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bandherbooks's Reviews (3.65k)
I am SO happy to see a new romance trilogy from Nora Roberts! Especially one with a haunted Maine mansion heck yes.
I had a fun time, even if we end on a massive cliffie for the overarching mystery behind the "Lost Bride" series title. I shan't say more.
The main couple in this story does have a HFN at the end just FYI, but you will be screaming at 2am like me when you finish lolol.
Cute dogs, kind men, beautiful house and antiques, great pals.
Content Notes: slut shaming directed towards heroine's ex and her cousin (who she caught cheating before her wedding), rape and domestic violence (mentioned in regards to a client the lawyer hero is working with, not on page and not a primary character), scary ghost stuff, mad ghost, MURDER (in the past, but recounted and gruesome. There are dogs, one dog is slightly threatened by a ghost crow but no animals are harmed in the main story.
I had a fun time, even if we end on a massive cliffie for the overarching mystery behind the "Lost Bride" series title. I shan't say more.
The main couple in this story does have a HFN at the end just FYI, but you will be screaming at 2am like me when you finish lolol.
Cute dogs, kind men, beautiful house and antiques, great pals.
Content Notes: slut shaming directed towards heroine's ex and her cousin (who she caught cheating before her wedding), rape and domestic violence (mentioned in regards to a client the lawyer hero is working with, not on page and not a primary character), scary ghost stuff, mad ghost, MURDER (in the past, but recounted and gruesome. There are dogs, one dog is slightly threatened by a ghost crow but no animals are harmed in the main story.
I do believe this is my favorite KJ Charles to date. I absolutely adored siblings Robin and Marianne and their search for heirs, and how bamboozled Hart is by Robin's beauty and how ANGRY that makes him and how much Robin just adores Hart's thick thighs (they do save lives).
Excellent banter, high stakes card games, confronting one's biases and one's hopes for their future, found family feels galore, and just so so so much fun.
I will def be re-reading via audio hopefully soon in the future.
Excellent banter, high stakes card games, confronting one's biases and one's hopes for their future, found family feels galore, and just so so so much fun.
I will def be re-reading via audio hopefully soon in the future.
I really enjoyed the voice of the writing, and the jokes. I was pleasantly surprised to find out this is open door (and you don't have to wait long!!). I love a road trip and that put our two main characters into close contact with each other, lots of time together.
Also, i read the majority of the book while recovering from surgery so some of my thoughts feel a little incomplete. would def read more from the author.
The ending fell apart for me though.
SPOILERS
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I am always a bit dubious about having a secondary plot line in the past, and the ending really lost me, that the parts we got about Elsie and her mermaid were probably written by Hollis, using their story (even if in the end he tosses it all out after getting caught). I was also mad she was dead and that made me so sad. I dunno, just a lot of tiny little things that bothered me and made me not completely buy the hea, especially since this is a single POV story.
Also, i read the majority of the book while recovering from surgery so some of my thoughts feel a little incomplete. would def read more from the author.
The ending fell apart for me though.
SPOILERS
.
.
.
.
I am always a bit dubious about having a secondary plot line in the past, and the ending really lost me, that the parts we got about Elsie and her mermaid were probably written by Hollis, using their story (even if in the end he tosses it all out after getting caught). I was also mad she was dead and that made me so sad. I dunno, just a lot of tiny little things that bothered me and made me not completely buy the hea, especially since this is a single POV story.
this was my favorite #ClanSands so far. Saidh and her absolute army of brothers (especially healer RORY) bringing hijinx and mayhem to McDonald. The poor man goes to her brothers to tell them he compromised her to make her marry him omg so much, so extra.
She's an absolute spitfire and I love her the most.
She's an absolute spitfire and I love her the most.
i was a little worried the "girl in pants" trope would be ick but overall i felt fine with it, as she's only masquerading as a lad for safety, and he's not weird about it when he figures it out (she got beat really badly on the road by bandits so her face is all out of sorts and he's stabbed and wounded in that fight so he really only doesn't know until he's got his brain back and see's her bathing in a waterfall hubba hubba).
That said I truly could have missed things so YMMV, but I again had a super great fun time reading this one. I love healers too!
That said I truly could have missed things so YMMV, but I again had a super great fun time reading this one. I love healers too!
thank you to Hannah who's review prompted me to give this one a chance. I really liked it a whole lot, especially how unabashed Cassie is of her sex work on OnlyFans. It is work, she has no regrets except catching feelings for a client (oops who turns out to be her new employer).
I feel the author deftly handled the power dynamic here, but I also felt Aiden was one-dimensional and wanted more character work for him. He's a famous and great chef, but we barely get any idea why. he's a dad and there is sweet stuff between him and his kid, but overall just needed a bit more from me.
All in all, a really fun, sexy read and i'll definitely be reading more from the author.
thank you to the publisher for the ARC
I feel the author deftly handled the power dynamic here, but I also felt Aiden was one-dimensional and wanted more character work for him. He's a famous and great chef, but we barely get any idea why. he's a dad and there is sweet stuff between him and his kid, but overall just needed a bit more from me.
All in all, a really fun, sexy read and i'll definitely be reading more from the author.
thank you to the publisher for the ARC
I really loved this book so much, a super fun way to explore the student // professor dynamic within bounds that are not taboo. I loved seeing Mickey learn how to bartend and to bring her sunshine to the gloom that has pervaded it since the loss of the hero's wife.
Professional review:
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Professional review:
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gosh what a fun, sexy, and angsty romance for these two forever friends. HE is such an absolute disaster and mess, and i really loved seeing how Barry worked how these two forever friends finally got their HEA. An epic Howl's Moving Castle inspired tale (he is SUCH a Howl).
I will definitely need to reread this at some point because I want to hear the jokes on audio!
thank you to the publisher for the ARC
I will definitely need to reread this at some point because I want to hear the jokes on audio!
thank you to the publisher for the ARC
**Actual rating 3.5 ⭐, rounded up to 4
Well hello new to me historical romance author. I snagged this free novella from the author's newsletter, and I'm impressed and intrigued to read more!
A sassy heroine is determined to finally secure a betrothal from a man she's been trying to catch since she did a ritual with an apple peel that revealed an "r" for the name of her true love. But, her father isn't keen on her attending the local All Hallows Eve festival alone, and saddles her with the starchy, uptight next door neighbor who only agrees to take her since he wants to drain her father's ditches to helps his fields. lol.
The banter was quite delightful, and lord are these two horned up. I wish they had a bit more backstory versus having JUST met, but overall this was solid fun, and hello there's face sitting in the kind of haunted grist mill too.
Content notes: white heroine and white hero, slight age-gap (she's 20, I think he's near 30+), children antics
Merged review:
**Actual rating 3.5 ⭐, rounded up to 4
Well hello new to me historical romance author. I snagged this free novella from the author's newsletter, and I'm impressed and intrigued to read more!
A sassy heroine is determined to finally secure a betrothal from a man she's been trying to catch since she did a ritual with an apple peel that revealed an "r" for the name of her true love. But, her father isn't keen on her attending the local All Hallows Eve festival alone, and saddles her with the starchy, uptight next door neighbor who only agrees to take her since he wants to drain her father's ditches to helps his fields. lol.
The banter was quite delightful, and lord are these two horned up. I wish they had a bit more backstory versus having JUST met, but overall this was solid fun, and hello there's face sitting in the kind of haunted grist mill too.
Content notes: white heroine and white hero, slight age-gap (she's 20, I think he's near 30+), children antics
Well hello new to me historical romance author. I snagged this free novella from the author's newsletter, and I'm impressed and intrigued to read more!
A sassy heroine is determined to finally secure a betrothal from a man she's been trying to catch since she did a ritual with an apple peel that revealed an "r" for the name of her true love. But, her father isn't keen on her attending the local All Hallows Eve festival alone, and saddles her with the starchy, uptight next door neighbor who only agrees to take her since he wants to drain her father's ditches to helps his fields. lol.
The banter was quite delightful, and lord are these two horned up. I wish they had a bit more backstory versus having JUST met, but overall this was solid fun, and hello there's face sitting in the kind of haunted grist mill too.
Content notes: white heroine and white hero, slight age-gap (she's 20, I think he's near 30+), children antics
Merged review:
**Actual rating 3.5 ⭐, rounded up to 4
Well hello new to me historical romance author. I snagged this free novella from the author's newsletter, and I'm impressed and intrigued to read more!
A sassy heroine is determined to finally secure a betrothal from a man she's been trying to catch since she did a ritual with an apple peel that revealed an "r" for the name of her true love. But, her father isn't keen on her attending the local All Hallows Eve festival alone, and saddles her with the starchy, uptight next door neighbor who only agrees to take her since he wants to drain her father's ditches to helps his fields. lol.
The banter was quite delightful, and lord are these two horned up. I wish they had a bit more backstory versus having JUST met, but overall this was solid fun, and hello there's face sitting in the kind of haunted grist mill too.
Content notes: white heroine and white hero, slight age-gap (she's 20, I think he's near 30+), children antics
sexy sapphics in space plus PLANTS. i really enjoyed this audiobook romance as recommended by the illustrious Jacque.
i did personally struggle with the relationship between "Assistant" and Ari, as "Assistant" was given to Ari as a nameless slave. The author did a good job of making it feel like Ari was not complicit in the power structure to have any choice in the matter, but it still felt fraught.
That said, whew spicy and sexy and the world building was really great.
i did personally struggle with the relationship between "Assistant" and Ari, as "Assistant" was given to Ari as a nameless slave. The author did a good job of making it feel like Ari was not complicit in the power structure to have any choice in the matter, but it still felt fraught.
That said, whew spicy and sexy and the world building was really great.