Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: February 2023

March 1, 2023February 27, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

I’ve been focusing hard this year to try to pick books (and accepts ARCs) I legitimately think I will enjoy. Out of 80+ books, I’ve only had TWO two stars. And that to me is really impressive. I’ve also been doing a lot of rereading and I’m here for that era too.

FAVORITES OF THE MONTH:

First to Fall
A Game of Hearts
Final Offer
Into the Churn
All Rhodes Lead Here
A Waltz with Traitors
Edenbrooke
Wing and a Miss
Exes and O’s
The Bluff
The Work of Art
A Dawn of Onyx
Sensibly Wed
Running Barefoot
Royal Gone Rogue

LEAST FAVORITES OF THE MONTH:

Falling Hard for the Royal Guard

First to Fall (Lost Story Bookshop #2) by Jenny B. Jones
[Reread/ALC] Game of Hearts by Joanna Barker
Final Offer (Dreamland Billionaires #3) by Lauren Asher
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
[ARC] Into the Churn by Hayley Reese Chow
Well of Eida (The Fallen Kingdoms #1) by KB Benson
[Reread] All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata
The Curse of Ophelia (The Curse of Ophelia #1) by Nicole Platania
Lord of Chaos (The Wheel of Time #6) by Robert Jordan
My Phony Valentine (Holidays With Hart #1) by Courtney Walsh
The Shattered City (The Last Magician #4) by Lisa Maxwell
[ARC] A Waltz with Traitors by A.L. Sowards
[Reread] Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson
Wing and a Miss (Deadlights Cove #3) by B. Perkins and Aimee Vance
Spice Road (The Spice Road Trilogy #1) by Maiya Ibrahim
[Novella] Mysteries of Thorn Manor (Sorcery of Thorns #1.5) by Margaret Rogerson
[Reread] Exes and O’s (The Influencer #2) by Amy Lea
[Gifted] Lovely Dark and Deep (Fallow Creek #1) by Claudia Cain
[Reread/ALC] The Bluff (Graham Brothers #2) by Emma St. Clair
These Infinite Threads (This Woven Kingdom #2) by Tahereh Mafi
[ARC] Happy Place by Emily Henry
Spare by Prince Harry
[Gifted] Someone Else’s Shoes by Jojo Moyes
[ARC] Falling Hard for the Royal Guard by Megan Clawson
[Novella] Coming Home by Kennedy Ryan
Blood & Steel (The Legends of Thezmarr #1) by Helen Scheuerer
The Work of Art (Somerset Stories #1) by Mimi Matthews
A Dawn of Onyx (The Sacred Stones #1) by Kate Golden
In Spotlight and Shadow (Doors to the Past #11) by Rachel Scott McDaniel
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion (The Unselected Journals #1) by Beth Brower
Sensibly Wed (Bradwell Brothers #1) by Kasey Stockton
[ARC] Love Buzz by Neely Tubati Alexander
Running Barefoot by Amy Harmon
Beauty and the Blade by S.C. Grayson
Mr. Gardiner and the Governess (Clairvoir Castle Romances #1) by Sally Britton
[ARC] The Enchanted Hacienda by J.C. Cervantes
Stardust in Their Veins (Castles in Their Bones #2) by Laura Sebastian
[ARC] Royal Gone Rogue (Sweet Royal RomComs #2) by Emma St. Clair
Chain of Thorns (The Last Hours #3) by Cassandra Clare
A Tournament of Crowns (A Trial of Sorcerers #3) by Elise Kova

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Book Review: My Fine Fellow by Jennieke Cohen

February 3, 2023April 18, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Regency Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Jennieke Cohen
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: January 11th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Culinary delights abound, romance lingers in the air, and plans go terribly, wonderfully astray in this cheeky and charming historical tale, perfect for fans of Bridgerton or Dickinson.

It’s 1830s England, and Culinarians—doyens who consult with society’s elite to create gorgeous food and confections—are the crème de la crème of high society.

Helena Higgins, top of her class at the Royal Academy, has a sharp demeanor and an even sharper palate—and knows stardom awaits her if she can produce greatness in her final year.

Penelope Pickering is going to prove the value of non-European cuisine to all of England. Her contemporaries may scorn her Filipina heritage and her dishes, but with her flawless social graces and culinary talents, Penelope is set to prove them wrong.

Elijah Little has nothing to his name but a truly excellent instinct for flavors. London merchants won’t allow a Jewish boy to own a shop, so he hawks his pasties for a shilling a piece to passersby—but he knows with training he can break into the highest echelon of society.

When Penelope and Helena meet Elijah, a golden opportunity arises: to pull off a project never seen before, and turn Elijah from a street vendor to a gentleman chef.

But Elijah’s transformation will have a greater impact on this trio than they originally realize—and mayhem, unseemly faux pas, and a little romance will all be a part of the delicious recipe.

IT WAS SWEET.

I know nothing about My Fair Lady. Apparently this is a gender bend on that? Maybe so.

I did think this book was incredibly sweet. I liked the plot set-up and all of the FOOD. Oh my goodness, so much baking and cooking. I think I was hungry half the time just listening to this because everything sounded delectable. I’m a sucker for a good cuisine book and this nailed it.

I struggled the most with Helena. I knew her character was meant to be unlikeable but wow did she really annoy me. Hallelujah for the growth she showed in the end after Penelope and Elijah both showed some backbone and told her to get with the program and off of her high horse.

Penelope and Elijah were easily one of my favorite parts. Such a tender and slow burn acquaintances to lovers romance. I adored the way they connected over food and their history. The meaningful conversations surround those of mixed race and Jewish decent in the time period brought another complex layer to this read. I really enjoyed this one and the audiobook was fantastic too.

Overall audience notes:

YA Regency Romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Trigger/Content Warnings: racism, anti-Semitism, discrimination, misogyny, loss of parents

ARC Book Review: Miss Newbury’s List by Megan Walker

February 2, 2023August 9, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Regency Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Megan Walker
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Release Date: February 7th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

England, 1820

Rosalind Newbury loves her family and wants nothing more than to add to their legacy. So when an opportunity arises to marry a duke—a dream come true for her family—despite hardly knowing him, she quickly agrees.

But after rediscovering a childhood wish list, Ros realizes that she has dreams of her own and little time left to fulfill them. She recruits her dearest friend Liza and subsequently Liza’s handsome but wayward cousin Charlie—a gentleman turned rugged boxer—to help her complete her list before her wedding.

From boxing lessons to buried treasure, Charlie helps Ros experience a life and love that she’d never dreamed possible. Soon, Ros is faced with the very decision she’s been running from—to save her family’s future or her own.

Thank you to Shadow Mountain and Netgalley for an eARC.

BEAUTIFUL.

Oh this is one of my favorite regencies of the year!! Just add it to the list now because it is faaaabulous. I LOVED IT SO MUCH.

I tend to struggle if the main character is in a relationship, but somehow Walker plotted this out in the best way possible. I was easily drawn in the right directions. The Duke can GO.

But Charlie? HE CAN STAY. I am smitten with that man. He was utterly adorable, sweet and kind. I loved the addition of pugilists as part of the plot and how committed he was to helping Ros complete her list. All of the antics they got up to just brought a smile to my face. And there’s a BALL. We all know those are my kryptonite.

There was even some intense action!? I was GLUED to my screen, holding my breath waiting for the next moment everything would be okay. I can’t get over how well this story was told. Everything unfolded at the right pace with the scenes lined up exactly as I hoped. Even that ENDING, with her family?! It was such a unique breath of fresh air to the genre where the family members are sometimes the worst. The support and love that Ros was surrounded by definitely brought some tears to my eyes.

READ IT. LOVE IT.

Overall audience notes:

Regency Romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Violence: medium
Trigger/Content Warnings: knife violence, loss of a sibling (off screen, recounted), grief

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Book Review: The Ace of Hearts (Larkhall Letters #1) by Ashtyn Newbold

January 25, 2023April 11, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★
Audience: Regency Romance
Length: 296 pages
Author: Ashtyn Newbold
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: April 14th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A secret venture, a regrettable love letter, and a heart he can’t afford to lose.

Faced with her stepbrother’s betrayal and an unwanted marriage, Alice Rosemeyer accepts an invitation to the estate of Larkhall. Determined to earn her future security without a husband, she begins operating as the anonymous Ace of Hearts, writing love letters on behalf of the men eager to secure a match at the close of the London season. If she can manage to keep her identity secret, her reputation intact, and avoid the arrogant house guest, Mr. Thomas Herring, she might just call herself successful.

When Thomas Herring’s sister marries an indebted man because of a love letter, he has no choice but to marry into money himself. Invited to stay at Larkhall, he sets his sights on the wealthy sister of his host. When she appears indifferent, he stumbles upon an advertisement: a gentleman offering assistance in matters of the heart. An ace, so he is called. But when he turns out to be she, and also a guest at the same house, his task is further complicated—especially as Alice proves herself to be as captivating as she is clever.

With reputations, secrets, and more than one heart at risk, Alice and Thomas become trapped in a game with no rules, a game neither intended to play. Had they been wrong to play love for a fool?

UGH.

I feel SO LET DOWN BY THIS. I was even buddy reading with another friend who didn’t even finish it. Both of us struggled with so many things that happened here.

There was entirely too much focus on the other future couples in this series. Random tangents to set up their story and the main character was putting a lot more effort into everyone else so it felt like the focus was never on her.

When the focus was on her and the budding relationship with Thomas I was only impressed occasionally. They had some cute banter filled moments, but why throw out enemies to lovers than immediately take it away? I saw all of the potential but none of the execution. Not to mention, the same plot device was used over and over again. All of the characters kept playing “games” to get to know one another, tell secrets, etc. and it felt drawn out and over done.

Alright, I’m stopping here. I wanted to love this so badly because the cover is gorgeous, I’ve liked other books by this author and was interested in the rest of the series, but I don’t think I can convince myself to try again.

Overall audience notes: