Month: August 2023

Mini-Reviews: Thornhedge, Roommate, Binti

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T. Kingfisher, Thornhedge

In this retelling of Sleeping Beauty, the heroine isn’t the princess in the tower. Instead, it’s Toadling, who was born human but kidnapped by fairies shortly after her birth. She’s been raised among the monstrous yet loving greenteeth, and she would have been happy to stay with them forever. But when a goddess summons her to her human parents’ household and says she can prevent great suffering, Toadling answers the call. Now, centuries later, she guards the princess’s tower and tries to keep humans away. She’s mostly successful — until an unconventional knight breaches her physical and metaphorical defenses. I’ve read two full-length novels by T. Kingfisher and loved them; this novella is very good too, but its shorter length didn’t allow me to sink into its world completely. I’d still definitely recommend it to fans of fairytale retellings, but since it’s just over 100 pages long, I’m glad I didn’t pay $20 for the hardcover!

Allison Ashley, The Roommate Pact

Graham and Claire have been roommates for about a year, and friends for much longer, but their relationship has always been strictly platonic. Claire wants a serious relationship, and she definitely doesn’t want to be with someone who takes a lot of risks — so thrill-seeking, commitment-phobic Graham is the last person she should date. But when he proposes a friends-with-benefits arrangement, Claire finds herself eager to explore their chemistry. When an injury leaves Graham stranded at home with Claire (a nurse) as caretaker, they get to know each other on a deeper level and are surprised by their growing feelings. I liked this contemporary romance, with its friends-to-lovers plot and opposites-attract vibes, but nothing about it really stands out to me. Claire and Graham are both likable characters with fun banter, and I liked how they were drawn to the “difficult” parts of each other. While this book isn’t an all-time favorite, I’d certainly read more by the author.

Nnedi Okorafor, Binti: The Complete Trilogy

This collection of interrelated novellas blends sci-fi futurism with African cultural elements. The protagonist is Binti, a teenage girl who leaves her family and her tribe on Earth to attend a prestigious university on another planet. On the way, her spaceship is attacked by aliens who kill everyone on board except the pilot and Binti. In an odd twist of fate, she ends up befriending one of the aliens and building bridges between their race and humanity. This book was definitely outside my comfort zone, and I found the world-building fascinating. Binti encounters people from many different cultures, both human and alien, and each feels unique and rooted in reality. But the bulk of the book is about Binti’s struggle to come to terms with her own identity, which I found a little less interesting — she seems to be a typical Super Special SFF heroine. Overall, I’m glad I read this one but don’t plan to keep it; I’d classify it as good, just not my thing.

Mini-Reviews: Charming, Fortune, Practice

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Lucy Parker, Codename Charming

This sequel to Battle Royal focuses on Pet De Vere, publicist to Johnny Marchmont, the sweet but accident-prone husband of Princess Rosie. After one too many photos is published of Johnny falling atop Pet at a public event, the tabloids insinuate they must be having an affair. This rumor is of course false, yet it could seriously damage Pet’s career, so the royals suggest that Pet fake a relationship with Johnny’s bodyguard, Matthias, to give the tabloids a different story to focus on. Matthias is Pet’s total opposite — grumpy and reserved where she’s bubbly and cheerful — but they’re also powerfully attracted to each other. As their fake relationship intensifies, they must finally deal with their real feelings. Lucy Parker is an auto-buy author for me, and I really enjoyed this book, though I think it suffers a bit in comparison to Battle Royal. Both books center around an emotionally stunted hero and an outgoing heroine who nevertheless craves love, so many of this book’s scenes and beats felt repetitive. Matthias also feels like a second draft of the character Mick from Parker’s first novel, Artistic License (published under a pen name). It’s still a very enjoyable read, but it’s not one of my favorites by this author.

Diane Farr, The Fortune Hunter

Lord Rival desperately needs to marry a rich woman, but his options are limited due to his rakish ways and bad reputation. He sets his sights on Lady Olivia Fairfax, an heiress who shuns society to focus on charitable work. But when he first approaches her, he mistakes her for a servant and impulsively confides his entire mercenary plan to her. Olivia has no intention of succumbing to Lord Rival’s considerable charms; she doesn’t want to marry at all, especially not someone who only wants her fortune. But as they continue to tease and flirt with one another, they both develop deeper feelings. I was interested in reading Lord Rival’s story, since he was a compelling antagonist in Falling for Chloe. But while I enjoyed the book overall, it didn’t grab me as much as its predecessor did. Even though Lord Rival has good reasons for needing a fortune, I still felt he was cruel to Olivia and manipulated her into loving him. He also falls in love eventually, and the solution to the love-or-money conundrum is satisfying, but I wanted a stronger apology from him in the end. I did still like the book, though, and will continue to seek out more by Farr.

Sarah Adams, Practice Makes Perfect

Annie Walker, known as “Angel Annie” in her small town of Rome, Kentucky, is looking for love and marriage. But her introversion and social anxiety make her a disaster on dates, so her friends decide she needs some practice. Enter Will Griffin, a tattooed adventure seeker who’s just passing through town and has no interest in any type of commitment. He agrees to be Annie’s dating coach, but their mutual crushes on each other threaten to derail their plans. This is a cute sequel to When in Rome, but I don’t think it particularly works as a romance. Both Annie and Will are smitten from the beginning, so the only question is when they’ll finally admit their feelings. I did like the characters’ individual conflicts, though: Annie realizes that she doesn’t have to let her sisters and her town define her, while Will learns that he’s capable of love despite his dysfunctional upbringing. Overall, I wasn’t wowed by the book, but I’m interested enough to read the next one whenever it comes out.

Mini-Reviews: Player, Curses, Porter

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Stella Riley, The Player

Due to a scandalous tragedy, Adrian Devereux has spent the past 10 years living abroad, working as an actor and gambler. But now his brother, the Earl of Sarre, has died, so he must return to England and assume the title. There he learns that Marcus Sheringham, the man who betrayed him and forced him into exile, has huge gambling debts and must marry an heiress to avoid ruin. As Adrian gets to know Caroline, the heiress in question, he becomes convinced she’s too good for Marcus — and he certainly isn’t averse to a little revenge — so he devises an elaborate plot to marry Caroline himself. I’m so glad I discovered Stella Riley, because I’ve been loving her books — I devoured this one in a single sitting! While the plot is absurdly melodramatic, and I’m not usually a fan of the revenge-seduction trope, I loved Adrian and Caroline so much that I didn’t care. The most important thing for me in a romance is that I believe the main characters are truly right for each other, and I definitely got that with this book. Can’t wait for the next one!

Lish McBride, Curses

Lady Merit Cravan has been cursed to take the form of a beast, and she can only break the curse if she marries before her 18th birthday. Though Merit doesn’t expect love, she’s worried about making a bad choice, so she asks Tevin DuMont, a handsome but penniless con artist, for help evaluating her suitors. He’s made his living by charming rich young women, then accepting bribes from their parents to stay away, so he’s the perfect person to help unmask insincere fortune hunters. But as Merit and Tevin get to know each other better, their inconvenient feelings may ruin everything. I love a good Beauty and the Beast retelling, and this one is unique in that the genders are flipped. But much as I liked Merit, I was far more interested in Tevin and the rest of his ramshackle family. (Especially his brother, Amaury — fingers crossed for a sequel where he’s the hero!) Instead of following the curse/marriage drama, I’d rather have followed the DuMonts on their adventures! Still, this is a fun read, and I’d definitely recommend it to fans of the fairy tale.

AJ Pearce, Mrs. Porter Calling

In the spring of 1943, things are going well for Emmy Lake. Though her husband, Charles, is away at war, she enjoys living with her friends Bunty and Thelma, and she finds fulfillment in her job at Woman’s Friend magazine. That changes, however, when the magazine’s new publisher, a rich socialite named Mrs. Porter, begins suggesting changes that cater to the frivolous concerns of the wealthy rather than the issues the magazine’s readers really care about. As Emmy and her friends fight to save the magazine, another tragedy of war strikes, forcing them to reexamine their priorities. I’m continuing to enjoy this series, which manages to be upbeat and positive without sugarcoating the war’s harsh realities. Emmy and her friends are lovable characters worth rooting for. Her editor, Guy Collins, remains a favorite, and I hope I smell a hint of romance for him in future books! I’d definitely recommend this series to fans of the period, but start with book #1, Dear Mrs. Bird.

Mini-Reviews: Phillip, Private, Do-Over

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Julia Quinn, To Sir Phillip, with Love

This installment of the Bridgerton series features Eloise, a lively and opinionated young woman who has never lacked suitors, but who somehow finds herself still unmarried at 28. She strikes up a correspondence with Sir Phillip Crane, who was married to her distant cousin Marina until the latter’s death, and is intrigued when he asks her to visit and see whether they might be well suited for marriage. But when Eloise meets Sir Phillip, he’s nothing like she imagined — he’s gruff and taciturn and distant, even from his two children, who are clearly desperate for his attention. Can such a man be a good match for the talkative, affectionate Eloise? The Bridgerton books have been hit or miss for me, but I really liked this one. Phillip’s backstory is difficult, and his reactions (especially to the death of his first wife) are not always sympathetic, but they are understandable. I loved him and Eloise together, and I think they bring out the best in each other. I also liked the brief appearance of several of the Bridgerton brothers; it was nice to be reminded of Eloise’s close relationships with her siblings. This is definitely one of my favorites in the series thus far!

Darcie Wilde, A Purely Private Matter

Rosalind Thorne once again finds herself embroiled in mystery and scandal when Margaretta Seymore appeals to her for help. Her husband is convinced she’s having an affair with the famous actor Fletcher Cavendish — and he’s planning to sue Cavendish to get monetary damages for the harm caused by the alleged adultery. Margaretta denies the affair and wants Rosalind to stop the accusation from causing a public scandal. But things get more complicated when Cavendish is murdered and suspicion inevitably falls on the Seymores. I liked book one in this series, but I think my enthusiasm is already starting to wane a bit. The mystery plot felt too cluttered, and the book needed a better editor — I noticed not only typos but a few significant continuity errors. Still, I like Rosalind and am curious to see how her personal life will unfold, so I’ll continue with the series for now.

Lynn Painter, The Do-Over

Emilie has planned the perfect Valentine’s Day, but things go wrong almost immediately when she gets into a car accident with Nick, her surly chemistry lab partner. Then she gets passed over for an internship she was counting on, and worst of all, she spies her boyfriend kissing his ex. Emilie is relieved when the awful day is done — but when she wakes up the next morning, it’s February 14 again, and she ends up reliving her awful Valentine’s Day over and over. As she tries to escape the time loop, she learns some important things about herself — and about Nick, who always seems to be along for the ride. I’ve enjoyed all of Lynn Painter’s books, and this YA romance is no exception. I especially liked the banter between Emilie and Nick, although he’s a bit too dreamy to be a realistic teenage boy. The book touches on some serious topics like divorce and grief, but the overall tone is upbeat and fun. Recommended if you just want to read something that puts a smile on your face!

Mini-Reviews: Orchid, Leopard, Between

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Lauren Willig, The Orchid Affair

After spending the past 16 years as a governess, Laura Grey is eager to be sent on her first mission for the Pink Carnation. To her dismay, she’ll be posing as a governess — but her real job will be to spy on her pupils’ father, André Jaouen, who works for Bonaparte’s ministry of police. André is keeping many secrets, and as Laura discovers where his loyalties truly lie, she also finds herself increasingly drawn to him. This is another enjoyable installment of the Pink Carnation series. I liked seeing how the French Revolution and rise of Napoleon affected the people who were experiencing it firsthand. I also enjoyed the romance between Laura and André, who have both experienced hardship and gained wisdom from it. The book’s pacing is a bit slow, though, and I just didn’t love it quite as much as some others in the series. Still, I’m glad to have revisited this one!

Andre Norton and Rosemary Edghill, Leopard in Exile

This sequel to The Shadow of Albion finds most of the principal characters in America, known in this universe as New Albion. Sarah, now the Duchess of Wessex, travels to Baltimore to help her friend Meriel, whose husband Louis (the lost dauphin of France) has gone missing. The Duke of Wessex follows his wife, but he’s also been given a spy mission he may or may not choose to complete. And the evil sorcerer the Marquis de Sade is seeking the Holy Grail, rumored to be in the French colony of Louisianne, which will give him unimaginable demonic power. After I loved the previous book so much, it’s not surprising that this one was a bit of a letdown. While the setting is unique and fascinating, I got weary of all the world-building, especially when it slowed down the narrative. Also, I wanted more character interaction and development; I particularly felt the lack thereof in Sarah and Wessex’s relationship. That said, I’m still glad to have read the book and sorry the series won’t continue.

Mhairi McFarlane, Between Us

Roisin has been dating Joe, a successful TV writer, for nearly a decade, but lately she’s been thinking about breaking up. The problem is that they’re both part of a tight-knit friend group, and she doesn’t feel like she has a good enough reason to dump him. But things come to a head when the friend group gathers to watch Joe’s new TV show, which contains scenes straight from Roisin’s life, including private details about her dysfunctional family. After this betrayal, Roisin begins to wonder if she ever really knew Joe at all. I’m a McFarlane fan and enjoyed this latest book very much, but those expecting a light contemporary romance will be disappointed. Though there is a very sweet love story, the vast majority of the plot centers around Roisin’s relationship with Joe and her growing knowledge of his true character. McFarlane likes to explore the ways men can abuse and exploit women, so the focus on Joe is not surprising, but I would have liked a little more emphasis on Roisin’s new romance and her complicated family dynamics.