#a lady's guide to mischief and mayhem

[acotars]

Read in 2023:

Puncturing male self-importance is one of my favorite activities.

A LADY'S GUIDE TO MISCHIEF AND MAYHEM by Manda Collins ★★★

[stardustandrockets]

What was your favorite read from October?

I spent the month completing the #OwnedOctober challenge @treereads hosted. I managed to fill my bingo board.

Books read:

• Happy Place by Emily Henry

• You Feel it Just Below the Ribs by Jeffrey Cranor and Janina Matthewson

• Ander & Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza Villa

• Fire Becomes Her by Rosiee Thor

• A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem by Manda Collins

• Flip the Script by Lyla Lee

• 10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall

• The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams

• A Shot in the Dark by Victoria Lee

I think my favorites were Ander & Santi and 10 Things That Never Happened. Though, the latter I checked out from the library to decide if I wanted to buy it or not. I absolutely adored Sam and Jonathan's dynamic. I thought the amnesia plot was going to be weird, but it wasn't. Not sure what I'm going to start next, but I'm happy to have my tbr a little more under control.

[noivernaaa]

My attempt at animating inspired by A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem

This is my first time ever attempting to animate something and I’m actually really happy with how it turned out!!

[the-forest-library]

January 2024 Reads

The Gentlemen's Gambit - Evie Dunmore

A Lady Guide's to Mischief and Mayhem - Manda Collins

The Ladies Rewrite the Rules - Suzanne Allain

One Night in Hartswood - Emma Denny

The Breakup Tour - Emily Wibberley

Places We've Never Been - Kasie West

Most Ardently - Gabe Cole Novoa

Okay, Cupid - Mason Deaver

Love, Me - Jessica Saunders

Dungeons and Drama - Kristy Boyce

Seven Percent of Ro Devereux - Ellen O'Clover

Eight Dates and Nights - Betsy Aldredge

Rules for Being a Girl - Candace Bushnell, Katie Cotungo

The Christmas Wish - Lindsey Kelk

After the Forest - Kell Woods

All the Hidden Paths - For Meadows

Shady Hollow - Juneau Black

Strong Poison - Dorothy L. Sayers

The Silver Chair - C.S. Lewis

The Chalice of the Gods - Rick Riordan

The Marvelous Magic of Miss Mabel - Natasha Lowe

Elf Dog and Owl Head - M.T. Anderson

Winter - Kelsey E. Gross

The Bookstore Cat - Cylin Busby

The Glass Castle - Jeannette Walls

Brain on Fire - Susannah Cahalan

A Book of Days - Patti Smith

Karma - Boy George

I Hate Everyone, Except You - Clinton Kelly

The Life Brief - Bonnie Wan

The Stress Prescription - Elissa Epel

Infectious Generosity - Chris J. Anderson

Break the Cycle - Mariel Buque

Eve - Cat Bohannon

House Love - Patric Richardson

Pests - Bethany Brookshire

Freaks, Gleeks, and Dawson's Creek - Thea Glassman

But Have You Read the Book? - Kristen Lopez

The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie - Tanya Lee Stone

Normal is Just a Setting on the Dryer - Adair Lara

Men to Avoid in Art and Life - Nicole Tersigni

Friends to Keep in Art and Life - Nicole Tersigni

Parenting Advice to Ignore in Art and Life - Nicole Tersigni

Bold = Highly Recommend Italics = Worth It Crossed out = Nope

Thoughts: 

Messy memoirs, healing from generational trauma, and recovery from burnout - these are a few of my favorite things.

Goodreads Goal: 43/200

2017 Reads | 2018 Reads | 2019 Reads | 2020 Reads | 2021 Reads | 

2022 Reads | 2023 Reads | 2024 Reads

[aurumacadicus]

Well, it's time to pick our club's book for May! If you're interested in book club, shoot me a message for an invite. All summaries are underneath the cut! Happy reading!

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal

On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by night, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it—and she can’t do the job alone.

Calling on some of the city’s most skilled outcasts, Arthie hatches a plan to infiltrate the sinister, glittering vampire society known as the Athereum. But not everyone in her ragtag crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy that will threaten the world as she knows it. Dark, action-packed, and swoon-worthy, this is Hafsah Faizal better than ever.

Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enriquez

In these wildly imaginative, devilishly daring tales of the macabre, internationally bestselling author Mariana Enriquez brings contemporary Argentina to vibrant life as a place where shocking inequality, violence, and corruption are the law of the land, while the military dictatorship and legions of desaparecidos loom large in the collective memory. In these stories, reminiscent of Shirley Jackson and Julio Cortázar, three young friends distract themselves with drugs and pain in the midst of a government-enforced blackout; a girl with nothing to lose steps into an abandoned house and never comes back out; to protest a viral form of domestic violence, a group of women set themselves on fire.

But alongside the black magic and disturbing disappearances, these stories are fueled by compassion for the frightened and the lost, ultimately bringing these characters—mothers and daughters, husbands and wives—int a surprisingly familiar reality. Written in hypnotic prose that gives grace to the grotesque, Things We Lost in the Fire is a powerful exploration of what happens when our darkest desires are left to roam unchecked, and signals the arrival of an astonishing and necessary voice in contemporary fiction.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

Mors vincit omnia. Death conquers all.

London, 1883. The Veil between the living and dead has thinned. Violet-eyed mediums commune with spirits under the watchful eye of the Royal Speaker Society, and sixteen-year-old trans, autistic Silas Bell would rather rip out his violet eyes than become an obedient Speaker Wife.

After a failed attempt to escape an arranged marriage, Silas is diagnosed with Veil sickness—a mysterious disease sending violet-eyed women into madness—and shipped away to Braxton’s Finishing School and Sanitorium. When the ghosts of missing students start begging Silas for help, he decides to reach into Braxton’s innards and expose its guts to the world—so long as the school doesn’t break him first.

Featuring an autistic trans protagonist in a historical setting, Andrew Joseph White’s much-anticipated sophomore novel does not back down from exposing the violence of the patriarchy and the harm inflicted on trans youth who are forced into conformity.

Gold Diggers by Sanjena Sathian

A magical realist coming-of-age story, Gold Diggers skewers the model minority myth to tell a hilarious and moving story about immigrant identity, community, and the underside of ambition.

A floundering second-generation teenager growing up in the Bush-era Atlanta suburbs, Neil Narayan is funny and smart but struggles to bear the weight of expectations of his family and their Asian American enclave. He tries to want their version of success, but mostly, Neil just wants his neighbor across the cul-de-sac, Anita Dayal.

When he discovers that Anita is the beneficiary of an ancient, alchemical potion made from stolen gold—a “lemonade” that harnesses the ambition of the gold’s original owner—Neil sees his chance to get ahead. But events spiral into a tragedy that rips their community their community apart. Years later in the Bay Area, Neil still bristles against his community’s expectations—and finds he might need one more hit of that lemonade, no matter the cost.

Sanjena Sathian’s astonishing debut offers a fine-grained, profoundly intelligent, and bitingly funny investigation into what’s required to make it in America.

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

One cruel night, Meggie’s father reads aloud from a brook called INKHEART—and an evil ruler escapes the boundaries of fiction and lands in their living room. Suddenly, Meggie is smack in the middle of the kind of adventure she has only read about in books. Meggie must learn to harness the magic that has conjured this nightmare. For only she can change the course of the story that has changed her life forever. This is INKHEART—a timeless tale about books, about imagination, about life. Dare to read it aloud.

A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem by Manda Collins

The widowed Lady Katherine Bascomb has little use for the rules of society—instead, she engages in such “vulgar” activities as managing The London Gazette and writing about crimes against women. But when her latest article leads to a suspicious arrest, the attractive detective in charge of the case is incensed that she’s interfered with his investigation. Only before Kate can make amends, she stumbles, quite literally, upon another murder entirely.

Detective Inspector Andrew Eversham is appalled that Kate is entangled in one of his cases—again. Yet when he asks her to kindly keep away, Kate offers a bargain: She’ll refrain from writing about the case—if he allows her to study his methods. Before long, Eversham can’t deny his attraction to both her beauty and brains. But with a killer lurking in the shadows, will they learn to trust their instincts, each other, and the undeniable passion that is blossoming between them before it’s too late?

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 4.5/5

Book Blurb: It is a truth universally acknowledged that a lady in danger must be in need of rescue, but whether she wants to be rescued is up for debate—for fans of Evie Dunmore and Netflix's Bridgerton from the bestselling author of A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem! England, 1867: Miss Poppy Delamare is living a lie. To escape an odious betrothal, she fled to London where she’s been hiding as the unassuming secretary Flora Deaver. However, when her beloved sister is accused of murder, Poppy cannot leave her to the wolves. Only a most unexpected—and unwelcome—collision interrupts her journey home . . . Despite a rather dismal first meeting, Joshua Fielding, the Duke of Langham, has no intention of abandoning a lady in need. But he’s not above asking a favor. A fake betrothal will give Poppy and her sister the power of the dukedom and protect Langham from the society misses intent on becoming his duchess. Yet the longer the ruse goes on, the more Poppy and Langham realize how false their first impressions were—and the less pretend their engagement feels. But before Langham can propose in truth, their search reveals a tangled web of lies and betrayals. With time running out, can Poppy and Langham find the real culprit—before Poppy becomes the next victim?

Review:

When her sister is arrested and accused of murdering her husband, Poppy knows it’s time to come out of hiding from her real identity and solve the murder to get her sister acquitted... and to do so she needs the help of Joshua Fielding, the Duke of Langham... who will help her in exchange for her helping him by pretending to be his fake fiancee to convince his family to stop trying to get him married off... the only glitch in the situation is that they’re falling for one another. Poppy Delamare has run away from home to escape an unwanted betrothal and run off to London where she’s been hiding under a fake identity and pretending to be the be the unassuming secretary Flora Deaver. Yet when she discovers that her beloved sister has been accused of murder, Poppy know’s its time to go home and finally come out of hiding. On her way to the train, she purse and money are stolen and then she runs into the last person she wants to see, the insufferable Duke of Langham. Joshua can’t help but want to help Poppy, somehow he finds her refreshing despite her instant dislike of him. Joshua just happens to be going in the same direction as her as he is returning home to visit his family, but he knows his grandmother is going to try and find him a wife... so he offers to help Poppy not only pay for her ticket but solve the murder if she pretends to be his wife for the duration of the case. Poppy agrees because he’s the only person she can turn to for help when she was ready to do this alone. Poppy and Joshua begin opening up to one another, finding that they might have been wrong about each other’s misgivings at first and that their pretend engagement might lead to real feelings. Poppy finally has returned to her true self and is facing off against jealous society ladies, a stepfather who would rather sell her off and abuse her than  care for her, and a murder case that seems difficult to prove. The more Joshua digs into the case the more he begins to question who he can truly trust and what is truly happening around his estate. From barbed dinners to fun stakeouts and banter for days, this was a fun read and the romance between Joshua and Poppy was sweet. I haven’t read any of the other books in the series but this one was easy to follow on its own. i would definitely recommend this for anyone who is a fan of historical romances with a murder mystery and sweet moments!

*Thanks Forever Reads and Grand Central Publishing for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[catonablog-blog-blog]

**Rivera vs. the State of Ohio - The Riotous Riddle of the Rambunctious Raccoon** Greetings, my dear friends, fans of the frivolous and aficionados of the absurd! Rufus T. Flywheel here, your guide through the maze of madness and the realm of ridiculousness. Today, I bring you a tale that is as tumultuous as a tornado and as perplexing as a puzzle – the epic saga of Rivera vs. the State of Ohio, also known as the Riotous Riddle of the Rambunctious Raccoon! Imagine, if you will, a quaint little town in the heart of Ohio, where the sun shines brightly on picket fences and apple orchards. Life in this town was peaceful, almost too peaceful, until one day, a mischievous rascal of a raccoon decided to shake things up. This raccoon, known only as Rivera, was no ordinary forest dweller. No, he was a master of mayhem, a connoisseur of chaos, and a true artist of anarchy! It all began one fateful morning when the good people of Ohio woke up to find their garbage cans overturned, their gardens trampled, and their streets littered with a trail of chaos. Who was responsible for this calamity, you ask? Why, none other than our dear friend Rivera, the rambunctious raccoon with a penchant for pandemonium! The townsfolk were in an uproar, demanding justice and retribution for the havoc wreaked by this cheeky critter. The State of Ohio took notice and decided to intervene, bringing the full force of the law down upon poor Rivera. And so, the stage was set for an epic showdown between man and beast, order and anarchy, law and lunacy. But here's where things take a twist worthy of a Shakespearean comedy – Rivera was no ordinary raccoon. Oh no, dear readers, he was a creature of intellect and cunning, a master of disguise and deception. When the authorities came knocking on his den, Rivera was nowhere to be found. Instead, they found a note, written in elegant script, that read: To the good people of Ohio, I, Rivera, the rambunctious raccoon, declare my innocence in the matter of the recent disturbances. It was not I who upended your trash cans and trampled your gardens, but an imposter, a dastardly doppelganger intent on tarnishing my good name. I implore you to seek out the true culprit and bring them to justice. Until then, I shall remain in hiding, awaiting the day when my name is cleared and peace is restored to this fair town. The townsfolk were baffled. Could it be true? Was Rivera truly innocent, or was this just another act of his trickery and deceit? The State of Ohio was not convinced, and they launched a full-scale investigation to uncover the truth behind the riotous riddle of the rambunctious raccoon. Weeks turned into months, and still, Rivera remained elusive, a phantom in the shadows, a mystery yet unsolved. The people of Ohio grew restless, divided between those who believed in Rivera's innocence and those who saw him as nothing more than a cunning criminal. And then, just when all hope seemed lost, a breakthrough occurred. A witness came forward, a little old lady who claimed to have seen the true culprit behind the chaos – a rival raccoon, a rogue of the highest order, who bore a striking resemblance to Rivera but lacked his charm and wit. Armed with this new information, the authorities sprang into action, launching a daring raid on the rogue raccoon's hideout. What they found there was a scene of utter pandemonium, with trash strewn about, gardens trampled, and the rogue raccoon caught red-handed in the act of mischief-making. The imposter was unmasked, and Rivera's name was cleared. The townsfolk rejoiced, celebrating the triumph of justice and the return of peace to their once-troubled town. Rivera, the rambunctious raccoon, emerged from hiding, a hero in the eyes of many and a legend in the annals of Ohio history. And so, dear readers, we come to the end of our tale, a tale of mystery and mayhem, of chaos and camaraderie. Remember, the world is a strange and wondrous place, full of riddles and enigmas waiting to be unraveled. And who knows, perhaps someday, you too will find yourself caught up in a riotous riddle, face to face with a rambunctious raccoon of your own. Until then, stay curious, stay mischievous, and never be afraid to embrace the absurdity of life. This is Rufus T. Flywheel signing off, until next time, when we delve once more into the wild and wonderful world of whimsy. Fare thee well, dear friends, and may your days be filled with laughter and lightheartedness!

[sciencestyled]

Harley Quinn Schools Us on Entropy: We're All Dummies in a Chaotic Universe!

Hey there, Tumblrites! We’ve stumbled upon a treasure trove of bedlam, cunningly narrated by none other than the Mistress of Mischief, Harley Quinn, and oh, we can’t help but share the chaotic wisdom! You see, Harley took a sharp left from her usual high-jinks and embarked on a wild ride into the realm of entropy. Hold onto your hats, 'cause this is not your average science lecture!

First off, Harley, our whimsical guide, introduces us to entropy, the science of disorder and randomness, with a pinch of chaos. Her mischievous take on it? It’s the party that ensues when she sets her hyenas loose in Gotham. This dame breaks down entropy into bite-sized morsels of madness, making it as easy as pie to digest, even for the science-averse among us. Imagine having a gas-filled box and watching the entropy soar as the particles scatter higgledy-piggledy. Simple, right? It’s all about disorder, sugar!

Now, let’s cut to the chase. Harley’s stroll down memory lane takes us back to the 1850s with Rudolf Clausius, the daddy of entropy. With a dash of history and a sprinkle of humor, she unveils how this German physicist coined the term that’s now the cat's pajamas in thermodynamics and information theory. And oh, she doesn’t stop at mere definitions; Harley delves into how entropy is measured and why it’s the bee's knees in understanding the universe's workings. The lady sure knows her onions!

Waltzing through the basics, she then throws us into the ring with the Second Law of Thermodynamics. Through her eyes, it’s the universe’s rulebook for energy shenanigans. You see, entropy’s a one-way street, always aiming for a hot mess. Harley makes a toast to the natural decay into disorder, showing us why our coffee and milk won’t unmix, no matter how we cry over it. It’s the universe's way or the highway!

But oh, the pièce de résistance is when Harley pirouettes into the field of Information Theory. She unveils the curtain on how entropy is the star player in data compression, cryptography, and error detection. Who knew the randomness in a set of data could be a measure of surprise? Harley sure did, and she’s spilling the beans, making us wise to the ways of the world, one chaotic revelation at a time.

Before bidding adieu, Harley takes a sledgehammer to some common misconceptions about entropy. She sets the record straight, squashing myths like a bug under her heel, with a grin, of course. And as she hops back into her world of mayhem, leaving us with a head full of knowledge and a smile, we can’t help but tip our hats to the queen of chaos.

This narrative is a rollercoaster through the realms of disorder, with Harley Quinn at the helm, turning the complex into comedic, the theoretical into thrilling. So, if you’re itching for a bout of knowledge with a side of hilarity, hop on over to this spectacular piece, and let Harley Quinn school you on why in a world governed by entropy, we’re all just dummies in a chaotic universe!

[danielleurbansblog]

Review: A Spinster's Guide to Danger and Dukes

Synopsis: It is a truth universally acknowledged that a lady in danger must be in need of rescue, but whether she wants to be rescued is up for debate—for fans of Evie Dunmore and Netflix’s Bridgerton from the bestselling author of A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem! England, 1867: Miss Poppy Delamare is living a lie. To escape an odious betrothal, she fled to London where she’s been hiding…

[keyrani]

Why thank you @semperhuggs !

Last song: If He Wanted to He Would be Kylie Morgan

Currently watching: I'm rewatching NCIS (currently in season 2). And also Ru Paul's drag race...and I have the last episode of FUBAR to watch. Then I have a couple things planned for rewatches

Currently reading: (the non- fanfic answer) for school I'm reading Canada's Army: Waging War and Keep the Peace by J.L. Granatstein and for fun I'm reading The Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem by Manda Collins and True Honor by Dee Henderson

Latest obsession: I've been wanting to learn how to crochet, so my sister bought me two of those Woobles kits and omg they're so stinking cute, I now need them all. I mean common, look at this thing! (His name is Pierre)

No pressure tags: @medusasstory @guardiankarenterrier @hangmanbradshaw @kavery1212

Nine or so people you want to get to know better!

Last song: Don’t Blame Me- Taylor Swift

Currently Watching: I started the movie Run Rabbit Run on Netflix, no shows at the moment though

Currently Reading: Happy Place by Emily Henry

Latest obsession: Yellowjackets (the show NOT the bug) and making my own milk foam for iced coffee

no pressure tags! @intrepidacious @joaquinwhorres @x-lulu @jellyfishbeansontoast and anyone else who wants to do this

[sunflower-and-storms]

January TBR- will I read it all or will I fail horrible? Watch the next episode to find out!

[acotars]

books read in 2023

january

sweep in peace by ilona andrews

one fell sweep by ilona andrews

a court of mist and fury by sarah j. maas

sweep of the blade by ilona andrews

sweep with me by ilona andrews

my best friend’s exorcism by grady hendrix

kiss her once for me by alison cochrun

the seven husbands of evelyn hugo by taylor jenkins reid

i’m glad my mom died by jennette mccurdy

love and other words by christina lauren

sweep of the heart by ilona andrews

the only living girl on earth by charles yu

witches get stuff done by molly harper

you had me at hola by alexis daria

her vigilante by lillian lark

inconvenient daughter by lauren j. sharkey

anon pls. by deuxmoi

you are eating an orange. you are naked. by sheung-king

legends & lattes by travis baldree

bad vibes only (and other things i bring to the table) by nora mcinerny

signs of cupidity by raven kennedy

bonds of cupidity by raven kennedy

crimes of cupidity by raven kennedy

read: 23

february

exciting times by naoise dolan

sweethand by n.g. peltier

you made a fool of death with your beauty by akwaeke emezi

something wilder by christina lauren

highly suspicious and unfairly cute by talia hibbert

you deserve each other by sarah hogle

this is how you lose the time war by amal el-mohtar and max goldstone

would you rather by allison ashley

read: 8

march

meet me in the margins by melissa ferguson

king of battle and blood by scarlett st. clair

the exotic by hampton sides

river of shadows by karina halle

alone with you in the ether by olivie blake

lovelight farms by b.k. borison

the soulmate equation by christina lauren

before i let go by kennedy ryan

haunting adeline by h.d. carlson

the lies i tell by julie clark

one jump at a time by nathan chen

our wives under the sea by julia armfield

all systems red (the murderbot diaries #1) by martha wells

before the coffee gets cold by toshikazu kawaguchi

read: 14

april

funny you should ask by elissa sussman

make a scene by mimi grace

sweeter than chocolate by lizzie shane

the kiss quotient by helen hoang

my favorite half-night stand by christina lauren

romantic comedy by curtis sittenfeld

icebreaker by a.l. graziadei

the wedding proposal by john swansiger

circling back to you by julie tieu

by the book by amanda sellet

a lady’s guide to mischief and mayhem by manda collins

love in the time of serial killers by alicia thompson

if the shoe fits by julie murphy

whispers of you by catherine cowles

the kiss curse by erin sterling

by the book by jasmine guillory

honey & spice by bolu babalola

one night on the island by josie silver

the bodyguard by katherine center

the reunion by kayla olson

the neighbor favor by kristina forest

crooked kingdom by leigh bardugo

do i know you? by emily wibberley & austin siegemund-broka

just my type by falon ballard

delilah green doesn’t care by ashley herring blake

happy place by emily henry

dating dr. dil by nisha sharma

icebreaker by hannah grace

count your lucky stars by alexandria bellefleur

stone cold fox by rachel koller croft 

fake it till you bake it by jamie wesley

read: 31

may

the dead romantics

motherthing by ainslie hogarth

the woman in the library by sulari gentill

artificial condition (the murderbot diaries #2) by martha wells

the last word by taylor adams

you shouldn’t have come here by jeneva rose

read: 6

june

fourth wing (the empyrean #1) by rebecca yarros

the very secret society of irregular witches by sangu mandanna

love, theoretically by ali hazelwood

read: 3

july

the traitor queen (the bridge kingdom #2) by danielle l. jensen

the beast by katee robert

baldur's gate: descent into avernus by by james introcaso et. al

forget me not by julie soto

the wishing game by meg shaffer

read: 5

august

the true love experiment by christina lauren

pachinko by min jin lee

almond by sohn won-pyung, translated by joosun lee

hook, line, and sinker by tessa bailey

read: 4

september

hey, u up? (for a serious relationship): how to turn your booty call into your emergency contact by emily axford & brian murphy

everyone knows your mother is a witch by rivka galchen

fangs by sarah andersen

a room with a view by e.m. forster

juniper bean resorts to murder by gracie ruth mitchell

one's company by ashley hutson

the mysterious affair at styles by agatha christie

solita: a gothic romance by vivien rainn

you, again by kate goldbeck

the undertaking of hart and mercy by megan bannen

my roommate is a vampire by jenna levine

the picture of dorian gray by oscar wilde

the vampires of el norte by isabel cañas

her body and other parties by carmen maria machado

evil eye by etaf rum

the seven year slip by ashley poston

read: 17

october

keeper of enchanted rooms by charlie n. holmberg

the serpent and the wings of night by carissa broadbent

shy by max porter

down comes the night by allison saft

the unfortunate side effects of heartbreak and magic by breanne randall

the hurricane wars by thea guanzon

read: 6

november

a witch's guide to fake dating a demon by sarah hawley

the wake-up call by beth o'leary

when in rome by sarah adams

the view was exhausting by mikaella clements and onjuli datta

hello stranger by katherine center

practice makes perfect by sarah adams

do your worst by rosie danan

read: 7

december

bookshops & bonedust by travis baldree

the fake mate by lana ferguson

read: 2

final count: 127/100

[stardustandrockets]

What was the last historical fiction and/or romance you read?

I last read A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem by Manda Collins—I absolutely adored Kate and Andrew!

How cute is this magnet featuring Ben and Phillip from It Takes Two to Tumble by Cat Sebastian?! I don't know the context, but the ducks are precious!

[the-forest-library]

And, it’s done!

Queer AF - Okay, Cupid

2023 Debut Novel - One Night in Hartswood

That’s Not My Name - The Marvelous Magic of Miss Mabel

Good Vibes Only - Infectious Generosity

Bird is the Word - Elf Dog & Owl Head

On Your TBR 5+ Years - The Silver Chair

Between 300 and 400 Pages - A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem

Name That Tune - The Breakup Tour

Dance the Night Away - The Ladies Rewrite the Rules

Four Word Title - All the Hidden Paths

These Woods Hold Secrets - After the Forest

Coauthored or Illustrated - Winter

Neon Colored Cover - Karma

Prominently Features a Desert - Places We’ve Never Been

Hotel, Mansion, or Castle - The Glass Castle

Retelling of a Classic - Most Ardently

Creature Feature - Shady Hollow

Written By or About a Celebrity - A Book of Days

Blurbed By a Fave Author - Just for the Summer

STEM Stan - The Planets

I Was Framed! - Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice

Writing About Writing - Says Who?

Second Chances - The Tusks of Extinction

Author Last Name Starts With V - Every Time You Hear That Song

Let’s Circle Back to This - The Husbands

First in an Unfinished Series - The Lying Game

Space - the Final Frontier - The Planets

Small Town vs. Big City - My Good Life in France

Travel by Ship - Jingo

3+ Points of View - My Salty Mary

Walk Through History - One-Star Wonders

It's the End of the World as We Know It - The Only Light Left Burning

Character Name is a Color - Where Are You, Echo Blue

We All Scream (for Ice Cream?) - All Roads Lead to Rome

Sibling Showdown - Royal Scandal

Title Contains a Body of Water - Hawkeye: Rio Bravo

Anthology or Ominbus Edition - She Hulk: Jen-Sational

Published 100+ Years Ago - My Antonia

Coffee-House Reads - Lips Like Sugar

An Unexpected Inheritance - The Grandest Game

[whimsicaldragonette]

ARC DNF Review: A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem by Manda Collins

This book sounded *so* good and then it just... wasn't. Mostly that can be attributed to the writing which was stilted and sounded as if the author spent way too much time consulting a thesaurus. I had to read around words to get to the story, which was decent but not enough to keep me reading. If writing style isn't a make-or-break issue for you then you might enjoy it, but it wasn't for me. An example (and yes the entire book is written like this): "And from the spectacle the police put on today, I doubt they're prepared to listen to the exhortations of the two ladies whose interview provided the very ammunition to arrest Clark." It's just... wordy, in a way that constantly breaks any tension. I did like the way Katherine owns a newspaper and is determined to write about the murders for women, but her extreme naivete in thinking she can do so without having any effect on the investigation is a little unbelievable. Also the chemistry with Andrew - who was conducting the investigation, at least until her story promts his superiors to take him off the case and arrest the wrong man - was nonexistent. The moment they encounter one another again he starts getting sidetracked by lustful thoughts when he's supposed to be interrogating her? It was awkward and weird. *Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing an e-arc for review

[amandaklwrites]

Book Review: A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem (A Lady's Guide #1) by Manda Collins 

Genre: Romance 

Rating: 5/5

Book Review: 

Okay, so I don’t usually read romances. And I know I’ve mentioned on here that I’m super picky about what romance books I do like/love.

And this one I LOVED! 

That probably seems weird and confusing. Trust me, I was too, at first. But the more I got into it, the more I figured out why I loved it. One of my all-time favorite shows is MISS SCARLET AND THE DUKE. I love the romance, the humor, the historical aspect, the mysteries, the whole vibe. And this book is JUST LIKE THAT. It reminded me so much of the show that I got some of my fix from that show. 

So, yeah, that explains it all. The mystery was fun. I loved the romance. The quips back and forth from the love interests were great. It got a little cheesy at times, but it was fine throughout. 

I just really loved this book. And I can’t wait for the next one!