Tag: romance novel

Mini-Reviews: Fangirl, Messy, Circling

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Rainbow Rowell, Fangirl

When Cather and her twin sister, Wren, head off for college, Cath is overwhelmed by all the changes in her life. Her roommate, Reagan, is curt and intimidating; she doesn’t know where the dining hall is and she’s afraid to ask; and worst of all, Wren doesn’t seem to have time for her anymore. At least she has Simon Snow, a Harry Potter-esque series she’s always loved—and the fanfic she’s writing about Simon and his vampire roommate, Baz. But as Cath slowly acclimates to college life, she discovers that sometimes real life is better than fanfiction. Rowell is a wonderful writer, and in this book I think she does a great job of capturing the anxieties of entering college and the changes people experience during that formative time. I also think there’s way too much Simon Snow (both “canon” and fanfic)—Rowell was clearly working out the beginnings of the Simon Snow series she would later write, but it detracts from Cath’s own narrative. Still, I’m glad I revisited this one.

Matthew Kelly, Life Is Messy

I’m familiar with Matthew Kelly as the founder of the Dynamic Catholic Institute, which puts out educational videos and other materials for Catholics to grow in their faith. This book is sort of a memoir, based on his journals from a particularly tough time in his life—he doesn’t give specifics of the problems he was dealing with, but it’s clear he was extremely depressed and questioning a lot of things in his life. In the book, he ruminates on how he got through his hard time and shares his thoughts on how to move forward despite the problems and obstacles we encounter in life. Honestly, most of the book felt a bit trite to me, but he does pose a few insightful questions that will likely stay with me (“Do you like the person you’re becoming?”). Not sure I would recommend this one widely, but if the title or premise speaks to you, it might be worth picking up.

Julie Tieu, Circling Back to You

Cadence and Matt work at the same real estate firm, she as an analyst and he as a broker. They’ve always been friendly—and several coworkers have speculated on whether there’s a romantic element to their relationship—but they both insist they’re just friends, while secretly harboring a desire for more. When a work-related trip sends them both from their San Francisco office to L.A. (and in the same hotel suite, no less), the boundaries of their relationship get blurry; but conflicting career opportunities might end their romance before it ever gets started. I liked the premise of this workplace romance, but the execution felt meh. I never fully understood the work stuff (to be fair, maybe I just tuned it out because it was boring), and I didn’t feel much chemistry between Matt and Cadence. Overall, an okay read, but not one I’d recommend.

Mini-Reviews: Muse, Accomplished, Burning

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Mimi Matthews, The Muse of Maiden Lane

This final book in the Belles of London series features Stella Hobhouse, who’s bold by nature but has been stifled by her strict brother and by self-consciousness about her unusual silver hair. Meanwhile, Teddy Hayes is a passionate artist who struggles to be independent despite having to use a wheelchair for mobility. When the two meet by chance in an art gallery, Teddy is struck by Stella’s unique beauty and wants to paint her. She resists at first, but as the two grow closer, they both find the courage to take a chance on art and love. I’ve been waiting for Teddy’s book since he appeared as a supporting character in A Convenient Fiction, and overall I was not disappointed. I liked that the book doesn’t shy away from either his flaws or his vulnerability, and Stella is a great match for him, as she understands and shares his struggle for freedom. The novel is a little too overpopulated with characters from previous books, but otherwise I really enjoyed this one. The first book in a new series by Matthews is slated to come out in 2025, and I will definitely be checking it out!

Amanda Quain, Accomplished

Georgie Darcy has been in a dark place ever since her boyfriend, Wickham Foster, betrayed her and almost got her expelled. Her classmates at Pemberley High all hate her, and her overprotective older brother, Fitz, seems to view her as nothing but a problem for him to solve. Georgie is determined to fix everything, but all her plans go spectacularly awry. I’m of two minds about this YA take on Pride and Prejudice from Georgiana’s POV. It’s a clever idea, and I actually really liked the book’s portrayal of Fitz Darcy (and Charlie Bingley, who is an utter delight). The novel also highlights just how horrible Wickham was to Georgiana in P&P; here, he’s clearly emotionally abusive and has left Georgie with some serious trauma. I honestly just wanted all the Darcys to go to therapy! I also found Georgie pretty frustrating, as she consistently makes the worst possible decisions. Overall, I think the pros of the book outweigh the cons, but I haven’t decided whether I want to keep it or not.

Genevieve Cogman, The Burning Page

After the events of The Masked City, Irene is on probation with the Library and is being sent on a lot of low-interest but high-danger jobs. But she’s back in action when her old enemy, Alberich, threatens both her specifically and the Library in general. Meanwhile, someone else also seems to be trying to kill her – could it be her Fae nemesis, Lady Guantes? As Irene pursues her dual goals of serving the Library and staying alive, she also gets some insight into Library politics and learns a bit more about whom she can really trust. I’m continuing to enjoy this series, and I was happy to see Irene, Kai, and Vale all working together in this installment. Irene’s growth is compelling: She’s always been emotionally detached and totally committed to the Library, but now she’s forging close relationships that may be changing her priorities. I’m interested to see how things develop, so I’ll most likely continue with the series into next year.

Mini-Reviews: Bride, Beau, Tomb

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Mary Balogh, A Christmas Bride / Christmas Beau

In A Christmas Bride, Edgar Downes (brother of Cora from The Famous Heroine) is seeking a wife, but instead of proposing to one of society’s eligible young debutantes, he’s attracted to the scandalous widow Lady Helena Stapleton. Helena is drawn to Edgar as well, but because of certain events in her past (described in A Precious Jewel), she’s full of self-loathing and believes herself unworthy of love. Can Edgar change her mind? Then, in Christmas Beau, Max, the Marquess of Denbigh, is pursuing revenge against Judith Easton, the woman who jilted him eight years ago. He plans to seduce her, then break her heart as she broke his. But as he woos her, he begins to have second thoughts about his scheme.

One thing I admire about Balogh is her willingness to write unusual or unlikable protagonists. Helena and Max both do some objectively terrible things, and while I didn’t fully buy into their redemption arcs (especially Helena’s), I did appreciate their moral complexity. Christmas Beau is the more enjoyable book, in my opinion – A Christmas Bride has too many callbacks to previous novels – but both are pretty good reads. Be warned, both books are also overflowing with sappy depictions of a picture-perfect English country Christmas, complete with adorable children and unreasonably kind and accepting secondary characters. But ’tis the season for that sort of thing, and if you have a high sugar tolerance, you’ll probably enjoy these novels.

Kristen Britain, The High King’s Tomb

After the events of First Rider’s Call, the magical wall that protects the kingdom of Sacoridia from the dark magic of Blackveil is beginning to crumble. To fix it, King Zachary needs an ancient book that will explain the magic necessary to repair the wall, so he sends Karigan along with a rookie Rider to find it. But the acolytes of the evil sorcerer Mornhavon the Black are also after the book, hoping to destroy the wall for good. This continuation of the Green Rider series is, like its predecessors, a solid “classic” fantasy novel. I found it a bit too sprawling—there are a lot of POV characters and at least four different plots going at any one time, and it takes a while for everything to come together. That said, I appreciate the continuity between books and the realism of these characters having lives and problems in addition to the main “defeat the evil sorcerer” plot. My library has the rest of this series, so I’ll most likely continue with it in the new year.

Mini-Reviews: Rule, Convenient, Plus

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Sarah Adams, The Rule Book

Nora Mackenzie is a talented sports agent who’s constantly fighting to be taken seriously by her male peers. So when she gets the opportunity to take on NFL star Derek Pender as a client, she jumps at the chance – even though they used to date in college, and it ended badly. When Derek learns that Nora wants to be his new agent, he decides it’ll be a good opportunity for him to get a little revenge on the woman who broke his heart. But their working relationship ignites old feelings, which may put both their careers at risk. I don’t particularly care about football, and second-chance romance isn’t one of my favorite tropes. That said, this is a pleasant, entertaining contemporary romance, and the connection between Nora and Derek feels genuine. It was also fun to get a few cameos from Nathan and Bree from The Cheat Sheet. Overall, it’s fine but not a book I’m super enthusiastic about.

Mimi Matthews, A Convenient Fiction

Alex Archer came from nothing; he was raised in an orphanage and ran away as soon as he could. Due to his skill at cards, he’s amassed a comfortable fortune through gambling over the years, but now he’s set on acquiring an estate through marriage. He has his sights set on a local heiress, Henrietta Talbot, but finds himself drawn to her friend Laura Hayes instead. Laura has neither property nor fortune – in fact, she’s barely making ends meet – but their mutual attraction threatens to overthrow all Alex’s plans. There’s nothing particularly unique about this Victorian romance, but for some reason it really works for me. What can I say? I love emotionally repressed heroes and practical heroines, and despite the fact that this book is steamless, the chemistry between Alex and Laura is palpable. I love Mimi Matthews in general, and this is one of my favorites by her. I’m now even more excited for The Muse of Maiden Lane, which features Laura’s brother, Teddy, as the hero.

Jenny L. Howe, On the Plus Side

Everly is a plus-size young woman who feels she’s “too much” and tends to hide herself, both physically and in terms of her opinions, desires, and talents. When she’s nominated for a makeover show geared toward plus-size individuals, she is excited for the chance to reinvent herself, and she soon finds herself drawn to grumpy cameraman Logan. But when the show starts taking some narrative liberties with Everly’s story, both her romance and her newfound confidence are threatened. I wanted to love this book, and as a plus-size woman myself, I could relate to many of Everly’s experiences and struggles. But in the end, everything works out for her pretty quickly and effortlessly. She attracts Logan’s admiration immediately, accepts her body wholeheartedly, and even mends her complicated relationship with her mother. It all just feels too easy and idealized. Overall, I’d consider trying more by Howe, but this book fell a little flat for me.

Mini-Reviews: Librarian, Lady, Call

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C.J. Archer, The Librarian of Crooked Lane

In a fantasy version of post-World War I England, Sylvia Ashe supports herself by working as a librarian. Her path crosses with that of Gabriel Glass, a nobleman and the son of a famous magician, as he investigates the theft of a possibly magical painting. When he inadvertently gets Sylvia fired, he finds her a new job at a library specializing in magical tomes. He also draws her into both his investigation and his circle of friends. As Sylvia gets closer to Gabe, she also resaerches whether her family might possess silver magic, as her brother (who died in the war) believed. In terms of genre, this book is right up my alley—it’s essentially a historical mystery, with a few magical trappings and a hint of romance. The trouble is that I’ve read a lot of books in this genre, and after a while they all tend to feel pretty similar, unless there’s something truly remarkable about them. This book isn’t remarkable, but it’s a perfectly decent read. I certainly wouldn’t mind continuing with the series, but it’s not a high priority for me.

Mimi Matthews, A Lady of Conscience

This fifth (and final?) book in the Somerset series features the oldest Beresford brother, James, who is the heir to an earldom and is determined to rehabilitate the family name by making an advantageous marriage. His plans don’t include falling in love with Hannah Heywood, the shy daughter of an untitled naval officer, yet he finds himself struggling with unexpected feelings. Meanwhile, Hannah is attracted to James but doesn’t think they will be compatible in the long term. Can James convince her to give him a chance? I really enjoyed this book, which is somewhat in the Pride and Prejudice vein – James is a Darcy-esque, starchy, uptight hero who is slowly transformed by love. I liked Hannah too; she’s shy and quiet but still has a spine. Some aspects of the plot felt a bit rushed, but otherwise this is a strong installment of an entertaining series. Recommended if you enjoy steamless historical romance!

Kristen Britain, First Rider’s Call

Karigan G’ladheon tried to fight her destiny as a Green Rider and return to her former life as a rich merchant’s daughter. But she ultimately couldn’t resist the Riders’ call, though she’s now experiencing odd glitches in her magic and seeing visions of the long-dead First Rider, who seems to be desperately trying to tell her something. Meanwhile, an ancient evil is stirring in Blackveil Forest, and Karigan must dig deep into her country’s history to figure out how to stop it. This second book in the Green Rider series is a worthy sequel: It’s a solid fantasy novel with interesting world-building and a likable (if perhaps a little too special) heroine. The setting in particular is thoughtfully done; though the menace of Blackveil drives the main plot, the characters also have to deal with the problems of their everyday lives, such as court politics and romantic turmoil. I’m fairly invested in this series now and am looking forward to reading book #3 next month.

Mini-Reviews: Perilous, Retreat, Never

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Elizabeth Marie Pope, The Perilous Gard

Plain and practical Kate Sutton, a lady-in-waiting to Princess Elizabeth Tudor, is banished (after a misunderstanding) to a remote estate known as the Perilous Gard. There are strange rumors about the estate, and locals whisper that it’s a sacred place for the Fairy Folk, who grant pilgrims relief from their suffering but also kidnap the occasional human to be a slave in their realm. At first Kate scoffs at these superstitions, but as she spends more time with the “young lord,” Christopher Heron, and hears the tragic tale at the heart of the estate, she becomes a believer. But will she be able to stop the Fairy Folk from claiming Christopher as their own? I adore this Tam Lin retelling, which I’ve only read a couple times before, so I’m still surprised by just how good it is! It’s dark, meaty historical fantasy with a wonderful heroine, and while it’s marketed as children’s/YA, I think it’s an excellent book to read at any age. Highly recommended!

Nancy Butler, The Rake’s Retreat

When beautiful young actress Lovelace Wellesley witnesses a murder, she needs protection. Fortunately, she encounters local landowner Beecham Bryce, who invites her to stay at his estate until the investigation is concluded. Less fortunately, Bryce is a notorious rake and libertine, so Lovelace may not be safe in his house. Fortunately again, they meet Lady Jemima Vale, a “spinster” nearing 30 who is available to act as Lovelace’s chaperone. But when sparks start to fly between Bryce and Jemima, it’s the latter’s reputation that may be in danger. I read a positive review of this book somewhere and picked up a used copy, but I found it pretty disappointing. Yes, there’s some fun banter between Bryce and Jemima, but there’s also a lot of inconsistent character behavior and anachronistic dialogue. The murder mystery felt undercooked as well, so all in all, it’s not a book I’d recommend.

Mhairi McFarlane, If I Never Met You

Laurie and Dan have been together since their freshman year at university. Now they’re in their late 30s, living together and working at the same prestigious law firm. So when Dan dumps Laurie out of the blue, she’s shocked, angry, and grief-stricken – especially because she still sees him all the time at the office. Meanwhile, Jamie Carter is an ambitious new attorney at their firm whose reputation as a womanizer may harm his chances of making partner. He proposes a fake relationship to Laurie: He’ll appear to be “settling down,” which will help his career prospects, and Laurie will be able to demonstrate she’s moved on – and perhaps make Dan jealous. I’m a big fan of McFarlane’s but have read most of her books only once. Upon rereading, I devoured this one in a day and absolutely loved it! Though the novel doesn’t shy away from some heavy emotions and hard situations, watching Laurie and Jamie slowly discover each other is a delight. If you like your romance/chick lit with some emotional weight to it, I highly recommend this book and author!

Mini-Reviews: Promised, Stab, Bonnet

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Connie Willis and Cynthia Felice, Promised Land

Delanna’s mother has just died, so she’s returned from her fancy education in the big city to her home planet to claim her inheritance. To her dismay, she learns that under the planet’s laws, she has to live on her property for one year before she’s allowed to sell. Moreover, she’s legally married to Sonny Tanner, the man who owns the neighboring property. Delanna is furious to be stuck in what she considers a backwater full of ignorant yokels, but the longer she remains on this planet, the more she grows to like her surroundings—and Sonny. Though there are some sci-fi trappings, this novel reads more like a Western, as the main characters rough it on a frontier planet with few luxuries. Delanna is quite a spoiled brat initially but changes for the better as she gets to know Sonny and the other locals better. This book isn’t as unique or interesting as Willis’s solo work, but I did enjoy it and would recommend it to fans of the premise.

Jill Bearup, Just Stab Me Now

Caroline is writing a novel, which she imagines as a tropey, enemies-to-lovers romantasy complete with smoldering glances and flirty banter. Unfortunately, her characters have other ideas. The heroine, Rosamund, is a widow still grieving for her dead husband, and she’s laser-focused on the diplomatic mission she’s supposed to carry out. The hero, Leo, is quiet and kind, not the cocky charmer Caroline had envisioned. As Rosamund and Leo navigate the complicated politics of their world together, Caroline occasionally pops in with questions and advice—all while navigating her own real-life romance with her persnickety editor.

This book apparently started as a YouTube series called The Fantasy Heroine, and I’m glad I didn’t know that beforehand, because I might never have read this book, which would have been a real shame. The fantasy book-within-a-book is genuinely entertaining, and I liked how the narrative gleefully skewers a lot of romance tropes (“Only one bed? No problem, I’ll sleep on the floor!”). The contemporary story is pretty thin—I didn’t care about Caroline’s work woes at all—but otherwise, I really liked this one! I may even go back and watch the web series now…

Mary Balogh, The Plumed Bonnet

Alistair Munro, the duke of Bridgwater, is handsome, rich, and bored out of his mind. So when he spots a bedraggled young woman while traveling, he impulsively offers her a ride. She’s dressed in gaudy attire that leads him to believe she’s a prostitute. But Stephanie Gray is actually a respectable young woman who worked as a governess until inheriting an unexpected fortune, which she’s on her way to claim. Alistair doesn’t believe her farfetched story, but when he learns the truth, he realizes he’s compromised a lady and promptly offers to marry her. Stephanie accepts, but she’s horrified to discover that he’s a duke and she’ll need to learn how to act like a duchess. Can they build a workable marriage, and perhaps even find love, after such a bad beginning? I was in the mood for a Balogh novel and decided to revisit this one, which I first read about five years ago. It’s not a top-tier Balogh for me, but I liked that both of the characters truly grow and change throughout the story. Overall, a pleasant read that I finished in a single day.

Mini-Reviews: Love, None, Hedges

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Sheila Simonson, Love and Folly

Twins Jean and Maggie Conway are about to start their first London Season, but the death of King George III and the subsequent political unrest delay their come-out. However, the girls don’t need a Season to find romance: Jean is smitten with Owen Davies, a radical poet, while Maggie falls for Johnny Dyott, her cousin’s private secretary. But when Owen’s poetry runs afoul of the sedition laws, the whole Conway family must band together to protect both him and themselves. This book is a sequel to Lady Elizabeth’s Comet, which I loved, but it also features characters from The Bar Sinister, which I haven’t read. And while Simonson gives enough background that readers won’t be totally confused, I don’t think they will care much about these characters unless they’ve read the previous two books. Also, if you’re expecting a romance, you’ll be disappointed; the love story between Maggie and Johnny is brief and barely developed. This novel is well written and well researched, but for me it was disappointing, especially compared with Lady Elizabeth’s Comet.

Agatha Christie, And Then There Were None

Ten people of different ages, genders, and walks of life are summoned to an island off the coast of Devon. They’ve been invited under various pretexts, but the real reason becomes clear after dinner on their first night, when a recorded voice accuses them all of murder. Then the guests start dying one by one, in ways that echo a sinister nursery rhyme displayed in each of their bedrooms. Who is behind these deaths, and will anyone make it off the island alive? This is one of Christie’s most famous mysteries, and also in my opinion one of her creepiest! The setup—a mysterious murderer on the rampage in an isolated location—is straight out of a horror novel, and the tension builds wonderfully as the guests each face their inevitable fate. To be honest, it’s so dark that it isn’t one of my favorites by Christie, but it’s masterfully done and I admire the way she pulled it off!

Side note: Newer versions of this book have understandably used this title rather than the far more problematic Ten Little Indians (and, before that, Ten Little N—–s). I don’t fault the publisher for that, but I do wish this edition had acknowledged that changes were made, not only to the title but to the rhyme itself and several lines of dialogue. If I’m reading something different from the originally published version, I want to know about it!

Lish McBride, Rough around the Hedges

Will and Vanessa have been best friends for years, and he’s been in love with her the entire time. Van has only ever seen him as a friend—until their mutual friend group unintentionally spills the beans. Now she’s seeing him in a whole new light, but because of her cold, manipulative father and horrible upbringing, she’s scared to take a chance on love. Meanwhile, Van wants to enroll in courses to become a hedge witch, but her father, an esteemed professor, may throw a wrench in her plans. This book is a sequel to A Little Too Familiar, which I remember liking, but this one didn’t work as well for me. The world is so black and white—the good characters are all perfectly understanding and emotionally fluent, while the bad characters are irredeemably awful. Will in particular is flawless (unless you count the fact that he’s been lying to his supposed best friend for their entire relationship) and just doesn’t feel believable as a person to me. Overall, a very “meh” read.

Mini-Reviews: Afterlife, Thirteen, Crime

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Kirsty Greenwood, The Love of My Afterlife

When twentysomething Delphie chokes on a microwavable hamburger and dies, she finds herself in a strange version of the afterlife. She’s greeted by Merritt, a quirky and enthusiastic “afterlife coach,” and also meets a handsome man named Jonah who isn’t dead, just unconscious during a dental surgery. Merritt, a lover of romance novels, decides to give Delphie a second chance: She claims that Delphie and Jonah are soulmates, and if she can find him on Earth and get him to kiss her within 10 days, she’ll get her life back. Finding Jonah is more difficult than Delphie expected, but as she looks for him, she also starts to see her life and the people around her in a new light. I stayed up way too late to read this book in a single sitting, and I’d definitely recommend it to romantic comedy fans! But it’s a surprisingly emotional book, too; Delphie’s initial loneliness is heart-wrenching, and it’s satisfying to see her slowly open up to the people in her life. Overall, I liked this one a lot and will look out for more by Greenwood.

J. Jefferson Farjeon, Thirteen Guests

Lord Aveling has invited 12 guests to his country house for a hunting party. They’re a strange assortment that includes a politician, an actress, a painter, a journalist, and a rich tradesman’s family. A last-minute 13th guest observes various tensions among the group—tensions that come to a head with vandalism, a dead dog, and finally murder. I liked a lot of things about this book: The plot is twisty without being overly complicated, and several of the characters are three-dimensional and interesting. However, it’s hard to know whom to care about or root for because there’s no clear protagonist. At first it seems like the 13th guest, John Foss, and his love interest are the main characters, but they’re largely abandoned in the middle for the police inspector and a few sleuths among the guests. I found the shifts in focus distracting and frustrating, and I also didn’t love the ultimate solution of the mystery. Overall, a decent read, but I’m not eager to read more by Farjeon.

Ally Carter, The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year

Maggie Chase is a successful writer of cozy mysteries. Ethan Wyatt writes blockbuster thrillers for the same publisher. She’s hated him for years, viewing him as a golden boy who’s able to coast through life, while he continually calls her Marcie. But the two find themselves unlikely allies when they’re both invited to the estate of Eleanor Ashley, the world’s greatest living mystery writer, for Christmas. When Eleanor disappears from a locked room—and many of her guests have a motive for wanting her gone—Maggie and Ethan team up to solve the mystery, and perhaps to find love in the process. I enjoyed this book, but it didn’t give me the same sense of pure, unadulterated glee as The Blonde Identity. There was just a little too much going on between Eleanor’s disappearance, Maggie’s and Ethan’s individual pasts, and their budding romance. It’s definitely heavier than the fun Christmas caper I was expecting. I did like the book overall, but sadly not quite as much as I was hoping to.

Mini-Reviews: Appointment, Doctor, Invisible

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Mimi Matthews, Appointment in Bath

Meg Burton-Smythe is a shy wallflower with unfashionable red hair, freckles, and a stammer. Her neighbor Ivo Beresford, by contrast, is handsome, well off, and worldly. He’d never look at her twice—especially because their parents have been enemies since before she was born (as detailed in Gentleman Jim). So when Ivo goes out of his way to befriend her, Meg is suspicious at first but soon comes to hope that he might actually be interested in her. But will their parents’ feud quash their budding romance? Mimi Matthews continues to be one of my go-to authors for steamless historical romance, and I really enjoyed this book! I love a wallflower heroine, and Meg’s loneliness is especially poignant when contrasted with Ivo’s boisterous, loving family. I was rooting for her happily-ever-after and liked seeing her gain confidence throughout the book. Now I’m even more excited for the next installment of the series!

P.G. Wodehouse, Doctor Sally

This short comic novel features Sally Smith, a doctor whom no one takes seriously because she’s a young and attractive woman. “Doctor Sally” has no interest in falling in love, but her resolve is tested when Bill Bannister is instantly smitten with her. Unfortunately, he’s trying to extract himself from a previous romantic entanglement with a lower-class woman who isn’t willing to let him go. Luckily, Bill’s affable but dimwitted friend, Lord Tidmouth, is on hand to come to the rescue. This little book is pure delight—Wodehouse is an absolute master of comic farce, and Lord Tidmouth is a lovable idiot worthy of Bertie Wooster. If you’re looking for a nice quick read that will make you laugh out loud, I highly recommend this one!

Genevieve Cogman, The Invisible Library

Irene works for the Library, a secret organization that collects rare and unique books throughout the multiverse. Her latest mission is to retrieve a particular Grimm manuscript from an alternate Victorian world, and her partner will be a student assistant, Kai, who hasn’t been on a mission yet. What should be a fairly routine retrieval immediately goes awry: The manuscript has been stolen, and they’re not the only ones trying to find it. Not to mention, a rogue Librarian seems bent on destroying both this world and the Library itself—unless Irene and Kai can stop him first. This is a fun read with a lot of action and interesting world-building. The writing style is confident and made me feel like the author knows what she’s doing. I do think this book barely scratches the surface of the possibilities of this world, but fortunately there are several more books in the series! I’m excited to continue with book #2 next month.