Also revisiting Pine Hollow, a series that's been full of sweetness and doggies, a great combo 😍
Time for our favorite librarian to get her second chance romance!
Loved the curd, lemony delicious
Saturday, November 27, 2021
Reading Update: Page 1
Friday, November 26, 2021
Review: After Dark with the Duke
After Dark with the Duke by Julie Anne LongMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
3.5 stars
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Through her slitted curtains, she’d looked down into upraised fists and furious, snarling faces shaping the word over and over: harlot harlot harlot.
After a duel is fought and a Lord is injured, Mariana is blamed in the public eye. She's an opera singer who now has no popularity and starting to fear for her safety. Knowing about Mrs. Breedlove and the twists and turns her life has taken, Mariana has heard that The Grand Palace on the Thames can be a safe spot, so she decides to hideout there for awhile.
From farmer, to soldier, to Duke, General James Duncan Blackmore, the Duke of Valkirk, has hit writer's block on his memoirs and decides a change of scenery is in order. He decides on an inn by the docks that no one would think to look for him there.
James knows about Mariana's reputation and Mariana can't help poking England's most honorable hero but when some unfriendly wordplay leads to the two having private Italian lessons, they begin to find something in the other they've been searching for.
She didn’t even precisely know what she wanted from him. Apart, perhaps, from being seen.
Fourth in The Palace of the Rogues series, this keeps us at the inn we've all grown to love with all it's characters. The last book had me pulling on the reigns to break free from the location but, for the most part, I found myself cozily settled in this time. Whether due to reading this during the holiday season where intimate settings with close friends and family just hits me better or Mariana and James had a better chemistry that they could carry the story, I found I didn't mind the one-stop setting. This does mean that this would be harder to just jump into the series here, however, readers of the series will enjoy our patronesses with glimpses of their husbands, and all our favorite guests, with a strong showing by Dot as she and Mariana share a love of learning new words.
He was very brisk, frequently impatient, but always respectful and polite, and unless she counted the occasional devastatingly sensual smile that implied he knew precisely what she was up to, he did not take up the flirtation baton that she could not resist, every now and then, extending.
This is an age gap story with Mariana at 25 years old and James 43 years old. In the beginning, as their relationship started to develop, I did feel some hero worship from Mariana's side which made their age difference glaring obvious but as their chemistry took up, this faded away. With age gap, there is some enemies-to-lovers as James thinks Mariana is frivolous and uncaring because of the gossip about the duel. When he learns the truth, his perception changes and we get some great threads about women's power, agency, and thin line they must tread during this time. Mariana is an opera singer and staying popular is her life blood, so this involves flirting and playing nice, even if she doesn't want to and with her younger age, not always having the experience needed for certain situations.
He realized he’d lately taken to saying things to get her to laugh, the way he might reflexively open a window to allow in fresh air.
There's some machinations to get these two together, Mariana gets to stay at the inn because she'll pay her way with a performance our patronesses decide they need to hold in their new ballroom and James ends up having to give Mariana Italian lessons as a “punishment” because those same patronesses decide he must be reprimanded for that unfriendly world play I mentioned earlier. Nothing feels too unbelievable to go along with and around 40% when James hears the truth about the duel from Mariana, these two really started to pull me in. I thought the whole “Harlot of Haywood Street” and “Valorous Valkirk” was an interesting premise and I ended up enjoying how layered their relationship ended up feeling and built. When James realizes the danger he's in, in regards to falling for Mariana, he tries to pull away but Mariana calls him on it and at 60% they have their first kiss.
She wanted to be alone for a while in a room where, for the first time in her life, a man had come to her defense.
Most of the story is the heated building promise of could be between these two and I enjoyed how the author gave us fully formed characters that could stand on their own, giving me the opportunity to see and feel all the ways they could fit together. James with his war career, caring the burden of being England's honorable hero, his marriage, widowhood, and feelings on his son and then Mariana with the pain of her father's death, her worry over her mother, and learning how to navigate the world. These two hit the sheets later in the story but I almost enjoyed their heated conversations and looks more.
Holding her was the only comfort he’d truly known. Possibly the only peace he’d truly known. Because peace was being known.
The last 20% ended up feeling a little rushed for me, at 87% James makes an offer to Mariana that at that point and time in a story, I'm not sure I want to see from my hero as he should know the heroine by now, and then the make-up ending declaration gave me more of that rushed feeling and I wasn't quite satisfied as I thought Mariana deserved more. At that point, I can't say I totally felt I believed in a happily ever after for these two, thinking about their positions in life, the way this particular story was written. There's a compacted epilogue that tries to give us that fairy tale ending to strengthen the idea of their HEA but with it's time jumps, it didn't completely work for me. Overall, though, I enjoyed this addition and time spent at The Grand Palace on the Thames, all our favorite characters are there and Mariana and James provided some welcome heat.
Saturday, November 20, 2021
Reading Update: Page 1
Add in crummies on my chest from my dessert for breakfast and what a battle for who's looking more glam!
Back to the Palace of Rogues I go.....
Very rich but easy to make
Sunday, November 14, 2021
Reading Update: 20%
Random Number Generator knew what I needed: Set in 1769, plans for a submarine!, and they're singing the song "Our Polly is a sad slut".
1800s wish they could.
Saturday, November 13, 2021
Review: Duke, Actually
Duke, Actually by Jenny HolidayMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
3.7 stars
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The answer is yes, but I have questions. Question the first: Is this going to be one of those elaborately complex romantic comedies where we pretend to be in love to make your ex-husband jealous?
Continuing with characters readers met in A Princess for Christmas, Duke, Actually takes the two bestfriends of the first book's couple. Dani is going to be the Bestwoman in her friend Leo's wedding and Max is going to be the Man of Honor for his bestfriend and ex-fiancee Marie. This did start off in a fast, jump into it way, that had me wondering if I should have read the first book, Dani and Max clearly know each other and even though they weren't in each other's presence much, there is the feeling that something, however, intangible, is already between them. After feeling a little lost in the very beginning, the rest of the book takes such thoughtful, deliberate time exploring the two that you could, actually start here.
He was a baron who lived on another continent. There was no danger of him upending her life.
Dani is a literature professor who is in the middle of a divorce, her husband left her for one of his students, and has decided to swear off love and follow her list that has rules for never losing herself to a man again. At first, Max comes off as the playboy aristocrat because of all the mentions of how he is portrayed in the media, but you can tell he is generally interested in Dani, she's not impressed with his status and treats him in a real way. When Dani needs a date to a holiday party, he agrees to be her plus one and their friendship only grows from there. Right away the two are cracking together but the relationship stays in the friendship realm and the first 20% has a sweet feel with the promise of more.
She was making snow angels in Central Park with an Eldovian baron.
The two then separate as Max goes back to his country and Dani stays in New York but they stay in frequent contact as Dani goes to Max for dating advice but really their text message conversations are just bonding these two together more and more. At 50% Dani heads over to Eldovia (the fictional country of Max) and the two are reunited, having that mental and emotional connection foundation. As I mentioned, this was a very considered paced story, the bulk takes place over a year and for the vast majority, Dani and Max are friends but with that slow burn building to heating up the sheets; you're going to say “Now kiss!” out-loud more than once.
He had come here purely to keep her company at the party she was so dreading. It made her throat catch.
With that deliberate pace, there is a lot of story to sink into and sit with, this is not a story to breeze through but settle in while Dani deals with the emotional fall-out of her divorce and Max addresses his father's alcoholism and the emotional abuse from it. There was only once or twice I thought the story felt slow in the second half as maybe Dani toed the wallow line with her list but I also could have stood for more scenes added between her and her lovely relationship with her parents and Max and his brother Sebastien getting more bonding moments.
“You looked at me first.”
I loved how this became a story to invest in, it has light, sweet moments that will delight those holiday vibe senses, intriguing threads involving a forgotten WWII heroine, sincere emotional pain, full characters, and a relationship that so wonderfully developed from friendship to love.
Monday, November 8, 2021
Food and a Book
I am unapologetically getting into the season this Monday 🎄❄🧑🎄
A holiday book (that lapel candy cane & cute little Yorkie 😭) and Grinch brownies.
Brownies and romance on a Monday❣
Have a great week, all!
Rich but oh so good
Quickie Review: Devil's Daughter
Devil's Daughter by Lisa KleypasMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
3.3 stars
As Justin crouched to stare at the carving more closely, a glass marble dropped out of his pocket and hit the inlaid parquet floor. Dismayed, Phoebe and Justin watched the little sphere roll away rapidly. But its momentum was brought to an abrupt halt as the dark-haired man pinned it with the tip of his shoe in a display of perfect timing. As he finished his conversation, he bent to pick up the marble. The housekeeper bustled away, and the man turned his attention to Phoebe and Justin.
Kleypas writing can be such a soothing balm to my soul. I talked about this in a reading update but the way she gives me those feelings of anticipation, giddy, excitement when our leads meet is just chef's kiss. brought to an abrupt halt as the dark-haired man pinned it with the tip of his shoe and the man turned his attention to Phoebe and Justin this is the moment where romance readers know these two are about to have their lives changed and it is on. I loved it, had me smiling like a dork.
I wanted more moments with Phoebe and her parents together and separately, but I'm a freak for Devil in Winter so I'll never get enough of reading about Evie and Sebastian. Phoebe was a little quiet as a character and I wish we could have seen her coming out of her shell earlier as toward the end we saw her starting to emerge a little.
With a faint curve of his mouth, West reached up to touch the low brim of his hat. Then he was out of sight.
West had some sexy devil moments but I also thought he was a little washed out, he didn't want to scare Phoebe off but could he have gritted his teeth for me?
Muttering beneath his breath, he paced away from her, swung around, and returned to her with heightened color and a scowl. “I’m haunted by you,” he said brusquely. “I can’t seem to stop looking for you everywhere I go."
We do get a scowl and fan yourself line, I mean, I'm haunted by you. *Wheezes*. Kleypas' writing has built me back up from a very empty tank for Regency/Victorian romance, even though this wasn't my favorite by her. These two were more quiet and I would love a novella of them, in say, their 20th year of marriage because I think they would use that time to grow together very well.
Sunday, November 7, 2021
Reading Update: 20%
As Justin crouched to stare at the carving more closely, a glass marble dropped out of his pocket and hit the inlaid parquet floor. Dismayed, Phoebe and Justin watched the little sphere roll away rapidly. But its momentum was brought to an abrupt halt as the dark-haired man pinned it with the tip of his shoe in a display of perfect timing. As he finished his conversation, he bent to pick up the marble. The housekeeper bustled away, and the man turned his attention to Phoebe and Justin.
I love this moment. brought to an abrupt halt, turned his attention to It gives that zing of anticipation that I love in the beginning of romance books, the spark I keep talking about missing from stories. That moment that makes you feel giddy as the two leads make that first contact and enter each other's orbit. Gah, I love this reading feeling!
Saturday, November 6, 2021
Review: The Lady Gets Lucky
The Lady Gets Lucky by Joanna ShupeMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
“I would like your help in learning how to seduce a man.”
Second in the Fifth Avenue Rebels series, the first half of The Lady Gets Lucky is taking place concurrently with the first in the series. I haven't read the first and that may have hampered my enjoyment with this one. Our leads Alice and Kit are put together right away when Alice comes up with a plan to have Kit teach her some seduction lessons. Alice is shy and wants to escape her emotionally abusive mother and sees marrying as a way out. Kit initially refuses but when Alice says she'll trade recipes from a chef Kit and his friend have been trying to hire for their newly constructed supper club, he decides to agree to the bargain. These two feel a connection pretty soon, they are kissing at 20% but I felt like I didn't even know them as separate beings and therefore wasn't ready or able to invest in wanting them as a couple. I don't know if there was more of an introduction to them in the first that could have helped here, it felt like I was entering a play in the second act.
Kit was certainly hard to resist— and it was becoming increasingly difficult to remember why she needed to resist him in the first place.
These two did have a commonality that had me wanting to see them grow together, Alice's mother constantly berates her and lowers her self-esteem, saying no one would want to marry her without her large dowry. We see Alice and her mother's relationship in present time while through Kit's reminiscing we learn that his father's emotional abuse consisted of him constantly telling Kit that he was dim and only a pretty face. These two really take to heart what their parents told them and their sense of worthlessness persists through the vast majority of the story, it is in fact pretty much the plot. Even though Kit likes Alice he doesn't think he is worthy of marriage and this is the only thing basically keeping them apart. When they seemed to both admit to themselves and be kissing each other in the first half, I honestly wondered where the story could go, the whole premises only had legs for about 40%.
He kissed her like he couldn’t get enough. Like air was overrated and unnecessary. Like he was starving for her.
At the half way point, the story moves from the house party where Alice and Kit were secretly meeting to exchange lessons and recipes and the two go back to New York where seemingly, they won't be able to meet anymore. Instead we get a repeat of the first half with the two secretly meeting this time at Kit's supper club as Alice has to help them with the recipes because they can't find other chefs that can make them. Kit has some friends that make appearances here and there and more scenes with Alice trying to endure her mother. There's a death that is probably supposed to be emotional but we very briefly only meet the character and even then, Kit's character doesn't spend much time on the emotional fall-out. Secondary characters are around, some that will obviously be stars in their own books but the focus is pretty much on Alice and Kit.
His voice was affectionate and soft, as if she completely baffled him. “What am I going to do with you?
I felt myself being bored even a little before the halfway mark, this really should have been a novella. Both characters spent the majority in self-loathing mode, Kit's not wanting to marry attitude felt just there, and because I couldn't connect with them individually, I never felt invested in their romance. Alice seemed to have a loving relationship with her father and I wish we could have seen the two together for some bright spots in the story. The last 20% has Kit admitting he can't have anyone else marrying Alice and we get an extremely quick, try to woo her the old-fashioned way, Alice not believing he actually wants to marry her because he loves her, and then him proving it in a way that felt benign and I'm not sure delivered on the make-your-heart-melt because of how rushed the ending felt. Overall, all the self-loathing dragged down the tone, the lack of plot, substance, and repetitiveness gave it a molasses pace, and it was just missing spark.
Friday, November 5, 2021
Reading Update: Page 1
A wallflower and a scoundrel? I'm never not forking over money for that combo.
Happy Friday, all!
I added spinach, yum!
Thursday, November 4, 2021
Review: The Secret of Snow
The Secret of Snow by Viola ShipmanMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
1.5 stars
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
When long-time meteorologist Sonny gets replaced with AI, she has a breakdown on camera that has her pasting suns on her chest and shaking them at the camera. With her career in serious trouble, she gets a call from her agent saying that a station in Michigan is offering her a job. It's Sonny's home state and she's done everything she can to run away from her memories there. With nowhere else to go, Sonny takes the job and is forced to confront why she keeps running and if she even wants to anymore.
Now, everything is sunny, isn't it, Sonny?
The Secret of Snow was a mixture of lit fic, women's fiction, and a thimble of romance. The focus is on Sonny's life and how hard the death of her younger sister impacted her and how that causes her to run from relationships in her life. At fifty years old, with a successful career, it was nice to see someone who outwardly has it all together, still have emotional struggles but eventually overcome them. When Sonny moves back home, she lives with her mother and we learn that her father died from cancer years ago, leaving both of them with only each other. It's not immediately revealed to the reader what happened to Sonny's younger sister but through small, quick flashbacks, it's obvious that the younger sister died in a tragic accident when she was a child and Sonny still hasn't dealt with the emotional fallout.
All because it's easier to be alone than it is to lose someone you love. Again.
The writing had some emotional moments but the way the characters spoke the lines felt unnatural and overly contrived to deliver pithy philosophical ideals. Instead of feeling like the characters were living or delivering the story, I could clearly see the author behind it driving everything to make their points. The second half felt very drawn out as Sonny circles around and around the same issues. I enjoyed the relationship with her mother, wish there had been more delving between the intricacies between Sonny and her boss/friend Lisa, and the romance first had the guy Mason focused too much on his wife who had passed (I don't care how open you are, when you first meet someone, you don't just unload that your wife committed suicide) and didn't spend enough time with Sonny to make me believe in their love. Mason giving Sonny his wife's necklace also felt odd and didn't land with me the way it was supposed to. My favorite relationship ended up being between Sonny and her cameraman she ends up becoming a mentor to, their relationship felt the most natural.
The book has a gorgeous cover, the winter activities Sonny does gives it a good seasonal feel, and after you read the story, the title nicely hits but the points and lines the author obviously wanted to deliver made the story and characters feel contrived and gave this an awkward forced flow.
Monday, November 1, 2021
Reading Update: Page 1
❄🎄✨
Look at this cover, so gorgeous 😍
I have my book, blanket, and muffins, happy Monday!
These were delicious
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