THIS BOOK IS SO DUMB. Like, it is ACTIVELY STUPID. I thought I was getting a forced proximity medieval, and I thought maybe this could be cool and fun, and then I saw that it’s a reprint of The Barbarian and the Princess, which Krahn published in 1993, so I thought “Oh, Old Skool wackiness! I’ve kinda missed that!” and then I got some of the shittiest world building EVER and I’m just annoyed. It’s … Continue reading Three Nights With the Princess by Betina Krahn →
There are historical romances that are actually historical and there are historical romances that say, “The hell with history, these people are gonna be unchaperoned ALL THE TIME and we’re throwing in a magical cat.” How To Manage a Marquess is one of the latter. It’s a fun book, and I enjoyed it, but if you like realism in your historical romance then stop right here and go read something else. Godspeed. I’m not sure I … Continue reading How to Manage a Marquess by Sally MacKenzie →
An Earl Like You by Caroline Linden is the second book in the Wagers of Sin series and features a plot where the hero is involved in deceiving the heroine in a significant way. I really struggled with this plot and with finding any empathy for the hero, and I spent a lot of the book cringing internally over the humiliation the heroine would ultimately face. This book gave me a lot of second-hand embarrassment. When … Continue reading An Earl Like You by Caroline Linden →
If you’re in the mood for a new historical mystery series, check out this guest review by Lara! Lara is a teacher, feminist, knitter and proud co-parent to the greatest three-legged black cat in the southern hemisphere. … I was bumbling along in a reading rut, neither excited nor bored, just, well… fine. Then, Lady Trent came along and blew me right out of my rut and into reading heaven. I love her! I want … Continue reading Guest Review: The Richmond Thief by Lisa Boero →
The Fire Within is a historical romance set in Pompeii right before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Now, I don’t typically gravitate toward historical romances, but the unconventional setting won me over. I’ll also add that I was reading this for a romance book club and I was determined to finally attend a meeting since my summer travel was over. Unfortunately, my reading experience can be boiled down to several frustrating, eye-rolling, Kindle-throwing moments while … Continue reading The Fire Within by Carmela Dolce →
Lisa Kleypas was one of the first romance authors I read, way back when I was a little baby teenage Amanda. Her Wallflowers series will always hold a special place in my heart. But since then, I’ve become estranged from historical romances. Now, I’m dipping my toe back in thanks to this encouraging thread on Twitter. When several passionate romance readers start espousing the swooniness of a romance hero, I take notice. Dreaming of You … Continue reading Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas →
I picked up this title because it was recommended to me as a historical with a mystery and a slow-burn romance. I like all those words. I like them quite a bit. What I ended up with was a narrative that, the more I thought about it, didn’t make sense because the first half of the story didn’t match the second. Former soldier Adam Drummond is working for the British government undercover as a majordomo … Continue reading To Love a Duchess by Karen Ranney →
Bed of Flowers is a historical that has a lot of things going for it: it’s got a loveably grumpy hero, it depicts female friendships, and it features secondary characters of color. I appreciated all of those elements, and I liked the vaguely gothic feel it had. I really, really enjoyed this book, but I have to admit the ending was a little weak. That said, I was willing to overlook it because my experience … Continue reading Bed of Flowers by Erin Satie →
The Enchantress of Numbers is a fictional retelling of Ada Lovelace’s life, narrated by a fictional version of herself. As far as I can tell, it’s quite faithful to the events of Ada’s life and the relationship between her and her mother. However, as the book progresses, it starts to skim over her vices and dwell on Ada as a good wife and mother who wants to do math but also do her motherly duties. … Continue reading The Enchantress of Numbers by Jennifer Chiaverini →
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 … Continue reading You Never Forget Your First Earl by Ella Quinn →
After the Wedding is the second novel in the Worth Saga, the story of a family trying to survive after disgrace. This book is the story of Camilla, the second oldest sister in a family of five siblings, and Adrian, a biracial man who runs a business and who becomes involved with Camilla in an extremely unexpected way. The first novel in the Worth Saga, Once Upon a Marquess , introduced us to the oldest sister, … Continue reading After the Wedding by Courtney Milan →
