Tag: British literature

Wake Me Most Wickedly (Once Upon the East End: Book 2) by Felicia Grossman

~ Jolie ~ Leave a comment

Publisher: Forever (Grand Central Publishing), Forever

Date of publication: April 9th, 2024

Genre: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Jewish, Retellings, Historical Fiction, Adult Fiction, Fiction, British Literature

Series: Once Upon the East End

Shtup Me at Sunrise—Book 0.5

Marry Me by Midnight—Book 1 (review here)

Wake Me Most Wickedly—Book 2

Seduce Me in Secret—Book 3 (expected publication date: January 2025)

Dream of Me Until Dawn—Book 4 (expected publication date: January 2026)

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Solomon Weiss has little interest in power, but to repay the half-brother who raised him, he pursues money, influence, and now—a respectable wife. That is, until outcast Hannah Moses saves his life, and Sol finds himself helplessly drawn to the beautiful pawnshop owner.

Forever tainted by her parents’ crimes, Hannah sees only a villain when she looks in the mirror—no one a prince would choose. To survive, she must care for herself, even if that means illegally hunting down whatever her clients wish. So, no matter how fair or charming she finds Sol, he belongs to a world far too distant from her own.

Only neither can resist their desires, and each meeting weakens Hannah’s resolve to stay away. But when Hannah discovers a shocking betrayal in Sol’s inner circle, can she convince him to trust her? Or will fear and doubt poison their love for good?

First Line

Night was the best time to hunt-especially if you relied on stealth, not strength, to snare your prey.

Important details about Wake Me Most Wickedly

Pace: Medium

POV: 3rd person (Hannah, Solomon)

Content/Trigger Guidance: Wake Me Most Wickedly contains themes of nongraphic sexual assault, nonconsensual sexual contact, emotional abuse, antisemitic language, antisemitic behavior, classism, physical abuse, religious bigotry, injury and injury detail, bullying, violence, medical content*, grief, death of a parent, pregnancy, and deportation. Please read carefully if any of these triggers you.

  • Medical Content: Solomon suffers anaphylactic shock after consuming a cake with nuts in it.

Language: Wake Me Most Wickedly does not contain swearing, but it does contain language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is explicit sexual content in Wake Me Most Wickedly.

Setting: Wake Me Most Wickedly is set in the East End of London, England.

My Review:

I enjoy reading historical romances, but reading the same romance format gets boring after a while. So, I am always on the lookout for different historical romances (but do keep in context with the era the book is written in). So, when the Wake Me Most Wickedly widget slid into my inbox, I accepted immediately. Also, I had read the first book in the series and liked it.

Wake Me Most Wickedly is also a fairy tale retelling. I like reading fairy tale retelling and discovering how different authors interpret fairytales. Wake Me Most Wickedly is the retelling of Snow White. I admit I had an issue figuring out how Snow White fit into this. Thankfully, that only lasted for the first couple of chapters, and I enjoyed seeing how this retelling played out.

The main storyline of Wake Me Most Wickedly was your typical romance storyline. Hannah was an outcast in the Jewish community due to crimes that her parents and herself committed while running their pawnshop. Hannah spent two years in prison, and her parents were deported to a penal colony island (I figure it was either Australia or New Zealand). She continued running the pawn shop and took up a side gig of illegally hunting down things for her fence and clients. During one of those jobs, she saved Solomon from being attacked. Solomon, raised by his older brother after their father and his mother died, grew up very sheltered and had almost no worldly experience. Solomon soon becomes enamored with Hannah, much to her dismay. But even she can’t deny the scorching heat between them. When Solomon is injured after being chased by a group of men, Hannah investigates his accident. What she uncovers will rock Solomon’s world. Will her discovery mean the end of her relationship with Solomon?

The author graciously included content guidance at the beginning of the book. I love it when authors do that because I don’t have to take notes about content. At the end of the book (and she did this with the first book), she explains the history of the Jewish people in London’s East End and their treatment throughout the centuries.

I found Wake Me Most Wickedly’s storyline much darker than the first book. I wasn’t sure if I would like it (the first chapter has nonconsensual sexual contact). But, the deeper I got into the storyline, the more I understood why the author wrote this book the way she did. Not everything was sunshine and roses in Victorian London. For people experiencing poverty and those forced to live on the outskirts of their communities, life was awful. The author was correct in reflecting the tone of the book. It made the book much more interesting to read.

Hannah started the book off with me not liking her very much. She had a chip on her shoulder that came across in her words and actions. But, the more the author got into her backstory, the more I saw how those events shaped her into the woman she was in the book. I felt terrible for her because she honestly didn’t think she was attractive enough to a man to commit to and was focused on getting a dowry for Tamara. What got me onto Team Hannah was her fantastic character growth. By the end of the book, I was amazed by her strength and devotion to those she considered family and friends.

I liked Solomon, but he reminded me somewhat of a puppy. How? Well, he was hard to train (no matter what Hannah did to push him away, he still came back), he was loyal, even when the person he was faithful to didn’t deserve it, and he was fiercely protective of his family and friends. I was also on Team Solomon because he deserved to be seen for the man he was instead of the image that he put out for family and friends. The one thing that I didn’t like was that he had a prominent blind spot when it came to his brother. But I also understood. It made what Hannah told him so painful to hear.

The romance angle of Wake Me Most Wickedly was spicy. The author turned the heat up on the sex scenes, and they had me fanning myself. But the sex was only a part of the romance. Solomon and Hannah falling in love was sweet. While Solomon immediately knew that Hannah was the one for him, Hannah fought it tooth and nail. She used every excuse in the book (the age gap: her 32 to his 26), her past, that he was just infatuated with her, his brother, and the considerable class divide to try and drive him away. Thankfully, Solomon didn’t care and pursued her anyway.

A secondary storyline that cropped up around the middle of the book involved Solomon, his brother, and Hannah. I was absolutely disgusted by what Solomon’s brother did, but I like how Solomon’s friends rallied around him and turned it around. It was poetic justice how that storyline ended.

I loved how Wake Me Most Wickedly ended. It was your typical HEA. The epilogue, which takes place five years later, almost made me cry. It also made me wonder who the next book will be about. I have a feeling I know who, but I can’t wait to see if I am right.

Many thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing), Forever, NetGalley, and Felicia Grossman for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Wake Me Most Wickedly. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to Wake Me Most Wickedly, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Felicia Grossman

The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan

~ Jolie ~ Leave a comment

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books

Date of publication: March 12, 2024

Genre: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Books about Books, World War II, Historical, War, British Literature, Adult Fiction, Chick Lit

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | Kobo | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

When the Blitz imperils the heart of a London neighborhood, three young women must use their fighting spirit to save the community’s beloved library in this heartwarming novel from the author of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir

When new deputy librarian, Juliet Lansdown, finds that Bethnal Green Library isn’t the bustling hub she’s expecting, she becomes determined to breathe life back into it. But can she show the men in charge that a woman is up to the task of running it, especially when a confrontation with her past threatens to derail her?

Katie Upwood is thrilled to be working at the library, although she’s only there until she heads off to university in the fall. But after the death of her beau on the front line and amid tumultuous family strife, she finds herself harboring a life-changing secret with no one to turn to for help.

Sofie Baumann, a young Jewish refugee, came to London on a domestic service visa only to find herself working as a maid for a man who treats her abominably. She escapes to the library every chance she can, finding friendship in the literary community and aid in finding her sister, who is still trying to flee occupied Europe.

When a slew of bombs destroy the library, Juliet relocates the stacks to the local Underground station where the city’s residents shelter nightly, determined to lend out stories that will keep spirits up. But tragedy after tragedy threatens to unmoor the women and sever the ties of their community. Will Juliet, Kate, and Sofie be able to overcome their own troubles to save the library? Or will the beating heart of their neighborhood be lost forever?

First Line:

“Hurry, Sofie!” Her sister’s voice floated through the open door, echoing past the bookcases lining the walls.

The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan

Important details about The Underground Library

Pace: Medium

POV: 3rd person (Juliet, Kate, Sofie)

Trigger Warnings: The Underground Library contains themes that include pregnancy, classism, poverty, refugee experiences, religious persecution, sexism & misogyny, indentured servitude, abandonment, childbirth, involuntary pregnancy, blood & gore depiction, body horror, dead bodies & body parts, death of a friend, grief & loss depiction, disappearance of a loved one, infidelity, explosions, and war themes & military violence.

Language: The Underground Library contains mild swearing and language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is no sexual content in The Underground Library.

Setting: The Underground Library is set in and around WWII-era London, England.

My Review

I am a big fan of reading books set in WWII. It is a time that fascinates and scares me. So, when I get widgets or see books on NetGalley that hint about WWII, I grab them. This was the case with The Underground Library. Random House sent me a widget, and I downloaded it. Now that I have read this book, it was a good read.

The Underground Library follows three women (Juliet, Kate, and Sofie) as they navigate life in a country at war. Juliet is the oldest of the three, and she is ambitious. But Juliet’s past threatens to derail everyone she worked so hard for. Kate is a young woman who is waiting for word from her fiancee, who is fighting in Africa against the Nazis. Her world is turned upside down when she is told he is missing in action. Sofie is a Jewish refugee working as a maid/cook in the vicinity of the Bethnal Library. Forced to leave Berlin by her sister and father, Sofie agonizes over not knowing what happened to her family. The three women meet at the library and soon become instrumental in setting up an underground library in the Tube tunnels, used as a makeshift bomb shelter. Over a few months, their lives will change for better and worse.

As I mentioned above, there are three separate storylines in The Underground Library. Usually, I’m not too fond of multiple storylines (or POV), but in this case, it worked. It only worked because the author could integrate all three storylines together at different points in the book but simultaneously keep them separate (if that makes sense). I was not confused by whose storyline I was reading (the author did label chapters with names). That made for a delightful read.

I liked Juliet. I liked that she was smart and wasn’t afraid to go after what she wanted (the book club, children’s hour, and eventually, the library). Her backstory was sad with her fiancee going MIA in France. The more I read her storyline, the more I liked her. I wouldn’t say I enjoyed reading about a love triangle between her missing fiancee and her landlady’s nephew (who she also knew from school). It was pretty obvious who she was going to end up with. But everything does work itself out in the end.

I thought Kate was adorable. Her absolute devotion to her fiancee shone through the book, as did her devastation when she learned he was missing in action, presumed dead. The pregnancy was a neat twist that the author threw in there. When Kate’s mother found out about her pregnancy, I could see why she was so upset. During that era, girls didn’t get pregnant without being married (you and I know that this isn’t true, but people liked to believe it). But what Kate’s mother proposed and what she forced Kate into doing made me take a step back and go, “Whoa.” All I have to say is that she was desperate, looking for a way to keep her husband with her, and it would cost Kate. I was a little glad that this storyline ended the way it did (and the twist that came at the very end was heartwarming).

I pitied Sofie. Because of the Nazis, she was forced to leave her father and sister behind in Berlin (the near miss on the train took my breath away). It was explained that her sister got her a visa to work in England (her English was excellent). Sofie was going to be a live-in maid to an upperclassman who was willing to sponsor her. That wasn’t what Sofie wanted and not what she was used to (she came from a very wealthy family). The first half of her storyline details her job and how she deals with it (she has been there for over a year). The second half of her storyline got a little more exciting. Her inquiries into her sister’s location were answered, and she fell in love. Of the three storylines, hers was the one I enjoyed most.

The author included a note explaining the actual underground library that inspired the book at the end of the book. She tweaked some events, but everything that happened was mainly factual.

The end of The Underground Library was one of hope. I liked how every one of the characters got their HEA. I also liked that the author included some secondary characters in the HEAs. As I stated above, Kate’s storyline had a neat twist.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books, NetGalley, and Jennifer Ryan for allowing me to read and review an ARC of The Underground Library. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to The Underground Library, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Jennifer Ryan

The Lady from Burma (Sparks & Bainbridge: Book 5) by Allison Montclair

~ Jolie ~ Leave a comment

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: July 25th, 2023

Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical Mystery, Historical, British Literature

Series: Sparks & Bainbridge

The Right Sort of Man—Book 1

A Royal Affair—Book 2

The Haunting of the Desks: A Sparks and Bainbridge Short Story—Book 2.5

A Rogue’s Company—Book 3

The Unkept Woman—Book 4

The Lady from Burma—Book 5

Purchase Links: Kindle | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

In Allison Montclair’s The Lady from Burma, murder once again stalks the proprietors of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau in the surprisingly dangerous landscape of post-World War II London…

In the immediate post-war days of London, two unlikely partners have undertaken an even more unlikely, if necessary, business venture – The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. The two partners are Miss Iris Sparks, a woman with a dangerous – and never discussed – past in British intelligence and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, a war widow with a young son entangled in a complicated aristocratic family. Mostly their clients are people trying to start (or restart) their lives in this much-changed world, but their new client is something different. A happily married woman has come to them to find a new wife for her husband. Dying of cancer, she wants the two to make sure her entomologist, academic husband finds someone new once she passes.

Shortly thereafter, she’s found dead in Epping Forest, in what appears to be a suicide. But that doesn’t make sense to either Sparks or Bainbridge. At the same time, Bainbridge is attempting to regain legal control of her life, opposed by the conservator who has been managing her assets – perhaps not always in her best interest. When that conservator is found dead, Bainbridge herself is one of the prime suspects. Attempting to make sense of two deaths at once, to protect themselves and their clients, the redoubtable owners of the Right Sort Marriage Bureau are once again on the case.

First Line:

He sat on the edge of the narrow bed, reaching for the black wool socks he had stuffed into his shoes.

The Lady from Burma by Allison Montclair

Miss Sparks and Mrs. Bainbridge are two years into running The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. So, when a woman dying from lung cancer hires them to find a wife for her husband, they can’t say no. Shortly after, that woman is found dead of an apparent suicide in Epping Forest. While Miss Sparks is helping the local police with that case, Mrs. Bainbridge is trying to regain legal control of her life. When the conservator managing her assets is found dead, Mrs. Bainbridge is the main suspect. With the police breathing down her neck, Mrs. Bainbridge must solve his murder. Can she? And how are the two cases connected?

I was super excited when I got the widget for The Lady from Burma. I read the first book in this series way back in 2019. Because of Covid and my year-old hiatus, I couldn’t read books 2, 3, and 4. So when that email popped up in my inbox, I jumped on it.

The Lady from Burma is book 5 in the Sparks & Bainbridge Mystery series. You can read this as a stand-alone book. But, I always suggest reading the previous books to get backgrounds on the characters (major and minor).

The Lady from Burma is a medium to fast-paced book. It stayed at a steady medium pace until almost the end of the book. Then it picked up at the end of the book. There was no lag, either, which was nice.

There were two storylines in The Lady from Burma. They are:

  1. Bainbridge’s struggle to regain legal control over her life.
  2. Sparks and Bainbridge’s investigation into their client’s apparent suicide

Each storyline was well written. I enjoyed that the author portrayed how marriage and mental health were viewed. When the author brought the two storylines together, she did it almost seamlessly.

Bainbridge’s frustration, anger, and terror (yes, terror) over her conservatorship were palpable. All she wanted was her life back, and to do that, she needed to go to Lunacy Court and hope a judge agreed. I felt for her. It was horrible how women and mental health issues were treated back then. It both horrified and saddened me.

Spark’s investigation into their client’s murder was fascinating. I felt that the constable was very forward-thinking for the time. Spark’s observations helped. She was also such a good friend to Bainbridge. She spent the night to make sure Bainbridge didn’t do anything to threaten her case (like try suicide). She also was vital in making a significant connection between Bainbridge and the dead woman.

The romance angle of The Lady from Burma was interesting. I liked that Sparks seemed to be settling down. I vaguely remember Archie from the first book and feel he would fit her well. As for Bainbridge, I don’t know who I want her to end up with. I was hoping for Sally, but there were two other men introduced that made me go, “Hmmm.”

The mystery angle of the book was interesting. I liked how the mysteries were investigated separately until they were brought together. I also was shocked at how Bainbridge was connected to the dead woman. There was a slight twist at the end, which I didn’t see coming.

The end of The Lady from Burma was interesting. I liked how the author wrapped up all of the storylines. I was very excited for Bainbridge. That scene in court, with the new lawyer, was perfect.

The wrap-up of the murder was directly tied to what was going on with Bainbridge. What was revealed was surprising, and I didn’t see it coming. The author left enough open for me to look forward to book 6.

I would recommend The Lady from Burma to anyone over 16. There are nongraphic sexual situations, mild language, and mild violence.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Allison Montclair for allowing me to read and review The Lady from Burma. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of The Lady from Burma, then you will enjoy reading these books:

Other books by Allison Montclair:

Not That Kind of Ever After by Luci Adams

~ Jolie ~ 2 Comments

Star Rating: 3

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin

Date of publication: March 14th, 2023

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Adult, British Literature, New Adult

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Fairytale meets feminism in Luci Adams’s Not That Kind of Ever After, a frothy adventure of one woman’s journey to claim happily ever after in times of serial dating, swiping right, and the quest to find your soulmate…

Bella Marble’s life isn’t what she imagined. Instead of an author, she’s receptionist at a small press. Instead of happily married, she’s single, and her lovey-dovey parents are divorcing. And to top it off, her best friend of twenty-nine years, Ellie Mathews, is moving out and marrying the heinously boring Mark. (He’s not worthy of her. No one could be). Bella feels rudderless, only slightly soothed by time spent with Ellie’s (not hot) brother, (he’s not hot) Marty (okay, he’s hot. But he’s also the aggravating brother she never had—right)?

When Marty recommends Bella stop looking for “the one” and just have fun, Bella finds a new, empowered side of herself. But when she posts a fairy-tale retelling of a disastrous one night stand on a storytelling app, all of a sudden, Bella has become B.Enchanted. And she’s gone viral.

Now, Bella’s in a fight with Ellie, her new roommates are so, deeply, weird, and the pressure is mounting to find new fairy tales to write about—but she’s got to live them first.

First Line:

It came, unlike me, while I was riding backward cowgirl on what must have been the hairiest man in London.

Not That Kind of Ever After by Luci Adams

Not That Kind of Ever After is the story of Bella and how her life fell apart, got put back together, fell apart again, and got together again. Bella’s life isn’t what she thought it was going to be. She would be an author, live an extraordinary life, and be married. Instead, she’s a receptionist at a publishing house, isn’t living her dream life, and is single. In a matter of days, her life gets turned upside down when her best friend moves out and gets engaged to a man Bella can’t stand. Then she finds out her parents are getting divorced. But there is an upside to everything. She is rewriting her bad dates as fairytale retellings on a storytelling app, and she has gone viral. But as soon as she thinks she has everything, things come crashing down. A fight with her best friend, being rejected for dates (which means no stories), and weird roommates litter her life now. Can Bella get out of her way and get back on track? Or will she be stuck in the same rut forever?

I was not a fan of Bella. Oh, at first, I liked her. She was funny and seemed like a great friend. But she began to wear on me after a chapter (yes, a chapter). She was high maintenance and not in a good way. She always had to be the center of attention and literally pouted when it wasn’t on her (Ellie’s moving out/engagement party). And lastly, she was highly immature. I could have dealt with the other faults and liked her. But it was her immatureness that ruined her character for me. Put it this way, I felt for Ellie’s fiancee and her roommates.

I did like that the author took Bella’s romantic hijinks and had Bella turn them into romance fairytales. It gave me a fresh way of looking at the fairytales and a giggle.

The side characters were well-written in Not That Kind of Ever After. I sympathized with them because I didn’t know how they tolerated the drunken, immature mess that Bella had evolved into.

Bella did experience character growth during this book. There was a point in the book where Bella realized that maybe she was doing everything to herself, and she tried to fix everything. It was nice to read that, but the damage was done in my eyes with her. Like a real-life person, I didn’t want a character to be a constant drama llama, and Bella was.

The romance angle of the book was interesting to read. While I think I figured out who Bella ended up with, I needed clarification. So, I wouldn’t label this a HEA with her on the romance front.

There is a lot of sex in Not That Kind of Ever After. What I liked is that the sex experiences ran the gauntlet. They went from bad to good to out-of-this-world fantastic. The author even threw in a menage for Bella to experience.

The end of Not That Kind of Ever After was interesting. I liked that the author wrapped everything up. I am not going to get into anything other than that, other than the ending was very fitting for the book.

I would recommend Not That Kind of Ever After to anyone over 21. There is language, mild violence, and sexual situations.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, NetGalley, and Luci Adams for allowing me to read and review Not That Kind of Ever After. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of Not That Kind of Ever After, you will enjoy reading these books:

My Fair Princess (The Improper Princesses: Book 1) by Vanessa Kelly

~ Jolie ~ 2 Comments

Publisher: Zebra

Date of Publication: August 30th, 2016

Genre: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Regency Romance, Fiction, Regency, Adult, British Literature, Humor

Series: The Improper Princesses

My Fair Princess – Book 1

Three Renegades and a Baby—Book 1.5

Three Weeks with a Princess—Book 2

The Highlander’s Princess Bride—Book 3

Purchase Links: Amazon | Audible | B&N | Kobo | Apple Books | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

First, Vanessa Kelly brought readers The Renegade Royals. Now, in a delightfully witty new series, she introduces The Improper Princesses—three young women descended from royalty, each bound for her own thrilling adventure . . .

Despite being the illegitimate daughter of a prince, Gillian Dryden is happily ignorant of all social graces. After growing up wild in Italy, Gillian has been ordered home to England to find a suitable husband. And Charles Valentine Penley, the excessively proper, distractingly handsome Duke of Leverton, has agreed to help transform her from a willful tomboy to a blushing debutante.

Powerful and sophisticated, Charles can make or break reputations with a well-placed word. But his new protégée, with her habit of hunting bandits and punching earls, is a walking scandal. The ton is aghast . . . but Charles is thoroughly intrigued. Tasked with taking the hoyden in hand, he longs to take her in his arms instead. Can such an outrageous attraction possibly lead to a fairytale ending?

I have mentioned in other reviews that I am a huge fan of historical romance. I love to be able to immerse myself and pretend, for a little while, that I am in Regency England. Something about that period fascinates me to no end. When I got My Fair Princess to review, I was excited about reading it.

The book lived up to the internal hype in my mind. The author was spot on with the sayings and the tons attitudes. The rigid rules society lived by and how they dressed were spot on. It is amazing what was considered awful, and life-ending back in that society is normal in these times.

Miss Gillian Dryden is a prime example of what I stated above. She is the illegitimate daughter of the Prince of England. Her mother had made a bad decision, slept with the Prince of England, got pregnant, and decided to keep the baby. It didn’t matter that she married an Italian count; the stain of what she did followed Gillian.

I liked Gillian’s character. She was spunky, outspoken and she was unpolished. Even though her mother was a Contessa and her stepfather a Count, she wasn’t brought into Italian society because of her birth. So she didn’t have the social graces that most girls of that period did, and I loved it. It was very refreshing to read her scenes because she spoke plainly.

But there was a downside to her character that I didn’t like. She was stubborn and didn’t listen to reason (or Duke Leverton). She took risks that put people and herself in danger. But it did make for an interesting read.

The Duke of Leverton (or Charles Valentine Penley). Oh, where do I begin with him? He has an iron facade, and nothing got to him except Gillian. Seeing his facade starting to crack and then for him not to be “Perfect Penley” was great.

I wish I could say that the rest of the story was as great as those characters. There was some promise when Gillian met Letitia and her husband, but that petered out. She gets a couple of bad nicknames (Doxy Duchess was one), and they all decide to vacation in the summer. I would have loved to see that triangle work its way out. Even the subplot of the smugglers was eh. I figured out who was helping them about halfway through the book.

The ending was cute, and I loved the epilogue.

I would recommend My Fair Princess to anyone over 21. There is sex and mild violence.

If you enjoyed My Fair Princess, you will enjoy these books:

Highland Temptation (Highland Knights: Book 3) by Jennifer Haymore

~ Jolie ~ 1 Comment
Highland Temptation: A Highland Knights Novel by [Haymore, Jennifer]

Publisher: Loveswept

Date of publication: August 23rd, 2016

Genre: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Regency, Regency Romance, Historical Fiction, Scotland, British Literature

Series: Highland Knights

A Highlander’s Heart—Book 0.5

Highland Heat—Book 1

Highland Awakening—Book 2

Her Wicked Highlander—Book 2.5

Highland Temptation—Book 3

Purchase Links: WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis

Jennifer Haymore’s sweeping Highland Knights series is perfect for readers of Maya Banks, Monica McCarty, and Sabrina Jeffries—and as the saga resumes, one of Scotland’s most steadfast warriors shields a broken beauty while she soothes the pain in his soldier’s heart.

When Lady Emilia Featherstone discovers that her despicable father has been scheming against the crown, she turns to the Highland Knights for protection—and retribution. Spirited away to a safe house on the outskirts of London, Emilia is surprised to find herself sharing close quarters with a soft-spoken, musclebound Highlander. Before long, curiosity gives way to an alarming attraction. Emilia has learned firsthand from her father that men are not to be trusted. She just never met one so honorable and loyal, so powerful and, yes, tempting.
 
Ever since Waterloo, Colin Stirling has struggled with memories that haunt him night and day. Driven near to madness, he no longer trusts himself with meaningful relationships of any kind. At least in this temporary sanctuary, Colin can withdraw from the world—that is, until his stunningly gorgeous charge learns the full depth of his pain. In Emilia, Colin sees a kindred spirit with battle scars of her own. He also senses a chance to heal . . . and to find love.

I am a sucker for historical romances. I love the period clothes, the women courting, and the ton’s description, love it all. I love the Scots from this period. They are bad boys in every book I read, and I love it.

This book was no exception to that. But I wouldn’t class Colin as a “bad boy.”  He has PTSD and survivor’s guilt after fighting with the English Army at Waterloo. Emilia is his kindred spirit. She had been abused by her father and carries internal and external scars. Colin and Emilia touched my heart because of what they had gone through.

The story was good. Who doesn’t like a little mystery and intrigue in your romance? I know I do!!!

The only thing I can even complain about with this book is that it is the 3rd book in the series. This is not a standalone book. The characters from the old books come into play here. They talk about what happened in previous books. Which annoyed me.

I would recommend Highland Temptation to anyone over 21. There are sex scenes and a couple of scenes where Emilia is beaten.

If you enjoyed Highland Temptation, you will enjoy these books:

The Beauty of the End by Debbie Howells

~ Jolie ~ Leave a comment
The Beauty of the End by [Howells, Debbie]

Publisher: Kensington

Date of Publication: July 26, 2016

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Crime, Adult, Contemporary, European Literature, British Literature

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Goodreads Synopsis:

From the acclaimed author of The Bones of You comes a haunting and heartbreaking new psychological thriller about a man thrust into the middle of a murder investigation, forced to confront the secrets of his ex-lover’s past.

“I was fourteen when I fell in love with a goddess. . .”

So begins the testimony of Noah Calaway, an ex-lawyer with a sideline in armchair criminal psychology. Now living an aimless life in an inherited cottage in the English countryside, Noah is haunted by the memory of the beguiling young woman who left him at the altar sixteen years earlier. Then one day he receives a troubling phone call. April, the woman he once loved, lies in a coma, the victim of an apparent overdose–and the lead suspect in a brutal murder. Deep in his bones, Noah believes that April is innocent. Then again, he also believed they would spend the rest of their lives together.

While Noah searches for evidence that will clear April’s name, a teenager named Ella begins to sift through the secrets of her own painful family history. The same age as April was when Noah first met her, Ella harbors a revelation that could be the key to solving the murder. As the two stories converge, there are shocking consequences when at last, the truth emerges.

Or so everyone believes. . .

Set in a borderland where the past casts its shadow on the present, with a time-shifting narrative that will mesmerize and surprise, The Beauty of the End is both a masterpiece of suspense and a powerful rumination on lost love

I tried to get into this book and like it. I couldn’t get past Noah’s obsession with April. It was creepy and, at some points, smothering. Everyone around him could see that but him. It breaks him when she ends their relationship, and he is never the same.

The book starts when Noah gets a call from his childhood friend about April. She overdosed but not before killing her stepfather. He rushes to her bedside and begins investigating the mystery of what happened.

This is when I met Ella, a troubled 15-year-old in therapy. She has a terrible secret that she found while snooping through her father’s desk.

This is also where the book started jumping around. It would go from the present to when Noah first met April to the present to when they were living together. Then add Ella’s story (which was in italics), which got very confusing.

The suspense part of the book was well written. The author threw red herrings, but I was shocked when it came down to reveal the truth. It wasn’t even close to what I thought or what the author led me to believe.

The ending seemed a little rushed, leaving me feeling that there should have been something more. I didn’t like how April was portrayed at the end. It went against everything that we were told during the story. But, in a way, it made sense.

I would recommend The Beauty of the End to anyone over 16. There are nongraphic sex scenes, mild violence, and mild language.

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