Mini-Reviews: Tailors, Sinful, Deadly

January 4, 2021December 31, 20202 Comments

Dorothy L. Sayers, The Nine Tailors

Lord Peter and Bunter are trapped by a snowstorm in the town of Fenchurch St. Paul in East Anglia. There, Peter partakes in a bit of New Year’s Eve bell-ringing and learns about a decades-old scandal involving a stolen necklace. Months later, the dead body of a stranger is found in Fenchurch St. Paul’s churchyard, and the town vicar asks Peter to investigate the matter, with tragic results. I liked this installment of the series; it’s a twisty mystery with a few good surprises, although I found the frequent digressions into the theory and technique of bell-ringing tedious. Also, this book isn’t as humorous as many others in the series; it’s a bit darker and moodier. Still, definitely a good read, and I’m happy to be continuing my acquaintance with Lord Peter.

Mary Balogh, Slightly Sinful

***Warning: SPOILERS for Slightly Tempted***

This book overlaps somewhat with the previous Bedwyn book, Slightly Tempted, in which Alleyne Bedwyn goes missing on the day of the Battle of Waterloo and is presumed to be dead. In fact, Alleyne isn’t dead, but he sustained a head injury and now has amnesia — he can’t even remember his name. Fortunately, he is rescued by Rachel York, a beautiful young woman who, having been abandoned by her con artist fiancé, is now living in a brothel. As Alleyne recovers from his other injuries in the brothel, he and Rachel fall in love, but they can’t pursue a relationship until Alleyne discovers his true identity (since he might be married already). Meanwhile, Rachel and her friends from the brothel decide to go to England and force her fiancé to give back the money he stole from them. I was really looking forward to Alleyne’s book, since he’s the lovable rogue of the Bedwyn clan, but I admit I was somewhat disappointed. I think I wanted more of the rest of the Bedwyns, who are necessarily absent for most of this novel. And Rachel was a perfectly fine heroine, but nothing about her really stood out to me. Still not a bad read, but not one of my favorites in the series.

Naomi Novik, A Deadly Education

This book takes place in an alternate reality in which evil beings called maleficaria are devouring all the magically talented children throughout the world. These children’s only hope is to get a place in the Scholomance, a magic school that trains its students in the use of magic and gives them the opportunity to form alliances with each other. But maleficaria are present in the school too, and only the most careful and vigilant students will make it out alive. El (short for Galadriel) is a student in the Scholomance, and she’s trying desperately to hang onto her humanity even though the school wants to turn her into a powerful dark sorceress. Her affinity for evil magic makes her a social outcast — except for Orion Lake, the school’s golden boy, who for some reason keeps trying to help her. This book is nothing like Novik’s Temeraire series or her stand-alone fairy tales, but I absolutely loved it anyway! El’s voice is such fun, and the setting of the Scholomance is fascinating. The book’s pace is actually a bit slow because there’s so much world building, but I didn’t mind that. I’m dying to know what happens next; fortunately, I think the sequel is coming out sometime this summer!

Mini-Reviews: Wasted, Played, Clockwork

January 2, 2021December 31, 20201 Comment

Staci Hart, Wasted Words

Cameron Emerson and Tyler Knight have been roommates and good friends for more than a year. Cam is also attracted to Tyler, but she knows they could never be more than friends; they just aren’t a good match. Tyler is an exceptionally handsome ex-football player, the epitome of the popular jock, while Cam is a short, “nerdy” girl who loves comics and doesn’t wear makeup. Of course, that doesn’t stop them from eventually taking their friendship to the next level, but Cam’s insecurities might sabotage their relationship before it truly begins. I wanted to like this book because it’s “inspired by” Jane Austen’s Emma, but I would say the similarities are superficial at best. Cam likes matchmaking and being in control, but that’s really the only Emma-esque aspect of the plot or characters. The writing style isn’t great; the dialogue is unrealistic and the descriptions of love overwrought. I also got very impatient with the conflict, which basically boils down to a lack of communication. I hate when characters who are supposed to be in love won’t TALK to each other! Overall, I was disappointed, and I won’t seek out more by this author.

Jen DeLuca, Well Played

Stacey loves her small town of Willow Creek, Maryland, and she loves her summer job as a bar wench at the local Renaissance Faire, but she’s starting to feel stuck in a rut. When she impulsively emails Dex MacLean, a Faire musician with whom she had a casual fling, she’s just looking to change things up a little. She never expected that they’d end up corresponding throughout the year — or that he would be so sensitive, vulnerable, and caring. When the next Faire season comes around, Stacey is excited to begin a real relationship with Dex, but life has a few big surprises in store. As with the previous book in the series, this is a fun, low-stakes read. It might almost be TOO low-conflict, and I’m not someone who needs a lot of angst in my books! But the main problem is resolved around halfway through, so there’s not a lot going on in the rest of the book. Still, I liked the setting and the characters, and I’m excited to read the next (and final?) book, Well Matched, when it comes out in 2021!

Nancy Campbell Allen, Beauty and the Clockwork Beast

In this gothic, steampunk fairytale, plucky botanist Lucy Pickett goes to visit the estate of the enigmatic Lord Blackwell to care for her cousin, who has married Blackwell’s brother and who has a mysterious illness. Miles, Lord Blackwell, certainly doesn’t need Lucy distracting him from his own problems, particularly the fact that he’s secretly a werewolf. But of course, they are mutually attracted and must work together to discover what’s really going on with Lucy’s cousin and who, among Miles’s friends and neighbors, might be at the bottom of it. I enjoyed this book so much more than I was expecting to! It’s not great literature, but it is fun escapist fiction, and I’m definitely planning to continue with the series!

Mini-Reviews: Blue, Sorcerer, Queen, Rogue

October 27, 2020October 26, 20204 Comments

Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue

Emmie has been best friends with Lucas for years — ever since he found the balloon she released into the air when they were just 16. More recently, Emmie’s feelings have deepened into love; so when Lucas invites her to a special birthday dinner and says he has something important to ask her, she’s convinced that he wants to start a romantic relationship. But he actually asks her to be his “best woman” at his upcoming wedding. Emmie is crushed and must now reevaluate her relationship with Lucas and his family, who have always loved her more than her own negligent mother ever did. This book is enjoyable women’s fiction with a romantic subplot (which I loved, even if it was a bit predictable!), but it touches on some heavier themes — not only Emmie’s relationship with her parents, but also a traumatic incident from her past. This book isn’t a keeper for me, but I liked it quite a bit and will look for more books by Louis.

Zen Cho, Sorcerer to the Crown / The True Queen

I was just as delighted by Sorcerer to the Crown on this reread as I was the first time I read it. It’s set in an alternate Regency universe in which England’s magic is disappearing, and the Sorcerer Royal, a man of African descent, must team up with a magically gifted woman to get it back. The sequel, The True Queen, deals with sisters from the island nation of Janda Baik, which has been colonized by the English: one of them is lost in Fairyland, and the other must rely on English magicians for help to find and retrieve her. I love the combination of an Austen-esque setting, mystery, fantasy, and romance, so I really enjoyed both books (perhaps the first a smidge more than the second). Most authors writing in this time period don’t get the style or voice quite right, but I think Zen Cho really nails it! The books are also more diverse than many works of historical fiction set in this period, featuring queer characters and people of color. Definitely recommended if the premise interests you!

Evie Dunmore, A Rogue of One’s Own

This sequel to Bringing Down the Duke focuses on Lady Lucinda Tedbury, an ardent suffragist whose sole focus is convincing Parliament to pass an act allowing married women to own their own property. In pursuit of this goal, Lucie and her friends are trying to buy a London printing press to disseminate their ideas; but they are thwarted by Tristan Ballentine, a notorious rake who has just purchased a 50 percent share in the business. Lucie has known Tristan for years and has always viewed him as weak and contemptible; but the more they’re forced to work together, the more she adjusts her opinion of him. I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first in the series, largely because I don’t like the “reformed rake” trope and also didn’t find Lucie a very interesting heroine. I think the series is a bit schizophrenic so far; it tries to be a serious examination of feminism, but it also has to hit all the beats of a historical romance novel, and I feel like the split focus detracts from both goals. That said, I’m interested enough to continue with the third book when it comes out next year.

Mini-Reviews: Switch, Liturgy, Book

October 1, 2020September 30, 20202 Comments

Beth O’Leary, The Switch

Leena Cotton has always been driven, but since her sister Carla died more than a year ago, she’s completely thrown herself into her work. But when an anxiety attack causes her to ruin an important meeting, her boss insists on her taking two months of paid leave. Meanwhile, Leena’s grandmother, Eileen, has lived most of her life in a tiny Yorkshire village. Her husband has recently left her, and now Eileen yearns to have the adventures she missed out on as a young woman. So Leena and Eileen decide to switch places: Leena will use her sabbatical to rest in the country, while Eileen will go to London and explore the world of online dating for senior citizens. The premise of this novel might be a little farfetched, but who cares when it yields such delightful results? I really enjoyed both women’s stories, but Eileen totally steals the show: she knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go after it! I loved her benevolent meddling and the fact that, as a 79-year-old woman, she’s allowed to find love and have adventures. Definitely recommended if you’re looking for something fun and pleasant in your life right now!

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, The Spirit of the Liturgy

Anyone who’s ever been to a Catholic mass will know that it follows a very specific, structured order called the liturgy. This book explains the “why” behind various liturgical practices and also talks about the philosophy of liturgy itself. I found it very interesting, though heavy going at times, and I definitely received some new insights on why certain liturgical rules exist — for example, that churches should be oriented to the east — and why they are important. I would definitely recommend this book for people who are interested in the subject and who already have some knowledge of Catholic liturgical practices. It wouldn’t be a good introductory work, however!

Amanda Sellet, By the Book

In this cute YA romance, Mary Porter-Malcom is a socially awkward teenager who’s accumulated most of her knowledge of the world from classic literature. As you might suspect, she’s not terribly popular; but when she overhears a group of girls discussing a notorious “cad” at their high school, Mary can’t help but share her opinion and cite the novels that support her theory. In gratitude, the girls accept Mary into their friend group. But as they apply Mary’s literary wisdom to their other relationships and potential romances — and as Mary starts to fall for the cad herself — she risks losing both her friends and her crush. I liked the premise of this novel and thought it was executed fairly well, but it panders a little too much to its target audience of bookish teen girls. The romance is predictable but fine, and I liked that Mary’s friendships are at least as important to her as her love life. A fun book, but not a keeper for me.

Masks, Knight, Souls

August 14, 2020August 13, 20208 Comments

Stephanie Burgis, Masks and Shadows

This novel, set at the Palace of Esterháza in 1779, centers around a group of musicians and a fateful opera performance. Carlo Morelli, a castrato famous throughout Europe, is one of the prince’s guests. Another is Charlotte von Steinbeck, an accomplished pianist whose sister Sophie is the prince’s mistress. As Charlotte and Carlo slowly grow closer, the prince’s opera troupe is rehearsing a new opera by Franz Joseph Haydn, and an assassination plot is brewing that includes the use of dark magic. The various plot lines converge at the opera’s opening performance. I really enjoyed this book — it’s the perfect combination of historical fantasy, political intrigue, and romance. Some of the magical elements were a bit too dark for me, but overall I found the novel very compelling. I’m glad the RandomCAT inspired me to finally read it!

Rachel Bach, Honor’s Knight

This book picks up where Fortune’s Pawn left off: after the climactic battle in that book, Devi’s memory has been wiped, so she can’t remember anything about either the battle or her love affair with Rupert. All that’s left is a strong feeling of revulsion toward him and a sense of confusion about the other crew members. Between that, her visions of small glowing blobs that are apparently invisible to everyone else, and some sort of disease or parasite that periodically turns her limbs black, Devi has more than enough to worry about. This book is a good sequel to Fortune’s Pawn; it explains a lot of the mysterious loose ends from that book and nicely sets up the final book in the trilogy. I also appreciated the character development for Devi, who finds herself having to make complex moral choices for the first time in her life. I’m looking forward to reading the third book sometime later this year.

Kent Haruf, Our Souls at Night

Addie and Louis, both in their 70s, have lived on the same street in Holt, Colorado, for many years. They’ve known each other casually but have never been close friends. Now, however, Addie has a proposition for Louis: she wants him to sleep with her. Not to have sex, but merely to sleep in the same bed, keep each other company, and have someone to talk to at night. Louis is surprised but agrees to the scheme, and the rest of the book deals with the fallout. This isn’t my usual type of book at all — indeed, when I realized that there were no quotation marks, I almost gave up right then — but I’m glad I persevered. This is a lovely but melancholy book about all the ordinary, mundane things that make up a life. There’s no plot to speak of; the book just follows Addie and Louis as they pursue their unconventional relationship, with both positive and negative results. I really liked this one and would highly recommend it!

Mini-Reviews: English, Havana, Watch

August 3, 2020July 31, 2020Leave a comment

Loretta Chase, The English Witch

This book is the sequel to Isabella, which I read and enjoyed a few months ago, and the villain of that book is now the hero. Basil Trevelyan has been away from England for several years, working for a prosperous merchant and doing the odd job for the British government along the way. Now, at his aunt’s behest, he must rescue the beautiful Alexandra Ashmore, first from peril in Albania and then from an unwanted engagement in England. Though Basil is by nature a womanizer whose first goal is to pursue his own pleasure, he begins to develop genuine feelings for Alexandra. The fun of this book is watching Basil (1) recognize that he is capable of feeling actual love, not just desire, and (2) hilariously fail every time he tries to articulate his feelings. I’d recommend this book (as well as Isabella) to those who enjoy their historical romance on the lighter side, with lots of plot and minimal angst.

Chanel Cleeton, Next Year in Havana

In 1958, Elisa Perez is the daughter of a wealthy Cuban family. Despite unrest throughout the country and popular discontent with Batista’s regime, her life is mostly occupied with suitors and social engagements. But when she falls in love with Pablo, an intense and dedicated revolutionary, Elisa must rethink what it means to be loyal to her country. In the present day, Elisa has just passed away in Miami, and her granddaughter Marisol is returning to Cuba to lay Elisa’s ashes to rest. Marisol is excited to visit her family’s homeland but soon realizes that her Cuban American identity is more complex than she realized. There’s nothing wrong with this book, but it never really grabbed me and took me a long time to finish. I found the historical background about Cuba fascinating — and sadly new to me, since I learned basically nothing about the country in school — but the individual characters and circumstances weren’t compelling. That said, Cleeton wrote a follow-up book featuring Elisa’s sister Beatriz, and I might be curious enough to seek that one out at some point.

Kate Stayman-London, One to Watch

Bea Schumacher is a plus-sized fashion blogger with a certain amount of internet fame. But when she writes a drunken rant criticizing the lack of body diversity on a Bachelor-style reality show, her piece goes viral, and she is unexpectedly offered the chance to become the next season’s star. Twenty-five men will compete for her affection on camera, and at the end of the season, she’ll become “engaged” to the winner. Bea agrees, but she’s hesitant; despite her efforts to accept her body, she knows that the world isn’t always kind to fat people, and she doubts whether any of the men on the show will truly be interested in her. But as the show is filmed, she finds both rejection and affirmation in surprising places. I enjoyed this book a lot! It’s fun and entertaining–a perfect beach read–but as a plus-sized woman myself, I also found Bea incredibly relatable. It was great to see her overcome her doubts and insecurities to find a happy ending. Definitely recommended if you think the premise sounds fun!

Mini-Reviews: Pawn, Undateable, Desperate

July 27, 2020July 25, 20203 Comments

Rachel Bach, Fortune’s Pawn

Devi Morris is a space mercenary whose dream is to join her home planet’s most elite fighting force. In order to gain the necessary qualifications and experience, she signs onto the crew of the Glorious Fool, a spaceship with a reputation of getting into trouble. But Devi has no idea just how much trouble is in store for her. I really enjoyed this book, which is sci-fi with a prominent romantic subplot. It’s not groundbreaking, just a really solid example of this type of story. I’m also very intrigued by the plot developments at the end of the book, so I’m definitely planning to read the rest of the trilogy!

Sarah Title, The Undateable

This is a cute romance focusing on Melissa “Bernie” Bernard, a feminist and somewhat frumpy academic librarian. When her student assistant gets engaged via a flash-mob proposal, Bernie’s disapproving reaction is caught on camera and immediately becomes a viral meme. That meme gets the attention of Colin Rodriguez, who works for an online fashion magazine and is looking for a story that will make his job secure. When they team up to do a story about the Disapproving Librarian going on a series of blind dates, they discover an inconvenient mutual attraction. This is a fun book with a very enjoyable heroine; and while the hero isn’t quite as fleshed out, I like that he comes to appreciate Bernie’s quirkiness. They each grow as they learn to understand the other’s point of view, which is a feature I always like in a romance. Worth reading if you like the premise.

Susanna Kearsley, A Desperate Fortune

I’ve read a few of Kearsley’s books before, and I liked but didn’t love them. Still, I decided to give this one a try because it contains a lot of elements I enjoy: codebreaking, espionage, and Jacobites. And I’m so glad I read it, because I absolutely loved it! Mary Dundas is part of a Jacobite family living in exile in France. She yearns for adventure, and finds it when her brother claims her for a mission to camouflage the identity of a fellow Jacobite who is being hunted by the English. Meanwhile, in the present day, Sara is hired to decrypt Mary’s encoded diary. Both Mary and Sara travel, learn more about themselves and the world, and find romance. I should note that Sara has Asperger syndrome, and I thought this aspect of her character was portrayed well — but I don’t really know much about it, so perhaps someone with more expertise would have a different opinion. Overall, I really loved this book and may have to rethink my stance on Kearsley in general!

Mini-Reviews: Chaos, Never, Slightly

July 9, 2020July 9, 20201 Comment

Jessie Mihalik, Chaos Reigning

The final book in the Consortium Rebellion trilogy focuses on Cat, the youngest daughter of House von Hasenberg. Her persona is that of a ditzy space princess, but in fact she uses her social capital to gain valuable information for her House. When she’s invited to a house party that is also a prime intelligence-gathering opportunity, her sister Bianca forces her to take two bodyguards — one of whom, Alex, is far too attractive for Cat’s peace of mind. The house party brings unexpected dangers and eventually culminates in news of an open rebellion against the Consortium. I thought this was a fine conclusion to the series, although I enjoyed the first half of the book more than the second. The house party intrigue was a lot more interesting to me than the straightforward space-battle stuff at the end. Overall, I’d recommend this series to people who enjoy action-filled sci-fi romance.

Mhairi McFarlane, If I Never Met You

For women’s fiction with depth, you can’t beat Mhairi McFarlane! I’ve loved several of her books, but this one may be my new favorite. Laurie is a successful lawyer in a prestigious firm, and she’s been in a loving relationship with her boyfriend Dan for more than a decade. So when Dan dumps her out of the blue, she’s completely blindsided; and to make matters worse, he works at the same firm, which means there will be gossip. Meanwhile, Jamie Carter is the office playboy, but he desperately wants to be taken seriously so that he can make partner. He proposes a fake relationship to Laurie: his “commitment” will show the bosses that he’s a responsible adult, while Laurie will avoid the pity of her coworkers and possibly even make Dan realize his mistake. I love a fake relationship, and moreover I just really loved these characters. They’re very different, but they’re able to find common ground as they build a friendship through mutual respect. Highly recommended if you enjoy this genre!

Mary Balogh, Slightly Married

I picked up Balogh’s Slightly Dangerous some time ago because I’d seen many people praise it as their favorite Balogh novel and compare it to Pride and Prejudice. So I obviously had to add it to my TBR pile immediately! But then I was advised to read the entire six-book Bedwyn series — of which Slightly Dangerous is the last book, naturally — so that I could get a complete picture of the hero and his relationship with his family. So I caved and started with the first book, Slightly Married, which is a marriage-of-convenience story. The hero, Aidan Bedwyn, is a military officer who promises a dying soldier that he’ll take care of his sister no matter what. As it happens, the sister, Eve, is about to be forced out of her home unless she marries quickly, so Aidan proposes. I love a good uptight, duty-bound hero, and Aidan is a great example. The more open-hearted and empathetic Eve is a great match for him. I liked this book a lot and will continue to read the series in order.

Mini-Reviews: Groomsmen, Glass, Death

July 7, 2020July 4, 20202 Comments

Cindi Madsen, Just One of the Groomsmen

This is a cute friends-to-lovers romance set in the small town of Uncertainty, Alabama. Addie Murphy has always been “one of the guys” — literally, because all her best friends since childhood are male. But one of them, Tucker Crawford, has just moved back to town after a few years away, and he’s starting to see Addie differently. The feeling is mutual, but both Tucker and Addie are hesitant to act on their attraction, fearing that they’ll ruin their friendship, irrevocably change the friend group, and become the talk of their small and gossipy town. This book was fun and lighthearted, and I liked that the obstacle to the romance was realistic yet simple. It felt like the book equivalent of one of the better Hallmark movies. I’d definitely consider reading more by this author.

Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White, The Glass Ocean

This historical novel focuses on three characters whose destinies are intertwined as they all sail from America to England on the Lusitania‘s final voyage. Caroline Hochstetter is a rich Southern belle torn between her husband, a business-preoccupied industrialist, and her longtime friend Robert Langford. Robert is also aboard the ship, pursuing both Caroline and secret knowledge to aid the British — or is it the Germans? And Tessa Fairweather is a con artist hoping to pull off one last job, but she soon learns that the stakes are higher than she realized. There’s also a contemporary framework narrative involving one of Robert’s descendants and an author hoping to use the story for a book. I really enjoyed this novel, especially the historical parts. What’s not to love about romance and intrigue aboard ship? Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction!

Deborah Crombie, A Share in Death

I discovered something about myself while reading this book: I don’t generally enjoy contemporary mysteries! I love the Golden Age writers such as Agatha Christie, with their puzzle plots and limited selection of suspects. I like their orderliness and clarity, whereas more modern mysteries seem to embrace ambiguity and loose ends. That said, I really enjoyed this particular contemporary mystery; though it was written and set in the ‘90s, it feels very much like a Golden Age throwback, in which a hotel employee is murdered, and the killer must be one of the guests or other employees of the hotel. My one quibble is that protagonist Duncan Kincaid seems to spark a mutual romantic interest with every woman he meets — but I believe a particular love interest will emerge in future books. I’m looking forward to continuing with the series!

Mini-Reviews: Crimson, Still

July 1, 2020June 30, 2020Leave a comment

Rosamund Hodge, Crimson Bound

I was pleasantly surprised by this YA fantasy novel, which is a (very) loose retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. Protagonist Rachelle is a bloodbound, doomed to eventually lose her soul to the evil Devourer at the heart of the forest. In the meantime, she works as the king’s hired killer — until he commands her to guard his son Armand, whom she immediately distrusts because the people revere him as a saint. Yet when Rachelle discovers a possible way to change her destiny and defeat the Devourer, Armand may be her only ally. I liked the juicy plot and (of course) the romance, but my favorite aspect of this book is its unexpectedly serious examination of evil and atonement.

Louise Penny, Still Life

I’ve read so many glowing reviews of this series, so I’m a little afraid to say that I didn’t love this first installment. Don’t get me wrong; I didn’t hate it either. I enjoyed the setting of a small town in Quebec, which is charming without being too idealized. And the mystery plot is interesting; I especially liked how the victim’s art contains a clue to the solution. But for one thing, I thought the book was doing too many things at once: introducing the town, describing the victim and her friends, introducing Inspector Gamache and his team…it was a lot to keep track of, and it was hard to tell which characters would turn out to be important. That’s normal for a series opener, of course, but it still made the book difficult to follow.

I also felt that the victim’s friend group was a little smug and snobbish. They’re mostly wealthy, mostly educated, mostly not originally from the small town…whereas some of the lower-class “townie” characters are painted as villains without one redeeming quality. Finally, I thought Agent Nichol was treated a bit unfairly. I read her as being on the autism spectrum (not understanding social cues, not able to see beyond the literal meaning of what people told her), so even though she unquestionably behaves badly, I wanted Gamache (and the book) to treat her with a little more compassion instead of writing her off as a clueless jerk. All that said, I may try the next book in the series, since it won’t have to do as much work of introducing the world and characters.

You Book Me All Night Long

Tag: contemporary