Oh my goodness, this book made me just ridiculously happy. The Vanished Bride is the first of what I hope will be many in the Bronte Sisters Mysteries series. I found this book to be surprisingly true to what I know about the Bronte’s lives and personalities, and entertaining without diminishing the historical characters. The story takes place in 1845. All of the Bronte siblings (who have survived so far) are living with their father … Continue reading The Vanished Bride by Bella Ellis →
This contemporary romance started out incredibly promising if you can overlook the initial setup of an intern/supervisor pairing. Rin is a statuesque heroine, who wears heels that bring her above 6’0”. She lives with a great group of girlfriends in New York in an unfathomably beautiful brownstone that no one her age could afford in real life. She’s an art nerd who really comes into her own and gains some confidence. However, that’s about all … Continue reading Piece of Work by Staci Hart →
This is a collection of inspirational novellas written by three generations of Brunstetter women. Each story follows a different couple in the intertwined community of Big Valley, Pennsylvania where three Amish communities with varying levels of observance live in harmony. The writing is uneven but all the characters have non-farming jobs, which is unusual for this sub-genre. I frequently read Amish and enjoy farm settings, but it’s nice to see an acknowledgement that farming alone … Continue reading The Brides of the Big Valley by Wanda Brunstetter, Jean Brunstetter, and Richelle Brunstetter →
Unmet expectations are killer. I wanted a kickass bisexual heroine tearing down the corrupt empire and stealing a dragon to rescue her kidnapped girlfriend. What I got was a slow-paced fantasy novel with an additional love interest that I desperately tried to will out of existence. By “slow-paced,” I mean boring. There is a chunk in the middle where I didn’t understand why the plot wasn’t moving. The entire premise is that the rescue mission … Continue reading Shatter the Sky by Rebecca Kim Wells →
Sherry Thomas is the rare writer that I’ll follow to any genre. I inhaled her gorgeous European historicals as a teen and reread them at least thrice a year (The Luckiest Lady in London remains in my list of Top 10 Favorite Romances of All Time). When she wrote YA fantasy in the Elemental Trilogy, I mourned the loss of her historicals but nonetheless gobbled up those new books as well. When she moved on … Continue reading The Magnolia Sword: A Ballad of Mulan by Sherry Thomas →
TW: This book contains the graphic depiction of a rape. The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea is billed a Gothic mystery set in 1686 in Iceland that has shades of Jane Eyre to it. It’s about the dangers of rumors, and how they can poison a community. It’s wonderfully atmospheric and creepy…at least at first. About two-thirds of the way through the book, The Glass Woman shifts from a traditional Gothic to something more like … Continue reading The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea →
A content warning before I begin: both the book and this review discuss depression, anxiety, and suicide. There is repeated mention of the male lead’s previous suicide attempt, and while it does not appear on the page, late in the book there is a flashback to his thoughts in that moment. It is my belief that these subjects are handled with the care they require. Fall is the third book in Kristen Callihan’s VIP series … Continue reading Fall by Kristen Callihan →
This book was like a warm hug. The characters were people I would love to know in real life, the relationships (romantic and otherwise) were tender, and gentle emotional healing was a major theme. In other words, my crops are watered, my skin is clear, my checkbook is balanced, etc., etc., etc. Let us start with our protagonists, Verity and Ash, who felt very real and immediate. Verity is clever, ambitious, and practical, and these … Continue reading A Duke in Disguise by Cat Sebastian →
Bringing Down the Duke is a historical romance set in England in 1879. It involves the early days of the women’s suffrage movement, so basically I’m all, “You had me at suffrage movement.” Every time they focused on romance drama instead of suffrage drama I got all sad but then cheered up because the romance was very good. This story excels in terms of entertaining characters, and I’d love to see a spin-off story about almost … Continue reading Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore →
The Lady Rogue is a charming, magical, and exhilarating adventure across 1930s Romania. If the premise seems reminiscent of Indiana Jones, there’s a good reason for it. With treasure-hunting galore and reckless protagonists getting themselves entangled with ancient magical artifacts, The Lady Rogue is a madcap romp like no other. I wasted away a sunny afternoon recently, swaying on a hammock in my backyard while Theodora Fox and her love ex-best friend Huck Gallagher chased … Continue reading The Lady Rogue by Jenn Bennett →
Well Met is a charming but slight romantic comedy about a person finding new self-esteem and purpose with a romance on the side. The romance is probably supposed to be more central but although I enjoyed it, it is the least interesting part of the story. Emily put her college degree on hold and supported her boyfriend through his law school years with the agreement that he would support her in turn once he got his … Continue reading Well Met by Jen DeLuca →
