Tag: shadow mountain

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

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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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ARC Book Review: To Capture His Heart (Matchmakers #2) by Nancy Campbell Allen

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 288 pages
Author: Nancy Campbell Allen
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Release Date: October 12th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Seaside, England, 1886

Eva Caldwell is an accomplished and well-known photographer who often works with the local constabulary to assist in documenting crime scenes, which means she also often works alongside the handsome and charming detective, Nathan Winston. She appreciates his intellect and how he treats her like an equal, but Eva’s heart is still healing from a past relationship, so, for now, she decides to keep her feelings for Nathan a secret.

One evening, Nathan arrives on her doorstep asking for a personal favor. Would Eva be available to photograph his mother’s legendary, week-long dinner party and matchmaking event? The catch is that Eva would also have to pretend they are courting in order for Nathan to avoid the many single women seeking his attention.

Though wary of the charade, Eva agrees. Spending a week with the two things she loves most—her detective and her camera—sounds simple enough. And if she wants to imagine that Nathan’s pretend courtship of her is real, well, what’s the harm in that?

But when a criminal from Nathan’s past threatens revenge on the detective, Nathan must be extra vigilant to keep his mother and the rest of the partygoers safe. He confides in Eva, and as the two work together to solve the mystery and apprehend the criminal, they find that they might capture more than they expected—each other’s heart.

Thank you to Shadow Mountain for the ARC.

SIMPLE.

I wanted to love this more than I did, but there were a few things holding me back.

The romantic suspense and murder mystery aspects were a good addition to the plot. A dry story of a house party needed the umph that the mystery brought. I adore that Nathan was a detective because that’s one of my fav careers to come across, book wise, and he a hero to cheer for. Not to mention the fact that he’s been into Eva for ages? We love a man who falls first.

Within the romance I thought things felt very vanilla? There was this great start with a fake dating scheme that too quickly turned into–well–nothing. They went ahead and admitted feelings to each other and that was that! I didn’t get any angst or great build-up. But if you’re looking for what I would still call a sweet romance that has some little dates sprinkled throughout you’d enjoy this one.

It’s super fast paced and I did like the writing style. A few things ultimately didn’t click for me and that happens.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: mild
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: murder, attempted murder

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ARC Book Review: Hearts of Briarwall by Krista Jensen

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Gilded Era Romance
Length: 288 pages
Author: Krista Jensen
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Release Date: August 2nd, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A TURN OF THE CENTURY ROMANCE

Lydia Wooding is fascinated by the latest inventions the new century brings, including motorcars. She longs for the independence they represent and believes that women should have a say in the future of the industry—just as they should have a say in suffrage, adventure, and, of course, love.

Spencer Hayes is a man of practicality and innovation, but he lacks the financial backing to make his dream a reality. When he contacts his childhood friend, Andrew Wooding, about a promising business venture, he is invited to Briarwall Manor to discuss the terms. Once there, he is surprised to find that Andrew’s once shy, younger sister, Lydia, has grown into a young woman of beauty, wit, and a bit of fire. Even better, the two share a passion for motorcars.

Andrew, however, is wary of cars, having lost his parents in a tragic auto accident when he and Lydia were young. And he’s not sure a relationship between his sister and Spencer is the best idea—not when Sir Lawrence is available and could match both Lydia’s social status and her fortune.

Torn between risking their hearts and being loyal to their dreams in an era of whirlwind change, Spencer and Lydia anchor themselves with the determination they both share: to live life to its fullest.

Thank you to Shadow Mountain for an ARC.

SOMEWHAT CHARMED.

I really loved Jensen’s previous contemporary (Miracle Creek Christmas) so I took a chance here on reading her first book set in a different time period. Some things worked for me and others didn’t.

The romance was sweet. I did enjoy the characters together and by the end I thought they had believable chemistry. I just didn’t feel enough heat (and not in a steam way), in a general sort of manner. Spencer was smitten from the get go and that was adorable there were some missing aspects that I needed to feel more connected to their relationship.

I liked the turn of century setting and the plot surrounding motor cars. That was new to me in this genre and I liked seeing some of the tools of the trade. Occasionally these scenes were a bit extended, so I’m glad they wrapped back into parts of the backstory.

There’s some good friendships here. I love the woman bonding together and the activism they were working for at the time (being suffragettes). A bit too silly, for instance, I really don’t understand the Wendy flying thing? BUT, women supporting women is always a great addition.

I’m curious what other books will line up in this series with other friends and family members.

Overall audience notes:

  • Gilded Era Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of both parents (car wreck), grief depiction

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ARC Book Review: Beyond the Lavender Fields by Arlem Hawks

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Historical Fiction Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Arlem Hawks
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Release Date: February 1st, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

1792, France

Rumors of revolution in Paris swirl in Marseille, a bustling port city in southern France. Gilles Étienne, a clerk at the local soap factory, thrives on the news. Committed to the cause of equality, liberty, and brotherhood, he and his friends plan to march to Paris to dethrone the monarchy. His plans are halted when he meets Marie-Caroline Daubin, the beautiful daughter of the owner of the factory.

A bourgeoise and royalist, Marie-Caroline has been called home to Marseille to escape the unrest in Paris. She rebuffs Gilles’s efforts to charm her and boldly expresses her view that violently imposed freedom is not really freedom for all. As Marie-Caroline takes risks to follow her beliefs, Gilles catches her in a dangerous secret that could cost her and her family their lives. As Gilles and Marie-Caroline spend more time together, she questions her initial assumptions about Gilles and realizes that perhaps they have more in common than she thought.

As the spirit of revolution descends on Marseille, people are killed and buildings are ransacked and burned to the ground. Gilles must choose between supporting the political change he believes in and protecting those he loves. And Marie-Caroline must battle between standing up for what she feels is right and risking her family’s safety. With their lives and their nation in turmoil, both Gilles and Marie-Caroline wonder if a révolutionnaire and a royaliste can really be together or if they must live in a world that forces people to choose sides.

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC.

A GREAT READ.

That’s how I feel I can best bottle this one up. It was highly enjoyable and I found myself very much invested by the end hoping for a positive outcome.

I thought this romance was SO DANG SWEET. The way it started out had me laughing and I loved the progression. It’s slow, it’s full of feeling and you can feel Gilles and Marie-Caroline’s connection across the pages. I adored the tender things Gilles did for Marie-Caroline, how Caroline teased Gilles and the way they both protected and pushed each other outside of their confined boxes.

The setting was unique for me in regards to historical fiction and I love a good switch-up! I got to see a bit about the French revolution. I wish there was a bit more of that dynamic on a larger scale, but this small scale version in the seaside town did the trick. I also really liked a lot of the side characters. There’s a few you love to hate, but also people like Gilles father had me absolutely gleeful when they played a bigger role. There were many well thought out and well placed characters.

It’s a slower read, and one I didn’t mind had that facet. The writing is gorgeous and moves the plot along well. I love that this was from the hero’s point of view (with some small pieces from the heroine). Many things made this book unique and I highly recommend for historical fiction fans!

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical fiction romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: war themes, physical altercations
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: discussion/use of guillotine, loss of a sibling, mob attacks

About the Author:

Arlem Hawks began making up stories before she could write. Living all over the western United States and traveling around the world gave her a love of cultures and people and the stories they have to tell. She has a bachelor’s degree in communications, with an emphasis in print journalism, and she lives in Arizona with her husband and three children.

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