romance

Review: Christmas at the Little Village Bakery by Tilly Tennant

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Millie and Dylan. Jasmine and Rich. Spencer and Tori. The future in-laws, the cousin, the pub owners…  

Book Two in the Honeybourne series takes a look at three couples and the ever changing dynamics of their lives. This book engaged me more than the first in the series, and I liked Millie and Dylan even more. Spencer and Tori illustrated the ups and downs of wedding planning, and Jasmine and Rich the ups and downs of an established marriage. With all that’s going on in Honeybourne, sticking with the one you love requires lots of talking, alone-together time, and Millie’s special baked goods. 

I always like a bit of British chick-lit, and this one hit the spot. The happily ever afters were right on. Maybe it was Jasmine’s lightheartedness, maybe it was Spencer’s romantic side, or maybe it was just Millie’s magic! ❤

-calliope

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Review: Reaper’s Fire by Joanna Wylde

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01 ar My feelings are bit all over the place for this book. I’m not sure what to think here. I was expecting one story and I got another. We met Gage in Reaper’s Fall. We saw a glimpse of Tinker too, but not too much. I was anxious to see what their story entailed, but it just didn’t turn out like I thought.

Let start out by saying that I liked Tinker. She was fantastic. She was way to good for Gage, but she still wanted him. Bad thing was he was undercover for the Reapers and had a girl/lover with this new club. He was with her practically the entire time. So this book had a slow burn in the romance department. Gage wanted Tinker, but he needed to finish this job, or his and her life would be on the line.

There was quite a bit of tension throughout this story. This club wasn’t doing things the right way and sometimes Tinker was mixed up in the middle of the mess and that stressed me out. I understand where Gage was coming from, but I wish he just dropped the undercover stuff and ran with Tinker.

While I am happy we get to see Gage’s story, there was so much I felt that should’ve been resolved. I felt that the ending was rushed and it left me wanting more. The timelines between this and Reaper’s Fall were a bit off, so I was getting mixed up. I know I’ll continue with the series, but I hope each book stays separate from now on.

~Melpomene

Buy Reaper’s Fire HERE.

Review: Santorini Sunsets by Anita Hughes

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Brigit is preparing for her dream wedding … to a dream guy. Blake may have come from modest beginnings but he’s rich and famous now. And he gets along well with Brigit’s family (but maybe too well).  

As Brigit, Blake and their families wrap up the last weeks of planning in picturesque Santorini, Greece, Brigit’s broody ex-husband shows up. 

Nathaniel still loves Brigit, but she’s pretty focused on Blake. I liked that Brigit stayed true to herself the whole time. She didn’t sell out or lie or betray. And neither did Blake and Nathaniel. Hughes wrote some terrific characters that didn’t compromise their own values. Each man and woman acted authentically, and the chips fell where they may.  

As always with Hughes’ exotically set novels, she richly describes landscape, sea, people, food, and clothing.  Reading Santorini was luxurious and satisfying, right up through the happily ever after. 

-calliope

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Review: Beauty and the Clockwork Beast by Nancy Campbell Allen

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01 aclo This has to be the one of the most unique books I have ever read. Unique in the sense that I’ve never read Steampunk before. All the talk of gears and ray guns and such was just wild for me. Now toss in vampires, werewolves and ghosts and you have the making a crazy story. Not to mention romance, cuz of course I need romance in my stories. This was just plain fantastic.

When Lucy decided to visit her cousin, Kate, she thought she was there to merely help her get well. She had no idea that she was about to get sucked into such drama. From pushy relatives to ghost hauntings, she has more on her plate than she ever thought possible. Last thing she wants is to deal with a mean, yet handsome, man who seems to be everywhere she looks. I liked Lucy. She had spunk. She wasn’t going to let anything scare her off until she figured out what was making her cousin sick. Not even the big bad beast could move her along.

Miles was fun to watch. Yes, he had is secrets. Yes, he was brash. But he cared for his family and was trying to do the best for them. In the ways of the “beast” it was sweet to see him fall for Lucy, even though he didn’t want to. He tried to protect her and push her away, but she wasn’t taking any of his crap. These two were too stubborn to not connect with each other.

The best part of this book is that it’s clean. As with all Proper Romances, this story has nothing to hide. Teens to adult can enjoy this story without worrying about sexy scenes. I look forward to letting my daughter read this when she’s ready.

I’ll admit, I had no idea what I was getting myself into here. I have no idea what’s “traditional” steampunk and what isn’t. I still don’t know. But what I do know is that I completely enjoyed this story. And if all steampunks are like this one, then I know I found another genre to add to my TBR.

~Melpomene

Buy Beauty and the Clockwork Beast HERE.

Spoiler free review and Giveaway: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

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01 iewu Imagine all the people you meet in your life. There are so many. They come in like waves, trickling in and out with the tide. Some waves are much bigger and make more of an impact than others. Sometimes the waves bring with them things from deep in the bottom of the sea and they leave those things tossed on the shore. Imprints against grains of sand that prove the waves had once been there, long after the tide recedes.

Have you ever preordered a book, without even a blurb? I mean, the story wasn’t even written yet, but you did it cuz you LOVE the author so much and know that whatever she writes you’ll buy. Well, that was me back in October. I preordered It Ends With Us, by Colleen Hoover, and then I was waiting like everyone else. Luckily I was able to read an advanced copy, so I know the impact this book is going to have and I HIGHLY recommend each of you grab a copy for yourselves. Go in blind. You MUST. Don’t read a single spoiler. Trust me.

To say that I love Colleen Hoover, would be an understatement. I love and read all of her books. I know what to expect when I read them. There will be laughter and love and a nice dose of angst. But with this book… This book is so much more than that. Nothing could prepare my heart and mind for all the emotions that this book would bring out. It Ends With Us is the most real book she has ever written. It’s probably the most life changing one also. It’s real. It’s raw. It’s life.

This book will make you think. The world is not just black and white. There is grey everywhere you look. I can honestly say that I went in reading with one point of view and I left knowing, not that I was wrong, but, there’s just more to a story than you may know.

This book will make you be a better friend. You will want to be that person for someone. The one to listen and give advice. The one who will say what needs to be said, even if they don’t want to hear it.

This book will make you strong and proud. Without saying anything else, whoever reads this book will walk away with the strength to be brave and bold.

I spent a good portion, of my reading, with my stomach in knots. I’ve never hated and loved characters so much before. They were perfect and imperfect. My mind was all twisted. I didn’t think I could fully comprehend this story’s impact, until hours later. Even now, I know it’ll be greater than anything I could think of. I recommend it everyone.

I realize this is probably the most vague review ever, but there is no way I could say anything without saying, well, anything. Just trust me.

Buy it. Read it. Let it change your life.

~Melpomene

Buy It Ends With Us

Enter the giveaway HERE.

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Review: Swear on this Life by Renee Carlino

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01 aa Talk about a book fog. Ever since I saw the cover for Swear on this Life I was intrigued. After my mad love for Before We Were Strangers part of me was nervous though. I mean that book was my #1 book for 2015, so that’s mighty big shoes to fill. But let me tell you, Renee totally nailed it. I woke up early on a Saturday morning, and never left the bed until I finished the book. I never stopped. I was pulled in and there was no stopping me.

SYNOPSIS
When a bestselling debut novel from mysterious author J.Colby becomes the literary event of the year, Emiline reads it reluctantly. As an adjunct writing instructor at UC San Diego with her own stalled literary career and a bumpy long-term relationship, Emiline isn’t thrilled to celebrate the accomplishments of a young and gifted writer.

Yet from the very first page, Emiline is entranced by the story of Emerson and Jackson, two childhood best friends who fall in love and dream of a better life beyond the long dirt road that winds through their impoverished town in rural Ohio.

That’s because the novel is patterned on Emiline’s own dark and desperate childhood, which means that “J. Colby” must be Jase: the best friend and first love she hasn’t seen in over a decade. Far from being flattered that he wrote the novel from her perspective, Emiline is furious that he co-opted her painful past and took some dramatic creative liberties with the ending.

The only way she can put her mind at ease is to find and confront “J. Colby,” but is she prepared to learn the truth behind the fiction?

There are so many things one can take away from the books they read. For me, this book makes me think of regret. Emiline had a very rough beginning in life, and to be honest, I fell like she’s been living in a fog for the past few years. Going through the motions, even though she doesn’t think so. When she discovers that J.Colby is none other than her best friend/boyfriend, from when she was younger, and that he has basically written about her life, she is completely blown away. While this book is technically fiction, there’s too much real life to just let it go. As she reads it, slowly, she starts to relive a past in which she has so desperately tried to forget.

When she comes face to face with Jase, all those feelings come fully out. She decides to take a good hard look at her life and decides what she wants out of it. She makes decisions that I don’t believe she could’ve made without this book’s nudging. Em and Jase’s lives were nothing like the fairy tales you wish for. They were raw and gritty and very real. They learned to rely on each other for their sanity basically. I think after reading Jase’s book, Em starts to realize that there’s more to her than she realized.

My heart was racing and quite a few places in this book. I mean legit racing. I wanted a HEA. I needed a HEA. But not everything in life is happy, so I had to hold on tight and hope. If you like second chance romances, with a hefty dose of angst and emotion, then be sure and grab this book. You can thank me later.

~Melpomene

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Review: Death at the Day Lily Cafe by Wendy Sand Eckel

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Here we have Rosalie who has the grand opening of her long-sought-after cafe. And what happens? Friend Doris stumbles in all agog that her sister is being accused of murder! Rosalie is no stranger to crime investigation, so she gets right on that, much to the sheriff’s chagrin. 

While Rosalie tries to find the real murderer, she’s also managing employees, keeping track of her health, being a mom, hanging out with the farmer who leases her land, and keeping a bad guy out of her hair! 

This is a cute cozy mystery that also includes romance and family secrets. It’s second in a series, and I didn’t read the first one… so it was hard to feel engaged with all the characters right off the bat. However, I did love the cafe setting, Rosalie’s daughter, the farmer, and the lovely cook! 

-calliope

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Review: The Highlander by Kerrigan Byrne

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01 ahi Another epic romance filled with angst, excitement, and so much love I was basking in it. The Victorian Rebels series is proving to be epic and romantic and filled with such rich scenery that you feel like you’re actually in the Highlands.

From the very beginning you are sucked into this story. I’ll admit, the prologue packed a punch that I never saw coming, but it made me grip my kindle tighter and read faster. I just knew this story was going to be filled with lots of emotions.

Mena has to be the strongest woman ever. You met her in The Hunter, so you know what happened to her. Now she has a past that she is determined to keep quiet about. In fact, her very life depends on it. And not even the big scary Demon Highlander will scare her away. She is there to watch the children and find a way to keep the past from catching up to her.

Liam was raised to be this evil, non caring soldier, not to be a kind father. So he needs help in the form of a meek and mild governess. But what he gets is nothing of the sort. You could tell from the very first meeting that he was going to fall hard. Most men would. I mean when you’re forced to have a beautiful woman thrust into your life, something was bound to chip away his hard shell.

This story was was so rich in love, I was just floating in it. Between a father’s love for his children and then falling for Mena, I was a very happy camper.

Now of course life doesn’t always work out smoothly. There will be a fair share of hurt and trials. So much has happened in the past and it takes the love of these two to heal and be made whole.

~Melpomene

Buy The Highlander HERE.

Review: Dragon Fever by Donna Grant

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01 a1001 I just love this sexy dragon series. I mean, it’s dragons. And everyone knows dragons are cool.

Rachel is sent to get information on dragons living in our world and expose them for what they really are. She was picked specifically because she wouldn’t fall for whoever she was after. She’s a diehard reporter who knows how to get the story no matter what. But after her first glance of Asher, she knows that this is going to be harder than she thought.

Asher wishes he was back home at Dreagan instead in Paris. But after a chance meeting, he begins to think that maybe Paris isn’t so bad after all. That is until he finds out what she’s doing but still has trust her when things start to fall apart.

I really enjoyed this fast paced novella. These Dragon Kings move quickly in the romance department. When they find something they like, they go after it FAST. And I gotta say, I like their speed. They don’t mess around. We also discover who’s behind the trouble and learn a few things that I never saw coming.

Sometimes I don’t get to read novellas in some of my series, but I’m so glad I read this one. If you like this series, I highly recommend you read this one. Plus it’ll hold you over until the next one, in March.

~Melpomene

Buy Dragon Fever HERE.

Excerpt

Asher exited the car amid a flash of clicks from cameras as well as reporters doing their best to holler questions the loudest in the hopes he might answer.

“Is it true you’re a dragon?” one reporter asked.

Another yelled, “Shift for us.”

They had no idea how much he wanted to do just that, if for no other reason than to get everyone out of his face. Instead, he put on a serene expression, buttoned his jacket and gave a nod to a few spectators lined up along the entrance as he walked in.

Once inside the centre, there was no time to relax. Ms. Engel was right on his heels, directing where he was headed and giving him names of those he would be meeting.

He stopped outside of the closed doors of the room.

“Is something wrong, sir?” Ms. Engel asked.

“For one, my name is Asher, not sir.”

She held up a finger to stop him. “Mr. Constantine also tried to tell me the same thing. I work for Dreagan and whoever represents the company at the WWC. While here, you’ll always be ‘sir.’”

Asher could accept that. Blossom was beginning to grow on him. She might be a miniature drill sergeant, but she was damn good at her job. No wonder Con used her year after year.

He drew in a breath and released it as he looked behind them. “Is it always so…” He waved his hand around, looking for the right word.

“Crazy? Insane? Nearly fanatical?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

“Only when Dreagan is here.” Ms. Engel put the cap on her pen. “Before TVL, everyone just wanted a glimpse of those who were a part of Dreagan and get a taste of the whisky. After TVL, well, now they want to see what might happen.”

“TVL?” he asked, sorting through all sorts of words she might mean.

“The Video Leak.”

“Ah.” Well, that made sense. He turned his attention to her. “Did you see the video?”

“Of course.”

When she said nothing further, he asked, “What did you think?”

“It doesn’t matter, sir.”

Review: My American Duchess by Eloisa James

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25817386This was my first Elosia James book…although I’ve been meaning to read her for years and have even purchased half a dozen or more of her books over the years (you have to love those Kindle book sales). I am glad I finally read one of her books. I really did enjoy this book. It was a charming fluffy book that entertained me and I didn’t have to strain to follow along. Some days, that’s really all you can want or need from a book. No it didn’t change my life, but it certainly made my day a happier place…

If I had one complaint it was only that the male character, Trent, fancied himself ready to propose less than 10 minutes after meeting the lovely Merry. I just always question how long a relationship will last in the long run when it is based on a start like that…

For me it’s the little things that make a book…and the eccentric Aunt and the adorable dogs…well….that did it for me…

Until next time…

Urania xx

ARC provided by Edelweiss for an honest review

Buy it now My American Duchess by Eloisa James