Hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:
We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.
This week’s topic is a Halloween Freebie! For this freebie I’m going to spotlight 10 paranormal/supernatural reads that I really enjoyed!
The Duke Gets Desperate (Sirens in Silk #1)
Publisher: Avon
Pub Date: 26 September 2023
Genre: Historical Romance
Panda Rating:
(4 pandas)
Diana Quincy returns with a steamy affair between an Arab-American woman who inherits a run-down castle in the English countryside and the duke who asserts the castle is his, in the first book in a brand-new Victorian historical romance series.
Anthony Cary, Duke of Strickland, inherits his spendthrift father’s title and can finally restore the family castle to its former glory. But at the reading of the will, Strick is stunned to learn that his father has secretly disentailed him, leaving the family manor–home to twelve generations of dukes–to Strick’s American stepmother. Everyone knows Strick detests the dowager duchess, and when she dies mysteriously, damning rumors start to surface.
When Raya Darwish unexpectedly inherits her glamorous late cousin’s castle in the English countryside, she clashes with the charismatic young duke who insists the castle is rightfully his. The estate is practically bankrupt, so she must find a way to work with the duke in order to save both of their futures.
The two cannot stand each other, but mutual disdain soon gives way to desire. When questions arise about how her cousin died, Raya cannot help wondering if Strick’s sudden unbridled passion for her is part of a scheme to get his castle back…
Misogyny, racism, xenophobia, attempted murder
TL;DR: The Duke Gets Desperate was not what I expected in the best way! I have to admit that this got off to a bit of a rocky start for me but my feelings (thankfully) changed along the way. Raya and (eventually) Anthony were so easy to root for. I love it when an MMC falls first and this man falls hard and fast for Raya and not in an instalove way because they properly couldn’t stand each other to start. And the mouth on him was quite a surprise! 😂🥵 Overall, this was a feisty and sexy historical romance and I’m excited to read more by this author.
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We’re back with another Sundays in Bed With… meme! This meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve spent your time curled up reading in bed with or which book you wish you had time to read today!
I’ll be spending the rest of my Sunday night in bed finishing My Roommate is A Vampire. I honestly forgot what this was about other than the obvious but it’s been a funny and all-around entertaining read. It is instalove and I admit that I quickly got tired of Cassie’s endless monologuing of just how broad-chested, floppy-haired and good-looking Frederick is. But other than that, I’m enjoying this read!
The Dating Playbook (The Boyfriend Project #2)
Publisher: Headline Eternal
Pub Date: 17 August 2021
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Panda Rating:
(4 pandas)
When a personal trainer agrees to fake date her client, all rules are out the window in this delightful romantic comedy from the USA Today bestselling author of The Boyfriend Project!
When it comes to personal training, Taylor Powell kicks serious butt. Unfortunately, her bills are piling up, rent is due, and the money situation is dire. Taylor needs more than the support of her new best friends, Samiah and London. She needs a miracle.
And Jamar Dixon might just be it. The oh-so-fine former footballer wants back into the NFL, and he wants Taylor to train him. There’s just one catch — no one can know what they’re doing. But when they’re accidentally outed as a couple, Taylor’s game plan is turned completely upside down. Is Jamar just playing to win… or is he playing for keeps?/em>
TL;DR: The Dating Playbook was my first book by Farrah Rochon and it won’t be my last. It’s funny, sexy, and smart but it also tackles some big issues like learning disorders and mental health. I loved the rep, the romance was fantastic and the girl-boss friendships between Taylor, Samiah and London were fantastic! The banter was also incredible and I loved TayJar together—even though their ship name could do with a bit of work, lol! Overall, this was a fun and satisfying romance to read and I’m looking forward to reading the other books in the series.
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I’ve been looking for a spooky season-themed and easy book tag to do for a while now and I finally found it when I saw Ashlee @Books Are 42 post the 👻 Trick or Treat Round the Block Book Tag! 🎃 Now, you know I don’t read much of the spooky stuff and the last time I went trick-or-treating was back in high school way too many years ago…! 😂 But this still looked like too much fun to pass up so here we go with it.
This tag was originally created by The Bookish Porcupine.
Happy Friday book lovers! We’re back with another First Lines Friday, a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines? Here are the rules:
First lines:
“On vacation, you can be anyone you want.
Like a good book or an incredible outfit, being on vacation transports you into another version of yourself.”
The Neighbor Favor
Publisher: Penguin
Pub Date: 28 February 2023
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Panda Rating:
(3.5 pandas)
Sometimes love is closer than you think… Fall head over heels with this charming and heart-fluttering romantic comedy.
Lily Greene has already found her perfect man: her favourite fantasy author. But after months of correspondence, he ghosts her – and she’s left broken-hearted.
Nick Brown has just moved in next door. Charming and attractive, he’s the perfect date for Lily to take to her sister’s upcoming wedding.
Little does Lily know that Nick is the very author she’d been talking to. And Nick has no idea that Lily is the shy, bookish woman he slowly fell in love with…
But he refuses to complicate things even more.
And yet when he sets her up with someone else, he can’t seem to get her off his mind…
TL;DR: I ended up having quite mixed feelings about The Neighbor Favor. It started off strong—I was immediately reeled in by the set-up and their email exchanges. However, following that, I feel like the story slowed down too much and my interest kind of waned with it. Despite liking these two characters on their own and appreciating their journeys, I found their chemistry together lacking. No matter how much my serendipity-loving heart loved the idea of them finding each other in a city as big as New York, it wasn’t enough to sell me on their connection. For sure, there were sweet moments but I just wanted to feel more! That said, I’m looking forward to reading about Lily’s sisters and can’t wait for the next book.
Read More » Hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:
We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.
This week’s topic is Books with Weather Events in the Title/on the Cover (I’m picturing a list of titles with weather-related words in them like storm, rain, blizzard, flood, lightning, hail, snow, wind, etc. OR covers with lightning/storms in the picture.)
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