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juliereadsromance's reviews
517 reviews
The Duchess War by Courtney Milan
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
4.5 out of 5 stars
This novel reminded me that limitations breed creativity. There is no much variability in the plots of Regency era romances. In The Duchess War, a radical Duke falls in love with a non-aristocratic woman with a mysterious past. While intriguing, this plot is not terribly original. This makes Courtney Milan’s triumph with this book even more impressive. This book doesn’t FEEL like any other Regency romance I’ve read, even though technically the plot is quite similar to other Regency romances. I think Milan achieved that sense of singularity among these characters through nuances in their emotional developmental and by going really deep into who they are.
I definitely recommend this Regency romance. It’s well written with sharply drawn characters, a deep romance, and a complex plot.
Special thanks to the Courtney Milan Week folks who inspired the read.
4.5 out of 5 stars
This novel reminded me that limitations breed creativity. There is no much variability in the plots of Regency era romances. In The Duchess War, a radical Duke falls in love with a non-aristocratic woman with a mysterious past. While intriguing, this plot is not terribly original. This makes Courtney Milan’s triumph with this book even more impressive. This book doesn’t FEEL like any other Regency romance I’ve read, even though technically the plot is quite similar to other Regency romances. I think Milan achieved that sense of singularity among these characters through nuances in their emotional developmental and by going really deep into who they are.
I definitely recommend this Regency romance. It’s well written with sharply drawn characters, a deep romance, and a complex plot.
Special thanks to the Courtney Milan Week folks who inspired the read.
The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren
Did not finish book. Stopped at 40%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 40%.
DNF at 40%
This book has a great set up, but just wasn’t what I was in the mood for. Definitely not a bad book, and people should read it. I agree with some other reviewers that there was just something lackluster about the two main characters. Overall, I think I just wasn’t in the right mood for this book right now.
This book has a great set up, but just wasn’t what I was in the mood for. Definitely not a bad book, and people should read it. I agree with some other reviewers that there was just something lackluster about the two main characters. Overall, I think I just wasn’t in the right mood for this book right now.
The Muse of Maiden Lane by Mimi Matthews
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This is a smart end to a charming series. Mimi Mathews is a talented writer and veritable historian- with abundant research and historical accuracy in her books.
There is so much to like about this book, but the aspect that may stand out for readers, as both novel (unfortunately) and informative, will be Teddy’s use of a wheelchair.
Teddy lost use of his legs five years ago after contracting scarlet fever.
This book so articulately describes the emotional and logistical challenges facing a young man with a wheelchair in the Victorian era. The author didn’t shy away from the sad finality of Teddy’s circumstances, nor did she make him a focus of pity. The depiction of Teddy, and his romance with Stella, is as an important and beautiful example of inclusive representation in historical romance.
One shortcoming for me was that I didn’t feel like I knew Teddy quite as deeply as some of the heroes in the author’s other books. While we are given so much insight into Teddy’s feelings about the limits to the use of his legs, I felt there were other aspects of him that didn’t feel fully fleshed out for me.
That said, there is so much to cherish about Teddy and Stella. I commend Mimi Mathews on a singular finish to a smart series and recommend this book.
Thank you to @netgalley and to the publisher for providing an advanced reader copy of this book.
There is so much to like about this book, but the aspect that may stand out for readers, as both novel (unfortunately) and informative, will be Teddy’s use of a wheelchair.
Teddy lost use of his legs five years ago after contracting scarlet fever.
This book so articulately describes the emotional and logistical challenges facing a young man with a wheelchair in the Victorian era. The author didn’t shy away from the sad finality of Teddy’s circumstances, nor did she make him a focus of pity. The depiction of Teddy, and his romance with Stella, is as an important and beautiful example of inclusive representation in historical romance.
One shortcoming for me was that I didn’t feel like I knew Teddy quite as deeply as some of the heroes in the author’s other books. While we are given so much insight into Teddy’s feelings about the limits to the use of his legs, I felt there were other aspects of him that didn’t feel fully fleshed out for me.
That said, there is so much to cherish about Teddy and Stella. I commend Mimi Mathews on a singular finish to a smart series and recommend this book.
Thank you to @netgalley and to the publisher for providing an advanced reader copy of this book.
Seat Mates by Anna Harbom
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Two sassy twenty-somethings have a traffic dispute that ends with them flipping the bird at each other, then find themselves seated beside each other on a flight. The author made this somewhat cliche meet-cute feel charming rather than tired.
The author built some intrigue early on by creating questions around the circumstances of the FMC’s breakup with her former partner. I won’t give any spoilers, but the answers are a bit unexpected, and make for a unique plot.
The latter part of the book started to feel heavy, without enough humor or character development to carry it for me. Additionally, the main characters felt one-note to me. There wasn’t a significant amount of change in these characters, and the loving sentiment between the FMC and MMC felt repetitive.
While I didn’t love this book, I would definitely try other books by this author. There was a lot there to like and I would still recommend this book to readers who like contemporary romance with medium angst.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader copy.
The author built some intrigue early on by creating questions around the circumstances of the FMC’s breakup with her former partner. I won’t give any spoilers, but the answers are a bit unexpected, and make for a unique plot.
The latter part of the book started to feel heavy, without enough humor or character development to carry it for me. Additionally, the main characters felt one-note to me. There wasn’t a significant amount of change in these characters, and the loving sentiment between the FMC and MMC felt repetitive.
While I didn’t love this book, I would definitely try other books by this author. There was a lot there to like and I would still recommend this book to readers who like contemporary romance with medium angst.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader copy.
Earls Trip by Jenny Holiday
5.0
If historical romance is dead, then Jenny Holiday has resurrected it.
[NOTE: historical romance is not dead.]
While historical romance is a queen who needs no enhancements to her beauty, it is still quite exciting to see authors finding innovative ways to make historical romance feel fresh for a contemporary audience.
I think that’s what Jenny Holiday does here. This is a Regency era historical romance that reads like a contemporary romance. The characters possess modern sensibilities - like men with sex positive, progressive points of view. It’s probably historically inaccurate. Does it matter? No. All romance novels are fantasy novels. There is world building in every one of them.
This is a boys’ trip. Literally, like Vegas, what happens on earls trip stays on earls trip. But obviously all human experiences are made better by women, so when two women unexpectedly join earls trip, they bring humor and depth to the earls’ friend group. And then a very sweet romance unfolds between the main characters.
I loved this tender, thoughtful book. It has all the things I love about historical romance, plus an added layer of the contemporary ethos of gender parity and self-reflection.
The Proposition by Judith Ivory
Did not finish book.
Did not finish book.
DNF. For me, I couldn’t get comfortable with the premise of betting on whether a man who’s poor and essentially “from the wrong side of the tracks”, who speaks a different dialect, could be turned into a “gentleman”. The first part of his transformation process involves the FMC forcing him to take a bath against his will. (Essentially making him literally and figuratively less dirty???!) It all just felt so wrong. Perhaps it felt less wrong at the time it was published? But, now it really reads as exoticizing someone who is different than you, fundamentally seeing them as “dirty” as who they are, and judging your own circumstances as morally superior. This one wasn’t for me.