3.5 stars

Crown of Earth and Sky by Emberly Ash caught my attention due to the lovely cover and when I read the summary, I was intrigued. Magic, Fae, revenge...I'm in.

Veyka Pendragon is the new queen of the Elemental Fae but not because she wants to be. When her brother is murdered, she finds herself surrounded by a court she can't trust and her biggest goal is to get revenge against those who betrayed her. As she figures out how to balance her wishes with the requirements of the role of queen, she is also has to meets the man who will be her husband to keep the peace between the Elemental and Terrestrial courts.

Arran Earthborn is the strongest terrestrial fae in millennia and he takes his role within his kingdom very seriously so when he comes face to face with Veyka and realizes just how much she has given away, he's actually pretty disappointed and is determined to do what he must with or without her.

I thought Ash did a good job with the world building and the writing was done well. I found myself on the fence with the characters at times but she eventually won me over and when Veyka and Arran started working together, it seemed to help push the story along. If you're looking for a new adult fantasy with spice, consider picking this one up. I found myself flying through it and will pick up more from Ash in the future.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

Every Duke Has His Day by Suzanne Enoch was a quick and enjoyable read.

Michael Blumley is the Duke of Loriton and despite his title, he is considered an eccentric by his peers in the ton because of his love of science and the way he acts at times. He truly has no interest in Society but when his favorite aunt, Mary, Lady Harris, leaves her precious, well-behaved black poodle, Lancelot in his care while she travels his life takes an interesting turn.

Elizabeth Dockering is in her second season and is adored by everyone. It's expected that she will make a match this season but whoever she decides upon will have to win over her dog, a black poodle named Galahad. Unfortunately he does seem to push the limits with everyone and especially has it in for one of Bitsy's biggest admirers, Peter Cordray.

When Peter hires a thief to steal Galahad so he can win Elizabeth over without having to fight Galahad off, things take a turn. Little did he know that when Elizabeth and Michael crossed paths in the park, they ended up with each other's dogs and by the time Michael can resolve the issue, Peter's thief has stolen Lancelot instead of Galahad.

I loved how Enoch introduced these characters to each other and the way they end up working together and ultimately coming to rely on one another to find the dogs, was well done. The friendship and relationship were believable and I especially enjoyed the way Elizabeth and Michael were when they were together. They weren't afraid to challenge each other.

If you're looking for a fairly lighthearted historical romance consider picking this one up. I'll be keeping an eye out for more from Enoch in the future and already have some of her backlist on my TBR.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Radical Affair by Louise Mayberry is the third book in The Darnalay Castle series. I admit, I read book one and somehow missed the second book but I don't think I lost anything having not read book two yet. There are references to the characters but to be honest, it's probably more important to have read the first book only so you know who some of the secondary characters are in this one as they are referenced a few times.

Cybil Bythesea our fmc and she is stuck in a marriage to Lord Falstone with no hope of ever getting out. When she fled his home ten years ago due to his cruelty (you'll learn more about it in the book), her father (and now her brother) made a deal to pay him off so she could live her life the way she wants as long as she doesn't bring shame to his family name. Everything is going fine until she meets Will Chisolm, a man who works for her brother. But she has a connection to him she can't deny.

Will Chisolm is haunted by the past, the tragedy of his family’s eviction from their ancestral Highland farm, then his own foolish descent into political radicalism. Even now that he’s gained wealth and respectability as the manager of a set of spinning mills in Glasgow, he’s burdened with more responsibility and guilt than anyone knows. As he gets to know Cybil, and ultimately they start an affair, things become much more complicated than he planned and four years into their relationship, Cybil and Will have to figure out what they are going to do now that a child is on the way.

While this book does have Cybil cheating on her husband, it's actually not the focal point of the story. Cybil is a woman determined to do what is right for her and what she wants vs. what her husband and society allow her to do. Of course, she isn't as brazen as to flaunt it but in a time where women don't get to make their own choices, she is determined she will, especially when she finds out she is pregnant. All of that to say, I didn't love the way she reacted to Will when he was only trying to find the best solution for all knowing the constraints they both have in their lives.

As the story progresses, we learn more about Cybil and Will and the pasts that make them not only who they are today but also create the concerns around how to bring their child into the world. I appreciated Mayberry including the backstory of how these two characters met as most of the story takes place 4 years later and it helped set the stage for their relationship.

If you're looking for a new historical romance to pick up, consider this one. I do recommend picking up the first book in the series if you can before reading this one though...it will help in setting up all the characters for this book.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review to come.