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Tag: historical romance

#Rombklove 2020: Day 1 Comfort Reads

May 1st, 2020

Hello, friends! How are you today? Can you believe it’s already May?

Since I missed it last year, I decided to participate in #Rombklove this month. It’s a month-long celebration of the romance genre brought to you by Ana Coqui.

Here are the prompts for the month:

Day 1: Comfort Reads

This is a great prompt because this past month I’ve been doing a lot of comfort reading and, more recently, thinking about what authors and subgenres are comforting to me.

I’m not much of a re-reader so I don’t have specific go-to books, but I do have authors I’ve turned to when the anxiety and/or stress has ramped up. One of them is the inimitable Tessa Dare. I listened to The Governess Game (Girl Meets Duke #2) last month, and it was precisely what I needed. It’s narrated by Mary Jane Wells, who is an excellent voice actor. It made me laugh and boosted my hope in humanity, and I loved the heroine Alex. Here’s a more in depth review of the book.

Another of my go-to authors for comfort reads is Sarah MacLean. Her books are feminist and lovingly written. One of my favorites of hers is A Scot in the Dark (Scandal & Scoundrel #2), which I read in 2018 and then convinced a friend to borrow last year. It features one of my all-time favorite couples, Lily Hargrove and Alec Stuart, the Duke of Warnick, an imposing, broody Scotsman.

Because of my love of Sarah MacLean’s books, I’m currently reading Brazen and the Beast (The Bareknuckle Bastards #2). Hattie is a savvy, curvy, and determined heroine, and I’m quite fond of her.

So it would seem historical romances featuring smart, determined female characters have provided the comfort reads I’ve needed recently. Perfectly fine with me.

What books, authors, and/or tropes do you go to for comfort reads?

Until next time, friends!

Litsy | Goodreads | Instagram
Book Review: The Virgin and the Rogue by Sophie Jordan

April 28th, 2020

Hello, friends and fellow readers! How are you? I hope the day is treating you well, and you’re safe and healthy.

I’m sharing a review of a new release that’s out today.

The Virgin and the Rogue (The Rogue Files #6) by Sophie Jordan

Charlotte Langley, being the cautious sister of her family, has agreed to marry her lifelong friend. When she drinks a cordial that’s supposed to help relieve her discomfort on the night of a dinner involving her betrothed’s family, the cordial turns out to act as an aphrodisiac that elicits in Charlotte a desire for Kingston, a man who isn’t her fiancé. He’s the visiting stepbrother of her brother-in-law the Duke of Warrington. Sexy shenanigans ensue.

I loved this book! The unique premise attracted me in the first place, and the fact that Charlotte begins the story experiencing the onset of the painful cramps that precede her menstruation hooked me in. Not at all what I’ve come to expect from historical romance, to be honest, but completely welcome. (And relatable.)

Since the idea of someone being dosed can be problematic because consent, I want to be clear about how it’s handled in the book.

Somewhat spoilers ahead:

Charlotte is given the tonic that turns out to be a kind of aphrodisiac by her sister Nora, an herbalist and scientist who gives her a tonic for her pain every month but has tinkered with the ingredients this time around. The fact that neither one of the main characters dosed each other and that the tonic’s effects were essentially an accident allowed me to read through their first sexual encounter without feeling squicky. Having said that, I know these events are going to affect different readers in different ways.

What I loved about the book was the character growth of both Charlotte and Kingston. Their interactions with and attraction to each other lead to the two of them realizing their own true worth. This realization allows them to break out of their predefined roles and choose each other. In that way, the title of the book is perfect.

Besides the extremely satisfying and lovely character growth of the relatable main characters, the rompy plot was enjoyable and fun, with just a touch of angst, and the steamy scenes were well done (read: hot). I gave the book 4 stars on Goodreads. This is the kind of historical romance I’m here for.

I look forward to reading more by Sophie Jordan.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Have you read anything good lately?

Until next time, friends. Stay safe.

Instagram | Goodreads | Litsy
Book Review: The Governess Game by Tessa Dare

April 16th, 2020
Hello, friends! I hope you’re hanging in there during this rough time.

Today I’m sharing a review of a book I loved.

Let’s get right to it!

The Governess Game (Girl Meets Duke #2) by Tessa Dare

August 28th 2018 from Avon

Buy: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

Alexandra Mountbatten makes her living setting clocks when she finds herself having to accept a post as governess to two unruly orphans. Their guardian is Chase Reynaud, the heir to a dukedom and the man Alex refers to as the “Bookshop Rake,” after they literally run into each other at a book shop called Hatchard’s.

I adored this book. The Governess Game is delightful and funny, with a touch of angst and a cast of wonderfully drawn and wonderfully endearing characters. One or two scenes made me laugh aloud–a rare occurrence when I’m reading.

Alex is one of my favorite heroines that I’ve read so far this year. She’s intelligent, independent, ambitious, determined, and refuses to put up with disrespect from Chase. Her goal is to turn her love of astronomy into her profession, and she shows herself to possess savvy in how to go about it.

The witty banter between Alex and Chase is always on point. The two of them make for a very ahem interesting dynamic on page. The tension between them is fire, and the sexy scenes are steamy and so well rendered.

I also enjoyed how much Chase’s two wards Rosamund and Daisy brought to the story. They are precocious, but in a believable way, due to what they went through prior to landing with Chase. Their scenes with Chase and Alex are the ones that made me laugh aloud. And, without Rosamund and Daisy, the book’s overarching theme of found family wouldn’t resonate as well as it does.

I gave the book 4.5 stars on Goodreads. The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because the pacing felt a little off to me, particularly in the latter half of the novel. Part of it was Chase’s sometimes immature and self-sabotaging behavior. (Thankfully, he eventually pulls his head out of his own rear end.)

I listened to most of the audiobook–narrated by the fantastic voice actor Mary Jane Wells–in one night and then stayed up late the next night to finish it. It was exactly what I needed to read earlier this week, considering all of the upsetting headlines coming out daily.

With The Governess Game, Tessa Dare has become a go-to author for me, and I plan to check out the rest of her backlist ASAP.

Have you read this book? What did you think?

I hope you’re staying safe. Until next time, friends.
WWW Wednesday

April 15th, 2020
Hello, friends! I hope you’re doing well wherever you are.

Welcome to another WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words.

There are three W questions to answer:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

What I’m Reading

Devil’s Daughter (The Ravenels #5) by Lisa Kleypas

February 19th 2019 from Avon

Buy: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

Summary: Although beautiful young widow Phoebe, Lady Clare, has never met West Ravenel, she knows one thing for certain: he’s a mean, rotten bully. Back in boarding school, he made her late husband’s life a misery, and she’ll never forgive him for it. But when Phoebe attends a family wedding, she encounters a dashing and impossibly charming stranger who sends a fire-and-ice jolt of attraction through her. And then he introduces himself…as none other than West Ravenel.

West is a man with a tarnished past. No apologies, no excuses. However, from the moment he meets Phoebe, West is consumed by irresistible desire…not to mention the bitter awareness that a woman like her is far out of his reach. What West doesn’t bargain on is that Phoebe is no straitlaced aristocratic lady. She’s the daughter of a strong-willed wallflower who long ago eloped with Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent—the most devilishly wicked rake in England.

Before long, Phoebe sets out to seduce the man who has awakened her fiery nature and shown her unimaginable pleasure. Will their overwhelming passion be enough to overcome the obstacles of the past?

Only the devil’s daughter knows…

I started reading this earlier today, so I don’t have much to say about it yet–except how much I like the pretty cover. After reading a sample on Libby (thanks, library!) and then seeing the 6 month long waitlist for their one ebook copy, I borrowed the audiobook version. It’s narrated by Mary Jane Wells, who might be a new favorite narrator of mine.

What I Recently Finished Reading

The Governess Game (Girl Meets Duke #2) by Tessa Dare

August 28th 2018 from Avon

Buy: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

Summary: After her livelihood slips through her fingers, Alexandra Mountbatten takes on an impossible post: transforming a pair of wild orphans into proper young ladies. However, the girls don’t need discipline. They need a loving home. Try telling that to their guardian, Chase Reynaud: duke’s heir in the streets and devil in the sheets. The ladies of London have tried—and failed—to make him settle down. Somehow, Alexandra must reach his heart . . . without risking her own.

Like any self-respecting libertine, Chase lives by one rule: no attachments. When a stubborn little governess tries to reform him, he decides to give her an education—in pleasure. That should prove he can’t be tamed. But Alexandra is more than he bargained for: clever, perceptive, passionate. She refuses to see him as a lost cause. Soon the walls around Chase’s heart are crumbling . . . and he’s in danger of falling, hard.

I stayed up late last night to finish reading The Governess Game despite feeling tired because I stayed up late the night before reading it. That’s how much I enjoyed this historical romance.

What I Might Read Next

Wicked Intentions (Maiden Lane #1) by Elizabeth Hoyt

August 1st 2010 from Grand Central Publishing

Buy: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

Summary: Infamous for his wild, sensual needs, Lazarus Huntington, Lord Caire, is searching for a savage killer in St. Giles, London’s most notorious slum. Widowed Temperance Dews knows St. Giles like the back of her hand-she’s spent a lifetime caring for its inhabitants at the foundling home her family established. Now that home is at risk . . .

Caire makes a simple offer-in return for Temperance’s help navigating the perilous alleys of St. Giles, he will introduce her to London’s high society so that she can find a benefactor for the home. But Temperance may not be the innocent she seems, and what begins as cold calculation soon falls prey to a passion that neither can control-one that may well destroy them both.

I’m not sure if this will be the book I read next, but it’s definitely at the top of my ever-growing tbr. I’ve heard good things about the Maiden Lane series, and Wicked Intentions is currently on sale for $1.99 on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo.

Have you read any of these books? What are you currently reading?

Until next time, friends. Stay safe!
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Manic Monday: What I’m Reading

April 6th, 2020
Hello, fellow readers!

Introducing Manic Mondays, in which you feature the book(s) you’re reading right now.

I really like book memes and features, and Mondays can be particularly rough for many, so I thought I’d start a book meme.

If you’d like to participate, make a post on your blog or social media about the book(s) you’re reading and use the tag Manic Monday–and #manicmonday on Twitter or Instagram so I can see and share it!

Manic Monday: What I’m Reading

A Little Light Mischief by Cat Sebastian

Lady’s maid Molly Wilkins is done with thieving—and cheating and stabbing and all the rest of it. She’s determined to keep her hands to herself, so she really shouldn’t be tempted to seduce her employer’s prim and proper companion, Alice. But how can she resist when Alice can’t seem to keep her eyes off Molly?

I just started reading this novella by one of my favorite historical authors. Cat Sebastian’s The Lawrence Browne Affair is one of the best historical romances I’ve ever read.

What are you reading today? Are you enjoying it?
Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Book Releases for the First Half of 2020

January 7th, 2020
Hello and happy Tuesday!

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018.

This week’s Top Ten theme is Most Anticipated Book Releases for the First Half of 2020.

My Most Anticipated Book Releases
Links, Publication Dates, and Blurbs
Check, Please!, Book 2: Sticks and Scones by Ngozi Ukazu
Pub. Date: April 7th
Eric Bittle is heading into his junior year at Samwell University, and not only does he have new teammates―he has a brand new boyfriend!
I love Eric “Bitty” Bittle.
House Rules (Uptown #3) by by Ruby Lang
Pub. Date: February 10th
ROOMMATE WANTED to share a gorgeous sun-filled apartment in Central Harlem. Must love cats. No ex-husbands or wives need apply.
Second chance contemporary about ex-spouses living together as roommates? Sign me up!
Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
Pub. Date: July 1st
Wanted: One (fake) boyfriend. Practically perfect in every way
Contemporary with fake boyfriends by a queer author whose writing I enjoy.
Forever Strong (True Heroes #6) by Piper J. Drake
Pub. Date: January 28th
On the beautiful Hawaiian Islands, not all is paradise in this high-stakes, action-packed romantic suspense. He’ll risk his life for her . . . but will he risk his heart?
A new-to-me author. Romantic suspense isn’t one of my go-to sub-genres, and I’m reading more of it in 2020.
The Trouble With Hating You by Sajni Patel
Pub. Date: May 12th
A laugh-out-loud romantic comedy debut about first impressions, second chances, and finding the love of your life in the most unexpected way.
Headliners (London Celebrities #5) by Lucy Parker
Pub. Date: January 20th
Sparks fly when two feuding TV presenters are thrown together to host a live morning show in Lucy Parker’s latest enemies-to-lovers contemporary romance.
I love the author’s writing. The first book in the London Celebrities series, Act Like It, is one of my favorite books.
Honor and Desire (Gold Sky #3) by Rebel Carter
Pub. Date: January 29th
For as long as anyone can remember Seylah Wickes-Barnes has been at the side of August Leclaire, her best friend and the boy her fathers took under their wing.
A new-to-me author I’m excited to try! Historical is another sub-genre that I don’t read much of.
A Sweet Mess by Jayci Lee
Pub. Date: July 14th
Korean-American author Jayci Lee delights with this delicious and light-hearted romantic comedy that readers will devour and ask for more.
There is baking. 🙂
Whiteout (Survival Instincts, #1) by Adriana Anders
Pub. Date: January 28th
Angel Smith is ready to leave Antarctica for a second chance at life. But on what was meant to be her final day, the research station is attacked. Hunted and scared, she and glaciologist Ford Cooper barely make it out with their lives…only to realize that in a place this remote, there’s nowhere left to run.
I really liked the author’s Under Her Skin, a dark romance with an abuse survivor heroine.
Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson
Pub. Date: May 19th
When their foster-turned-adoptive mother suddenly dies, four brothers struggle to keep open the doors of her beloved Harlem knitting shop, while dealing with life and love in Harlem.
Contemporary that takes place in Harlem and another new-to-me author.
Are you looking forward to reading any of these books? What are your most anticipated book releases of 2020? Let me know!
Quote of the Week

December 25th, 2019

You could never mistake the sound of grief, once you had felt it yourself. It made the mettle of the soul ring in sympathy, like one bell softly chiming whenever its neighbor was struck.
– The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite
Currently Reading

December 24th, 2019
It’s Tuesday, and here’s what I’m currently reading:

The Duchess War by Courtney Milan

Blurb: A bespectacled wallflower meets a Duke and figures out what he’s up to. Has the Duke met his match?

I just started reading The Duchess War today. (Despite holiday obligations with family, I still plan to read as much as I can.)

This is my first book by Courtney Milan, a romance author beloved by many readers. It certainly won’t be my last!

The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite

Blurb: As Lucy Muchelney watches her ex-lover’s sham of a wedding, she wishes herself anywhere else. It isn’t until she finds a letter from the Countess of Moth, looking for someone to translate a groundbreaking French astronomy text, that she knows where to go. Showing up at the Countess’ London home, she hoped to find a challenge, not a woman who takes her breath away.

I was super excited about The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics when I first heard about it. Historical romance novels featuring female/female pairings are fairly rare in my experience. An f/f historical romance featuring an astronomer heroine? Count me in.

Happy holidays to those who celebrate! What are you currently reading?
Kidnapped by the Pirate by Keira Andrews

November 30th, 2017

Kidnapped by the Pirate by Keira Andrews
4 of 5 stars

Holy swashbuckling, Batman! This was even more enjoyable than I thought it would be. One would think there would be great amounts of adventure in a book with the word pirate in the title, but that didn’t exactly cross my mind when I began reading this, nor did the possibility of the sheer amount of sexy times one can fit into such a book.

In addition to adventure and sexy times, there’s probably a trope for every romance reader in this book. May-December? Check. Virgin main character? Check. Naive captive falling in love with a pirate with a heart of gold? Check. Although that last one might not be a trope now so much as a throwback to some of the crazysauce from old school romance, with the subversiveness of making it about queer characters.

What a fun, romantic, and sexy ride. I’ll be reading more by Andrews in the future.

View all my reviews
A Gathering Storm (Porthkennack, #2) by Joanna Chambers

November 25th, 2017

A Gathering Storm by Joanna Chambers
4 of 5 stars

This is so, so good. I started reading it after it first came out and then put it down for a long time before finally doing myself a favor and finishing. I often have trouble getting through historicals (I know, I’m weird) so it’s not a commentary on the book.

The heroes are both flawed, lovely people. The conflict revolves around class and grief. The passages about being alone, grieving, and figuring out what you want are beautiful.

View all my reviews