Asia

3.5/5

I wish I liked this book more because I loved the premise. Eloise running away to meet her pen pal to see if they would be fit to marry, and Phillip, being not only blindsided by her visit, but also trying to connect with his children but couldn't. And them having to work through their differences to find happiness.

It was such an interesting premise, I was so excited to read it. Alas, the book was disappointing.

Firstly, Eloise was amazing. I really loved her (and she was so different from her show version. Who would have thought Eloise was the sunshine wanting to be a wife and a mother?), she was cheeky, and witty, and sarcastic. And I loved how she treated Oliver and Amanda from the start and even as blindsided as she was of learning aboutt heir existence, she was not only ready but also determined to take care of them.

Then, the twins. Or more specifically, Amanda. She was one of the best parts of the book for me. All cheeky and hoping for her father's attention and witty. I loved her. Meanwhile, Oliver was just there. I think that if Oliver didn't exist, the book would still have been the same - I mean even the 2nd epilogue was written from Amanda's perspective, Oliver was always like an afterthought.

And then there's Phillip-all-woe-is-me-Crane. I sympathised with him when it came to Marina and not wanting to be an abusive father like his own had been. But for heaven's sake, this man was so... bland. That's all there is to it. He was bland. He didn't contribute in any way (except for getting rid of the children's nurse, finally), I mean he didn't even know that his children could swim. Or count. Or that they outgrew their clothes. He was so clueless all of the time, it was annoying.

And while he was understandably annoyed with Eloise at first (she did, in fact, ignore his letter for a month and then showed up with no notice), it became frustrating when he locked himself in his greenhouse all day and sulked, and when Eloise tried tot alk to him about his own children, he screamed at her that there's nothing more important than him than to take her to bed because he hadn't been with a woman for years.

Boo hoo.

And their love confession came out of nowhere. At least it was more believable from Elosie's perspective, I think, since she was the one who was trying to reach out, but it was very sudden and slightly out of character for Phillip to confess first. He only wanted a wife to take care of his children and leave him alone (except at night) so it was just weird to see him confess.

But I have to admit that the flowers spelling out his love was very, very romantic.

Now, for the second-favorite part of the book. Bridgerton brothers.

More specifically, Anthony and COlin (but Gregory was there too!)

I love them so much. Anthony was such an older sibling, taking charge and reprimanding Eloise (as was his right imo) and making sure she was safe. I really loved him barging in and trying to strangle Phillip, it was funny to me. And the banter! Amazing. I laughed so much during that part of the book and then I cried when Anthony and Eloise talked in the study.

And Colin "I Miss My Wife" Bridgerton was absolutely fantastic. I couldn't get enough lol.

All in all, the book had an amazing premise but it didn't stick the landing - mostly because Phillip was so bland I think. I've heard fans opinions about him and I honestly forgot about them - but as soon as I finished the book I thought to myself "oh, so that's why they all hate Phillip, makes sense now." I personally don't hate him, I just don't care about him. At all.

Also, can we appreciate Eloise turning into Violet in the 2nd epilogue, as she tried to matchmake her daughter shamelessly? I loved that. Hilarious.

Highlights:

- Eloise was not who I expected but she's amazing anyway

- the twins (well, Amanda)

- ABCG charging after Eloise. The best (and funniest and most emotional) part of the book.

- The shooting competition. I loved that.

Lows:

- Phillip "woe is me" Crane. I didn't really care about him

- The book was a bit boring. I doin't know why, I just wish it was done differently.

Tropes:

- forced proximity

- love letters

- grumpy & sunshine

- opposites attract

- single parent

- marriage of convenience (if you squint)

4/5

I enjoyed this book. Which, if you don't know me, is very surprising since I hate show Penelope and don't care for show Colin.

But I digress.

I loved Colin since the first book, he was awesome. I always love sarcastic heroes and he was. Sassy too. I love this relationship with his siblings (especially his brothers) and I was intrigued to see how his relationship with Penelope progresses in the books.

Penelope, who is so different in the books that I can't help but admire. She's an amazing friend, very kind and nice and forgiving. And she's great as Lady Whistledown: so witty and sarcastic and delightful and funny. She's not at all cruel, she just reports on what happens without any malicious comments (the show did her dirty). Every time Lady Danbury said "I like her" about Penelope, I was like "me too, actually!"

Book Penelope and Colin are much better characters, and I love them.

Lady Danbury was a lovely surprise. She's somewhat similar to her show's counterpart but less meddling, which I appreciated.

As for the other characters, I love Eloise and Hyacinth so much, as well as their relationship with each other, Violet, and Pen. They're both super sassy and hilarious, and I can't wait to read their books, especially Hyacinth's one.

However, Anthony will forever remain my favourite. And this book only solidified that.

He was incredible. i love how much he honestly cared about Penelope and saw her as his sister since the beginning: the cut he gave to Cressida, how he walked Pen home after Colin's comment, how happy he was to welcome Pen to the family,a nd how proud he was when he found out she was Whistledown (and I wish we saw those conversation between him and Colin in the book!). he was the second person (right after Danbury) to clap for her after the announcement! Truly, the nicest man in London.

I love that Penelope and Colin were honest with each other and confessed their feelings before their wedding so there would be no miscommunication at all. I'm not always a fan of an unrequited love but this one was done well. And it was so refreshing to see Colin actually realize he loves Pen now but didn't before - so many books have MMCs say stuff like "it was always you I was just an idiot and didn't see it but I felt it", but not here. Instead, it's much more realistic, "I should have noticed you years ago but I didn't and I'm sorry. I love you now and i was too stupid to not see you like that before" which I appreciate.

I would have given this book 4.5 stars if not for 2 things: one) Colin annoyed me a little bit when he was so jealous of Pen's accomplishments, but he wouldn't tell her and instead refused to speak to her about Whistledown completely.

and 2) the book was a bit boring after they got engaged. There was nothing happening for almost 15% and while I'm glad that they were happy, it was boring. Nothing happened until Cressida's blackmail and suddenly then all of things happened at once: Colin's plan, Eloise's weird behaviour (if it weren't for the 2nd epilogue, I wouldn't know what was going on, but there were so many hints in hindsight), Hastings ball... it was hard to keep up. So yeah, I was really bored for a few chapters.

All in all it was a really good book and I'm glad that unlike his brithers (and Simon), Colin didn't do anything horrible to Penelope (like lying about not being able to have children. Or tossing her a key that she couldn't catch so she would kneel in front of him. Or harassing her to become his mistress). He was so sweet and gentle and amazing. And I'm glad he found his passion in life (other than the food that is).

3.5 ⭐

Sophie, an illegitimate daughter of an Earl, sneaks away to the masquerade ball where she meets Benedict Bridgerton. After a magical evening, she disappears just as the clock strikes midnight.

Benedict never forgot her, and he never wanted another woman. Until he meets a maid, Sophie, to whom he feels a connection.

This book was a rollercoaster to me. I loved it, then I hated it, and then I loved it again.

I loved the first half up until Benedict recovered from his cold again. I hated how much he pushed and pushed for Sophie to become his mistress, despite her telling him no and no again. And the fact that he blackmailed her into going to Violet's house with him and threatened that he would have her arrested if she didn't, and then when he'd show up in his mother's house to bother Sophie over and over again - I wanted to punch him. Repeatedly.

And I wanted to strangle him when he argued with her in the nursery. I really thought that I'd give this book 2 stars at most.

And then the scene in prison changed things.

Benedict was cruel, dismissive of Sophie's struggles and denials, and took advantage of Sophie in every encounter. I hated him. He partially redeemed himself during the jail scene, which made me root for them again. For a long time, I was baffled that he would get the girl, but he somewhat redeemed himself in my eyes. not fully - I wanted more grovel - but he apologized, which is more than I can say for more male characters.

I loved Sophie; she was amazing and didn't deserve what Araminta put her through. Posy was amazing, and I loved the 2nd epilogue giving her hea.

I finally got to the "I will never marry Penelope Featherington" scene! Colin, to jail with you. I loved how Penelope stood up for herself. "I've never asked you to" was incredible. And Anthony was so amazing when he offered to walk her home. Their bond is amazing, and it seems like he thinks of her as his younger sister.

I'm glad we got the ABC scene. I missed having the sibling bonding scenes. A and B making fun of C was funny. And I loved the sisters' scene as well! EFH were delightful, and I can't believe H is 14 already!

Highlights:

- Sophie's kindness and resolve. I loved her

- Benedict in the jail scene.

- Violet. She was incredible, the real MVP.

= Posy. She deserved better from her mother!

- Sibling bonding! Finally!

Lows:

- Benedict not taking no for an answer, harassing Sophie to become his mistress and threatening and blackmailing her. Ugh.

- Araminta and Rosalind. I hated them.

Tropes:

- Secret identity

- Class difference

- Cinderella retelling

- Insta love

- Forbidden romance

- Forced proximity

4.5/5

This book was delightful.

Anthony, Viscount Bridgerton, decided it was time to finally get married, and he set his sights on Edwina Sheffield, the Incomparable of the season. Her older sister, Kate, doesn't think that Anthony is worthy of Edwina, and she doesn't approve of the match.

Unfortunately for Anthony, Edwina has declared she will not marry without Kate's blessing. Sparks fly along with barbs, as Kate and Anthony bicker and grow closer.

I really enjoyed this book. I love season 2 of the show (for the most part) and Kathony is my favourite couple, so I was really excited for this book. I already knew about all the changes (I blame ao3, the fanfics took many books literally from the book without any change), so I was prepared for them.

The study scene was very interesting, though I wanted to punch Anthony when he tossed Kate the key. But I'm glad that he instantly felt bad for his behaviour.

There were few moments where Anthony was almost cruel to Kate, but he always felt bad in the next second. I particularly liked the wedding night when he might have made fun of her, but he realized her feelings and tried to explain and soothe her fears.

Highlights:

-Anthony. I just love him. Giving Cressida the direct cut and walking Penelope to dinner was amazing. And I love how much he loved Kate even when he was in denial. I loved how much he comforted Kate during thunderstorms and how much it pained him to see her that way.

-the way Anthony found Kate beautiful, even when she didn't believe him;

- Kate's insecurities really rang true, and I related deeply;

- Kate, in particular, was so different from the show, but I loved her;

- Colin remains a delight, and I love him;

- The Sheffield family. The show did them dirty. I love how strong and capable Mary is, and how delightful and kind and loving Edwina is. And their bond with each other and Kate was everything. They deserved much better from the show because what Shondaland did to them was a travesty;

- The Pall Mall was hilarious, I was cackling (I was cackling every time Kate and Anthony were together, they're so sassy);

- the lack of a love triangle the show forced upon us! Amazing!

Lows:

- I was hoping for more relationship between the siblings. We only got one Pall Mall scene with Daphne and the oldest brothers, and two White scenes with ABC brothers and one short scene with Eloise and Kate (and Anthony, I suppose), but nothing else. I wanted to see Anthony with all his siblings, especially the youngest two. I missed the bonding between Anthony and Gregory and Anthony and Hyacinth that we got in the show;

- A little bit more of Lady Danbury, I suppose. She had only one scene in this book

- Why did I think Anthony had a son called Edmund and why wasn't he in the epilogue

- Oh, also, the fact that Kate didn't get the mallet of death in the 2nd epilogue is a crime in itself, but I love that Colin got it so good for him, I guess

TW/CW: SA, non-con

Irritated with her lack of prospective husband, Daphne Bridgerton realizes she needs help.

Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings, doesn't need every debutante and their mamas to follow him around London.

When they finally meet, they realize that they could help one another.

This as a very interesting book, although I've read better ones. I of course already watched the TV show, so it was interesting to see all the differences. I liked it, but I thought it would be more exciting and with a more character development, considering that this book series over others got adapted to the screen.

Highlights:

💎 Anthony and Simon's friendship. My god, they're so sarcastic, I wish we'd seen this relationship in the show;

💎 Anthony with any of his siblings, actually. Sarcastic, sassy, and savage. They're all super funny too, I love their scenes;

💎 Colin. That one was a surprise so CE show Colin does nothing for me. Book Colin though? Easily my second favourite character (Anthony will always have my heart);

💎 Simon and Daphne are much more interesting and witty;

Lows:

💎 the lack of Lady Danbury. I knew Charlotte wouldn't be here but I hoped for more Danbury. Same with Frederick! I hoped Simon would have a competition;

💎 the only good thing about Simon's father is that he's dead;

💎 the SA scene was both better and worse in the show. Better, because Daphne didn't plan it for the entire day and it wasn't premeditated. Worse, because Simon was drunk and couldn't consent;

💎 the lack of apology and/or grovel from Daphne;

Tropes:

💎 fake dating

💎 brother's best friend

💎 forbidden relationship

💎 marriage of convenience

4.5/5

Dani and Ezra are both lawyers who bicker, banter, and sleep together. When they both end up on opposing sides on a major divorce case, they need to learn whether they really know each other as well as they thought, and whether they can overcome their issues.

I loved this book. The sizzling chemistry, very clever banter and very, very hot spice scenes were everything I wanted and more.

Dani is still trying to come to terms with her parents' divorce; it's not so much that they're still friends, but the fact that they lied to her and sacrificed themselves for her for 17 years of her life, and she feels like it was her fault. She believed that her parents had this amazing love story that made her believe in love - only to find out it was all a lie. No wonder she has trust and commitment issues. It would have messed everyone up.

Ezra, on the other hand, has a very strained relationship with his father and is trying very hard to help his mother. We learn more about him and his family issues as the story progresses, and we get a glimpse into his mind. And we learn that not everything is as it seems.

I loved Ezra and Dani's relationship and how they grew and overcame their issues. I was partially annoyed with Ezra for allowing his father to have such a hold on his life, and I was relieved when he finally pushed back and became independent.

As much as I loved Dani, I was annoyed at her (over) reaction and inability to listen and believe Ezra's explanation. At least she not only apologized, but also helped Ezra in a major way to atone! And I'm glad we had almost 3 full chapters of fluff at the end.

I loved the romance, but also the side plot about their case. I was also invested in Dani's friends' story and I hope we'll get a book about them soon. It was my second ever Lana Ferguson book, but I will definitely read more of her books.

This book is perfect for people who love:

- enemies/ rivals to lovers

- workplace romance

- friends with benefits

- opposites attract

- spice

- he falls first

the ending game the ick. Public love confession (well, on a live stream but okay), same grey panties AND A TIME SKIP are all things that I hate lmao

4/5

Thank you, NetGalley and St Martin's Press, for providing the arc for my honest opinion.

Lottie is a lady's companion who one day knocks Viscount Wennington off his horse. And after he yells at her, she threatens to whip him. Accidentally, of course.

When her employer takes her to her nephew's house for a surprise birthday party, she's shocked to see that said nephew is the same man she knocked in the park.

Viscount Wennington despises being in a spotlight, so when his mother damnd a birthday party for him,. Guy agrees on a small soiree. He has no idea that his mother and aunt, with the help of the vexing woman he met at the park, invited a gaggle of debutantes, all vying for his attention. And he's less than impressed that the only person he wants to spend time with is Lottie herself.

I enjoyed this book. The characters and plot were well written, and I loved all the bickering between Lottie and Guy. I was giggling and kicking my feet at the obvious way the matrons were meddling to bring them together, while the main characters didn't realize that.

The writing was good, but confusing at times. There were too many internal thoughts between the dialogue (which often had nothing to do with the scenes they were in), which slowed down the plot a lot. And as the narration tried to use the stylized language to make it more realistic as a historical romance, the way the characters used modern gen-z slang that clashed with the flowery descriptions on the same page.

I enjoyed the book very much and I loved how it all turn up. While public confessions are not my cup of tea, I liked how it was written in this book. And the plot was engaging and fun and really enjoyed Lottie and Guy's story.

The book is perfect for people who love:

🐎 forced proximity

🐎 enemies to lovers

🐎 meddling mamas

🐎 grumpy & sunshine

🐎 age gap

Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for providing the ARC for my honest opinion.

3.75/5

Oliver and Priscilla used to be friendly before he embarrassed her in front of everyone. Now, a year later, they need to join forces to make sure that their best friends' proposal extravaganza is perfect in every way. Which is difficult when they can't stop bickering...

This was a fun book. It wasn't perfect, but it was still a lot of fun.

Tina's idea for a proposal was so over the top it was funny to me. I'm more like Priscilla - instead of a flash mob and fireworks, I'd rather have only my partner there. But it was perfect for Tina, who wanted to recreate her mother's proposal and add her own spin on it.

Priscilla was an interesting character and I enjoyed her. She was standing her ground when her parents disapproved of her starting her own business (I hoped we would have something more about them later on, but still), and she started to work hard on it almost immediately.

Oliver was fun, cocky, a generic MMC, but I enjoyed him a lot. He was so down for Priscilla from the start, and poor girl never noticed, even though it was so obvious. I enjoyed that he tried tot ell her how he felt and she was so oblivious, she thought he was only pretending.

Same. I would have done the exact same thing as Priscilla and be obtuse about what's in front of me. That spoke to me on a spiritual level.

She was also "obsessive" about something for short amounts of time, and I can relate to that too. Honestly, Priscilla is me and I am Priscilla.

I loved the relationship between Oliver and Priscilla and how they started to trust each other again. The spice was great and the bond between them was so good.

I also loved their friendship with Ryan and Tina.

This is a great book for everyone who loves enemies to lovers who have to be partners in crime.

Thank you, NetGalley and Avon, for providing the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Gabe and Emmy work for the same baseball team in the same data analyst department. They hate each other with passion and always compete. When a chance of promotion appears, they both try to one-up one another.

At the same time, Emmy receives a text from an unknown number, and she and the stranger start texting every day. And when she realizes she needs a date for her sister's wedding, Emmy leaps at the chance.

But things grow complicated when the stranger she falls for turns out to be Gabe.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, it was well-written, emotional, with mostly well-rounded characters and a compelling story; on the other, Emmy irritated me in the first half, and I almost didn't finish the book. And the grand gesture at the end had me cringe.

Her "woe is me, it's so hard being a woman" complains and constant use of the phrase "Boys Town" was really irritating, the fact that she hides her femininity by choice and she constantly whines about how she can't werar hills or dresses to work - even though her female boss proves to ehr every day that she does and she can, had been irritating and annoying. Emmy sounded more like a whiny child most of the time, as if her "I work in the men's field" was her entire personality.

She got better, thankfully. We got to see her being an amazing sister and friend, and someone with ambitions and drive to make her reality come true. She finally believed in herself, and guess what? Turns out she was always part of the team. She just had to open her eyes.

Gabe has been a fantastic character since the beginning. Infuriating and handsome, I loved how much he loved Emmy from the beginning. I also loved how accepting and open he was to their connection. And I loved how they kept meeting each other.

I enjoyed the book for the most part, and I cried at a few scenes as well. But the ending wasn't for me - the grand gesture felt really out of character, and the third act breakup seemed to be there only for drama's sake, while it didn't really bring anything to the story.

DNF at 25 percent.

I disliked everything about the book. The main female character acts like a naive child who has to be told what to do every second of every day, despite being 34 years old and somehow the CEO of her own PR company. She's scared of her own shadow, and yet she's in charge? Please.

Her backstory is murky and I don't understand any of it. So she got placed with her foster family at age 10, but somehow her bio dad is married to her foster mother? Where was he when she was placed with her? Does she even share blood with any of her siblings? They have another bio dad, but FMC's bio dad and the foster mother are married.... And her foster mother had a child a year after FMC was placed there. Who's the father? What is her father doing there in this foster/adoptive home? Where was he when she placed him there? She has a bio-grandfather who was mentioned once. But why did she have to be placed in a foster family in the first place? No idea. If this is explained later, great, but I'm not sticking around to find out.

The writing is dense, it slows down the plot, and I can barely get through it. We're in the middle of the scene, and someone asks her a question, and instead of answering or moving the scene along, she starts to describe the room they're in with every little detail. Or there's a surprise flashback that has nothing to do with the scene, and when we get back to the present, I already forget what was happening in the present. It's frustrating, and I can't get through it.

Thank you, NetGalley, and the publisher, for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, Stephanie and her team, for providing this ARC.

5/5

Enemies to lovers? Check. Contemporary marriage of convenience? Check. Yearning in hostility? Check. The hottest, smuttiest interaction that will leave you breathless? Check and check.

Alexei and Georgia were intriguing to me since they appeared together for the first time in the previous book. (Actually they first appear in that little bonus scene from Hazel and ROry's wedding scene but it just said Alexei and his wife so I'm glad we know it's Georgia now) Their chemistry just jumped off the page and it was even better in their story.

I love them. They know how to push each other's buttons, how to taunt the other person, and also, how to work together.

I loved the chaarcter growth they both went through, how Georgia learned to be open to love and companionship, and how Alexei realized that the image he had of Georgia was completely wrong and how he learned the real her and even when he fucked up, he owned up to it and fixed him mistakes.

I also love how they learned from and about each other, started trusting each other, and became a team. Even if it wasn't real for them at first, they accepted it. And I'm so thankful that Stephanie didn't force them to have a third-act breakup! I think this is what I love the most about her books, you just know that the characters will work through the issues without the unnecessary drama for drama's sake.

Alexei knowing the langauge of the flowers was so unexpected, but I loved it. And I loved how he teased her through the flowers, but she still found out what they meant and was in on the joke almost from the beginning. And I loved that little game they played to get the other mad with desire and anger, it started out so mean, but they turned it playful and respectful.

The smut was smutting, and I love that. Props to Stephanie for always writing her men desperate for the taste of the women they're in love with, it's so valid. literally my favourite trait of a man lmao. And while Alexei was an asshole at first for not making Georgia come, he made it up to her the next time over and over again. I love how he understood her and what she needed even before she did, and how respectful he was throughout. Even when he was mean, he knew she was in on the joke, and he knew she liked it. He wasn't mean because he was an asshole, he was mean because he cared and he knew she wanted that.

I also love that basically every man Stephanie writes about buys their woman sexy lingerie. Hell yes, they deserve it! And Alexei, having a high heel kink, was so good and so in character. And shout out for Georgia for knowing about since and using to torture him with her shoes. Queen behavior.

The gift-giving was so incredible (THE SHOES??????? THE TATTOO?? THE DESIGNER DRESS?? I want a rich husband now and I'm not ashamed lol) and I'm glad that for once a female character wasn't like "I can't take it, it cost too much, blah blah blah", no, she was like "thanks I love them" and I'm glad she accepted them with no issues.

I loved the writing, the banter, the characters, and their relationship, and I loved Rory and Hazel's wedding! I love them so much, so shout out for the timeline to finally catch up to their wedding!

This book also finally answer the question I was waiting to be answered with a baited breath: how many fucking teeth does Volkov actually have? Thanks, Stephanie, I can sleep peacefully now.

I loved this book so much, it was incredible, so well written, and I devoured it in 7 hours. I loved this book. Absolutely incredible.

CW/TW: SURPRISE PREGNANCY (ON PAGE), GROOMING AND A SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH A STEP-BROTHER (OFF-PAGE)

1.5/5

First of all, the cover is misleading. The main male character has a light BROWN skin and has dark, curly hair as we see in the second chapter. He's was born in the West Indies (Saint Kitts) and his mother was from Gambia. It's all revealed in chapter 8. And who does the cover present? A BLOND, WHITE guy. Blonde. White. All the things that Finn is not. It's explicitly said in the text that his half-brother, WHO DIED 10 MONTHS EARLIER, was a "blue-eyed golden-cherub, the counter to Finn.". Did the artist somehow confuse A DEAD MAN WITH A MAIN MALE CHARACTER?

The female character is from India, and somehow, whoever created the cover included that. But they completely ignored MC's race and looks and made him to look like a generic white guy. Are you serious? How come nobody caught that?

I was wondering why the author didn't catch it or demand the cover to be changed, but tbh I gave up on the idea. The way she wrote the books and characters was just strange, and she clearly didn't care enough.

Anyway, onto the plot. t's giving soap opera, not of a good kind. The sex scene was completely out of nowhere at 22% of the book, it was way too early with no build up whatsoever - which is basically a theme throughout the book. I get it, you almost died together, but you barely had a conversation TWICE, and MMC doesn't know that FMC is the reason everyone thinks he's the murderer! Come on, this is historical romance, I needed more buildup than that which was absolutely nothing.

FMC bemoaning that MMC hates her circular was so over the top and I didn't like that whining. 1) he didn't know you were behind it, and 2), YOU MADE PEOPLE THINK HE MURDERED HIS OWN BROTHER, what is wrong with you! FMC really annoyed me. She was constantly whining about Finn not having the freedom to love anyone (her) while SHE WAS THE REASON. If she hadn't published that article, nobody would think he was guilty!

And then she had a few opportunities to tell hi the truth, and all she said was that she only worked for Aurelius and that he's there and her friend. You are Aurelius you idiot! Just tell MMC that! But noooooo, why would she.

The accidental pregnancy happens at 60% of the book. There was nothing in the book desription, nothing at the beginning of the book, no warning whatsoever.

At 65% FMC is talking about pregnancy and her condition and her nausea and how her body will change constantly every 2-3 sentences and I am hating every single second of it. Nowhere in the description was there even a hint of a surprise pregnancy and I avoid those books. I hate being tricked like that by the author.

It got worse. Apparently, FMC had been groomed by and had a sexual relationship with her step-brother (half-brother?) when she was still living in her stepmother's house. Was this even hinted at before? No, we find out at 89%! 89! The book's almost done when the author decides to hit us in a head with trauma again! And then, because of course, FMC and MMC are almost killed! Again!

If I had known this would turn into a traumatic soap opera, I wouldn't have request it. Which is a shame because I enjoyed some parts of the book. But the author just dumps trauma for trauma's sake with no hints in the book description or at the beginning of the book at all and it's annoying. I hate it.

The female character was like a more miserable and unlikable version of Penelope Featherington, always bemoaming about her misfotune - which she brought onto herself. She whines about not having any relationship with her sisters, and she pushed them away and went no-contact for absolutely no reason. She complains about MMC not being able to be with her - but she was the reason he was a wanted man. And so on and so on.

And MMC? Well, he's either arrogantly cheeky or a coward. Axts like a rake and at the very sound of trouble abandons FMC. Ugh.

The other characters were all so over the top and were walking stereotypes. Most of them was suddenly gay for representation sake but they weren't even well-written, it was just bunch of stereotypes and tropes.

The male gay friend was just that: a male gay friend. A "dandy" as called in Regency: only caring about his looks and how fashionable he was, overly feminine for some reason, you know, the every gay best friend from a sitcom you can imagine.

The best friend was a bluestocking who only cared about the plants who suddenly realized she's gay and decided to move in with her new girlfriend after a month of meeting her. Aka every bookish lesbian from sitcoms.

The very feminine and badass lesbian who took no shit and always said what she wanted, aka every girlboss ever in existence.

The widow who was silly, liked parties and wanted a rich husband and a bunch of lovers. That was her whole personality.

I hated how they were written, it seemed like the author only included them for points, not because it made sense. They were all badly written with no personality.

The writing was horrible too. I'm not sure if the author ever learned about pronunciations or synonyms or SUBTLETY because there were none. The author doesn't use the words like "him/her/his etc, she mostly uses full names every single time. She is constantly repetitive, using the same phrases or descriptiosn every time. She lacks subtlety - when FMC started duspecting she might be pregnant, she brought it up in every other sentence. About the fact that she was pregnant. About "growing a new life". About changes in her body. About being pregnant. About the baby in her making her tired all the time. About being nauseous. Did I mention she was pregnant yet?

And the ending was so abrupt I wondered if I got the whole book - but yeah, the acknowledgments were on the next page. It felt like it was not just an open ending, but a sudden one too. She was almost killed again, reunited with him and they both almost died again, were saved by one of their captors and confessed their love - all in last chapter. And that's it.

What about all the things that were supposed to happen in this book, like, you know, the main point of the book which was proving MMC's innocence? Was the circular published? What was the reaction? Did the Bow Runner drop the case? What about the Antigua case? Or the triplets? WE GOT NO RESOLUTION WHATSOEVER.

I was surprised that FMC told MMC about her pregnancy tbh.

This was the first and last book I have and will ever read from this author. It was so convoluted and badly written with a trauma dump after trauma dump for just trauma's and drama's sake. Nothing was resolved, nothing was fixed, everything was just there, mostly hanging there by a thread and nothing was really resolved.

Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books for sending me this ARC.

1.5/5

I disliked this book. It was boring, nothing interesting really happened, and the characters were dull. MMC was hung up on his crush and never saw FMC and only when she decided to move on he was suddenly in love with her? And when she explicitly told him she doesn't want to see him, he made their mutual friend to trick her into meeting him?: Fuck that shit.

And FMC caving in after he manipulated her was so stupid, I hated that behaviour. Just stand your ground and move on, girl!

The dialogue was cringe and unnatural and very very awkward throughout the book. The inner dialogue was too.

Thank you, Boldwood Books and Netgalley for providing me this ARC for an honest opinion.

When you look at the book for the first time, you think to yoursel "it's a prequel and many details were already shared in Catching Fire. It will be fine. Can't be worse than the actual trilogy right?"

But you know nothing, Jon Snow. (and how ironic the last name is).

The book is beautiful, devastating, heartbreaking, hopeful, a horror and love story tangled all in one. It's something you can never predict and nothing you can forget. It's seared into our minds and hearts and there's nothing you can do to stop it.

This book is not only an important book in the series, it's also consistent. All those details from the trilogy we thought were irrelevant? They get a whole other meaning after reading this book. Nothing is accidental, everything has its purpose. All those important things from the trilogy and The Ballad? They're not only kept, but also expanded upon. Suzanne Collins knows her world in and out, there are no plot holes, no mistakes, nothing. Her writing is consistent, heartbreaking, beautiful, thought-provoking, coherent and fantastic. She never misses.

Rereading the scene from Mockingjay where Snow chokes to death on his own blood will be so satisfying - although I still wish he got a more painfull death. It's not enough, nothing will ever be enough, my only consolation is that he's dead.

And Haymitch will meet Lenore Dove once again in the afterlife and they will be together forevermore.

1/5

This definitely wasn't my favourite book. I actually didn't like it, and I had to force myself to finish it in the first place.

First, the writing. I was annoyed with some of the phrases and the overall tone and style. In the first few chapters the author was hell-bent on saying how "remote" and "rular" the village was (as if that made it worse than a city), thatt the main character "can be locked in the basement" because apparently that's what happens in every countryside, but what really annoyed me was the description "suprisingly modern bathroom". Seriously?

What, just because it's a countryside it means they don't have a bathroom, only a privy instead? Seriously that's how the writing comes across. Idk if the author has ever been in the countryside or if she only saw pictures but it smells of prejudice. It was immediatelly off-putting to me.

Then, the style. The author was all "tell, don't show," and we had several instances of this: we're told that Charlotte was hired to archive the files from the observatory, but in the whole book, we only see her do it on page once. And only at 43% of the book. She had been hired to do it off-page at the beginning of the book (the first chapter has her packing and driving to the "rural" village), and yet, for the first 40+%, we don't see her do the job she was actually hired to do. We then have this happen at the end, where the characters get back together after the third act breakup. Except they don't even talk. Instead, MMC reads the letter FMC has written him (off page), and the they suddenly start making out and dating. There was no resolution! No explanation! And we don't even get to see the damn letter once. That was too frustrating.

The characters were bland. I wan't invested in the story or the relationships and it wasn't believable to me that they were in love. The were no sparks , nothing. I was more interested in the discovery MMC's parents made decades ago than the love story between MCs. Although I hated that FMC called her ex for the advice instead of her professor tbh. And both main characters were weird.

Charlotte seems dumb and naive. We get everything spelled out and she makes connections pages later and is always so shocked when it was made so clear to everyone. She was told that the owners made a stipulation for her to do her job, and when Lorelai revealed it was her, Clarlotte still hadn't realized Lorelai was the owner until it was spelled it out to her.

Tristan is a bit of an enigma. Grumpy and bothered, very angry with Charlotte the first 2 times he met her, on the third meeting he was suddenly all smiles and humour? Wha's that guy?

Charlotte was also super indecisive. When Tristan's sister interfered, Charlotte got rightfully angry and called her out, but as soon as the sister said, "you're here now, you should talk," she suddenly changed her mind. After calling her out like that and her not only reluctance but anger when she realised she's been manipulated, she just took it? I applauded her for standing up for herself as soon as she figured out what happened. But 2 seconds later, she changed her mind and let herself be manipulated, and it was just so stupid. I didn't care about them getting back together by that point, but I would if she decided to go back home back then and try and talk things through some other time, when they were both ready for it. Instead, the author rushed the happy ending with no character arc, and it was just so badly done.

The rescue was so dramatic, I didn't like that very much. I much preferred when MMC was a damsel in distress, and to suddenly have a role reversal and FMC was the one in trouble was jarring and unnecessary. I'd rather she save him from the panic attack than him coming to himself and having to save her.

All in all, the book wasn't for me. I didn't connect with the characters, and I honestly didn't care whether they got together or not. The backstory about MMC's parents was way more interesting for me. The writing was not my cup of tea, I definitely prefer books that show me what happens instead of having it all play out off-page. Even the ex had been more interesting than the main couple!

Thak you, NetGalley and Boldwood books for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dnf at 50%. I hate this book. Honestly I was so excited because the main character is Polish as am I... But I fucking hated it. Honestly, the only Polish thing about her was that she called her grandma “babcia” - which is the polish word for grandma. Okay. But there's nothing else and the use of the word babcia was excessive. Also why was it always written with uppercase B? It's not a name. You don't say grandma with a capital G then don't write babcia with a capital B.

I hated the main heroine as well. I thought that Mick was cute but she goes for his older brother?? If I knew this would turn into a kind of a love triangle I never would have touched this book with a mile long stick. No.

Kat was irrational, overdramatic and, at times, stupid. I couldn't stand her. Mick deserved much better than whey he's got.

It was so boring, like i'm sorry but i got to 28%, just to where she finally found the blood in the fridge and I just couldn't continue. It was that boring. 0/5

DNFed at 40%

If I could give 0, I would.

So you're telling me that 3 women went away for a mini vacation all to take a break from being hosting and preparing for Christmas... All so they could host and prepare for Christmas anyway? Where's the sense, where's the logic?

Ngl, I asked for this book because it was labeled as Romance. It's not a romance, it's only women's fiction.

Anyway. 3 women go together for a break a week before Christmas to get away from their families to take them for granted/doesn't appreciate them/fiance's overbearing family. They do this (especially one of them) so they don't have to think about Christmas and responsibilities and so they don't have to cook and buy gifts and think logistics.... And they OFFER to run a b&b for the guy DURING CHRISTMAS so he can spend time with his long-distance girlfriend. A guy they don't even know. A guy who is a distant cousin of one of them, who she had no contact with (other than Christmas cards) for over 20 years.

Seriously?

And THEN you want me to read about the cheating husband of one of them who doesn't even care about his kids or wife?? How he cheats on his wife?? For fucks sake, NO. I don't care if he gets Karma. I don't even care if that woman comes back to him and accepts him. I don't care if he feels remorse and tries to win his wife back. I just don't care. The minute I learned the husband was cheating I was out. And then you give me a chapter from his pov when he's visiting his mistress? Oh fuck no. Absolutely not. (How in the world is this book marketed as romance will never know).

That's enough for me. I hated it. These women say one thing but then they might get snow in and they suddenly rush home to be with their loved ones? The same ones who didn't give a shit about them? (Not talking about Tommy because he actually worshipped the ground Lena walked on. So her, I can understand wanting to go back. But Shelley and Pearl? They should have more self-respect than this).

No. Just no. This book was so not for me.

4.25/5

I loved it, it's one of my favourite books I've read this year. I love all things mythical, and while I'm not the most knowledgeable about Scottish folklore (even if I know of Nessie), I find it magical and inviting.

All characters were well-written and I loved them. Especially Lachlan - a sassy man in a kilt and a divine accent? Yes, please And he's a monster too? That just makes it better!. And Key was a great character too, I loved how she grew into herself and her magic and I love that she saved the day at the end.

I loved all the relationships. It was as much as a romantic love story, as a platonic one. Key reconciling with the family she didn't know about was amazing and heartwarming and heartbreaking and warm and I loved it. Finlay, who loved her immediately and was excited to get to know her, Rhona who was very cold but she wasn't a villain which I found refreshing, Brodie who kept to himself but accepted her too - utill the end where he completely lost it. Lachlan and the twins, who had always accepted him for who he was and who were always there for him, even when, or maybe especially when they made jokes to make him feel better. And then we have Lachlan vs McKays, with Lachlan finally accepting all of them.

And of course, the love story between Key and Lachlan. They had so much in common and so many differences and they learned to work together. I loved their bickering and their chemistry, and how they couldn't help but be drawn to each other.

I loved the paranormal side of things too, Nessie, and kelpies, and curses and how it all came together at the end.

The book wasn't perfect; I predicted some things and while it's not bad, I have to say I'm disappointed in Brodie. I was hoping that he was a red herring and he only wanted to help. I didn't think the book needed a villain - the curse was bad enough as it was.

And speaking of curse, I didn't really feel like Lachlan was in any danger of never turning back into a human? I don't know, I wasn't exactly on the edge at the end, wondering how they're going to save him. It didn't feel like it was something so urgent, maybe because Lachlan's father was the only person they knew that it happened to? I'm not sure if it was the way it was written, or something else, but I didn't really feel that suspense and anxiety at the end that Key and Lachlan did. Also, what happened with the bridle was anticlimactic and I didn't feel like the tension about whether or not they found it.

Also, the way Key broke the curse felt really weak for me. So she had to forgive him that he lied to her? I thought she'd have to forgive his ancestor for the way he abused and treated her ancestor. That she'd have to use the bridle in a ritual to reverse the curse. idk, something about it felt anticlimactic and weak to me.

But the last few chapters were a tearjerker for me. I got emotional about reading how everything ended and overall, I loved it.

I loved the epilogue too. With all the elements from the book making an appearance (all important characters, even the windows from the castle, and their daughter's name).

And, can I just say, now that I read this book, I love what it looks like. The cover (although part of me wishes they kept the original where his shadow in the water is Nessie), him wearing a kilt and her in her pink wellies (although I wish THAT was a scene in the book, come on, Lana, so close), and the violet lettering and graphic. I LOVE it. And the hardcover as Tavis's journal was just brilliant.

And I love the drawings inside the book, they're so pretty and show those scenes really well!

my favourite quote is still definitely:

"Yeah, but I just thought you were being a dick."

"No, I was trying to tell you that Nessie has a dick."

1.25/5 and only because I didn't dnf it.

If I could go back in time and stop the author from writing it, I would.

It was so boring. Oh my god. The FMC was such a doormat till the end and MMC was a grumpy asshole who didn't care. He didn't care at all. Ugh.

3/5

I'm disappointed. I loved the previous books but this one wasn't for me. All those machines and inventions Stephen made were too complicated and unnecessary and the clues to find a will were all wild and unconnected for me.

And I missed the rest of the Wynchesters. In previous books, they were still present throughout, as here they only appeared at the beginning and end.

And then we have gifts that Stephen made for all the siblings. For Tommy and Philippa, Marjorie and Adrian, Jacob and eventually, for Chloe, Faircliff, and little Dorian.

What about Graham and Kuni? Are they not part of the family? (It's always my favourites that are ignored)

All in all, I expected something else. I like Elizabeth but I was hoping for a better adventure for her. I didn't like the third act breakup or how it was handled. I mean we didn't see her change her mind. She regretted it on the journey back... And nothing. The next time we see her she'd suddenly changed her mind already and it was jarring. Show us how she feels lonely in Winchester house! That it doesn't feel like home anymore because Stephen isn't there! That she wants to move in with him!

Instead, we got her already in Stephen's house without all the emotions. It wasn't a well written part.

And I wasn't a fan of the insta lust they had. At least in the previous books in the series it felt more organic and natural. Here, it was jarring.

I can't wait to read Jacob's book and I hope it will be better.

3.5/5

That was cute though Rage pissed me off every time he kissed Hannah when she tried to stop him. No means no!! It doesn't mean try harder!

Natalie pissed me off too. She didn't deserve Hannah at all.

There were too many povs throughout the book that took me away from the story. I think I would like them more if I read the previous books lol but I loved Wallflowers as they were, not sure if I wanna read about them more. I tried reading Again The Magic Twice and I couldn't do it.

2,5/5

It wasn't horrible but it was boring and felt unfinished, good thing it was so short.

Liam's bet was supposed to be important but I didn't feel any urgency from his to win it. Also we don't know how the bet came to be: were they all drunk or something? He threw the deeds for his favourite place of Earth and yet still he was just fine losing it? His brothers apparently sabotaged his efforts but we're never met them so idk if they dicks just because or was there something more sinister going on.

I hated that Holly never told Liam about her being a leprechaun. He deserved to know, damnit. He deserved to know what she was, what her magic was, even if she was going to lose it, he deserved to know. I hated that she lied to him and didn't seem to care whether or not he should know. Even when she said she accepted their bond he still asked what did she meant and she just brushed him off.

You don't do that. Tell him, damnit.

The whole book felt rushed and unfinished. The story was cute but was expecting more - I didn't really care about the characters because the whole book felt incomplete. I couldn't connect with Holly being afraid of te bond - why would she? She hated that magic, It felt more like a curse and when she suddenly got an option to accept a soulmate bond to get rid of the magic she ran??? Make it make sense.

It didn't feel like there were any stakes. It's was just rushed and the plot and characters were very superficial. We don't know anything about Liam's brothers or what Holly's father did that he was considered the worst?? I've no idea. It was all empty underneath. All surface, no filling.

Thank you, NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

2/5

I was going to give it 3 stars, but that PUBLIC proposal on LIVE TV took me out and not in a good way. I HATE public proposals, WHY do they have to always be there?? Especially since Elu HATES publicity, it was so out of character for him to do???? Hate it, hate it, hate it.

And OW drama was just weird. It's like the ex-wife was a real antagonist in the first 40%, being bitchy for no reason only to stop??? Out of nowhere??? So stupid.

And seeing as I haven't read the previous books in the series I was so lost about who each character was. There were way too many background characters I didn't give a fuck about, and it was hard to keep track of. It's not a good book to read as a standalone because there are too many characters that don't do anything and have no purpose to be in that story, but they're still there and I don't know them. And it was just so boring to read about them.