Tag: historical romance

ARC Book Review: A Beautiful Disguise (The Imposters #1) by Roseanna M. White

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Mystery + Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Roseanna M. White
Publisher: Bethany House
Release Date: August 1st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Left with an estate on the brink of bankruptcy after their father’s death, Lady Marigold Fairfax and her brother open a private investigation firm marketed to the elite . . . to spy on the elite. Dubbed The Imposters, Ltd., their anonymous group soon becomes the go-to for the crème of society when they want answers delivered surreptitiously. But the many secrets Marigold learns about her peers pale in comparison to her shock when she and her brother are hired to investigate her best friend’s father as a potential traitor.

Sir Merritt Livingstone has spent a decade serving the monarch in the most elite guard, but when pneumonia lands him behind a desk in the War Office Intelligence Division just as they’re creating a new secret intelligence branch, he’s intent on showing his worth. He suspects a man of leaking information to Germany as tensions mount between the two countries, but needs someone to help him prove it, so he turns to The Imposters, Ltd. No one knows who they are, but their results are beyond compare.

Lady Marigold is determined to discover the truth for her friend’s sake, and she’s more determined still to keep her heart from getting involved with this enigmatic new client . . . who can’t possibly be as noble as he seems.

Thank you to Bethany House for the gifted book!

ENJOYABLE.

I had a good time with this one!

The mystery was intriguing and I liked how it all played out. Things kept twisting just enough that I kept wondering how it would all work out in the end.

I also really liked the cast of characters too. It’s multi-POV and each angle added to the story. I especially loved having both Merritt and Marigold’s views as they were the main couple of this book. I would have LOVED even a little bit more romance, but I did love the sweet moments they had. Especially how Merritt handled some information that could have resulted poorly. I loooove a reasonable man.

There were some openings for sequels to this that I would like to read too! More romantic plot lines are there and there’s always room for more mysteries.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Mystery + Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: moderate
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: gun violence, murder, grief, loss of a sibling (side character)

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ARC Book Review: The Art of Love and Lies by Rebecca Anderson

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 288 pages
Author: Rebecca Anderson
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Release Date: August 1st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A free-spirited artist teams up with a no-nonsense detective to capture a thief who has stolen a priceless Michelangelo painting

Manchester, England, 1857 

Rosanna Hawkins is one of Manchester’s finest artists, even though no one knows her name. She reproduces “parlor versions” of classic masterpieces with near-perfect precision, which her employer then sells to the emerging upper-middle class families of Manchester.

When the largest art exhibition ever to be held in Manchester opens, Rosanna attends, excited by the chance to sketch such famous works. When she meets the handsome Detective Martin Harrison, who is head of security for the exhibition, she is immediately intrigued by his charm, confidence, and canvas-worthy good looks. The two spend many a flirtatious afternoon exploring the exhibition hall, discussing art and sharing their secret hopes. Rosanna dreams of painting something original and meaningful, and Martin hopes to one day shed the shadow of his father’s notorious past.

The couple’s blossoming summer romance takes a strange turn when Rosanna recognizes her own works on display in the exhibition hall. Someone is stealing paintings and replacing them with her parlor version reproductions. When the evidence casts suspicion on her, Rosanna must convince Detective Harrison of her innocence and proposes a plan to capture the real art thief.

It is a daring race to catch the criminal before he disappears with the most priceless piece in the collection—Michelangelo’s Manchester Madonna. If Rosanna and Detective Harrison fail, not only will the painting be lost forever but so will their chance to rekindle their romance and paint their own happily ever after.

Thank you to Shadow Mountain for the ARC.

NEEDED MORE.

The premise of this sounded truly promising. The execution? A bit lacking.

I think I really got off on the wrong foot with the insta-love. It didn’t work for me and when I clocked the percentage of the first kiss I was rather surprised. Rosanna and Martin DID grow on me and I think the core of their relationship was sweet. I just needed more of a burn to get there with them.

All of the facets about painting and artwork were interesting. I thought it was kind of cool to learn about different painting techniques and how reproductions were created and used in this time period.

In the end I really to have more from the plot. There was nothing surprising or enchanting about it. While I did like the main characters and I do think they exhibited some growth from the beginning of the book the plot itself was lacking in definition.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: brief assault, physical altercations, theft

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Book Review: Echoes of Time (Surviving Time #3) by Calia Read

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Time Travel Romance
Length: 321 pages
Author: Calia Read
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: May 25th, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

For Etienne and me, our love has always left a trace. 
It reigns over kingdoms, and rules over time. 
With Etienne now in the present day, the echoes of time grow louder. 
We must face the answers we seek to set things right.
However, we must be incredibly careful. One false move and everything we love will be destroyed.
And this time, could be the end of our surviving trace.
 
Echoes of Time is the epic finale in The Surviving Time Series.

ONE BOOK TOO LONG.

I think this would have been a great duology, but as a trilogy the plot was stretched too thin and this book didn’t have enough substance.

Most of the focus was just on the couple sleeping together? And I already skip over that, and when it really doesn’t feel apart of the plot it gets boring. I LOVE Etienne and Serene. They are fantastic together. I wanted more of them actually working with the overall story. There was another [spoiler redacted] sub-plot I was fine with, yet, once again, it took over too much of the story.

I liked that there were chapters from Nathalie’s perspective. She’s an underrated character and I would love to check out her story too (separate novel!). It also gave another side to the story so that things at least kept moving in some direction.

It was a fast listen, and it did have a good (and wild) ending. It was all satisfying by the last page.

Overall audience notes:

  • Time Travel Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: multiple open door; high explicit
  • Violence: medium
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: a loved one with a traumatic brain injury, physical altercations, murder, weapons violence

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ARC Book Review: One Kiss Alone (The Penn-Leiths of Thistle Muir #3) by Nichole Van

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 390 pages
Author: Nichole Van
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: July 26th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Ethan Penn-Leith is the most renowned poet of his day—his likeness so widely recognized, he is regularly accosted by adoring admirers. Everyone wants something from him—his time, words, charm, torn bits of his kilt . . . Everyone, that is, but Lady Allegra Gilbert.

Twin sister to the authoritarian Duke of Kendall, Lady Allegra fights for freedom from her brother’s iron-gripped control. She has a plan for her future, after all, one that does not involve her ducal twin. Ethan Penn-Leith with his knee-melting smiles and boyish charm is merely a pretty distraction along the path to independence.

The problem? Ethan and Lady Allegra once shared a life-altering kiss on a rugged mountain road in Italy when she was disguised as someone else entirely. Ever the poet, Ethan turned their romantic kiss into a scandalous, best-selling poem. Now, all of London is clamoring to know the identity of the poet’s unnamed lady.

If she wishes her freedom, Lady Allegra needs to keep her secrets, well . . . secret. Ethan wants nothing more than to uncover all of Allegra’s truths.

In between outrunning legions of Ethan’s admirers, becoming stranded in a seaside village, and journeying by ducal decree to rural Scotland, Ethan and Allegra struggle to decide what they each truly want. Or perhaps, in the end, Fate will turn turn on one kiss alone?

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

IMMACULATE.

Y’all. Y’ALL. THIS BOOK WAS PERFECT. I’ve got no notes. I was utterly obsessed with every single page and every single interaction between Ethan and Allie. And I can’t go any further without mentioning how on fire those kissing scenes were. I am still a hot puddle of a mess over here thinking about them. YAY FOR KISSING BOOKS.

The banter between Ethan and Allie was amazing. I laughed, smiled like a fool and was utterly drawn in. I loved how they both worked at opening up to one another and leaning on each other with their current grievances. It was friends to lovers (with an obvious note of, we’ll never be friends because we’re too busy falling in love). I highlighted and marked the heck out of my copy and there’s no way I could narrow down a favorite part. Every single moment is needed. This plot and general story line was fresh in this genre and I adored the way it played out. A little bit of action, a whole lot of forgiveness and a magnificent love story.

Side-ish note: I must have my hands on the next book ASAP. The redemption arc is one of my favorites.

READ THIS SERIES. YOU WILL LOVE IT.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low – moderate
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: mentions of loss of parents (off-page), gun violence, robbery, strained sibling relationship

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