Tag: martha keyes

ARC Book Review: Kissing for Keeps (Sheppard’s in Love #1) by Martha Keyes

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Martha Keyes
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: April 6th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

History has a way of repeating itself…

SIENA
Coming on the heels of a big, fat failure at work, my best friend Madi’s glamorous French wedding is the perfect opportunity to prove I can do some things well—even if it kills me, which is looking like a distinct possibility. Maid of honor duties are no joke. And while I could honestly use an extra hand or ten, I have to refuse the offer of help from Madi’s flirt of a brother, Jack. Nothing would spoil the beautiful wedding festivities faster than her finding out about that thing that happened between Jack and me that one time…

Not that there’s any danger of it happening again. It was so long ago, I’ve forgotten everything about it, down to the brand of his cologne. Aqua Di Gio is so utterly predictable.

JACK
I admit, I haven’t been the best brother to Madi. Okay, slight understatement—a history of dating her friends and ruining those friendships has landed me squarely in her black books.

But my offer to help Siena isn’t some underhanded scheme to hurt Madi a third time. I genuinely want to be a better brother. And as for teasing Siena in the meantime? That’s just standard procedure for me.

Because everything is totally normal here. Nothing to see, folks.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

LOVED FROM START TO FINISH.

Oh this book was everything I needed!! I loved it so much and am so excited for Martha Keyes to be writing contemporary romances now too. I’ve always enjoyed her historicals, and now I can love on these sweet romances too.

I adored Jack. Oh my goodness, what a cinnamon roll who threw perfectly placed banter. Continually took care of Sienna and tried to make amends for his past. I love a character who can acknowledge mistakes and look towards change and growth. Sienna was lovely too. I FELT her need to make sure everything was perfect for Madi’s wedding and I liked how this pressure helped her reevaluate a lot in her life too. Jack and Sienna were clearly a match from the start and I looooved all of the forced proximity moments we got between them. Also, I need strawberries ASAP.

The setting was beautiful. In France at a château? SIGN ME UP. It was romantic and brought about a fantastic kissing scene, just the right amount of jealousy from Jack and plenty of time to explore the countryside and local town. I could not put this down and look forward to getting even more stories in this world!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a father (past, mentioned)

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: A Confirmed Rake (The Donovans #2) by Martha Keyes

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Regency Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Martha Keyes
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: August 24th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When Rebecca Russell’s brother marries, she finally has the opportunity she has been dreaming of: to leave the seclusion of her reclusive grandfather’s home and enter into Society. But when her inexperience has her making blunders and courting embarrassment, help comes from an unexpected source: the brooding, irritable brother of her chaperone.

Valentine Donovan is a rake, mountains of gaming debt and all. With his only hope for financial relief tied up in the Admiralty Court, he must temporarily rely on his father’s charity—and all the strings attached to it. His father demands Valentine show evidence that he is changing his ways, so when the engaging but naive young woman living with his sister presents a plan, he can’t refuse the opportunity to fulfill some of his father’s requirements, albeit reluctantly.

But Valentine is unprepared for Rebecca’s guileless optimism and how impossible he finds it to say no to her increasingly onerous requests—requests that put both their hearts and reputations in danger. 

LOVE THESE TWO.

I think this is my new favorite Martha Keyes book. I looooved Valentine and Rebecca.

Rebecca was the sweet naive woman who cracked me up multiple times at her learning the ways of society. I loved it. This wasn’t an annoying thing to watch unfold. I genuinely loved Rebecca and would want to be friends with someone so filled with light and hope. The juxtaposition between her and Valentine was perfect.

Valentine, my reformed rake, OH HOW I ADORE YOU. He was swoony and kind and I could not get enough of watching Rebecca slowly wrap her way around his heart. There were even some beautiful moments towards the end that about got me misty eyed. The sinner and saint vibes (without being preachy) was one of the best things about this book.

Some aspects towards the end seemed to extend the book a little longer than I was looking for, but that’s mostly the only issue I had with it. This has been a fantastic series so far and Rebecca and Valentine definitely hold a place in my heart now.

Overall audience notes:

  • Regency Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a parent recounted

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: Host for the Holidays (Christmas Escapes #2) by Martha Keyes

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 378 pages
Author: Martha Keyes
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: October 26th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Madi is counting on Paris’s reputation as the City of Love. Now she just needs to figure out if it’s old love or new love…

Madi

After two years and zero proposals, my relationship could use a little spark. Paris during the holidays seems like just the ticket—one perfect, final opportunity for my boyfriend to take things to the next level.

The fact that he’s rented me the tiny servant quarters in the apartment of a very good-looking Frenchman is . . . puzzling. And when he asks that Frenchman to take me around the city while he’s busy at work trainings? Color me confused.

Is this some sort of pre-engagement test? If so, I’m not sure I’m doing too hot.

Rémy

Offering to host my friend’s vacation rental means making sure the first review is five solid, sparkling stars. When the guest who shows up is a beautiful American woman, I’m thinking my task might be more enjoyable than I thought. Until I find out she has a boyfriend. Madi deserves to have an amazing time in Paris, though, so I’m more than happy to oblige when the guy asks me to show her the city.

It’s cool. I’m cool. This is all for that five-star review…

◆ Host for the Holidays is a closed door romance full of fun, chemistry, and a generous dash of the magic of Paris

ADORED.

Oh my goodness, this writing was magical!! I absolutely LOVED the Paris setting during Christmastime.

I knew this was the author’s first contemporary book and I think she nailed it. I would happily read more stories set in a modern setting from her easy. Keyes made Paris come alive and these characters had my whole heart.

Remy was absolutely adorable. I was swooned away by his kindness. He had the purest heart and his interactions with Madi were pure. They had chemistry from the beginning and I loved reading about them exploring Paris and falling in love. I think there was a great balance of plot and Christmas stuff that is exactly what I’m looking for in a holiday read.

I do wish the boyfriend to ex-boyfriend plot line wasn’t around as long as it was. And I did think it showed up at a few inopportune times.

Otherwise, great book. Can’t wait for more.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Holiday Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: The Art of Victory (The Donovans #1) by Martha Keyes

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Regency Romance
Length: 290 pages
Author: Martha Keyes
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: June 15th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Diana Donovan was raised aboard a naval ship on a steady diet of war strategy, so when her orphaned friend, Lucy, is denied a perfectly respectable love match by her controlling guardian, Diana sees an opportunity to put her battle knowledge to use in service of a deserving friend.

But Marmaduke Russell is not the middle-aged curmudgeon Diana is expecting. He is a maddeningly cool, unmarried gentleman who seems uniquely able to parry her tactics—and infuse her with even more determination to win. As battle ensues, though, it becomes clear that there may be more hearts in the balance than just Lucy’s.

DUKE.

Oh, Duke, he might be my newest love interest fav.

I LOVE that he fell first (always a winner) and was so open about it?? What is that?! THE BEST THAT’S WHAT. He pushed Diana to open her eyes and heart to things she thought weren’t ever going to be apart of her life. I loved their chemistry from the get-go. That banter was fire and it was the perfect sentiment of rivals and angst without being true enemies or anything.

What I realize I do struggle with is when a romance book seems to center on a different characters life than the main couple. A lot of this book was turned to Diana’s friend Lucy and her love story. I wish that would have been much more minimalized because it took me out a few times when I just wanted Duke and Diana to have their moments.

All in all, this was a great start to a new series. I love this family and all of the different siblings. I can’t wait for more stories from them. Regency/Historical romances are such a nice break from other genres I read and I found them incredibly enjoyable. Martha Keyes is a reliable author in this category to bring the swoon and heart to any story.

Overall audience note:

  • Regency Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph