wordsofclover's Reviews (2.16k)

It's the 1860s, and Evelyn Maltravers has arrived to London for her first season at the grand old age of three abd twenty, ready to salvage her family's reputation and her younger sisters' futures following a reckless decision made by another sibling. Evie must marry rich, and for this she needs the help of an expert habit maker as she knows her beauty lies not in the ballroom but on the back of her horse. Enter Ahmad Malik, whose skill with needle and thread is only bested by how handsome he is. Immediately there is an attraction between the two but with the opinions of high society in the way, what can they do to make it work.

I listened to this on audiobook and really enjoyed it. While there isn't necessarily insta-love in this book, there is insta-attraction. I would have liked the slow burn to have been built up even more than it was between the two and for it to have taken a bit longer for the two to realise how deeply attracted they were to each other. The historical elements in this book were very good and I appreciated how the author dealt with Ahmad being a POC, half Indian and half British, how he was treated by people as a POC but also as a tradesman, and then his opinions about colonisation and the general wrong ideas Brits had about India and its peoples - and then how Evelyn strived to learn more herself from those affected by British rule, not the colonizers themselves.

As a horse girl I loved the horse element in this book, and really loved the friendship between Evelyn and the Furies and I really look forward to reading the next book which I think was set up really nicely in this one.

Maggie Walsh is tired and sad as within a couple of days, she loses her job and her husband. After some weeks living back home in the Walsh family house with her parents and sisters, she jumps at the opportunity to visit her friend Emily in Los Angeles for some sun, sea and maybe a bit of the other S word too.

I really enjoyed this. Exploring heartbreak, friendship, infertility and second chance romance, there were really emotional, heartfelt moments in this with Maggie but also some genuine laugh out loud bits that you're guaranteed with a Marian Keyes book. This is the third book in the Walsh Family series but can be read as a standalone - if you've read the others, it's just nice to see the other sisters pop in and out of the story and even though everyone in this family is as mad as a hatter, they will kill for one another.

I found Maggie the most likable sister so far in the series - and a lot of her problems are probably more relatable such as infertility and miscarriage, as well as these issues causing friction and loss within her marriage as well. I liked how she tried very hard to embrace the LA lifestyle from helping to pitch movies and even having a 'lezzer' experience (which was done in a funny but still a very genuine way - she gave it a good shot).

I really liked how this story ended - and it made me happy to see how Maggie ended up, and I feel like it was definitely the best place for her.

It's 900 AD in viking era Ireland, and in this story we follow two gifted, driven women with different agendas. First is Gormflaith, a woman in possession of a special power due to her magical heritage, but one she has to keep secret. Gormflaith is determined to help her son Sitric gain the throne of Dublin and will get rid of anyone who is in her way. We also follow Fódla, part of the remaining descendants of the Tuatha de Danann and has the gift of healing. As Gormflaith helps Sitric, Fódla is charged with travelling to the home of King Brian Boru and spying on him and his troops.

I really enjoyed this brilliant foray into ancient Ireland. It really helped spark a new passion into trying to learn more about these old figures of history and well as ancient folklore and mythology connected to Ireland. I though the juxtaposition of Gormflaith and Fódla as our characters were brilliant as in the ways they are similar, both powerful in their own right but also beholden to the men in their lives, though while Fódla is gentle and kind, Gormflaith is ruthless and happy to kill those in the way even if they are innocent.

The author weaved true history in with fantasy and magic brilliantly - making the story unique and fun, yet still respecting the deep history and beliefs of ancient Ireland. Really looking forward to the next book and seeing how Gormlaith and Fódla's stories intermingle with that of Brian Boru and the Battle of Clontarf!