If you have seen The Vow, then this book is easy to understand. If you haven't watched any of the documentaries or haven't been following along, this book does explain well, but it feels like reporting and not telling the story.

It's full of information not mentioned in the documentaries and from what I haven't read, so I found that interesting. It was the stories about Mexico. I wished the author spent more time building the backstories, so some of the things she wrote about were vague. This is an ARC, so perhaps the author will finesse it a bit before publication.

But overall, an easy to read but quick history and downfall of NXIVM.

I received an ARC from Edelweiss and Steerforth.

I really enjoyed this updated version of Beauty, and the Beast meets Taming of the Shrew. Tons of banter and a hero that is grunty, grumpy, and grovels.

Recommend.

Read for a 2nd time to refresh for 2nd Book. Still delightful.

ARC from Edelweiss and Amara.

The final book in the Unlikely Duchesses series.

Born on the wrong side of the sheets, Tessa James grew up on the wrong side of the tracks and decided to find her father with the knowledge of his coat of arms on a necklace from her mother. She really wants a small loan to open her own millinery shop from her father - that is all, nothing else. To find him, she decides to pretend to be an experienced governess to a child that sends governesses away weekly.

With tough love, Tessa wins over Sophy, an angry five-year-old girl, and then also manages to win over Guy Whitby, the new Duke of Carlin.

There is a mystery involving treasure maps and the Carlin men's unlikely deaths as a secondary storyline.

Overall, it was a good romance, I enjoyed it and read it in one sitting, but I felt the characters were flat.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and St. Martin's for an honest review.

This is a hot and angsty romance. It's not for everyone. Lady Isobel Vance (the sister of Book #1) got out of her pre-arranged marriage to the alpha hole and married the Marquess of Roth at the end of Book #1. But we, the readers, didn't learn much.

Fast Forward 3 1/2 years later.

Isobel had her wedding night, and then Winter, Marquess of Roth, returns to London, leaving her behind at his country seat estate. He goes back to be the false reputation of being a rake at his club. She is angry, and she is older, wiser, and smarter. She wants her husband back, and she finally has the guts to do it. She goes to London to win/convince her Husband back.

What comes is a heated but angry game of trying to up to each other and tempting side effects of being in the same room again after 3 years.

I enjoyed it.

Tropes:
• Taming of the Shrew is strong in this one
• 2nd Chance
• grunty, grump & groveling Hero
• Heroine is taking no shit (anymore)
• Gaming Hell/Club
• Disguises

I really preferred the original podcast of this, and the book feels like it was an afterthought. While the book is good, it doesn't have the same voice as Maddow's other books, which I was missing.

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book.

I thought the character building and relationships were realistic High School/Young Adult emotions/development/age.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Wednesday Books.