Love at First Book by Jenn McKinlay

 

Do you buy books based on book covers?  I think the cover of this book is very cute!

Librarian Emily Allen (Red) takes a job with her favorite author, Siobhan Riordan, as an assistant in a small village in Ireland.  It’s a dream come true except for having to deal with Siobhan’s cranky son, Kieran Murphy (Murphy).  He assigns her boring tasks in the bookstore and makes it apparent that he does not want her around.  Will these two learn how to get along to help Siobhan finish the last book in her beloved children’s fantasy series?

My thoughts on this book:

·       It’s on my bucket list to go to Ireland.  I loved how the main character, Emily, gets her dream trip to Ireland to mee her favorite author and work in a bookshop.  The food, people, terms, etc. from Ireland were fantastic and felt like I was taking a trip there myself.

·       I loved how Red and Murphy talk to each other in quotes from books.  It was so cute. This book had great banter.

·       This book was an enemies to lovers and a slow burn romance.

·       I liked the story of an author trying to finish up a beloved series while she can.

·       It was a very sweet and good book.  I enjoyed it.

·       I loved the characters, setting and story.  I couldn’t put this book down.

·       This was a gift from my life long best friend who enjoys the same books as me.  It’s actually our lifelong goal to take a friend’s trip to Ireland someday.

·       Emily has problems with her narcissist Mom and setting boundaries.  Being in Ireland helps with this.

·       The descriptions of the Irish food made me very hungry.

·       This contemporary romance had some spice.

Overall, Love at First Book by Jenn McKinlay was a very enjoyable contemporary romance set in Ireland. It’s a perfect St. Patrick’s day read.

Book Source:  Birthday gift from a dear friend.

The Austen Affair by Madeline Bell

 

Title:  The Austen Affair

Author:  Madeline Bell

Narrated by:  Stephanie Németh-Parker

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 31 minutes

Source: Review copy from NetGalley.  Thank-you!

If you could time travel to any era in a book, what era would you pick?  Regency England is one of my top picks.

American actress Tess Bright has gotten her dream part to play Catherine Morland in a new production of Northanger Abbey (based on the book by Jane Austen).  Unfortunately, her co-star, Hugh Belfour, is a method actor and very unpleasant to work with.  He does not appreciate her teen choice award or her improvisational acting style.  An electrical accident puts them back in the past to Regency England. Will they be able to find their way back to the future and will they find true love?

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       This was a March selection for my JASNA Northwoods Book Club.  We are meeting this upcoming weekend to discuss it.

·       This was a fun and engaging novel.  It was good escapism reading.

·       The audiobook narrator was fantastic and did a wonderful job of different voices for each character.

·       I love that they met the real Jane Austen while in the past.

·       Tropes included enemies to lovers, grumpy x sunshine, and slow burn.

·       The romance was open door at the end.

·       This was a fun romantic comedy and would make a great movie.

·       Tess is dealing with grief at the loss of her mother and has been having a hard time dealing with the world after her passing.  Hugh is also dealing with grief which Tess does not realize until later in the novel.

·       I loved that Hugh and Tess had to use their knowledge of Regency England to make it in the past, although they do make mistakes which are pretty funny. 

·       I liked how minor Austen character names pop up in the text and I also enjoyed how Tess would use Austen quotes in her dialogue.

·       There was good banter between Tess and Hugh.  I loved the buildup of their romance and I could believe they would make a great couple.

·       I was sad that Hugh Belfour takes the place of his distant relative who died at Waterloo.  The real Hugh’s father, family, and fiancé all believe that Hugh has come back with a head injury.  This was an ethical quandary for me as I wanted Tess and Hugh to go back to the future, but I also wanted them to stay so that everyone wouldn’t have the pain of losing Hugh again.

·       It’s hard to believe that Madeline Bell is a debut author!  I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Overall, The Austen Affair by Madeline Bell was an enjoyable time travel romantic comedy with great characters and an Austenesque storyline.

And the Crowd Went Wild by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

 

Title:  And the Crowd Went Wild

Author:  Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Narrated by:  Kelli Tager

Publisher: Avon

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 8 minutes

Source: Review Copy from NetGalley.  Thank-you!

Do you have a favorite sports team?  I live near and work in Green Bay, so the Packers are just sort of a part of everyday life around here.

Darcy Flynn is a star best known for her bombshell roles and marriage to a famous action star.  After a very public humiliation, she is looking for a place to get away.  She inexplicitly ends up at her former high school boyfriend’s (now Chicago quarterback) retreat in Wisconsin.  Clint is trying to relax and regain his focus before the season begins and he is surprised to see his old girlfriend who broke his heart in high school.  He lets her stay in an old caboose on his property that he is restoring.  Will these two find themselves and each other?

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       This was the February pick for the Brenda Novak Book Group.  There was a fun book club meeting on Facebook for this book that you can still watch.  Sadly, Susan Elizabeth Phillips was sick and unable to join the book club this time.

·       And the Crowd Went Wild by Susan Elizabeth Phillips was a contemporary romance, but it had depth and hard topics were discussed such as alcoholism, r#@e, and murder.  Even with these topics, it was still a fun and engaging romance.

·       Narrator Kelli Tager had a great performance and unique voices for the characters.

·       I loved the Boxcar Children quotes at the start of each chapter.  It gets even better when Darcy ends up living in an old boxcar that Clint is fixing up on his property.

·       Darcy’s marriage reminded me of the breakdown of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman’s marriage.

·       This is #11 in the Chicago Stars series.  I read this as a standalone and it was fine as a standalone.  I’m assuming some of the characters were also in previous books.

·       The characters are in their mid-thirties.

·       This was a dual point of view novel between Darcy and Clint.

·       Tropes in this novel included second chance romance, enemies to lovers, and forced proximity.

·       I loved the Northwoods of Wisconsin setting and how Darcy is only able to find Packer gear for clothing.  This rings true for the area.  This pains Clint as he is a quarterback for Chicago.

·       Darcy and Clint had amazing tension and chemistry.

·       The romance in this novel was steamy with the door wide open.

·       I loved the romance, but also the personal journey of both Darcy and Clint.

·       I also loved how Darcy rescued a mutt and named him Watch (from the Boxcar Children).  I also like how she helped and befriended a woman who was being abused by her boyfriend.

Overall, And the Crowd Went Wild by Susan Elizabeth Phillips was an engaging contemporary romance with great characters, chemistry, and romance.  The story had depth and was very enjoyable.

Beyond the Clouds by Elizabeth Camden

 

Are you addicted to a particular genre, or you read all sort of genres?  I am addicted to historical fiction, but I do like to read all sorts of genres.

Delia and Finn fell in love as teenagers at an orphanage.  Their romance ended when Finn left with Delia’s savings.  Now, years later, Finn has returned to the United States after flying with the Lafayette Escadrille in France to help in WWI before the United States has entered the war.  They are forced to work together to raise funds for Belgian refugees.  Will Delia and Finn be able to put aside differences and find love again?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I love aviation and enjoyed the discussions about Finn’s flying including the specifics of  his plane and famous aviators from that time period.

·       Delia is a pacifist and feels that Finn is a warmonger at the start of the novel.

·       Delia and Finn grew up flying kites together and dreamed of opening a kite shop until Finn steals Delia’s money.

·       I liked how the focus of the book was Delia and Finn trying to help with humanitarian efforts with Belgian refugees to help alleviate human suffering.  It was interesting to me also as an Agatha Christie fan as Hercule Poirot is a Belgian refugee from WWI in the first Agatha Christie novel, The Mysterious Affair at Style.

·       Delia and Finn also travel to Belgium in the novel and experience peril while there.

·       This was a clean read.

·       This book has the tropes of second chance romance and enemies to lovers.

·       There was a great author’s note at the end detailing the true history.  It was fascinating.

·       I loved that Herbert “Bertie” Hoover was in this book.  I didn’t realize who “Bertie” was until they said his entire name near the end of the novel.  Herbert Hoover is usually remembered as a poor president due to the Great Depression, but he was an engineer and was able to help with many humanitarian crises during his career.  I really need a biography on him.

·       Catholic faith is mentioned in throughout the novel.  There is a Catholic priest in jail with Finn in Belgium that provides hope and inspiration.  Finn and Delia grow up in a Catholic orphanage together and Mother Superior was an inspiration for them both.

·       There was a theme of forgiveness throughout the novel and realizing when you have committed a sin or error and working to overcome it.

·       This is the third and find book in the Women of Midtown trilogy.  This entire series is spectacular but can be read as standalone novels.  Characters from the books do make brief crossover appearances throughout which is fun.

·       The characters in this novel and the entire trilogy are well written and have the plus and minuses of real people.  I loved Delia and Finn.

Favorite Quotes:

“I used to love flying kites with you because I could daydream about what it would be like to soar above and beyond the clouds.  Instead of flying for joy, you do it to kill people.  You took the best of us and turned it into something hideous.”

“A wave of painful nostalgia rose in his chest.  They offered Finn shelter for six weeks, and he saw the best of humanity in them – in their generosity, in their sacrifice for each other and for their nation, and in their shared commitment.”

“In times like these, we must confront the danger, or inaction will harm our cause more than the enemy every could.”

“It seemed God made some people to be warriors, while others were destined to work quietly behind the front lines.  Both roles had their purpose, she supposed, and there was honor in each one.”

Overall, Beyond the Clouds by Elizabeth Camden is an intriguing historical romance set during WWI with great characters and empathy for those suffering during WWI.

Book Source:  Thank-you to @authorelizabethcamden @bethanyhousefiction @greatreadsbookpromo for the review copy of this novel as part of the Great Reads Book Promotion Tour.

A Little Paris Christmas by Jennifer Shirk

 

Do you have a favorite fictional dog?  I loved the dog character is this novel, but growing up, I loved Jack in the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Sophie Dubois is the promotions director in Paris, Pennsylvania.  Tourism is down and the mayor has tasked her to drum up business for the town or risk losing her job.  While she works on a plan to save both her job and the town, she needs her handsome, but grumpy neighbor, bestselling author, Mason Haywood.  Will Sophie and Mason find love?  Will Sophie keep her job and help the town?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       A Little Paris Christmas was my last Christmas read for the season.

·       I won this novel from the TLC Book Tours book club giveaway as part of the Rogue Book Club.  We gave it out at our meeting in November.

·       I loved Mason’s dog, Gingersnap.  Gingersnap is a cute dachshund.  He brings Sophie and Mason together and also forces Mason to leave his home and get to know his community.  Gingersnap was my favorite character.

·       This is a fun, light, and cozy novel.  I loved the humor!

·       The Christmas spirit was great in this novel.

·       There was wonderful chemistry between Mason and Sophie.

·       This novel had the following tropes:  enemies to lovers, grumpy vs. sunshine, and opposites to attract.

·       I thought by the title that this book was set in Paris, France, but it is really set in Paris, Pennsylvania.

·       This was a closed-door romantic comedy.

Overall, A Little Paris Christmas by Jennifer Shirk is a sweet story with fun characters.  The lighthearted romantic comedy was perfect for this time of year.

Book Source:  Thank-you to author Jennifer Shirk and TLC Book Tours for the giveaway copy of this novel.

Holiday Ever After by Hannah Grace

 

Title:  Holiday Ever After

Author:  Hannah Grace

Narrated by:  Teddy Hamilton, Christine Lakin

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 12 hours and 22 minutes

Source: Review copy from Simon Audio.  Thank-you!

What is your favorite holiday romance movie?  I really like the movie The Holiday and also Love Actually.

Clara Davenport has dreams of climbing the corporate ladder at her family’s toy company.  When the company is accused of stealing a doll design, Clara travels to the small town of Fraser Falls to help solve the problem.  Once there, she meets Jack Kelly.  Initially sparks fly until Jack finds out she is a Davenport of the family that stole his doll design.  Will Clara be able to solve this problem in order to get her promotion?  Will Jack learn to trust again after having his design stolen in the past?

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       I loved the town of Fraser Falls and all the people in it.  There were a lot of great characters, and I enjoyed Clara getting to know them and to help them out.

·       This novel would make a great series.  I would love to see each character in Fraser Falls get their own story.  It would also make a good Hallmark Christmas movie.

·       This was a steamy romance and a sweet story.  Romantic tropes include enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and City Girl / Small Town Boy.

·       The audiobook had dual narrators for the dual point of view of the novel of Clara and Jack.  It was very enjoyable.

·       I really enjoyed the chemistry between the characters, in particular before they knew who each other were.

·       Jack had a dog named Elf which was very cute.  I always enjoy animals in stories.

·       My one complaint about this book is that it went on for too long.  I felt like it was over about halfway through. 

Overall, Holiday Ever After by Hannah Grace is a sweet holiday romance with a bit of steam to keep your holidays warm.

No Stone Unturned by Jenelle Hovde (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

What's a book that you wish more people knew about?

Bridget Littleton is a vicar’s daughter and loves history and antiquities.  She is very excited to find a Roman mosaic in a neighborhood farm field.  Capitan Rafe Hawthorn has returned from fighting in the Napoleonic Wars, and he is the new viscount in the neighborhood.  He confronts Bridget as he believes she is excavating on his land.  Will Bridget be able to prove she is actually on the Peterson farm, and will she be able to convince Rafe that the work is worthwhile?  Will love bloom?  Who else is trying to steal the mosaics?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was a sweet Regency romance and a clean read.  It has a slow burn and enemies to lovers’ romance.

·       I loved Bridget. She is an educated woman who knows her own mind.  She has a passion for archeology and Roman artifacts.  She loves to read Gothic fiction and she is kind to others.

·       I also love Rafe.  Rafe had a broken childhood filled with abuse.  His mother was able to escape with him.  He also suffered a grave wound and loss of a friend in the war.  He has returned with his terrible memories to the estate, and he wants to repair the estate and help the tenants.

·       Bridget and Rafe had great banter and dialogue between them.

·       Roman archaeology is fascinating to me.  I loved reading about the dig, their finds, and early Christianity amongst the Romans.

·       I enjoyed the quotes at the start of each chapter.  Many are from Lord Byron, Seneca, and John Wesley amongst others.

·       The novel is told through a dual narrative between Bridget and Rafe. The story is told through the first-person point of view.

·       There were mysteries throughout the novel that kept me intrigued.

·       There is a great author’s note on the real Roman discoveries that occurred in England in the 18^th and 19^th century.

·       There are also great discussion questions at the end to challenge yourself with or use at a book club.

·       This was an excellent debut novel!  I can’t wait to see what Jenelle Hovde writes next!

Favorite Quote: “Leave no stone unturned.  How can we learn or grow if we do not understand the past?  How can we heal if we do not fully examine what happened to us?”

Overall, No Stone Unturned by Jenelle Hovde was a beautifully written Regency romance with great main characters and growth, interesting mysteries, and Roman archaeology. I greatly enjoyed this novel.

Book Source: Thank-you to @jenellehovdeauthor @tyndalehouse @austenprose for a review copy of this novel as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour.

Make My Wish Come True by Rachael Lippincott, Alyson Derrick

 

Title:  Make My Wish Come True 

Author:  Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick

Narrated by:  Krystal Hammond and Natalie Naudus

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 9 hours and 4 minutes 

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster Audio.  

Do you have a favorite actor/actress that was a former child star?

Arden James is a teen actress with an image problem.  She is known as a party girl and it’s interfering with her getting her dream movie role.  She decides to fake that her childhood best friend, Caroline Beckett, is her long-term girlfriend.  Caroline agrees to play along as Arden promises she will get to write an article in Cosmopolitan about their relationship.  Will their fake romance become real?

My thoughts on this book:

• This novel had a dual narrative.  Both Arden and Caroline alternate chapters.  There were also dual narrators for the audiobook too which I appreciated.  I feel this gives the reader a better understanding of the different characters.

• This was a slow-moving teen story.  They both seemed to have a crush earlier, but they had never told each other.  It was very slow burn.

• There was a lot of angst, complaining, and misunderstandings.  The audiobook at least had a slightly negative vibe at times.

• Arden reminds me of someone like a young Lindsay Lohan.  Her life spins out of control as she tries to break out of being a child actor.  Arden has lost who she is as a person and wants to go back to being a “normal” girl with a girlfriend and family who loves her.

• Tropes:  Fake dating, slow burn, Hollywood dating regular, and enemies to lovers.

• This audiobook just never really grabbed my attention.  I think I would have liked it better if the characters were in their twenties.

Overall, Make My Wish Come True was a slow burn teen romance that never quite captured my attention.

The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore

 

Real or fake Christmas tree?  We did a real tree a couple of years with the kids which was fun, but otherwise, I have had a fake tree my entire life.

Kira North has bought an old Christmas tree farm in a small town in the Northeast.  She is trying to determine where to go with life. Even though she hates Christmas, she decides to sell Christmas trees to make enough money to fix up her house.  Bennett (Ben) Ellis meets grumpy Kira while walking his three dogs on her farm.  Ben helps Kira with fixing things up on her farm.  Will the two be able to move beyond their broken pasts to start a new romance?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       It reminded me of a spicy Hallmark Christmas romcom movie.

·       It was a cozy Christmas read that I enjoyed at the beginning of January.

·       Kira was grump at first, but she really grew on me.

·       Grumpy x Sunshine romance, forced proximity, slight enemies to lovers. 

·       This was a steamy romance with a lot of sweet romance and basically one really steamy scene.

·       This was the third novel in the Dream Harbor series.  I haven’t read the previous two books, but they are on my list.  This worked as a standalone, but I think I would have enjoyed the side characters even more if I knew their back stories.

Overall, The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore was a good romance with great characters, and it was a quick read.

Book Source: This book was a Christmas gift from a dear friend. Thank-you! 

Before We Were Us by Denise Hunter (Bibliolifestyle Book Tour)

Title: Before We Were Us

Author:  Denise Hunter

Narrated by:  Kim Churchill

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Length: Approximately 9 hours and 9 minutes

Source: Audiobook Purchased from Audible. Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @tnzfiction for the review copy of the paperback version of Before We Were Us by Denise Hunter.

Do you prefer rustic cabins, fancy villas, or high-end resorts? 

Lauren Wentworth is a new graduate with a hospitality degree.  She takes a temporary job at Pinehaven Lodges in New Hampshire to gain experience before she starts her dream job I the big city.  While there, she falls in love with Jonah, the owner’s son.  Jonah is ready to propose one night, but Lauren falls from a ladder and loses her memories of the last four months.  Is their love gone forever?

My thoughts on this book:

·       This novel was what if in an enemies to lovers storyline, one of the lovers loses their memories from the last few months and still thinks you are enemies?

·       It was heartbreaking to Jonah that the love of his life Lauren, no longer remembers him after the fall.  That would be terrible.

·       The story is told in two timelines – the present and the past (four months ago) as Lauren and Jonah fall in love.

·       Lauren and Jonah have interesting bonding between the two as Lauren was abandoned at age five by her mother and grew up being shuffled between foster families.  Jonah’s mother died when he as young, but his aunt and uncle raised him.  Neither had a biological father in their lives.

·       The romance was very sweet.  I love that Jonah loves Lauren enough to let her follow her dreams

·       I loved the setting at the rustic resort in New Hampshire.

·       This novel was a clean read.

·       It has a beautiful fall cover.

·       My attention was captured by this novel as it had such a happy first chapter, and then it all came crashing down.

·       Kim Churchill was a great audiobook narrator.  It was a charming storyline that kept me interested during long drives for work this week.

Before We Were Us by Denise Hunter was engaging amnesia and enemies to lovers romance.  I enjoyed it!

 

The Winged Tiara by J’Nell Ciesielski (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Title: The Winged Tiara

Author:  J’Nell Ciesielski

Narrated by:  Ann Marie Gideon

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Length: Approximately 9 hours and 31 minutes

Source: Thank you @jnellciesielski @thomasnelson @austenprose for the physical review copy and @netgalley audiobook review copy of of The Winged Tiara.

What book are you most likely to gift to a friend?  I like to give books to friends or family that I think they will like.  Sometimes I read a book, enjoy it and immediately think of who else I know that will also enjoy the book.  The Winged Tiara was a book I instantly knew a few friends and family members would enjoy.

Jasper and Esme were caught up in celebrations after the end of WWI and had a quick alcohol filled marriage.  Esme slipped away the next morning.  Years later, the two meet up again as both are famous jewel thieves on the hunt for the elusive winged Valkyrie Tiara. Will they find the tiara, and will they find their way back to each other?

My thoughts on this book:

·       I loved the witty banter and romantic tension between the two main characters.  Sparks definitely fly in this novel.

·       This book reminded me of many of my favorite movies that had romantic tension, witty dialogue, a love/hate relationship, and one upmanship among the leads including To Catch a Thief, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, The Thin Man, or The Thomas Crown Affair.

·       I loved the constant adventure with their pursuit of the winged tiara.

·       The audiobook had a great narrator with unique voices for all the characters.  It was so fun to listen to this audiobook!

·       The narrative was fast paced.

·       I loved the roaring 20’s setting among the elite and glamorous in Europe.

·       This was a clean read.

·       Two of my favorite tropes were in this novel including enemies to lovers and second chance romance.

·       Esme and Jasper were both great characters.  They were both interesting with flaws, fears, and ambitions.

·       There is a nice set of discussion questions at the end of the novel which would be great for a book club.

Overall, The Winged Tiara is one of the best books I’ve read this year.  I highly recommend this historical romance.  I would love to see this as a movie.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Diamonds and danger dazzle in Ciesielski's latest enchanting romp through post-war Europe as estranged spouses and jewel thieves hunt an elusive Valkyrie tiara.

November 12, 1918. It was a match made in champagne-soaked heaven, but all too soon the bubbles dried up, and Esme Fox awakens the morning after celebrating the end of the Great War to find herself shockingly and accidentally married. She gathers her belongings and slips out before her new husband can stop her. After all, she knows it's best to leave before he does.

Four years later, Jasper Truitt, after having made a name for himself in the underground world of jewel thieves, is on the hunt for a valuable heirloom: a one-of-a-kind winged tiara--the last Valkyrie tiara ever created. So it's with great surprise that he discovers it at a charity event atop the head of a woman he's never forgotten. His long-lost wife . . . who happens to be pursuing the tiara for a vengeful opera diva desperate to obtain the jewel for herself.

The reunion is cut short when Esme vanishes--again--but their separation is temporary. With a hitman on their heels and a deadline looming, the pair find themselves in an epic game of cat and mouse across Europe following leads from the French Riviera to a shop of wonders in Venice, a fairy-tale castle in Bavaria, and a veritable circus thrown by a champagne heiress, all before a dramatic horseback flight through the French countryside.

In the end only one can win, and with both of their hearts on the line, the winner may well turn out to be the loser.

In her latest glamorous historical romance, J'nell Ciesielski spins a sparkling story filled with her signature snappy dialogue and vivid atmosphere that will keep you reading late into the night to see what happens next.

AUTHOR BIO

Bestselling author J’nell Ciesielski has a passion for heart-stopping adventure and sweeping love stories while weaving fresh takes into romances of times gone by. When not creating dashing heroes and daring heroines, she can be found dreaming of Scotland, indulging in chocolate of any kind, or watching old black and white movies. She is a member of the Tall Poppy Writers and lives in Virginia with her husband, daughter, and lazy beagle.