5 stars I’m afraid I may have been a bit distracted when I began reading this ARC from one of my absolute favorite authors because I found myself unable to fully engage with the characters and plot. Once I did, however, it was just as impressive as every other book from Tracy Sumner that I’ve had the pleasure of reading. Roan, a duke who never expected to be one, and Helena, heiress of a very lucrative shipping company, are star-crossed lovers who were never meant to be together (at least, in the eyes of the ton), but are inarguably meant for one another. Both fight the unrelenting pull they feel toward one another, each for similar reasons: they don’t suit and they are both afraid of being hurt. There is a description of the first kiss between Roan and Hellie that is absolutely poetic and immersive while it goes on for pages, building in intensity and emotion. The tension is unrelenting and delicious. It is the kind of kiss everyone should experience, and every skilled author should know how to describe. It pulls the reader breathlessly into a passion that defies description, while simultaneously expertly described. It is best summed up as follows: “A kiss to end all kisses. A kiss that said everything. A kiss that was more than a kiss.” Part of this kiss also includes the statement: “...a window had opened, and she’d stepped into his soul.” As always, Tracy Sumner impresses me with her descriptions and I feel compelled to share a few. Meeting one another at a horse race, Roan is described thusly: “Inevitably, his leather-and-brandy scent galloped in behind his softly spoken rebuke.” Later, when they’ve spent a good amount of time together: “She made enough noise to wake him, settling herself into a scuffed armchair that didn't look like much felt like sinking into a warm crumpet.” I don’t know where this armchair has been all my life, but I want one. Although this may not be my favorite in the Duchess Society series (perhaps because there isn’t as much poetry as usual), there is no denying its excellence. The characters are memorable and the challenges they encounter are both believable and relatable. The willingness for each to give up what defines them for a chance at happiness together brings greater meaning to the love they have for one another. It’s an inspiring story that demonstrates the redemptive power of love. December 28, 2021
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5 stars Thanks to the author for an ARC of this totally reimagined rewrite of Dazzled by Silver. I enjoyed the original when I read it several years ago, but this new one blows that one out of the water. I’ll be honest, I don’t remember all of the details of the original, but based on what I do remember, this one was much more complex and multi-layered, with additional characters and relationships as well as additional dangerous situations. Overall, I am impressed and looking forward to reading more in this series. December 22, 2021 2 stars Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC. In fact, thanks to Netgalley for introducing me to Sophie Barnes. I genuinely enjoy most of her books, but this one was different. It is a series of short stories, all Christmas-themed, as a sort of advent calendar of stories. The stories definitely had some promise, but I found they were too shallow and incomplete for my taste. They delivered exactly what was promised, but I was disappointed because I have come to expect more from this author. I would be thrilled if she took some of these stories and turned them into novels. December 19, 2021 4 stars I received a sample of this primarily photo book from National Geographic via Netgalley. I might have enjoyed it more if I had the entire book with all of the photos. Unfortunately, the sample I received had more text than photos, which was somewhat interesting, but not enough to keep my interest. I didn’t see enough to really determine whether this book is worth buying. December 14, 2021 5 stars Even though I edit these books, the author knows that I am not a fan of the BDSM themes. And if that were all there are to these books, I wouldn’t want to read them at all. Somehow, however, the author consistently takes characters I cannot stand and turns them into sympathetic people that I actually like. Christian Sovrano lost his twin brother in the last book and still suffers the emotional damage. Dr. Aurora Garibaldi is his captive due to her actions in the previous book (she attempted to help Karma escape from Michael, and as a result, Michael threatened to kill her. Christian asked Michael to spare her.). Christian decides the solution is to marry Aurora, but instead of presenting this as a positive action, he decides to threaten her if she doesn’t agree. She will not submit willingly. Which leads us to the BDSM aspects of the story. I’ll skip those as not necessary to the plot. Christian is transformed over the course of this book, going from a narcissistic, controlling jerk to a considerate, emotionally-available sweetheart. The journey to get him there is the meat of the story and I was impressed by the path that took him there. Once again, I am forced to recognize just how skilled L Steele is when writing the hero’s journey. She taps into emotions and brings the reader along for the ride. The emotional connections between all of the characters (not just Christian and Aurora) are vital to the fabric of this story and all subsequent and future stories involving the Sovranos. I’m not going to try to guess who comes next, but it will be interesting to learn more about each of the brothers. December 12, 2021 5 stars What’s a Blair Babylon book without a billionaire-in-disguise dom? Well, of course, there are some of her other series, but for the most part, if he’s a billionaire-in-disguise, he’s also a dom. Which could grow tiresome, but the plot for each book is so different, the sexual proclivities of the leads can almost be ignored. Almost. Invariably, they always seem to end up at The Devil House and they all kind of know one another through Le Rosey, a boarding school for children of the rich and powerful. Tristan “Twist” King ended up there as part of a scholarship program, but he and the other boys of his ilk were poorly treated by many of the other students and formed their own clique, The Scholarship Mafia. Colleen is a poor girl in Arizona from a poor family who has never traveled anywhere and has a very low opinion of herself. She’s trusting and caring and wants to help people. If only she cared for herself as much as she cares for others. This is where Twist comes in. He is horrified by her low self-esteem and feels drawn to her to help heal her. Also, he thinks she’s cute. I received an ARC of this book from the author and pretty early on I realized it was not going to be a one-and-done. I will happily read the rest in the series. December 10, 2021 5 stars This is the first book I’ve read from this author, but it has a connection to the Kingdom of the White Sea by Sarah Cradit, so I was happy to read it. In fact, the witches in this book were friends with the Ravenwoods (until they left for the Kingdom of the White Sea). I really enjoyed it and I’m pleased to say that it’s a complete story in one book. From the beginning, we know that Elijah and Victoria are going to be the main characters and there are hints they may fall in love, but Victoria is insistent that will not happen and she is very driven by a desire for vengeance. To be honest, I was left wondering what would happen right up until the very end. I don’t want to post any spoilers, but I will say that there are strong themes of family, love, acceptance, vengeance, and grace. December 10, 2021 |
Elizabeth J ConnorWriter. Editor. Proofreader. Archives
September 2022
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