reading_historical_romance's reviews
433 reviews

Bespelled continues the story of embattled soulmates, Selene and Memnon, who have been bound together by fate and magic since they met in the ancient world. The book picks up right where Bewitched ends, with Selene in jail after Memnon framed her for grisly murders of several fellow witches at Henbane Coven. When Memnon learns that he was completely wrong about Selene’s role in his near-death 2000 years ago, he is ready to spend the rest of his life groveling for her forgiveness and requests that she agree to a forged bond. The humor and the pathos in this novel stems from the unplanned repercussions of their forged bond, and the irony that it doesn't make an iota of difference when it comes to Memnon's uncanny ability to frustrate Selene at nearly every turn while she tries to identify the real killer.

It’s the push and pull dynamic between Memnon and his Queen that makes this series so much fun, and so very sexy! I love that Memnon and Selene are constantly arguing about each other’s questionable judgment and impetuousity, but when it comes to Selene determining that vengeance is due, Memnon doesn’t even blink and runs to gather his weapons.

Laura Thalassa is one of my favorite authors, and Bespelled doesn't disappoint. It may also be the spiciest novel that Laura has written to date. [Fans self madly.] Memnon is a bad ass on the battlefield, and to no one’s surprise, is also a beast between the sheets. And for everything Selene has had to go through over the last 2000 years because of this guy, the girl deserves it! Bespelled really takes off when Selene realizes she’ll never beat Memnon at the game, shrugs her shoulders, and joins him. The ensuing fireworks are everything you knew they would be.

I enjoyed getting to see Memnon in different situations that show us how powerful his magic is and the various ways he wields it. Similarly, now that Selene’s own curse has been lifted, we learn more about her abilities, and that she can harness earth and blood magic. I am a big fan of Kane and the Marin Pack, and we get to spend some great time with the wolves in this book as well. Those who ship Sybil and Sawyer like I do will also enjoy what happens between them.

There is a lot of suspense and action in this novel which counterbalances all of the personal drama going on between the characters. I loved the climax of the novel. I think the cliffhanger is predictable and the stakes don’t feel as high as the end of the first book, but I still can’t wait to see what happens next.

The only criticism I have with both Bewitched and Bespelled is that I think they’re both too long. There are so many subplots going on that I think the pacing gets weird in places and it’s hard to keep track of or even determine what the central storyline is. I think the series is still trying to figure out what it really wants to be. Is it a romance with a sprinkling of mystery and adventure? Or is it a mystery adventure with romantic elements?

Thank you Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for the opportunity to read and review this novel. All opinions are my own. 

 I requested and reviewed Acquisition as an e-ARC because I really enjoyed the first book in the series, Takeover. I'm just not sure what happened, but something went awry somewhere in the writing or editing process here.

Before I say anything else, I must say that I really do enjoy Nana Malone's writing. She has a fast, bright, and sexy style and always gives us fun characters that I want to spend time with as a reader. The billionaire romance tropes are perfect for her voice as an author. I love her dialogue, and she is great with settings. Her books are always page turners for me, so they are great palate cleansers, and a fun read on a casual Friday night with a glass of wine after a long day at work.

Takeover made me fall in love with Gwen and Atticus, and I was honestly blown away and quite devastated by the cliffhanger because it didn't ring true to Atticus' character at all. (view spoiler) But I was willing to reserve judgment and trust that the sequel would explain his actions in a satisfactory way.

Acquisition begins two months after the events of Takeover. We learn that Gwen moved to London, is rooming with her best friend Lance, and is actually making strides to get over Atticus and figure out what she wants to do with the rest of her life. We also find out that Atticus has been stalking her the entire time she's been away, complete with hidden cameras all over Lance's flat so that he can watch her whenever she's not at work or within view of the security team he has on her 24/7. I'm sorry, but... what?

It gets worse. When Atticus arrives in London for meetings and they see each other for the first time since their engagement ended, he lets himself into her locked office and within 2 minutes, and despite the fact that she's devastated and betrayed, they're having wild passionate sex. Again, what?

I could let that mess go if Gwen had demanded, or if Atticus had offered, to clue her in to what actually happened with their engagement, and that Atticus is so fearful of his demon-spawn father that he didn't stop to think things through. (And then it took him two months to figure out how he should have handled it... but whatever.) Instead, they don't talk to each other until 50% through the book. This means that the first half is Gwen going back and forth between furious and crying while wringing her hands over how much she misses Atticus and that she can't control her hormones when she's around him.

There were other events that just didn't make sense: (view spoiler)

When I was reading this I felt like there were scenes missing because there was so much jumping around between events and Gwen and Atticus' meltdowns. It felt like the entire book was written so quickly and prep'd for release that it didn't even go through edits given the number of obvious continuity errors that had me struggling to piece together the timeline of what was even happening.

I'm also irritated because the e-ARCs were released for our review on May 7, two weeks before the release date. Maybe this is a hot take, but if a book is that close to release there is absolutely no excuse for the manuscript not to have been through a line and copy edit before it's sent out to critics. So I was even more frustrated with the spelling, syntax, and grammatical errors peppered throughout the whole thing, on top of the continuity issues.

At the end of the day, I have to assume that this sequel was rushed to publication for some reason, and it's unfortunate because if an editor had taken a look at this and flipped things around by having Atticus apologize and explain to Gwen what was going on immediately from the beginning, the rest of the novel would have been him having to grovel in the way that Gwen deserved rather than being nice for a few chapters after they were married.

The cliffhanger at the end of this one was predictable... but again, I'm reserving judgment. I will read the third book in this series but I will not be requesting or reviewing the ARC. Maybe that way I'll be able to enjoy the book after it's been edited properly. 

 I've had this book on my TBR for so long, and I am happily able to report that dusting it off and giving it a try was a great decision. I really enjoyed this debut novel. I think that the premise is fun and original, and that the romance between the widowed Lady Violet and her stoic bodyguard, Arthur, is sweet.

Both Violet and Arthur carry the burdens of emotional wounds in their pasts, and their hope of finding any happiness has faded over the years until they are both fairly resigned to being alone for the rest of their lives. I loved that Arthur embraces Violet for all that she is, a highly intelligent, but socially awkward, chemist. In turn, Violet is able to break down Arthur's walls with her straightforward but unassuming personality and sense of the ridiculous.

The found family dynamic between all of the quirky club members and the household staff is enjoyable as everyone is welcomed and has something to contribute. I disagree with some critics who say that this book embraces the "white savior" archetype. This is a historical romance set in the early 1840s in London. The only class of women at that time living in London who would have the resources, including the property needed, to build laboratories for female scientists would be both white and aristocratic. The fact that the main character is a white female aristocrat who makes the decision to use her resources in a way that all women of all classes can benefit from, if they so choose, isn't a strike against this novel.

I am interested to try the next two novels in the series because I am intrigued by many of the other characters, including Violet's grown step-son and her childhood friend the Earl of Grantham. 

 

Sage Byrd is a high school teacher and lifelong resident of the small, coastal town of Spunes, Oregon (not to be confused with Forks, Washington). She takes in animals that no one wants, and grows flowers that she loves to give away. Content with her life, she’s unprepared for the sparks that fly when she meets Michelin star winner and recently unemployed Fisher Lange, who rents the neighboring farmhouse while consulting on the opening of a new restaurant. Sage knows she should keep Fisher in the friend zone as he’ll be heading back to Manhattan when the summer is over – until Fisher offers a kiss to help her save face in front of her ex.

I’m virtually throwing heaps of stars into the air, giving two thumbs up, jumping up and down, laughing, and crying right now. I loved every word of this book. It’s one of my favorite reads of the year. I loved it so much that as soon as I finished the e-ARC I received, I preordered a physical copy because I must have this book for my shelves of fame. I seriously want to make all the reels, and the mood boards, and shout about this book all over my Bookstagram until everyone I know reads this too.

Tarah DeWitt is now an auto-buy author. Her writing talent shines throughout this novel and can be felt on every page and in every character. Fisher is now and forever one of my official book boyfriends. He’s a chef and he cooks for her. His romantic appeal is a 15/10 based on this fact alone! When you pair that with his sincere efforts to parent his orphaned teenage niece, his mid-career crisis, his patience with animals, and small town antics? I want to marry you myself, Fisher.

There is so much to rave about here. Perfect pacing. Heartfelt emotion. Hilarious banter. Sexual tension. Steamy spice that never gets crude. This is one of those rare rom-coms that really has all that you’re looking for in the genre, but never once do you feel like it's trying too hard. The plot and the romance spin out so effortlessly I couldn't put it down. An absolute pleasure to read.

Tropes: small town, fake dating, single dad, friends to lovers, star-crossed, hurt/comfort

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this novel. All opinions are my own. 

He kissed her like his life depended on it. Maybe he always kissed her like that. Or maybe it was her life that depended on it. Maybe it always felt like that to her. An agony of a kiss. 

Anya Marleigh is a singer and sitar player in Queen Charlotte’s court, who dreams of being independent in the world and freed of the attentions of lecherous men who only want her for a mistress.  Her dream appears to be within reach when she learns that she has inherited a fortune from a deceased patron, until the conditions of her inheritance are revealed.  The money is being held in trust by the estate’s executor, the arrogant Lord Damian Ashton, who will release the funds only if she marries by her twenty-fifth birthday.  And he must approve of the match. 

I’m so glad that I stumbled upon this one as an ARC!  I had not read Amita Murray before, and her writing is wonderful!  This book utilizes several familiar hist-rom tropes, but puts them together with enough variation – and pairs them with a murder mystery subplot - that it felt fresh and kept me engaged through the end. 

There are exquisite moments between Anya and Damian that cement their chemistry and the reader’s buy-in to their relationship, including some delicious sexual tension, fun flirtation, and hilarious banter.  Damian is so sexy in his reserved, stoic, “I’m in charge and I am never wrong except when I am absolutely totally wrong” arrogance, and then he totally lets himself go and melts into this sweet, tender man that had me all in the feels. 

The major theme of the novel is the unintended consequences of hiding one’s true feelings due to fear of vulnerability, even from family members.  I loved that this theme was explored not only throughout Anya and Damian’s relationship, but in the subplots of Anya’s estrangement from her older sister, Damian and his brother Jeremy’s relationship, and even with the friendship between Anya and her young teenage protegee. 

I like the author’s style which is prosy, but in more of a narrative conversational way.  There are really poignant moments with beautiful lines, so I found myself annotating quite a bit.  Like these: 

“Without Anya, it would all be pointless.  Without her, it always had been pointless.  He just hadn’t known it.”

SQUEEEEE. 

Tropes: enemies to lovers, inheritance clause, family drama, wicked matriarch, 

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the opportunity to read and review this novel.  All opinions are my own. 

 It’s official. I’m obsessed with Mia Sheridan. Her style is magic to my SOUL, you guys! There were parts of this book that had me laughing so hard I cried, and then the way I started crying at the end?! Gut punched in the feels.

I finished this one way too quickly because I couldn’t stop reading and nearly finished it in one sitting. And now it’s over and I think I need to reread it because I love and adore Gage and his innate goodness in wanting to please everyone he loves at the price of his own happiness.

This book has a completely different vibe than Archer’s Voice and it’s a standalone, even though it takes place in the same universe. So even if you haven’t read Archer’s Voice (which you really must!) you will still love this one if you enjoy your romance with a twist of fate and destiny. Two thumbs up and 5-stars.

Plus:
🍻Many good dogs! 🐕
🤍Fated Mates
🍻Found family
🤍He falls first and he falls HARD 😍
🍻He cooks for her 💯
🤍🌶️🌶️🌶️
🍻His scruff 🔥

 

 Eliza Ellis has lived and dreamed with her father, the Captain, and her beagle, in a tiny cabin far in the woods all of her life. Her imagined fairytale adventures become reality when a genteel farmer, Felton Northwood, invades her quiet forest insisting she is the long-lost daughter of a viscount, who disappeared fourteen years ago after the murder of her mother.

DOES THE DOG DIE?

NO.

I really enjoyed Hannah Linder’s prior novel, Garden of the Midnights, so I requested this ARC as soon as it became available. This one didn’t thrill me as I’d hoped, but it is well-written. My disappointment largely stems from the way that this book is being marketed as a “Gothic Style Regency” (the subtitle is even “A Regency Novel”) when it’s just not that.

Other than the timestamp of taking place in the years 1812-13, there aren’t any aspects to this story that are specific to the Regency period, and it doesn’t utilize any of the tropes from what is generally understood as Regency genre fiction.

This is a Gothic murder mystery and even rises to the level of a thriller at various points. I believe that this book’s targeted audience is going to be taken aback to learn that the plot is really about the hunt for a serial killer who tortures his victims with knives. The level of violence, gory descriptions, and dark themes are not at all what I was expecting.

Quite frankly, I didn’t like any of the characters in this book. Poor Eliza. Everyone in her life except her dog and a disabled housemaid is completely selfish. She gets kidnapped originally and kept by Captain due to selfish motivations, she gets kidnapped again and dragged back home by Felton due to his selfishness and narcissism, and multiple people try to kill her due to selfish reasons. Even her own father won’t man up and do right by her when he sees that her return to his manor is making her nothing short of miserable, and that her life is in constant danger. And why is the housekeeper such a witch to just everyone in general?

Because it was Felton who couldn’t let his grudges go after 14 years, Eliza’s life was uprooted entirely and she was almost killed. Because of his decision to bring Eliza back to her original home and to expose her identity, many other people actually did get killed, As a result, I had a really hard time rooting for his and Eliza’s romance. I would have kicked that guy to the curb.

I believe that this novel should include trigger warnings/content warnings. This is 2023, and this novel is considered Christian fiction where readers are more likely to be sensitive to disturbing and dark content.

Thank you Netgalley and Barbour Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this novel. All opinions are my own.