Books
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Review: Her Perfect Life by Hank Phillippi Ryan
Hank Phillippi Ryan has quickly become a favorite author of mine! I have adored all of her books that I have read and I was super excited to check out her latest novel, Her Perfect Life. One of the things that I have loved about Ryan’s novels is that she always writes compelling female characters that are flawed and complex and this book sounded like it would be right up my alley! Her mysteries are always a fun read and since Ryan is a former investigative reporter each book has this great investigative quality that feels modern and relevant. Ryan has also won numerous awards and accolades for her mysteries…
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Review: Among the Poppies by J’nell Ciesielski
After reading J’nell Ciesielski’s latest novel, The Ice Swan, I was craving more from her and I noticed that I hadn’t read one of her earlier books, Among the Poppies! So a real no-brainer here, as many of you know I am a huge Great War romance fan and this book was literally right up my alley and I couldn’t wait to read it! It was a super fast read—-because it was good! Ciesielski is a hidden gem author for me. She writes consistently well written and researched books and the romance always feels epic and believable. While Will wasn’t as charming and dashing as some of her other heroes,…
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Special Feature and Excerpt: The Matchmaker’s Lonely Heart by Nancy Campbell Allen
Give me all the Victorian Romances please! Especially the sweet ones. I am a romantic at heart and there is just something so satisfying about romances. While they might be predictable, there is comfort in that and I always finish a romance and feel genuinely happy and satisfied. Boy meets girl, they fall in love, they over come a conflict, and then live happily ever after! It really is the best kind of book to read for me! I find myself smiling and falling in love with the hero right along side the heroine. Now when you add in a historical element—well you truly have my attention! Historical romances are…
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Review: Along Came a Lady (All the Duke’s Sins #1) by Christi Caldwell
This was my first Christi Caldwell romance and I was so excited to read it! I have seen Caldwell’s novels around the bookish world and I have often wondered how they compare to other historical romances. So when this one came up for review, I knew I had to jump on it even if I had to rearrange my reading calendar to make it happen. I know a lot of people raved about this one and said it was the perfect book for fans of the Bridgerton books. I have to say, Caldwell has a voice all her own and while there might be similarities to Julia Quinn, they are…
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Review: Wait for It by Jenn McKinlay
I might be from Oregon, but I lived in Arizona for 10 years and I absolutely love the desert. I hate that more books aren’t set in Phoenix. This summer I was going to spend a month in Phoenix and I was really excited to read a book set in Phoenix that was also a romance! Needless to say I times my review for this book with my trip, I couldn’t wait to read this one. I have read one of McKinlay’s books prior to this and I thought it was good so going into this desert setting book, I was hopeful that I would enjoy it and escape but…
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Review: It Takes Heart (Heart Resort #1) by Tif Marcelo
This author has grown on me over the years. When I picked up one of her books I wasn’t sure what to expect but then I was completely lost in her stories and couldn’t wait to read more from her! One thing I noticed though was Marcelo writes a variety of stories. Not just women’s fiction but romance too. I was super excited to read this latest novel that was more contempo romance than women’s fiction. Second chance romance isn’t really my favorite troupe but I was excited to see what Marcelo did with it in this book. One of the things that I also love about Marcelo’s writing is…
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Special Feature and Excerpt: The Bookseller’s Secret by Michelle Gable
I have read and enjoyed a few of Michelle Gable’s books so when I saw that she was coming out with another book but set in England, I was eager to check it out. Gable generally writes great books and her historical detail is top shelf. This book sounds like it would be perfect for fans of Kate Quinn, so if you have read and enjoyed Quinn’s books then I think you would like this latest novel by Gable. Today I also have an excerpt so if you are on the fence about this book or maybe just want to try it on for size and see if it sounds…
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Review: At Summer’s End by Courtney Ellis
This book was my most anticipated book of the summer! The cover, the premise, swoon! Everything sounded so incredible! I couldn’t wait to dive into this one and I can tell you right now that I read it in a matter of days. I could have finished it in one siting but I breezed through it in just 2 days. It was so addicting and if you are a fan of historical fiction then you need to read this one. It boasts a unique romance, complex characters with a rich backdrop full of history and human rawness. I am a huge fan of WWI historical romances and this should have…
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Review: The Show Girl by Nicola Harrison
I had high expectations for this one. I loved the cover and I thought the premise of the story sounded promising not to mention I love historical fiction with romance so I thought this one would be one of my favorite reads of the summer. While I liked it, I don’t know that it lived up to me high expectations but I did like it and was glad I read it. The 1920s are not necessarily my favorite time period in historical fiction but I liked the glamour that the time period brought to the story plus I liked how the author used that in this story. I will get…
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Special Feature: The Other Me by Sarah Zachrich Jeng
Typically I am not a huge sci fi fan. I have tried a few over the years and it’s just not my genre but I don’t mind thrillers that have some sci fi elements. The mashup typically works well for me and I don’t mind branching out and trying something a little on the new side. That was what drew me to this one—that unique mash up of mystery/thriller and sci fi elements. I don’t know if I will move it to the top of my TBR list, but there is enough here in the description and in some of the early reviews to give me pause and consider a…