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jess_justmaybeperfect's reviews
769 reviews
The Duchess Takes a Husband by Harper St. George
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Camille, a young American woman forced by her parents to marry an English Duke thrice her age is set free from her abusive marriage when her monster of a husband dies in bed with his mistress.
Finally free of him and in attempt to understand and work through her (well earned) fear of sex, Camille approaches Jacob, her best friends brother in law, and the owner of her club, for a liaison.
Shocked (and frankly terrified given how much he wants her) by her offer Jacob refuses, only to turn around and ask her to agree to a fake engagement he needs for a business deal. She agrees, only if he’ll also agree to her original offer. And so their story begins.
Scandalous meetings, romantic waltzes, 🔥 uses of mirrors, suffrage protests, big bad villains, parents out in their place, and swoony apologies follow.
Loved it.
Finally free of him and in attempt to understand and work through her (well earned) fear of sex, Camille approaches Jacob, her best friends brother in law, and the owner of her club, for a liaison.
Shocked (and frankly terrified given how much he wants her) by her offer Jacob refuses, only to turn around and ask her to agree to a fake engagement he needs for a business deal. She agrees, only if he’ll also agree to her original offer. And so their story begins.
Scandalous meetings, romantic waltzes, 🔥 uses of mirrors, suffrage protests, big bad villains, parents out in their place, and swoony apologies follow.
Loved it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Abandonment
A Convenient Fiction by Mimi Matthews
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Alex, a man with a dark and hidden past, is determined to marry a woman with property and set himself up for a legacy. After blackmailing a gambling buddy into introducing him to an heiress, Alex’s plans are thrown off course when he meets Laura (they have a fantastic and meaningful meet cute btw), the heiress’s childhood friend.
Laura has plans to revive the family business and is being thwarted by a corrupt lawyer who uses Laura’s brother’s invalidity to excuse his behavior. Her strength and secret pain combine to make her one of the most interesting women I’ve read this year. She has excellent eldest daughter energy.
Forced to spend time together when the heiress insists Laura ask as chaperone/companion, they share secrets, dreams, and plans.
Then an accident puts Laura in a compromising position and Alex returns to do the honorable thing, for convenience of course.
After they wed, Alex and Laura take steps to rebuild the family business and in turn start to build their relationship and whew, Matthews writes the hottest closed door romances.
This whole series is outstanding. And the connections, reunions, and found families make each installment a must read.
Laura has plans to revive the family business and is being thwarted by a corrupt lawyer who uses Laura’s brother’s invalidity to excuse his behavior. Her strength and secret pain combine to make her one of the most interesting women I’ve read this year. She has excellent eldest daughter energy.
Forced to spend time together when the heiress insists Laura ask as chaperone/companion, they share secrets, dreams, and plans.
Then an accident puts Laura in a compromising position and Alex returns to do the honorable thing, for convenience of course.
After they wed, Alex and Laura take steps to rebuild the family business and in turn start to build their relationship and whew, Matthews writes the hottest closed door romances.
This whole series is outstanding. And the connections, reunions, and found families make each installment a must read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, and Abandonment
The Lady Tempts an Heir by Harper St. George
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Helena and Max meet when he arrives in London to look for his missing sister (previous book) and Helena offers to help.
Months later he returns and they, perhaps ignoring how much they want each other, enter into an arrangement. He needs his father off his back about family legacy. She needs investors for her home for unwed mothers and having a man at her side will help battle the naysayers. A fake courtship it is!
Competition, mistakes, support, protection, and respect are front and center for these two and the combo is chef’s kiss!!
As the story progresses feelings grow, realities come to light, and the conflict (he lives and works in New York, she lives and works in London) comes front and center, Max and Helena must face the complications or lose a chance and true happiness.
What St. George does with infertility in the book could be its own essay.
Months later he returns and they, perhaps ignoring how much they want each other, enter into an arrangement. He needs his father off his back about family legacy. She needs investors for her home for unwed mothers and having a man at her side will help battle the naysayers. A fake courtship it is!
Competition, mistakes, support, protection, and respect are front and center for these two and the combo is chef’s kiss!!
As the story progresses feelings grow, realities come to light, and the conflict (he lives and works in New York, she lives and works in London) comes front and center, Max and Helena must face the complications or lose a chance and true happiness.
What St. George does with infertility in the book could be its own essay.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infertility, and Sexual content
When The Lord Adored Me by Lydia Lloyd
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Friends to lovers meets opposites attract in this regency romance Christmas novella from Lydia Lloyd.
Lloyd does great job creating an HEA for two people who, despite years of friendship and love, seem very incompatible.
It was funny, romantic, and super hot but never gratuitously (not that I object to gratuitous sex obviously). The 12 days of gifts and the flash forward in the epilogue were a VERY NICE touch.
There is some mild slut shaming and I’d have preferred thethird act breakup had it been less cruel to her.
Lloyd does great job creating an HEA for two people who, despite years of friendship and love, seem very incompatible.
It was funny, romantic, and super hot but never gratuitously (not that I object to gratuitous sex obviously). The 12 days of gifts and the flash forward in the epilogue were a VERY NICE touch.
There is some mild slut shaming and I’d have preferred the
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, and Death of parent
The Seduction of Elliot McBride by Jennifer Ashley
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
This book covers mental illness, PTSD, torture, enslavement, murder, colonization, racism, xenophobia, abandonment, long term pining, scandal, fear, heartbreak, sex, and love.
None of these themes were addressed fully and almost all were a disappointment if not completely offensive.
I cannot recommend this story.
None of these themes were addressed fully and almost all were a disappointment if not completely offensive.
I cannot recommend this story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
A MacKenzie Family Christmas: The Perfect Gift by Jennifer Ashley
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Absolutely delightful holiday fan service with some classic Mackenzie drama. I ate it up. Best to read if you’ve already finished Ian, Mac, Cam, and Hart’s books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol