Tag Archives: romance

Review: The Kiss of the Spindle

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The Kiss of the Spindle: A Steampunk Sleeping Beauty
by Nancy Campbell Allen
4 stars

In The Kiss of the Spindle Nancy Campbell Allen gives the reader a delightful Sleeping Beauty tale with a steampunk twist. Our heroine, Dr. Isla Cooper, has been cursed by a powerful witch so that she goes into a deep, nearly dead, sleep at the stroke of midnight each evening and cannot wake for six hours. The curse will end after a year…with her never waking up at all. As the year mark draws near, Isla’s on a quest to track down the witch, who is the only one who can reverse the curse, to a Caribbean island. To gain transportation from England, she blackmails shipping magnet Daniel Pickett to take her along on his airship (yes, this is steampunk!) to the island. Unbeknownst to her, Pickett is secretly transporting illegal shapeshifters who can be free in the Caribbean. And Nigel Crowe, a government official who wants to eradicate shapeshifters, forces himself along for the ride, too. Isla, who is an empath for shapeshifters, and Daniel join forces to protect the shapeshifters from Crowe. And Daniel pledges to help Isla on her quest for survival. Packed in between all that drama, a sweet romance (read: no explicit scenes) emerges between Isla and Daniel. I’m not a huge steampunk fan, but Nancy Campbell Allen’s world is wonderfully developed, and she has a knack for developing the relationships amongst her characters. A fun, quick read!

Read-alikes:

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Beauty and the Clockwork Beast by Nancy Campbell Allen

Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare

 

 

 

Review: When We Were Young

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When We Were Young
by Karen Kingsbury
5 stars

Another amazing book by Karen Kingsbury! Kingsbury tells a wonderful story of second chances; tackling the subjects of divorce and social media. What if we could truly see our future if we chose to walk out? What if we could remember all the reasons we said I do in a single night? This story is a continuation of the beloved Baxters, but can be read as a standalone. The book centers on Noah and Emily, who from their first meeting to their amazing wedding, it is clear they are meant to be together. They have a special love they want the whole world to know about. Millions of fans follow their daily lives on Instagram since their engagement. But behind closed doors, their fairy tale is dissolving because Noah has become obsessed with sharing their lives on social media. So much so, that the greatly loved and admired couple has decided to call it quits. Kingsbury takes one of my favorite stories and weaves it into her own to create something that will inspire so many people. Highly recommend!

Read-alikes

A Month of Summer by Lisa Wingate

Mulberry Park by Judy Duarte

Review: Wicked and the Wallflower

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Wicked and the Wallflower
by Sarah MacLean
3 stars

Sarah MacLean begins her new Bareknuckle Bastards (what a name!) series with Wicked and the Wallflower This Regency romance brings us Lady Felicity Faircloth, a shunned daughter of the nobility, and Devin (AKA Devil), the illegitimate son of a duke. Devin’s father, who never had a legitimate heir, gathered his bastard sons during their childhood and pitted them against each other to be picked has his heir. The sons came to an agreement that one of them, Ewan, could inherit the dukedom…but only if he never married. They didn’t want their abusive father’s genes to be carried on. When, years later, Ewan enters the scene announcing his intent to marry, Felicity is thrown in his path. Devin steps in to put the kibosh on the engagement by ruining Felicity. Of course, as the reader might expect, Felicity turns the table on him. While the ending is a given from the beginning, MacLean has written engaging characters that grow delightfully throughout the novel. Their love story is a great adventure. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Read-alikes:

 

Scandal in Spring by Lisa Kleypas

Then Comes Seduction by Mary Balogh

Whitney, My Love by Judith McNaught

 

 

 

Review: Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating

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Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating
by Christina Lauren
4 stars

I am a super fan of Christina Lauren. They (not she) are actually the combined duo of longtime writing partners and best friends Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. Those two ladies work well together as witnessed by their latest novel Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating.

Hazel Camille Bradford is a quick witted, hilarious, and accident prone elementary school teacher. Josh Im is an upright, though not quite stodgy, physical therapist. They first met in college when Hazel threw up on Josh’s shoes…not the greatest start. Fast forward 10 years later and Hazel is doing her best to help Josh get over an ex. She gets him to go on double blind dates that increase in comedic results. You may know where the plot is headed, but the road there is slapstick funny yet also tender and sweet.

A fabulous, funny read with a little bit of heartbreak. This book made me laugh and cry…my favorite combination in a book!

 

Read-alikes:

Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

Match Me If You Can by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

 

 

 

Review: The Kiss Quotient

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The Kiss Quotient
by Helen Hoang
4 stars

Helen Hoang’s debut novel is stellar! Stella Lane is a gifted mathematician who looks at her romantic life as a problem that needs to be solved with practice…and the help of a professional. She makes a lesson plan and hires escort Michael Phan. He reluctantly agrees to help her out. Soon their lives become entangled and, as one might expect, their business partnership turns more personal as we learn about the characters’ hidden depths and vulnerabilities. Hoang does an excellent job spinning the romance novel trope of rich man-poor woman on its head with her refreshing characters. A great, steamy summer read!

 

Read-alikes:

Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory