kimalah's reviews
1391 reviews

Ghastly Mistake by Byrd Nash

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Ghastly Mistake is the final book in the Madame Chalamet Ghost Mysteries series. It is a satisfying ending to an engrossing and enjoyable historical fantasy mystery that spread over six books. 

The book begins exactly where book five, Haunted Grave, ended. The story does not let up from there. Elinor and Tristan find themselves in situation after situation as they get closer and closer to the villain at the center of all the turmoil and danger. 

I don’t like to give details in the reviews of mysteries. This final book does a good job of tying together various threads from the previous entries (which must be read before this installment. It is not a standalone story.) The alternate world Byrd Nash developed is detailed and interesting. The characters are well-drawn, and the romance between Elinor and Tristan is very sweet.

I’ve enjoyed my time in Sarnesse. I will miss Elinor and her world very much.

Thank you to the author for the advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.
Ne'er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti

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emotional lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Ne’er Duke Well is a treat of a Regency romance.  It is lighthearted, sexy, romantic, funny and easy to read. It touches on serious subjects and handles them deftly. The chemistry between the main characters is palpable. There are two orphaned children who are not overwhelmingly precocious or overbearing for a nice change.

I enjoyed my time with Peter, Selina and their friends and family. I’m hoping there are future books to follow.

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley and the author for the advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.
Death in the Spires by KJ Charles

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challenging emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Death in the Spires is an excellent historical mystery by KJ Charles. Charles notes in the front of the book as well as in other spaces that this is not a romance. There is a MM romantic subplot involving the main character, but the central driving force in this novel is the murder mystery.

And oh what a mystery it is. I do not like to give details about mysteries because I find the development of the story is part of the enjoyment. However, this book deals with issues of race, gender, sexuality, autonomy, wealth, entitlement, and class, all subjects that Charles is a master of exploring. 

I really enjoyed Death in the Spires. It is an engaging and engrossing mystery with good characters, smart writing, and an excellent sense of place. I look forward to any future mysteries KJ Charles might write.

Thank you to Storm Publishing, NetGalley and the author for the advance reader copy. All opinions are solely my own.
Wake Me Most Wickedly by Felicia Grossman

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emotional lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Wake Me Most Wickedly is the second book in the Once Upon the East End series by Felicia Grossman. It is a gender flipped take on Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, with Sol Weiss from book one as the MMC.

I enjoyed Wake Me Most Wickedly, but not as much as book one, Marry Me By Midnight. I liked Sol and Hannah, the pawn shop owner FMC, but their relationship bordered on instalove for me. The circumstances of many of their times together verged on unbelievable (for me) at times. Also Sol’s flipping back and forth on whether he wanted to pursue Hannah was a bit disjointed. We would get his POV and his decision to stay away but then when it switched to Hannah’s POV, he showed up. When and why did he change his mind?

I thought the references to Snow White throughout the story were clever. The elderly rescuers were a great addition. I learned more about Jewish life in England at that time, which I appreciated. One reason I like historical romances is because of the things I learn about history.

Overall, it is an enjoyable book with a really affecting author’s note at the end. I am looking forward to book three.

Thank you to Forever, NetGalley, and the author for the advance reader copy. All opinions are solely my own.
All's Fair in Love and War by Virginia Heath

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

All’s Fair in Love and War is a charming Regency romance. The main characters are very likable and the children are amusing without being overly precious or annoying. It has a light, often humorous tone. The misattribution of quotations by famous men amused me a lot. I enjoyed this story and these characters.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley and the author for the advance reader copy. All opinions are solely my own.
A Governess's Guide to Passion and Peril by Manda Collins

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emotional lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

A Governess’s Guide to Passion and Peril is a good addition to the Ladies Most Scandalous series. It is a murder mystery/historical romance. The mystery, while entertaining, was more easily solved by the reader than the previous book.

The second-chance romance was sweet and lovely. The main characters are likable yet have their own foibles. We met both in A Spinster’s Guide to Danger and Dukes. Characters from previous installments played secondary roles in this book, which was nice. I don’t want to give away the plot as it is all part of building the mystery. I enjoyed it and found it a good way to spend my afternoon.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing), NetGalley and the author for the advance reader copy. All opinions are solely my own.
Lady Charlotte Always Gets Her Man by Violet Marsh

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adventurous emotional lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Lady Charlotte Always Gets Her Man is an interesting, enjoyable historical romance with mystery and adventure added to the mix. There are serious subjects addressed such as slavery, child forced migration, misogyny, and childhood abuse among others.

The main characters are likable, the secondary characters are interesting and quirky, the villain is a right psychopath, and there are animals and pirates and roof jumping. The love story is a good friends to lovers with mostly non-descriptive scenes.

I enjoyed the novel and am looking forward to the next installment.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing), NetGalley and the author for the advance reader copy. All opinions are solely my own.
Not Your Crush's Cauldron by April Asher

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lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Not Your Crush’s Cauldron is the third book in the paranormal romance series Supernatural Singles. This book is about the youngest triplet witch, Olive, and her Guardian Angel roommate/crush Bax. 

This is an enjoyable, lighthearted, sexy book with an interesting world of magic and supernatural beings. Olive is the most cerebral triplet, a professor. Bax has a bad boy vibe with longer hair, motorcycle, and various tattoos and piercings. Both characters are likable as they undergo personal transformations.

The first book Not the Witch You Wed is my favorite of the three, but the third is a diverting romance. Definitely good for when a low stakes, low angst book is what you need.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and the author for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are entirely my own.
Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

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adventurous emotional lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Fantastic. Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands is a great addition to the series about Emily and Wendell. (Note: This is not a standalone. Book 1 must be read first.) It is smart, witty, fantastical, romantic, suspenseful at times, and a wonderful trip into an alternate past. I don’t want to delve into the story beyond the book blurb because the surprise of the journey is a big part of the joy of this novel. It is going into my collection of comfort rereads. I wholeheartedly recommend Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands.
When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I loved When Grumpy Met Sunshine. Loved it. It was funny, sexy, sweet, uplifting, endearing, smart, and did I mention funny? I laughed out loud enough to make my husband notice. The banter is great (and reminded me of my own relationship, if I am honest.) Mabel and Alfie are endearing in their awkwardness and their enamored states. 

It is body positive but realistic in how a lot of society treats a plus-sized woman. The skewering of social media and the toxic side of fandom is spot on. The intimate scenes are quite explicit and open in the characters’ enjoyment of each other’s bodies.

This is a very British book, which viewpoint and attitude I enjoyed a lot. I recommend it wholeheartedly.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley and the author for the advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.