danadoesbooks's Reviews (954)

Thank you SMP Romance and NetGalley for the eARC of Every Duke Has His Day!  All opinions in this review are my own.

Enoch's books are always good for a few laughs and the opening of Every Duke Has His Day does not disappoint!  Michael and Bitsy have a meet disaster right out of 101 Dalmatians.  Things only get worse for the two when they accidently switch dogs and one of them gets taken!

Overall, Every Duke Has His Day was a really fun historical romance!  I loved the forced proximity of Michael and Bitsy teaming up to find their dogs.  However, I didn't love when the narration switched to the side characters.  While these sections of the book were relevant to the overall story, I just wanted to go back to focusing on Michael and Bitsy!  That being said, I did like how everything came together in the end and it did prove that the narration switches were necessary.

I look forward to Enoch's next romance!

Thank you Canelo and Love Book Tours for the gifted ebook of The Gingerbread Christmas Village!  All opinions in this review are my own.

This was about a romance between a single mom of two and a traveller.  I didn't find it to be overly holiday-themed until the end but it was a good read for November when we are just getting started with the holiday season!

While the conservation and environmental element was a great addition, it did seem like the primary focus at times, especially when you are waiting for Harriet to find out that Owen is writing his blog series about her.  I wanted more about their relationship and less about the boot sales.  Owen and Harriet fall hard for each other and even sometimes read like two teenagers.

Thank you Forever and NetGalley for the eARC of Change of Plans! All opinions in this review are my own.

I put off reading Change of Plans because I wasn't ready for the series to end and I've been anticipating Ryker's story from the first book. I'm so glad I waited because I truly picked the perfect time to read it.

On a weekend away (fittingly Veteran's Day), I finally read Change of Plans and it has easily become my favorite in the series. Part of this may be due to the magic of reading an amazing book in a place you're enjoying so much, but I could have enjoyed this book anywhere. After I finished each chapter, I had to tell my boyfriend how much I loved this book!

In true Newton fashion, Bryce and Ryker's story had me both laughing out loud and tearing up. Although their story is about them working to be together with individually complicated lives, Change of Plans is also about both of them learning how to love themselves. I truly appreciate the care that Newton put into making sure each of their situations were as researched and accurate as possible.

I thought it would be hard to write a match for Ryker but Newton easily knocks this one of the park. I want to reread the whole series again now and I can't wait to read her book!

Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the eARC of Missing Clarissa!  All opinions in this review are my own.

If you were a fan of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, you have to check out Missing Clarissa!  

In 1999, Clarissa was last seen at a high school party in the woods but disappeared without a trace.  Now Blair and Cameron are trying to find out what happened and documenting their process on a podcast for their journalism class.

This was a fast, page-turning read!  I ended up reading Missing Clarissa in two days because I had to find out how it was going to end!  I think it could have benefited from a few more chapters where Blair and Cameron are still trying to figure out who is responsible.  It felt like they figured it out too quickly and could benefit from some more wrong turns before they find the answer, but I also may have just wanted the book to last longer.  Overall, this was a solid YA thriller.

Thank you William Morrow and BiblioLifestyle for the gifted copy of Good Taste!  All opinions in this reivew are my own.

I was originally drawn to Good Taste because of the premise that Stella would be travelling around England trying to compile a book about the history of English food.  While this wasn't as much the focus as I thought it would be, I was still drawn into Stella's story.  After losing her mom, Stella must grieve while still trying to help her father.  Throughout the course of the book, Stella discovers more about both her mother and herself.  There were times when the story took a much darker tone than I expected but overall I enjoyed Stella's journey of self-discovery.

Thank you Penguin Random House Audio and Libro FM for the ALC of The Vermilion Emporium!  All opinions in this review are my own.

I really enjoyed The Vermilion Emporium!  It reminded me of a combination between Hotel Magnifique and The Lost Apothecary mixed with the magic of Caraval.

When Twain discovers the mysterious substance of starlight, he has no idea it will lead him to Quinta.  Meanwhile, Quinta has no idea that finding the magical shop her mother told her about will lead her to Twain.  Together they will reopen the history of magic in Severon and be forced to decide if the cost of magic is too high.

Right from the first chapter, The Vermilion Emporium drew me in.  The more magical discoveries that were made, the more I wanted to keep reading.  While I did find it a little slow towards the end, overall, I enjoyed this magical story!  

The Author's Note was fascinating!  I really liked hearing about Pacton's inspiration for the novel, especially her thought process and inclusion of The Radium Girls.  It was a cool way to weave actual history into this magical story.

Thank you Libro FM and Simon & Schuster Audio for the ALC of The Quest of Danger!  All opinions in this review are my own.

Despite loving this series, I somehow keep skipping books!  I started with the second book, The Labyrinth of Doom, and just finished listening to the fourth one, The Quest of Danger.  Although I still need to read books one and three, the Once Upon a Tim series is easy to pick up and enjoy.  I like how it is written with a focus on vocabulary (they call them IQ moments) because it reminds me of how A Series of Unfortunate Events is written.  The audiobooks are a lot of fun because of the sound effects added in and The Quest of Danger is another solid addition to this series!  If you are looking for a silly middle grade focused on knights and adventure, then you should read Once Upon a Tim!

Thank you Minotaur for the gifted copy of Little Secrets!  All opinions in this review are my own.

I had a hard time reading Little Secrets at first because it begins with Marin's child being taken.  In the Author's Note, Hillier explains that she did not want to shy away from Marin's pain but it was difficult to read about.  Once the focus shifted to her husband's affair, I couldn't put Little Secrets down!  I loved the twist and how everything came together at the end!  I definitely recommend if you are a thriller fan and I'm curious to read more of Hillier's books!

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the eARC of Queen Wallis!  All opinions in this review are my own.

While the sequel advances Rose's story, it felt like it was missing something crucial from the first book. Queen Wallis still had the feeling of the Alliance closing in on Rose but without the dramatic ending of the first one.  However, based on the ending of this book, I would be curious to find out what happens next.

Thank you Hera and Love Book Tours for the gifted ebook of The Gingerbread Christmas Village!  All opinions in this review are my own.

Margi is in charge of the town tradition of creating a Christmas village made of gingerbread.  Together with her friends, they bake all of the gingerbread and create the display in the town hall.  However, when disaster strikes, Margi must decide if this tradition is worth keeping and if it is, how they are going to pull off this Christmas miracle.

I kicked off my holiday reading season with The Gingerbread Christmas Village.  It was the perfect small town Christmas story with a side of romance!  If you like Hallmark movies, then this will be a perfect read for you!