Review of The Bargain Of A Baroness by Linda Rae Sande

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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

Photo by Burst on Pexels.com

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!

What I have coming up in January

Unfortunately I have started January in a book slump! I have only read one book, A Scandalous Deal by Joanna Shupe. I am going to start reviewing books on here starting from this point forward. I just had knee surgery on Tuesday. It wasn’t bad, I will hopefully be off crutches on Saturday! Maybe I just haven’t physically felt like reading?

I have an ARC book coming out next week, I am really excited about that! I am trying to get caught up on the authors I do ARC reviews. On a few I am behind a book in the series. Here is a rough idea of which books I’ll read this month:

  • Lady Reckless, book 3 in the Notorious Ladies Of London series by Scarlett Scott
  • A Springtide Meeting, book 1 in the Seasons Of Love series by Emily Murdoch (ARC)
  • Dancing With Danger, book 4 in the Goode Girls series by Kerrigan Byrne (ARC)
  • Lost With A Lord, book 1 in the Ravishing Regencies series by Emily Murdoch
  • Lady Wicked, book 4 in the Notorious Ladies of London series by Scarlett Scott
  • How To Love A Duke In Ten Days, book 1 in The Devil You Know series by Kerrigan Byrne
  • Her Husband’s Harlot, book 1 in the Mayhem In Mayfair series by Grace Callaway
  • Drenched With A Duke, book 2 in the Ravishing Regency series by Emily Murdoch
  • Winter’s Waltz, book 12 in the Wicked Winters series by Scarlett Scott

It might look like a lofty goal but I can do it if I can get motivated! There is a lot of repeating authors. I am playing catch up, but eventually you will see a better variety of authors and books.

On top of all that I am a beta reader for two books in progress. I love doing this too! I get to read through the creative process and give input. I love helping authors in any way I can.

On another note I wanted to explain that this is a positive space. I will always be honest but not hurtful. If I would give a book a mediocre review it is out of honesty, not spite. It will be tastefully done. I will try my best not to give spoilers. Foremost I want authors to feel like I am an honest, fair reviewer who they respect.

I know I am new at this, and I have no following but I hope as I review and do ARC reviews that this blog will grow. It is a joy for me to do this and I hope you find it fun too! Until next time!

Why I Decided To Start A Blog

“It seemed as if some subtle currant of recognition had passed between them…not as if they had met before…but as if they have come close several times until finally an impatient Fate had forced their paths to intersect”

– Lisa Kleypas, Secrets of a Summer Night

I have been an avid reader ever since my father started reading to me at a young age. Throughout school I devoured any book I could get my hands on. I read anything and everything. From classic literature to modern novels. I am a huge history buff. And I am a romantic at heart. In high school I discovered historical romance novels and was hooked!

Here is a little about my reading habits. I can read up to 3-4 books a week, however I do go through “slumps” where I just don’t want to read! I review each book I read. It is a lot of work! And now I have to keep up with this blog!

I read first and foremost because it enriches my life and I enjoy it. I do have several other secondary reasons. I like to read so I can recommend good books to my friends so that they can enjoy them too. Like everyone else I have favorite authors who I can’t wait to read and love getting the word out about them to others. I endorse new authors I find that I like also. I started reviewing the books I read for these reasons.

I give an honest, truthful review of every book I read. I like to give my friends and followers an idea as to what to expect WITHOUT spoilers as much as I can. I hate it when people practically re-write the entire novel they are reviewing. I comment on pace, characters, major and minor themes, the feel of the plot, the atmosphere of the book, emotions of the book, the flow, if in a series how it compliments and holds up the other books, just to name a few! I will comment on the author. All books (especially ones in series) will have some that I will like better than the others, I’ll talk about that and why. I will discuss favorite authors, series, and books. My moods while reading will probably seep in, so forgive me in advance! I hope to someday get an author to interview. I review on the following platforms:

  • Goodreads
  • BookBub
  • Amazon
  • Here!

I do other things than just read books I buy. I review ARC (Advance Reader Copy) books from several of my favorite authors and will review those books here as well. I’ll let you know when it is an ARC book. Some very generous authors have given me this opportunity and I take it very seriously. I also have some promising authors and those who just need a sounding board give me copies of incomplete manuscripts to give them input. When allowed by those authors, I’ll let you know about those.

I will post my original review I put online on the platforms I mentioned before on here as well. But beyond that I want to give my followers an inside glimpse of the soul of the book, it’s essence. I would also love author input. Any author who would like to be showcased on my site is welcomed to e-mail me. Also any author with a historical romance novel they’d like reviewed can get in touch with me too. I am also interested in reviewing for publishing companies, anyone that knows of that opportunity let me know!

Well that is that for now. I will write some more general posts in the next few days. Plus I am reading several books right now which I will review on here. I also have an ARC coming out next week, exciting!!!!!