juliereadsromance's reviews
517 reviews

I challenge you to not feel enamored with Michael, aka. Viscount Wicked, by the end of this story. 

Although the story and characters may seem typical to the avid historical Romance reader, the book is still a delight to read.

In the more intimate scenes, Michael gives off some real masculine big D energy (may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but pour me another please.) Stacy Reid writes seggsual tension and seggs scenes in general very well. This book is no exception. 

For me, Michael’s arc from lonely rake to doe eyed sweetheart was endearing enough to make up for however typical or expected this book may otherwise be. 

I really enjoyed this book and recommend it. This would be a good starter book for someone looking to dip their toe into historical romance. 

I heard about this book from another bookish person’s review (I can’t remember who it was!!!??? Sorry) that said that this book reminded her of the older, classic historical romances, and I completely agree. There is a lushness and sweeping feeling to the older historical romances. This book had that feel. 

I also think this book is a good example of how to make historical romance novels very appealing and more relatable for contemporary readers. The author feministified (trademark that) a story from  1400s Scotland in which a woman, a healer by training, escaping a one year forced marriage (hold fast) to a cruel laird is found by the laird for a competing clan. In spite of her initial reluctance, the FMC returns to the laird’s castle to help heal his brother, recovering from a near fatal wound. 

Importantly, the FMC is recovering from the sexual and physical violence from her prior hold fast to the cruel Cameron laird. Much of this book is about her recovery from sexual trauma. The MMC becomes increasingly sensitive to

3 stars. The sexy parts of this book are enjoyable and somewhat original. They’re well done. Apart from that, I didn’t enjoy this book. The male main character is flat. I just didn’t believe he was truly evolving. And his voice in the book is weird. He speaks in a formal way that felt more reminiscent of a different time period rather than reflective of his billionaire class, which I think is what the author was going for. I can see how many readers of dark romance will enjoy this, but it was not for me.

3.5 rounded to 4 stars

There is a lot to like about this book. First, the male main character is a full, well rounded human. He isn’t a postage stamp man. He has complex emotions and experiences relatable challenges in finding him self. He has depth. 

All of the characters were three dimensional and likable, while still feeling distinct. 

However, this book moved very slowly. I honestly could t get through it. It just couldn’t keep me going. 

Mind you, I give up pretty easily on books. 

But for this reason, it gets 3.5 stars from me. 

I’m sure a lot of readers of contemporary rom coms will enjoy this intelligent romance that has depth.

Kate Bateman has created a really fun world with this series- an investigative agency secretly run by three women, all friends from growing up. 

I’ve really enjoyed Kate Bateman books in the past, but this one fell a little flat for me. The insta-love that was established on the first page never really gets thoroughly explored or supported. It was simply- he saw her, he loved her. 

While I really liked the male and female leads, their characters never became fully formed for me. They remained a bit flat. 

I still enjoyed this book and think a lot of regency romance readers will enjoy this low angst, pleasing read.

4.25? Stars

I eagerly ate up this small town romance, where stoic cowboy single dad meets fiery city girl nanny. In spite of how common this set up is, Elsie Silver makes the universe of Chestnut Springs feel original. She draws her characters with detail and depth, which helps make each of these characters feel like someone you’re meeting for the first time.

This book is a little better than the first book in the series, IMO, but I think it’s important to read book 1 which lays out Chestnut Springs and introduces us to the Eaton family. 

In spite of being a small, rural ish town, Chestnut Springs has some sophistication with charming coffee shops and interesting residents. This is also true of the Eatons, who run a ranch while also having a cosmopolitan feel (in my opinion!).

This is an opposites attract story, and I ate it up. Obviously grumpy, soft hearted single dad falls in leeeerrrrvvvveee with fiery, wild city girl with a heart of gold. It was a pleasure to read. Doesn’t reach 5 stars for me because it just didn’t knock my socks off, and that’s how I grade books. However, this is a great, enjoyable read!

4.25 ish. 

Mary Balogh writes some gorgeous sentences and paints romance with a fine stroke. I really liked this story essentially about a marriage of convenience between an aristocratic woman (at age 20 something, though to not be so young!) and a man recently returned from America with a fortune and an enigmatic backstory. Their courtship and marriage evolve into LOVE. 

For me, I was SO frustrated that there was so little spice. The romance is so good, but then the intimate scenes lack quite a bit of depth and detail! 

Overall, a really worthwhile historical romance. 

 

I just can’t. There is so much narcissism and, more generally, undiagnosed psychopathology here. I love bananas backwards books but not this one. At first, I thought I maybe loved it. There are some brilliant observations and lines in it. Miranda July sees the world in a unique way and shares incisive observations of the lives of (some) women. But then, this book is a snowball rolling down a hill of narcissism. I don’t know what else to say. I loved the kinky sex stuff. But the way the main character manages her relationships with others is hard for me to endure. Not every heroine has to be likable, but I just couldn’t get past that here.