Devil in Disguise is a fun, hot romance that tells the story of Lady Merritt Sterling, the widowed daughter of the Earl of Westcliff, and Keir MacRae, a whisky distiller from Scotland. It’s very much fanservice for readers who enjoyed the Wallflower series, with Lillian, Westcliff and Evie all appearing in the story, and Sebastian, who is now the Duke of Kingston, playing a particularly prominent role. I am honestly not quite sure how well … Continue reading Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas →
Usually when I fall in love with a book, I devour it in one giant gulp and at one sitting, and only come back to savour it on a second reading. So Book of Love was unusual for me, in that I loved it, but also kept putting it down because I wanted to make it last longer. The quality of the writing and the sweetness not just of the central relationship, but of the … Continue reading Book of Love by Erin Satie →
I should know better by now than to start a Courtney Milan novel in the evening before I have to work in the morning. I renew my membership of the Bad Decisions Book Club every single time. The Devil Comes Courting was no exception to this rule. Grayson Hunter wants to build a telegraph from Shanghai to the USA, but to do this he will need someone to invent a Chinese telegraphic code. He comes … Continue reading The Devil Comes Courting by Courtney Milan →
TW: child abuse, drug abuse, addiction and recovery Fans of Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice might recall meeting Anne de Bourgh for a hot minute and also hearing her referred to incessantly by her domineering mother, Lady Catherine. The Heiress tells Anne’s story from her point of view, beginning in early childhood and extending through the entirety of her life. This book was not what I expected, but I loved it once I adjusted … Continue reading The Heiress by Molly Greeley →
The Worst Duke is not deep. It didn’t change my world. However, it does have a pig, a pug, a cat, and a lot of discussion about the many uses of vinegar so color me satisfied. If you like historical romances that are low angst, and made of silly, feel-good fun, you may like this. Anthony Farr, Duke of Radcliffe, had a terrible marriage. His wife died many years ago and his sister, Margaret, wants … Continue reading The Worst Duke in the World by Lisa Berne →
TW: Dead birds, alcoholism, death of infants at birth, spousal abuse I came here looking for an amazing story and Bitches, I was not disappointed. Even during a time when I have an attention span of about five seconds, this book kept me reading. It up-ended tropes, subverted expectations, and, thanks to the Author’s Note, gave me a seriously happy historical fix. The romance itself combines some actual realities with a big dose of crumbling … Continue reading The Rakess by Scarlett Peckham →
NB: It’s time for a squee! This is for a Chinese period drama with all sorts of gorgeous scenery and amazing costumes. The Nirvana in Fire squee comes from Castiron. Castiron spends her days wrangling book metadata and her evenings wrangling yarn and kids. Her desert island solar-powered ebook reader would include Jeannie Lin’s Pingkang Li duology, Courtney Milan’s Brothers Sinister series, Georgette Heyer’s The Unknown Ajax, and the complete works of Lois McMaster Bujold, along with … Continue reading Guest Squee: Nirvana in Fire →
The Warlord’s Wife by Sandra Lake is a deliciously Old-Skooly historical romance set in 12th century Sweden. The hero was occasionally an alphahole, but like a lot of Old Skool heroes, it made his redemption all the more satisfying. The book opens with widow Lida being beaten and dragged in front of her father-in-law. Lida is very pregnant, which is a problem because she was only married a short time. Her mother-in-law accuses her of … Continue reading The Warlord’s Wife by Sandra Lake →
I read Mad about the Marquess while at RT 2016, and the book was so good that it left me having sweaty anxiety about wanting to hide and read and go to all the panels all at the same time. Fortunately I was among my people at RT so sweaty reading anxiety is something everyone understood. “Elyse! Why are you sweating and breathing hard?” “I AM CRAMMING AS MUCH READING AS POSSIBLE INTO EVERY SPARE … Continue reading Mad About the Marquess by Elizabeth Essex →
Oftentimes the romance novel ends when the special license is procured and the vows are said, and the happily ever after is assured. This one begins when the very traditional courtship is over and the vows are said and the heroine goes, “Thank fucking god now I can be myself” and the hero goes “Wait what.” Nathaniel Gresham is a Viscount and the heir to a duke, and he has five rambunctious younger brothers. “And … Continue reading Heir to the Duke by Jane Ashford →
It took me awhile to really get into The Spinster’s Guide to Scandalous Behavior by Jennifer McQuiston. I’m not sure if that was totally the fault of the book or the fact that my brain is exhausted from my day job and I’m slowly crawling out of a reading slump. The book is brimming with awesome feminism and a beta-hero I loved, but it felt a little like the beginning dragged. Miss Lucy Westmore is a … Continue reading The Spinster’s Guide to Scandalous Behavior by Jennifer McQuiston →
