Book Review: Pride and Prejudice

Book Review: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

My New Year’s Resolution was to read through all of my hero, Jane Austen’s works. And this is the first one of the year. That I finished on April 23rd. At this rate I will need an entire second year. Or three. I’m not entirely sure, math ain’t my strong suit. 

One of the most famous lines in literary history: It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife, instantly sets off the tone of this book as satire. If you were to read any of these actions and characters at face value, you would not be able to enjoy the story as much. But there is also so much truth in this line. This is how mothers and society feel about men.

I would not say that this book is anything but a feminist text, but I do believe that this opening addresses the issue that there are even limitations and expectations on men in this society. Darcy, Bingley, and even Mr. Bennett absolutely do have expectations on them, that they may or may not handle well in all points of the book, but I will get to this later.

As Austen is our primordial romance author, I feel that I do not need to focus too much on the introductions, but I do want it mentioned that she invented the major tropes that we use today, so this one is her enemies to lovers book.

And, my god are Elizabeth and Darcy enemies, or what? The original title of this book is First Impressions and wow do these two have some of the worst first impressions of one another. Elizabeth could think highly of Darcy until he opens his big fat mouth and that sets her off. And then does she let him know exactly how she feels about him.

So much so that she makes her entire family, and then the entire town know what a complete ass Mr. Darcy really is. And if he really was an asshole, this would be fine, but when Lizzy finds out more information and falls in love with him, and wants to accept his marriage proposal she has lots and lots of explaining to do to many many people.

One of which is Mrs. Bennett. I have been thinking a lot about Mrs. Bennett lately when watching the movies and especially now on this re-read. I would love to get to write a whole thesis on her and how she is really misunderstood and made to be foolish, but the protagonist does not understand the lengths that this mother goes to protect her daughters and their future. She is also ride or die for each and every one of them. When Lydia runs off with Mr. Wickham, Mrs. Bennett is worried about her welfare, but then she is also happy WITH Lydia for her eventual marriage. Because Lydia is happy about it. It think it is very clear that she channels her concerns and her fears for Lydia into guaranteeing that Lydia has a full wardrobe for her wedding, and the connection between the foolishness of Mrs. Bennett’s clothing concerns and the knowledge of how Lydia was in real danger is not clear to Lizzy, our protagonist. 

Mrs. Bennett is also highly overprotective of Lizzy. When Lizzy decides Mr. Darcy is the worst man on earth and shouldn’t be touched with a ten foot pole, Mrs. Bennett makes sure that his character is known to the whole town. She is horrified, even more so than Lizzy, that Charlotte Lucas basically manipulated situations and betrayed Lizzy’s trust in order to meet and marry Mr. Collins. She is more than supportive of Bingley and Jane and how she found an advantageous match with someone she loves. She allows Kitty to have fun at the balls, and even Mary to do whatever it is Mary wants.

There were a couple of things that stand out to me as not liking, though I definitely realize this novel is of a certain style and of a certain time, and these things are 100% because of that. The first is how wordy everything is, despite so little action. This is absolutely true of the romanticism style of literature, which is also from the 1800’s, and emblematic of the time and writer. And I get it, I really do. This was the one activity. Austen’s family was forced to listen to her stories as this was the activity of each evening. But as a modern reader, I need it to be more cut to the chase. I found myself zoning out, especially at the beginning of the book, that I needed to re-read certain parts. Towards the end, things did pick up much more. And they got a lot more interesting, from when Lizzy goes away with her aunt and uncle, through to Darcy and Lizzy agreeing to marry.

The other thing is that Lizzy and Darcy still have so little interaction. Despite the fact that they have both fallen in love, without want to. Without trying to. This was so beautiful and sweet, especially the conversation where Lizzy asks when he realized he was falling in love with her, and he replied something like, he didn’t realize until he was already halfway in love with her, and she supposed it was probably because she was not like other girls, and wasn’t saying nice things to him. It was so sweet. But what would also have been so nice was if we saw one of the moments where one of them said or did something awful to one another and it turned the heat up on these two. Like heated glances, or somewhat like the 2005 Pride and Prejudice movie with the hand flex. Or a carriage ride where they jostle near one another. Like some physical contact would have turned this book up to a five star.

And finally, to leave this on a good note, I love love love the ending. When Darcy and Lizzy are on the walk and she thanks him for what he did to help Lydia, and he asks if her feelings for him are unchanged, and the book says something like Lizzy responded something rash and honest. And they continued their walk happily. Nothing more comes of it until the next day, and readers like me are just squealing at the slow burn for the marriage. Then Darcy follows Mr. Bennett into the drawing room, and he emerges and whispers happily at Lizzy’s side that her father would like to speak to her. This whole two scenes were just so perfect and sweet and I really wanted a few more of these moments in the rest of the book. But I loved every minute of it.

Overall, I have learned so much from Austen’s writing and characterization work and plotting and I can’t wait to read the next one. Which Austen should I hit up next?

Book Review: The Rogue Pirate’s Bride

Book Review: The Rogue Pirate’s Bride by Shana Galen

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ Stars to Captain Cutlass and The Fish Out of Water Raeven

I really enjoyed the plot of this book. I have been looking for a good pirate romance and just happened to pass this one on the shelf at my library, and I am so glad that I did. The title drew me in even more than the cover, but I mean look at this beauty.

So, this is the story of Raeven who has made it her mission to get revenge on Captain Cutlass because he is responsible for the death of her fiance and first love, Timothy. The story starts in the bar that Raeven has tracked Cutlass to and she, dressed as a boy, challenges him to a swordfight. During the fight, her hat falls off and Cutlass sees that she is a beautiful woman instead, who he then imprisons as her his cabin girl. They are complete opposites. He is neat, organized, and intelligent. She is messy and reckless.

One of my favorite aspects of this book is how subtly but forcefully this focuses on the major class divide in their society. First, Bastian is a pirate and Raeven is the daughter of an Admiral, so there is a definite criminal versus legal military-type situation. But then Galen also explores how the British Navy is supposed to be completely by the book, but they take part in the forced inscription tactics when they take over another ship. Additionally, the story about Timothy being murdered by Bastian is completely turned on it’s side, when Bastian gives her the full story that Tim attacked his ship because Tim was out there for glory, instead of only justice. It is such an interesting way to switch the point of view around.

Bastian and Raeven meet again at a ball. Bastien is trying to make his escape when Raeven shows up at the same ball in a beautiful gown. She chases him around until they are both under fire and need to work together to escape. Raeven impresses Cutlass with her skills with the gun and coming up with escape plans. He even nearly sacrifices himself when she is about to be caught. At this point, they are equals.

Bastian isn’t only a criminal with a heart of gold, though. He is also a part of the aristocracy. And as such, there is a point when Raeven and he need to enter another ball when they are both completely underdressed. Raeven describes herself multiple times as a street urchin, who is so much more comfortable in the sea. BUT she also is completely self conscious because she doesn’t belong. For once when she was above him in all of these other situations, Raeven realizes she is from a working class and is storming through a ball in ripped pants and a shirt when all of the women are in gorgeous gowns and exquisite jewels. This is the beginning of the end for these two. This was one of the strongest visceral emotional moments in the entire book. You felt exactly when Raeven felt inadequate for Bastian. For the woman who was larger than life for the entire book to feel so self conscious for being from a working class again. It was perfect timing for them being, maybe permanently, on land again. Raeven knows who she is at sea, But on land, she is completely unstable. She had to ask a 15 year old on the ship who is somewhere in the aristocracy, if he had ever heard of the Duc. And luckily he had. She is so disconnected from the other social classes and once Bastian was reunited with his family, she now did not think she was good enough for him.

And this brings me to my absolute favorite part of the book: THE GRAND GESTURE. This was one of the best I have read in a book. Like this might even be up there with MacLean’s offering the heroine the divorce she wants—grand gesture. Raeven sneaks out and leaves in the middle of the night. And Bastian. Bastien. This man. He realizes what he must do to win her back. Earlier in the book he asks Raeven to choose between him and her dad. And then he makes sure that she does not have to choose again. This pirate get hired as her father’s first man so that she never has to choose again. He enlists in the British Navy, which is against everything he stands for, in order to be with Raeven. I cried. She cried. It was so beautiful. Then he got down on his knees and proposed. The second time. And it was so much better than the first one, and this is the one that without hesitation, she said yes.

Then he immediately quit the Navy, carried her off the ship, and right to their wedding. It was a little weird that her father couldn’t get off for the wedding, but the babylogue where everyone was present. All of their families. And it was worth it. Now their baby of course will be raised to have her sea legs before her land legs.

What I did not love is that this feels like it does not have a very deep emotional depth. Raeven and Captain Cutlass’s meet cute was perfect. It created so much tension and conflict between these two characters. But then I’m not sure what happened. They hooked up the very next time they met, and then it was insta love. Yes, I definitely think they are perfect for one another, and that they are both cut from the same cloth, however it was a lot of telling and not showing to get there. It is so much more meaningful when the layers are peeled back, slowly, over time and without the characters allowing it to happen.

The second Raeven met the Captain’s doctor, and his friend from his previous life, he told Raeven everything about him. That his father was the Duc, and was guillotined in the French Revolution. And he has been heartbroken and thinking he was the only one of his family who escaped. This employee (correctly) suspected that all of the rest of them escaped and that Bastian should begin looking for them after he got his revenge on Jordain. 

Some of my favorite lines: 

“He’d hung her delicate yet deadly sharp sword on his cabin wall: a reminder that appearances could be deceptive. But he hadn’t thought to ever see her again.” (18%) How can you not read about this pirate hanging the girl’s sword on on his bedroom wall and always staring at her weapon and thinking of her.

“She didn’t want to kill him. But she wouldn’t mind kissing him once or twice first” (25%)

“If you’re trying to seduce me, you’re sailing in the wrong direction” (50%) This rhetoric is so beautiful and so piratey

“He laughed. She loved how he was always laughing” (50%)  I love when a part of the characterization is just that the characters are happy to be alive. And when they make their significant other also find the joy in life. And Bastian (for some reason even when he was on his way to Newgate) is always in a good mood.

Book Review: Throne of the Fallen

By Kerri Maniscalco

Back in the Kingdom of the Wicked world! 

Throne of the Fallen is the story of the Prince of Envy and talented artist Camilla from the human town of Waverly Green. Envy is thrown into the twisted fae scavenger hunt game filled with riddles, hexed objects, and other players, all to win the prize in the end that he needs to save his crumbling court. For some reason, Camilla is thrown into the game when one of the clues leads Envy to need her to paint the hexed throne for him. She is adamantly against painting or having anything to do with hexed objects as she had been warned all of her life. Unfortunately she is backed into a corner and has no choice but to become involved anyway. From here, everything devolves into disaster and they are stuck together until the end of the game.

I had very high expectations of this book and I was not disappointed. Going into this, I did not really care too much about Envy, I am a die hard Wrath fan, and my ultimate goal was just to see more of him and Emilia. The scene we have of them together where Envy is teasing Wrath and making him jealous about how he sent a duplicate painting to Emilia, and she is just laughing because she knows exactly what he is doing just completely brought me back to life. This is what I needed from this book. But I also really needed more of it, more of them. Everyone teasing Wrath is one thing, but it would be even better if he was a character in more than one page of his brother’s books. Threatening that his wife will no longer send cannolis isn’t nearly enough. 

What I did not expect, was to become completely obsessed with the Prince of Sloth. I learned that he is here for the cozy bookish girlies. His house was filled with many libraries and all different comfortable chairs, fireplaces, tea trays. It all sounds like a complete Beauty and the Beast’s dream.

The character that I do not need to see more of ever again is Vittoria. She does not need to be on the page in every book. And I loved in the end, how one of the brother (who apparently is always wrong when betting) bet that Pride would end up with Vittoria. Meanwhile everyone else knows he will get Lucia back, and there is also a hint that Lucia did something bad in the first place to make Pride treat her the way he did, because she hurt his pride. God, I love how the seeds are sprouting about each of their sins.

I am just so impressed with the writing and how each of the Princes characterizations are tied to their sin of choice. And throughout the books, we learn more about each aspect of each of their sins. Not only the bad parts. I just want more of Wrath being angry and leading the armies or something.

Now to talk about Envy and Camilla. They are such an interesting and unique couple. And oh my god, did this couple blow me away, or what. I was so in awe of how Kerri wove the story around Envy’s sin of choice, Camilla’s talent, and the stupid game that they needed to play and win, or else, both of their worlds would crumble. They became tied together over Envy’s envy of Lord Vexly, and then things devolve even more later on when we meet Wolf, and Envy’s envy becomes multiplied.

It was incredible how Camilla got wrapped up in everything and I was very suspicious from the beginning about her real parentage. And I just need to put it out there that I was correct in a lot of them:

At 14% of the way into the book, I wrote that “I suspect that she is the daughter of the fae queen who disappeared for a few years” but I also thought that the mother instigated the whole game in order to find her daughter a husband because “why else would every eligible bachelor need something specific from her”. Another possibility I had was “Maybe the mom’s husband is trying to get back at her for cheating on him”. Either way, the unseelie court and king were actually way worse than all of the princes of hell combined. Like straight up evil. 

What I really struggle with after reading this book is how the book is very long, but there was less of a plot, less character development, less relationship development, and more of just generic sex scenes. It honestly felt like the sex scenes could be cut and pasted into any book. There was nothing about them that really spoke to either of these two characters. 

Yes the throne and mirror scene and then chapter 71 with the paint was really incredible, and felt very Feysand chapter 55 coded, but the rest, and even these, all just felt kind of meh. Like none of it really mattered.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, and was looking forward to what was happening next, however, Envy and Camilla did not live up to my Wrath and Emilia obsession.

Book Review: Not that Duke

⭐⭐⭐✰✰

I really loved the beginning–the mother is interesting and she wants him to marry someone like her. But he wants to find love, so this is pretty unique. Then it just kept getting better and better. She falls at the ball and he helps her up and she has a crush on him and his mom still wants them to be together, so this is amazing! I also love that she is good friends with the American Duchess, because she is like a typical American and does not conform to these British societal dramas.

But then things started taking a turn. I didn’t love that Stella fits right into the nerdy glasses wearing stereotype. Mr. Thyme is gone the whole book, tending to his veggies for the country fair. He is also fascinated by her big boobs and curves and it was all rubbing me the wrong way. She is not like other girls, because she is smart…and has read the encyclopedia? Then this girl finds a kitten outside and decides to carry it in her dress pocket to a whole bunch of different outings. Luckily Silvester thinks it is quirky and adorable, but in part one he is still pining after another woman.

Stella is also so painfully awkward and clumsy. Like Bella Swan level clumsy. She can’t even drink tea around others for the risk that she will break the teacup. It was so painful to read. It was also so weird how we never even see them become friends. Silvester thinks they are friends and Stella thinks they are strangers, despite the fact that she has had a crush on him forever and would by hyperaware of each of their interactions. It felt very disjointed. Especially when the back of the book calls them enemies to lovers–they definitely aren’t enemies. I really hate when the backs of books lie to us. What do these publishers get out of advertising a bunch of false tropes? Angry readers?

Why do they dance together always once and sometimes twice? What is their dynamic? Why is Yasmin her enemy and then suddenly she is defending Yasmin?

Why is the conversation where Silvester shit talks Stella to Yasmin off the page? That would have been vital info to see and then it could have been a misunderstanding, but instead he admitted to it??? His words that hurt her feelings don’t have ANY weight for readers.

This whole book would be over if Giles and Silvester just spoke to one another. Who wants which chick?

I really did enjoy the scene where they all fell into the water together with the Dowager duchess. “He could at least run. At this rate the tea tray will have to be floated to us.” It was gold. And I think that penance should have been that Silvester always has to lift Stella into and out of carriages as payment for saying he would hoist her out of the water.

Also I dont even like the hero or the heroine. He is a finance bro and she is so far superior than every other woman, but at the same time is so self conscious about her body and that she is a second choice.

Part two was much better, with the drama of the lust and the sex scenes were fire. “Am I going to lose my virginity in a carriage?” “He should not have paid that trump card” then he freaking breaks into her WINDOW. That was good. “It was the broad shouldered , oh so ethical duke, supposedly tormented by the mere memory of climbing the stairs with her” .

But then it was back to who is dumber? Him or her?

Book Review: The Highlander Takes a Bride

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

THIS BOOK WAS SO FUNNY!!! OMG I haven’t laughed so hard ever reading a historical. I feel like 4 stars is a little generous, because there were definitely parts I didn’t like, but it ended on a high note in the funniest love confession scene, I have probably ever read…

“They were trying to help me sort out if I loved ye.”
“And? What was the conclusion?”
“That I want to hit ye e’ery time ye kiss me, and would no’ save ye were the castle on fire”.

And I love that the braids on the cover are featured in the book.

I really loved when the brother showed up, that is when the book started picking up and when we got to see Saidh’s personality shine. I was also definitely surprised by who the real killer was. The whole time I thought it was the cousin’s maid. Though we never even found out what happened to husbands #2 and #3 which bothered me.

I did not like that this was a “not like other girls” situation, but this was really only negative in the fact that Finela is weepy and Saidh was even uncomfortable by it. It makes a lot more sense later in the book when her brothers show up and we see her 7 older brothers. And also hear about how she is just like her mother, only the mother wanted to teach her some more lady-like ways so that she would find a husband (since not everyone would be as wonderful as her father who likes the mom just the way she is).

I think my biggest problem with this book was Greer. He didn’t have much of a personality for 1. And 2, I don’t really understand why these two fell in love? It happened so quickly and out of nowhere. What did I miss?

Book Review: It Had to Be a Duke

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

It Had to Be a Duke is the story of Verity, who comes from a very eccentric country family and Magnus, the Duke of Warring, who grew up as a neighbor with Verity and was very good friends with her brother until a major financial fallout and scandal tore the families apart. Now the Duke hates Verity’s whole family, so when she says they are engaged to save face in front of a mean girl, he is obviously EXTRA annoyed. Let alone the fact that he is trying to be engaged to a beautiful and wealthy girl in London, which he needs for her dowry to fund his next investment.

There is a lot that happens in this book, and it is really eccentric for a historical romance, but I also really enjoyed it. This really does well with complicated family dynamics, watching two characters really fall in love on the page, and it is very much Kate and Anthony vibes. I also really loved when

At first, the fact that Verity came from an acting family, really rubbed me the wrong way, but then I really began to love her sisters, her parents, and Magnus’s grandma. Their quirks became endearing.

My favorite scene was when she was dangling from the tree and the Duke came to rescue her and she slipped from the branch and “her arms gave way and she fell. And yet, she was not falling. Instead, she was being held securely” (14%). The hottest thing a man can do is rescue a woman who is making his life a living hell, and yet he helps her save face and holds her close on his horse. I swoon just remembering this moment. “With a yip, she lurched forward, nearly unseating him as she wrapped herself around him like the lemur she’d become” (14%). Why are these clinch moments becoming my ID?

I also really love when the hero eats his words, like “In five days, he would hardly think of her again” (30%). We all know this is a lie. Or also the “he realized this wasn’t a dream. It was a nightmare” which actually means that he has it bad (48%). And finally, he is so Anthony Bridgerton with this one: “If he clenched his jaw any harder, his teeth would crack” (52%).

I was really enjoying this book. With everything from the angst to the sweet moments, of him keeping her letter and ribbon and finally the:
‘“I’m calculating’
‘I gathered that, what will all the numbers and such. But what are you calculating?’
He took another dab of ink and resumed. ‘How long it will be before we can marry’” (82%).

Ugh. Put this straight into my veins.

But then I did not love the ending either. I’m not sure why they decided to date/forgive/be together, nor why this grand gesture actually worked. I don’t even understand what the grand gesture really was, even? Why did she decide to trust him? Why did she forgive him even when he lied? Readers sure don’t trust him yet. Why did him lying make her think that all was forgiven? Still confused about the ending.

So all in all, I really enjoyed this story, and learned a lot about characterization and conflict along the way. If it wasn’t for the few moments that I was pulled out of the book, especially in the ending, it would be a solid 5 star read.

Book Review: Lord Holt Takes a Bride

Winnifred Humphries is betrothed to the awful Mr. Woodbine, who, on the day of their wedding, sends her a beautiful family heirloom pearl necklace with a note: “After I’ve married that cow and performed my dreaded duty for this one day apart, I shall be yours forever more” (14%). The necklace was meant to go to his mistress! And he calls her a freaking COW! Winifred has had enough, despite her parents telling her that she should marry him anyway, and “In the future he should learn to be more discrete” (14%).
So instead of listening to her parents, she follows through with the plan that her friends set in motion the week before. She would run away at the altar. Only she accidentally climbs into Lord Holt’s carriage instead. Thus begins their adventure and race to her aunt’s before Lord Holt’s treasure hunting ship departs. Along the way they encounter henchmen, highway women, milking cows, creating a pretense of them being a married couple in a quartet, and many many rainstorms. Every time Winnifred says, what else could go wrong these two get a literal downpour. They have to keep selling articles of clothing and bartering with people at every step of their journey to make it to the next stop.

I give this book:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Along the way, we also watch these two slowly, so slowly, fall in love. It is so beautiful how it happens. Winnifred begins to understand Lord Holt, who wears the “black silk tied around his neck to mourn the eventual death of his father” (7%). And when he gives this piece of clothing to her to tie her hair back and hold her stockings up, it is so symbolic of him opening up to her. He has been through so much trauma in his life, where all of his mother’s possessions have been slowly been taken from him by his father thanks to gambling debts.
But in turn, Asher notices and appreciates so much about Winnifred, and he quickly gets over the thought that she is a spoiled heiress. He appreciates how when she gets tired on their journey, how she stops to ask what kind of bird he thinks that is, and though he knows she is putting on the pretense to get a rest, he happily goes along with it and pretends to wonder with her, until he is ready to keep going. He admires her figure and tells her all of the ways she is beautiful.

Winnifred also grows as a character. She goes from following along with her parents and their every wish, as their only child, to finally taking a stand for herself. She becomes empowered by choosing her own path-where she learns to let her wildness and her spirit shine. And what is so important about this relationship is that Asher supports her and her dreams. He tells her stories on their journey about his Great-Aunt Lolly who snuck away on a pirate ship by pretending to be a man. He supports her need for adventure so much that when he is trying to win her back, he sends her a costume to wear on the ship so she can do the same as Aunt Lolly.

The conflict in this story is so complicated and such a push-pull that it is really impressive. Asher needs money, which is why he is taking Winnifred on this journey, however once he realized he is in love with her, he cannot be with her because she is an heiress, and he needs to win back his own money first to protect her and their future. Winnifred on the other hand, wants love. She cannot be happy with someone like Woodbine who will have a mistress and immediately and consistently disrespect her. But at the same time, she is gullible and sees the best in people. She needs to become independent and deal with real hardships to grow as a person. These two become their best selves when they are together. Asher loses some of his jadedness, and Winn is able to take charge and control over her own life.

I really loved the humor in this book. There are so many parts that are so funny from the hijinks on their journey to situational irony, to the magical realism of the weather, this is everything and more that I look for in a road trip romance novel. My absolute favorite part is at the end when Winnifred sticks a pillow up her dress so she can tell Mr. Woodbine that she can’t marry him, because she is pregnant with Asher’s kid, and guess who walks into the house before Woodbine–Asher. The pillow becomes lopsided in her dress and when it falls and she tries to hide it under skirts, Asher picks it up. She tells him her plan, then they realize they are both still in love and make out. On his way out the door he tells her he might have to abduct her, then hands her the pillow and tells her “In the meantime, keep our child safe” (85%). Ahhhh! This man! There are so many more moments of laugh out loud humor mixed in, that give it just the right amount of shenanigans to coincide with the seriousness of their trauma in the background. And it works so well.

The angst is so perfect in these lines:
“So you were going to marry him just to hurt me? To put me in utter agony?”
“Then why not marry him and complete my torment?”
“Because I love you, damn it all.”

Then there is my all time favorite part of this book: the ending. In every road trip romance, the road trip is the adventure and then in the end they go back to their normal lives together. But in this one, the road trip is the beginning of the adventure. Winn does join Asher on the ship and they travel to meet and spend time with Aunt Lolly and her pirate love of her life. Asher has a family who loves him and he does not need to worry about money again. This ending felt like TAKING THE FINGER! There is no money or titles that solve all of these character’s problems. Instead, the adventure has just begun.

Book Review: How to Tame a Wild Rogue

This is one of the best books I have ever read. It is a slow burn with a pirate and a nearly spinster, who are trapped together in an inn during a storm. And in order to be allowed to stay here, they have to pretend they are a married couple. Only they just met in an alley moments before when Lorcan stumbled upon Daphne climbing out of a window to escape.

The concept of this book is so good, This book is the gift-wrapped warm and fuzzy feelings from beginning to end. I absolutely love the fact that this is such a simple straightforward plot with a conflict that is not caused by miscommunication. Their relationship continues to develop and bloom the more they learn about one another. In fact, these two characters learn to be more confident around one another. They bring out each other’s personality and humor, which just shows how well matched they are for one another. And there is no reason for them to break up. The weather determines the timeline, and it is so smoothly done that I was fully immersed in the story the entire time. Nothing felt like this is unrealistic or that I wanted it to happen a different way.

There were also so many smaller details that I absolutely loved. All of the descriptions of the hero’s hairy chest and forearms. And the scene when Daphne is mesmerized by his rolled up sleeves and bare forearms–I can 100% relate to her. The hairy descriptions just remind me of Roy Kent. Lorcan’s personality and characterization are just amazing. I love when he spells out j-o-b- when speaking with Daphne. I love that he is so overprotective of Daphne when she tells him about how she needed to take care of her family: “What a fortunate thing it was then, that you had no feelings about your mother’s death at all”.

JAL does an amazing job of adding in personality to every line she writes: 

“she was almost comically alarmed”

“Possibly as good as you are at…”  she sighed “…fighting”

“Dropped it down over his head as if he were a parakeet in a cage. And perhaps a little too vigorously rubbed his hair. He squawked a little.”

“Have you seen my embroidery, Lorcan? Absolutely flawless. I can patiently render the most tedious of inspirational phrases on any pillow as smoothly as the finest calligraphy. My mending? Every stitch exquisitely straight and tiny. My knitting? Tell me whether you can see any light through these rows.”

And scenes in here just for humor, like the fart. That is for sure the funniest thing I have ever read in a romance novel. It was amazing, and Lorcan deserved it.

I guess my only critique would be that the characters did not undergo massive changes in order to be together–both of them had some subtle and non-heartbreaking positive changes. Lorcan maybe gave some things up whereas Daphne let some things go, but ultimately this was a very positive growth situation that made it so heartwarming. 

I had also hoped that Lorcan would come across the letter and battle the Earl to a duel or something with how horribly he treated her, but I do like who and how he made some other people come to their senses, instead. Along these lines, I think he should have comforted her at least once when he heard her weeping in the other room, but as soon as he really was the one to mess up he waited a minute and then gave that speech though the door she didn’t have another night of crying.

And I do wish that he took her out to sea at least once, there is nothing more adventurous than traveling and for a woman who is trapped in a very restrictive society to get to set sail on new adventures. Though in my mind, they do this when they are in the honeymoon phase.

This is my first Julie Anne Long book, and it certainly won’t be my last. I cannot wait to get a paper copy when this book comes out in July! I would also like to get this cover framed because this might be my favorite romance novel cover EVER.

Book Review: Dark Desires After Dusk

My normal opening line is usually an apology for not updating regularly, and then promises that I am going to sit at my computer more regularly, but I am realizing that I am very much a spur of the moment reader and writer. 

So voila! 

Another update.

Dark Desires After Dusk by Kresley Cole

The past few months I have been completely obsessed with the Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole, and listening to the Fated Mates Podcast, which discusses these books. And I am, like, completely obsessed. And of course I am laughing to myself about the fact that writing this blog post is like writing a research paper–with Dark Desires after Dusk as the primary text, and Fated Mates as the literary criticism.

Plot

So this is book #5 in the Immortals After Dark series, featuring our first demon hero, Cadeon the Kingmaker, though in his brother’s case, it is Cadeon the dethroner. And his human mate, Holly Ashwin, who is potentially an immortal, and definitely the Vessel.

Yes, it is as gross as it sounds. She is destined to give birth to a warrior of good or evil, and this warrior will determine who wins the immortal battle that is to come. Cadeon is supposed to trade the Vessel to Omort the Sorcerer in exchange for a magical sword that he needs to defeat the usurper of his brother’s throne.

It sounds like an impossible situation because it is. Cadeon is wracked with guilt for the past 900 years for losing his brother’s kingdom and the fallout that came with it. But how will he be able to give up his literal soulmate for his brother?

So Cadeon and Holly go on a road trip to meet Omort, while they figure everything out.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/ 5 Stars

I am writing this as my first review to express my enthusiasm for Cadeon and Holly’s book, because, while I really love the previous ones, this was the first book that was a complete five star review from me. Especially based on the other books in this series, and in romance in general, I felt that this was one of the most feminist and empowering books out there. And I was so giddy the whole time I was reading it. Cadeon never failed to impress me from the whole googling the math terms for the code she is working on, to picking up on what foods are and are not safe for her to eat without her having to explain, to training her to fight.

All of these things are completely reciprocated. Holly supports Cadeon in listening to him speaking about the guilt that has completely wrecked him for the past 900 years. She also pushes him and fights him to not be a loner. And then she rescues him. Multiple times. He is constantly in awe of her, even though he already knew the value of her brain/education. And she of him. I feel that they are a couple that is more compatible than any others that I have read before. They do not have much in common, but each other’s strength is such a beautiful compliment to the other.

Which was such a relief because once I heard the whole “virgin math professor and PhD candidate” I was really worried about Holly, and the book, falling into a cheap archetypal role, and I just wanted to skip the book altogether. But, the story is about a woman who is meant to learn who she really is, and not be ashamed of any of it. Not her desires, nor her math skills, nor her family upbringing and OCD diagnosis. 

One of my favorite parts of this book is how Cadeon is immediately so accepting of who Holly is, and he completely adores all of her quirks, before she even needs to explain them to him. And more than that, Cade empowers Holly to learn to fight and protect herself. Despite this being an impossible situation, he gives Holly the power to save herself. Like Sarah and Jen said on Fated Mates, Cade is basically like, I have to give you up, but you are going to be okay without me. If I didn’t already have Rhysand, Cadeon might just be up there in my book boyfriend list.

My absolute favorite scene is so similar to ACOMAF, that there is no doubt in my mind that SJM has read these books. The whole “You’re my mate,” mid battle scene conversation was amazing, and why are these two so rational. The heroine then needs to save the day by taking her injured soulmate back to safety. And pull out the poisoned arrows. But where this was more of an angsty and emotional scene in Mist and Fury, here we have some humor mixed in. 

Also related to this scene, the ladies at Fated Mates have an ongoing lost limb count. Cadeon is so far in the lead with having lost the most out of all the heroes and heroines in the series so far. And almost all of Cade’s were lost in this one battle scene. His poisoning from the arrows, and then loss of both hands and one eye, means that Holly has to literally pick him up and carry him to the car and then make the getaway all on her own. With Cade just yelling in the passenger’s seat to go on without him. It is wonderful and badass. You can read the lost limbs running count all in the Fated Mates show notes: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2018/11/28/5-dark-desires-after-dusk 

Tropes

• Road trip Romance
• Soul mates
• Forced Proximity
• Nerd/Jock
• Virgin/immortal
• Revenge
• Royalty
• Unexpected inheritance (of powers)

And finally, for some of my favorite quotes:

“Regin slapped her knees. “Oh, my gods, look at him running like his life depended on catching us.” She slid open the door. “Is this straight outta Platoon, or what? Willem!” she cried, holding out one hand. “Run, Willem!” Then she choked on her laughter.”

This scene gives me major Captain America holding down a helicopter vibes.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Without looking up, she said, “Cadeon, a chance can’t be reduced from zero.”

“Gods, I love it when you talk mathy to me.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Then why did you kiss her?” Holly asked.

“Directions. . . and to see.”

“To see what?”

“That it wouldn’t be all that bad without you.”

This was interesting. “Did you make a determination?”

He gave a bitter laugh. “It’ll be all that bad.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Thirty nerve-shattering minutes passed before Cadeon returned. “What happened? Tell me!”

“Everything’s taken care of.”

She frowned. “You smell like beer.”

He rolled his eyes. “Oh, yeah, Holly, like me and the cop were downing a beer together.”

Of course, he and the cop had completely been downing a beer together.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Cadeon, are you even listening to me?”

“What? Yeah, was just thinking about…how http always turns to https when I carry out a transaction.”

“Exactly!”

Good save.”

Cadeon just wants to impress his mate with all of his computer knowledge

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Well, I must be off. Proto-Valkyrie and Soothsayer without Equal is a grueling, thankless job, but Nïxie must do it.”

I really love Nix. She just cracks me up.

Overall, I think that Cadeon and Holly have the sweetest relationship of all of the IAD couples, so far. I think that Kresley Cole does an amazing job of showcasing so many different couples and kinds of relationships, and I feel like this is the one where the heroine is empowered the most. Holly saves the day. Multiple times. And she then chooses to be a part of this world. They both change in order to be together. Cadeon becomes a better person because of Holly, and Holly embraces who she is while Cadeon stands besides her cheering her on. They belong together. And I could go on, and on, and on.

Don’t let the book’s summary scare you away.

And there you have it.  Another enthusiastic and spirited review of an amazing book.

Has anyone else read this series? Who is your favorite couple?

Book Review: The Bridge Kingdom and The Traitor Queen Duology

I have been doing a lot of reading these past few weeks, so hopefully that will mean many upcoming book reviews in the near future. Some books by SJM and JLA to name a few.

But today’s review is for The Bridge Kingdom and The Traitor Queen Duology by Danielle L. Jensen. (So, if you are not totally caught up on this series, then bookmark my review for later.)

The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen, published Oct 2018
The Traitor Queen by Danielle L. Jensen, published Sept 2020

Also, I will have the records show that yes, these are library books.
I 1,000% believe in using and loving the libraries.

I discovered this new adult romantic fantasy series through social media. Places like Tiktok and Amazon have really been pushing this book on me, and I believe that they were even featured in one of the book boxes, which might have helped to promote these books. As an enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance, The Bridge Kingdom definitely sounds like something right up my alley. When I finally decided to read it, I had to request that the library get a copy for me. Which they happily did. Perks of knowing people.

Interestingly enough, there are multiple covers floating about in the social media world. I’m not going to lie, I am really digging these alternative covers:

From what I understand, these are the Kindle edition covers. If I am wrong please let me know in the comments.

Plot

The first two books in this series (and as I write this, there are only these two books published––with an idea of who the next book is about) follow Lara, princess of Maridrina, trained spy turned bride. Her father has trained Lara and all of her eleven sisters to be tough spies and assassins. Skilled in archery, sword fighting, poisons, and many other kinds of murder. Since childhood. They have been toughened up and abused their whole lives, with the intent that one of them would be chosen to marry the King of Ithicana and take down the entire kingdom.

Ithicana aka The Bridge Kingdom, is a land of tropical islands all connected by a scifi/fantastical bridge that Iticana uses to control trade and collect heavy tolls from the various kingdoms that rely on it. Whoever controls the bridge can essentially control all trade and become extremely wealthy. However, the catch is that controlling the bridge leaves Iticana susceptible to constant threats from pirates, mercenaries, and all other kingdoms. The people who live on these islands survive by making it through to each storm season, when the dangers from mother nature dissuade enemies from sailing ashore.

The whole storm season, and island hopping, and sailing parts of the book give me such major Pirates of the Carribean vibes that soon after reading these books I had to start to rewatch all of those movies. I can just picture the carribean blue waters and it makes me so jealous that Lara gets to be Queen of this kingdom, and not me.

The worldbuilding, and the minor characters, and the politics are all amazing. Every time Sarhina or Keris made it to the page, I could not put the book down. Or the scenes with Sarhina and her husband. OMG those two are just so cute. This totally badass and eight month pregnant woman, just completely melts for her husband. And he melts for her. Then when she is determined not to be left behind on any kind of rescue mission, her husband isn’t happy about it, and worries about her, but he escorts them to where they need to go and then kisses her goodbye. Honestly I could read a thousand books about them in their daily life.

And that rescue scene has such Aelin rescuing Aedion vibes in Queen of Shadows that totally had me hooked. It is the kind of writing where the reader only sees the plan happening in real time. Only snippets of when they are planning it. What an incredible network of helpers that they needed to put this plan in motion. It was truly amazing.

It was a great story, and absolutely incredible worldbuilding, but in the end, I did not see how this romance could ever work. Both Lara and Aren had betrayed each other so deeply, so badly, that I still can’t imagine how they belong together. They have such an ugly relationship––with so many betrayals and hurts that in the end, I just thought that it would have been healthier for them to go their separate ways.

So overall, I would say 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

for the worldbuilding

⭐⭐ 

for the romance––Aren and Lara had some very brief and cute moments 

Tropes

Romance and fantasy tropes combined:

• Enemies to lovers
• Love/hate relationship
• Arranged marriage
• The world that never progresses
• Evil rulers
• Rescue Missions
• Fish out of water
• Revenge Plots

Why the Romance Died

Luckily I had marked on my Goodreads the exact moment when it went so wrong. (Page 275 of The Traitor Queen.) Agony and angst would be an understatement for this scene.

Everyone still hates Lara, and yet, she fights with them in battle and jumps in front of a sword to save someone else’s life, slicing her own leg open. No one notices that she is gone, and she is basically bleeding to death as she is trying to sew up her own leg.

It is a very emotional and gut wrenching scene. Lara is already fighting dizziness, “taking a deep breath, she pressed the needle against her flesh again, but her hands were shaking so hard she lost her grip on the muscle.

Tears poured down her cheeks as she struggled to get it back into place.”

Then finally Aren notices she is missing and shows up, promising to help her

“Why didn’t you ask for help?

…

“Its fine. I can do it. I just need a minute.”

…

“By the time you finish stitching, you’ll have bled to death.”

He acts almost angry, as if worrying about her, telling her that she needs to stop “throwing [herself] into harm’s way.”

Then she actually does pass out. Probably from blood loss and/or stitches. What she acknowledges that she needs is food and water, and rest. And if Aren actually cared about her, he would take care of her, in those ways. But instead, they hook up. Despite her still being at risk of dying. Or fainting again.

When they wake up, he tells her, “This was a mistake,” and “ I can’t risk this happening again.”

To which Lara says, “I love you.” Like, to her husband of two books.

And he says “I’m sorry.”

Ouch

Then Aren literally leaves, taking the ship and everyone else and abandons her on the island.

You read that right. Abandons the woman who almost bled to death the night before. Who is also the same woman who doesn’t know how to swim. On An Island. 

I am torn because this scene is so well written, and it elicits such strong emotions from readers, like such agony. However, I strongly believe that after this series of events that have spanned two books, when this is how Aren treats her after everything, that this couple should not be together. I just think that this is so awful, and unnecessary, and that it was probably this scene that made me stop rooting for them. And waiting for the time when they resolve their issues.

I am always enthralled in romance books when I can’t even imagine how the couple will make it work. And love to read solutions that I never saw coming.

What do you all think? Could you (as a reader) forgive Aren after this moment? Do you think redemption is possible? I honestly can’t.