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review 2020-02-28 19:36
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Red, White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston

I apologize in advance to this book because I have no mental energy left today to compose a thought. I read this book to escape from the world and let me tell you it worked. This is the most adorable, sexy-sweet romance and I LOVED it. It's set in some sort of alternate world where a woman is the president and her son falls in love with a prince and there isn't a lot of pain and suffering (not that there's anything wrong with the pain and the suffering!) but seriously, right now, I could read this sort of thing all the live long day.

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review 2020-02-17 18:26
The Governess Game by Tessa Dare
The Governess Game - Tessa Dare

I loved The Duchess Deal, book one in this series, so much I did something I almost never do and immediately requested book #2 from Overdrive on audio. I am seriously the worst at following a series.

The Governess Game was a decent read but I didn't fall in love with it as much as I'd hoped. The characters are fun, their banter decently amusing but it didn't have the certain thing that I cannot describe that makes me want to keep listening even when I should probably be doing other things.

What it did have was some pain in the butt misunderstandings/miscommunications/doubts/insecurities/separations and some "I'm not worthies" to top it all off. Those things aren't really my favorite. But the humor was good. Major points for the humor. It also featured two morbid little girls and I loved them. I don't typically (ok like NEVER) enjoy kids in a book but these two were little darklings and I couldn't help but enjoy their scenes. And that's about all I've got to say about this one.

"I don’t care if you’re gently bred, roughly bred or a loaf of brown bread with butter."

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review 2020-02-13 18:04
The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare
The Duchess Deal - Tessa Dare
I read a lot of horror but I'm also a fan of an amusing romance. I realize the two do not go together and many people can't wrap their heads around this but I do not care. Romances help me clear my head when I can't seem to focus on anything else and The Duchess Deal was the perfect book for me at this particular moment in time. It is getting all the stars because it amused me and made me happy and it also made me laugh a few times and most of us probably need to do a little more of that.

Ash is horribly disfigured from a war injury and was dumped by his feckless fiancee who couldn't handle his scars (and they do sound terrible - this isn't a little scratch on the face, this poor man is maimed and missing some chunks of himself but none of the important ones, haha) and one day decides he needs an heir, like right now. When a seamstress shows up at his door demanding he pay her in full for the ugly ass wedding dress she created for his former fiancee, he decides she'd be alright to marry and he proposes on the spot. How weird is this? She knows it's strange but, well, it's a decent deal for her and she's no dummy. Her only demand is that he allow her a cat - even though she doesn't even have one yet, lol.

Hey, call me crazy (you wouldn't be the first), but this setup was so ridiculous that I couldn't help but keep reading to see where else it would go. Sometimes you just need some ridiculousness in your life. If this is you, this is your book!

But even I can't live on ridiculousness alone. I need characters who have chemistry and joy and humor and lust and love and all of those good things and these two had it from their first insane exchange. They are SO funny together and I wasn't expecting that. Usually beauty and the beast type books feature a rough and grumbly hero with a super bad attitude. And this dude has one but he also tolerates the teasing and the silliest of pet names and he isn't a jerk. Soon enough he learns to love it. It is all so very lovely.

I want all books to be this charming even the cannibalistic serial killer ones! Just kidding. Sort of.

"Being imperfect is better than being distant."
 
 

 

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review 2019-11-14 19:05
A Little Light Mischief by Cat Sebastian
A Little Light Mischief: A Turner Novella - Cat Sebastian

I grabbed this copy from my library after listening and loving Cat Sebastian’s “The Ruin of a Rake” (which is part of this Turner series). That book was five stars for me. This one here is related to the series and features a story about two ladies finding friendship, love and a little light mischief. I love it when the title fits the story as this one does. It’s short but it doesn’t cut corners when it comes to developing the relationship which is impressive.

The plot isn’t a complicated one, which is something I’m not going to complain about, haha. Alice was disowned and tossed out of the family home and is now a companion to a wealthy lady. She misses her nieces terribly but has accepted her lot in life. She spends her days embroidering fripperies and trying to look away from the bosom and backside of Molly, the too alluring housemaid. But Molly feels the eyes on her bod and doesn’t mind at all. They develop a friendship which eventually turns into more. Molly “I have three knives and a reputation for bloodshed” is street savvy and together the two cook up a plan to exact a little revenge on a dastardly man who totally deserved it.

This story was great fun. There’s a little lust, a little love and overall it’s just a feel good romance with lovely writing and engaging dialogue. The audio narration was also beautifully done. It’s a definite recommend even if you haven’t read Ruin of A Rake BUT WHY HAVEN’T YOU?!

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review 2019-10-22 20:09
A Rogue By Night by Kelly Bowen
A Rogue by Night (The Devils of Dover Book 3) - Kelly Bowen
This is book 3 in the "Devils of Dover" series and features Harland who is the brother of the two sisters whose stories were told in the previous novels. He was the aloof doctor always running here and there with no time for dalliances. This time he finds love and adventure. I guess it’s the adventure bit that threw me off because I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the previous two. Well, that and the smuggling plot line. That was just not at all for me.
 
And can we talk about this horrendous cover? What did Harland ever do to deserve this pouty, shaggy haired, bug eyed cover shot? Couldn't they have cleaned him up first? Given him a little trim?

Katherine comes from a family of smugglers and has the skills of a surgeon but she is super vague about her training when she meets Harland after her brother is shot. She has reasons. The two have a frisson of sexual tension that blooms into some full blown insta-love without the witty banter and fun I love from a good romance. Kate has her back up and she’s a bit rude and because of a past love she has turned herself into a human ice pop who does not want to be licked - errr melted by love. Neither she nor he want or expect the feelings but the feelings won’t be denied. What can you do? They only intensify once he brings Kate and her brother to his family estate so the brother can recover.

So, I nearly DNF’d this story when Kate’s brother puts her life in danger because they’re all going to starve to death if she doesn’t do as he asks, apparently. Personally that sounded a wee bit dramatic but I wasn't living back in those times. Anyhow, since I was listening on audio I decided to stick it out and it wasn’t awful. It wasn’t my favorite either and it’s not a romance that’ll stick with me. I found it hard to believe that Harlan who is a baron which makes him titled and rich and super important (right?) is also a full time doctor and a helper of the smugglers. Shouldn’t he be off riding horses, tending to his estates and tying the perfect cravat? Hell if I know. What I do know is that you SHOULD NOT START THE SERIES HERE. Read the other two first or you'll really have questions. Anyhow, if you are a completest and/or have nothing better to do when you are scrubbing the house, give it a go. But honestly there are much better romances out there in the world. I’d recommend seeking out one of those instead.

I’m giving it a 2.5. Some of it was okay but some of it was aggravating and sleep-making because I personally find smuggling adventures uninteresting. You might love smuggling and love at first sight and if you do I say go for it!
 
 

 

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