Month: August 2025

Mini-Reviews: Novel, Lake, Maid

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Ashley Poston, A Novel Love Story

Elsy is struggling in her career, friendships, and nonexistent love life. So she decides to take a vacation, planning to hole up in a mountain cabin and binge-read romance novels. But along the way, she gets lost and ends up in an idyllic small town—one she soon realizes is fictional! It’s the setting of her favorite romance series, which was left unfinished when the author tragically died. Elsy doesn’t know how she came to enter this imaginary world, but she loves seeing her favorite characters in the flesh. She even meets a grumpy yet handsome bookstore owner and dares to think she might belong in this town. I really enjoyed the concept of this novel and liked how it was resolved in the end. But otherwise, I didn’t find it particularly interesting. Elsy adores this town and its residents, but because I haven’t read the (fictional) series Elsy loves, I had no investment in the characters she meets or their problems. Elsy herself is a bit of a wet mop, with few defining characteristics apart from her sadness and her love of romance novels. I also found the prose a bit overwrought. Overall, not a terrible read, but not one I’d recommend either.

AJ Pearce, Dear Miss Lake

It’s the summer of 1944, and Emmy Lake and her friends all know that the war will soon be over. In the meantime, though, the daily grind of wartime life—battle losses, rationing, German bombing raids—is taking its toll on everyone at Woman’s Friend. Emmy is determined to stay positive and adhere to the government’s instructions about publishing upbeat stories that look forward to an Allied victory. But when she starts receiving letters from women whose husbands and sons are prisoners of war and who are unable to get any information about them, she finds a new cause to fight for. This book is a fitting conclusion to the Emmy Lake series. It has the same light tone as the previous novels while still treating the book’s more serious events with appropriate gravity. My only complaint is that my favorite character, Guy Collins, doesn’t get a story of his own—he ought to be a romantic hero in his own book! I hope AJ Pearce will write it someday. But overall, I’d definitely recommend this series to people who enjoy World War II fiction that’s on the lighter side.

Lynn Painter, Maid for Each Other

Abi works as a cleaner for Declan’s posh apartment, but they’ve never met. One night, since her own run-down apartment has a pest problem, she stays at Declan’s place, reasoning that he’s out of town and will never know. But in the morning, she runs into his parents, who have shown up for a surprise visit—and they assume she’s his girlfriend. When Declan finds out, he’s furious, but he also thinks his job would promote him more quickly if he were in a serious relationship. So he proposes a fake relationship to Abi, which she accepts once he agrees to pay off her student loans. But the more time they spend together, the more their relationship starts to feel real. I really love Lynn Painter’s rom-coms, and fake relationship is one of my favorite romance tropes, so this book was right up my alley! Painter excels at writing characters and love stories that feel really genuine and believable. The third-act breakup was unnecessary and irritating, but aside from that, I liked this book a lot and finished it with a big smile on my face.

Mini-Reviews: Falling, Flirting, Mission, Regrettable

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Cara Bastone, Can’t Help Falling and Flirting with Forever

I really adored Bastone’s Just a Heartbeat Away and couldn’t resist jumping into the sequels! Can’t Help Falling follows Seb’s best friend, Tyler, and Via’s foster sister, Fin (short for Serafine). Tyler is super into Fin, but when he asks her out, she turns him down harshly, causing him to pull away from their friend group. A few months later, though, Tyler needs Fin’s help when he becomes the legal guardian of his teenage half-sister, Kylie. And in Flirting with Forever, Seb and Tyler’s friend Mary finds romance with the socially awkward John Modesto-Whitford, who inadvertently insults her on their first date but gradually wins her over. I enjoyed both of these books a lot, mostly because the characters are so well-defined and nuanced. The men, in particular, feel believable as people (in contrast to my earlier complaint about too-perfect heroes). The writing style is a bit clumsy at times, but in my opinion the books have enough substance and heart to make up for that. I’m definitely planning to seek out more by Bastone!

Lois McMaster Bujold, Penric’s Mission

Penric is bound for Cedonia in a somewhat unofficial capacity; he’s tasked with delivering secret documents to a powerful general. But upon arrival, he’s immediately captured, injured, and imprisoned. When he finally escapes with Desdemona’s help, it’s just in time to hear that the general has been arrested for treason and blinded as punishment. Despite the fact that it’s not part of his mission, Penric decides to try and heal the general’s eyes—and grows closer to Nikys, the general’s sister, in the process. This series continues to delight, and this novella may be my favorite so far, with its combination of political intrigue and a fair bit of romance. Not everything is resolved, but I think the next installment of the series will continue to follow this adventure and perhaps provide some resolution. Can’t wait to continue!

Jennie Goutet, A Regrettable Proposal

Stratford Tunstall has just inherited the estate and title of the Earl of Worthing. He is dismayed to learn that a valuable piece of unentailed property has been left not to him, but to the former earl’s ward, Eleanor Daventry. After a few drinks too many, Stratford decides that, since he needs a wife anyway, he should propose to Eleanor and thus regain control of the property—but she rejects his drunken and insulting proposal. She then departs for the London Season, and Stratford follows to apologize, only to realize he truly wants to marry her for love. I was predisposed to like this book—a steamless Regency romance with a bit of espionage on the side—but overall it was just okay. The uncertainty between Stratford and Eleanor drags on too long, and the spy subplot could not be less interesting or have lower stakes. That said, some of the secondary characters are a bit intriguing, and I wouldn’t mind reading the book featuring Stratford’s friend Lord Ingram, if I can find it somewhere free or cheap.

Mini-Reviews: Luck, Marriage, Only

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Kate Clayborn, Beginner’s Luck

Six months ago, Kit Averin and her two best friends, Zoe and Greer, won the lottery. But Kit has no interest in changing her lifestyle, and despite being a brilliant materials scientist, she’s content with her job as a lab technician at the local university. When headhunter Ben Tucker comes to town to recruit her for a big manufacturing corporation, she turns him down flat. But as he persists and she gets to know him better, their growing attraction poses a threat to both Ben’s career and Kit’s hard-won sense of community. I’m a big fan of Kate Clayborn’s, and this book is no exception. It’s a contemporary romance in which the protagonists generally communicate well and act like adults, which I found extremely refreshing! I also liked that both Kit’s and Ben’s characters are revealed through their relationships, especially Ben and his dad. The resolution to the book’s central conflict is a bit glossed over, and I feel like Kit perhaps needs a bit more therapy to deal with her extreme aversion to change. But overall, I really enjoyed this book and am eager to continue with the series!

Mary Balogh, First Comes Marriage

This novel is the first in the Huxtables series, introducing a group of genteel but impoverished siblings whose destiny is changed forever when the brother, Stephen, unexpectedly inherits an earldom. Elliott Wallace, Viscount Lyngate, brings the news that Stephen is the new Earl of Merton and proposes to take him to London and instruct him in the duties of his new station. But since Stephen is only 17, his three older sisters demand to accompany him. For various plot reasons, Elliott agrees to a marriage of convenience with the second sister, the widowed Vanessa. But what starts as mutual antagonism eventually transforms into attraction and love. I generally enjoy Balogh’s historical romances, but while this book was fine, it didn’t make much of an impression on me. Beyond the initial setup, I barely recall any plot details, and I only read the book a week ago! I am mildly curious about the other Huxtables’ romances, so I’ll probably continue the series at some point, but this one was just okay.

Jennifer Estep, Only Bad Options

In a futuristic, spacefaring society, Vesper Quill is a “lab rat” working for Kent Corporation. When she spots a design flaw in Kent’s new line of spaceships—a flaw that’s already resulted in a fatal crash—she notifies her superiors, only to be summarily fired and conscripted into the Imperial army, where she’ll most likely die in battle. But Vesper unexpectedly survives by teaming up with Kyrion Caldaren, one of the Empire’s most elite warriors. They come from two different worlds, but when an inconvenient psychic bond forms between them, they’ll have to work together to take down their enemies. This book is the equivalent of a summer blockbuster movie—not too deep, but plenty of action-packed fun. I liked the political intrigue and the reluctant attraction between Vesper and Kyrion, and I’ll probably continue with the series to find out how their story is resolved.

Mini-Reviews: Heiress, Excellent, Witch

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Sherry Thomas, Ravishing the Heiress

In this Victorian romance, Millie Graves is the daughter of a rich tradesman who has arranged a marriage for her with the destitute Earl Fitzhugh. When Millie meets Fitz, she falls in love with him immediately, but Fitz is much less impressed, since he’s already in love with his childhood sweetheart, Isabelle. When Millie realizes this, she proposes that they wait to consummate their marriage and that once she produces an heir, he and Isabelle can pursue an extramarital relationship. But as the designated time for the consummation draws near, Fitz is surprised to find that the woman he really desires is his wife. I was pretty disappointed in this book, mostly because Fitz is such a jerk for most of it! He spends his entire honeymoon drunk, openly cheats on Millie with random women, and makes absolutely no effort to understand her thoughts or feelings. I couldn’t believe we were supposed to be rooting for this guy, and he doesn’t do nearly enough in the end to make up for his abhorrent behavior. So I definitely would not recommend this one and am hoping that the other Thomas title on my shelves, His at Night, is a lot better!

Richard Hull, Excellent Intentions

This mystery story has a common Golden Age setup: Wealthy and thoroughly unpleasant Henry Cargate is poisoned on a train. It turns out any number of people wished him ill, but only a few had the means and opportunity to obtain the poison and put it in his snuffbox, where he’d be sure to inhale it. The unusual element of the novel is that it starts at the murder trial, where the prosecutor summarizes the case against the accused (whose identity isn’t revealed till very late in the book). The narration jumps back and forth between the trial and the preceding investigation, and readers get inside the heads of the Scotland Yard inspector, prosecuting and defense attorneys, and even the judge. I liked the clever narrative structure and the reminder that catching the murderer isn’t the end of the story. However, the actual mystery isn’t particularly creative or hard to solve; the unique structure is the most interesting part of the book.

Stephanie Burgis, Wooing the Witch Queen

Queen Saskia is a witch determined to protect her people from the evil empire that’s trying to invade her country. Archduke Felix is the embodiment of that empire and the focus of Saskia’s hatred. But Felix is merely a figurehead imprisoned by his conniving relatives, who are about to escalate from torture to murder. When Felix escapes, he runs straight into Saskia’s kingdom but can’t reveal his true identity, so he applies for a job as her librarian, where romance and cozy villainy ensue. I enjoy Burgis’s writing, but this book fell a little flat for me. I think it’s because there’s no nuance; the good characters are 100% good, the baddies are entirely evil, and the romance lacks any real tension or depth. This book illustrates a trend I’ve noticed in the past few years, where romantic heroes are implausibly perfect and exist solely to provide emotional support to the heroine. Of course, I don’t want horrible, misogynistic “heroes,” but I would like them to feel like actual human beings and not cardboard fantasies. All that said, I may read the next book in the series when it’s published, but I will get it from the library instead of buying.

Mini-Reviews: Nonesuch, Masquerade, Strawberries

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Georgette Heyer, The Nonesuch

Sir Waldo Hawkridge—known as the Nonesuch because of his superior looks, wealth, and social status—has just inherited an estate in Yorkshire. When he and his young cousin Julian visit the estate to evaluate its condition, they soon meet the various residents of the neighborhood. Julian is immediately smitten with the beautiful (but headstrong and selfish) Tiffany Wield, while Sir Waldo is intrigued by her companion, Ancilla Trent. Meanwhile, Ancilla is immediately drawn to Sir Waldo but fears he’d never seriously be interested a nobody like her. I adore Georgette Heyer, and normally I reread four or five of her novels every year. But I recently realized that I hadn’t yet read a single Heyer book this year! It’s been a long time since I read this one, and I enjoyed it SO much. The main romance is sweet, and the secondary characters add a lot of humor and charm. It doesn’t quite have the sparkle of my top favorite Heyers, but it’s still a delightful read!

Lois McMaster Bujold, Masquerade in Lodi

This novella in the Penric & Desdemona series comes after Penric’s Fox in terms of internal chronology, but it’s set several years later, and Penric has recently relocated to the island city of Lodi. He is summoned to the local hospital to evaluate a “mad” patient, and he immediately realizes that the young man is possessed by a demon. Unfortunately, the patient escapes, so now Penric must find him somewhere in the city—no easy feat, given that Lodi is full of crowds for a holiday celebration—and team up with the local saint, with unexpected results. This series is such fun, and I really liked that this installment changes things up a little: Penric is in a new place, meeting new people, and looking for a missing person rather than investigating a murder. I’m especially intrigued by the saint, Chio, and hope she’ll return in future novellas. Overall, I’m still really liking this series and eager to continue with the next installment.

Angela Thirkell, Wild Strawberries

This 1930s social comedy centers around the Leslie family and Mary Preston, a niece by marriage who visits them one summer. The matriarch, Lady Emily, is kind but scatterbrained; her daughter Agnes is placid and indolent; her older son John is grieving the death of his wife; and her younger son David is an idle charmer. When Mary arrives at the Leslie estate, she’s immediately attracted to David, but Emily and Agnes want to set her up with John. This little love triangle is the only “plot” to speak of; the novel is very much a slice of life between the two world wars, and depending on one’s perspective, it’s either pleasantly soothing or incredibly dull. I’m in the former camp, and I enjoyed the peaceful, uneventful progress of this novel—though there is a jarring moment where David, who likes jazz, sings a racist minstrel song. I still liked the book overall, but it won’t be a keeper for me.