This was a super unique and really well researched historical romance with a fun reverse Cinderella spin on it!
I have never read a historical romance with Jewish main characters before, and I think the author did a great job of giving the reader enough insight and history to how Jewish people lived and were treated in England at the time to help us understand the stakes of the characters.
I loved our hero and heroine, I thought they were really well fleshed out and unique. A fiery, determined heroine who hires the hero (a custodian) to dig up dirt on potential future husband’s so she always has something to hold over their heads if they decide to mess around with her father’s business she’s running. And the hero had a heart of gold and just the right amount of self-loathing.
The romance had great chemistry, the plot was unique, and the characters were solid.
The swoon in the romance was hit or miss at times, and I think the writing style was a bit overly descriptive for me.
But it was definitely fun, well thought out, and creative.
In classic Stacy Reid style, this is a very unique story, even with the similarities to Overboard.
Georgie is trying to raise her three sisters in their falling down manor after the death of her parents and also trying to get paid and live her dreams as a chef. She’s hired to cook on Lord Stannis’s ship, and after a heated look shared across the room, their chemistry leads the Earl to believe she is meant to join his party with multiple women that night.
A jealous mistress demands he fire Georgie when she sees how he looks at her, and therefore, Georgie must leave the ship with no pay. The Earl and his mistress argue, she pushes him overboard, he gets amnesia, and winds up in Georgie’s town where she quickly lays claim to him as her husband to preserve her reputation.
Bonkers. And also delightful.
By far the best part about the whole book was watching who the Earl became at Georgie’s home. The way he wanted to give her the entire world but felt restrained by his believed lack of finances was BEAUTIFUL. Watching this fancy Earl do hard manual labor and do it happily for his wife was enough to melt me.
Daniel was pretty unlikable in the beginning, a Rake in every sense of the word, and…it was pretty distasteful, but I was ready for the character development that could bring.
I think the main reason this is a 4 instead of a five is for how much of their relationship was based purely off their physical chemistry, and that final moment right before the end which had me doubting if Daniel had grown as a character at all.
This one definitely requires some suspension of disbelief but I was happy to do it as I find Stacy’s books to just be such a good time.
Not as good as the first in the series but a book I’d still recommend.I received an ARC for review
Juliette Cross is one of my favorite authors, I LOVE her Stay A Spell series that is all about paranormal creatures living in New Orleans. Her writing is so engaging, swoony, steamy, and funny. I always anticipate a new book from her. I recently had the chance to review her debut book that was getting an updated cover and re releasing on Feb 1.
Here are my thoughts on this new adult paranormal romance with demons and demon hunters!
I really enjoyed this! What a treat to read one of my favorite authors debut book. I definitely read this through the lens if my 2014 year old self who THOROUGHLY enjoyed new adult paranormal romances. I loved the world building here, loved the concept of our heroine as a vessel who had the possibility to be corrupted for evil. Loved the demon slaying hero too.
The banter and comedy landed perfectly and I just overall had a great time reading this. It reminds me of the feeling I get when watching Vampire Diaries except less broody but just as sexy. Very, very fun, lots of nostalgia for this book. Reminiscent of early JLA books but better!!
*ARC provided by the author for an honest review* 6 out of 5 stars! This was PERFECTION in every way! We have a broody, protective, alpha AF, bodyguard hero (Rhys) and a princess who is kind, loves animals, but has nerves of steel when it’s required (Bridget). Bridget recently learns that she must now prepare for the role of Queen since her brother abdicated the crown and she is reluctant and unprepared to do so.
For living a life of near constantly being in the spotlight she has taken pleasure where she can find it, quiet moments of anonymity with her college friends and at the animal shelter she volunteers at.
That all changes when Rhys takes over as her new bodyguard. Cold, deadly, arrogant, and always telling her what to do and how to live the two butt heads repeatedly at first. But the attraction between them always simmers just under the surface, and the more time they spend together the more they realize what lies beneath the surface of each other is a soul made for them.
This book was a RIDE. Simultaneous romantic, swoony, SCORCHING HOT, and mysterious. Every single page was a delight to read and I was completely immersed in this story from the first to the last page.
This is the ultimate bodyguard romance, brimming with sexual tension and forbidden romance. I loved it even more than the first and that’s saying something because I ADORED Alex and Ava’s story.
If you like alpha heroes, forbidden romance, and the princess and her guard tropes pick this up ASAP!
6/5 stars! This was absolute and utter perfection. Merritt and Keir have a soul mate level epic romance. The way Keir loved Merritt was honestly one of the most beautiful portrayals of romance I have ever read about. This book transported me back into the Ravenel world and it felt like coming home to old friends.
But seriously…the way Keir adored, cherished, and worshipped Merritt was unforgettable. I want to read it all over again to experience it one more time!
This book also speaks to that understated quality Kleypas has of showing such strong female characters who are not in your face, obvious bluestocking agenda. She writes these heroines who are both soft and strong and perfect companions for the men in their lives.
Seeing so many beloved members of the Wallflower and Ravenel series, the families and friendships, was also so wonderful.
I loved every single page. This is a masterwork of historical romance.
This historical romance was truly delightful! I loved the unique story and the Arab representation in Hannah and her family. This book follows Hannah, a female bone setter who is passionate about helping people with maladies that traditional doctors can not solve. However her career choice makes her seem as a money grabbing charlatan. Add to that the fact she is female and an Arab and the odds are stacked against her.
She meets Griff, the Viscount who visits her with an arm that he injured in the war and has lived with constant pain for two years. While she repairs his arm the attraction between them grows hotter and hotter, and Griff learns that there may be a connection between the murder of his parents and the beautiful bone setter he can not stop thinking about.
I loved the slow building chemistry between these two and the way that neither could deny the attraction they felt for the other. I also was really invested in the mystery of this one and could not wait to see how it was going to be solved.
A thoroughly enjoyable historical romance with a unique plot and swoony love story.
Haven Travis is an heiress, determined to marry a man her father does not approve of. Hardy Cates is a rough around the edges, ruggedly handsome, self made millionaire, and also mortal enemy of the Travis family.
When Hardy and Haven have a meet up in a dark wine cellar, she mistakenly thinks he is her fiance and they have a passionate closet meet up. Imagine her surprise when the man she felt more sparks with than any other was not only NOT her fiance, but also a man her father detests even more than her fiance.
Vowing to forget their night of passion Haven carries on with her plans to marry Nick, and her life suddenly takes a dark and dangerous path when Nick begins abusing her. First it’s the small things, comments meant to degrade and tear down. Anger bursts out of nowhere. Everything always her fault. When one night it culminates in physical abuse and Haven barely leaves with her life. She divorces Nick and starts to try and piece her life back together.
Two years later she ends up meeting Hardy again. And the sparks are still there, maybe even stronger than before. She finds herself wanting to trust and risk with him, but is also filled with fear and uncertainty. Sparks lead to passion, which leads to a deep trust and love, Hardy is fighting his own demons but he makes certain Nick will never hurt Haven again.
This was a deeply emotional and moving book. I was literally hooked from the first page! I am a huge fan of Lisa’s historical romances but this was my first contemporary by her and it was more than I had hoped it would be. It has all of the things we love about Kleypas historicals, riveting back story, complex family dynamics, loveable characters, and swoony go to their knees heroes. But it also had a lot of emotional complexity and was very heavy at times.
I was so absorbed in the story I never wanted to put this book down and the ending left me completely satisfied. Another absolute winner from Kleypas. I can’t wait to read the rest of the Travis family books!
Five star review! Publication date August 24, 2021
Bite size review: Clever, sizzling, achingly romantic perfection. FINALLY Caleb and Sesily’s story. A slow burning, tightly woven plot culminating in a powerful and epic HEA. I loved it. Full review below!
Lady Sesily Talbot is used to living a life of scandal and honestly embraces the attention it gives her. She is a woman embracing her appeal in an era that tells her not to. Caleb Calhoun, an American who has pined for her for years, sees her sneaking into a dark garden with a strange man one night and follows her, finding out what appeared to be a midnight tryst was anything but.
Worried about what Sesily has gotten herself into and coaxed by her sister and his friend, the Duchess of Haven, Caleb behind following Sesily to keep her safe and hopefully out of trouble. But Sesily is not the only one keeping secrets, and the attraction and pull they have felt and fought for each other for two long years can only be denied for so long.
This book was another impressive work by MacLean, it is full of all of the things we love about her work. Strong heroines with autonomy and agency, a fiercely loyal girl gang, a world set in a time we’ve never experienced but that feels so vivid and real to us, and of course heroes who are out of their minds in love with the heroine.
This book had a bit of a slow start for me, which makes sense considering it is the start of a new series and Sarah is really laying the groundwork for an intricate plot for future books. But the pay off for that slow build was incredible and one of the most satisfying reading experiences I’ve had in a long time.
The heat between Caleb and Sesily was so palpable it felt like my eReader might start on fire. And the bedroom scenes were absolutely sizzling. But what I loved the very most was how satisfying that ending was, how every bit of groundwork and plot threads paid off and how I was left thinking, WOW, now this is how you do modern historical romance.
There was also great banter, some laugh out loud humor, MANY Easter Eggs of past characters MacLeaniverse fans will enjoy, and ultimately a hero to applaud and add to my list of best book boyfriends.
I loved this book and can’t wait for the next!
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon books for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Hi there! I’m Crystal, a romance reader since I was 14. I love stories about falling in love and all the complex relationships that come from that. I started reviewing seriously in 2020 through my YouTube channel and Instagram page and decided I’d like to have a blog to post all my reviews in one place.
I love all types of romance books, but my favorites are definitely emotional, soul mate, type of love stories.
My favorite authors are Kennedy Ryan, Lisa Kleypas, Sarah MacLean, Elizabeth Hoyt, and Anna Huang.
Crystal's Bookish Life 