Queen of Lombard Street by Lisa Kleypas

 

5*

It was a long 5-year wait for Lisa Kleypas’s next book, but it was so worth it to have privilege of reading Queen of Lombard Street. Unlike most of her previous historical romances, this one focuses on the working class instead of the British aristocracy. Reina Martin is the illegitimate child of a married banker and his mistress, a Spanish dancer. Against her father’s wishes, her mother made sure she had the best tutors and encouraged Reina to reach for the stars.

The first chapter begins in 1877 with 25-year-old Reina defying convention and arguing that women should be given respect and control of their own finances. Her dream is to open a bank run by women and for women only. In the latter part of the 19th century, there were brave and determined women fighting for equality, whether it be voting rights, financial freedom, or working outside the home. Reina is modeled after several women who are featured in the author’s note.

Of course, it is a Kleypas book, so there’s steamy romance as well. John Pembroke, undercover police detective who poses as her butler, is the primary male character and there is also a secondary couple, cook June and parolee Maddock, the coachman. One of the best and most humorous aspects of the book is the group of former convicts that trusting and warm-hearted Reina hires as her staff who become a ragtag family, as most of them experience loving kindness and acceptance for the first time.

Whether you are a long-time Kleypas fan or are just discovering her, you are going to love this wonderful historical romance. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Avon Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

The Best Christmas Ever by Sarah Morgan

 

5*

If I had to choose one theme that encapsulates this lovely, heartwarming Christmas story, it would be “chosen family.” The holidays can be incredibly stressful, especially for those whose birth families put undue pressure on having the “perfect” Christmas. For overachieving people pleasers like Brooke, it leads to heightened anxiety and guilt. For women like Izzy and Mabel (one who never had love and the other who lost it), it’s a day filled with loneliness, regret, and self-recrimination. However, when the winter storm of the century leaves colleagues Izzy and Jason and Brooke and her family (husband Matt and darling girls Elsie and Poppy) stranded, Mabel lets them into her fairytale-like home. What starts as a reluctant but inevitable decision by Mabel turns out to be the “best Christmas ever” for everyone.

Morgan’s Christmas books are always on my must-read list because of how well she develops her characters, sets the scene (in this case, a blizzard in Vermont and a stunning home complete with turrets and a library I’d kill for), and elicits emotion. This one also has a closed-door romance. I highly recommend this delightful story.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Mira through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Damned If I Do by Alexandria Bellefleur

4*

When I downloaded this ARC, it was because of my love for Bellefeur’s other books, and I shamefully didn’t pay any attention to the description. To say this is a huge departure from her norm is an understatement. Since I’m not a big fan of romantasy, it took me awhile to really get into it, but once I did, I was hooked. Having a queer demon as the FMC (most of the main characters in the book are queer, in fact) is an interesting premise that allows readers to accompany her on her journey of rediscovering her human husband of 400-plus years. It gives a whole new meaning to eternal love (a very steamy one at that). I think readers who are looking to try out romantasy will appreciate this story because it doesn’t require a lengthy commitment to world building as so many heavy tomes in the subgenre do. Recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Berkley Romance through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Once, Again, Always by Amanda Gayle

 

4*

Once, Again, Always is a delightful debut novel from Amanda Gayle. After a head injury, Molly Graham suffers a brain hemorrhage and is left with amnesia, only to find out that her high school arch nemesis, Aster Bishop, is now her husband. What follows is multiple months of overcoming grief, trying to recapture the memories she lost, and a rebuilding a relationship that she finds unfathomable at first. Yet, the more time Aster spends being the loving, doting, and, yes, frustrating at times husband, the less Molly wants to dwell on her past self and the more she just wants to be loved for who she is now.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the relationship arc between Molly and Aster with undeniable chemistry and a mutual respect borne out of the detritus of their antagonist beginnings. One of my favorite aspects of this enemies-to-lovers romance is the boundary-defying friends who lend quite a bit of comic relief to what could have been a heavy read otherwise. There are definitely some spicy scenes but not what I would consider graphic. If you like second chance and enemies to lovers’ romances, be sure to check this one out. Recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Avon through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

 

You'll Be the Death of Me by Holly Michelle

 

5*

You’ll Be the Death of Me is very reminiscent of the movie Just Like Heaven but with an MMC who is dead and a FMC who is in limbo between real life and the afterlife. When Cole accidentally transitions the wrong Verdella Rogers from life to death, he is tasked with going down to Earth for just 3 days to correct his mistake. All he has to do is follow the rule book. However, Dell has other ideas which break one rule after another. What will it cost them when the spirited higher-ups have had enough of the hi-jinx?

Early in the book is one of the funniest scenes I have ever read as Dell decides to haunt her ex-fiancé. There are many more humorous scenes but they’re balanced with adventure and a number of very poignant passages. Their brief time together gives them both the opportunity to reflect on their life’s choices and consider what they would do if given a second chance. You’ll have to read this delightful romance to find out if they are rewarded with a happy ending.

As a fan of ghostly romances, I was so excited to read Holly Michelle’s novel, and I am happy to recommend it to readers, especially fans of Ashley Poston and Sarah Ready.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Avon Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Meet Me at the Seaside Cottages by Jenny Colgan

 

4*

It was so nice to revisit the Scottish coastal village of Carso and a number of characters from Colgan’s previous books. Once I got used to the British slang and colloquial phrases scattered throughout, I was able to fully immerse myself in this double romance. As with all of Colgan’s books, there’s a big, potentially damaging problem to solve which anyone with even a basic knowledge of finance saw coming a mile away. Luckily, the village came together to make everything right.

Central to the story is the strained relationship between Janey and her daughter Essie who blames her mother for her parents’ divorce rather than her cheating father. It took a considerable amount of growing up for Essie to see the kind, caring woman that everyone else recognizes. I appreciated the mature, slow burn romance between Lowell and Janey and that the smarmy, stuck-up finance bros (including Essie’s (ex) boyfriend) got their comeuppance. Dog lovers will enjoy the subplot of a litter of puppy mutts, too. Recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Avon through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

A Shop Girl’s Guide to Wooing a Lord (Heiress Hunters #1) by Shana Galen

 

4*

It’s been awhile since I read one of Galen’s books and I’m glad to be reminded how much I enjoy her writing. It’s a rather unusual romance between a destitute young woman, Tamsin, and Garret, the “spare” heir to a British-Irish Earl who serendipitously meet when he keeps her from being trampled in Covent Garden one night and then buys her crushed violets for his younger sister. Tamsin had never been shown such kindness, and she never forgot him. Fast forward a couple of years and they ran into each other again. Garret found her fascinating, and she had her first impression of him confirmed. However, he’s in need of an heiress to marry, and Tamsin knows she’ll never fit in his world. Their path to happily ever after is far from smooth with run-ins with unsavory sorts, children exploited and forced into laboring as chimney sweeps, and Garret’s lackluster pursuit of a huge dowry. Contrary to what the title says, it is Garret who woos her and she’s not a shopgirl, but this takes nothing away from the story. There are several steamy scenes and some abusive situations, but at its heart, it’s a delightful opposites attract love story that fans of Sarah MacLean, Tessa Dare, and Lisa Kleypas will love. Recommended.


I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Berkley Romance through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

 

 

How to Fake it in Society by KJ Charles

 

5*

This is the first book by KJ Charles that I’ve read, but I now look forward to reading more.

I loved both the leads for different reasons. Titus is honest, people-pleasing, and in definite need of a break after his landlord/ex-lover raises his rent beyond what he can pay. In desperation, he agrees to a wild scheme put forth by one of his best customers. In juxtaposition, Nico is charming, also desperate but for different reasons, and a surprisingly sincere French aristocrat who befriends Titus in the hopes that he’ll help him stave off a vicious loan shark. What starts as a friendship becomes so much more as each of them learns from the other: Titus, to not put everyone else’s needs before his own to his detriment and Nico, that there are good people in the world willing to overlook some morally questionable motivations that don’t truly reflect the good person he is. It’s no wonder that romantic feelings start to grow.

I read this in one sitting and found quite a bit of humor juxtaposed against some true villains and the absurdity of primogeniture. The chemistry between Titus and Nico was slow-burning but heartwarming. In a time when homosexuality was illegal, it’s so refreshing to read a romance in which. despite having to keep it hidden from society, the leads welcome the opportunity to turn their backs on the haute ton with their judgment and compulsive need to find rich husbands for their daughters. A delightful read!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Bramble/Tor through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.



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A Girl Like Her (Ravenswood #1) by Talia Hibbert

4*

Spoilers ahead…





I read and thoroughly enjoyed Hibbert’s The Brown Sisters trilogy, but I have never read her earlier books until now. This is an edited reprint of A Girl Like Her, book one in the Ravenswood series. Although I struggled with the story in the first few chapters, I eventually got into it and thoroughly enjoyed it. Like the Brown sisters and Hibbert herself, Ruth is autistic. Her unique way of navigating the world is heavily influenced by her neurodivergency, but she’s been harshly treated by the people in the small town after they mistakenly believed the town’s golden boy (and her secret boyfriend of seven years) when he accused her of coming on to him when he got engaged to someone else. Like so many women in controlling relationships, she blamed herself and hid away to avoid the censure of the townspeople. It wasn’t until she met Evan, who befriended her and accepted her as she was, quirks and all, that she finally began to let go of her misplaced guilt. He wasn’t put off by her prickliness and eventually won her trust, giving her the confidence to face her demons.

There were difficult moments in the story that could be triggering for some readers, but Evan’s innate goodness and Ruth’s bluntness and lack of guile were refreshing. Usually small-town romances are endearing, but this one showed more of the bad behavior fueled by gossip that can ruin a person’s life. Given that Ruth and Evan are a biracial couple, I was thankful that there was no sign of racism. I look forward to reading the rest of the series. Recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Sourcebooks Casablanca through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Honey Bee Mine by Sarah T. Dubb

 

5*

In a very worthy follow-up to her debut novel, Birding with Benefits, Dubb takes her readers from birdwatching to beekeeping with the same heart, humor, and steam that gained her fans in the first place. In Honey Bee Mine, she introduces us to Penny and Zander, two thirty-somethings who knew each other peripherally as teens but are now actually connecting as adults who are carrying loads of baggage from absent parents. This small town romance includes the requisite festival (the Honey Festival) and a quirky cast of secondary characters including Zander’s ex- wife Mallory, best friend Quinn (a trans woman), Penny’s best friend RJ (an asexual man), her mother and grandmother, Zander’s son Winter, and the painful memories he has of his late grandfather whose bequest of a house brought Zander back to Sullivan’s Glen after nearly two decades.


Dubb avoids the third act break-up thanks to the maturity, vulnerability and honesty between Penny and Zander. Told in third person, the story is laden with eloquent prose and thoughtful, careful dialogue. Fans of Emily Henry, Abby Jimenez, Katherine Center, Kate Clayborn, and Christina Lauren will love this compelling, endearing romance. Highly recommended.


I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Gallery Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Yours For the Season by Emily Stone

 

4*

This lovely second chance romance is what I’ve come to expect from Emily Stone. My only complaint is that the entire plot is based around a huge case of miscommunication and false assumptions. Being that’s one of my romance pet peeves, I had to focus on other aspects of this emotionally-charged story, which was easy given how well Stone writes about family dynamics, creates characters who are full of complexities and goodness, and describes locations so well that you can easily be transported there. If I take any lessons from this story, it’s that we should focus on the love we share, have honesty and transparency in relationships, and be willing to grant forgiveness. If you are looking for a Christmas romance that tugs at your heartstrings but leaves you hopeful, I highly recommend Yours for the Season.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Dell through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Slow Burn Summer by Josie Silver

 

3*

It takes something special to hold my attention, and although I’m a fan of Silver’s previous books, I struggled to get through this one. Yes, the title is Slow Burn Summer, but it seemed more about lack of forward momentum that would keep me engaged than about the buildup of a tepid romance. The chemistry between Kate and Charlie was the opposite of explosive, so much so that I didn’t remember the one s#x scene between them that came late in the book. I also didn’t care for Silver’s choice of third person narration because it created a sense of unnecessary distance between this reader and the main characters. There are other aspects of the story that disappointed me, but are hard to describe without spoilers. So, I’ll just leave it that it wasn’t the book for me, but I think it’ll find its audience.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Dell through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

The Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right by Suzanne Allain

 

4*

The Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right is reminiscent of some of Shakespeare’s comedies as if read aloud by Bridgerton’s Lady Whistledown. It’s a fun romp through the English Regency period, complete with cousins Lady Isabelle (Issie) and Arabella Grant (Bella), who look very much alike and agree to switch identities so that anxiety-ridden Issie can avoid her first season on the marriage mart. What neither of them anticipates is that they’ll fall in love and risk losing the objects of their affection when their deceit is revealed.

As with her previous book, Mr. Malcolm’s List, Allain pokes innocent fun at the haute ton’s ideas about marriage and the convoluted rules of primogeniture. If you’re looking for a fun, low angst, historically researched, clean romance, this fits the bill well. Recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Berkley through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.