sarahsbookstack's Reviews (2.55k)

Super fun historical romance that has two MCs hiding their identities but who converse and fall in love through letters written.  

Musa is writing scandalous poetry as the pen name, Felicity Vita, to bring income to keep her scandalized family afloat. Seb is an artist who fell for Felicity 's works but writes her letters as Henry. When her sister seeks to find a husband, Musa must write a children's book and leave Felicity behind.

I didn't agree with Musa that she enforced the idea of spinsterhood on her sister Angela and was happy that Angela decided to forgo it and find her own destiny.

Seb and Musa's relationship on the page and IRL was fun. I enjoyed them growing closer.

Julia and William have quite the history. They met and fell in love as teens and had grand plans for after college. But they break up and Julia goes on to marry another. After her husband leaves her for the second time, she connects with William and they try a relationship again but it's complicated with her young daughter. Then another circumstance pulls them apart again.

I liked them as teens together. I was sad when they drifted apart during college. Julia was quite stubborn at times but I could understand why. I just wish she didn't break William's heart so much.

I read this book in a day and enjoyed it a lot. I can't wait to read more from Jenna!

This book was beautifully researched and beautifully written. It's amazing to think that this murder occured 100 years ago and it's still unsolved.

I really like the different perspectives that we got. From Ella (the maid to Dot... The deceased) to new reporter Julia (So awesome that she got a chance to do what she wanted to do in that time period) to Inspector Coughlin. I love how a true crime story can be turned into fiction.

This was a fascinating look at this woman's death to the scandal of corruption in the highest of the political world.

This book is so lush with detail that I felt that I was right on Bahama Island myself!

I immediately liked Eliza because of her stubbornness and her love of reading. I felt saddened that she was wed to a monster of a man. She was so compassionate to the slaves and really tried to get them to not be mistreated. So this book can be very dark as all slavery is.

It's very long but so engaging. The ending gutted me as I had certain hopes for our heroine! I totally did not expect it to end with a "to be continued"! Makes me wonder what is coming next from this debut author.

This book takes us from 1997 where Amber is labeled "Prom Mom" for having a baby on prom night and supposedly killing it. The boy that's the father, Joe, is dubbed "Cad Dad" but doesn't get the scrutiny that Amber does. Then the rest of the story takes place in 2019-2021 so we have the pandemic in their lives.

I didn't get the 3 women in Joe's life- his wife Meredith, Amber, and Jordan (latter two he has affairs with). Joe just is not that great of a guy. He's a bit boring. Why were they so enamored with him? The things they come to light about him are a testament to how terrible that prom night was in reality for Amber. 

I think this would have been better if we didn't spend so much time in the present time and got to see more of the past.

I'm not always the biggest fan of book 2 in a trilogy and it was the same in this. I liked it but wasn't as in love with it.

Meren has to fight her way out of pretending to be her sister at Eidolon's side until she is rescued by Reven. Then they find they need to get more amulets that have trapped the Goddesses. So they have to embark to many different lands to find them. 

I wish we had more of Tabra in this book and not the way she was presented either. It was necessary to restrain her but it also felt just so cruel. Reven was MOODY as all get out in this book but it wasn't a sexy broody.. It was an annoying broody. I wish Meren would see the potential she has instead of always doubting. Hopefully, from the end of this one, she will grow into that in book 3.

Tabra and Meren are twins born in a royal line, but to the outside world, Meren doesn't exist. While Tabra is being groomed to be Queen, Meren is there to be a body double in situations that might be dangerous for the Queen herself.
One night, Meren is kidnapped by Reven.

The world building is easy to understand. I love how great Meren is at pretending she's the right girl taken with Reven. I really like how they get under each other's skin and grow closer. Reven is so secretive and when you come to find out why, it's unlike anything I've ever heard of (the author notes that it comes from an obscure Grimms fairy tale).

The ending was super exciting and I can't wait to get into book 2 because of what Meren might have planned!

I just knew this would be a hit with me as Lisa's my favorite thriller author!

There is the story, a podcast, and scenes of a Netflix documentary scattered throughout.  Alix is the woman who does the podcast and Josie is the woman who comes and wants to get her told and turns everything upside down for Alix. 

It's hard to say much for fear of spoilers but this was very well paved and I love how it went from one of the elements to the other, in and out seamlessly. I just knew there was something off about Josie but it's more twisted than anything I could ever have imagined. Near the end, you start to question certain things you have read before! I think a mix of what characters say is true, is true..... But none of them tell the whole truth.

Very exciting and it was highly anticipated!

I love learning even more about Fizzy in this book! I love that the premise is about an unscripted dating show based on the science from the first book and that it centers around Fizzy.

Connor is the hot, single dad producer on this reality show. He has to find 8 men that fit her "tropes". All along the way though, he has to fight his deepening feelings for her.

There is banter, laughter, spice, and swoony moments between these two. I was so invested in their chemistry and even though we know how these books go, I was never interested in the guys she had to date for the show 🤷‍♀️

I enjoyed this multi-generational, dual timeline story in a single afternoon. 

I loved both Lizette (Prussian war in Paris of the 1870s) and Micheline (after WW2). 
Lizette, often ignored in her wealthy family, meets a revolutionary Théo and joins his cause for the poor people of Paris. She has a big adjustment to go through but opens a bakery despite. She became a bolder person I felt in her new circumstances.

Micheline, who lost her mother to the war and is raising her younger sisters, gets the opportunity to go to culinary school and open back up the bakery that has long been gone. She falls in love with a classmate and they make a family. They also have hard times but I really felt that she found a calling.

Be aware, you WILL get hungry as there are recipes for many pastries added!