How to Lose a Laird by Anna Bradley

 

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Rumors have filled the local village after Freya MacLeod’s father’s death.  Some rumors think her late father left a treasure to be found.  This rumor has caused treasure hunters to swarm the area.  Other rumors state that she and her sisters are witches.  When Freya and her sister Sorcha are accused of murder, her brother-in-law’s friend, Callum, whisks her away to his castle to save her.  Will the two find love?  Will Freya be able to return home?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This is a historical romance set in Scotland in the 18^th century.  I love reading stories set in Scotland and in this time period!

·       I liked the back story of Callum’s father fighting in Culloden and how it impacted their family.  Callum finds himself betrothed to a woman he admires but does not love as one of the consequences.

·       This is the second book in the Cairncross Castle book series.  I did not read the first book in the series about the first sister, Cat, but this book worked fine as a standalone.  I do think the first book probably gave more details on the treasure hunt and would be worth going back to read.

·       This is the second MacLeod daughter, Freya’s, story.

·       This story had plenty of adventure and some mystery.

·       There was a lot of chaos at the start of the story, and I had to figure out what was going on.  Freya seemed to hide in the shadows, but she had a lot of great growth throughout the story.

·       Freya and Callum had great chemistry.

·       This was a forced proximity story.

·       The story was mostly slow burn, but there are a couple of open-door scenes towards the end of the novel.

·       There are miscommunications as part of the romance, which always annoys me in stories.

·       I am interested to read the next book in the series and get Sorcha’s story.

Overall, How to Lose a Laird by Anna Bradley was a fun historical romance.

Book Source:  Thank-you @kensingtonbooks @btc_books @annabradleyauthor @tlcbooktours for a review copy of the novel as part of the TLC Book Tour.

Into a Golden Era by Gabrielle Meyer

 

Title:  Into a Golden Era

Author:  Gabrielle Meyer

Narrated by:  Rachel Botchan

Publisher: Recorded Books

Length: Approximately 13 hours and 9 minutes

Source: Thank you, @gabrielle_meyer @bethanyhousefiction @greatreadsbookpromo the review copy of the physical book.  Audiobook purchased from audible.

What is a book series that you are currently enjoying?  I have enjoyed the time travel series, Timeless for the past few years.  Into a Golden Era is the seventh book in this series and I was very excited to read it!

Ally is a time crosser that lives in 1849 San Francisco and 1929 Hollywood. She lives one day in 1849, fall asleep, and then wakes up in 1929. She switches time periods every other day. At age 25, she must chose which world to stay in forever.  In 1849, she has moved to San Francisco with her father and young sister hoping to strike it rich in the gold rush.  When her father falls ill on the voyage, how will the young family survive?  In 1929, her father’s movie studio is having problem in the switch to talking pictures.  Will filming a movie version of Little Women while Ally fakes a romance with lead Spencer save the studio?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       In this book more than any other in this series, the characters explore, can you change history and keep your path in that time?

·       I liked how the characters from previous books appeared.

·       The cover of this book is beautiful.

·       I found both time periods to be fascinating.

·       I never knew about the “Sydney Ducks.” It is a gang made up of convicts that served time in Australia and then immigrated to the United States.  I was intrigued.

·       I enjoyed the 1849 love story which was a forced proximity story.  It was also learning to love someone after learning their true character and motivations.

·       This was an inspiration, clean read, and Christian romance.

·       It’s always nail-biting at the end of a book in this series, which timeline will Aly end up it?  Is it the right choice?

·       I loved listening to this book on audiobook and got through it quickly while working on yard work.  It made the time fly!

·       Great discussion questions for a book club at the end.

·       I loved reading the author’s note about the author’s research and the real history of the times.  It was fascinating.

·       The next book in this series will be out in the summer of 2027.

Overall, Into a Golden Era by Gabrielle Meyer was an engaging historical romance time travel novel.  I enjoyed it and this series is fantastic!

A Most Natural Consequence by Heather Moll

 

If you could be character from a book for one day, who would you be and why?  Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice would be at the top of my list.

Elizabeth Bennet has traveled to Ramsgate with her mother and sisters, Kitty and Lydia, for Kitty’s health.  While in Ramsgate, they befriend a quiet girl, Georgiana Darcy, visiting the seaside with her governess. Georgiana’s brother, Fitzwilliam soon shows up to visit his sister and meets the Bennets for the first time.  When it appears that one of their sisters have run away with Mr. Wickham, Elizabeth and Darcy try to save them only to realize they now need to marry for propriety’s sake.  Will the two be able to fall in love after marriage?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This novel is a variation of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

·       It was a stressful week last week and ending my day with A Most Natural Consequence by Heather Moll each evening was both enjoyable and stress relieving.

·       Elizabeth and Darcy are vividly drawn and detailed. I enjoyed their interactions and chemistry.  All the characters felt very true to Austen’s original creations.

·       I loved the slow burn build up of the romance between Darcy and Elizabeth.  It was fun to see them become friends and to see that friendship turn to love.

·       There was open door romance at the end, and it felt earned after the build-up of the relationship.

·       The tropes in this novel were forced proximity, forced marriage, and slow burn.

·       The Bingleys visiting Netherfield is at the end of this novel.  I enjoyed this variation.

·       Darcy is straightforward on Wickham’s flaws.  Wickham is a terrible man.  It was hard to believe that anyone would want to marry him knowing the truth.

·       Elizabeth decides to act independently and take matters into her own hands on an issue that leads her into trouble that threatens her and Darcy’s relationship.  I was very annoyed at Elizabeth during this section of the book.

Favorite Quote:  “The qualities of her mind were equal to those of her heart and her person.  He respected her for her personal charms and for her cultivated understanding and refined taste and lively mind.  Bot those qualities and attractions had ascendancy over his heart and went far deeper than respect and admiration.” – How romantic!

Overall, A Most Natural Consequence by Heather Moll was a very engaging Pride and Prejudice variation and historical romance.  It’s a book to savor read to bring yourself to another world.

Book Source:  Review Copy from author Heather Moll.  Thank-you!

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.

Snowbound Regency Christmas by Carla Kelly, Joanna Johnson, and Samantha Hastings

 

Have you ever been stranded by a snowstorm?  I was once stranded at Detroit Metro airport for three days during a blizzard.

Snowbound Regency Christmas is three novellas including:

“A Christmas Houseguest” by Carla Kelly

Sailing Master Andrew Hadfield is back in England after two years being held captive by the French.  He is searching for the widow of a comrade to tell her the details of her husband’s death.  When his mail coach is caught in a snowstorm, fellow passenger, Rosie, takes him back to her family farm to stay and recover.  Will love find a way for two people who have given up on love?

“Their Yuletide Reunion” by Joanna Johnson

In the past, Jane had to say no to a proposal from Lt. Duncan Fitzjames due to family obligations.  Her feeling for him have not changed.  Now that her Great Aunt Deborah has passed away, her future is uncertain.  With Duncan back in town, will there be a second chance for love?

“The Christmas Husband” Charade by Samantha Hastings

On a mail coach, Devin finds himself traveling with a woman he despises. Julia jilted his brother years before.  Julia has been punished and sent away as a governess.  When they are snowed in and trapped at an inn, they must pretend to be married in order to have a safe place to stay and to protect Julia’s reputation.  Will the forced proximity cause them to come to a better understanding and perhaps find love?

My thoughts on these novellas:

·       I loved all three of these stories.  They were cozy and great escapism reading.

·       All three stories were forced proximity romances.  I also enjoyed the second chance romance and shades of Persuasion by Jane Austen in “Their Yuletide Reunion.”

·       This was a clean read.

·       Each story was unique and kept me engaged throughout!

·       The first story also have a PTSD storyline.

·       I read this book quickly. 

Overall, Snowbound Regency Christmas has three great Regency romance novellas that were a perfect comfort read on a cold winter’s night.

Book Source:  Purchased from Amazon.com

 

A Ruff Royal Christmas by Karen Schaler

 

Title:  A Ruff Royal Christmas

Author:  Karen Schaler

Narrated by:  Hannah Curtis

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Length: Approximately 9 hours and 19 minutes

Source: Review copy from NetGalley.  Thank-you!

Do you enjoy books that include animals?  I do! Rambunctious border collie Stormy in A Ruff Royal Christmas by Karen Schaler was a great dog character.

Princess Ava is working on putting together a charity Christmas Eve event, but things fall apart when she loses her mother’s new border collie, Stormy.  Stormy was going to be announced at the Christmas Eve party as the first royal pet.  Justin, an American dog trainer, and Princess Ava search for Stormy and start to feel attracted to each other.  Ava is already promised to another, Duke Henry, in an arranged marriage.  Will Ava and Justin change the futures laid out for them by their parents?

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       I continue to read Christmas books into January as I love them so much!

·       I am glad author Karen Schaler is back.  I enjoy her annual Christmas novel.  She broke her hand Christmas Eve 2023 and was unable to write and publish a new Christmas story in 2024.  I enjoy her annual books and The Christmas Prince series she wrote for Netflix.

·       Princess Ava is a mechanical engineer who graduated at the top of her class.  I loved this STEM representation – it’s hard to find engineers in fiction!

·       Ava is dealing with grief with the loss of her father.

·       This was a forced proximity romance as Ava and Justin search for Stormy.

·       I loved that there was a snowmobiling scene in the story – there aren’t that many stories with snowmobiles!  I enjoy snowmobiling, but don’t get to go that much.

·       This was a sweet, fun, and light Christmas romance.

·       A Ruff Royal Christmas would make an excellent Hallmark or Netflix movie.

·       I liked how the story dove into Ava’s insecurities with the press and her relationship with her mother.  Justin helped her to think about what she wanted to do with life moving forward.  Ava helped Justin to realize that he could make his own way and didn’t need to run his father’s vet office and that he could go his own way as a trainer.

·       This was a cozy read.

·       This was an entertaining book on audiobook, and I enjoyed the narrator.

Overall, in A Ruff Royal Christmas by Karen Schaler is a cozy Christmas romance that is a comfort read any time of year.

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.

Not Exactly Mr. Darcy by Carolyn Miller (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Have you visited any literary locations?  I have visited many of the Little House on the Prairie locations, but still have a few on my bucket list.  One of my favorite literary locations is Gene Stratton Porter’s Cabin at Wildflower Woods in Rome City, Indiana.  Gene Stratton Porter wrote Girl of the Limberlost and Freckles.  It’s a beautiful and peaceful place.

Olivia “Liv” Bennett is a history teacher in Australia. When her teaching contract is not renewed and is given to another employee, her family decides she is the best person to travel to England and help out her Grandma who is having health problems.  Immediately after she arrives, she has an awkward run in with a gardener at a local estate.  While Liam and Olivia do not have a good first meeting, they get to know each other better when Olivia starts to work at Hartbury Hall to help open it back up to the public.  Will these two learn to look beyond first impressions?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       It was a clean read and a Christian read.

·       It was a cute story with a sweet romance.

·       I loved how it was a modern-day Pride and Prejudice story.

·       The characters were great.  I loved Olivia, Liam, and everyone in the village.

·       Hartbury Hall was the setting of a fictional 2015 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, which made it a tourist attraction.  I wanted to see this fake adaptation!

·       This is the first in a new series – The Silver Teapot series.  I am looking forward to the next book in this series and learning more about Olivia’s sisters.

·       I enjoyed the author’s note and am fascinated that Lyme Park (Pemberley in the 1995 adaptation) had no references to the film and that the author’s husband was a gardener there when he was young.  I don’t know why Lyme Park wouldn’t take advantage of being such a famous place in a movie and how fun that the author’s husband was a gardener there.

·       This was an interesting look at how hard it is to maintain and keep up a British great house or large estate.  It impacts the village when it is no longer an employer or tourist attraction.  I liked seeing the renovations of the estate through the story.

·       There were various themes in the story such as second chances, forgiveness, and moving on from the past.

·       The romance tropes were opposites attract, fake identity, and forced proximity.  I enjoy these tropes.

·       This was a cozy read that was perfect for this busy time of year.

Overall, Not Exactly Mr. Darcy by Carolyn Miller is a delightful and fun romance that is a modern-day Pride and Prejudice story. It was a very enjoyable and cozy read.

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

Cruel Summer by Maisey Yates

 

Title:  Cruel Summer

Author:  Maisey Yates

Narrated by:  Nancy Peterson

Publisher: Harlequin Audio

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 38 minutes

Source: Thank you @netgalley for the review copy. 

What is your favorite song of the summer?  I do love the song “Cruel Summer” by Bananarama so this title caught my eye.  I finished this book up at the start of last week, which is perfect with summer coming to an official end today.  Our weather in Northeast Wisconsin also warmed back up this week so we have more summer weather.

Samantha Parker has a comfortable life with marriage to her high school sweetheart, Will, and three kids. They are ready to start on their empty nest phase when Samantha is blindsided by Will stating that he wants an open marriage.   She proposes that they have a summer apart with no contact to determine how they want to move forward.  Samantha wants to spend summer finding herself.  Will’s best friend, Logan, asks her to go with him to deliver restored class cars across the country as a part time summer job.  Will Samantha find herself?  Will she and Will reunite?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       The audiobook was good.  The Narrator was pleasant to listen to and the story was engaging.  I just had a hard time listening to it at the end when it took a turn into steamy romance.

·       This was not a breezy summer book as it tackled many hard topics.

·       I can’t imagine my husband coming home one day and asking for an open marriage.  What a shock – especially are they are just coming empty nesters with more time to spend together.

·       It was really Will wanting cake and to eat it too.  He didn’t want a divorce, but wanted to screw around since they married so young and never had another relationship.

·       I had a hard time with the romance.  On her adventures with Logan, it comes out that Logan has loved her since high school and she was attracted to him too.  How does this work?

·       Overall, in the book, Samantha is working on finding herself and what she wants in life instead of trying to please everyone else.

·       I love vintage cars so the descriptions of the cars and taking them cross country was fun for me.

·       This book had spicy scenes, forced proximity, 2^nd chance romance, and opposites attract.

Overall, Cruel Summer by Maisey Yates was an interesting summer read that tackled a lot of hard topics.

The Rules of Falling for You by Mollie Rushmeyer (Bibliolifestyle Book Tour)

 

Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @bethanyhousefiction for the review copy of The Rules of Falling for You by Mollie Rushmeyer.

What is blooming in your area?  We have a lot of hydrangeas blooming around town and turning beautiful colors.

Zoe Dufour is a soon to be 30-year-old podcaster that is beginning to doubt she will find the true love that she reads about in her favorite Regency novels.  When a Regency themed singles retreat opens not far from her hometown of Minneapolis, she decides it would not only be a great topic for her podcast, but also a great place to look for love.  Her best friend’s brother Harrison is back in town and is her podcast producer.  Will sparks fly between the two?

My thoughts on the novel:

·       I loved all the Jane Austen references throughout. They were delightful.

·       I wish that A. Nathaniel Gladwin, a fictional regency era author in the novel, existed.  I want to read her novels!

·       The novel has dual narrators as it switched between Zoe and Harrison.

·       I loved the Minneapolis setting.  It’s nice to read books set somewhere else besides New York City!

·       This novel was a contemporary romcom set in a fictional regency themed singles retreat. So, there were great costumes and dancing.  I loved everything about it.

·       It was a very fun book, and I loved the humor throughout the novel. Zoe and Harrison had great banter.

·       I enjoyed the side romances between other characters as well.

·       Zoe and Eden’s friendship was also great.

·       Zoe must learn to bend her own dating rules to find happiness in life.

·       This was a clean read.

·       Great tropes in this novel – friends to lovers (or best friend’s brother to lover), forced proximity and slow burn.

·       The Rules of Falling for You by Mollie Rushmeyer was published on September 2, 2025.

Overall, The Rules of Falling for You by Mollie Rushmeyer was a sweet and delightful contemporary romcom set primarily at a regency themed dating retreat.  I loved the characters and the storyline.  It’s a fun book and I especially recommend it to all my fellow Jane Austen and regency lovers.