iman
we got another kiss y'all!! this series is the epitome of coziness, the type you get sitting in front of a fireplace on a rainy day sipping earl grey tea. It's always charming, always compelling, always warm and always funny. I feel like I'm yearning for this as much, if not more than they are yearning for each other. Mystery wise it wasn't my favourite but I don't care. C.J. aIways has interesting historical points and discussion all while showing representation in a nice way. love every book in this!
3.5/5 3/5 on the swoon scale (relative to the slow burn nature of this series)
i did enjoy this well enough because it was sweet. paige did become frustrating because of how indecisive she was. it didn't help that she basically cried every single chapter and refused to have actual conversations with her partner. even though it was insta-love, it was abundantly clear how wide Nate's love for her goes, He constantly goes out of his way for her, despite her ignoring his actual wants and trying to decide many things for him. I liked how the book clipped along but there was not much of a plot once the reconnected. his gestures and sacrifices were swoonworthy! it was a sweet way to start the year, i just wish this book had more narrative and emotional meat to it.
3/5 on the swoon scale
3/5 on the spice scale
might be my favourite in the series thus far. although i think some of the mystery and family drama elements landed slight anticlimactically, i did enjoy this story overall and this romance alot. there was such clear synergy between clarice and jack, they respected each other so much and could understood each other so deeply. stephanie definitely wanted us to know that they have plenty (and i mean copious) amounts of sexual chemistry as well, so i guess that's a plus. i did enjoy these characters and everyone along for the ride a lot. Clarice is wonderfully headstrong and no-nonsense but not in a way that can often come across obnoxious with several other heroines that inhabit those traits. She is not stubborn and unreasonable, she is incredibly smart and precise in her thoughts and actions. A phenomenal heroine to read for sure. Jack is perfect alongside her, treating her always as an equal and respecting her ideas while pining over her. This was a delight to read, although some punchiness of the plot fell through the cracks.
4.2/5
3.7/5 on the swoon scale
2.5/5 on the spice scale
i'm ecstatic that frances & george are finally married which hopefully means we can soak up their love more often. i was mad annoyed that the crime went down on their wedding day and that they lost their honeymoon opportunity. i was mystified also by several of frances' family members' behaviour. but more than anything i had a warm, comforting time solving this entertaining mystery. gosh, i love this series sm.
4/5
2.75/5 swoon scale
1/5 spice scale
i'm devastated that i didn't love this more. the premise had me hooked and i love melanie moreland. unfortunately, this did not hit like i thought it would. we never properly addressed that effie went along with literally everything like she had zero back bone and that roman decided her life for her without truly asking or considering her wants. i enjoyed their connection but it also felt a bit hollow since these two barely even went on a date...everything happened a bit too fast for my taste. i realize this is a short book but we even had scenes repeating in different povs for seemingly no reason, where we could have had far more moments of emotional intimacy. i did like the cast of characters and how much roman learned from effie. there were several sweet & sexy moments it just lacked a bit of depth.
read for Mafia Romance Readathon
3.5/5
2.5/5 on the spice scale
2.7/5 on the swoon scale
i really liked my first maya rodale. i did love the two main characters and thought the romance shone through. i think the “triangle” went on for far far far too long and the ending including the third act was done a bit clunkily and quickly. there was too much haste and too little finesse there for me. i also wished that the romance and courtship points of their relationship lasted longer. everything felt needlessly rushed and that weakened the emotional impact. the writing itself was very funny and there were several swoony moments. gosh, I loved the letter scene and how Blake made dreams into reality. I am eager to read more from miss maya.
4/5
1.5/5 on spice scale
3.5/5 swoon scale
this was just fine. i liked the character dynamics but it did feel like some of the villagers' could be interchanged. i did feel the amount suspects introduced got 1 to 2 people too many. i can see myself trying the next book in the series but the mystery wasn't nearly as exhilarating as i had originally hoped for. while the narrator did do a good job, i wish the audiobook was a bit faster or edited better without long pauses.
3.2/5
they are each other's halves. they can read each other and syncopate their heartbeats without a thought. she was always his and he was hers. the romance was beautiful, although there wasn't much wooing actually happening, their intimacy wasn't gratuitous. it was purposeful and only shone a light on their love. also this is the best mystery stephanie laurens has written, truly. this book, everything about it was gorgeous, and the writing!! the diction!! simply gorgeous.
4.5/5
4.5/5 on the swoon scale
3.5/5 on the spice
it's agatha christie, so of course you'll be roped into this mystery and curious. there was decidedly far too little of Poirot in this book, which caused my interest to wane and made it difficult to stay invested. egg was such an irritating character and i hoped she'd be the victim or the culprit because i don't think she was worth putting up with otherwise. all in all i am satisfied, and my hunches were slightly correct so that is a win. but when i'm reading the poirot series i want poirot as much as i can get him.
3.5/5
agatha christie never fails to captivate and enthral. such an engaging mystery, such a sparkly cast of characters. an always effervescently sharp Poirot. always a fun ride and a joy to read. I had a tiny hunch about the murderer and I'm pleased with myself. the layers of it all are genius and i can't wait to read another.
4.5/5
i don't think i've ever been so joyous over the identity of a fictional murder victim. it's a testament to dianne's writing because irina was one of the most insufferable people i've come across in a while. as far as the rest goes, my enjoyment only had to do with these dazzling characters gracing the page once again. everything else, including the romance subplot, felt extremely stagnant and almost unnecessary. Okay I take that back because I love every second of Frances and George, but in general this book was by far my least favourite. The murderer had unreasonable unbelievable motive and there was too much running around going on.
3.75/5
2.5/5 on the swoon scale
not the most interesting or followable mystery but i still have fun. i really appreciate that the surrounding characters don't seem to stagnate, they do have development and change as wee saw positively with Harmony and Floyd and appallingly with Jonathan in this instalment. most notable news: harry is single again. still crossing my fingers for a stronger romantic development between harry and cleo. i'm biting my nails in agony, wanting them to just be together.
4/5
How charming and heartwarming. there were several troubling moments (witnessing the abuse) and some very frustrating moments where a lot of inaction or lack of communication was talking place. overall though, this was a very sweet display of found family, of love and of courage. Gideon is so perfect, so thoughtful and so reliable - he reminds me of Mr. Thornton. I admire Prue's resolve and protectiveness - she endures everything for her sisters, continuously persevering despite how cruelly she's been treated and how many times she's been let down. I wish we saw more of them courting to fall in love, but I know what Prue's priorities were in this book. I am so grateful for Gideon (I love him!!) because he cares so much for Prue.
4.5/5
1/5 on the spice scale
4/5 on the swoon scale
this is by far the best mystery of the series. i loved every second of this book. frances and george are perfect for each other, and finding out he's basically pined for her all of these years is the cherry on top. the family dynamics showed up in different ways this time which i liked, and the characters danced off the page as they always do. diane, this was fantastic.
an even more thrilling and engaging mystery in this installment. the romance is growing and i'm kvelling. the side characters are so lively and well written. this series is such a delight. it keeps a smile on my face. i really appreciate the different values and family dynamics that are demonstrated here. it is heaps of fun to read.
4.2/5
2.5/5 on the swoon scale
so fast and so fun and i loved each minute of it. i wish our heroine solved the mystery prior to a certain confession, but i appreciate that she did solve one of the two mysteries unfolding in this plot. the writing was so darling, the setting so charming and the characters so dazzling. cannot wait to continue the series and watch frances & george fall for each other.
4/5
2.5/5 on the swoon scale
this book had some of the dirtiest sex scenes I've read in a long time, so Helena really did her big one. I was surprised by the amount of spicy scenes in this, only because it eventually made the leads into these two randy people with most of their relationship being emphasized by the copious amounts of coitus happening. This book helped realize I'm not a huge fan of hate to love, since it didn't seem like Tristan and Beatrix had any real reason to be nasty to each other, when all they wanted was to be nasty WITH each other. I did enjoy the funniness, side characters and this read overall since it had sweet moments (like all of the cake stuff). It's also clear Helena wanted there to be some depth to the characters' behaviour. But I just think two separations and all of the angst coming from Tristan, Beatrix and Flip were a bit much. It was a fun read but I think it could've been tightened up a bit more.
3.7/5
3.5/5 on the swoon scale
5/5 on the spice scale
I'm deeply in love with Asher, he's such a sweetheart. Him and Maeve have my heart, they fit perfectly together and soothe each other's worries. I love a fantastically executed friends to lovers, where everyone knows he's been in love with her forever and they are just blind to it. that coupled with a wedding in vegas and i was already sold, but when I saw how attentive and doting he was to Maeve, i melted into a puddle. i love how confident he is in himself and how he instills that silent confidence into Maeve through affirmations. the art studio was just magical, he truly wants her to soar and give her the world. i'm happy that she recognized his needs near the end of the book, but i wish she did a bit more for him as well. this book is as sweet as it is sexy, plus it has the very necessary depth of character (that is often overlooked in books of this ilk) that Lauren Blakely places perfectly. this was such a good time and I adore the characters and this relationship. probably my fave in the series so far.
5/5
4/5 on the swoon scale
4/5 on the spice scale
another pining heroine about which the reading experience was in a way, devastatingly torturous because of the pygmalion/my fair lady retelling aspect. for much of the book, i felt bad for eliza and sad that the transformation done by Kit is what began to change his reaction to her from a shudder to a seductive smile. i do believe it was more the forced proximity of their lessons that endeared her to him, but nevertheless it took Kit far too long for Kit to realize his feelings for her. And meanwhile, we had the casualty of a perfect Lancelot Bavard which wasn't handled with as much care as he deserved (and I also mean that he should have his own book). I felt the chemistry between Kit and Eliza but there was a lack of fighting for the love to prevail, because of Kit's late bloom of feelings. The only chance that was shown was the slimy villain in the third act, without which I am not sure Kit and Eliza would have stopped themselves from sliding away from each other. I'm happy for them and enjoyed this fine enough (especially the library scene) but this book that I was highly anticipating was a bit of a let down.
3.7/5
2.5 on the swoon scale
2 on the spice scale
it was sweet, and a nice wrap-up since so many couples got together in this one. there was too long a lull of unnecessary longing, pining, waiting and self-denial. that was disappointing as the book doesn't have to end with them agreeing to be together. another pining heroine, when i expected this to be a pining hero which is unfortunate. her and nathaniel do seem to go well together but there was a certain fire lacking, like the kind of crackling energy in lavinia and eden's interactions (although they need not be so contrarian and fiery. that is not the nature of sophia nor of nathaniel). sophie's stubbornness was difficult at some points but i am so glad everyone showed up for her, and she showed up for herself. mary balogh never fails to intrigue and sew hope in me as her reader, so this was a deflated but still warm and palatable souffle of a historical romance.
3.7/5
2.5 on the swoon scale
2.5 on the spice scale