Tag: romance books

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Marry Me By Midnight by Felicia Grossman

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Marry Me By Midnight by Felicia Grossman

4/5 stars, New release review

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.

I received an ARC for review.

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An Earl To Remember by Stacy Reid

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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

historical romance

Knockout by Sarah MacLean

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6 stars

This was a perfect romance for me. I am a huge, HUGE, Sarah MacLean fan. In my eyes, every single one of her books is worth reading.

I love how REAL her stories feel, the tension, the wanting, the yearrrrnnniiiiing, is all drawn out just the perfect amount to get and keep you invested in this couple.

From the moment I first read Tommy and Imogen’s first on page scene, I have been waiting for this book, and it did not disappoint in any way!

Listen, if you are looking for a hero who only has eyes for the heroine, who adores and admires everything about her that she is slightly insecure about, who literally will break down a door, run in front of a carriage, AND carry her from a burning building all while feeling like she deserves better than him, Tommy is your man.

He worships Imogen, and she so clearly takes every moment to build him up, praise him when she knows he needs it, and best of all, never doubts his most ardent feelings for her.

The background plot was very well done as well, but if I’m being serious, I was so invested in Tommy and Imogen’s romance that it could have been a mystery looking for a missing piece of cake and I wouldn’t have minded a bit.

But in all seriousness, the background plot was exceptionally well done, and I’m always a huge fan of how Sarah incorporates modern world issues into her historicals. She has something to say, and I’m here for it.

Without a doubt, one of the BEST romances published in 2023. Absolutely perfect.

I received an ARC for review.

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Forged In Fire by Juliette Cross

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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!! 

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Twisted Games by Ana Huang

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*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!

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Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas

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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.

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The Viscount Made Me Do It by Diana Quincy

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Release day 7/27/2021

4/5 stars 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.