Tag: indie author

Book Review: An Amiable Foe (Castles and Courtship #1) by Jennie Goutet

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 324 pages
Author: Jennie Goutet
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: March 24th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

She wants to be left alone with her family’s castle. He wants to show off the home he has just inherited. Neither of them can win.

Marianne Edgewood is perfectly capable of running Brindale Castle, if only the task would be left to her. A centuries-old house of stone is solid, unchanging, whereas people are not to be relied upon. It little matters that a stranger inherited the castle. She simply must find a way to stay.

At last, fate has been kind to Peregrine Osborne, and he has won the approval of his baron uncle, his London friends, and the deed to a castle in Kent. He certainly deserves his success after suffering a series of setbacks through no fault of his own. If only the castle’s pretty resident, Miss Edgewood, didn’t stand in the way of his urgent attempts to bring the castle to its proper glory.

When Perry embarks on a whirlwind renovation of Brindale, Marianne proves to be confoundingly resistant to his efforts. As Perry finds it increasingly difficult to force her to his will, he begins to question whether having his way at all costs is worth forcing Marianne from everything she has ever known. And Marianne must decide whether a cold pile of stones is truly a replacement for a warm, beating heart.

IT WAS SWEET.

I liked this one! I haven’t read a Goutet book in a bit and I enjoyed being back in her writing style and storytelling. I loved the castle setting and the dynamics between the main couple, Perry and Marianne.

The little dash of mystery added some good forced proximity and I FELT for Marianna as she tried to navigate being a part of society. I haven’t seen much of this kind of plot decisions in historicals and I liked that unique atmosphere. I loved the way that Perry looked after Marianne and really grew into himself too. They were both people trying to take new steps forward and they found that way together.

I adore this cover. The audiobook was great and this was a nice read to spend my time with.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: break-in, bullying, loss of parents

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Book Review: Captured by Chaos by Kathryn Marie

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: E.J. Mellow
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: April 21st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Protect the Peace.

On the Isle of Kazola, peace has always been protected by The Onyx Guard, an elite force of genetically modified soldiers.

Kasha has lived her life in the Onyx Guard. But when she is passed over for an advancement and forced to follow the Alpha promoted in her place, she must find a way to put her anger aside and work with him.

Because their team is on the hunt for Elliot Wells, an elusive killer who has terrorized Kazola for years. And there is more to his twisted deviance that meets the eye.

Along the journey, Kasha must learn to face her past, accept her new reality, and trust others…or else the deaths will continue, and everything she has built for herself might just slip away.

This New Adult Paranormal Fantasy & Romance tale takes readers on an epic journey of found family, a swoon-worthy rivals to lovers slow burn, and a unique twist on werewolves and vampires that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

HMM.

I went in with high hopes about this one but was pretty dashed as things went on. As a ME thing,, I love a good amount of dialogue and the start of this book didn’t have a lot. The inner monologue of Kasha was good for a bit then I needed more.

The idea of the combined shifter + vampire lore was unique! I did like that and the general world building and magic system. It’s clearly explained and easy to follow. I liked the urban setting that combined some technology aspects with old world things too.

Romance was, I don’t know if I can even call it rivals to lovers? There’s not actually any rivalry. Just a general miscommunication (not in a bad way) that gets solved pretty quickly that then leads to a romance. It has some sweet moments, but I wasn’t swept away with Nolan and Kasha like I wanted to be.

I enjoyed all of the found family and side characters too. There was a great tight knit bond between Kasha and her group and I am always here for unconditional support. There’s another small plot thing or two that I struggled with. I’m on the fence about continuing the series at this time.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: light
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: moderate
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: murder, serial killer, sexual assault & rape (recounted), therapy sessions

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Book Review: Dear Aaron by Mariana Zapata

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 500 pages
Author: Mariana Zapata
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: June 10th, 2017
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Ruby Santos knew exactly what she was getting herself into when she signed up to write a soldier overseas.

The guidelines were simple: one letter or email a week for the length of his or her deployment. Care packages were optional.

Been there, done that. She thought she knew what to expect.

What she didn’t count on was falling in love with the guy.

GREW ON ME.

Who knew I would have to wait SO LONG for these two to actually meet? And who I would kind of be into it? This is definitely very heavy on epistolary elements but as the pages went by I started to realize that I was invested in how adorable these two were. There was something magic about connecting through writing before Aaron and Ruby had a chance to meet.

I liked that this had it’s own vibe. It’s different than other romances I’ve read and I FELT for both of these characters. It’s a simple romance read without a lot of heavy plot dynamics. Aaron and Ruby fell in love in this precious way that I connected a lot with.

The ending was a little abrupt for me and I wish we could have seen a little bit more (and the rest is redacted for spoiler reasons). I’ve had this sitting on my TBR for so long and I’m glad I got to it! I wouldn’t call it my FAVORITE of MZ’s books but it is highly enjoyable and brought a smile to my face. Aaron is straight swoony with his words and I was melting many times over.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: light, but strong
  • Romance: one open door
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: discussion of deployment and some mentions of war themes, absent mother

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Book Review: A Royal Arrangement (Royal Hearts #3) by Amanda Schimmoeller

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Modern Royalty Romance
Length: 300 pages
Author: Amanda Schimmoeller
Publisher: Indie Published
Release Date: March 4th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A king forced to take a new bride.
A princess determined to win him over.

Princess Rosalie is a hopeless romantic who believes in happily-ever-afters. When she discovers her country is nearing financial devastation, her parents deliver news that will change her life forever—they have secured an arranged marriage for her to King Colin of Edgemont.

It’s not the love match she hoped for, but Rosalie attempts to make the best of the situation and find her place in Colin and his daughter’s lives. When Colin remains grumpy and distant, she takes it as a challenge—she will do whatever it takes to make her husband fall in love with her.

King Colin never planned on remarrying after unexpectedly losing his first wife, but when he’s presented with an offer he can’t refuse, he finds himself with a new bride. Colin plans on living their lives separately and staying focused on raising his daughter… but Rosalie keeps inserting herself into their lives.

Not falling in love with his wife was going to be more difficult than he ever expected.

A Royal Arrangement is Book 3 in the Royal Hearts series. This is a sweet, closed-door romance and can be read as a standalone.

Thank you to the author for a gifted copy.

THIS WAS SWEET.

I loooove marriage of convenience. And this was a very sweet one. I loved the age gap relationship between Colin and Rosalie. They had a good balance of push and pull as both had some things to work through and solve. And when they found that connection with each other it was heart melting.

There were many cute scenes of that brought lots of sunshine and wholesome goodness to the pages. It’s a low stakes, comfort kind of book. I love the modern royalty aspects. And I’m always here for all things forced proximity. I enjoyed the swoony scenes and small moments where the chemistry was heating up.

Overall audience notes:

  • Modern Royalty Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a spouse (recounted), loss of a sibling (recounted)

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