Book Review: A Guarded Heart by Heidi Kimball

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 223 pages
Author: Heidi Kimball
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Release Date: March 1st, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Three years after a shocking scandal destroyed her family and forced her into isolation, Eleanor Hayward finally has an opportunity to put her painful history and dashed hopes behind her. But reentering society is no simple task. In her cousin’s glittering ballroom, Eleanor is stunned when she comes face-to-face with the man who broke her heart those years before.

Edmund Fletcher thought he had laid the past to rest until he unexpectedly encounters the woman who so nearly became his wife. Soon to be engaged to another, Edmund knows he must let go of the complicated feelings he harbors for Eleanor. However, when the Hayward scandal resurfaces and the truth behind their parting is revealed, Eleanor and Edmund are left reeling. Tormented by thoughts of what could have been, they realize it is impossible to rewrite history. But is there a future in which they might both find happiness—and true love?

GOT CAUGHT UP.

In the miscommunication. ACK. I wanted to love this and enjoyed it for the most part but the longer the book went on the more the lack of one single conversation that was desperately needed started to make me cranky.

I thought Edmund and Eleanor were both sweet. I always appreciate dual POV too. There’s some flashback chapters as well that lend to creating a better back story for the iciness that occurs at the beginning of the book. I thought the audiobook was great too.

So not my favorite HK books but I’ll still be reading whatever she writes next.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Content Warnings: loss of a sibling (on page), alcoholism

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: Mayhem and the Mortal by Shanora Williams

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 512 pages
Author: Shanora Williams
Publisher: Red Tower
Release Date: March 17th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

One mission. One curse. No escape.

Zaira doesn’t want a hero. She needs a weapon.

To save her sister from a soul-devouring curse, she has to cross The Shallows—a nightmare landscape of ruined magic, shifting paths, and vicious creatures that eat people alive.

Her guide? Thane Valkor: sorcerer, assassin, walking red flag. His name clears rooms. His magic kills quietly. And whatever he’s really after, it’s not salvation.

He promises to help. He might even mean it.

But Zaira knows better than to trust a liar with a blade and ice in his veins.

She just doesn’t have a choice.

I LIKED IT!

Thanks to a random story I saw I went and downloaded this book! It was a fun romantasy and while I did think it’s a standalone, I’ll read the sequel!

I liked the dynamic between the romantic leads. Zaira is a strong empath and truly leads with kindness and in a brutal world and magic system I thought it was a great opposition to things happening around (and to) her. While it totally frustrated me at times, I was also interested to see how her character arc would be shaped over the novel.

The romance is very much grump x sunshine. Thane is a force and I liked getting more of his background too. I do think the spice started a little early and I’m still not 100% sold on the relationship. I’m hopeful to see how book two increases the connection.

I liked the world. I liked the magic system and it was all around a good read. I’m not a huge fan of travel adventure style plots so that became repetitive for me, otherwise though, I think you should pick this up!

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy romance
  • Language: mild – moderate
  • Romance: 3ish open door
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings: near death experiences, murder, torture, kidnapping, creature encounters

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: The Night We Met (Say You’ll Remember Me #2) by Abby Jimenez

GoodeyReads1 Comment

Rating: ★★★★.25
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Abby Jimenez
Publisher: Forever
Release Date: March 24th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A beautiful, compelling novel that revels in laughter, friendship, and the messy choices life can throw our way.

In everyone’s life, there’s a split-second decision that can change everything…

For Larissa, it came when choosing which guy to ride home with after a concert. That night, she had no idea she’d met the perfect man. She and Chris are great together, co-parenting a slightly unhinged rescue Yorkie, sharing their favorite books, and judging bread (pumpernickel for the win!). For the first time amid all her side hustles to scrape by, things finally feel easy.

But Chris isn’t the one who drove Larissa home all those months ago—Chris is her boyfriend’s best friend. All Chris wants is for Larissa to be happy. Standing by on the sidelines is slowly killing him, but making a move would destroy someone else. And he’s just not that guy.

HARD TO RATE.

I kind of waffled back and forth on what I would finally rate this for a few different reasons.

The yearning? TOP TIER. I love a man who years and years hard. Chris was the definition of a sweetheart and took care of Larissa in all of these beautiful little ways. I generally love the little moments most in romances and this is exactly what I got here.

I struggled with Larissa a bit. She’s dating *Mike* for a large majority of the book and while I didn’t expect to get much of them together I guess I was expecting maybe a little more? Only because they both talked (especially Mike) about how much they liked/loved each other and I didn’t believe it for one second so I was frustrated that they dated for a year. I loved when Larissa finally put her foot down and the book gained some momentum for the last few chapters.

It’s heartfelt and romantic as I find all of Abby Jimenez’s books. Up against my favorite (Part of Your World) this one didn’t beat it out. But still very enjoyable and incredibly easy to fly through. I did not want to put it down. I liked the mental health conversations, working hard and choosing a new [better] path for yourself and other nuanced things too. The ending was just what I was hoping for and gave a beautiful sense of hope.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: mild+
  • Romance: fade to black
  • Violence: low
  • Content warnings: alcoholism (on page), mental illness, toxic relationships, loss of a parent (recounted)

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: The Q by Beth Brower

GoodeyReads1 Comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Fiction
Length: 592 pages
Author: Beth Brower
Publisher: Rhysdon Press
Release Date: October 19th, 2016
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

CAN QUINCY ST. CLAIRE KEEP THE Q?

A dying man with a scheme
A charming smuggler one step ahead of the law
A former foundling with a mangled hand
A family of kingmakers
A printing tycoon
A constable on the trail of justice
An idealistic solicitor with secrets of his own
&
The genius at the center of it all, Quincy St. Claire

CHARMING.

This is a delightful read that is a few hundred pages too long. But I did enjoy it?? I just felt like it took me FOREVER to get through too?? There’s a quality to Beth Brower’s writing that I loved seeing in a different story (I am Emma M. Lion obsessed).

There were a lot of good themes and quotable moments I found while reading. I loved the journey of letting go of the things you need to so that better ones can fall into place. I loved Quincey learning that some people won’t leave and will be there when you need them. The strong friendships and meaningful connections that are sometimes hard to see at first.

There’s even a little sub-plot romance that was sweet and I loved that journey for them too.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Fiction
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph