Tag: audiobook

ALC Book Review: Snowed In by Catherine Walsh

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Catherine Walsh
Publisher: Bookouture
Release Date: November 1st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Megan is dreading going home for the holidays. She’s the village pariah, the she-devil who left local golden boy Isaac at the altar four years ago and ran away to the big city. She could really do without the drama. Particularly as he’s engaged again, and she’s just been dumped for the fourth time this year.

Christian’s fed up of being on his own every Christmas. He doesn’t mind being alone , but he hates his family’s sad eyes and soft tones as they sit around coupled up. Because he’s actually, totally, fine.

So when Megan literally bumps into Christian in a Dublin pub, they come up with a pact to see them through the holiday season. They’re going to be the very best fake dates for each other, ever .

Rules are drawn up, a contract is signed on a wine-stained napkin. They will sit through each other’s family gatherings and be outrageously in love until freed from their annual obligations. After all, it’s only for a few weeks.

But with everyone home for the holidays, two big families to deal with alongside old friends, old flames and old feelings, things are bound to get messy. And when a snowed-in cabin and a little Christmas magic are added to the mix, anything could happen…

A swoon worthy and utterly gorgeous romantic comedy that will make you laugh out loud and fall completely in love. Fans of Emily Henry, Sophie Kinsella and Abby Jimenez won’t be able to put this down!

Thank you Bookouture Audio for the ALC.

GREAT FOR THE SEASON.

I binged this one in a day and had a good time reading it. It took me a little to get into (which may be my own issue with reading one too many fake dating tropes), but once I started to feel the connection between Christian and Megan I was involved.

There were plenty of cute forced proximity moments and once again I adore the setting. I was feeling all of the winter and holiday vibes and was easily swept away. I liked the build between Christian and Megan and that it was dual POV!! I think we definitely needed both sides to the story to really understand all of the feelings. I thought the families were wonderful and I always love seeing those aspects. There’s some good growth and I just genuinely enjoyed this!

I do think the spice felt a little off to me. As if there was more than necessary? I didn’t love the forced vibe, but if you’re looking for a spicier holiday romance, this is Walsh’s spiciest book to date.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Holiday Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: 3-4 open door

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Book Review: The Lady and the Lionheart by Joanne Bischof

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Fiction Romance
Length: 302 pages
Author: Joanne Bischof
Publisher: Mason Jar Books
Release Date: August 1st, 2016
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Two worlds collide when the circus comes to Victorian-era Virginia.

Raised amid the fame and mystique of the Big Top, Charlie Lionheart holds the audience in the palm of his hand. But while his act captivates thousands, it’s away from the spotlight where his true heart lies. Here he humbly cares for his pride of lions as if they were his brothers, a skill of bravery and strength that has prepared him for his most challenging feat yet—freeing an orphaned infant from the dark bondage of a sideshow. A trade so costly, it requires his life in exchange for hers, leaving him tarnished by the price of that choice.

As the circus tents are raised on the outskirts of Roanoke, nurse Ella Beckley arrives to tend to this Gypsy girl. All under the watchful eye of a guardian who not only bears a striking resemblance to the child, but who protects the baby with a love that wraps around Ella’s own tragic past, awakening a hope that goodness may yet reign. When their forbidden friendship deepens, Charlie dares to ask for her heart, bringing her behind the curtain of his secret world to reveal the sacrifice that gave hope to one little girl—boldly showing Ella that while her tattered faith is deeply scarred, the only marks that need be permanent are his own.

TOOK ME BY PLEASANT SURPRISE.

I saw this around recently and felt drawn in enough to give it a go. And Y’ALL. It surprised me in the best ways. I truly ended up loving this romance and story.

The circus setting was perfect. I liked how the good and bad was shown in the historical context of the time period. I thought things were handled with care and I loved learning more about how things were run with traveling circuses and all of the great people you can meet along the way.

Romance wise, I was swooned away by Charlie. It’s a fast paced romance (when they commented on the time that had passed I was shocked it had been so quick). Yet, the insta love nature was drawn out in the right ways that I did still feel the connection between Charlie and Ella. They were super sweet together and both had a lot of character growth.

There are clear Christianity aspects that I thought aligned well with the tone of the plot. Many aspects of forgiveness and realizing your true worth in the face of things out of your control. There’s quite a few hard topics that are addressed and I think both sides of this merged well.

Overall audience notes:

  • Christian Historical Romance
  • Langauge: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: medium
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: rape (happened prior to book, but mentioned and vaguely recounted), loss of a baby (briefly mentioned)

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Book Review: Dance of a Burning Sea (Mousai #2) by E.J. Mellow

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 512 pages
Author: E.J. Mellow
Publisher: Montlake
Release Date: October 19th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Within the world of Aadilor, there is a hidden place called the Thief Kingdom, where both magic and pleasure abound. There, the Mousai, a trio of deadly sorceresses bound by oath and blood, use their powers to protect the kingdom’s treasures.

Niya Bassette brings the potent gift of dance to the Mousai, but behind her tempting twirls, she carries a heavy secret—that the infamous pirate lord, Alōs Ezra, has been threatening to exploit for years. Now banished from the Thief Kingdom for smuggling, Alōs resurfaces in Niya’s life with a plot to hold her hostage, leveraging what he knows to extort a pardon from the Thief King.

But Niya makes her own deal with Alōs to guard her secret and guarantee her freedom—yet in doing so binds herself aboard his pirate ship, where she must navigate deadly waters, a bloodthirsty crew, and her own traitorous heart. Soon, a simmering attraction between her and Alōs threatens their delicate truce and makes for a tumultuous ride on the open seas. Far from her kingdom, Niya is entangled in a dangerous dance indeed.

Welcome to the world of Aadilor, where dark deeds can mask noble hearts and the most alluring of sways often ends with a burn. Care for a spin?

From award-winning author E. J. Mellow comes the thrilling second installment in the Mousai series, featuring a powerful sorceress who finds her loyalties tested by a ruthless pirate lord.

WANTED TO LOVE.

Another overall miss for this series. I think it’s me? Fantasy standalones within a series is a struggle for me. I love long sagas or one and done with fantasies. The difference seems to always leave me wanting.

The enemies to lovers vibes here worked for me a lot of the time. I liked the back and forth and plenty of forced proximity and banter. Where I struggled with was a particular [spoiler] scene that took me out of the story. After that point things kind of fell flat and I was speeding up the audio to move along.

I did enjoy all of the pirate related saga. On a treasure hunt type quest, hanging with the crew and some good battle scenes did fit the story well. The bond between the sisters and Dad is also one of my favorite parts. I love close knit family connections and find this a unique aspect to the fantasy genre.

I’m tempted to read the third, but will probably wait a bit like I did with this one.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: two open door
  • Violence: med-high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: whipping, loss of life, murder, physical and magical altercations

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Book Review: The Lost Letter by Mimi Matthews

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Regency Romance Retelling
Length: 244 pages
Author: Mimi Matthews
Publisher: Perfectly Proper Press
Release Date: September 19th, 2017
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A PROUD BEAUTY

Society beauty Sylvia Stafford is far too pragmatic to pine. When the tragic death of her gamester father leaves her destitute and alone, she finds work as a governess in a merchant’s household in Cheapside. Isolated from the fashionable acquaintance of her youth, she resigns herself to lonely spinsterhood until a mysterious visitor convinces her to temporarily return to her former life–and her former love.

A SCARRED BEAST

Colonel Sebastian Conrad is no longer the dashing cavalry officer Sylvia once fell in love with. Badly scarred during the Sepoy Rebellion, he has withdrawn to his estate in rural Hertfordshire where he lives in near complete seclusion. Brooding and tormented, he cares nothing for the earldom he has inherited–and even less for the faithless beauty who rejected him three years before.

A SECOND CHANCE

A week together in the remote Victorian countryside is the last thing either of them ever wanted. But when fate intervenes to reunite them, will a beastly earl and an impoverished beauty finally find their happily-ever-after? Or are some fairy-tale endings simply not meant to be?

FANTASTIC RETELLING.

I had no idea this was a Beauty and the Beast retelling until I got into the story. What a pleasant surprise because these are my favorite kind! This is a super quick read that I was able to get through in a day and I continually enjoy Mimi Matthews books and this was another good one.

This was written well and I loved the set-up between these two. A good dose of second chance romance and some hidden unrequited feelings. I liked the little dash of mystery to solve what happened to the missing letters and how it led Sebastian and Sylvia back to each other.

There was a small dash of miscommunication I didn’t love, and I kind of had a hard time with the meddling sister too. Besides that things moved swiftly and there some great swoony kiss scenes and a nice HEA.

Overall audience notes:

  • Regency Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: medium
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: multiple mentions of suicide and suicide ideation, loss of a parent from suicide, grief

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