elementarymydear's Reviews (967)

 It is no secret that I have been HIGHLY anticipating this book. I absolutely loved Boyfriend Material, and I was so excited for a sequel!

Firstly, let’s talk characters. Obviously Luc and Oliver, the main couple, are brilliant characters we know and love. They both have their own baggage but they’re working on it, and I loved how this new book delved into Oliver’s world a little bit more, as he had a LOT to deal with in this book. It’s a romance, so of course this book ends with a HFN (thank you Alexis Hall because I could not emotionally deal with a cliff-hanger ending) and massive kudos to Hall for landing that so brilliantly. Everything across the whole book leads up to it so perfectly and it was the HFN both of them deserve.

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London Calling wouldn’t be London Calling without the cast of side characters. I love them all and would protect them all with my life. (Except Miles). Even Barbara Clench got sympathy out of me in this one, I was dying with laughter at her and Luc’s email exchanges! Rhys has found his true calling as an influencer, Alex continues to be ridiculous, Bridget continues to, well, Bridget, the James Royce-Royces are glorious as ever and Priya continues to be an icon. Odile has taken up Moomin jigsaws – of course she has – and Judy and the spaniels are still going strong. What more can I say?

I was very (and pleasantly) surprised to find that one of the strong themes throughout the book was that of equality and assimilation for the LGBTQ+ community. A lot of this is tied in with Oliver working through some (read: a lot of) stuff, but it’s so rare to see any book, let alone an otherwise traditional contemporary romance, deal with this theme. I thought it was done brilliantly. It would have been tempting to just have a sequel because Boyfriend Material was popular and they’re fun characters that we want more of (which is all true), but this gave Husband Material a purpose all of its own.

I listened to the audiobook of both books and honestly, what brilliant narration from Joe Jameson. It’s the gold standard for narration and he is the perfect Luc – and the perfect everyone else. (Is there any accent that man can’t do?)

So all in all? I loved this book. It was the perfect sequel in many unexpected ways. And I can’t wait for even more! 

 The first thing to say is: I enjoyed this a lot more once I stopped expecting Regency Romance with two capital Rs. Yes, there is a romance, and yes, it’s a regency setting, but there are none of the usual hallmarks of the genre – including the fact that the romance isn’t even the main plot line. Once I stopped expecting Regency Romance, I enjoyed it infinitely more for what is was – an understated historical fiction about a young woman determined to make something of herself, finding her place in society.

The second thing to say is: THEY’RE COUSINS. That’s all I have to say on the matter. Now we can return to the main part of my review.

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What this book did brilliantly – which is so rare to find in any historical fiction, let alone regency books – is have a socially conscious, feminist heroine, who actually does something about it (Eloise Bridgerton could never). The bulk of the plot revolves around the two female leads, Patience and Mary, pursuing their own passions and finding a way to use their talents for change and financial independence respectively.

As lovely as the romance and the family reunion was (putting aside the fact that those are the same thing), the individual character journeys were what stood out for me with this one. It’s a bit more Persuasion than Sense and Sensibility, and it’s a better book for it.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free copy for review. All opinions are my own.
 

 I’ll admit I was pleasantly surprised by this book! It could have gone one of two ways: it could have been a book about battles, wars, and the men who fought them; or, it could have been a book about day-to-day life in a war-torn country, and the women who worked to maintain some normality. To my delight, it was both!

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The characters all had depth, and the story was driven by the complex relationships between them. The two brothers, both with a claim to the throne, made contrasting protagonists and I can’t wait to see how their relationship shifts over the course of the series. My favourite character though was Sorsha, a woman who makes a mysterious arrival, and isn’t quite what the brothers expect. I thought the development of her character was fantastic, and gave the book a great arc.

We rarely think of the Roman empire in modern imperial ways, and what really made this book stand out for me was how H. Barnard incorporated our modern views on empire and culture without overpowering the book’s message. It was a really nice touch and added to the genre in a way we rarely see.

Thank you to the author for providing me with a free copy for review. All opinions are my own. 

 In the generic past, on a remote island off the coast of Britain, an unsuspecting vicar doesn’t realise he’s up for sacrifice by the still-pagan locals. Barmaid Dora does her best to save him but her attempts become more outlandish, more hilarious, and somehow less effective as the clock ticks closer to the equinox.

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It took me a couple of chapters to settle into the story, but once we got going I had a brilliant time with this one! Historical fiction tends to be either dark and miserable or outlandishly romantic, and this book managed to combine the two while lovingly poking fun at the genre. There are plenty of chuckles to be had and while historical accuracy is nowhere to be found, it somehow doesn’t matter one bit.

There’s a wonderful cast of characters, all resembling archetypal historical fantasy figures; Dora the awkward heroine, Molly the buxom barmaid, and the titular bumbling vicar. Their characters don’t go in quite the direction we expect, and there are plenty of surprises right up to the last page.

If you enjoy Upstart Crow, this book will have the atmosphere and humour for you. It’s a nice bit of light relief for historical fiction readers, with bags of character and plenty of witty observations.

I received a copy for free from Kaleidoscopic Book Tours. All opinions are my own. 

 Sometimes you find a book that grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let you go until the very end. This was one of those books! I was hooked from the very beginning and on tenterhooks the whole way through, especially at some critical moments (no spoilers!) towards the end.

While the plot is centred around Sam, the main character, uncovering a decades-old mysterious death, the core of the book is a wonderful coming-of-age story as Sam comes into their own. I couldn’t help but be invested in Sam as a character and feeling their ups and downs alongside them. I’m not a huge mystery/thriller fan, but the way MacGregor used the mystery element alongside the character arc was brilliant and made it a more character-driven book.

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There’s also a really great ensemble cast and found family, in particular the relationship Sam has with their dad. There’s something about YA stories of someone finding their people that just hits different, and this is a perfect example of that. This is a story of hope, the future, and finding happiness, all things that we always need more of.

Safe to say this book is one of the best I have read so far this year, and anyone picking this up will not be disappointed.

Thank you to the publishers for providing me with a free copy for review. All opinions are my own.