#forever (grand central publishing)

[triviareads]

ARC Review of Never Met a Duke Like You by Amalie Howard

Summary:

A historical romance inspired by Clueless; Vesper Lyndhurst is a popular society lady who is known for her matchmaking skills. Aspen, Duke of Greydon was her childhood friend, until he wasn't and he went abroad for several years. Now they're reunited after Aspen returns from his latest archeological dig in order to take his rightful place in society as a duke. He asks Vesper to help find a match for his ward Judith. And although his scheming mother would prefer that Judith and Aspen marry, it's Vesper he can't help being drawn to...

My review:

Here's what worked for me in this book: First, Vesper is a Hot Girl (in the grand tradition of Emma and Cher in Clueless; also, is there a Vesper Lynd connection in here somewhere?) which I do appreciate after reading one too many wallflower in historical romances. I also like the girl-gang vibes of her friend group the... "Hellfire Kitties". Vesper is ready to matchmake anyone and everyone (sometimes to suit her own ends), which is fun.

In addition, I'm always curious to see how HR authors include politics in their romances, and I think Amalie did a pretty good job here, especially by making the amending of the Lunatic Asylums Act so personal to Aspen because of what happened to his father (who was wrongfully institutionalized and abused in an asylum). There's also Vesper's pet cause, education for the poor by way of ragged schools, for which she volunteers and fundraises.

Regarding Vesper and Aspen's relationship— they had chemistry, though I felt it was a little hindered by the will-they-won't-they aspect. Like, it got to the point where they had sex and all but admitted their feelings for one another, but then two chapters later they're still denying that they're even friends. I thought it was interesting the author chose to make Aspen only two years older (rather than the 16 year difference between Emma and Mr. Knightley) and not related to Vesper in any way (unlike Josh and Cher in Clueless, who were ex-step-siblings). Instead, their childhood friendship was played up a lot; and then they became enemies (in the mildest sense) because of a childish misunderstanding compounded by teenage dramatics. So this puts Vesper and Aspen in a place where they know each other well (and her father is his mentor— there's reference to that scene in Clueless where Josh and Cher are helping Mel with documents), but dislike one another for pretty superficial reasons. It's this, along with Aspen's mother's scheming, that keeps them apart for most of the novel.

The sex:

The most interesting thing about the sex scenes in this one were probably the locations. There's a near-sex scene at the billiards table (exhibitionist kink unlocked for Vesper). The standout moment for me was probably when they have sex in the Crystal Palace (always a delight to read; Prince Albert would be so proud) and uh, Aspen's dinosaur obsession is fully realized. He might have even made Vesper a convert.

Overall:

I'd recommend this book for anyone looking for romcom vibes in their historical romances along with cute banter and a solid cast of characters who have their own compelling arcs so you know they'll be getting their own books in the future!

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 4.5/5

Book Blurb:

From the #1 NetGalley Most Requested  author of Just for the Facebook Group comes a second NetGalley Wish Campaign in the hopes to not break this website. (We're totally serious. Please don't break this website.)

A cat without a butthole brings two unlikely people together: a surly vet who looks like Rhysand and a savvy mustard social media manager. They have an unforgettable first date but circumstances force them apart. Can they go the distance even when life has other plans?

On a more serious note... if you would like to read the content guidance, we have included that below:

This book contains detailed descriptions of someone with advanced dementia. There’s mention of a cheating spouse of a side character, mention of past child abuse both physical and emotional. Mention of animal abuse, cruelty, neglect, and death. There’s a scene where a dog is in peril. (The dog doesn’t die. The main character’s dog will NEVER die.) Sudden off-page death of a side character with a heart condition.

Review:

What if you met the perfect person at the wrong time, went on the best date of your life only to be moving out of town the next day? When a woman takes a cat rescue to a hot grumpy vet the last thing she expects is. to go on the best date of her life with him... or to never see him again because she's moving back home to take care of her mother who has advanced dementia. But just how far would you go for the person you think could be "the one" because this vet is going to come fly to her... for the slim chance that maybe they could make this work? Long distance relationship, dealing with a family member who has dementia, and the ups and downs of life, this story has it all. I found it to be a really beautifully done story and accurately depicts the struggles a family can go through when a family member has dementia and the pain and difficulties of it. As someone who has experienced the caregiver and family struggles of having someone close in my family having dementia and how it impacts you, Abby beautifully portrays it. It's a well written experience and captures the nuances of it so realistically. I found the romance to be sweet and a cute story.

Release Date: April 1, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

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

[musingsofmonica]

March 2025 Diverse Reads

March 2025 Diverse Reads

•”Dream Count” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, March 4, Knopf, Literary/Romance/Family Life/Friendship/Women/Political/Feminism & Feminist Theory/Women's Studies/Cultural & Social/Social Themes/Cultural Heritage/African American & Black/World Literature/USA/Nigeria

•”The Dream Hotel” by Laila Lalami, March 4, Pantheon, Literary/Science Fiction/Speculative Fiction/Fantasy/Dystopia/Dystopian Thriller/Women

•”Goddess Complex” by Sanjena Sathian, March 11, Penguin Press, Literary/Mystery/Psychological Thriller/Suspence/Humor/Satire/Feminist/Women/Cultural Heritage/Asian American/Indian American

•”The Immortal Woman” by Su Chang, March 4, House of Anansi Press, Literary/Historical/Multigenerational/Cultural Heritage/Asian American/World Literature/USA/China

•”The Persians” by Sanam Mahloudji, March 4, Scribner, Literary/Family Life/Friendship/Women/Political/Humor/Satire/Saga/Multigenerational/Political/Cultural & Social/Social Themes/Cultural Heritage/Persian/Muslim/World Literature/USA/Iran

•”Stone Angels” by Helena Rho, March 4, Grand Central Publishing, Literary/Historical/Saga/Multigenerational/Family Life/Women/Political/Cultural Heritage/Asian American/World Literature/USA/Korea

•”Aunt Tigress” by Emily Yu-Xuan Qin, March 18, DAW, Fantasy/Magical Realism/Horror/Supernatural/Mythology/LGBTQ

•”The Buffalo Hunter Hunter” by Stephen Graham Jones, March 18, S&S/Saga Press, Historical/Horror/Fantasy/Cultural Heritage/Native American & Aboriginal

•”The Mysterious Disappearance of the Marquise of Loria” by José Donoso, translated by Megan McDowell, March 4, New Directions Publishing Corporation, Literary/Historical/Coming of Age/Erotic/World Literature/Nicaragua/Spain

•”The River Has Roots” by Amal El-Mohtar, March 4, Tordotcom, Fantasy/Fairytale/Romance/LGTBQ

•”Theft” by Abdulrazak Gurnah, March 18, Riverhead Books, Literary/Historical/Cultural & Social/Social Themes/World Literature/Tanzania

•”Our Beautiful Boys” by Sameer Pandya, March 18, Ballantine Books, Literary/Family Life/Sports/Society & Current  Affairs/Social Themes/Cultural, Ethnic & Regional/Race & Ethnic Relations/Discrimination & Race Relations

•”God-Disease” by An Chang Joon, March 11, Sarabande Books, Short Stories/Short Story Collection/Literary/Horror/Gothic/Politics/Society & Current  Affairs/Social Themes/Cultural, Ethnic & Regional/Race & Ethnic Relations/Ethnic Studies/Discrimination & Race Relations/Cultural Heritage/Asian Korean/Korean Diaspora

•”Luminous” by Silvia Park, March 11, Simon & Schuster, Science Fiction/Speculative Fiction/World Literature/Korea

•”Counterattacks at Thirty” by Won-Pyung Sohn, translated by Sean Lin Halbert, March 11, HarperVia, Contemporary/Office Politics/Society & Current  Affairs/Social Themes/World Literature/Korea

•”I'll Love You Forever: Notes from a K-Pop Fan” by Giaae Kwon, March 18, Henry Holt and Co., Memoir/Biography —— essay collection, a meditation that blends memoir and cultural criticism to explore how the author’s love affair with K-pop has shaped her sense of self, charting K-pop’s complex coming-of-age through some of its biggest idols.

•”Sucker Punch: Essays” by Scaachi Koul, March 4, St. Martin's Press, Memoir/Biography — essay collection, meditation on love & marriage

•”Guatemalan Rhapsody: Stories” by Jared Lemus, March 4, Ecco, Literary, Short Stories, Short Story Collection, Cultural, Ethnic & Regional/Race & Ethnic Relations/Ethnic Studies/Discrimination & Race Relations/Social Themes/World Literature/USA/Guatemala

•”Hangry Hearts” by Jennifer Chen, March 18, Wednesday Books, Contemporary/YA/Romance/Romantic Comedy/LGBTQ/Cultural Heritage/Asian American/

•”I Leave It Up to You” by Jinwoo Chong, March 4, Ballantine Books, Contemporary/Romance/Suspense/Family Life/LGBTQ/Cultural Heritage/Asian American

[unceasingtoe]

Hi everyone!

I'm Matt from the UK. I'm a professional nanomaterials physicist, and I wrote a Fantasy book.

Now what?!

I've been working on this story, Aria of the Wayward, for something like four years. I started just pre-Covid with a little character vignette about a student having a meeting with a magical professor/wizard-type-person, and it kind of spiralled from there. One hundred and twenty thousand words later, and what was originally Echoes of Astyr is now two books: Aria of the Wayward, and Echoes of Astyr. (I also have ideas for the next book, Chorus of the Forgotten, on the backburner)

Now that I've done "the hard part" (actually writing a book, or two!) I'm at a bit of a loss. I follow agents and other authors on Twitter, I regularly see threads and blogs on getting an agent, and querying, and the publishing industry landscape, and it all makes me feel one thing: these stories are unpublishable.

Not because they're bad (not that I could judge that), but because they're too different—at the intersections of too many circles in the grand Venn diagram of stories. Publishing these days lives and dies on genre labels and tropes and comp titles, and I have too many of some and not enough of the others to see how I could query effectively.

Both stories are second-world Fantasy, with magic a central element, but there isn't heroes and skeleton warriors and a race to save the world (although there are a few wizards). While there is a lurking intrigue that emerges in Echoes of Astyr that drives a more conventional-feeling plot, on the whole both stories are character- and theme-driven.

The main setting, particularly for Aria, is an Oxbridge-coded medieval university and we're following the lives and academic journeys of students; so it's Dark Academia, right?! Well, sometimes, but actually there is plenty of brightness and hope and love and joy, to contrast the darker parts... so it probably isn't Light Academia either!

The stories thus far have two female main characters, and while much prominence is given to their various interpersonal relationships, it's *not* got the right elements to make it capital-R genre Romance. (Maybe I could gut it and build a safe Romantasy story out of the giblets though, as I gather that's hot in publishing right now! 😜)

The prosaic style is perhaps a bit old-fashioned because I read books from the 1800s instead of things published in the last three years, and the general tone leans a bit Literary: it's filled with references to philosophy, and poetry, in between the flowery landscape descriptions and kissing sessions among the library stacks... ahem. The writing probably splits the age category down the middle too: it's got an Adult reading level but maybe more of a New Adult setup.

I don't know what to do with this.

I've been serialising the story as it is so far on WattPad in the hopes of accruing some feedback and encouragement. If anyone likes the sound of the ramble above, I would love you forever if you'd give it a read, drop a comment or a star over there (link below).

If you made it this far, you're a star 🌟

[authorstalker]

My May, June, July, & August Reads

Prairie, Dresses, Art, Other, Danielle Dutton - I put this on hold because 1) I love Dutton's novel, Margaret the First, and 2) the cover art is so different and so great. I really enjoyed the experience of reading PDAO; it made me feel smart, like I was back in school. That said, I also had to skim some of the "Art" section because it went over my head. I was most engrossed by the short stories in "Prairie" and the collection of literary dress quotes in "Dresses." In a fun coincidence, I had just started reading Lolly Willowes, and one of the dress quotes is pulled from that novel. Keep doing you, Danielle Dutton—I love your weird brain.

Lolly Willowes: or, The Loving Huntsman, Sylvia Townsend Warner - Another book I picked up because 1) I enjoyed a different novel by the author (in this case, Warner's Black Death nun book, The Corner That Held Them) and 2) the cover art called to me (in this case, witches flying on brooms across a hideous yellow background). Lolly Willowes is a wild ride—it was the first-ever book selected by the Book of the Month Club!—and yes, there are witches.

Beautyland, Marie-Helene Bertino - It took me longer than expected to get invested in this, for which I blame my tragic attention span, but I was hooked as soon as the protagonist started her high school years. A beautiful character, the most beautiful writing, and of course I cried buckets.

The Alternatives, Caoilinn Hughes - A novel about four sisters! Set in Ireland! It's funny and cynical! Unfortunately it lost my interest for a hot second 3/4 of the way through, but the insane ending saved the day.

Any Person Is the Only Self: Essays, Elisa Gabbert - An all-time favorite. If reading is central to your identity, you must get this book.

Grief Is for People, Sloane Crosley - I will think about the Grand Central Station scene forever. Yes, this book is very sad, but also there's a lot of publishing industry gossip. After you read it, I highly recommend listening to her interview on the Longform podcast.

Tom Lake, Ann Patchett - Some people, including people I know, did not enjoy this novel, and I simply can't relate. I loved every page, every character, every relationship, the Michigan setting, learning about the play Our Town and sewing and harvesting cherries. I loved it so much that I'm going to see Our Town on Broadway next month; Katie Holmes is playing Mrs. Webb and my first thought was, "Wow.....Joey Potter aged out of playing Emily, we are all so old." Thank you, Ann Patchett!

[olivias-shelf]

I really enjoyed this book - a rival business owners to lovers book with two Chinese American main characters who run matchmaking companies? Who get into a bet to find each other love?

Lauren Kung Jessen is great at laying out hints of things to come - nothing came as a surprise to me, but the journey I took with Olivia was satisfying. I especially liked how some of the questionable decisions Olivia made and the misunderstandings between Olivia and Bennett were handled.

The discussions of both our characters being half-Chinese and the questions of identity that come from feeling "not enough" was done really well. I also liked how they bonded over shared struggles as business owners, even though their business were in much different stages.

A thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing), Forever, and NetGalley for the ARC.

[catedwrites]

The Worst Duke in London by Amalie Howard

10 Things I Hate About You was MY movie as a teenager; Patrick Verona was it for me (and let's be honest, still is, in a way). So when I saw that Howard, in her ongoing Victorian adaptions of 90s rom-coms, had written a Taming of the Shrew/10 Things adaptation, I did not walk, I RAN to grab my copy.

And overall, I am very satisfied with it! Howard's effervescent writing style, heaped with sexual tension and authentic characters, absolutely sparkles here; The banter in the first two-thirds of the book is unparalleled in any of my recent romance reads and the sexual scenes were top-notch. My only complaint, is about 60% of the way through, it lost a lot of momentum and there were a few chapters where it felt like an unfortunate slog. I'm not sure what changed in those chapters or why, but there was a definitely lull in the book. Still, looking for Taming of the Shrew/10 Things references kept me going until the very satisfying end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) | Forever for the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

[jolieeason]

Wake Me Most Wickedly (Once Upon the East End: Book 2) by Felicia Grossman

Publisher: Forever (Grand Central Publishing), Forever Date of publication: April 9th, 2024 Genre: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Jewish, Retellings, Historical Fiction, Adult Fiction, Fiction, British Literature Series: Once Upon the East End Shtup Me at Sunrise—Book 0.5 Marry Me by Midnight—Book 1 (review here) Wake Me Most Wickedly—Book 2 Seduce Me in Secret—Book 3 (expected���

[pulsdmedia]

The Week Ahead 2/12-2/18

February might be frosty, but we're heating things up every day with the hottest tickets, dinners, bottomless brunches, and then some. 2024 is looking good, and after the last few years, we're ready now more than ever to bring you the best of NYC, straight to your inbox...

$79: 100+ Top Global Wines & Food From Coveted Restaurants

This Thursday, prepare your palate for an exquisite journey through the world of viticulture as you join the prestigious Wine & Spirits Magazine at their annual Top 100 Tasting extravaganza! You'll have 2 Hours to Taste 100+ Premium Fine Wines curated by Wine & Spirits Magazine's experts that showcases wineries from around the world, as well as 2 Hours to Indulge in a Selection of Gourmet Foods from some of New York’s Top Restaurants. From the illustrious Champagne Bollinger of France to the revered Ridge Vineyards of California, from the enchanting Le Macchiole of Italy to the venerable R. López de Heredia of Spain, each bottle promises to blow your mind...

Book Launch With Billy Dee Williams

Join Barnes & Noble Union Square as they welcome the legendary actor Billy Dee Williams to celebrate his new book What Have We Here. In his own words, Billy shares all that has sustained and carried him through a lifetime of dreams and adventure!

Rooftop 3 Course Valentine's Day Dinner For Two With Champagne

Float above the city lights and immerse yourselves in the magical ambiance of Highkey Rainforest Rooftop this Valentine's Day. Love takes center stage tonight at this all-season rooftop tropical oasis, where their Valentine's Day dinner promises an indulgent affair. Start with effervescent Champagne to set the mood. Next, dive into starters like Beef Sliders, followed by indulgent mains like Lobster Tails or tender Chicken Skewers. Conclude the evening on a sweet note with refreshing Fresh Mango Sorbet. If the way to the heart is through the stomach, then you've come to the right place...

Valentine's Day Market

Add love to every day at the Grand Central Valentine’s Market – where flowers, sweets, music, and poetry come together for a heartwarming celebration! Stop by for a free customized love poem, shop sweet treats, sway to the music, and surround yourself with love.

$39: 3 Hour Rooftop Open Bar Valentine's Day Singles Soirée

Calling all singles! Celebrate Valentine's Day with flair at Kimoto Rooftop, one of the city's most sought-after rooftop sanctuaries perched 25 stories high. The open bar will serve endless decadent cocktails, bubbly brews, and luscious wines flowing freely, building up liquid courage as you navigate through the night, seeking your match for the evening - or perhaps forever. Showcase your dance moves as a curated R&B playlist fills the atmosphere. Whether you discover Mr. Right, Mr. Right Now, or simply forge new connections, don't miss this unforgettable soirée in the sky...

Family Art Workshop: Printmaking

Have you ever wondered how an artist’s work gets out into the world without them making each piece by hand? In this workshop with Secret Riso Club, participants will experiment with making copies of their own artwork and working with others to interpret their vision. You’ll get hands-on printmaking experience, then learn how printer and publisher Jacob Samuel worked with other artists to interpret their work to print.

[rithebard]

Next week;#ChattingWithSherri welcomes #awardwinning #speculativewriter; #DesmondAstaire on 11/09/23 at 7pm pt; http://tobtr.com/12273778  #interview #wotf

[triviareads]

ARC Review of No Ordinary Duchess by Elizabeth Hoyt

Rating: 4.25/5 Heat Level: 3.75/5 Publication Date: December 10th

Premise:

Lady Elspeth de Moray is on a mission to find an ancient diary that will heal the secretive organization she's a part of. The diary is located in the library of Julian Greycourt, a family enemy who is also on the hunt for a book that will take down his villainous uncle.

My review:

ELIZABETH HOYT IS BACK. No Ordinary Duchess is a BANGER and the romantic dynamic harkens to her older works in the best way. Hoyt does starchy, repressed, secretly-freaky heroes so well (Godric St. John from Lord of Darkness, Maximus from Duke of Midnight), and Julian Greycourt is the perfect next iteration: He's STERN, he's tortured, and he's..... submissive?? Exactly the twist on stern, starchy heroes I needed in my 2024 historical romances. I particularly love the dynamic of a stern GRIM man paired with a sunshine-y heroine like Elspeth, who, to be clear, is not a pushover and has a spine of steel. It's hysterical to see Julian forever torn between outrage and being suuuuuper turned on by Elspeth against his better judgement, especially considering she's the sister of the man who allegedly killed Julian's sister. That being said, this isn't an enemies to lovers book; both Julian and Elspeth have external villians to battle, and really, a lot of their conflict lies in the fact that Julian went through trauma and emotional abuse from his evil duke uncle (the series boogeyman Julian is trying to thwart) that made him push away a lot of the people he loved for their own safety, and he's still doing that. He doesn't want to want Elspeth but he can't help himself— it's fascinating to read how Elspeth, sensing all of this, wants to take care of him as much as she wants him to serve her, and Julian is her perfect counterpart in both senses.

I ADORE Elspeth. She's cheerful and guileless (no wonder, considering she grew up in an isolated all-women compound and was educated in a unconventional way for the time period), but she's also a lady on a mission; Elspeth is a part of the Wise Women, a group dedicated to helping Britain's women. The Wise Women (who refer to themselves as HAGS.... they're definitely not escaping the witchy allegations even if they're a very real underground organization in this universe) are falling apart and Elspeth is convinced finding the thousand year-old diary of their old leader will bring them together once more. It's this search that pushes the plot forward, and ultimately it's the in-text AND plot excuse needed for Elspeth to stay with Julian in an isolated place for a long period of time (with everyone else initially assuming she's the woman Julian has paid to tend to his, uh, special needs).

The sex:

It's SO rare to read an explicit D/s dynamic on-page, particularly with a dominant woman and a submissive man. It's not something Elizabeth Hoyt has done either, as far as I'm aware, but the execution here was excellent. Julian haaaaates himself for his *UNNATURAL desires* but Elspeth teaches him not to kinkshame himself. Eventually (starting with her finding kinky porn hidden under hia bed and him getting sooooo pressed about it lolol).

Also, Elspeth isn't what you physically think of when you think "dominant woman", and I love how Hoyt subverts expectations. Elspeth is a petite, curvy redhead (yes, Julian does muse about her "titties", as is Right and Proper for a Hoyt hero) who's also several years younger than Julian and is, in fact, a virgin, but she knows what she wants and she's quite good at asking it of Julian. Julian is more of a service oriented sub who loves to give Elspeth pleasure as much as she loves receiving it— so there's a lot of oral, a good amount of titty worship because of course— and there's also a nonsexual component to him serving her, like this super tender scene where he combs her hair after a bath.

Overall:

What I love about this book is just how quietly subversive it is for the genre while still staying true to some of the most popular historical romance tropes. If that's something you vibe with, then I'd strongly recommend this book, and I'm looking forward to the next book in the Greycourt series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 5/5

Book Blurb:

Ali Hazelwood promises “the cello scene in this book will change your life” in this Reylo-inspired grumpy-sunshine romance full of sharp banter, deep emotion, and irresistible humor.   When professional—and self-taught—violinist Gwen Jackson plays, she disappears into the peaks and valleys of each song, a quiet passion that never quite explodes into pure emotion. Xander Thorne is the exact opposite. A cellist and a rock star, he’s all about big emotion, but not even his six-foot-four frame can contain his skill, his genius . . . and an attitude that borders on jerkitude. 

Not only did it take Xander a year to notice that he and Gwen both play in the Manhattan Pops, but he also always seems to have the perfect cutting criticism about her technique. When Gwen is offered the role of first chair of the orchestra, something Xander has secretly coveted for years, their existing hostility goes up a notch. Yet, despite her best efforts, Gwen can’t ignore the sizzling chemistry between them. Forced to work more closely with each other, they can’t help exploring their attraction. As they begin to compose and play songs together, it’s clear that their powerful connection could make for a performance that would blow everyone’s minds. Suddenly, they’re box office dynamite, and the fragile romance growing between them is in danger of being crushed beneath a publicity stunt.

Review:

He's the grumpy famous professional cellist while she's the sunshine self taught violinist, both of them are part of the same orchestra and after a run in at a wedding.... a song has begun to be created between them. Gwen is a self taught professional violinist, she's kept to herself in the orchestra and enjoys playing music. Alex "Xander" Thorne is the complete opposite, he's the rock star cellist who is not only giant but is also grumpy and one could say, a bit of a jerk. When Gwen and Xander run into each other at a wedding, Xander begins to notice Gwen... and he can't seem to stay away. Gwen doesn't know why he's suddenly focused on her but he goes from giving her critiques on her technique to begging her for a coffee date. Things only escalate when Gwen is offered role of first chair, the one position that Xander has secretly coveted for years, their hostility only grows up.... but so does the chemistry. So when both of them are forced to work together they also begin to explore their attraction.... while composing songs and creating music together.... romance is beginning to be written out as well if only they could find a way to make the delicate song between them work without being crushed by everyone else's expectations of them. This was such a delight to read, as a musician I just adored this book so much. It gave me, if you've ever read it, La Corda De Ora vibes ( I was so obsessed with this manga when I was like 13). I had so much fun reading this one and I loved just how positively obsessed Alex is with Gwen, he fell head over heels for her music and was determined to have her as his partner. They were such a cute couple and I just had a smile on my face the entire time I was reading this and can't recommend it enough. I've been a huge fan of Julie Soto's writing for a while now and this one was just perfect, I can't wait to read her next book!

Release Date: July 16,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) | Forever for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[queenvreads]

REVIEW:The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner

2.75/5 ⭐⭐⭐

**Thank you so much to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the opportunity to read the digital advanced reader copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review!**

This was a cute story, with tropes like friends to lovers, brother’s best friend, chosen family, and slow burn. I don't usually like friends to lovers, but I've had such good luck in my recent reads, I decided to give this one a try!

The story follows Sadie, who is nearing the end of an exceptionally difficult year. She broke up with her boyfriend and she lost her job. Due to her financial instability, she had to move into her brother's best friend's apartment. Convinced that her tendency to speak her mind led to these calamities, Sadie attended a New Year's Eve party with a single wish; to somehow reset the year and undo her missteps. Through the intervention of a fortune teller, she was granted this wish, only to wake up once again in Jacob's apartment on New Year's Eve. When the clock struck midnight, an unexpected kiss was shared between Sadie and Jacob. However, upon awakening the following morning, she found herself back in her ex-boyfriend's bed from the year before.

The narrative is endearing, and the protagonist is affable, yet it follows a highly foreseeable trajectory and bears a resemblance to rom-coms I've encountered numerous times before. For example The 7 Year Slip, is one I recently read and ADORED. Unfortunately in comparison this book wasn't as strong as that one. The writing style was engaging though, and I found it very easy to understand. I will mention though that there was an unnecessary amount of baking talk, it almost felt like a prop in order to make the story feel sweeter. I didn't mind it at times, but could have definitely been scaled back a notch.

Overall, a decent cute/ sweet read and I think many will enjoy it. It just didn't really hit the spot for me.

[whimsicaldragonette]

ARC Review: How to Deceive a Duke by Samara Parish

Preorder:

Add to Goodreads:

Publishing Date: January 25, 2022

Synopsis:

Fiona McTavish is an engineer, a chemist, a rebel—and no one’s idea of a proper lady. She prefers breeches to ballrooms, but her new invention—matches—will surely turn as many heads. There’s just a little matter of her being arrested for a crime she didn’t commit. And the only person she can turn to for help is the man who broke her heart years ago. Edward Stirling, Duke of Wildeforde, will do anything to restore his family’s name and put his father’s scandalous death behind them. But when Fiona needs his help getting released from prison, he can’t deny her—even though it means she must live with him as a condition of her freedom. With the desire between them rekindling as fast as the gossip about their arrangement is spreading among the ton, Edward will have to choose what matters most to him—his reputation or his heart.

My Review:

★★★★★

This was a thoroughly delightful romance with some of my very favorite tropes. Edward feels forced to live his life with strict propriety. Fiona is as unconventional, stubborn, and self-reliant as they come. She's also the love of his life.

Fiona regularly dresses in breeches, dons the disguise of a fictional brother while trying to sell her invention, charms Edward's family in both guises, and is a wonderful heroine.

Seeing Edward gradually dropping all his rules and strict propriety for Fiona as he falls even deeper in love with her was wonderful. I absolutely adored the 'grand gesture' -- definitely my favorite I've ever read.

I enjoyed every moment of reading it -- sweet, swoony, and altogether charming.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing an e-arc for review.

Favorite Quotes

"Pish. You were in control of every event that put you in that room. What you experienced was not powerlessness; it was consequences."

[danielleurbansblog]

Review: The Amish Secret Wish

Review: The Amish Secret Wish

Synopsis: The third book in the sweet and charming Hidden Springs series from award-winning author Laura V. Hilton. As a columnist for the The Budget, with a secret byline of GHB, Hallie Brunstettler writes about community news, and sometimes alludes to her overwhelming loneliness. Her columns portray a woman who goes from day to day showing a brave face to the world while longing to know how…