bandherbooks's Reviews (3.65k)

I LOVE THIS BOOK. I've re-read and re-listened to it more times than I've actually counted on here. Jason and Naomi are my trope-tonite and I give them my whole heart.

I tweeted about why here

Runaway Girl was one of my favorite books of 2018, and listening to it again on audio was such a treat. I realized I never gave this the full review treatment and I need to rectify that!

Basically this book destroyed me in the best possible way. May be one of my favorite Tessa Bailey's, which is saying a lot. A full review to come closer to the publication date, but make sure to get this one on your TBR immediately.

Southern Belle beauty queen on the run from a loveless marriage finds refuge and a calling at the home of a grumpy, bearded Special Forces hero and his spectacular teen-aged sister. Loved it.

Also, my ovaries are now exploded, so thank you for that Bailey!

According to Goodreads this is my fourth re-read but I don't think that's accurate, but hey I'm going to roll with it.

I'm learning about myself as a reader that I adore intensely character focused romance novels. I love it when 90% of the story is the main characters subsumed with their feelings and emotions about each other. This is a perfect example of this.

Also, the "we only have this xx amount of time" is a favorite trope of mine. That slightly forbidden, I'm free now but now always just hits me in my EMOTIONS.

CW: gender essentialist language, smoking, heroine is 'on a break' from her fiancee, scary scuba diving incident RE a shark, unprotected sex, pregnancy.

Okay, Cara Bastone is a word wizard, nay, a romance writing genius. How this story had me in it's grip with the banter, the tension, and then there wasn't even any

Spoiler

KISSING

?! Who am I even?

Well, absolutely a Cara Bastone fan, that is for sure!

Gwen and Sam meet in the absolute worst bus seats on a Mega Bus ride from Boston to NYC. The bathroom aisle seats. But, despite their 'shitty' seats, their seat choices turn into an epically lucky and happily-ever-after fairy tale ride.

I don't want to spend much more time on the plot, because this is a story meant to be listened. The author wrote specifically for the audiobook format, and utilized it to charming perfection. Gwen and Sam felt like they were actually sitting in those seats talking to each other, and I hope the narrators were able to narrate together, and if they didn't heck I don't know how they pulled this off.

This is a full-cast and full production, so do know there are sound effects and additional voices from some of the other characters Gwen and Sam interact with. That said for a fairly short (just over five hours) experience, Bastone knows that we want to spend the majority of our time with these two as they fall for each other.

This is the type of romance I'm here for. Tightly focused on the love interests. Everything else supports and brings meaning to their romance arc. Secondary characters are there, are fully formed, but are not distracting from the romance. Perfect.

My one slight recommendation/quibble is that the sound effects of traffic noises and startling traffic dangers might not make the best experience if you usually listen while you drive (like me). I chose to continue listening to this one at home.

Thank you to Audible for the early listening copy!

Mariana Wylde, an opera diva newly branded the “Harlot of Haywood Street” finds shelter at the Grand Palace on the Thames when she finds herself out of funds and options after two rival beaus duel over her. She finds the rules of the Grand Palace delightful, and is grateful to find a soft place to land while she finds a way to keep carrying on. She wasn't expecting the starchy General James Duncan Blackmore, the Duke of Valkirk and grand war hero of well, everyone, to be so entirely rude to her.

When the proprietresses of the Grand Thames chastise James for his behavior and ask him to make it up to Mariana, he agrees to tutor the young ingenue in Italian. Instead of the flirt he pre-judged, James finds himself slowly falling in love with this determined woman as he helps her learn to both recognize when people are taking advantage and to stick up for herself.

But, with honor and propriety on the line for James as he attempts to pen his next book, he cannot fathom every allowing himself, or Mariana, the pleasure of finding a happily ever after, together.

WOW THE ANGST. This book, what a ride. I truly wanted to yeet James a few times, as his honor causes him to so thoroughly wound Mariana, who only wanted to give him her heart. BUT BUT how he falls, and how he groves. Perfect. Yes.

I about died when he threatened the Italian composer while he wouldn't listen to a no. Put that in my veins people. Also, all the little moments, the soft touches. how Mariana clutched James' palm kiss against her heart while she slept. UNF.

My one minor quibble was the anti-sex worker rhetoric, that felt shaming. James really uses it to hurt Mariana at one point, but it felt true to his character (and he atones). Mariana also is disdainful of sex workers.

It was great to be with the ladies of the Thames again. I need to go back and read the book I missed, and I snagged an ARC of the next one. JAL - a queen.

Big thanks to Kate Clayborn, and Funmi, for reading this with me!

Thank you to Avon for the advanced copy. Glad to find out this wasn't a holiday romance (don't let that cover fool you like me. I do want that robe though!)

CW: physical violence, sexual harrasment (described, some on page - countered, James is a widower and is about 20 years older than Mariana. Lingering grief over death of a father (in past, described).

I decided to read this series based off the recommendations of many, many people, and because it is slated to become a TV show on Netflix.

**Spoilers Ahead!!!**

Simon Basset, recently returned to London after the death of his hateful father, is immediately and completely unwillingly plunged into the marriage market.

After a horrific childhood, Simon has no intent to marry and is completely fine with having his dukedom be lost upon his death. Everything Simon has done since finally overcoming his stammer has been to spite his father, and this would be the ultimate way to ensure Simon wins.

Daphne Bridgerton is almost a spinster. She's lovely, but just too nice. She's always the friend and never the coy temptress men seem to want, which is a shame because all Daphne has ever wanted is a big family to call her own.

When she is introduced to Simon, her brother's best friend, she concocts a scheme. Why not make everyone think she and Simon are courting? This will save him from being introduced to ever more women and will in turn spur the interests of those men who never would have looked at her twice.

Well, their plan works swimmingly, but for one thing. Daphne falls in love with the darned Duke, and decides she must have him, even if he has told her he cannot have children and she must give up her dream. Love will be enough right?

Well, what started as a lighthearted fake dating romance turns a bit more sinister as Daphne and Simon each figure out the others deceptions. There is some yucky sex scenes where Daphne finds out why Simon is pulling out all the time and one where she takes advantage of his drunken state and basically forces him to come inside of her...despite him having clearly told her he does not want children.

For all the things I didn't enjoy, I did certainly like the world Julia Quinn built and enjoyed her writing style. Simon was just not a hero I personally enjoyed, way to many daddy issues, and I really had an up and down relationship with Daphne. I liked her at first, but some of her actions were truly terrible. Also, the whole "You definitely want children you just don't realize it yet" trope is really not for me either. Um, dude's mother died from his birth, he had a horrible childhood, and while he is a prat, tricking him isn't really a great (or forgivable) solution.

I will read other books in the series to see if I like them better.

A spy who dons the disguise of an inveterate rake is astonished by the immediate attraction he has to the disdain of one Sylvia Sparrow, bluestocking secretary to a rowdy dowager while they bought attend a house party. Rafe is on a mission to find the source of leaked information for the host of the party, but isn't expecting to be bowled over by the stern gaze and disdain of the woman he seems to see right past all of his rakish masking.

Sylvia herself has secrets to keep, including her past affair with a man who left her when she became too much of a liability, and not wifely enough. And she's being blackmailed by someone at the house party...

Utterly delicious tension as Rafe falls hard and fast and proves to Sylvia he will protect, love, and allow her to flourish, society be damned.

Emily Sullivan is my new favorite historical romance author!

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.

I picked up the audiobook narration for a song, and wow the male narrator sounds a bit like Archer from the cartoon Archer, and that really works for me in a sexy way (lol lol), and the voice REALLY brought Jon's slight himbo-ness to life in a great way. Upon a re-listen, I realize what I love about this book is how slightly campy it is, how much it centers the romance arc despite all the space details, and how much of an asshole Reggie is. A lot of people say she's too mean to Jon, but you know what, I'm fine with it, she apologizes. I'm sure she will again. We let cis men get away with far worse in romance novels so.

Astronaut Regina “Reggie” Hayes has her eyes set on the stars. The real stars, not Hollywood actor Jon Leo who Reggie discovers is distractingly and infuriatingly sexy after she’s assigned to train Jon ahead of his upcoming major film set in space to clean up her PR image. (full review to come in Library Journal).

When you find a new to you author who writes the perfect, utterly sexy rolling boil slow-burn horny romance of your heart, that is such a great feeling. I loved this one so very much. Jon's realization he might have ADHD was an excellent inclusion too.

The ending got a bit rushed and wild, with the inclusion of a Fake Moon Landing zealot who ends up

Spoiler

kidnapping Jon and Reggie in the fake moon base

, but all's well that ends well.

My thoughts are sort of jumbled, but I'll definitely be re-reading closer to pub date!

Spoilery content notes

Content notes: slightly embarrassing public situations, kidnapping (of adults), threat with a gun

Thank you to the author for reaching out with the advance copy

Another day, another blah romcom from Berkley. I was so bored.

I half listened (ALC for Library Journal) and half read the print to get through it; would have DNF'ed if this wasn't an assignment. I switched off the audio book because this one shares a common narrator with The Love Hypothesis which immediately hurt my teeth, and I wanted to give this story a fair shot.

Basically, Olivia burns down her apartment while burning her ex's belongings, gets a new job pretending to be a mom so she can write an advice columnist, and moves in with her brother and her brother's best friend she's always hated. Lots of enemies to lovers sniping while they share a space, making her sleep on an air mattress in a study despite both the friend and the brother being wealthy?? She 'accidentally' drinks the hero's super expensive tequila that was sealed, she breaks everything, and she's just like yeah, what of it? I am 100% here for human disasters but she read so unapologetic and entitled for some of these things.

Oh yes, I forgot Olivia's been texting with a "mr. wrong number." We are all clear on who this is immediately, but honestly how does Colin not have his ROOMATE AND BEST FRIEND'S SISTER's number not programmed into his phone? Or doesn't reverse look up the number?

Fine fine, romance reasons fine. Grumble.

Anyway, TOO many plot points, too many 'breaks,' too much miscommunication.

The mistaken identity / catfishing went on a bit too long for my comfort, and when the Colin is so jealous of the friend he begs to pretend to be Mr. Wrong Number to fool Olivia (who she ends up kissing, to see if there is sparks like the texts), he tells the friend Olivia is "bat shit crazy, a real piece of work." In the "NO-ZONE." Wow.

She does find this out, and I guess he apologizes, but this was really not for me.

Anyone clocking Olivia as being unlikeable and not also clocking Colin for his internalized misogyny and jerkitude

I read many of these essays/poems for a work book club on Climate Change, and of all the books we've read so far in over a year this has been my favorite. Intersectional, focusing on women and marginalized people, many who do not have an option to "move" or invest in increasingly gentrified green tech/building. The breadth of contributors is excellent, and this would make a fantastic desk reference for anyone interested in having some hope and a will to work towards solutions in this ongoing crisis.

I also appreciated poetry, art, and pop culture were included with the science. My favorite essay thus far was "Wakanda Doesn't Have Suburbs."

Emily Sullivan writes the historicals I want to be reading in 2022. And shoot, second-chance? A widow taking back her life and time? A starchy & buttoned up blushing former-fortune hunter AND former-military captain turned PI? I EAT IT UP.

I really wish they'd make a cohesive look for this series, because I don't think the covers quite capture the setting (Gilded Age) and combined with the "if you like Bridgerton" meaningless comp I think these aren't landing with the readers who will eat them up.

I envisioned darling Lady Georgiana Arlington and Captain Henry Harris has the actors who played Lady Caroline & Dr. Ennis from Poldark (IYKYK) - so keep that in mind as you read.

Georgie appears to be a rich, spoiled, socialite who's living off the wealth of her now dead husband, but she's actually working hard at running various factories with fair wages and safe conditions - bucking society and putting herself at risk of other capitalists and politicians who loathe her "radical" ideas.

Enter PI, former Captain, Henry Harris, hired by Georgie's brother to find out who is sending her threatening letters, following her, and overall making her family Concerned™. Too bad Georgie's brother doesn't know that she and Henry were falling in love during her debut - and both think the other chose pride and money over each other.

I shan't say too much more about the plot, because it really becomes quite a ride (and to Monte Carlo!!) but I adored it and more please.

I will note I was a bit concerned about a potential CW

Spoiler

magic baby epilogue

but fortunately that did not happen, and I was happier for it.

Some characters and couples show up in this third book in the series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Thank you to the publisher for the early copy!

I listened to the audiobook for Library Journal - thank you to LJ for the ALC; I cross-checked the paperback that I checked out from the library.

Overall, despite the blurb and premise being entirely my jam, this was entirely meh for me. Serena is a girl-boss, she is really pushy to Charles in wanting him to have an affair with her, Charles secret is a bit of a snore, and I really just was bored by the kid plotline. I've heard the first book introduces these two characters, which makes the feeling plopped into their friendship/romance make more sense, but I'm not compelled enough to go back and read.

Serena's tragic romance and miscarriage was really sad and I did appreciate how that grief was handled. She's grieving, but not traumatized and I felt there was enough distance between those events and where Serena is now.

All in all, a fine histrom, just not one that met my personal reading preferences.