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Special Feature and Excerpt: An Affair at Stonecliffe (Stonecliffe #1) by Candace Camp
It’s a universally acknowledged truth that I ADORE historical romances. As a younger reader, I would have balked at historical romances calling them ‘fluff’ but as I have gotten older, I have absolutely fallen in LOVE with historical romances and read more of them than almost anything else. I have always loved a great love story even if not exclusively historical romance, but I love books with a romance line regardless of genre. When I saw this one come up, not only was I drawn to the cover but I also loved the sound of the story, widow who married for love now faced with a menacing relative only to…
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Review: Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner
The Jane Austen Society was high up on my TBR list last year and I enjoyed it, but when I saw Natalie Jenner was publishing this book, I was thrilled! The Jane Austen Society was just ok for me, I liked it but there were a few bumps that I felt needed to be ironed out, however I liked it well enough to be eager for Jenner’s next novel! The Bloomsbury Girls is set in post WWII London which is such an interesting period to me. The world just came out of this massive war and they were still feeling to effects of rationing and economic instability but yet were…
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Special Feature: Desperately Seeking a Duchess (All the Duke’s Sins) by Christi Caldwell
I first read Christi Caldwell last summer with the first book in this series, Along Came a Lady. It landed as just ok for me at a 3 star review but it was ‘ok enough’ that I wanted to try other books by Caldwell. I know that Caldwell has written a number of romances and has many fans, Along Came a Lady was a good read but it didn’t stand out to me other than the main hero character was a coal miner. Beyond that it just didn’t distinguish myself. However, here we are almost a year later and that fact that I still remember even that much about the…
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Review: Our Last Days in Barcelona by Chanel Cleeton
I have been a HUGE fan of Chanel Cleeton over the years. I have loved all of her novels in different ways and for different reasons. Each. time I crack open one of her books I am guaranteed to be transported to an exotic location with a thrilling family. I have read some of her books twice just because I love them and also to refresh where we are at in the Perez family story. I have certainly read the books out of order so don’t feel like you need to go back and read the others first before this one, but it certainly helps gain a full understanding of…
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Review: Starry-Eyed Love (Spark House #2) by Helena Hunting
Last year I read Helena Hunting’s first book in the Spark House series, When Sparks Fly. It was ok (came in at 3 stars for me) and while I didn’t LOVE it in the way that I had hoped, I was invested enough in the story and characters that I felt excited to try another book by Hunting. I liked the sound of this one as it sounded like a cross between a missed connection and workplace romance. Overall I thought it sounded cute and just a nice breezy read going into the spring. So I said yes (obviously!) to reviewing this one and I was glad I did. While…
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Special Feature: Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak
I am always a sucker for books about haunted houses. When I see things like ‘The Haunting of Hill House meets The Perfect Nanny’ then naturally you have my interest! When I read the email caption as this one came across my desk all I could think of in my mind was “ok I’m listening!” I was immediately interested in this book and was eager to read it. But my review calendar always fills up quick so I opted to do a feature instead but as I was working on the feature, it was clear this book was going to work it’s way up my TBR list. The premise of…
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Special Feature: Emma Project (The Rajes #4) by Sonali Dev
I have read and enjoyed all three of the Rajes saga so far and I was so sad I couldn’t fit this one in my review schedule for the spring. But I WILL be reading this one as we get into the fall. I have really loved how the author has taken the classic Austen books and turned them on their head and made them more modern and with an Indian flair. The one I am looking forward to as a retelling is Northanger Abbey—can’t wait to see what Dev does with that one! Emma is still such a readable and relatable classic, more than any of the other Austen…
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Review: The Hacienda by Isabel Canas
THIS BOOK! This book was at the top of my TBR list for months. The second I read the description, I KNEW this book would be right up my alley! It’s been described as a cross between Rebecca and Mexican Gothic, both of which I loved for different reasons and I think this is absolutely an accurate description of the story. I would also recommend it to anyone who loves Simone St James—-if you love her ghost stories, you will love this book! I wanted to bust into this book the second it came in the mail, but I held off until it was a little closer to the release…
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Special Feature: The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner
I have only read one of Jennifer Weiner’s books but I thought it was absolutely wonderful and such a fun little summer read! Her books are usually about family drama with some humor—I love the balanced blend of humor and seriousness. It really makes for a fun, quick, and refreshing read! When I saw that she had this one coming out, naturally I was interested in it! What drew my eye is that it gave a nod to the pandemic which I think will make the book relevant and relatable for readers. I know a lot of authors have shied away from writing the pandemic into their stories for a…
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Review: West Side Love Story by Priscilla Oliveras
The second I saw this cover for the cover reveal, I nearly swooned! It’s so pretty and I absolutely love the colors—plus the pose was absolutely eye catching. I couldn’t WAIT to start reading it! I was never a fan of West Side Story, I think I watched the film once in high school and just never felt invested in the story, even though it was a Romeo and Juliet retelling. However, I could totally get excited for this book even if it was a retelling of Romeo and Juliet/West Side Story. I couldn’t wait to see the story come to life in the pages of this book. Plus mariachi…