Tag: america

Mini-Reviews: Love, Byzantium, Ensemble

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Lindsey Kelk, Love Me Do

UK native Phoebe Chapman is excited to spend a couple weeks visiting her sister in Los Angeles. Sure, her sister has to leave pretty much immediately for an emergency work trip, but Phoebe is happy enough to stay at her luxurious house and explore the city, with the help of handsome neighbor Ren and bubbly personal trainer Bel. Phoebe soon learns that Bel has a crush on Ren but is painfully awkward around him, so she decides to help the couple get together. But a little well-meaning advice soon spirals out of control, with Phoebe writing love letters to Ren on Bel’s behalf – while falling for Ren herself. I’m a sucker for a Cyrano de Bergerac storyline, and I enjoyed this book even though Phoebe’s plan was obviously doomed from the start. Yes, Ren is a little too good to be true, and the conflicts are all resolved pretty quickly. But I liked Phoebe’s humorous voice and her enthusiastic descriptions of LA from an outside perspective. Overall, it’s a fun read if the premise interests you.

John Julius Norwich, A Short History of Byzantium

In the late ’80s and early ’90s, English popular historian John Julius Norwich wrote a three-volume history of the Byzantine Empire. This book condenses that longer work into a single tome of 500-ish pages, giving a broad-strokes overview of the history of Byzantium from the reign of Constantine the Great in the fourth century to the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453. It’s a lot of ground to cover, so Norwich mostly sticks to the emperors and other powerful figures (popes, patriarchs, rival monarchs, etc.) who show up in the historical record. As someone who’s only mildly interested in the Byzantine Empire, I don’t think I’m the target audience for this book, which would probably be more enjoyable to someone with more background knowledge. But Norwich is an entertaining writer, and I think I will retain at least some of what I read, so I’d recommend it to people who are enthusiastic about the period.

Aja Gabel, The Ensemble

This novel closely follows four characters, members of a professional string quartet whose careers and lives are intertwined in various complicated ways. There’s first violinist Jana, the ambitious and emotionally ruthless leader of the group; Brit, the calm and kind second violinist; Henry, the viola prodigy to whom everything seems to come easily; and Daniel, the cellist with a monumental chip on his shoulder. As time passes, each character comes to terms with what he or she really wants from the quartet and from life in general. Literary fiction doesn’t always appeal to me; I find “literary” is often synonymous with “depressing.” But in this case, I found enough to like about these (sometimes quite unlikable) characters, and enough outcomes to root for, that I liked the book more than I expected to. I also thought the descriptions of music and life as a musician rang true. Overall, I think I’d like to read this book again someday, so I’m keeping it on my shelves for now.

Mini-Reviews: Like, Gentleman, Aristocrat

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Hannah Orenstein, Love at First Like

Jewelry store owner Eliza is dismayed when she sees on social media that her ex-boyfriend has just gotten engaged. To console herself, she tries on the store’s most extravagant ring and takes a photo – then accidentally posts it to Instagram. When she wakes up the next morning, she discovers thousands of new social media followers, as well as several big online orders from the store. Since her fake engagement is good for business, she decides to keep up the charade. But as her little white lie spirals out of control, she risks losing both her business and a chance at love. I thought this book sounded cute, but Eliza’s behavior made me so mad! Basically, she starts dating a guy in the hope that he’ll actually become her fiancé (and thus make the lie true)…but she 100% leads him on and manipulates him into falling in love with her, not telling him the truth until after he proposes. I thought it was irredeemably awful of her, and her subsequent happy ending felt undeserved. Not recommended.

Mimi Matthews, Gentleman Jim

Ten years ago, stableboy Nicholas Seaton and young lady Margaret Honeywell fell in love, but the cruel interference of a rival suitor forced Nicholas to run away, and Maggie hasn’t heard from him since. Now, visiting a friend in London, she encounters Lord St. Clare, an enigmatic viscount who has recently come to England after years spent abroad. Maggie is convinced that St. Clare is Nicholas, but he staunchly denies it, while at the same time determinedly pursuing a relationship with her. Who is St. Clare, and what’s his purpose in coming to London? I haven’t hit a bad Matthews book yet, and this one is just as well written and entertaining as her others. It’s explicitly inspired by The Count of Monte Cristo, so if you know that story, the plot is pretty predictable. I also found the central romance a bit farfetched, given that Maggie and Nicholas were so young when they initially fell in love. But then, second-chance romance really just isn’t my trope. I did like the book and plan to continue with the series, though this installment can 100% stand alone.

Mignon G. Eberhart, Murder by an Aristocrat

Nurse Sarah Keate is called to the home of the wealthy and prominent Thatcher family when one of its members, Bayard, is shot in the arm. The family claims the shot was an accident that occurred while Bayard was cleaning his gun, but Bayard tells Nurse Keate that someone in the household tried to kill him. His claim seems to be proved true when he’s later found dead in the library. The family then coerces Nurse Keate into staying at the house, where more sinister things occur, including another death. This was my first book by Mignon G. Eberhart, and I quite liked it! The sensible Nurse Keate is a great narrator, and I appreciated the way the mystery unfolded; new evidence came to light at a good pace and so forth. The suspense aspects of the plot (lots of “had I but known” moments) aren’t really my thing, but they’re not too intrusive here. I’ll certainly read more by Eberhart, especially if I can get my hands on some other Nurse Keate books.

Mini-Reviews: Sonya, Benedettos, Magic

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Ben Macintyre, Agent Sonya: The Spy Next Door

Born to German Jewish parents in Berlin in 1906, Ursula Kuczynski grew up sympathetic to left-wing politics and joined the German Communist Party in her teens. After her marriage, she and her husband moved to Shanghai, where she was approached by a Soviet intelligence officer and recruited as a spy. She accepted the work eagerly, her ardent communist beliefs intensifying as the Nazis rose to power in Germany. Using the code name Sonya, Ursula engaged in espionage for the USSR for decades, her missions taking her all over the world and eventually leading her to the UK. I don’t generally gravitate toward nonfiction, but Ursula’s life is so fascinating that this biography reads like a novel. Macintyre weaves in plenty of history to give context to Ursula’s actions and also paints a vivid picture of her personal life, using her own writings and those of her family, friends, and associates as sources. This is definitely another winner from Macintyre!

Katie Cotugno, Meet the Benedettos

A few years ago, the five Benedetto sisters were living the high life in LA as stars of a successful reality TV show. Now, their fame and status are fading, and they’re even in danger of losing their house. Lilly, the sisters’ de facto leader, is determined to hold her family together but doesn’t quite know how. And things get even more complicated when movie star Charlie Bingley and his friend Will Darcy move into their neighborhood – especially when Charlie seems interested in Lilly’s sister June, and Lilly herself is simultaneously attracted to and repulsed by the snobbish Will. I couldn’t resist this Pride and Prejudice retelling and devoured it in a day. I like how this novel centers the relationships among all five Benedetto sisters; they’re very different people, but it’s obvious how much they love each other. I also loved the chemistry between Lilly and Will and especially loved getting inside Will’s head. Some things didn’t quite work for me – the ending was a bit anticlimactic – but overall I enjoyed this one, and it’s reminded me that I really want to read P&P again soon!

V.E. Schwab, A Darker Shade of Magic

This novel is set in a universe in which there are four different Londons: Grey London, in the ordinary world; Red London, in a prosperous world with abundant magic; White London, where magic is scarce and used as a weapon; and Black London, which devoured itself long ago. Kell lives in Red London but has a unique ability to travel between the worlds. Lila, a Grey Londoner, is a thief with ambitions to become a pirate. They meet when Lila picks Kell’s pocket, but the item she steals turns out to be an extremely powerful and dangerous artifact from Black London. Together, they must return it to its proper world before it falls into the wrong hands. I really love the creative world-building of this novel, and Kell and Lila are both compelling characters. Once they meet up, the book becomes a page-turner after a somewhat slow start. I first read this novel eight years ago and wondered whether it would hold up, but I still enjoyed it this time around and am excited to continue with the trilogy.

Mini-Reviews: Counted, Daemon, Elephant

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Noelle Adams, Counted

Jude has just learned that he has an inoperable brain tumor and has about three months left to live. He’s determined to achieve a few of his bucket-list goals before dying, and the most important one is to get married. So he decides to propose to Eve, a family friend who’s known him for years, though they’ve never been close. Eve has some misgivings but wants to help Jude, so she accepts. But they’re both caught by surprise as their marriage of convenience slowly turns into something real. I saw this book mentioned online as a gender-swapped retelling of The Blue Castle, so of course I had to try it! Really, it’s not very similar except for the premise – it’s much racier, for one thing! – but I still did enjoy this book. Both Jude and Eve are introverted, emotionally reserved people, so it’s nice to watch them slowly open up, and the development of their relationship feels realistic. It’s a quiet book with not much happening, and it might be a tough read for those who’ve been seriously ill or cared for someone who was. But despite the book not being quite what I expected, I’m glad I read it.

Carol Berg, The Daemon Prism

Two years after the events of The Soul Mirror, Dante is visited by a solider suffering from a magic-induced dream, in which a beautiful woman offers him a jewel that will give him his heart’s desire—but once obtained, the desire is then corrupted. When Dante removes the dream from the soldier’s mind, it enters Dante’s consciousness instead, tempting him with ever-greater magical knowledge. His quest to find the woman and discover the secrets of the jewel soon becomes part of a much bigger magical journey involving an ancient prophecy and the souls of the dead. This is a very satisfying conclusion to the Collegia Magica trilogy; after seeing Dante through the eyes of other characters in the previous books, it was fascinating to get his own perspective here. The plot itself is convoluted, and parts of the story drag a bit, but I loved Dante’s character development and the way things were resolved with the other main characters in the series. Overall, I’m glad I finally read these books, and fans of thick fantasy sagas should definitely check out Carol Berg.

Hannah Ledford, Elephant and Castle

Years ago, American student Nora spent a summer in London, where she fell in love with up-and-coming musician Hugh, though their relationship ended when she went back to the US. Now Nora’s job has brought her back to London, and when she encounters Hugh again, she finds herself wondering what might have been. Complicating matters is Hugh’s best friend, Julian, who liked Nora before and whose feelings come rushing back when he sees her again. But how can he pursue a relationship with her when she and Hugh might have unfinished business? This was a cute little contemporary romance that I read in a day. I like a hero who pines for the heroine, and the obstacles to Nora and Julian’s relationship felt legitimate – in fact, perhaps a little too legitimate given how easily they were ultimately brushed aside. The book ultimately felt light and superficial; I never really got emotionally invested in the story. Still, it’s a pleasant read with an enjoyable London setting, so it’s potentially worth a read if you like the premise.

Mini-Reviews: Funny, Spirit, Witches

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Emily Henry, Funny Story

Daphne moves to the small lakeside town of Waning Bay, Michigan, to be with her fiancé, Peter. So when Peter dumps her for his longtime best friend, Petra, Daphne feels rootless and doesn’t know what to do. In the meantime, she’s living in the spare room of Miles, Petra’s ex, and plotting her escape from Waning Bay. Daphne and Miles have nothing in common—aside from being treated badly by their exes—but as they spend more time together, they forge a surprising connection. I’m a fan of Emily Henry’s writing and enjoyed this book, though Miles wasn’t particularly appealing to me in the beginning. He’s a chaotic free spirit, while Daphne is more structured and buttoned-up, so they had a fun opposites-attract dynamic. Overall, though, I find myself a bit lukewarm on this one; I did enjoy it, but I’m not particularly enthusiastic about it. Glad I got it from the library instead of purchasing.

Carol Berg, The Spirit Lens

Portier de Savin-Duplais has always longed to become a sorcerer, but despite several years of study at the Collegia Magica, he can’t actually do any magic and is living a vaguely dissatisfied life as the Collegia’s librarian. Opportunity knocks, however, when his distant cousin, the king of Sabria, entrusts him with a special mission. Someone recently tried to assassinate the king using very dark (and very illegal) magic, and Portier—along with foppish courtier Ilario and mysterious mage Dante—must discover who’s responsible before the would-be assassin strikes again. This book is an interesting mixture of fantasy and mystery with a hint of buddy comedy, but I think it focuses a little too much on the mystery; Portier’s investigation moves slowly and feels like a dull police procedural at times. By contrast, the fantasy world gets short shrift (though I enjoyed the quasi-Renaissance vibes), and I found some magical aspects of the plot confusing. I do really like the main characters, though, and will certainly continue with the trilogy since I own the remaining books.

India Holton, The League of Gentlewomen Witches

Charlotte Pettifer is an exceedingly proper young Victorian lady, and also a witch who’s destined to become the head of the Wickan League. So when an amulet belonging to Black Beryl, the league’s founder, is discovered, Charlotte knows she must steal it. Unfortunately, those vulgar pirates of the Wisteria Society are also after the amulet—not to mention the infuriatingly handsome Captain Alex O’Riley. When circumstances throw Charlotte and Alex together in their quest for the amulet, they quickly give in to their mutual attraction; but since pirates and witches are mortal enemies, obviously they can’t fall in love. Like its predecessor, this book is a fun pseudo-historical romp, and the plentiful Austen references are a fun bonus. This installment focuses a lot on the romance, which I’d have been fine with except that it feels very similar to the romance in the first book. Still, if you liked book #1, you’ll like this one too—and the peek at the hero and heroine of book #3 has me intrigued to complete the series!

Mini-Reviews: Nursery, Disappearing, Spy

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Catherine Lloyd, Death Comes to the Nursery

Robert and Lucy Kurland are finally parents to a two-year-old son, Ned, and they’re thrilled that Lucy is now pregnant with their second child. Lucy decides to hire additional help in the nursery, but the new maid, Polly, soon causes disruption in both the manor and the village. Her beauty attracts many suitors, some of them employed by Robert, and conflict is the inevitable result. When Polly is murdered, Robert and Lucy investigate and make some surprising discoveries about the girl’s past. This book is, like the rest of the series, a pleasant but not groundbreaking historical mystery. I found the mystery component a bit weak; I was able to guess the culprit in advance, so it was frustrating to wait for the characters to catch up – especially when one suspect insists that he knows the truth but won’t tell Robert and Lucy anything! I’ll definitely continue with the next (and so far final) book in the series, but I think I’m running out of steam.

Kate Clayborn, The Other Side of Disappearing

Jess Greene has dedicated her life to protecting her young half-sister, Tegan, after their mother ran off with famous con man Lynton Baltimore. Baltimore was the subject of a popular podcast several years ago, and now the podcast creators want to interview Jess and Tegan to see if they can track him down. Jess hates the idea but reluctantly agrees because Tegan is eager to participate in hopes of seeing her mother again. As they follow Baltimore’s trail across the country, Jess is attracted to the podcast’s producer, Adam Hawkins, but their mutual baggage hinders their romance. Clayborn is one of my favorite contemporary romance authors, and I really enjoyed this book, even though I’m not into podcasts or true crime. There’s not much lightness or humor in the book – the emotions are intense – but I loved both the romance and Jess’s development as a character. I do wish we’d learned more about Baltimore, but he remains an enigma throughout. Overall, though, I’d definitely recommend this book if the premise interests you!

Tatsuya Endo, Spy x Family, vol. 1

Twilight is a master spy, but his latest mission brings unique challenges: He has to infiltrate an elite private school, which means he needs a wife and child. But he gets much more than he bargained for when it turns out that his hastily adopted daughter, Anya, is a telepath and his brand-new wife, Yor, is an assassin. Will they be able to foil a dastardly seditious plot and, more importantly, come together as a family? I’m not much of a manga reader, but this one caught my eye with its spy-thriller-plus-found-family vibes, and I found it a very cute read! There’s a nice mixture of action and comedy with a bit of heart, and I like the art as well. This being volume 1, it only tells the beginning of the story – the installment ends with the entrance interview to the school – so I’ll have to read more if I want to know what happens next! Fortunately, my library seems to have several installments, so I probably will continue with the series at some point.

Mini-Reviews: Never, Assistant, Convenient

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Lynn Painter, Happily Never After

It’s Sophie’s wedding day, but she doesn’t want to marry her fiancé, Stuart — she recently caught him cheating. But Stuart’s father is her dad’s horrible boss, and Sophie knows that if she calls off the wedding, her dad will lose his job. So instead, she hires someone to object during the ceremony: Stuart’s wrongdoing will be exposed, everyone will sympathize with her, and her dad’s job will remain secure. Her plan succeeds, and after the not-wedding, she ends up befriending the objector, Max. She even proposes an objecting partnership — she doesn’t believe in true love anyway, so she views breaking up weddings as a public service. But as Sophie and Max spend more time together, they can’t deny just how much they enjoy each other’s company. I really liked this book and think it might be Painter’s best yet! (Seriously, can she please write all the rom-com screenplays now?) Sophie and Max have great banter, and I truly believed that not only were they mutually attracted, but they actually liked each other. Yes, the premise is contrived, and the “obstacles” keeping them apart are flimsy at best, but I didn’t mind since the ride was so enjoyable! Definitely recommended for fans of contemporary romance.

Hannah Nicole Maehrer, Assistant to the Villain

Evie is desperate for a job to support her sick father and her little sister — so desperate that she agrees to work for The Villain, the kingdom’s most notorious evildoer. Unexpectedly, she soon falls in love with her job — and maybe with her boss as well. Unfortunately, there’s a traitor in The Villain’s organization, and Evie is determined to find that person before he/she destroys everything Evie holds dear. Apparently this book grew out of a TikTok series, and that doesn’t surprise me, given its quippy tone, uneven pacing, and underdeveloped characters. Evie and The Villain both feel incredibly juvenile, mutually infatuated yet completely oblivious to each other’s feelings. Also, I think the book dismisses The Villain’s villainy too easily…of course he’s not as evil as he appears, yet he still tortures and murders people, which somehow doesn’t seem to bother anyone! All that said, I actually had a good time reading the book; it’s a fun premise with some amusing moments, and I’ll probably read the sequel when it comes out (if only to get a real ending to the story!). The key is not to take it even a tiny bit seriously.

Louise Allen, His Convenient Duchess

Marcus has recently inherited an earldom but is dismayed to learn that one of the estates, Chalton Castle, has been sold. The new owner, Rose, is living there with her younger sisters, Chloe and Kat, because their brother is a rake and a spendthrift, and neither they nor their reputations would be safe in his house. Marcus offers to buy the castle from Rose, but she refuses — until her brother threatens to marry Chloe to a much older man with a terrible reputation. In response, Marcus proposes a marriage of convenience to Rose, so that he can protect her and her sisters from their brother’s machinations. This is my second book by Louise Allen, and I really enjoyed it! It’s well-written historical romance that isn’t bloated with unnecessary subplots or extraneous characters. Rather, it’s a quick read that focuses (as it should!) on the central romance. I do think the transition from tentative attraction to love was a bit sudden, for both Marcus and Rose, but overall I liked this one and will definitely seek out more by Allen. It looks like she’s written several books for the Harlequin Historicals imprint, so thankfully I have lots of choices!

Mini-Reviews: Rose, Scandal, Lukov

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Robin McKinley, Rose Daughter

Robin McKinley’s Beauty is one of my favorite retellings of Beauty and the Beast; when I last read it in 2020, I called it the quintessential retelling, praising its thoughtful heroine and gorgeous prose. Rose Daughter is McKinley’s other Beauty and the Beast retelling, and until now I’d never reread it, thinking that if I wanted a Robin McKinley take on this story, I’d just read Beauty again. Now, while I still prefer Beauty, I think Rose Daughter is enchanting in its own way. In this version, Beauty is an avid gardener and lover of roses. When she comes to the Beast’s palace, she takes on the task of bringing back to life his overgrown and dying rose garden. Like most of McKinley’s books, this one is quite slow, and I wish we got more of a sense of the Beast’s personality. But Beauty and her two sisters are wonderful characters, and I liked the book’s emphasis on their close sibling relationship. If you like fairy tale retellings, I’d definitely recommend both this book and Beauty; I think they each bring something unique and worthwhile to the story.

Anne Gracie, Marry in Scandal

Lady Lily Rutherford longs to marry for love, but she believes that, between her plump figure and her inability to read, she’ll have a hard time finding a husband. Her large fortune, however, makes her a target for unscrupulous men, one of whom abducts her with the intention of forcing her into marriage. Fortunately, she’s rescued by her brother’s friend, Edward Galbraith — but when she and Ned take multiple days to travel back to London, they soon learn they must wed to avoid a scandal. Lily falls for Ned immediately, but he is reluctant to love anyone, even his beguiling wife. This is a pretty standard marriage-of-convenience setup, and Anne Gracie doesn’t really bring anything new to the table in terms of plot or characterization. I did find the main characters, particularly Ned, appealing and could see why they fell for each other. Overall, this is a solid, engaging historical romance, and I certainly plan to continue with the series, but it’s not doing anything particularly special or exciting.

Mariana Zapata, From Lukov with Love

Jasmine Santos is a pairs figure skater with no partner, and at age 26, she’s running out of time to win the gold medal she wants more than anything. A surprising solution presents itself when superstar Ivan Lukov — whom Jasmine has known for years and always hated — suggests partnering up. Jasmine reluctantly agrees, but as she and Ivan train together, her feelings toward him slowly begin to change. Whether you like this book or not will probably depend on how you feel about Jasmine. She’s foulmouthed, angry, impatient, defensive, and not particularly kind — but also hardworking, determined, strong, and loyal. I didn’t always like her, but what sold me on the romance is that Ivan admires her toughness and appreciates her for who she is. It’s the slowest of slow burns, which I liked but other people might not, and I do think the book is bloated and repetitive in spots. But overall, I’m glad I read this one and would recommend it to fans of sports romances and the enemies-to-lovers trope.

Mini-Reviews: Fate, Bigger, Don’t

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Stella Riley, A Trick of Fate

Max Brandon has a problem: Someone has been purchasing expensive goods and running up bills in his name, which he’s now being asked to pay. This minor nuisance becomes a major problem when the thief’s actions harm Frances Pendleton, Max’s first love. Now Max and Frances must team up to find the thief, and their quest leads them on a wild-goose chase throughout England and Scotland. After loving Stella Riley’s Rockliffe series, I had to continue with the spinoff Brandon Brothers trilogy (Max is Arabella’s brother from Cadenza). I don’t think you have to read any of the Rockliffe books to follow this one, but the two series are definitely set in the same universe. The love story in this book is a bit lightweight; while the obstacles originally dividing Max and Frances made sense, there was no reason for them not to be together in the present. But I love Riley’s writing and enjoyed the book anyway — especially since it also provides a peek at Elizabeth and Sherbourne, a couple from Cadenza whose story I’d wanted more of. I’d definitely recommend this book and author to historical romance fans and am eager to continue with the series.

Erle Stanley Gardner, The Bigger They Come

Most people know Erle Stanley Gardner as the author of the Perry Mason books, but he also wrote another series, featuring private detectives Bertha Cool and Donald Lam, under the pseudonym A.A. Fair. Narrated by Lam, this first book in the series describes how he got the job with Bertha Cool’s detective agency. It also details Lam’s first assignment: He’s tasked with serving divorce papers to an unfaithful husband, but no one seems to know where the man is. As Lam searches, he uncovers various secrets and even a murder — and demonstrates how, using a legal loophole, a person can commit murder and get away with it. This book is an enjoyable noir novel with plenty of fights, femmes fatales, and damsels in distress. The mystery itself isn’t terribly innovative, but Lam’s humorous narration keeps things light, and the book moves at a quick pace. I didn’t love the constant negative commentary on people’s sizes — part of the book’s “humor” comes from the fact that Bertha is a large woman, while Lam is a shrimpy guy — but I suppose that’s of its time. Overall, I liked the book and am interested in trying more by Gardner at some point.

Chloe Angyal, Pas de Don’t

Heather Hays’s dance career is finally taking off when she learns that her fiancé, a world-famous dancer in the same NYC ballet company, has been cheating on her. Desperate to get as far away as possible, she accepts a guest position with the Australian National Ballet. There she meets Marcus Campbell, a dancer recovering from an injury and grieving the recent death of his father. The two are immediately attracted to one another, but the ballet company has a firm no-dating policy. Will Heather and Marcus risk their jobs to follow their hearts? I have absolutely zero dance ability, but I’ve always enjoyed movies and TV shows about dancing, so the premise of this book intrigued me. I might have liked all the ballet background more than the actual romance, which is fine but a bit pedestrian. I did like the third-act conflict between Heather and Marcus, which felt realistic given the setup, and I enjoyed the resolution as well. A sequel is coming out in May, featuring Heather’s best friend, and I plan to get it from my library when it’s available.

Mini-Reviews: Con, Tangle, Austen

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Devon Daniels, The Rom Con

Cassidy, a reporter for the feminist website Siren, has just ended yet another disappointing relationship. Her grandmother suggests she try a different approach to dating, based on a 1950s list of rules for catching a husband. Cassidy is horrified, but when she meets Jack Bradford — co-founder of Siren’s rival website, Brawler, which Cassidy views as a bastion of toxic masculinity — she decides to use the antiquated rules on him. Once Jack falls for the Stepford Wives version of her, she’ll write an article exposing him as a sexist jerk. But as she begins dating him, she learns he might not be such a jerk after all. I’m of two minds about this book. On the plus side, it’s a fun, quick read with enjoyable banter between the two leads. But Jack is simultaneously too perfect and problematic — it’s never clear why, if he’s such a good guy, he’d continue to be involved with Brawler. There are also a few too many Big Misunderstandings near the end that seem to exist only to drag out the happy ending. Overall, I did enjoy the book while I was reading it, but looking back, I don’t think it totally works.

Theresa Romain, It Takes Two to Tangle

Soldier Henry Middlebrook has just returned to England after Napoleon’s defeat, wounded and unable to move his right arm. Frustrated by his perceived “uselessness” and the pity of his relatives, he decides to court Lady Caroline Stratton, a popular society beauty who he thinks will help reintegrate him into his old life. He enlists the help of Caroline’s companion, Frances Whittier, but complications ensue when he and Frances grow closer. I was intrigued by the setup of this book — Henry’s disability plus a Cyrano-esque plot point in which Frances writes him letters that he assumes are from Caroline. But unfortunately, I wasn’t as enamored of the book itself. Henry is far too slow to see what’s right under his nose, and the obstacles keeping him and Frances apart aren’t important enough to justify the length of the novel. There’s also more steam than I’d prefer, so overall, this just wasn’t the book for me. I was also underwhelmed by Romain’s Season for Temptation, so I think she’s not the author for me either.

Paula Byrne, The Genius of Jane Austen: Her Love of Theatre and Why She Works in Hollywood

In Mansfield Park, Fanny Price disapproves of the amateur theatricals staged by her cousins and their friends. Some critics have inferred from this that Jane Austen herself disapproved of theater, but Byrne argues pretty convincingly that the opposite is true. Austen acted in private theatricals with her family and friends, she frequently attended plays while living in Bath and London, and her letters reveal that she was familiar with the famous actors and theater gossip of her day. The book explains how Austen’s life interacted with the theater; how she used theatrical plots, character types, and conventions in her novels; and why her books adapt so well to the screen. Byrne is obviously an Austen fan, and a very knowledgable one. The book is briskly written and appears well researched. I liked it a lot and would certainly recommend it to Austen lovers!