A sllllloooowwww burner of a romance. I loved the main couple as both individuals and as a couple, but man it took a while for the plot to get going. I read the prequel novella to the series and enjoyed it - maybe because it was shorter and therefore didn't need all this unnecessary puff. 

Nathan Chandler is the son trying to do good in his dad's eyes and ends up falling short. He has the chance to prove himself but needs his dad's secretary, Rosalind, to go with him as a way to get his dad on his side. Rosalind isn't just a secretary, she is also spying on the Chandler family (especially the dad) due to a blackmail scheme she is a victim of. They go on the road to deliver two racing horses to Epsy for the big race. They have a crew, so their flirting with and confiding in each other has a little audience. The race lasts all of one page. Everything comes to a head when they start on the return trip to Newmarket. The sex scene is very tender due to Rosalind's past injuries, which I wonder how Ms. Romain was going to pull it off. A great read once your past the 25% mark, but it was a slog to get through that first part so have patience.

My kids' school had their fall book sale; Sophia got a My Little Pony Early Reader book, Joshua got a Beast Quest book and a box of rocks (comes with a booklet to explain the different rocks). Then I picked up for both of them Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World and Poppy Field.

This weekend we will be out adventuring around our town, taking in the different activities going on for Remembrance Weekend. On Monday I am taking a trip to London to see Chicago the Musical; since I am not driving, I hope to get some reading while traveling. Glad I got my flu shot this week. 

With the Festive Task game underway, I am trying to catch up so I can add up my points for the doors opened so far. I am halfway through Let the Circle Be Unbroken and Princess Elizabeth's Spy, so they are the priority right now. Then it is on to A Gentleman's Game and Love's Unfading Light.

Happy Veterans' Day to my brothers and sisters in arms. Happy reading to everyone! See you all on Tuesday.

Book: A Gentleman's Game (Romance on the Turf #1) by Theresa Romain (book about horses, horse breeders, and horse racing set in Newmarket). Will update points on the discussion board when I am done reading.

Task 1: None of my ponies fared well. 

Task 2: Recent favorite is Queen Elizabeth II's "EU" hat she wore to the state opening of Parliament in June 2017. When you are the monarch but want to throw some shade, wear a hat LOL. 

Task 3: Weird ways to use Jello/gelatin? DIY Pore Strips.

Winter has come to East Anglia. Good weather for bundling under blankets with a cup of tea and a book. COYER Winter Edition sign ups start mid-November, and the challenge starts in mid-December. And I have been working my way through the SBTB GR Oct-Dec challenge. I'm going to participate in the festive holiday game here on BL with MbD and TA hosting. All this plus meeting my BL/GR reading challenge (just one more book)!

Here is what I hope to read in November....

1. Fall of Poppies: Stories of Love and the Great War by Various Authors

    Will use for Pop Sugar Challenge, just don't know where yet. Can also use the book to fill the prompt "veterans' day" in the SBTB GR challenge.

2. Bloom: Finding Beauty in the Unexpected by Kelle Hampton

    Pop Sugar prompt: By/About a Person with a disability (memoir about motherhood and raising a child with Down's Syndrome)

3. Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly

    I have already seen (and loved) the movie, but I wanted to read the book for the Pop Sugar prompt 2017 movie adaptions.

4. A Gentleman's Game (Romancing the Turf #1) by Theresa Romain

    To be used in the SBTB GR challenge prompt "game day"

5. The Unyielding (Call of Crows #3) by Shelly Laurenston

     To be used in the SBTB GR challenge prompt "give thanks" 

6. Death of a Christmas Caterer by Lee Hollis

    To be used in the SBTB GR challenge prompt "food coma"

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.

I really enjoyed this book! This is the first book by Theresa Romain that I have had the chance to read and it ended up being a great one. This book is listed as the second book in the Romance on the Turf series but it can be read fine as a stand alone novel. Once I really got hooked by the story, I didn't want to put this book down. I kept sneaking peeks throughout the day and before you knew it, I had reached the end of the story. 

Kate and Evan are the focus of this story. Kate became a widow two years ago when her husband died in an accident. She is working to take care of the debts left by her husband. Evan was Kate's husband's best friends. They consider each other friends as well but Evan fought with Con just prior to his death and has stayed away since his passing. Kate and Evan cross paths at one of his lectures and they decide to travel together. 

I liked Kate and Evan together. They have been friends for a very long time and know a lot about each other but quickly learn that not everything is as they had thought. I really liked the fact that they were a bit older and seemed more mature than a lot of couples featured in romantic novels. Kate has been married and is the mother of two children. They both had a lot of respect for each other and were willing to stand up for themselves when needed. I thought the chemistry between them was wonderfully done and their banter was a lot of fun.

I really liked the way the story flowed. Since Kate and Evan spend a lot of the book traveling, we get to see them in several different environments. Kate's family were so much fun and I loved how Evan seemed to fit in perfectly. Evan's family were in dramatic contrast and it was fun to see them interact. Once the pair arrived at Kate's estate, I enjoyed the way they were with the children and Con's mother. The secondary characters really added to the overall story.

I would recommend this book to fans of historical romance. This was a heartwarming romance that was a lot of fun to read. I can't wait to read more of Theresa Romain's works in the future.

I received an advance reader edition of this book from Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley.

Initial Thoughts
I really enjoyed this! Kate and Evan had wonderful chemistry and I loved their banter. The story was just a lot of fun.