Last year, Lynn Painter's Mr. Wrong Number was a popular contemporary romance, and rightfully so. This week, the series continues with her new novel, The Love Wager. This friends-to-lovers romance follows Jack and Hallie as they navigate dating app dates and wedding parties, all while denying their obvious feelings for each other. It's a cute... Continue Reading →
Tomorrow, Off the Map by Trish Doller hits shelves everywhere, and I was excited to get an early copy of it. This is actually the third installment in her Beck Sisters series, and I admittedly haven't read the first two books yet. I've been reading romance series out of order more and more lately... not... Continue Reading →
Last summer, J. J. McAvoy released Aphrodite and the Duke, the first book in her new Regency romance series, the DuBells. Like the Netflix adaptation of Bridgerton, this series features people of color in aristocratic roles in a society void of racism. I've been looking forward to reading Aphrodite and the Duke, and now felt... Continue Reading →
In the past few years, I have loved several books by Alexis Daria. After reading her Primas of Power novels—You Had Me at Hola and A Lot Like Adiós—as well as shorter works like What the Hex and Solstice Miracle, it's safe to say she's one of my favorites. Now, she is rereleasing her very first... Continue Reading →
In the last couple of years, the Secret Scientists of London series by Elizabeth Everett has emerged as a standout among historical romances. These are smart books highlighting women who fit within the STEM label (and STEMinist label), except it's the 1840s and they're facing even more career pushback than women today. I've been meaning... Continue Reading →
Earlier this year, I enjoyed Sharon C. Cooper's novel Business Not As Usual. Now the male protagonists's sister gets her own love story with In It to Win It, a second chances romance with a little friendly competition over a real estate deal. Special thanks to the publicists at Penguin Random House and to NetGalley for providing me... Continue Reading →
Two years ago, Camilla Läckberg released The Golden Cage, a psychological thriller with a feminist plot and a noir vibe. I just got the audiobook this month and decided to listen to it as part of my Northern and Eastern Europe reading challenge. The book was translated from Swedish by Neil Smith, and the audiobook... Continue Reading →
Earlier this year I was happy to read Gurzil by I, Anonymous. The first in the Wars of Wrath series, it ended on a cliffhanger, so I was eager to see what would happen next. The second installment is Badon Hill, a transitional book that sets up what is sure to be an exciting end.... Continue Reading →
Last year, one of my favorite romances was Never Fall for Your Fiancée by Virginia Heath. The first in a trilogy, I could hardly wait for the next installment, so I was excited to get an ARC of book #2, Never Rescue a Rogue. Much as I loved its predecessor, Never Rescue a Rogue may be... Continue Reading →
Earlier this year, I adored The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews, the first in her Belles of London series. Ever since, I'd been looking forward to the next book, The Belle of Belgrave Square. Happily, I was able to read an advanced copy of the novel, and it not only lived up to my lofty... Continue Reading →
June is Read Caribbean Month, and my first choice was the newly released A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera. I've been eagerly anticipating this book for months, so as soon as my pre-order arrived, I dove in. This is the first in the Las Léonas trilogy, and I already look forward to reading... Continue Reading →
I've been growing more and more interested in Jasmine Guillory in the past year, and while I hadn't yet read any of her books, I was eagerly awaiting her 2022 novel, By the Book. It's the second in a multi-authored series called Meant to Be, published by Hyperion Avenue, an imprint of Disney Publishing Worldwide.... Continue Reading →
A few years ago, I watched a movie about Nellie Bly and her famous undercover commitment to a women's asylum. Up until then, I had never heard of her, but it was a fascinating and eye-opening account. Earlier this year, I was excited to learn of an upcoming book based on her: The Mad Girls... Continue Reading →
One month ago, a new historical romance book was released into the world. Her Country Gentleman, the first in the Timeless Georgian Collection series, comprises three short stories by Sian Ann Bessey, Sarah M. Eden, and Rebecca Connolly. Kim Bretton narrates the audiobook version. It's an endearing book that is perfect for anyone who enjoys... Continue Reading →
March was all about reading retellings of the classics - at least for me and my personal 2022 monthly reading challenge! After reading Ramón and Julieta, a reimagining of Romeo and Juliet, I was eager to continue the Shakespeare retellings with Dating Dr. Dil by Nisha Sharma. It's the first in a new trilogy called... Continue Reading →
After adoring everything about To Love and to Loathe last summer, I was eager to continue Martha Waters's Regency Vows series. I finally read its predecessor, To Have and to Hoax, earlier this month (yes, I read the first two books out of order - oops!), partially in preparation for the newest book in the series: To Marry... Continue Reading →
This month, my reading challenge is to read retellings of the classics. One book that was high on my list is Ramón and Julieta by Alana Quintana Albertson - a retelling of Romeo and Juliet - that just came out at the beginning of February. Throw in themes of gentrification and stolen taco recipes and... Continue Reading →
Over the past several months, I've connected with a new author known as I, Anonymous. I was honored when he offered me an ARC of his new book, Gurzil, the first in the Wars of Wrath series. Gurzil just came out two weeks ago, and it's a book I wholly recommend, whether you're an avid... Continue Reading →
Last summer, I committed an offense to book series that I rarely do: I skipped the first book and decided to start with the second. This was no innocent accident; I did it knowingly. Indeed, I started Martha Waters's Regency Vows series with its second installment, To Love and to Loathe. And I regret nothing, because there was... Continue Reading →
Last year, two of my favorite books were The Heiress Gets a Duke and The Devil and the Heiress, both part of Harper St. George's Gilded Age Heiresses series. These historical romances bring heat and charm as well as thoughtful examinations of women's rights in the 1870s. I've been eagerly awaiting the next two books... Continue Reading →
For several months, I've been eagerly anticipating the release of The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews. The first in her new Belles of London series, I was drawn to several things that make it stand out compared to other historical romances: It stars a half-Indian protagonist, features an interracial and interclass relationship, and highlights... Continue Reading →
It was almost exactly one year ago when I read Isabel Ibañez's debut novel, Woven in Moonlight. Its sequel, Written in Starlight, was one of my most anticipated books of January 2021. I was determined to read it before this year ends, and in these final weeks of 2021, it was exactly the book I... Continue Reading →
Lately I've been getting more and more into historical romances (though I'm still pretty new to the genre). One book that caught my eye a couple months ago was Never Fall for Your Fiancée by Virginia Heath. I pre-ordered it and could hardly wait for arrive this month. Once it did, I flew through the... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books of May was A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark. Although this is the first full-length novel in the Dead Djinn Universe series, it was preceded by three novellas. (I haven't read them yet, but they're on my list now.) In the end, I picked up the audiobook... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 