The Bride Takes a Groom

author: Lisa Berne

In terms of books that I sneak off to the bathroom to read, this one was “a normal amount of hydrating” and not “over hydrating” book.

This story has a marriage of convenience between a heroine whose family has a ridiculous amount of money that’s so new it still has that new-money smell, and a hero from an ancient and respected family with no money. Kate wants to get away from her social climbing parents, and Hugo needs finds to help support his family. They knew each other as children, and when Hugo comes back from his time in the Navy…Kate’s like hey, dude. I got a solution to both our problems.

So the interesting thing about this book is the pacing. It’s got kind of a rolling pace to it, where things happen and resolve, and then more things happen and then resolve, all while the central conflict simmers slowly in the background. Hugo as a hero is kind of there. He’s fine, I guess. There isn’t much of a journey for him. He’s a nice dude who just wants to help his family.

But what really got me was Kate. Her parents are terrible and only saw her as a means to gain status, and all she really wanted was to be loved and figure out how to love. I spent the whole book wanting to just give Kate a hug, because no one did when she was a kid. And I gotta give props for pulling that kind of emotional response.

In all, I wasn’t surprised by the plot because not much about it was surprising, but I was surprised by my response to Kate, though I wish she had a hero worthy of her extensive emotional journey.

– Redheadedgirl

Historical: European, Romance

Misfit City Vol. 1

author: Kiwi Smith

Misfit City: Volume One introduces us to a diverse, fun group of young women with an affinity for adventure. It includes the first four issues of the comic Misfit City.

The story takes place in Cannon Cove, Oregon. This is the site where a hit movie, “The Gloomies” was filmed in the 1980s, and the town both benefits from and is plagued by tourists who loved the movie as kids. Five young women who live in Cannon Cove find out that the town is not as dull as they thought when they wind up with a map to pirate treasure.

The group is a diverse one in terms of ethnicities, body types, and personalities. They are, naturally, accompanied by a farting dog. The sense of ragtag adventure is present even when the girls aren’t actively adventuring – they have mock sword fights in the town’s museum and hold séances and have poker night. The art is lush and mysterious and the dialogue is funny, and the characters are enjoyable to spend time with.

Misfit City owes a lot to The Lumberjanes, a series that is similar in character and tone but pitched to a younger audience. If you like the idea of The Lumberjanes but want something for older readers, this should do it. It’s infused with feminism, friendship, and adventure. It’s like an all-female Goonies but also it’s its own thing. I recommend it for goofy fun.

– Carrie S

Comic, Graphic Novel, Young Adult

You Never Forget Your First Earl

author: Ella Quinn

This is book 5 (possibly the last?) in Quinn’s Worthington series. I reviewed the first one, Three Weeks to Wed, and I have to say, this was an improvement on a lot of the issues that Three Weeks (…since you looked at me, cocked your head to the side and said…. Sorry.) had.

Geoffrey, the Earl of Harrington has a diplomatic post waiting for him on the eve of the battle of Waterloo, buuuuuut he needs a wife in order to take the post. So when his first choice of bride is taken (in a previous book), he decides on Elizabeth Turley. Elizabeth is mostly fine with this, because she does LIKE Geoffrey, but she also wants to have a love match. And she’s concerned that Geoff only picked her because she was one of the last ladies standing at the end of the season, and she’s got a bunch of the skills needed to be a diplomat’s wife.

Most of the conflict comes from Geoff’s checklist type approach to finding a wife, and Elizabeth being frustrated by that approach.  There’s a bunch of potential complications that never arise: “I have the special license! Put it somewhere safe!” And it’s still in the safe place in the morning. Like, don’t introduce these possibilities and not actually… do anything with it. It’s better than previous books, but still not great.

Elizabeth is a super competent person who approaches big challenges with a very determined air. She’s gonna fix things. She’s not that great about talking about her relationship with Geoffrey (and quite frankly the advice she gets from others is terrible). Geoffrey is fine. I’m not totally sure what might make him a good diplomat, but he has a good partner for his job, so I guess he’ll be fine.

Beyond that, there isn’t much conflict between them, and they work things out pretty easily. Quinn writes fluffy, uncomplicated romance with no-angst, so if you really need a no-angst read, this is a good call.

– Redheadedgirl

Historical: European, Romance