An Ocean of Longing by Kennedy Kerr (Echoes of Cornwall #2)

 

4*

An Ocean of Longing, part two of the Echoes of Cornwall series was just as compelling and haunting as the first with the added element of a steamy romance between Tegan and William. I just wish it weren’t another cliffhanger which is one reason I only gave it 4 stars. (Be sure to read Book 1 as this is not a standalone.) The other reason for the 4 stars, which I hope was corrected in the final draft, was the number of typos and the misuse of me, myself and I. Every time I stumbled across this grammar pet peeve of mine, it pulled me out of the story. I think there should be trigger warnings for extreme violence and abuse, but it’s still a fascinating romance with time travel, ghostly images appearing in dreams, and visions of beautiful Cornwall in the18th and 19th centuries.

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

Most Ardently Yours by Freya Sampson

4*

They say that you should never meet your heroes….and it appears that extends to book boyfriends as well. Aspiring romance writer Zoe Knight has given up on love, but still believes in happily ever afters, only with book boyfriends who can’t disappoint her. Who better than Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, the perfect man she fell in love with while sharing the story with her late mother. Sound impossible? Guess again, because after berating a handsome London bookstore owner, Nick Baskerville, for refusing to sell romance books, she finds and absconds with a marked up copy of Jane Austen’s classic novel. To her surprise, she somehow wishes Darcy into existence. and what ensues is a hilarious fish out of water scenario that somehow seems to humanize the erudite, taciturn Darcy. (Yes, I’m using multisyllabic words in his honor.) As he experiences everything from underground trains to Ru Paul’s Drag Race, Zoe begins to realize that book boyfriends are best left on the page and that she may have misjudged bookseller Nick.

This unique enemies to lovers romance requires a suspension of disbelief because the premise is so improbable. However, it’s so much fun reading about Darcy’s experiences in modern-day London that it was easy to put my reservations about the plot aside. I loved how Darcy helped Zoe realize that she is the hero of her own story, and that she shouldn’t compare her writing to anyone else’s (especially the nasty ex who made her lose confidence in her abilities). Ardent Jane Austen fans will probably have strong feelings about this book, but readers who love book boyfriends mixed with a huge helping of magical realism will be happy for the experience. Recommended.

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

An Ocean of Time by Kennedy Kerr

4*

I would have given this book 5 stars for the compelling, suspenseful, romantic story. However, without warning, it ended on a cliffhanger. If I’d known, I would have waited until the 2nd (and perhaps successive) book had come out because I’m just not patient enough to wait.

If, however, you don’t mind cliffhangers, I definitely recommend this intriguing time slip novel set in Cornwall, UK in 1755. There’s forbidden romance, villainous treachery, and deep, dark secrets that keep you at the edge of your seat. Recommended. 

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

Insignificant Others by Sarah Jio

 

4*

With a nod to both Ghosts of Girlfriends Past and Groundhog Day, Jio has spun a delightful, emotional, illuminating timeslip novel about a woman who, in the process of living a day with each of the choices she could have made with various men from her past, is also given the opportunity to reflect on her dissatisfaction with her current life. The day after her latest relationship ends with Coldplay tickets instead of a proposal, Lena runs to the comfort of her Aunt Rosie’s arms, the woman who raised her after her mentally ill mother died when she was just 12, following a life of instability, lack of plans, and occasional abandonment. Before falling asleep, she comes to the realization that, due to her chaotic childhood, she fears the unknown and clings to her rigid life and career plans as a result.

The following morning, she wakes up in Paris, married to a sophisticated Frenchman she’d met years before at a mutual friend's wedding. Over the next nine days, she finds herself waking to 9 other ghosts from her past (including a farmer, past boyfriends and crushes, near-strangers, etc.). In the process, she is forced to reevaluate her views on motherhood, infidelity, desirable qualities in a romantic partner and more. When she finally breaks free from this time loop, will she have discovered enough about herself to be open to a true love relationship? You’ll have to read it and see. Highly recommended.

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

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston

 

5*

This is Poston’s sophomore adult novel and, like The Dead Romantics, she has crafted a beautiful love story that defies convention, time and space. She breathes life into her characters with lyrical dialogue, a vulnerability and honesty between them, and a willingness to suspend disbelief in order to get to the right time and place to be together. It has a similar premise as the movie, The Lake House, but is not quite so intense.

Although it is a romance, there is magical realism in the form of an apartment that has infrequent and unpredictable time slips, one in which Clementine’s Aunt Analea meets Vera, the love of her life, and another when Clementine first meets Iwan, the talented chef visiting NYC in the hopes of landing a dishwashing job in the restaurant his grandfather, an amateur chef, brought him to as a child and where he hopes to climb the ranks to top chef, making his grandfather proud. Little does she realize that he is seven years behind her in time.

The central theme is about following your passion, whether it’s in a vocation or in a person, and being open to change, because life isn’t stagnant, and love means embracing and supporting your partner’s growth and loving yourself enough to walk away from the life you thought you should want to discover new things about yourself and the passions that drive you. I enjoyed all of the lyrical prose, especially when Iwan was romanticizing food and his idea of “the perfect meal” and how serendipitous the path to romance is. Highly 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.

Wished (Ghosted #4) by Sarah Ready

 

5*

I’m guessing this is the final book in Ready’s Ghosted series, and it is such a heartwarming, truly romantic read. Ready has quickly become one of my favorite contemporary romance writers with her well-written, heartfelt, and engaging stories.

After poor Max was rejected by Fiona in Fated, I was hoping he’d find a woman who inspired passion and made him trust that love didn’t have to be destructive. Anna is the perfect love interest for him, but it takes an impulsive wish on her part using an antique necklace as a talisman for Max to even notice her. For her, it was love at first sight when, as his housecleaner, she accidentally interrupted him working from home. However, because she was so good at hiding herself with baggy clothes and oversized glasses, he never would have noticed her if it weren’t for the wish fulfillment: she wakes up the next day learning that’s they’ve been married for seven years and everyone but Max believes it. She knows it isn’t real, but Max has memories that he can’t explain. As they embark on a trip to Paris and St. Tropez with a plan to reverse the wish, they begin to realize that a housecleaner and a wealthy jeweler might have more in common than they’d ever imagined, but is it real, is it magic, or is it just a dream?

As with the other books in the series, Ready beautifully blends magical realism, romance and a bit of mystery to create unforgettable love stories that transcend space and time. Anna and Max are fully realized and the chemistry between them is off the charts. One of the most endearing elements of the book is how they see the best in each other which gives them the space and security they need to let go of the past and allow room for happiness, love, and laughter. Although this can be read as a standalone, I encourage readers to start with Ghosted and go from there. Highly recommended.

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

Fated (Ghosted #3) by Sarah Ready

 

4*

Just after Fiona Abry and her brother Daniel make a bet over who will find and accept love first, Fiona’s hippy dippy mother Buttercup, who abandoned her at age 6, comes for a very brief visit and gifts her a long-lost family heirloom, the first pocket watch made by Adolphus Abry, founder of the family’s watch company. According to her great-great-uncle Leo, who gave her mother the watch to pass on to her, if Fiona falls asleep holding it, “it will show you your heart’s desire. And then once you’ve dreamed it, you can grasp it.” Next thing she knows, she’s waking up on an isolated Caribbean island in bed with a stranger, Aaron, and mother to two children. To further confound things, she looks like the woman whose body she seems to be possessing. Over the course of the summer, she revisits the island nightly in vivid dreams, never knowing how much time has passed, if any, and slowly falling for Aaron.

There were a couple of minor issues that kept this from being a 5* read for me. It frustrated me how unintentionally cruel Fiona was by not being honest with Aaron about who she is, causing him such incredible hurt. Also, as a huge fan of Jillian and Daniel Abry, the couple from Ghosted, it is disappointing that this story takes place before they meet, so readers don’t get to revisit with them.

As always, though, Sarah Ready does an incredible job of crafting romances that defy time, space, and logic. In this third book of the Ghosted series, there are so many twists that readers are left guessing until the end whether Fiona’s dream guy, Aaron, is real but in another dimension or just a figment of her imagination. Highly recommended!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Swift & Lewis Publishing through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Almost Like Being in Love by Sariah Wilson

4*

One of my favorite old Hollywood musicals is Brigadoon, so it’s no surprise that I really enjoyed this adaptation set at Christmas. Unlike the film, in which the quaint Scottish village appears out of the mist once every hundred years, this book’s Highglen appears during a week-long snowstorm at infrequent intervals in response to an unsuspecting visitor in need of some Christmas spirit. Four hundred years in the real world is a mere 7 years in Highglen, where it’s still 1647.

Maren and her friend Penny have left America in search of her uncle who disappeared about 30 years prior while on a research trip. She reluctantly leaves behind her mother, who has cancer, to fulfill her dying wish of finding her long lost brother. So imagine Maren’s surprise when, after her rental car breaks down, she’s rescued by a handsome Scottish laird, Duncan Campbell. It’s love at first sight, with a vague sense that they’ve met before, but can they ever have a future if she has to return to be with her mom and he has to remain with his large family and the villagers who depend on him? Is there a chance for a Christmas miracle?

Unlike most time travel books, this one doesn’t worry about changing the future by incorporating modern conveniences into 17th-century Scotland because the Campbells are able to benefit from the knowledge and resources shared by their visitors, whether it’s the culinary skills of a chef who appeared in the 1800s or Maren’s veterinary skills. Duncan has six sisters, and there’s definitely something in the air when it comes to them finding love with hapless visitors, including Maren’s Uncle Bobby. 

If you’re looking for a quick read full of Christmas spirit and a hunky, poetic, Scottish book boyfriend, this one fits the bill. It’s a love at first sight, sweet, clean romance with unchallenging dialogue, low angst, and the perfect chosen family.

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

With Love From London by Sarah Jio

5*

Where do I begin to explain how much I love this book? Is it in the colorful, quirky neighborhood of Primrose Hill in London, the city of my heart? As a passionate reader, is it in The Book Garden, a charming bookstore owned by Eloise and inherited by her daughter Valentina? Perhaps it’s in the dual timelines from Eloise’s and Valentina’s points of view, Eloise’s starting in 1968 when she meets two men, one the love of her life and the other who is responsible for both her greatest joy and the incomprehensible cruelty behind her unbearable pain, and Valentina’s in 2013 when, at age 35, she’s facing divorce and the news that her mother has died, the same mother she hasn’t seen or heard from in 23 years. Ultimately, it is in the colors of the rich tapestry Jio has created with her stellar ability to weave together the multiple threads of love: romantic, maternal, obsessive, platonic, eternal, unrequited, and bibliophilic.


Although, at times, it’s heartbreaking to read about Eloise’s lonely life in Los Angeles under the thumb of her controlling husband Frank, Jio’s choice of the split timelines enables readers to see the parallels between hers and Valentina’s lives: the seemingly insignificant use of scavenger hunts which actually bring the story full circle, the chance encounters at the Royal Automotive Club where men come to their rescue in different but life-altering ways, and, most importantly, the books that provide solace to both Eloise and Valentina. Eloise often spoke of the lifespan of books, meaning the number of people who would read them, and it’s in the rediscovery of these shared stories through Eloise’s final scavenger hunt that Valentina learns the truth about the mother who touched so many people’s hearts and, from handwritten notes in the book she and her mother both loved the most, that she finds a new love of her own. Recommend to fans of Susan Meissner, Tracy Garvis Graves, Kristin Harmel and anyone who enjoys dual timeline novels.


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

All the Flowers in Paris by Sarah Jio

5*

Like one of its final lines, Sarah Jio’s beautiful and haunting time-slip novel is “tragic and heart-breaking but also redemptive and triumphant.” Caroline Williams is an American woman in modern-day Paris who suffers from amnesia due to an accident. After she is released from the hospital, she meets Victor, the chef at Bistro Jeanty, and begins to fall in love with him as he helps guide her through her slowly-emerging, painful memories. She has random glimpses of a past that includes a child. This is also the story of Céline, a young widow during the Nazi occupation who works in her family’s florist shop and cares for her young daughter Cosi. She’s in love with her childhood friend, Luc Jeanty, but when he leaves for a few weeks, the Nazis take her half-Jewish father and daughter away and she is forced to live with a cruel and sadistic Nazi officer who continually rapes her. (Both her neighbors and Luc’s mother turned them in.) Her daughter escapes from the truck carrying her away, and is hidden under the floorboards for almost a year before Paris is liberated.

Caroline, who is living in the same apartment where Céline was imprisoned, finds a box containing letters written by Celine to Luc. With the help of a graduate student who is doing research on Celine and a Bistro Jeanty patron and the building’s doorman (both of whom suffered losses in the war), Celine’s full story emerges. Like all great time-slip novels, there are distinct parallels between the dual storylines. In this case, it’s about two ferocious moms who will do anything to protect their daughters. Both female protagonists suffer devastating losses, and it’s an artifact from Celine’s time during the war that enables Caroline to emerge from her amnesia and grief to rejoin the living and accept love. In the words of Celine’s daughter Cosi, written in her childhood journal, “I think that the most important things in life are thankfulness, forgiveness, and love.” Very highly recommended.

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

The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams

2*

Spoilers ahead.


As a huge fan of Williams’ books, it pains me to have to review this one so poorly. I’m so thankful that this wasn’t the first of her novels I’ve read because it might otherwise have been the last. If you’re reading this review and haven’t read others, please give her another try, perhaps starting with The Summer Wives. Williams is an excellent writer who just needed better editing this time around.

Unfortunately, I found The Golden Hour exceedingly difficult to follow, about 100+ pages too long, and very depressing. I was very tempted not to finish it. There was way too much repetition and the story got lost in the overly-descriptive text. Generally, I love time-slip novels, but the choice of using two voices (Lulu telling her own story in an overly-familiar way, as if taking the reader into her confidence, and an unknown narrator telling Elfriede’s), combined with the multiple time periods, was just too confusing. To explain, there was Lulu in Nassau and then later in London and then Elfriede in 3 different time periods (none of them chronological).

The choice of using the Duke and Duchess of Windsor was an intriguing one, but the mystery was too heavy on innuendo and too light on solid clues. Even when the story reached its conclusion (the one satisfying part of the book), there were too many unanswered questions. What was in the envelopes Lulu delivered to the Windsors that made her and Thorpe accuse them of treason? When Lulu and Thorpe confess to each other, why does he respond “Christ in heaven, what a miracle”? Who was behind Thorpe’s capture? Why was Freddie framed? Who was Harold Christie and did he kill Sir Harry Oakes and for what reason? Why did Miami police investigate rather than British Intelligence? Was Thorpe in Nassau to spy on the Windsors because there was suspicion that they were Nazi sympathizers or collaborators? Was the entire story built around the public image the Windsors wanted to project (thus why they hired gossip columnist Lulu to write flattering fluff pieces about them), one they would protect at all costs, even murder?

In her other books, Williams cleverly connects two parallel stories, but, in this one, the only apparent connection is the genetic one between Lulu’s lover Benedict Thorpe and Elfriede, Thorpe’s mother. As for Elfriede’s relationship with Wilfred Thorpe, the biggest frustration for me was that he chose not to tell her about why he was spending so much time in Paris, even though it would have laid her suspicions of his infidelity to rest. Their tragic love was just all so heart-breaking and, to me, unnecessarily cruel. As I mentioned, it’s only in the last few pages that I was able to take a relaxed breath, but not before I found myself cursing Williams for her choices. Despite this, I still look forward to her next book.


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