Review: Well Traveled (Well Met #4) by Jen DeLuca (Audible Edition)

This series was my favorite obsession last year. I binge read the books and loved them all in their own ways and had no idea that Renaissance Fair romance was even a thing that I would be into but here we are. I honestly thought the third book would be the last as most of the reoccurring characters had indeed met their matches but then this one came up as Dex’s story. If you have read the previous books you will remember Dex as the Ren Fair Romeo who has a ‘girl at every fair’ that he hooks up with. So I thought this one sounded like it would be a solid read and was eager to start it!

This series is so quirky, when I think of hot romances I do not think of Renaissance Fairs as the setting for that, but after reading the first book I was fully hooked and thought this was a really new and refreshing take on a contempo romance. I loved the setting and characters that we continue to meet through out the series. I will say that this particular book is the fourth one in the series and while it can certainly be read as a standalone, there are references to former relationships and character history that might be further appreciated by reading the other books in the series first.

I had high hopes for this one. Mostly because Dax has been in every book, or at least mentioned in every book and his history is well established and the ‘rake’. I was so excited to see the woman that finally swept him off his feet and made him settle down. I was a little surprised that it was a character that we had formerly met (hence why I feel like readers would get more out of this one having read the other books in the series first). Louisa wouldn’t have been my first pick for Dax, but I like Louisa and was eager to see how this whole romance came about and played out on the fields of the Ren Fair!

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Review: Murder in PostScript (A Lady of Letters Mystery #1) by Mary Winters

When I see books with any mention of “Bridgerton-like’ in the summary or taglines, I am at once skeptical and yet can’t pass up on said book based on hope of finding another wonderful series that is indeed like Bridgerton! I often get asked what books would I recommend for Bridgerton fans, and that is such a hard question because there are so many historical romances out there that have a Bridgerton feel but aren’t necessaitly Bridgerton like if that makes sense. So sometimes when I see this statement on books, I become skeptical because there is nothing like Bridgerton but yet like so many others I can’t resist finding then next Bridgerton like book to fall in love with.

That’s how this book came to be on my review radar. It was described as “… the first novel in a new historical mystery series perfect anyone who loves the secret identity intrigue and swoon-worthy romance of Bridgerton“. So naturally I couldn’t resist even though I was skeptical. The idea of a new murder mystery series with a hot romance even if it didn’t quite live up to the Bridgerton claim, intrigued me enough that there was no way that I would pass on this!

I am a huge fan of historical mysteries and romances and any time that the two cross over is a win-win for me. I am always on the look out for new lady detectives and sleuth series to dive into. There are so many good ones out there—-Veronica Speedwell, Lady Darby, Lady Sherlock—and new female detectives are hitting shelves everyday so when I saw this was a debut and a new series, I knew it must be worth checking out if it had already been acknowledged as an upcoming series rather than just a standalone.

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Review: Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller

I first discovered Diana Biller when her first novel, The Widow of Rose House, was released back in 2019. I absolutely loved it and thought Biller had an elegant prose that sucked me into the story right away. Plus the romance was sensual, sweet and a little spicy. It was a wonderful mix and I just recall how much that debut has stood out to me over the years. I often recommend it to friends and family, so naturally when I saw this new release, I had to jump on it!

This is Biller’s fourth novel and while I have missed the other two (though they are on my book shelf currently!) I didn’t want to miss this one! I loved the cover, it caught my eye and drew me in. It is colorful and really eye catching and while I hate judging a book by it’s cover, this one made it hard to resist! Knowing that Biller has written such quality historical romances before made me even more excited for this than the cover though. If you haven’t read her books, you are missing out!

Not only did the cover and the author appeal to me, but the description of this book spoke to me. I loved that this book promised to take us to the glittering world of Vienna and indeed a world of intrigue and spies. If you are looking for a historical romance to escape with this spring, that will leave you feeling like you read something ‘new’ and ‘different’ then I think this book fits the bill. It was a pleasure to read this book and another that I will be sharing with family and friends!

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Review: Midnight Duet by Jen Comfort

Growing up, I was a massive Phantom of the Opera fan. In fact as I write this review, I am currently listening to the soundtrack. I love the whole forbidden romance set to music. It’s truly one of my favorite soundtracks and stories of all time. So whenever I see something come up that is a Phantom retelling or something similar I have a hard time passing up on it. That’s how this one landed on my TBR and review pile! I couldn’t resist a retelling though as the weeks passed between review acceptance and time to actually read it, I had sort of forgotten it. I had it on my calendar but I was reading other things that got me 100% sidetracked on my normal review schedule.

Lucky for me, I always try and build in time for things like this on my review calendar. Reviews for publishers are a big part of my blog but I also have books that I just want to read so I always make sure I build in time for things like that. The time came to pick this one up and just in time for my vacation! I needed something that was going to hold my interest on a five hour plane ride so I was looking forward to this one immensely since I knew it was a Phantom retelling!

The other thing that drew me to this one was the author is from Portland. I live about an hour south of Portland and I am always excited to read more local authors. I haven’t read anything by this author before but it looks like she has another contempo romance novel that received good rating last year. It would seem she has a flare for quirky romances and I am totally here for that! It basically didn’t take much convincing to get me to review this one, I couldn’t wait to be entertained on my flight with this book!

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Special Feature: The Love Wager (Mr Wrong Number #2) by Lynn Painter

Who doesn’t love a Phoenix from the ashes story? I thought this new romance sounded interesting with the main character hits rock bottom the come back and reinvent herself as a full blown adult! New hair, new wardrobe, new apartment—-the whole nine yards! This book will no doubt appeal to the mid 20s-mid 30s demographic. When I was that age, I wanted nothing more than to reinvent myself as this sophisticated adult who at least looked like they had their shit together! So I think readers will connect with this main character for that very reason.

But this book isn’t just about a Phoenix rising from the ashes—it’s also has a fake dating romance that I think readers will enjoy. I love the fake dating troupe and I am looking forward to seeing how this one unfolds. It’s already out and getting high marks from readers so if fake dating romances are your thing then you will not want to miss this one! Also the summary mentions that taco dates happen and I am absolutely here for anything with tacos and dating!

While I couldn’t fit this one in for review, I am looking forward to checking it out a little later this year. I love a good contempo romance with a strong heroine at the helm and I think this book promises to do just that. Author Lynn Painter has quite a few rom-coms under her belt and this book is second in the Mr Wrong Number series, though you don’t have to read the books in order to enjoy this one as it takes place in the universe not a continuation of characters. Painter is known for her steam contempo romances so if that is your thing then I think this book will be right up your alley!

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