plantladyreader's reviews
561 reviews

This second novel in the Bridgerton series was an enjoyable read, just like the first. I definitely recommend reading the books over watching the Netflix show, because they are very different.

This book follows eldest son Lord Anthony Bridgerton as he finally decides to fulfill his duties and find a wife, sire an heir and continue the Bridgerton line. He descends upon the season with one goal - find the most beautiful, most desirable, and most popular debutante, and make her his wife. His only goal? Don't fall in love. Anthony is under the illusion that he is destined to die at 30, as his father did before him, and doesn't wish to leave behind a grieving, sorrowful widow. Finding the most popular beauty comes with a twist, however - her insufferable, stubborn sister Kate. Kate Sheffield sees Anthony for the rake his reputation paints him, and will do whatever it takes to ensure he doesn't marry her little sister. But as Anthony pursues, he finds the banter he and Kate have sticks in his head, and curiously finds himself falling for the wrong type of girl.

While this is a far cry from my usual choice in genres, I'm finding I'm enjoying these books quite a bit! They are an easy read, while at times rather ridiculous and chauvinistic (fitting for the times, for sure), but the character development is always interesting, and of course the happy endings are a nice change. I'm looking forward to book three!

3.5

This was my first Jennifer McMahon read, and it definitely won't be the last. WOW does she write a can't-put-it-down type of thriller!

West Hall, Vermont is a small town with a spooky history. Going back over 100 years, the town has been victim to many strange disappearances and brutal killings. Ruthie lives in the most notorious house in town with her mother and little sister. The brutal murder of Sara Harrison Shea in 1908 has been sensationalized, after Sara's diary was published. In those pages, Sara shared her upbringing with her single father and the "aunt" that brought her up to learn the forest and magic that could come along with it, as well as the dangerous possibility of "sleepers", people brought back briefly from the dead. When Ruthie's mother disappears, she and her young sister start looking for clues as to where she could have gone. Finding a gun, some wallets, and a camera bag that definitely doesn't belong, Ruthie starts to question if she even knew her mother at all. When her investigating brings some new people into her life, Ruthie quickly learns that there may have been truth to the rumours flying around town about the woods behind her house, even though they are highly unbelievable..

Told in dual timelines, between present day and the lead-up to Sara's death in 1908, this book gives you all the creepy vibes. What Sara did in 1908 set the precedent for the events that Ruthie and her sister endure in present day, and it gives the reader something to fear, even though Ruthie doesn't figure out what's happening until the end of the book. The "sleepers" that Sara describes make the story more of a haunting, and makes you question the sanity of some of the characters. The way the characters all came together in the end was really interesting, although it did end on a bit of a low note for me, compared to the rest of the book. I definitely recommend picking it up, and I'll be looking to read more from this author!

4.5

I don't even know where to start with this book. What a powerful story, exposing the realities of our world and the way we view and approach different races.

The Vignes twins grew up in a southern Black community, in a small town you couldn't even find on a map, surrounded by people who saw being light-skinned as the way to make it through life. While they are identical, their personalities couldn't be more different - Desiree is known as the stubborn, hard-headed dreamer, whereas Stella is the quiet, easy-going pushover type. Stella loves school and dreams of university, whereas Desiree dreams of leaving Mallard behind and never looking back. When their mother decides to pull them from school to start working at 16, the two decide to run away. Suddenly 10 years later, Desiree comes back to town with her daughter, and hasn't heard from Stella in years. Stella has been living as a white woman in suburbia, with her blonde haired, blue eyed daughter, and a big secret. Even her husband has no idea of her past or background. Having to disguise who she is and cut herself off from her family has weighed on Stella, but in her mind it was the only way to achieve the best for herself and her children. When Stella's daughter Kennedy and Desiree's daughter Jude end up meeting and becoming friends, Stella is afraid her entire world is going to come crashing down. But would losing the mask, and once again embracing who she is really be the worst thing?

I could not put this book down. The difference between these two twins was remarkable to read about, and the immense strength it would have taken for Stella to leave her life behind and live a lie for all those years made for a page-turner. It really cast the privileged lives of white society into glaring spotlight - the ease that I have been able to move through life, obtain what I've wanted, and live free of prejudice is certainly a privilege. The fact that Stella felt the need to make the choice she did, because she was light-skinned enough, is heartbreaking. Cutting yourself off from your family would be a tough decision, but doing so only so you could live a lie is horrifying. Watching the twins grow up separately, but inadvertently being thrust back together again, was such a beautiful journey to read about. I can't recommend reading this book enough.

5

Another dive into the realm of historical romance for me, and once again I slightly enjoyed it! Will it be a genre I read all the time? no. But is it a nice little break from my usual doom and gloom books? yes.

This third installment in the Bridgerton series follows second eldest son, Benedict. Without the pressures of inheriting the title like Anthony, Benedict can be a little more casual with his love life. With his mother still determined to marry off her children, he makes his appearance at the balls and events of the season, dancing with the eligible women. But it isn't until his mother's masked ball that one catches his eye - and everyone else in the room. With a story that gives all the Cinderella vibes, Benedict has his clandestine moment with this woman, never learning her name or seeing half of her face, and then she disappears, leaving nothing but a glove behind.

Sophie Beckett is living an actual Cinderella story. The illegitimate bastard child of an earl, who takes her in as a child to be his ward, she is left in the care of her stepmother when her father dies. Resentful that she must continue to care for this girl, Sophie's stepmother makes her a servant. When Sophie sneaks out to go to the masked ball, she has the time of her life - a glimpse into the life she'll never be accepted in.

Forward the story, Benedict has given up hope he'll ever find his mystery woman. Sophie, working as a lady's maid in the house of one of Benedict's friends, ends up in a tricky situation, and is rescued by Benedict. Sophie obviously realizes Benedict is the man she danced the night away with years ago, but Benedict is clueless. As their relationship grows closer, Sophie wonders if Benedict will ever realize she's the girl he's been looking for...

I think the Cinderella subplot really saved this one for me - it was fun to watch Benedict be so clueless. BUT Benedict may be my least favourite of the Bridgerton brothers. While the early 19th century was very rigid with gender and society ideals, the chauvinism of Benedict was so cringey so many times. Blinded by how society would feel if he ever openly fell in love with a lady's maid, it was so frustrating to read about the ways he tried to get around it. Sophie had great moral fiber and I love how she didn't just bend to his will.

Overall, I enjoyed it, but probably not as much as the first two books.

What a fantastic continuation to this series!

This book really shows Aelin, and her court, coming into their own. It shows more of Aelin’s power, more of the talents of those around her, and shows how she’s literally thinking 13 steps ahead of those around her!

I know Tower of Dawn takes place at the same time but from a different perspective, so I’m looking forward to getting through that one and reading the final book of this epic series!

This book was so easy to get lost in.

It’s nice reading books based on real people or events, because you go into the story with a general idea of what is going to happen.

With this book, Maniscalco put a twisted spin on the infamous Jack the Ripper.

We follow Aubrey Rose struggling with her fathers and society’s opinion of what a young girl should be doing - tea parties, learning to keep a home, and forming no opinions besides what her father and potential spouse give her. However, AR is none of those things! She’s an intelligent, determined girl, looking to work as a forensics pathologist with the help of her uncle. Within his class, she also comes across Thomas, who thankfully is enraptured by her brains as well as beauty, and sees her being her own, independent person as opposed to his housewife. We watch as AR and Thomas fight with their feelings, as well as hunting down the notorious serial killer who is harvesting organs. The slow evolution of their relationship really gets you rooting for them as a couple.

I will say, I enjoyed the setting of this novel, and learning about the medical practices available to pathologists within the late nineteenth century. It was interesting to read about a murder investigation where it wasn’t as simple as fingerprints and DNA to solve the murder. However, the story was rather easy to figure out, as a key sentence on the back cover immediately divulges a very small list of people who could be the killer Aubrey Rose and Thomas are searching for. However, I still enjoyed the book, and look forward to reading more within this series.

4

Talk about a twisted, suspense-filled thriller! I had never read anything by this author before, but after enjoying this one so much I think I'll check out some more of her work!

Alice and Leo move in to a newly renovated house inside a gated community called The Circle. However, not everyone is happy to see new faces around. As Alice struggles to make friends with her neighbours, she discovers something disturbing about her new house. Driven to discover what really happened to the woman who lived there before causes Alice to question everyone around her. Why do her neighbours not want to talk about it? Why can she see so much of herself in Nina before she died? What other secrets has Leo been keeping from her, besides the morbid history of her new home? As Alice pulls at the thread of this troubling tale, she neglects to see just how much danger she's really in.

Paris was really great at making everyone around Alice have their moments of being a suspect. I was initially reading and finding myself saying "oh it's gotta be this guy!" multiple times, before I finally landed on the correct character. While I figured it out slightly before the big reveal, it took nothing away from the story for me. I was still invested in Alice and her quest to discover what really happened in her home, and whether one of her neighbours could really be involved. Definitely an enjoyable, suspenseful read!

With so many different opinions of this book flying around, I was a little apprehensive going into this read. I heard lots of people say it had a slow start, which I always struggle with. However, I had no issue getting into this book - my issues came later with the descriptions of the horror-side of this plot. CW: disturbing descriptions, kidnapping, incest, attempted rape, etc.

Noemi is headed to the Mexican countryside, after a disturbing letter arrives from her newly married cousin. Whisked off to a secluded mansion by her English husband, Catalina initially appears to have it all. But her recent letters have Noemi thinking she is depressed, secluded and in need of rescuing. High Place was once a prominent silver mine, run by a wealthy English family. Now, it's a secluded house set high above town, housing just the family and the servants. Noemi heads straight into this strange atmosphere, eager to help her cousin, but comes to see this family doesn't take well to outsiders - they are a tight-knit group with some harrowing secrets. When the house, a character of this story in its own right, starts to influence Noemi's thoughts and dreams, she starts to wonder if she and Catalina will ever get out. As Noemi starts to unravel the mystery of the family and their gruesome history, she gains the trust of the youngest son, and can finally see her opportunity to leave. But will the House even let her...

The secluded atmosphere and creepy cult-like family definitely enhanced the horror vibes of this book for me. Once I realized what was going on with the family and the house (which is hard not to spoil so I won't go into detail) I was equally invested and also super disturbed. I struggle with very descriptive horror novels, and the things that were happening in the house had my stomach turning with every page, but I just couldn't stop reading - I needed to know what was going to happen. Overall, Moreno-Garcia once again had me hooked with her excellent writing and creative storylines!