There
are several micro-tropes I adore, and this one hit a lot of them.
I
love when a hero is utterly gone for the heroine and has to convince her he’s
serious. That
moment when everyone around the heroine says he’s been in love with her for
years, and she has to reevaluate their shared history — so delicious.
Banter.
I’m such a sucker for banter. These two come from families with a long-standing
feud, which allows them to say things they might not otherwise get away with
and make for a great time.
This
couple’s journey to HEA is sexy, honest, and made me laugh out loud several
times. When I read it, I needed a mental escape. This one left me with that happy-sigh
kind of satisfaction you get after a solid 5-star read. It’s a fabulous example
of everything I love about the historical romance genre.
A Wicked Game marks the third book in Kate Bateman's popular regency romance series, Ruthless Rivals.
If there’s one thing impossible for a Davies to resist, it’s a challenge from a Montgomery. . .
A teasing bet.
Shipwrecked and imprisoned thanks to an incorrect map, Captain Morgan Davies has returned to London to exact sweet revenge on the cartographer responsible for his suffering. He’s also vowed to claim the winner’s prize―three kisses―in the bet he made with his long-time nemesis, the prickly, smart-mouthed Harriet Montgomery. His incarceration has clarified his feelings for her, but convincing the infuriating woman he wants…
I’ve
enjoyed everything by Lucy Parker, but this one was special. It takes place in a
royal household but focuses on two staff members, not the royals themselves.
So there’s a little bit of a Downton Abbey vibe there, even though it’s a modern
timeline. I love the way she writes the chaos/stoic contrast of these two wildly
different characters while somehow making their romance feel organic and
believable.
There’s a fabulous twist at the end that made my heart grow two
sizes. I can’t wait to read what she writes next.
Following Battle Royal, beloved author Lucy Parker pens another delicious romantic comedy about a fake relationship between a grumpy royal bodyguard and the charming, sunny assistant who melts his cold, hard exterior.
Petunia De Vere enjoys being the personal assistant to lovable, bumbling Johnny Marchmont. But the job has its share of challenges, including the royal's giant, intimidating bodyguard, Matthias. Pet and Matthias are polar opposites-she's spontaneous and enthusiastic, he's rigid and stoic-but she can sense there's something softer underneath that tough exterior...
For Matthias Vaughn, protecting others is the name of the game. But keeping his royal charge out…
This one is fabulous from a reader's view as well as
a craft standpoint.
Raybourn played with the timelines and multiple points of
view in a way that felt fresh and interesting. The past and present weave
together to explain the history and motivations of the characters while unfolding
the primary story.
When I recommend this one to friends, I usually say, "Female
assassins doing what they've been trained to do while complaining about their aching
knees and back." There's something about that combination that makes the whole
plot relatable. No, I've never killed anyone, blown up a cruise ship, or run
from a secret agency in New Orleans. But as an aging woman, there were so many
moments in the story when I felt seen. I loved every page.
Older women often feel invisible, but sometimes that's their secret weapon.
Billie, Mary Alice, Helen and Natalie have worked for the Museum, an elite network of assassins, for forty years. But now their talents are considered old-school and no one appreciates their real-world resourcefulness in an age of technology.
When the foursome is sent on an all-expenses-paid trip to mark their retirement, they are targeted by one of their own. Only the Board, the top-level members of the Museum, can order the termination of field agents, and the women realise they've been marked for death.
This introduces you to each main character of
the Misfits of Mayfair series. Although the hero of book three might be hard to
spot, so keep your eyes open for hero energy.
I love reading connected books that can stand
alone, but I also enjoy checking in on beloved characters. I hope I’ve provided
that same experience for my Misfits readers.
Lottie and Ethan’s story is really about
making amends for mistakes our younger selves made. It’s about growing up and
embracing our muchness and about deciding to care more about authenticity than the opinions of others.
