Tag: historical romance

Book Review: Merry Little Match by Celine Rachelle

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Christmas Historical Romance
Length: 406 pages
Author: Celine Rachelle
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: November 24th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, this closed-door christmas regency romance follows Lady Clara Ashford as she turns her Yuletide house party into a daring scheme to save her family from ruin. When her plans clash with the infuriating and devastatingly handsome Nicolaus Croft, a battle of wits ensues—one laced with simmering attraction, festive chaos, and unexpected alliances.

An earl’s daughter should never be caught gasping at gossip, let alone cause it. But Lady Clara Ashford has always been a rule-breaker. Whispers of Clara’s scandalous schemes swirl through the drawing rooms of London’s elite.

Infamous for her wild antics—from clandestine book clubs devouring Byron’s most daring works to her perpetually muddied hems — Clara’s escapades leave every mother in the marriage mart clutching their pearls in horror. But her reckless freedom comes to a crashing halt when she returns home to find her father gravely ill.

Suddenly, her family’s earldom is poised to slip into the grasp of a conniving cousin. Clara and her sister Evie stand on the brink of ruin right as Christmas approaches. Before their cousin Rupert can force Evie to marry him, Clara must meddle her way into a love-match for her sister during the Yuletide festivities at their estate.

However, she didn’t account for someone determined to thwart her at every turn. When the infuriating Nicolaus Croft uncovers Clara’s plans to ensnare his friend, they are caught in a battle of wits.

As Christmas balls turn into scandalous disasters and mistletoe mischief abounds, Clara must battle both her cousin’s dastardly plans and her own attraction to Nicolaus to save her family before it’s too late.

NEW AUTHOR ALERT.

Well this was utterly charming and a great debut and an author I can’t wait to read more books from. I loved the holiday setting with the house party and all the moments in between. I often think a house party plot lacks something and I did not feel that here at all. It was well balanced with moments that kept you engaged.

The writing style did take me a bit to get into and I kind of wish it was all from one POV. It constantly rotated from paragraph to paragraph and it interrupted the flow a little. And I just found the antagonist to be trying a bit too hard.

I loooved Clara and Nicolaus’ romance and how swoony it was!! The kisses were HEATED and I was given a ball scene that made me melt. All top notches for me. I loved the little dash of enemies banter and how sweet and strong both characters were. There’s solid character progression and growth throughout.

Plenty of Christmas cheer and this is your friendly reminder that historical romances are worth the read!!

Overall audience notes:

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

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Book Review: Lord Farleigh and Miss Frost (Clairvoir Castle Romance #4) by Sally Britton

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Holiday Romance
Length: 253 pages
Author: Sally Britton
Publisher: Pink Citrus Books
Release Date: November 21st, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

An Irish miss and a duke’s son have little in common, but Christmas at the castle has a way of bringing the most unlikely people together.

Isleen Frost wishes her family had stayed in Dublin for Christmas but understands it would have been folly to decline an invitation to the Duke of Montfort’s Christmastide house party. Isleen refuses to allow the opulent castle and powerful duke to impress her. But the duke’s eldest son, Lord Farleigh, is another matter entirely.

Raised as the heir to a duke, Simon Dinard, Lord Farleigh, has learned to project a calm self-assurance despite an inner fear he will never be as confident a leader as his father. When a friendly wager and a spirited Irish lady challenge all his unspoken thoughts, he determines to prove her wrong—and ignore the growing attraction between them.

Christmas celebrations at the castle are always full of surprises, but Isleen and Simon are not at all prepared for the feelings the season inspires between them. An Irish miss and a duke’s son have no business falling in love. But the magic of sleigh rides, snow-covered hills, and mistletoe might change their minds…

This novel is a sweet Regency romance and can be read as a stand-alone, though readers of the previous books will enjoy seeing old friends again.

SWEET FOR THE SEASON.

Another enjoyable read in this series. I’ve been saving this book for the holiday’s and it did not disappoint! I like how easy these books feel and give off the cozy historical romance vibe that will make you smile.

I adore this whole family and love all of the castle adventures. There’s cute moments between the main couple, Isleen and Simon. I liked their banter and their willingness to admit wrongs and how entirely cute they were together.

It’s a sweet and quick read that if you’ve liked the rest of the series you’ll love this one too.

Overall audience notes:

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

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Book Review: An Honorable Deception (The Imposters #3) by Roseanna M. White

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Roseanna M. White
Publisher: Bethany House
Release Date: November 1st, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

As the leader of elite private investigative firm the Imposters, Lord Yates Fairfax has made an art of concealing his identity. But when his newest client, the beautiful Lady Alethia Barremore, is shot while leaving their meeting, he throws caution to the wind and rushes to her aid. Though Lady Alethia thought she was only looking for her missing former nanny, she has clearly stumbled upon dangerous secrets.

Lady Lavinia Hemming suspects there’s more to her oldest friends than they’re willing to admit, and when she stumbles upon the truth that they’re the Imposters, she recruits herself into the firm. Happy as she is for the distraction of an investigation, Lavinia’s own family secrets continue to haunt her. And the one thing to bring laughter back into her life–her friendship with Yates–lands her squarely on the bad side of her best friend, his sister.

Tormented by a past that she doesn’t dare to voice aloud, Lady Alethia does what she can to help her handsome host, her new friends, and the investigators. But as clues lead them deeper into the darkest of society’s secrets, Alethia, Yates, and Lavinia soon learn anew that the gentry isn’t always noble . . . and truth isn’t always honorable.

Thank you Bethany House for my gifted copy.

A GOOD CONCLUSION.

I have been waiting for Yates story and I found it really beautiful. It’s a soft love triangle with a lot of hard topics and loving humans who help each other move forward when the hard things hit.

The audiobook was great and I loved that format. I enjoyed the mystery of this plot and not quite knowing where it was going to lead. There’s just the right level of theatrics and drama that led to heated tension and memorable kissing scenes.

Seeing all of the old cast was a delight too. I have loved reading about all of these characters and I loved their inclusion into the plot. This was my first series my White and I would love to see what stories she writes next.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content: murder, attempted murder, sexual abuse, child abuse, gun violence

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ARC Book Review: Lady Anna’s Favor by Karen Tuft

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 272 pages
Author: Karen Tuft
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Release Date: November 26th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

London, England, 1814

Lady Anna Clifton will stop at nothing to find her missing brother—even if it means working alongside the dashingly handsome but sometimes infuriating Mr. Jennings, who just might steal her heart.

Lady Anna Clifton has arrived in London with a purpose known only to a few. Her soldier brother has been reported wounded and missing in France, and if he is dead, his title and their family’s estate will go to a horrible distant cousin, and Lady Anna will be homeless. Desperate to find her brother alive, she contacts old family friends, the Bledsoes, who vow to help her in any way they can. However, Lord Bledsoe’s efforts come up empty, except from the Duke of Aylesham, who offers his yacht to carry her to France when Anna decides she must look for her brother there herself.

James cannot board the Duke of Aylesham’s yacht to take him to France fast enough. After his sister’s rushed marriage to the duke himself, James wants nothing more than to enjoy a relaxing journey back to Paris before rejoining England’s diplomatic war efforts against Napoleon. When he boards the ship, he cannot deny his instant attraction to the strikingly beautiful young woman who will be joining him across the sea. But when he receives only a cold reception from her, James dismisses her outright—until he learns the tragic reason she has set out on such a perilous journey. As infuriating as Lady Anna’s brash behavior and indifference to him is, her search seems much too dangerous for a young lady of the ton to undertake alone, so James reluctantly offers to assist her in her quest.

Together, they embark on a search that will take them across the sea and through France to uncover the truth all while trying to reconcile their differences and the preconceived notions they have about each other. With every step, they come closer to solving the mystery surrounding Lady Anna’s brother’s disappearance—but each step also pushes their hearts closer together.

Thank you to Shadow Mountain for the ARC.

WELL?

I liked the ending of this book a lot. The last 20% is where I felt charmed and was much more engaged. I don’t know if the “dreaded cousin” trope has been played out too much for me recently but I didn’t like that aspect here. It felt predictable.

What wasn’t predictable was the chaos of the middle. Anna on a journey through Paris with James led to all sorts of meetings I wasn’t expecting. And while that’s not necessarily a bad thing, I’m not sure it was good either. For a shorter book it seemed as if too much was being stuffed in that didn’t truly add to the plot.

The romance is sweet. A little bit of insta-love but it takes some time for things to happen. I liked that it didn’t have a third act break-up and that the resolutions for the story and romance came together well. The audiobook narration was good too!

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses

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