All's Fair in Love And War is the first book in a new Regency romance series by Virginia Heath, Miss Prentice's Protegees. Henry Kincaid, a b3.5 stars
All's Fair in Love And War is the first book in a new Regency romance series by Virginia Heath, Miss Prentice's Protegees. Henry Kincaid, a bachelor and a Royal Navy captain, finds himself in charge of three unruly children, his nieces and a nephew. Since he doesn't know how to manage the children, he seeks a governess's help. As one of Miss Prentice's protegees, Georgina Rowe comes highly recommended. But she is too spirited and the polar opposite of buttoned-up Henry. They disagree on almost everything, but Henry has no choice but to hire her.
All's Fair In Love And War is a charming historical romance. Henry and Georgina have great chemistry and an entertaining banter. Their sweet slow-burn romance unfolds as they spend more time together and learn about each other. There are several interesting secondary characters, including children whose antics provide a lot of entertainment. The book has many sailor jokes and puns that made me chuckle. I found the pacing a little slow and repetitive at times, but I enjoyed the story overall.
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The Last Note of Warning is the third book in a Prohibition-era murder mystery series. By day, Vivian Kelly works as a shop delivery girl, and by nighThe Last Note of Warning is the third book in a Prohibition-era murder mystery series. By day, Vivian Kelly works as a shop delivery girl, and by night, she works in a fashionable speakeasy, the Nightingale, where the booze flows freely, dancing lasts all night, and people don't have to hide their true selves. In the first two books, Vivian helped to solve two murders connected to the Nightingale. In the Last Note of Warning, Vivian becomes the main suspect in the murder of a wealthy man. She only has one week to find the true killer before she is arrested for a crime she didn't commit.
I have to admit I struggled with this book a little. I didn't love it as much as previous books. Even though the stakes were higher, with Vivian being the suspect, the story was not grabbing my attention. Maybe I was just not in the right mood for a murder mystery. I thought the mystery was compelling, but the pacing was slow. I also was left unimpressed with the romance. Vivian has two love interests, and I found both lacking. I did appreciate queer representation. I would recommend The Note of Warning to readers who enjoyed previous books or those looking for a queer historical mystery/fiction.
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Savor It started very strong and fizzled out as the book progressed. The beginning was promising, but I found the rest of the book boring. Nothing intSavor It started very strong and fizzled out as the book progressed. The beginning was promising, but I found the rest of the book boring. Nothing interesting was happening, and everything was underwhelming. The romance, the foodie aspect, Fisher's relationship with his niece, and the small-town atmosphere were all underwhelming. Even Sage's menagerie of animals did not provide much entertainment. I started skimming the pages toward the end. I believe many readers will enjoy this book, but that was not the case for me.
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Workplace romance Rivals-to-lovers Angsty slow-burn Found family NYC setting
I fell in love with Julie Soto's writing when I read Forget Me Not last year.Workplace romance Rivals-to-lovers Angsty slow-burn Found family NYC setting
I fell in love with Julie Soto's writing when I read Forget Me Not last year. I was very excited about her new book, Not Another Love Song. In this book, two rival musicians, Xander Thorn and Gwen Jackson, compete for the coveted role of the First Chair of an orchestra while battling their chemistry and growing feelings for each other. I loved Xander and Gwen's slow-burn, rivals-to-lovers romance. They have a sizzling chemistry, the book is steamy, with one particular scene involving a cello is super hot.
However, Not Another Love Song is not just a steamy romance, the book touches on some heavy topics, and Gwen and Xander's relationship has a lot of depth. I loved Gwen's relationship with her music mentor, Mabel, and her best friend, Jacob. And I was excited about the guest appearances by Ama and Elliot, the couple from Forget Me Not.
Not Another Love Song is one of my favorite reads of 2024, and I cannot wait to read another book by Julie Soto.
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A fake medium A grumpy farmer A ghost Baby goats Saving family business
Gretchen Acorn is a con woman who pretends to be a medium able to communicate with A fake medium A grumpy farmer A ghost Baby goats Saving family business
Gretchen Acorn is a con woman who pretends to be a medium able to communicate with the deceased. When one of her best and wealthiest clients asks Gretchen to help her friend and goat farmer Charlie Waybill investigate possible paranormal activity on the farm that prevents the sale of the farm, she is happy to say yes. But Charlie doesn't want Cretchen's help because he sees her for a fraud she is. Regardless, he agrees for Gretchen to stay on the farm in exchange for her help around the said farm. To Gretchen's surprise, there is an actual resident ghost, Everett, whom she can see and communicate with. There is also a good reason why Everett is trying to jeopardize the sale of the farm.
Happy Medium is a sweet, slow-burn romance with lots of humor and a dash of angst. I enjoyed how Gretchen and Charlie's relationship progressed from mistrust on Charlie's part to friendship and then romance. But for me, Everett stole the show. He was the best and the funniest character. I haven't read Sarah Adler's previous book, Mr. Nash's Ashes, but after reading Happy Medium, I will be adding it to my TBR.
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In the Hour of Crows is a Southern gothic tale set in the Appalachian region known for mysticism and folk tales. Weatherly is a Death Talker who can tIn the Hour of Crows is a Southern gothic tale set in the Appalachian region known for mysticism and folk tales. Weatherly is a Death Talker who can talk death out of a person, her grandmother is a town witch, and her cousin Adair is a Scryer who can see visions of the future. When Adair dies in a car/bike accident, Weatherly starts to suspect that her cousin was murdered because she discovered a dangerous secret in one of her visions. She decides to investigate Adair's death with the help of her friends.
I love spooky books and gothic mysteries, so I enjoyed the premise very much. The author did a good job delivering on dark and atmospheric feels. I struggled a little with the whimsical writing style, especially in the beginning. I had a hard time understanding what was happening at first. I thought the narration had a dreamy quality to it when things are fuzzy, and you don't quite grasp everything. It only added to the eerie vibes. I did enjoy the murder investigation and how the mystery was solved. The ending was very satisfying. Even though I struggled with the beginning of the book, I ended up enjoying it in the end. If you are a seasonal reader, In the Hour of Crows is a perfect book for the Fall/Halloween season.
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Jewish rep Age gap romance Mature successful heroine Single parents Workplace romance
Pulling Her Resources is a low angst/high-steam romance set in Tel AvJewish rep Age gap romance Mature successful heroine Single parents Workplace romance
Pulling Her Resources is a low angst/high-steam romance set in Tel Aviv, one of my favorite cities. I was excited to read this book because it has many tropes I usually enjoy. I liked both MCs, Dafna and Erez, and how their relationship progressed. Both were mature emotionally. They communicated well when problems arose and made the right decisions for the most part. The main conflict centered around office/work ethics. It was very nice to read a low-angst romance for a change.
Pulling My Resources is a quick read. The short chapters kept my attention on the story. Also, I enjoyed the Tel Aviv setting very much. I am very familiar with the city, so it was exciting to recognize the streets and landmarks and imagine Erez and Dafna's romance unfolding.
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*Jewish rep *WW2/Warsaw Ghetto Uprising *Survival against all odds *Forbidden Love *Multiple timelines *Femme Fatale *Revenge
The Goddess of Warsaw is an ex*Jewish rep *WW2/Warsaw Ghetto Uprising *Survival against all odds *Forbidden Love *Multiple timelines *Femme Fatale *Revenge
The Goddess of Warsaw is an exceptional historical fiction about one of the most horrifying events in recent history that many people are forgetting already or, even worse, denying. It's a poignant and compelling story of survival, featuring an incredible and complex heroine who had to make impossible choices to keep her loved ones and herself alive. And after surviving the Holocaust, she continued making dangerous choices to enact revenge on those who tormented and killed her people.
The Goddess of Warsaw was a difficult read at times. Seeing the parallels between Europe of 1930-1940s and the present time, with the explosion of anti-semitism and the dehumanization of the Jewish people that is so rampant right now, caused me considerable distress. (Lisa Barr also addresses these parallels in her author's note). Regardless, or maybe because of that, The Goddess of Warsaw is a must-read for historical fiction fans. I am glad I had a chance to read this book. It's going straight on my "favorites" shelf.
I will leave you with my favorite quote: "Survival is about secrets, about extraordinary measures taken to stay alive. If you survived, it means others did not. The trauma of a second chance at life, a second act, is at once miraculous and unendurable."
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One Last Shot is everything I love in an epic love story: yearning, angst, second-chance romance (my favorite trope), breathtaking locale (Italy), andOne Last Shot is everything I love in an epic love story: yearning, angst, second-chance romance (my favorite trope), breathtaking locale (Italy), and, most importantly, a swoon-worthy love interest. Once I started reading the book, I was engrossed and didn't want to put it down. If I had to change one thing about the story, it would be easing off on the lack of communication between Emerson and Theo. Otherwise, the romance is pretty perfect! I cannot wait to read more books from Betty Cayouette. I hope she has more love stories up her sleeve.
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A Wedding in Lake Como was a different story from what I expected it to be. I expected most of the story to take place in Italy, but most of it is setA Wedding in Lake Como was a different story from what I expected it to be. I expected most of the story to take place in Italy, but most of it is set in NYC in the past, not in Lake Como, and not in the present. Only about the last third of the book is set in the present. It made the balance between the flashbacks to the past and the present uneven.
The main theme is toxic female friendship, which is not my favorite. If I knew it was the case I probably would not have picked the book up. I liked the writing style, so I was interested enough to continue reading, but because the story didn't match my expectations, I didn't love it. I also think that the blurb and the cover are a little misleading I believe many readers will enjoy A Wedding in Lake Como, but it was not the right book for me.
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Under Your Spell is a tender and sexy contemporary romance between a musician and the daughter of a rock star who has sworn off dating musici4.5 stars
Under Your Spell is a tender and sexy contemporary romance between a musician and the daughter of a rock star who has sworn off dating musicians. I enjoyed this book immensely. I loved Clemmie and Theo's romantic relationship. Theo was such a sweet cinnamon roll! But even more than their love story, I loved Clemmie's relationship with her sisters and their unconventional (found family). Under Your Spell is a perfect summer read. I highly recommend it!
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In Better Left Insent, the main heroine, Millie, discovers that all her draft e-mails, where she vents about other people but doesn't intend 3.5 stars
In Better Left Insent, the main heroine, Millie, discovers that all her draft e-mails, where she vents about other people but doesn't intend to send, get sent out without her knowledge in an apparent system glitch. It causes her many problems and embarrassment with her co-workers, family, and friends.
I enjoyed the premise of the book. The story has a little bit of romance, a coming of age, family dynamics, and friendship drama. I loved the chemistry between Millie and Jack and their office romance. I liked Millie's relationship with her friends. Millie is a hot-mess heroine, which I found irritating occasionally, but I appreciated her character growth throughout the book. Overall, I enjoyed Better Left Unsent but didn't love it as much as Dear Emmie Blue.
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