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abinthebooks
I’ve never really read adult historical romance, but if their all like this, I’m going to keep reading the genre. This was pretty good. I liked the characters, the plot was good, and the ending was really sweet. The scarred hero in here is just
*4.5
This is my 3rd Tessa Dare book, and by far my favorite. This book was hilarious, the characters were so good, the writing was on point, and the steamy scenes were vera vera vera good. Like, Tessa Dare's steamy scenes were pretty ehh, for the last two books I've read by her. This one was like almost top tier. Now, I'm going to grace you with my favorite quotes:
“My dear imaginary Captain MacKenzie, you are not real and never will be. I, however, am a true and eternal fool."
Here, have a drawing of a snail.”
“She laid a row of cushions down the center of the bed, carefully dividing it into two sides....
"I dinna know how this strategy escaped Napoleon's notice. If only he'd erect a barricade of feathers and fabric, we Highlanders wouldna have known how to get over it.”
“Here I am, struggling to banish any foolish imagined affections for you so that I can consummate this marriage of convenience in a proper businesslike fashion, as we agreed. And then you go and read a book?"
While he was at it, why didn't he just bring her a basket of kittens, a bottle of champagne, and pose naked with a rose caught between his teeth?”
“What's the worst thing you've ever done?"
He pushed his hands through his hair. "I'm beginning to think it was marrying you.”
Maddie squirmed out from under him. “I’m sorry. So sorry. I know this is supposed to be physical. Impersonal. It’s only that I keep thinking of lobsters.”He flipped onto his back and lay there, blinking up at the ceiling. “Until just now, I would have said there was nothing remaining that could surprise me in bed. I was wrong.”
This is my 3rd Tessa Dare book, and by far my favorite. This book was hilarious, the characters were so good, the writing was on point, and the steamy scenes were vera vera vera good. Like, Tessa Dare's steamy scenes were pretty ehh, for the last two books I've read by her. This one was like almost top tier. Now, I'm going to grace you with my favorite quotes:
“My dear imaginary Captain MacKenzie, you are not real and never will be. I, however, am a true and eternal fool."
Here, have a drawing of a snail.”
“She laid a row of cushions down the center of the bed, carefully dividing it into two sides....
"I dinna know how this strategy escaped Napoleon's notice. If only he'd erect a barricade of feathers and fabric, we Highlanders wouldna have known how to get over it.”
“Here I am, struggling to banish any foolish imagined affections for you so that I can consummate this marriage of convenience in a proper businesslike fashion, as we agreed. And then you go and read a book?"
While he was at it, why didn't he just bring her a basket of kittens, a bottle of champagne, and pose naked with a rose caught between his teeth?”
“What's the worst thing you've ever done?"
He pushed his hands through his hair. "I'm beginning to think it was marrying you.”
Maddie squirmed out from under him. “I’m sorry. So sorry. I know this is supposed to be physical. Impersonal. It’s only that I keep thinking of lobsters.”He flipped onto his back and lay there, blinking up at the ceiling. “Until just now, I would have said there was nothing remaining that could surprise me in bed. I was wrong.”
Is this the best book in this series? Yes, by far. You know that feeling when you're are so happy you want to cry? Yeah, that's me. Gabriel is PERFECT for Poppy, I don't care what you say. He is the epitome of soft for Poppy. When I was reading the other books in this series, I was afraid Poppy wouldn't get a good match. Damn, I was so wrong.
And then the side characters from the other books in here? Immaculate. I loved Emma and Ash in this book (didn't like them in the last two that much). And then Alex and Chase
And then the side characters from the other books in here? Immaculate. I loved Emma and Ash in this book (didn't like them in the last two that much). And then Alex and Chase
This book made me sob, and I’m still crying as I write this review. This romance was so so amazing. Ian Mackenzie has my whole heart, my whole body, my whole soul. And him and Beth together just made me cry. They are so good together, and the way that they both made each other better made me cry so much. And the Mackenzie family. Bloody hell this family is a whole other level of fucked. Everything one of these brothers do just adds to more family drama. And I mean, everything. But I love each and every one of them. They are all so so wholesome together, and you can really tell that they all love each other, no matter how much suppressed trauma they all have. The way that Hart learned to fix his mistakes with Ian was so beautiful (cheesy I know shut up) and made me sob. Please read this book, I beg you. It wasn’t just the romance or the historical aspect that was good, but the family dynamics and drama, the relationships and the intricate plot lines with other characters, + a dark and intriguing mystery. This is in my top 15 of the year
This book just made my heart feel so full. These characters are so adorable together and I just love them so much. To lazy to write a full review tho so
*4.5
So I lied I decided to finish this. Anyways, this book was really really good and really sweet. Usually historical romance over 350 pages intimidate me, and this one I have checked out and returned to the library at least 3 times before actually picking it up. I really enjoyed the characters in here, and the list Callie had was such a fun plot line.
I was a bit annoyed with Callie’s character, but I also understood it. She’s very insecure about herself, and she’s always putting herself down, and it annoyed me in some parts. But I also understand, because I have pretty low self confidence too so I could relate to Callie’s inner turmoil.
The romance was really sweet, and I really liked Grant and Callie’s relationship and dynamic. Callie grew very feminist and bold as the book went out, and seeing her way of articulating this to people was really Interesting. Especially the way she explained this to Grant, and him coming to terms with certain ideas. It felt very realistic. These characters also had really good chemistry, and an instant attraction towards each other. I loved how Sarah MacLean could right instant attraction with a dislike, to friends, to lovers.
And, when I tell you the smut in here went on for pages?! I mean we got a whole chapter (9 or 10 pages I think?!) just dedicated to the goods. A lot of the time romances with smut in it tend to have 2-4 sex scenes ranging from like 4 pages max. The rest of the scenes are mentioned but pretty fade to black. But in here? We get all the details. Nothing is fade to black, or censored, and again, undeniable chemistry.
My rating isn’t 5 stars though because our hero, Grant, is a big asshole a lot of the time, and I didn’t feel comfortable giving him the full 5 stars lol.
So I lied I decided to finish this. Anyways, this book was really really good and really sweet. Usually historical romance over 350 pages intimidate me, and this one I have checked out and returned to the library at least 3 times before actually picking it up. I really enjoyed the characters in here, and the list Callie had was such a fun plot line.
I was a bit annoyed with Callie’s character, but I also understood it. She’s very insecure about herself, and she’s always putting herself down, and it annoyed me in some parts. But I also understand, because I have pretty low self confidence too so I could relate to Callie’s inner turmoil.
The romance was really sweet, and I really liked Grant and Callie’s relationship and dynamic. Callie grew very feminist and bold as the book went out, and seeing her way of articulating this to people was really Interesting. Especially the way she explained this to Grant, and him coming to terms with certain ideas. It felt very realistic. These characters also had really good chemistry, and an instant attraction towards each other. I loved how Sarah MacLean could right instant attraction with a dislike, to friends, to lovers.
And, when I tell you the smut in here went on for pages?! I mean we got a whole chapter (9 or 10 pages I think?!) just dedicated to the goods. A lot of the time romances with smut in it tend to have 2-4 sex scenes ranging from like 4 pages max. The rest of the scenes are mentioned but pretty fade to black. But in here? We get all the details. Nothing is fade to black, or censored, and again, undeniable chemistry.
My rating isn’t 5 stars though because our hero, Grant, is a big asshole a lot of the time, and I didn’t feel comfortable giving him the full 5 stars lol.
This book is definitely one of those romances you can tell was written in the 90s. The guy character has good intentions, but he’s... a really alpha male type of character.
But usually while that stuff annoys me, I actually had 0 issues with it this time. This book was a gold old time, and the amnesia trope? Chefs kiss. Also this is my first Lisa Kleypas book. I actually tried to read both: Marrying Winterbourne and Secrets of a Summer Night, but I think I started the series wrong with the Ravenels, and I wasn’t in the mood for a historical when reading the first book in the Wallflower series. I deemed off Lisa Kleypas telling myself she wasn’t for me, but this book was just calling for me.
I’m glad I tried more of her stuff because this is just golden historical romance. It was pretty trashy, but a good type of trashy and I’ll definitely be reading more from Lisa Kleypas.
But usually while that stuff annoys me, I actually had 0 issues with it this time. This book was a gold old time, and the amnesia trope? Chefs kiss. Also this is my first Lisa Kleypas book. I actually tried to read both: Marrying Winterbourne and Secrets of a Summer Night, but I think I started the series wrong with the Ravenels, and I wasn’t in the mood for a historical when reading the first book in the Wallflower series. I deemed off Lisa Kleypas telling myself she wasn’t for me, but this book was just calling for me.
I’m glad I tried more of her stuff because this is just golden historical romance. It was pretty trashy, but a good type of trashy and I’ll definitely be reading more from Lisa Kleypas.
*4.5
Albeit My Lady Jane is actually a really cheesy, borderline fan fiction about a lot of dead, 500 year old monarchs, this was surprisingly good. I love when authors twist history like this, making it their first own and adding or subtracting things to it (even though it’s basically fan fiction). I’ve never read anything from any of these authors, except Cynthia Hand which I actually DNF’ed a book from last year. But overall, this was really really good.
This book has cured my reading slump. This God awful reading slump which I have been in since the end of December. I saw this book on my shelf yesterday and I said “why the hell not”. My Lady Jane took my not even a day to read. I was completely hooked on this story, these characters, the plot. Their wasn’t one part in this book I didn’t want to stop reading.
I loved these characters, and I loved the plot. I loved the writing, the stupid puns, the magic system. I’m a history nerd. I have always loved history. The Tudor/Elizabethan periods are my favorite historical time periods ever. The way the monarchs ruled, the way the family always ultimately ended up betraying each other, King Henry VIII being an absolute sleaze and borderline insane? The politics and the church. All of it is so so interesting. The way these three authors introduced their own history and interwoven their own tales was so interesting and unique.
I feeling a bit lazy so I’m not really gonna talk further, but overall this was really really good. Definitely “getting-out-of-a-reading-slump-worthy.”
Albeit My Lady Jane is actually a really cheesy, borderline fan fiction about a lot of dead, 500 year old monarchs, this was surprisingly good. I love when authors twist history like this, making it their first own and adding or subtracting things to it (even though it’s basically fan fiction). I’ve never read anything from any of these authors, except Cynthia Hand which I actually DNF’ed a book from last year. But overall, this was really really good.
This book has cured my reading slump. This God awful reading slump which I have been in since the end of December. I saw this book on my shelf yesterday and I said “why the hell not”. My Lady Jane took my not even a day to read. I was completely hooked on this story, these characters, the plot. Their wasn’t one part in this book I didn’t want to stop reading.
I loved these characters, and I loved the plot. I loved the writing, the stupid puns, the magic system. I’m a history nerd. I have always loved history. The Tudor/Elizabethan periods are my favorite historical time periods ever. The way the monarchs ruled, the way the family always ultimately ended up betraying each other, King Henry VIII being an absolute sleaze and borderline insane? The politics and the church. All of it is so so interesting. The way these three authors introduced their own history and interwoven their own tales was so interesting and unique.
I feeling a bit lazy so I’m not really gonna talk further, but overall this was really really good. Definitely “getting-out-of-a-reading-slump-worthy.”
This was so so cute while also being so real and relatable. I really loved these characters and their real life struggles. She Drives Me Crazy delves into the feelings of heartbreak and losing that part of yourself while also dealing with finding yourself without that person.(This was definitely something I’ve never felt through a romantic relationship but through losing a close family member and it really hit close to home).
I also loved Scottie and Irena’s relationship. It definitely went from somewhat iffy to very healthy and the way the characters communicated and opened up about their feelings as the story progressed was so well done. It really saw the way their relationship grew and ughhh. I loved them, they were just so adorable.
I also really enjoyed the family dynamics in here from both Scottie and Irena’s families. Scottie’s family is very supportive and Irena’s family slowly learns to be supportive through here.
Overall, I just really really liked this. I loved the way Kelly Quindlen wrote characters with flaws but developed them into something better. Definitely recommend this, especially since it’s pride month.
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Sapphic enemies-to-lovers but it’s a sports romance?!!! We have all been blessed
I also loved Scottie and Irena’s relationship. It definitely went from somewhat iffy to very healthy and the way the characters communicated and opened up about their feelings as the story progressed was so well done. It really saw the way their relationship grew and ughhh. I loved them, they were just so adorable.
I also really enjoyed the family dynamics in here from both Scottie and Irena’s families. Scottie’s family is very supportive and Irena’s family slowly learns to be supportive through here.
Overall, I just really really liked this. I loved the way Kelly Quindlen wrote characters with flaws but developed them into something better. Definitely recommend this, especially since it’s pride month.
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Sapphic enemies-to-lovers but it’s a sports romance?!!! We have all been blessed
I absolutely adored this. I loved the hero and the heroine, and their banter was absolutely hilarious. Eva Devon’s writing was delightful, and really captured the older writing style I love in historical romance, whilst also adding her own modern touch to it. This read very much like Pride & Prejudice (my favorite book ever), which is what I’ve been looking for in historical’s since I starting reading this genre.
God, I absolutely devoured this. This is genuinely one of my favorite books I’ve read all year. I’m so excited to continue reading Eva Devon’s backlist because this was an absolute delightful read.
God, I absolutely devoured this. This is genuinely one of my favorite books I’ve read all year. I’m so excited to continue reading Eva Devon’s backlist because this was an absolute delightful read.