Take a photo of a barcode or cover
bandherbooks's Reviews (3.65k)
Vicar's daughter Imogen Bates seeks to keep the heiresses of her small town of Shropshire safe from the no-longer-Duke Peregrine Butler. She does so by spreading falsehoods while protecting her own secrets.
Perry's fall from the dukedom, discovered when someone discovered he was born before his parents' married, has turned his life into a tailspin. Not to mention people seem to think he has extra toes and bad breath, and god forbid, is a bad kisser. How's he supposed to catch an heiress like this?
Plus, the vicar's daughter is increasingly suspicious and in his path. Perry has known Imogen his whole life, why all of a sudden does she seem so fetching but also so irritating?
The last straw is an unforgiveable lie that Perry confronts Imogen about, leading to some heated argument - and kissing. Two enemies and opposites soon find they cannot keep their hands off of each other, but at what cost?
I dunno, this wasn't great for me. I wanted more of the Duke going down and less of the petty rumors and Shropshire hijinks. I can be cool with a mean heroine, but when you tell people someone has, especially in this historical setting, and then have no ramifications about that lie, I just, I dunno.
The audio was entertaining enough to keep me listening, the narrator was engaging and kept the story moving forward, along with being decent at making the characters distinguishable.
I received a free ALC from HarperAudio and an eArc from Avon for review.
Perry's fall from the dukedom, discovered when someone discovered he was born before his parents' married, has turned his life into a tailspin. Not to mention people seem to think he has extra toes and bad breath, and god forbid, is a bad kisser. How's he supposed to catch an heiress like this?
Plus, the vicar's daughter is increasingly suspicious and in his path. Perry has known Imogen his whole life, why all of a sudden does she seem so fetching but also so irritating?
The last straw is an unforgiveable lie that Perry confronts Imogen about, leading to some heated argument - and kissing. Two enemies and opposites soon find they cannot keep their hands off of each other, but at what cost?
I dunno, this wasn't great for me. I wanted more of the Duke going down and less of the petty rumors and Shropshire hijinks. I can be cool with a mean heroine, but when you tell people someone has
Spoiler
syphilisThe audio was entertaining enough to keep me listening, the narrator was engaging and kept the story moving forward, along with being decent at making the characters distinguishable.
I received a free ALC from HarperAudio and an eArc from Avon for review.
The Companion by EE Ottoman is a cozy, warm embrace of a queer historical polyamorous romance, set in 1949 and featuring a trans woman finding her place, and love, after taking on a companion job with a writer in secluded upstate NY.
All three characters are healing from trauma and past hurt, and it was so lovely to see them all find peace in each other, in a safe place they created.
The prose is absolutely stunning, setting you immediately in the place and time; you can hear the quiet of the house, the skritch of Madeline's pen as she did finds space and time to write, and canning and simple food preparation.
Cottagecore meets delicious romance. Such a great read.
CWs include transphobia, internalized and period external (off page - feared), smoking, rape culture mentioned
All three characters are healing from trauma and past hurt, and it was so lovely to see them all find peace in each other, in a safe place they created.
The prose is absolutely stunning, setting you immediately in the place and time; you can hear the quiet of the house, the skritch of Madeline's pen as she did finds space and time to write, and canning and simple food preparation.
Cottagecore meets delicious romance. Such a great read.
CWs include transphobia, internalized and period external (off page - feared), smoking, rape culture mentioned
A memoir styled fiction story, I'm still not sure how I feel about the structure, but the writing is compelling and pressing.
Live Tweet: https://twitter.com/bandherbooks/status/1421610091149680647?s=20 #bHoyt21
I love historical widow romances so much. Anna is 31 years old, and lives with her MIL and a woman they've hired as a maid, but who is really their ward. Anna runs afoul of the new Earl in town (he knocks her down on accident with his horse), and detests him on sight. He's big, burly, and scarred by the pox that killed the rest of his family as a boy.
Needing funds, Anna manages to get a job as the Earl's secretary from his lively dressed steward while the Earl is out on business. The Earl is one grumpy bugger, but Anna really needs the work.
Sparks fly. Anna wants the Earl, and is grumpy when she discovers one of the Earl's bills (a monthly fee for a bordello called Aphrodite's Grove). Anna and her MIL also rescue a sex worker who is badly hurt after men accost her (at the risk of being shunned by their fellow townspeople). Anna is rewarded by the woman's sister, a high class mistress who has access to London and Aphrodite's Grotto.
Anna is snuck in when the Earl has planned a visit there, and they share two nights of extreme passion (she's masked, and he doesn't know - they don't even talk).
The Earl feels bad though, because he also has feelings for Anna (he even bought her roses for her small garden - too many to fit).
Eventually the Earl discovers he has slept with her, they have some conflict involving, and he ends up coming back to her on his knees begging for her hand.
I was disappointed in the ending, because he promises he doesn't care that "she cannot have children" (she thinks she is barren because she never conceived with her dead husband), but of course there is a baby epilogue (they have many children).
I love historical widow romances so much. Anna is 31 years old, and lives with her MIL and a woman they've hired as a maid, but who is really their ward. Anna runs afoul of the new Earl in town (he knocks her down on accident with his horse), and detests him on sight. He's big, burly, and scarred by the pox that killed the rest of his family as a boy.
Needing funds, Anna manages to get a job as the Earl's secretary from his lively dressed steward while the Earl is out on business. The Earl is one grumpy bugger, but Anna really needs the work.
Sparks fly. Anna wants the Earl, and is grumpy when she discovers one of the Earl's bills (a monthly fee for a bordello called Aphrodite's Grove). Anna and her MIL also rescue a sex worker who is badly hurt after men accost her (at the risk of being shunned by their fellow townspeople). Anna is rewarded by the woman's sister, a high class mistress who has access to London and Aphrodite's Grotto.
Anna is snuck in when the Earl has planned a visit there, and they share two nights of extreme passion (she's masked, and he doesn't know - they don't even talk).
The Earl feels bad though, because he also has feelings for Anna (he even bought her roses for her small garden - too many to fit).
Eventually the Earl discovers he has slept with her, they have some conflict involving, and he ends up coming back to her on his knees begging for her hand.
I was disappointed in the ending, because he promises he doesn't care that "she cannot have children" (she thinks she is barren because she never conceived with her dead husband), but of course there is a baby epilogue (they have many children).
A fun and delicious contemporary romance set in the Bahamas, featuring an upcoming dessert chef and caterer and a music industry pro who try to resist their attraction as they prepare for Cherisse's younger sister's wedding.
Great food descriptions and a lovely sense of place, an excellent summer read.
Great food descriptions and a lovely sense of place, an excellent summer read.
Reel packed an emotional punch to my heart. Kennedy Ryan's exquisite prose took me through the wringer as Neevah Saint and Cannon Holt crashed together despite all their efforts to stay apart on set. No one writes complicated emotions like Ryan, who makes you breathless to find out what will happen in some impossible situations. I highlighted so many lines.
What as especially finely wrought was Neevah's illness, and her relationship between her family, especially her sister. It would be so easy to villainize but Ryan brings you back to the heart each time. Seeing Neevah struggle with lupus while also dancing, singing, acting and falling in love was both heart wrenching and uplifting.
And damn, Cannon, what a guy. His relationship with his mother, and the details of the documentary he created in her memory, I wish I could see that for real.
what a masterpiece, sure to stay with me for a long time.
What as especially finely wrought was Neevah's illness, and her relationship between her family, especially her sister. It would be so easy to villainize but Ryan brings you back to the heart each time. Seeing Neevah struggle with lupus while also dancing, singing, acting and falling in love was both heart wrenching and uplifting.
And damn, Cannon, what a guy. His relationship with his mother, and the details of the documentary he created in her memory, I wish I could see that for real.
what a masterpiece, sure to stay with me for a long time.
Up and coming actor August Chambers has a PR problem. If he wants a chance for more roles and awards opportunities, he needs to cater to his fan base. His publicist thinks a fake relationship with influencer and socialite Xandra Nicole is the key to launching his reputation back into good graces.
Xandra is intrigued by August's teams offer; she's not new at playing the perfect fake girl friend for PR. But when real feelings immediately enter the equation, Xandra and August will need to have faith that neither of them is acting.
Slow-burn sexy with the biggest payoff, wow this was delicious fun. A great novella, with wonderful characters and plot. August and the feet holy wow!!! Five alarm fire.
Sanders also does an excellent job of showing two different Black character's experience and background with wealth and fame, as Xandra and August have had completely opposite lives until this point.
A perfect pick for those looking for a mix of the Hollywood fame scene in Kennedy Ryan's Reel and the more lighthearted spoiling and socialite plot of Tessa Bailey's It Happened One Summer.
CW: Xandra has an "arranged" future match who August thinks is her boyfriend, August likes to be slapped in the face and roughed up leading up to sex (consensual), discussions of grief. An off page minor character passes away and the characters attend the funeral.
Xandra is intrigued by August's teams offer; she's not new at playing the perfect fake girl friend for PR. But when real feelings immediately enter the equation, Xandra and August will need to have faith that neither of them is acting.
Slow-burn sexy with the biggest payoff, wow this was delicious fun. A great novella, with wonderful characters and plot. August and the feet holy wow!!! Five alarm fire.
Sanders also does an excellent job of showing two different Black character's experience and background with wealth and fame, as Xandra and August have had completely opposite lives until this point.
A perfect pick for those looking for a mix of the Hollywood fame scene in Kennedy Ryan's Reel and the more lighthearted spoiling and socialite plot of Tessa Bailey's It Happened One Summer.
CW: Xandra has an "arranged" future match who August thinks is her boyfriend, August likes to be slapped in the face and roughed up leading up to sex (consensual), discussions of grief. An off page minor character passes away and the characters attend the funeral.
well after one year I'm putting this on the read/partial shelf. I'll come back someday! It is wonderfully written, I just put it down and now if I want to finish I need to start over again.
Definitely in my Top 10 favorite romances of 2021
April French has become the unofficial "den mother" of local kink bar Frankie's. Everyone turns to April for help when they are new, planning events, and basically being amazing. Despite her place in the community, April still finds it hard to believe new in town Dennis Martin is attracted to HER.
For Dennis, still mending a broken heart and new in town, April is enchanting. Some drinks and flirtation and some very obvious kink alignments lead to an exceptionally scorching night.
Both Dennis and April seem to want more, but both have been hurt in the past. An agreement to keep it "sex only" plus a scorching edging experiment keep these two connected as they sort out their feelings and woes.
Absolutely delicious and thought provoking, and so so so damn sexy.
Story notes - Dennis is a Black cis man billionaire. April is a white trans woman.
CW: self-doubt, dysphoric thoughts, medical procedures (April has laser hair removal on her face), discussions of past harassment, Dennis distress from a bad BDSM experience with his ex-wife, divorce (in the past)
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy.
April French has become the unofficial "den mother" of local kink bar Frankie's. Everyone turns to April for help when they are new, planning events, and basically being amazing. Despite her place in the community, April still finds it hard to believe new in town Dennis Martin is attracted to HER.
For Dennis, still mending a broken heart and new in town, April is enchanting. Some drinks and flirtation and some very obvious kink alignments lead to an exceptionally scorching night.
Both Dennis and April seem to want more, but both have been hurt in the past. An agreement to keep it "sex only" plus a scorching edging experiment keep these two connected as they sort out their feelings and woes.
Absolutely delicious and thought provoking, and so so so damn sexy.
Story notes - Dennis is a Black cis man billionaire. April is a white trans woman.
CW: self-doubt, dysphoric thoughts, medical procedures (April has laser hair removal on her face), discussions of past harassment, Dennis distress from a bad BDSM experience with his ex-wife, divorce (in the past)
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy.