone (or something) else?
Emerald Blaze is lots of fun, a fast-paced urban fantasy with a compelling romantic subplot, guaranteed to please Ilona Andrews fans. The Baylor clan, from Grandma Frida down to Catalina’s younger sister Arabella (who is clearly waiting for her chance to take the spotlight in a later book), is as wild and lovable as ever. As usual with Andrews novels, there’s plenty of witty dialogue and humor along with the danger, magic and romance.
The mystery is an intriguing one. Alessandro has his own reasons for wanting to get involved in the case, and it’s not just an excuse to get close to Catalina again. Catalina has become a stronger woman, and she’s not willing to immediately trust Alessandro. But Alessandro’s been through some rough experiences in the past six months that have changed him as well, and led him to adjust his priorities. It need hardly be said that the romantic tension gets ratcheted way up here.
The other big selling point for me in Emerald Blaze is the disclosure of several facts that shed a whole new light on some key events in past books. Among them: why did Catalina’s sister Nevada abruptly resign as head of Baylor House a few years earlier, leaving the rest of the family in the lurch? It seemed out of character at the time. Catalina’s relationship with their other grandmother, Victoria Tremaine, and Victoria’s role in the Baylors’ lives, also are revealed to be more complex than readers may have guessed. Either the Andrews team was plotting some things out far in advance or the authors are engaging in a little retconning, but in either case it’s adding depth and believability to the series, so I’m completely on board with it. On the other hand, Linus Duncan’s role in the series has taken a sharp turn from where it appeared to be headed at the end of the third book, Wildfire. I’m confused about his underlying motives at this point, but I trust the final answer will be good.
Emerald Blaze is a strong entry in the HIDDEN LEGACY series. It’s got a somewhat different vibe than the KATE DANIELS series, but overall I’ve enjoyed this one just as much.
Initial post: I've been grumping around this whole month because my review request for this one got ignored.
Kindle freebie romance time again, and this one falls squarely into the "brain candy" category.
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Jacintha, the lovely third daughter of a duke,Kindle freebie romance time again, and this one falls squarely into the "brain candy" category.
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Jacintha, the lovely third daughter of a duke, has never quite gotten over her almost-kiss with her friend Henry Musgrave when she was younger. But then Henry was sent off by his family to parts unknown to learn to take care of his family estates. He's just recently come back after some years, but now that he's reached his majority he's only interested in drinking and partying (and, it is implied, sleeping around). So, though it pains her heart, Jacintha blows Henry off - I have to say I liked that part - and tries to talk herself into accepting the attentions of Lord Slate.
Little does Jacintha know that between her pointed words and a stern talking to by his uncle, Henry has finally realized that by heedlessly enjoying his freedom, he's been hurting his family and damaging his own and his sister's prospects. He quickly resolves to turn over a new leaf and, by the way, try to impress Jacintha with his changed ways and try to convince her to give him another chance.
Uncle Roderick's grand idea is to have Henry join him in fighting smuggling operations on the coast of England. It just so happens that this is right where Lord Slate's mansion is. (Here's where the coincidences start to pile up.) And maybe Lord Slate is involved in smuggling ... (view spoiler)[And OF COURSE there's a hidden tunnel from his mansion to the caves down the sea. Duh. How could that possibility not have occurred to Uncle Roderick's anti-smuggling task force? I called it immediately. (hide spoiler)]
The characters are pretty much one-dimensional and the plot falls on the unbelievable side of contrived for me. There's also this weird thing where Jacintha keeps talking about how she just wants a "marriage of convenience," by which she actually means a practical union that's not complicated by love, not one where the couple isn't sharing a bed. She's saying this for no apparent reason that I can see, especially since when she's presented with the perfect practical option with Lord Slate, she totally drags her heels. Because Henry! (view spoiler)[And personally I think an author is taking the too-easy way out when they make the other potential love interest turn out to be a villain. (hide spoiler)]
On the plus side, the plot moves along at a good smart clip and I didn't see any painful (for me) proofing errors in the text. (Some earlier reviews mention a bunch of errors, but I think they must have been fixed.) It's a very fluffy story and very unrealistic as far as being true to Regency times, but it's enjoyable for a brain candy romance and a Kindle freebie. This is the third in a series but worked fine as a stand-alone read.
Content note: squeaky clean, other than some veiled references to Henry's wild ways in the past and some not-so-veiled threats by the villain ("you'll sleep with me and do whatever I want, haha" kind of thing)....more
This Kindle bundle has three of Georgette Heyer's most well-known novels: The Grand Sophy, Arabella, and Frederica, along with a so-so novella, “A MatThis Kindle bundle has three of Georgette Heyer's most well-known novels: The Grand Sophy, Arabella, and Frederica, along with a so-so novella, “A Matter of Honour.” Those really are three of her best novels (except Venetia should be included. But I digress.).
These three novels shouldn't be missed if you're a Georgette Heyer fan or are interested in checking her out. They're old-fashioned Regencies, but with the emphasis more on witty dialogue, interesting characters and the occasional farcical comedy scene, than the actual romance part. So set your expectations accordingly....more
99c Kindle Regency romance. I found the hook so interesting that I had to give it a shot: Our American heroine is married (at age 13 1/2) to a handsom99c Kindle Regency romance. I found the hook so interesting that I had to give it a shot: Our American heroine is married (at age 13 1/2) to a handsome English young man who's about 5 years older ... for her own protection, as she has an uncle who's stolen her rightful inheritance in England. So it's to be a marriage in name only for a few years, and her husband Christian heads back to England with his father. Unfortunately there's a shipwreck, and all are lost.
Or maybe not. Five years later the orphaned Azalea (yep, that's her name) heads to England herself. There she unexpectedly meets Christian, who's now a lord ... and who has absolutely no recollection of ever meeting her, let alone marrying her. To make matters worse, Chris is engaged to Azalea's cousin, who she's living with. And Chris has a major chip on his shoulder against Americans, even beautiful redheaded ones. And let's not forget the dastardly conniving uncle!
I will say it was a fun read if you like Regency romances, but in the cold light of morning the contrived nature of the plot, and all of the many coincidences, was just too much for me to take it even a little bit seriously. Read for brain candy only!
Content note: a couple of intimate scenes, including one short but explicit bedroom scene. Of course they are actually married ... (view spoiler)[and by the time they sleep together he has remembered that. But the earlier kissing scene, in which clothing starts to come off even though Chris doesn't know they're married, really has no place in a traditional Regency novel. It's totally unbelievable. (hide spoiler)]...more
3.5 stars. Pure wish-fulfillment, celebrity romance times (I picked it up as an Amazon prime freebie), but it's cute and fun if you like that kind of 3.5 stars. Pure wish-fulfillment, celebrity romance times (I picked it up as an Amazon prime freebie), but it's cute and fun if you like that kind of read. Zoe Miller, an introverted college senior (somehow she manages to read as younger most of the time), makes a smartaleck but (brutally) honest comment on Twitter to the hot Hollywood actor she and her best friend have idolized for years. Out of the blue he contacts her back online. Improbably but heartwarmingly, they start seeing each other.
Because of Reasons, Zoe keeps their relationship secret from everyone, including her mother and her best friend who's been crushing on Chase Covington for many years (notwithstanding she has a boyfriend). Clearly those chickens are going to come home to roost, sooner or later.
#Starstruck advocates strongly for Zoe's choice to be abstinent from sex until marriage, for reasons other than religion. If you're game for that, it's a cute romance. It does seem really unlikely that Chase, the Hollywood star, suddenly starts chasing Zoe even when she's a little standoffish and awkward. Even more so, when they realize she's waiting for marriage to have sex, and he doesn't plan on ever getting married. But hey, it's wish-fulfillment reading and I was able to just roll with it.
Content notes: Some pretty intense makeout scenes, notwithstanding the celibacy theme....more
Kindle freebie Regency romance, March 3, 2020. Indie author, but if you like old-fashioned Regency romances it's worth a look. I've read about 4 of heKindle freebie Regency romance, March 3, 2020. Indie author, but if you like old-fashioned Regency romances it's worth a look. I've read about 4 of her other books over the years and thought they were pretty decent. ...more
3.75 stars. A short, heartwarming tale, free on Tor.com. A man on a space ship is injured in an accident that should have killed him ... which is goin3.75 stars. A short, heartwarming tale, free on Tor.com. A man on a space ship is injured in an accident that should have killed him ... which is going to blow some deeply-held secrets wide open. When Graff is rescued by his shipmates, he's got a LOT of explaining to do, and no guarantees that they'll believe or forgive him.
Carrie Vaughn writes well, and I like her unexpected take on the issues here, and on Graff's hidden society. I read it twice today and liked it even more the second time around, but then I'm kind of a sucker for heartwarming stories (unlike karen). :)
Recommended if you like SF and M/M romance.
Content notes: No explicit content; a few F-bombs....more
Apparently the market for breathless YA romances with sexy vampires isn't fully saturated yet, becausFinal review, first posted on Fantasy Literature:
Apparently the market for breathless YA romances with sexy vampires isn't fully saturated yet, because Crave, a new paranormal romance thriller by Tracy Wolff that cheerfully admits to being inspired by Twilight — check out the blatant knock-off cover — offers readers a slightly updated take on the genre.
When her parents are killed in an automobile accident, high-school-aged Grace reluctantly leaves San Diego and travels to the remote, icy interior of Alaska, where her uncle Finn is headmaster of an exclusive boarding school, Katmere Academy. Grace’s cousin Macy, who picks her up in Healy for a ninety-minute snowmobile ride to the luxurious, castle-like prep school, is anxious to help Grace fit in. The problem is, almost all of the other students at Katmere seem to be hostile to Grace — especially Jaxon Vega, the hot, dangerous-looking guy who is the first person Grace meets upon her arrival. Grace is (at least at first) determined not to let herself fall for Jaxon, although there’s something in his eyes that makes her think he’s as lost as she is. Their relationship runs hot and cold, but there's something or someone at Katmere Academy that seems to want Grace dead, and she may need all the friends she can find.
Crave promises to deliver an updated version of Twilight, but other than a stronger erotic element and the addition of plenty of F-bombs, it doesn’t really deliver on that pledge. Heroine-wise, Grace is a slight improvement over Bella, but not markedly so. She makes far too many impulsive, rash decisions. Crave’s Alaska setting isn’t drawn in any detail, other than that it's freezing cold there. Though it's set in an inaccessible prep boarding school, shades of Hogwarts, I don't recall any particular mention of any classes or teachers. The focus is on the social scene at Katmere, the romantic tension between Grace and Jaxon, and the mystery about who wants to kill Grace, and why.
Grace and the book take an inordinate amount of time to get clear about the paranormal nature of Katmere’s students, although the book's cover and blurb spill the secret up front. There's some interest for readers in finding out what type of powers each of the different cliques at Katmere have (hint: it’s not just vampires and werewolves). The romance stays in PG-13 territory, though the erotic bloodsucking scene was somewhat of an eyebrow-raiser. Crave’s mystery element adds some intrigue to the romance-driven plot, but readers should know that the book ends on a major cliff-hanger. Add to the above issues a first-person, present-tense narration, something that's difficult to pull off well even in much better novels.
Twilight was a guilty pleasure at the time I read it, sending me scrambling for the next book in the series. Crave wasn't nearly as much fun for me. Crave is a book I'd recommend only to readers who are still enthusiastic about paranormal romances and Twilight-type plots, and who are on board with adult language and steamier romance.
Initial post: Receives ARC of book. (Nice publicity package BTW!) Scratches head. “Is another Twilight knock-off really what we need?” Reads book: = Twilight with more smoldering gazes and making out, more F-bombs, colder weather, a slight upgrade to Bella (not as much as I hoped), and erotic bloodsucking. And bonus! told in first person present tense. Another bonus! Cliffhanger ending....more
Kindle freebie romance time again! 3.5 stars for this one - I'm rounding up because I'm giving an indie author the benefit of the break here.
Esther FoKindle freebie romance time again! 3.5 stars for this one - I'm rounding up because I'm giving an indie author the benefit of the break here.
Esther Fox is an orphaned young woman living with her well-meaning but fairly indifferent stepbrother and his wife. Her only relative, her brother Isaac, is on the Continent fighting Napoleon's armies. When she ends up in not one, but two, somewhat compromising situations with an old friend of her brother's, Silas Riley, an earl, he decides he needs to protect her reputation and announces to all and sundry that they're betrothed. (Silas was already attracted to Esther so it wasn't too tough of a choice for him).
Esther is already highly sensitive about being a burden and being told what to do by others, so Silas's somewhat high-handed actions rub her the wrong way, and she doesn't feel like she really belongs with him, his friends, or in his world. And so we have a couple in a marriage of convenience who are attracted to each other but having a hard time understanding the other's personality and needs, and aren't doing the best job at communicating with each other. And then another unexpected tragic event makes life for Esther and Silas even more difficult.
Most of the book revolves around their personality conflicts and lack of understanding. It got a little slow and bland for me at times, and I wasn't entirely onboard with Esther's issues relating to interpersonal relationships. But their characters are well-drawn and the book was reasonably interesting and well-written. Recommended if you like the squeaky-clean Regencies (kisses only, and those were pretty chaste)....more
4.5 stars. 99c Kindle sale, Dec. 16, 2019. This is for a set of four fantasy/romance novels plus a novella, the whole Crown of Tremontane series by Me4.5 stars. 99c Kindle sale, Dec. 16, 2019. This is for a set of four fantasy/romance novels plus a novella, the whole Crown of Tremontane series by Melissa McShane. It's a fantastic deal. I really enjoyed all of them and loved a couple of them. It's set over a period of about 60-70 years so some of the characters appear in more than one book, but the main heroine in each novel is different.
Content notes: Generally clean romance, with some innuendo and one heavy makeout scene in the first book (Servant of the Crown) that might be a bit much for young teens but is probably okay for everyone else. Agent of the Crown has a subplot relating to a kidnapper and murderer of teenage girls, but it's not overly graphic....more
Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽
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