Book Review: The Stranger I Wed (The Doves of New York #1) by Harper St. George

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 344 pages
Author: Harper St. George
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: April 23rd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

New to wealth and to London high society, American heiress Cora Dove discovers that with the right man, marriage might not be such an inconvenience after all. . . .

Cora Dove and her sisters’ questionable legitimacy has been the lifelong subject of New York’s gossipmongers and a continual stain on their father’s reputation. So when the girls each receive a generous, guilt-induced dowry from their dying grandmother, the sly Mr. Hathaway vows to release their funds only if Cora and her sisters can procure suitable husbands—far from New York. For Cora, England is a fresh start. She has no delusions of love, but a husband who will respect her independence? That’s an earl worth fighting for.

Enter: Leopold Brendon, Earl of Devonworth, a no-nonsense member of Parliament whose plan to pass a Public Health bill that would provide clean water to the working class requires the backing of a wealthy wife. He just never expected to crave Cora’s touch or yearn to hear her thoughts on his campaign—or to discover that his seemingly perfect bride protects so many secrets…

But secrets have a way of bubbling to the surface, and Devonworth has a few of his own. With their pasts laid bare and Cora’s budding passion for women’s rights taking a dangerous turn, they’ll learn the true cost of losing their heart to a stranger—and that love is worth any price.

DOWN BAD FOR MOC.

Gosh I eat this trope up. Every time. I should have read this so much sooner. MISTAKES WERE MADE. I am grateful to have rectified this now. I loved the chemistry between Leopold and Cora. There’s a great slow burn and many moments where you get to see them work together and let each other in. It’s sweet and heated and wow did I fly through this book.

I liked how the over arching story wove into the romance. I liked seeing the hints about Cora’s sisters and getting all of the background info on her family. I loved having Leo’s POV too (and I do wish the audiobook was dual narrators!!).

Any kind of third act nonsense that would have bugged me was swiftly handled and boy do I love COMMUNICATION. We love a man who falls hard y’all. Many memorable scenes and I’m stoked to continue the series!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: 3ish open door; moderate innuendo
  • Violence: mild
  • Content warnings: attempted kidnapping

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Book Review: Our Beautiful Mess by B.K. Clark

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Rating: ★★★.75
Audience: Romantic Suspense
Length: 457 pages
Author: B.K. Clark
Publisher: Bradford Press LLC
Release Date: May 28th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Two broken hearts get a second chance at love in this atmospheric, suspenseful love story.

Claire has never known affection. Not from the parents who raised her to carry on a family empire or her recently deceased husband, who only married her for that empire. She’s hidden every “needy” emotion, every desire, in the stories she pens by hand. No longer able to bear the shallow condolences, the familial expectations—the dark secret she carries—Claire leaves for the picturesque island of Solsken. It’s her chance to become the woman, the writer, she longs to be.

She never expected him.

Danny is reeling from his ex-wife’s infidelity. Already leaning too heavily on his best friend, he doesn’t need secretive women with guarded smiles and quirky writing habits showing up in his tavern, stealing his attention. He can’t allow the snare of attraction, that mouth, to unravel his carefully built walls. He’s barely holding himself together.

Then the whispers start, a cold touch while Claire sleeps, a window opening without her. Claire’s convinced it’s in her head. Stress. Until a blood-written threat appears, driving her to Danny’s doorstep. She shouldn’t seek him out, it’s not his mess to fix, but there’s the way his eyes never waver from hers, those tender touches she craves.

…And there’s her secret that could tear it all away.

ALMOST THERE.

I was enjoying this book a lot (and I did enough overall to read another from this author), BUT we lost some steam in the second half. Namely, the trauma dump. A good amount played well into the romantic suspense elements and then there were a few scenes that took it over the top and I was hit with a maybe I should throw my kindle vibes.

The romance was pretty good too. I thought the insta-connection seemed to work well and I was obsessed with the setting. It was haunting in all the best ways. I wish the inner monologue had been a little less repetitive though. I’m always interested in low spice/closed door romantic suspense so hopefully there’s future books!

Overall audience notes:

  • Romantic suspense
  • Language: low
  • Romance: one vague fade to black
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content warnings: stalking, attempted murder, gun violence, loss of a husband (recounted), murder, kidnapping a child, cheating

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Book Review: The Gate of the Feral Gods (Dungeon Crawler Carl #4) by Matt Dinniman

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Dystopian Sci-FI/LitRPG
Length: 590 pages
Author: Matt Dinniman
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: March 11th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

New Achievement! Total, Utter Failure.

You failed a quest less than five minutes after you received it. Now that’s talent.

A floating fortress occupied by warrior gnomes. A castle made of sand. A derelict submarine guarded by malfunctioning machines. A haunted crypt surrounded by lethal traps.

It was supposed to be easy. One bubble. Four castles. Fifteen days. Capture each one, and the stairwell is unlocked.

Here’s the thing. It’s never easy. Carl and his team can’t go it alone. Not this time. They must rely on the help of the low-level, I-can’t-believe-these-idiots-are-still-alive crawlers trapped in the bubble with them. But can they be trusted?

Welcome, Crawler. Welcome to the fifth floor of the dungeon.

CURRENT FAV.

I think (after the first book) this is my current favorite of the series. There was something ultra magnetic about the story telling and maybe it’s just because I’ve gotten a few levels down in the dungeon and I’m more attached to all of the things happening. I felt like I had a better grasp of the characters and their personalities and I loved that I got some background on Carl too.

It’s another wild adventure of too many hard decisions, explosions, and trying to find the next path forward. I feel like a lot of the plot points were heightened and made me 100% invested in continuing the series (of which I was going to anyways, but the encouragement helps!).

I still highly recommend going the audiobook route for this series. I do think I would have less enjoyment eyeball reading because it’s not my typical genre and I can get bogged down in keeping up that way. The production is great.

Overall audience notes:

  • LitRPG / Dystopian Sci-Fi
  • Language: moderate+
  • Romance: none
  • Violence: high

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Book Review: I Wish He Would (Sweeter Than Fiction #4) by Amanda Schimmoeller

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Rating: ★★★★.25
Audience: Sports Romance
Length: 301 pages
Author: Amanda Schimmoeller
Publisher: ABS Publishing
Release Date: September 1st, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

I hit it out of the park in the friend department. The dating department? Not so much.

After a series of horrible first dates, I’m convinced it’s time to give up on my search for love. But when my best friends convince me to try out a list of twenty questions to fall in love, I decide to give it a shot.

I go on a date and test out the questionnaire, but it seems the only answers I get are the ones leading me back to my friend, Austin Bradford, who also happens to be the star shortstop for the Louisville Mustangs.

Despite all my desperate attempts to convince my best friends otherwise, I’ve had feelings for Austin since we met three years ago. Which also happened to be the same night he friendzoned me.

When I have to attend my cousin’s destination wedding—who, might I add, is marrying my jerk of an ex-boyfriend—Austin insists on going with me. I tell myself it will be fine, just a friendly vacation. Maybe I can even bury all my feelings for him on the beach.

Except, the time I spend with Austin has me questioning if the heated looks he’s sending my way are real, or if the Caribbean sun is making me hallucinate.

I wish he would give me a clear sign, because I refuse to put my heart on the line and risk our friendship without knowing if our love story will be a grand slam or a strikeout.

I Wish He Would is a friends-to-lovers baseball romcom with sizzling chemistry but no explicit content. It’s the fourth book in the Sweeter Than Fiction series, following four best friends finding love.

Thank you to the author for a gifted copy.

ADORED.

I think this is my new favorite of the series. I just had a blast reading it and flew right through it. I continue to enjoy this friend group and the way they show up for each other. It’s filled with kindness and saying the hard thing even when you don’t want to hear it.

I’m usually on a struggle bus when it comes to friends to lovers romances, and YAY, this was not the case here. I liked the realizations for Austin and Alyssa. It wasn’t riddled with miscommunication and focused on the intentional choices needed to see if their could be a romance relationship between them.

My small issue was some of the antagonists came off a little ridiculous in demeanor and such. But otherwise nothing major.

I loved that this had a dash of fake dating and baseball games mixed in with a destination wedding (+ a few of my favorite tropes popped up too!). I loved the baseball content!!! There were multiple swoony moments that had me gushing. The banter is fun and the whole lighter vibe of the book just feels right.

Overall audience notes:

  • Sports romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: none that I remember

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