I’ll be honest, I probably wouldn’t have picked up An Heiress to Remember had I not liked the other books in the series (and Maya Rodale’s writing in general). It’s got that “dude seeks revenge on the woman who didn’t choose him” plotline, something I find tiresome and rarely resolved to my satisfaction. I’m so glad I gave it a chance though because this book, while not perfect, was absolutely a ton of fun to … Continue reading An Heiress to Remember by Maya Rodale →
Ignore your first impressions of the cover — yes, I’m already frantically googling that dress for the inevitable closing date of my Gothic mansion, but the cover doesn’t exactly scream romance novel. Rest assured, The Widow of Rose House is 100% a historical romance, complete with charming sequel-bait family members, protagonists smelling like sandalwood (it’s the heroine this time!), sex scenes with protection (more of this in historicals, please), and a central love story that … Continue reading The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller →
TW/CW: Murder, attempted rape, beheading/separated limbs. I deeply, deeply enjoyed The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh. Or, a lot of it, anyway. The Beautiful takes place in 1872 New Orleans, where a young former dressmaker named Celine arrives after fleeing Paris. She arrives with several other young women from Europe and they are all to be settled in a convent together until they marry. Celine quickly becomes drawn to a young woman named Odette, who hires … Continue reading The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh →
I am not in the mood for Christmas yet. Generally speaking, I’m not in the mood for Christmas on December 23rd even, but mid-fall is WAY too early. That said, my brain has been pretty tired lately and some Regency novellas sounded like the perfect way to unwind without investing in a full length novel. Since How the Duke Stole Christmas includes novellas by some of my favorite authors, I was willing to set aside … Continue reading How the Dukes Stole Christmas by Tessa Dare, Sarah MacLean, Sophie Jordan and Joanna Shupe →
A respectable widow of means seeks resourceful frontiersman for the purpose of matrimony. The lady seeks passage west to land owned in Mokelumne Hill, California. The advertiser presumes her manner and appearance will recommend her and expects applications from responsible parties only. Interviews are scheduled for the 6th of next month, beginning at nine o’clock in the morning, in the front parlor of the Grand Hotel. Please be prompt. What a premise! Yes, please! Welcome … Continue reading Bound for Sin by Tess LeSue →
Some Like It Scandalous delivers on its premise: childhood enemies-to-lovers, fake engagement, scientist-slash-businesswoman heroine, and a rich and fleshed-out Gilded Age setting. Despite the intriguing premise, I had difficulties with the first half (it drags on far too long before getting to the most interesting parts of the novel), the portrayal of the hero as witty and creative when evidence suggests otherwise, the absence of Daisy’s father when he is responsible for the climactic conflict, … Continue reading Some Like It Scandalous by Maya Rodale →
This guest review comes from Claudia. Thanks, Claudia! At sixteen, Claudia found her older cousin’s stash of Barbara Cartlands and assorted Harlequin-type romance housed in an old sewing cabinet and life was never the same! She loves history, so she mostly reads historical romance. Favorite authors include Meredith Duran, Mary Balogh, Miranda Neville, Elizabeth Kingston, and Rose Lerner. … CW/TW for attempted rape First off, the cover! To me, it pays homage to some of … Continue reading Guest Review: Rebel by Beverly Jenkins →
TW/CW: Domestic abuse, murder, sexual violence. Most are off the page, save for the latter. The Rogue of Fifth Avenue is a spin-off series from The Four Hundred series, though this book operates just fine on its own. It has a phenomenally gorgeous cover and the hero is Frank Tripp, a charming lawyer who we’ve met in other books. I adored the heroine’s chutzpah and how she never wavered in doing what was right, but … Continue reading The Rogue of Fifth Avenue by Joanna Shupe →
I really adored so many things about Duchess by Design. I loved the heroine. I loved that she had a circle of female friends who support and protect her. I love the idea of subverting the patriarchy through fashion. I love the fact that this was set among the Four Hundred in Gilded Age New York City. Where I struggled was the hero. And let me be clear, my struggle was likely reflective of my current … Continue reading Duchess by Design by Maya Rodale →
The Fated Sky is the second book in the Lady Astronaut duology, an alternate history book in which America’s space program is drastically sped up and expanded due to an extinction level event that will make Earth uninhabitable in approximately fifty years. In the first book, The Calculating Stars, pilot and computer Elma York became an astronaut and flew to the moon. In this book, she heads to Mars, where scientists hope to establish a long … Continue reading The Fated Sky by Mary Robinette Kowal →
A Notorious Vow is the first book of Joanna Shupe’s that I have read, though upon finishing, I immediately went and bought some backlist. What began as romance with a marriage of convenience between friends turned into a beautiful story of loving someone wholly and completely. I cried. Twice. Though this book is the third in the Four Hundred series, I had no problem reading this on its own. If characters from previous books appeared, … Continue reading A Notorious Vow by Joanna Shupe →
