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A great day to read

Good morning fellow readers!

It is cold and icy outside my house this morning. Bleh! However I will not complain, it is a great day to read! I am in the middle of an ARC gifted to me by a favorite author of mine. It comes out in early February and my review should be out early this week. Clue: it is the next installment of the Goode Girls series.

I must say I am still new at this but I absolutely love my blog! I hope whoever reads this finds my reviews entertaining and informative. I am really working on my writing and reviewing skills, so please be patient! For my personal blogs I hope they are not too boring!

I love reading days like today, however most days are reading days for me. I constantly have my Kindle in hand. Reading and reviewing is my favorite hobby, at least I consider it a hobby. Some might call it an obsession! I am so thankful my parents encouraged my reading at a very young age. This is so important!

Well off to read! I should be posting several reviews this week. Until next time!

Review of Lost With A Lord by Emily Murdoch

This is the first (I have read and reviewed the prequel, Kidnapped With A Knight earlier) in the Ravishing Regencies series. These novellas focus on electrifying encounters between two main characters. I usually do not read a lot of novellas but these caught my eye.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a romantic novella about two lonely people who discover love at first sight in the most peculiar of places. Lord George is a lost, lonely soul. Florence is far from everything she knows. Their encounter is electric. George’s sadness and loneliness is so heartfelt. The feeling of being utterly alone is horrible, and it is depicted vividly. Florence is feisty and has a short temper!

This is a very well told novella. The plot was intricate and fast paced. It had romance and passion. It was focused on the two main characters the whole time and the development of that relationship was spot on.

I am really enjoying this novella series, if you want a quick, fun, romantic read this book is for you!

I purchased this novel

I loved how the plot focused on loneliness and the need for human connection. Having the characters find that person who made them happy was a beautiful thing to read. I am so glad I have found this author.

Review of Lady Wicked by Scarlett Scott

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the fourth book in the Notorious Ladies Of London Series. This is the strongest series yet. Ms. Scott is a favorite author of mine, I have read all the books in this series. Each one is completely different. They are emotionally strong, character driven books.

This is Sidney and Juliana’s story. There is a tumultuous love affair and tragedy. This leaves them both bitter and broken-hearted. There is a shocking surprise that occurs early on in the book. Between the misunderstandings of their past and the shock of new circumstances they harbor bitterness, anger, and sometimes almost hatred. The tension seemed so real at times it was heart wrenching. I think, though, if they hadn’t loved each other so strongly, they would never had had such depth of negative emotions. Coupled with that is guilt from the past and fear for the future.

The interactions between the characters was electrifying. Their reactions were gut wrenching. They were depicted perfectly, with just enough flaws yet still seemed redeemable. Their love story was tragic and haunting at times, yet loving and extremely passionate at others.

The book was a cyclone of emotions within the plot. I usually side with the heroine in most books. She is usually depicted as the only one wronged. In this book it is a two way street. My heart was with Sidney. He was such a tragic figure, hardly perfect, deeply flawed and scarred. But his heart was in the right place. Throughout the book, he strove to be a better man. He went from cursing and drinking to tender moments that warmed my heart. Julianna is not the perfect debutante. She is flawed, which I find refreshing. It made her seem more authentic. She made decisions that impacted more than just her. She was hurt, but struck out in defense. I understand her need to protect her heart, but I did not agree with her methods. However, her character was fierce, a force to be reckoned with.

The plot had depth of emotion. There was a lot of emotional baggage and hurt the couple felt that had to be worked through. The distrust and bitterness was palatable, yet their attraction to each other seared the page. These issues the characters had could not be worked out in two pages. It took the entirety of the book to reconcile this. It made the plot seem more realistic. I liked how these decisions they both made and the repercussions were not dismissed but played throughout the theme of the book.

The plot moved well, it was a page turner. It grabbed my attention from page one. It was tragic and haunting at times, but ultimately it was a romantic, very passionate read. This book was so different than the rest of the books in this series. This series just gets better and better. I can’t wait until the next one! Anyone who enjoys passionate, character driven romance should pick up this book.

I received an ARC of this book from the author, this is my honest review.

All of the books I have read from this author I have enjoyed so far. She is on my favorites list right now.

Review of The Bargain Of A Baroness by Linda Rae Sande

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This is the fourth book in the Heirs Of Aristocracy series. This is a relatively new author to me. I discovered her through a novella, The Knot Of A Knight, in the collection Have Yourself A Merry Little Secret. I gave the novella ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I then placed the author on my to be read list. I have started reading the backlist of her titles. This book is the latest in her series, so the secondary characters (which there were many) were unfamiliar to me because they were introduced in previous books I have not read yet. However there was enough backstory where I didn’t feel lost.

This novel had two distinct plots. It centers around twins, Henry and Hannah, and their respective love interests, Laura and Graham.

Graham and Hannah have a complicated past. Hannah married another and has a son. Graham comes back many years later to win Hannah once she is a widow. Henry is in his thirties and is lonely. He sees a maid across the street and is immediately smitten. Laura sees him too and feels the connection.

There was a lot going on in this novel. The two stories were intertwined and interconnected. I was afraid this might make the story choppy and confusing. However I was pleasantly proven wrong. The plot switches kept the story fresh and interesting. It was well thought out and flowed seamlessly.

There were a lot of interesting twists and turns. The characters were richly written. They had great depth. I cheered for these characters, wanting their happy endings. A lot of themes and tropes were peppered throughout the story, keeping the plot fast paced. It was romantic and passionate.

This novel was a captivating read. It kept my interest. I was invested in the characters. It had wonderful duel happy endings. I will definitely read more from this author and I recommend her books.

I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I am always pleased when I find a new author that I enjoy reading their books. I do not read a lot of novellas, but I have found that I can find new authors through them. I read several novella collections during Christmas and found many new authors. I suggest finding a novella collection if you are in a reading slump. It gives you a taste of fresh series. It really helped me!

Time to welcome Wednesday!

Well it is three minutes to midnight. Already Wednesday! For me this week has moved fast. I am healing from my knee surgery well, getting stronger every day. I actually got to drive for the first time in 10 days!

I love this picture I posted. I live on my kindle these days. I really miss going to libraries. Getting lost in all those shelves. All those different worlds to explore, tangible, right in front of you.

I also miss used paperback exchange stores. I have spent plenty of money there! There was one (now sadly closed) close to me that was in a double wide trailer. There was an unheard of amount of paperback books there! If I had to guess I would say 7000-8000 books. They were piled from ceiling to floor (there were step stools) and the aisles might have 4 feet between them, you had to file in sideways! It amazed me, the lady that owned it knew where every book was located. You would ask for a title and she went directly to it, uncanny!

I had a list of books to read this month, well that went out the window, I received two unexpected ARC books to be reviewed this week! I just posted the first one and I am starting on the second one when I finish this post. I guess I have learned flexibility when it comes to reading. I am a planner so that is really hard for me!

Just wanted to check in! Have a wonderful rest of the week!

Kidnapped With A Knight by Emily Murdoch Book Review

Kidnapped With A Knight is a prequel to the Ravishing Regencies series. This was my first book in this series, it was actually a novella. A very well written novella. I loved the story and I am excited to read more in the series.

This was such a welcome change from the ever present Rake and Wallflower tropes I see so often. The story was different. Edmund came from aristocracy, Molly from the streets, but the two find themselves on common ground. The story takes place somewhere other than the frequents of the ton. It has a gritty background and a turbulent and passionate love story.

This was a novella, but the story was well developed. I was invested in the characters, they had depth and emotion. The plot was fast paced and caught my attention from the very start. The attraction between the two was arresting. It was passionate and romantic. One of the better novellas I have read.

I will definitely read the rest of this series. It was a romantic love story that captured my interest.

I received a free copy of this book, this is my honest review.

This is a new author to me and I am so happy I found her. I am always looking for new authors and series!

The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare Book Review

I am always looking for new authors and series to read. I read a lot of really angsty, serious reads but always with a happily ever after. I look for historical romance books that contain humor yet still have depth of story. They are harder to find than you might think. I have been reading a lot of good reviews from this author and had to give it a shot. I am so very glad I did! This is one of my new favorite authors! I absolutely adored this book! This author combined humor, adversity, and burgeoning love to create a delightful read!

The Duchess Deal is book one in the Girl Meets Duke series. I purchased this book and this is my honest review.

This is my first book by this author and I am hooked! I absolutely loved this book. Ms. Dare has become a new favorite author!

Ash is scarred and bitter, Emma destitute and untrusting. They enter into a marriage of convenience. Their journey to a wonderful HEA begins here.

The characters were so vividly described. From Ash’s scars to Emma’s horrid dress, the descriptions of the characters are spot on. They are richly and lovingly written. The plot draws slightly from a fairy tale, but this adds to the story rather than detract. This brings an almost ethereal feeling to the story.

The plot had so much humor, I found myself laughing and smiling. The dialogue was witty and sharp. Where there were many times I laughed, there were also times where the pain the characters felt were palatable. But the heart of the novel was a very passionate love story. It moved fast and the comedic timing was spot on.

This novel grabbed me at the first page. It catches your attention right away and it keeps you drawn in until the last page.

I am so glad I found this author, I will definitely be reading more of her books. I would recommend this novel to lovers of passionate historical romance with a touch of humor.

I love when I take a chance on a new author and it works out so well!

Until next time! Hope you are having a wonderful week!

Review of The Start Of Something Wicked by Kathleen Ayers

This is an honest review of a novella I downloaded for free from the author’s website.

The Start Of Something Wicked is a prequel novella for the Wicked series. I gave this novella 4 stars.

Maddy is the vicar’s daughter and Robert is the titled Marquess. Their forbidden love is the heart of the story. The plot itself was simple but very well written. It moved well, at a fast pace. The two main characters were likable and Robert’s father was detestable. I found the secondary characters very strongly written. The love story was passionate. It was basically an introduction and served its purpose well. I will definitely read the next book in the series!

Update on me and my upcoming week

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope it is a great start to everyone’s week. My knee is healing nicely, I am off the crutches! I have a lot going on this week, two ARC books to read and a manuscript I am suppose to review. Again, a little behind! I do the book challenge on Goodreads, and my friend and I call it the “book calculator”. I have pledged 200 books this year and the book calculator is telling me I am already one book behind! There are times me and that book calculator do not get along! I hope everyone has a great week! If you are new here, drop me a line, I would love to hear from you! Talk to you soon!

Review of A Springtide Meeting by Emily Murdoch

I received a copy of this book from the author, this is my honest review.

I discovered this author while reading Have Yourself A Merry Little Secret during Christmas. I adored her novella, Christmas With A Czar. From there I put her on my to be read list. The author was kind enough to gift me a copy of this novella for my honest review. This is the introductory novella to her Seasons Of Love series. It is a sweet historical romance novella. It was a nice change from the Regency England novels I have been reading lately! Below is my review. I really enjoyed reading and reviewing this story and look forward to reading more from this author!

A refreshing, romantic little love story!

This was the love story between Timothy and Cordelia, set in Weymouth. It was a lovely short story. The story focused on the conversations of the primary characters. The dialogue was quick-witted and fast paced. The push and pull between the two characters was electric. The characters themselves were well developed for such a short story. The plot moved well. I loved the backdrop of the sea, it was such a refreshing change from London. The connection between the two was electric, you could feel the attraction between them. I utterly enjoyed this quick read and look forward to reading the next book in this series and her other series as well. I would recommend this novella to anyone who loves sweet historical romance.

That is all for now, have a great day! Until next time!

Review of Lady Reckless by Scarlett Scott

This is my honest review, I purchased this book. I have posted a review of this book on Goodreads, BookBub, and Amazon. Below is a more detailed review.

Lady Reckless is the third installment of the Notorious Ladies Of London Series. This series builds on each book, keeping characters from previous books. It could be read as stand alone, but would be enjoyed more as a series. I always read series in order if at all possible. I find it is more enjoyable. This series has really kept my attention. Each book is extremely different. The plots are fresh and the characters captivating. Miss Scott is becoming one of my favorite authors.

I loved the main characters in this novel. They had such strong personalities. Helena was strong willed to the point of self destruction. Gabe was honor bound to the point where it blinded his judgement. Their character flaws placed them in impossible situations. There were deep trust issues. The conflict was raw and believable.

It was a passionate, steamy read. It was very romantic at times. The scenes of conflict between the two characters were well thought out. The plot was well formed and moved at a fast pace. There were duplicitous characters that helped move the plot along. It was good to see characters from the previous series.

Helena and her friends were part of the women’s suffrage movement. Each chapter had a excerpt of a suffragist point of view. There were also plot elements that included what women were up against from forced marriages to being basically property. I enjoyed this element, it gave some reality to the fiction.

There were funny parts as well. Two drunken scenes and the nickname Gabe gave Helena made me laugh!

Overall this book was a great read. It held my attention. I found myself getting exasperated at the characters at some times and laughing at them at others. I have thoroughly enjoyed this series. Lady Wicked, the next installment comes out 1/28/21.

I would recommend this novel to anyone who likes passionate historical romance that is heartfelt and character driven. I can’t wait for Lady Wicked!

Well I think I am over my reading slump (thankfully!). I have an ARC I need to review next, the review will probably be out later today. Until next time!