reading_historical_romance's reviews
451 reviews

If I were rating on vibes alone as a regular reader, I would rate this one 4.5 stars. It's entertaining, the story is unique, it's very romantic with lots of slow burn tension. However, as an ARC reader who read this not only for enjoyment, but for critique purposes? I can't honestly rate it above a 3-3.5.

When I reread my review of Heartless Hunter (which I also read as an ARC) I found that many of the execution issues I had with that novel are present in this one. The pacing is all over the place, and it really started to drag before we left the first act, and throughout the second. The chemistry between the two main characters, Gideon and Rune, is able to flourish here, because Alex is no longer in the picture, but I still don't understand why these two fell for each other in the first place. The plot is a mess. Instead of constructing the dam (plot) piece by piece before filling the lake so that the flow of water (narrative) is smooth; the dam was built into an existing lake and constructed of pieces that are different shapes and sizes, so the water leaks like a sieve.

One of my main issues with Heartless Hunter is that there is no explanation at all for the main conflict: bad witches versus innocent humans. The reader isn't told why the witches decided to go full-on evil one day. We still don't know after reading the sequel. We do find out that there were seven goddess witches who created the world (not sure why this is relevant overall, but ok), and that they entrusted magic to witches (for reasons?), and then some of those witches decided to go off script from the goddess's plan. But we still don't know anything about what prompted the witches to do this in the first place. What was the original end game?

Also, and as in the first novel, events would occur and the solutions appeared without any foreshadowing or back story leading the reader up to them. For example, Seraphine and her true nature. Cressida's resurrection scheme. Gideon's curse. The way Cressida's sisters were disappeared off the face of the earth. There was a lot of world building as the world was being destroyed. So while the climax was awesome, it felt like an island unto itself (pun intended) because there was no groundwork for it in the narrative.

The best part of the novel is Gideon. Rune is fun, but I have to admit she frustrated me by the end. Ultimately, their interpersonal conflict in this novel relies almost entirely on the miscommunication trope. The fact that they don't truly trust each other until the third act, and therefore were constantly second guessing each other's motives and plans, became a truly belabored point. I think that this also contributed to the pacing issue because Gideon and Rune were caught in this never-ending cycle of who's on first.

The thing is, though, I really did enjoy this read. I just had to content myself with plot points all over the place like in a pinball machine. But because I wanted to see how Gideon and Rune got together, and I wanted the good guys to win, it was satisfying by the end, even if the resolutions were too tidy and simple given how high the stakes were supposed to be.

Thank you SMP/Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication. All opinions are my own.

I DNF'd this novel at 45% so I am not going to give it a rating. I did enjoy the author's writing style, but this one is not for me because I had zero respect for the MMC, Graham. Ali, you deserve so much better than what this

cheater

is offering.

Graham is, ultimately, a coward. He is engaged to his "best friend" (his words!) who was there for him during all of the hard times of the past decade of his life. He loves her, but he is not "in love" with her. I have no problem with that. My problem is that he won't man up and tell his "best friend" that he doesn't want to marry her, and that she deserves a partner who loves her. The author has made it clear that Graham's fiancee isn't in love with him either, and that he and Ali are fated mates. But here's the thing -- Graham's fiancee hasn't cheated on him in the narrative (at least up to the point that I DNF'd). By 45%, he has made out with Ali TWICE, hasn't confessed to his "best friend" about either encounter, and isn't man enough to do so or call off the wedding. For all I know, the fiancee could be cheating on him too, but as a reader, we're supposed to be rooting for Graham, and there is nothing to root for when it comes to *his* behavior.

Instead of taking accountability for his feelings and proudly taking Ali public, he takes the coward's way out with a ton of excuses as to why he can't tell the truth and "disappoint" everyone (including his mother, of course) by keeping her a secret. Ali, even if he hadn't kissed you (TWICE) he is emotionally cheating on his fiancee. Once a cheater, always a cheater. I wouldn't trust Graham not to do the same thing again in the future, but to you next time.

Both Ali and Graham's fiancee deserve so much better than this pathetic little man. I would have read this book and 5-starred it if both Ali and the fiancee dumped him and then got together themselves.

Gaahhh, I am so conflicted about this review -- which is exactly what I wrote when I reviewed Rebecca Kinney's first book in this series, Beautiful Villain. On the one hand, both of these books are brilliant in terms of conceptualization. I love the idea of modernizing and reimagining the classics as paranormal/horror romances. And the books are two of the most inventive retellings I've ever read. Further, Rebecca is quite a talented writer. Her characters, settings, dialogue, her ability to build tension and suspense, not to mention her horror elements, are first rate.

Where Charming Devil ultimately falls short is plot development. This is also the same thing I thought about Beautiful Villain. For both, I feel like the plot faltered at the denouement. It was just disappointing when all of the threads didn't land with the depth and gravity that all of the build-up was leading up to. There is a let down that the villains were too handily and easily dispatched; and it didn't seem to end in a place that felt "finished" -- and satisfying -- for the MCs. There are also loose ends that don't feel important or relevant to the main plotline. Similarly, I feel that some of the minor characters didn't need to be there, and the ones that did have key roles in the storyline weren't utilized enough.

With all of that said, I did enjoy this, as well as Beautiful Villain. These are not perfect reads by any means, but they are entertaining and definitely better than average in terms of creativity and the quality of the prose. I would rate this a 3.75 stars. I'm also very much looking forward to the next book in the series. 

I loved this genre-bending debut YA! It is so well-constructed and the writing style is so good that I would never have guessed this was a debut novel. Part magical realism, part mystery, part suspense, part thriller, with a sprinkling of sweet romance, Needy Little Things is one of the best YAs I've read in the last year. I will absolutely be recommending it to my friends and followers, and look forward to following this new author's career and reading her future novels.

Needy Little Things is the story of Sariyah Lee Bryant, a senior in high school who has an inherited premonition-like sixth sense. She hears voices from every person within a certain proximity of her physical location. The voices repeat over and over a physical item the person is going to need in the future. The items are small, seemingly innocuous, things that you would often find in someone's pocket or purse, like paper clips, band aids, hair ties, chapstick, kleenex. The only thing that Sariyah doesn't know is when the item will be used or why the person will need it.

Warned by her family that her supernatural gift can be dangerous and that she shouldn't speak of it or use it, Sariyah is unable to resist the desperation of the voices in her head that are nearly torturous when she is around other people. Because the voices do not quiet until she gifts the items needed, her gift giving becomes a compulsion, and it is getting worse as she gets older. Now she is struggling to maintain her grades, relationships with her family and friends, and her own sanity.

When one of her best friends disappears without a trace from a music festival in Atlanta, Sariyah is determined to solve the mystery before it's too late, and another Black girl is lost to time and community consciousness.

This novel contemplates and explores the butterfly effect in a truly unique way and through a number of character's eyes. It also explores a number of themes including the true meaning of family, desire for independence, the power of community, and racial and social inequity.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this novel.  All opinions are my own.

I have mixed feelings on this one.  On the one hand, I almost DNF'd it twice by 40%, and then I admit to skimming the last 35% so it almost ended up being a DNF after all.   But this may be one of those reads where it just didn't strike me at the right time, or I'm being overly picky because I'm a hardcore historical romance reader and I've read so many of them it's hard not to compare.

What I liked:
• The premise that there is a school for governesses who double as spies -- so, so fun
• Jasper Jones, our all-green-flag hero, and former wharf rat who built London's biggest gambling hell, and is now richer than Croesus
• Neurodivergent-coded FMC Frankie Turner, who is sort of a Victorian-era Maria Von Trapp, minus the singing and the Nazis

What didn't work for me:
• The massive information dump over the first two chapters
• The Dowry Thieves plus the disappearance of Frankie's sister is a lot of melodrama to swallow, especially because neither of these things have anything to do with the romance itself
• The degree of artistic license needed to make the plot work.  Although Jasper is well-known to operate a gaming "hell" versus a pseudo-respectable gaming "club", and he makes no secret of his disdain for his ton clientele, he is invited to a *Duke's* house party during the Season, along with his 15-year-old orphaned niece (a commoner) who isn't yet out, and her governess?  (The Duke isn't even a gambler.)
• Frankie is the great-granddaughter of a baron, and her father is a member of the gentry, not the aristocracy.  But her mother also gets an invite to the *Duke's* highly exclusive house party, just because Frankie is going?
• Insta-love is always an iffy, but it really doesn't make sense here
• Jasper, highly intelligent and clever, is worried sick over his inability to rein in his orphaned niece's behavior - thus, Frankie - but then he agrees to let her plan a "soiree" with no oversight and is shocked that things go sideways?
• Frankie is an intriguing character, but I couldn't get over how emotionally immature she is.  Yes, she is a neurodivergent young woman who has issues with social cues, and reading and processing emotions of others. But why is she herself operating at an emotional maturity level of sixteen?  And making so many silly mistakes even with her spying?  Especially because she is supposed to be very intelligent.  It is this part of the story that really got in the way of me believing that Jasper, who is written well as a grown up mature adult, would give her the time of day.
• There are a lot of characters that don't have a role in bringing Frankie and Jasper together, or have any impact on Jasper and Frankie's growth as individuals and as a partnership.  In this, the romance arc is short changed.

Thank you Netgalley and Forever for the opportunity to read and review this novel.  All opinions are my own.

 

I don't even know how many annotations I've made. I loved this novel so much! Where do I start?

❤️ARTHUR. This perfect, bearded, insecure bear of a reluctant Scottish Earl who looks fearsome, and is absolutely kind, gentle, sensitive, and earnest to his core. This man loves so deeply that he carved himself straight into my heart within the first few minutes of meeting him. There is nothing more swoonworthy to me in romance than a man who truly deserves to be loved to the depths of his partner's soul for being himself. Arthur must be saved at all costs. I would rescue this book from a fire for him. Every time he says "Dinna fash" I get lightheaded.

📚LYDIA. She's a feminist, an anonymous writer of political pamphlets, and she suffers from social anxiety. My Queen! By deciding to take charge of her own life, she is the seemingly insignificant pebble that drops into the pond, so the ripples of her bravery continue to get wider and impact more and more people. I love her independent spirit, her insecurities, her desire for love and acceptance. I love how much she loves Arthur. I love her relationships with her brothers and her friends Selina and Georgina. I love her intelligence and refusal to accept societal expectations for women.

🐎 The madcap caper of a premise, and subsequent mystery adventures that have all of the characters dashing all over Scotland and London, alone and in various groups, trying to discover and/or subvert unknown plans by unknown individuals who stole Arthur's new invention to permit more accurate long-range shooting. This book reminded me of classic Georgette Heyer novels given its comedic elements, and the good but misguided intentions of the characters that threaten the whole enterprise, but somehow, despite themselves, come together in triumph at the end.

🦓 Any historical romance novel featuring a gay animal rights activist who has rescued a herd of zebras from menageries throughout the British Isles automatically wins my forever devotion. Chef's kiss

🐶 Same goes for Sir Francis Bacon. Every time someone referred to Bacon I laughed.

🌈Bertie and Huw were true highlights of this novel for me. I loved that their partnership was seamlessly integrated into the landscape of the story and the lives of the other characters, rather than existing like an island that needs some kind of explanation for being there. They're woven into the fabric of the world, and no one would ever consider them to be otherwise.

😍 Lydia's brothers and mother are hysterically funny and I loved all of them. Ned most especially, and I need to read a story about him and Jasper!

🌷The 15/10 Epilogue. It brought me to the best of tears. It was perfect. I wouldn't change a single word.

This is without a doubt Alex Vasti's best work yet. The prose is sublime, the humor and dialogue are sparkling and real. The pacing is spot on. The characterizations are inspired. I will be recommending this bright, engaging, and truly entertaining historical romance to all of my followers and friends.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication. All opinions are my own. 

I am sad to report that I've DNF'd this title at 48%.  I really wanted to love it! 

I found Juliana to just be too frustrating, and Ben isn't much better.   I understand that Juliana has a lot of mixed feelings about herself, her future, and her grief, which leads her to be entirely conflicted over what type of relationship she wants or feels she should have with Ben.  Giving in her to attraction once and running away from those feelings he stirred is one thing.  When it happened again, I questioned whether I could consider her character as a supposedly mature, adult woman.  When the same thing happened for the third time and we weren't even halfway through the book, I was done.  

By 48%, I also realized that I still have no idea why Ben is somebody I should be rooting for.  We get it that he's H-O-T-T-O-G-O.  And... he's a good friend to Juliana's bestie?  And... he's a single dad?   That's all we've got?   Because he doesn't seem to have any self-respect and is content to let Juliana jerk his chain?

Ultimately my decision was made when there were no interesting plot developments, and Juliana and Ben's relationship, had still gone nowhere.  It was just a series of one step forward, one step back.   There weren't any emotional stakes for me as a reader.

I also think that Juliana and Ben were rude to each other for years for no acceptable reason when considering they are two professionals in the work place -- and she's in HR.  The underlying premise of this novel is too unrealistic in this year of our lord 2025.   Speaking of which, it's time for my annual required employee sexual harassment training.

The deliberate intention of this book! My experience reading it was like watching a distant tempest build over the ocean, and the pinpricks of sunset piercing through the clouds. And while it will satisfy every reader looking for a compelling romantic suspense, this novel is also an unexpectedly provocative and insightful discussion of the mental health crisis devastating our inner cities.

I am a licensed clinical social worker with years of experience working in community mental health in Los Angeles, and so many of the characters and plotlines in this novel are absolutely accurate to what clinicians and other service providers encounter on a daily basis. It's hard to believe that the author hasn't worked on the front lines herself given the portrayal of each character and the accurate descriptions of the physical, emotional, and psychological challenges they face throughout the narrative. One of my favorite aspects of the book is the podcast interviews conducted with people who have lived on San Francisco's streets, and how they have survived.

Reading this was such a personal experience, at times it was like Mia had written a biography. The whole novel felt like a love letter to the patients, and to all of the unsung providers who work tirelessly in community mental health and addiction services. This novel brings us and our everyday challenges into the light, in such a direct but reverent way. It is respectful to patients because it never minimizes their experiences or blames them for their impossible choices. I also loved that there were no apologies made for the broken system that not only perpetuates the public stigma of mental illness, but its abject failure to bring about any measurable change in treatment outcomes.

Because I believe that books and reading are inherently political, I am now including a list of political issues in each review that I write:

💙🌎💙 addiction and recovery, bodily autonomy, community activism, community mental health, feminism, homelessness, patient advocacy, policing, poverty, trauma, US health care system

Other special highlights:

🔎Twisty mystery
🍉 Wooing via fruit salad
🌉 Lennon's name
🔎 Jamal, Myrna, and Darius, for being helpers
🍉 Healing against all odds
🌉 Ambrose Mars who must be protected at all costs
🌙 The EPILOGUE 

Cheers to another 5-star entry to The Winemakers historical romance series set in Victorian-era Portugal! This holiday novella gifts a HEA to Beth Croft, a stalwart sacrificial lamb to her father's cruel ambition, who we initially met in the series' first novel. Beth has accepted her inevitable spinsterhood after her arranged engagement with Griffin Maxwell ends. Until she learns that her dying father intends for her to marry Boyd Sandeman, a wealthy, self-made vintner from the Scottish Highlands. What Beth doesn't know is that Boyd intends to publicly reject her as an act of revenge against the man who humiliated him when he first arrived in Portugal as a penniless young man.

Of course, all of Boyd's plans immediately go sideways after spending an afternoon with Beth in his vineyard.

This is a standalone novella, but readers of the series will enjoy getting to spend time with Griffin and Julia, and Pedro and Anne, and their children, who also attend Boyd's Duoro Valley vineyard Christmas celebration. I loved the band of brothers vibe between Boyd, Griffin, and Pedro; and Beth, Julia and Anne instantly become besties too.

One of my favorite aspects of the story is Beth's decision to take charge of her own destiny. It is through her interactions with Boyd that she begins to see herself as she truly is -- an independent woman with strength and determination, and the fearlessness to defy expectations. I love that Boyd is the first person who inspires her to go after what she wants in life, and to refuse to settle for whatever leftovers are cast off and can be scraped together.

Giovanna Siniscalchi is one of the best and brightest new talents in HR, and I would recommend her books to every reader looking for a beautifully written love story with emotional depth, and a rich, exotic, immersive setting. 

A sweet, charming, pocket-size Regency romance that reminded me so much of Georgette Heyer's style and sensibilities!   This is my first read by this author, so I didn't have any expectations going in, and I really was delighted by this quick read.  It is quite short, I would even say it's skirting novella-length, so it's a perfect choice for a relaxed Saturday afternoon with a warm cup of tea.

I love a good hidden/secret identity trope in historical romance, but it's rarely done well without gigantic plot holes.  I think the author pulled this off very well.  It's an unbelievably believable take on the identical twin swap idea, and it works!  I loved Issie and Bella, with Bella being the better developed and well-rounded character.  I loved Dr. Jordan.  I also loved Lord Brooke, and the fact that the reader is not given his Christian name is truly such a clever play to the main plotline. 

The only criticism I really have is that there were too many characters given the brevity of the narrative, and I think that I would have enjoyed a more in-depth character exploration of Issie and her backstory, in exchange for the time spent on Miss Adams, Sir Roger, Lady Dutton, and Bella's two suitors in her grandfather's village.   Mr. Peckham was fabulous, as was Lord Dutton,  I also loved Lady de Ros and Grandpa Perry.   The latter four characters really channeled those classic Heyer comedic vibes.

My hot take on this novel is that it really should be marketed as YA!  The plot and coming-of-age love stories are surface-level, and I would be more likely to recommend it to my YA readers who aren't ready for the mature sexual content of Bridgerton, but are looking for modern Jane Austen-esque novels.  

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this novel.  All opinions are my own.