The short version of this review is, if you like this series (as I do – I like it a LOT) you’ll really enjoy this latest installment. The mystery is sharp and poignant, there are myriad historical details folded in, the relationships between the characters continue to grow and mature, and Veronica is as sarcastic as ever. Longer (slightly) version: I was extremely happy that I received an advanced audio copy of this book, because … Continue reading A Grave Robbery by Deanna Raybourn →
Do not be fooled by this cover. The cover says, ‘Look at me and my whimsy! My light frolic through life!’ No, dear reader, this is not light. This is a book about persevering through tough times. The title should have been a clue for me. A phoenix doesn’t arise from a bouquet of flowers, after all. The book is set in 1666. Plague had ravaged London the previous year and reading the characters’ reflections … Continue reading The Phoenix Bride by Natasha Siegel →
I read about book 3 in this series, Death Comes to Kurland Hall, in the December 2015 issue of Romantic Times, which we’re recapping on the podcast. As I mentioned in Whatcha Reading, like a completely strange human being, I didn’t start with book three. I started with book one, Death Comes to the Village. This review will be mostly about that book, with some warnings about book two, Death Comes to London. A Very Important … Continue reading Death Comes to the Village by Catherine Lloyd →
Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend is a funny, sweet variation on The Parent Trap. The plot is simple but the characters and their activities are uniformly delightful. This was a fun historical f/f romance with serious stakes that kept me wildly entertained until the last page. It’s the first in the Mischief and Matchmaking series. The plot, as I said, is super simple: Beth, who doesn’t want to get married, has one season … Continue reading Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma Alban →
I know a book is depressing when a) the sex scenes don’t perk things up and b) I need to comfort read Murderbot to feel okay about life again. Catriona Campbell is a suffragist and an academic. She has a belter of a start in this book as she emerges from a loch nude and there’s a man birding on the shores. Legitimately birding, and therefore utterly flummoxed by her appearance. Catriona is defiant and … Continue reading The Gentleman’s Gambit by Evie Dunmore →
Man, I should have known better. Venus Merriwell was annoying as hell in the first book, but she was less annoying in the second, so I did hold out hope that she would be an interesting protagonist in her book. Alas! Alack! Woe! She was not. I still read the whole thing, though. Venus Merriwell’s great passion in life is the orphanage that she runs with her partners. They need to expand and with a … Continue reading Never Wager with a Wallflower by Virginia Heath →
TW: Violence, violence to animals, death of parent Night of the Witch is part historical fantasy and part paranormal romance. It’s the first book in a series, but doesn’t really end on a cliff hanger and the romance gets a full arc by the end, so it’s fine as a standalone. I enjoyed the supernatural element of this book, but I really enjoyed the historical aspect as it was a time period I hadn’t read … Continue reading Night of the Witch by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis →
With the exception of Laura Griffin and Rachel Reid, I don’t really do multiple reviews for an author. Well, I need to add a third name to that list: Alice Coldbreath. I reviewed Wed by Proxy as it scratched an itch that I didn’t know could be scratched. I have now worked my way through most of the Brides of Karadok series and despite loving every single book (they’re all so unique in their premises … Continue reading An Inconvenient Vow by Alice Coldbreath →
Let’s start with the fact that I adore KJ Charles’ books. All of them. So I was well-positioned to love this one, especially as I had adored the first book in this series, which Carrie reviewed. Book two didn’t quite have the complexity of that first book, but I still loved this story and devoured it quickly. Rufus, a major in the army, has found out that he is in fact an earl, specifically the … Continue reading A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by KJ Charles →
This book drove me crackers but I still read the whole thing in a couple days. While it was as compelling as Matthews’ usual work, it brought me none of the joy. The reason for this is the role a character from a previous book played in this book. But first, let’s focus on this book on its own merits. Ivo Beresford is a young man with his eye on the future. He wants to … Continue reading Appointment in Bath by Mimi Matthews →
I adored this book. What was supposed to be a quick 30 minutes of reading before my day carried on turned into an absolutely lost day. I could not put this book down. Isabelle Lira is a very rich Jewish woman living in Victorian London. She has inherited her father’s portion of a surety business, but her business partners are putting pressure on her to marry, preferably one of them. Isabelle is young, still grieving, … Continue reading Marry Me By Midnight by Felicia Grossman →
