[Review] The Prince of Broadway, by Joanna Shupe

Title: The Prince of Broadway
Series: Uptown Girls #2
Author: Joanna Shupe
Publisher: Avon
Number of pages: 384
Publication date: December 30th 2019

Synopsis:

In the second novel in Joanna Shupe's the Uptown Girl series, a ruthless casino owner bent on revenge finds his plans upended by a beautiful women who proves to be more determined than he is—and too irresistible to deny.

Powerful casino owner.
Ruthless mastermind.
Destroyer of men.

He lives in the shadows...

As the owner of the city's most exclusive casino, Clayton Madden holds the fortunes of prominent families in the palms of his hands every night. There is one particular family he burns to ruin, however, one that has escaped his grasp... until now.

She is society's darling...

Florence Greene is no one's fool. She knows Clayton Madden is using her to ruin her prestigious family... and she's using him right back. She plans to learn all she can from the mysterious casino owner—then open a casino of her own just for women.

With revenge on his mind, Clay agrees to mentor Florence. However, she soon proves more adept—and more alluring—than Clay bargained for. When his plans are threatened, Clay must decide if he is willing to gamble his empire on love.

Review:

I received an eARC at no cost from the author, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you.

Just under a 4 out of 5 rating, this book tells the story of Felicity Green, who wants to own a women’s casino during the Gilded Age. Smart woman that she is, she decided to ask Clayton, who already owns a casino, to teach her.

Clay has a revenge story against her father, and that gets in the way of the happy ending, but in the end he does the right thing – of course.

Although I enjoyed this book, it wasn’t a favourite. Clay’s revenge sometimes pushed things in a way that was too much, and Felicity was a bit annoying at parts, as she behaved in ways that didn’t feel very realistic.

I did love the voyeurism scene, it was super sexy! The good times delivered, as usual.

The end felt just right for everyone, and it’s very refreshing to have different goals and results than what we are used to – mind, it’s still a HEA, just not a “married with kids” HEA, which would not have suited our main couple.

Definitely a big part in this series, Felicity and Clay’s story is one of social class differences, revenge, following your goals, and knowing when to compromise without losing focus.

[Review] Act Your Age, Eve Brown, by Talia Hibbert

Title: Act Your Age, Eve Brown
Series: The Brown Sisters #3
Author: Talia Hibbert
Publisher: Avon
Number of pages: 400
Publication date: March 9th 2021

Synopsis:

In Act Your Age, Eve Brown the flightiest Brown sister crashes into the life of an uptight B&B owner and has him falling hard—literally.

Eve Brown is a certified hot mess. No matter how hard she strives to do right, her life always goes horribly wrong—so she’s given up trying. But when her personal brand of chaos ruins an expensive wedding (someone had to liberate those poor doves), her parents draw the line. It's time for Eve to grow up and prove herself—even though she's not entirely sure how…

Jacob Wayne is in control. Always. The bed and breakfast owner’s on a mission to dominate the hospitality industry—and he expects nothing less than perfection. So when a purple-haired tornado of a woman turns up out of the blue to interview for his open chef position, he tells her the brutal truth: not a chance in hell. Then she hits him with her car—supposedly by accident. Yeah, right.

Now his arm is broken, his B&B is understaffed, and the dangerously unpredictable Eve is fluttering around, trying to help. Before long, she’s infiltrated his work, his kitchen—and his spare bedroom. Jacob hates everything about it. Or rather, he should. Sunny, chaotic Eve is his natural-born nemesis, but the longer these two enemies spend in close quarters, the more their animosity turns into something else. Like Eve, the heat between them is impossible to ignore—and it’s melting Jacob’s frosty exterior.

Review:

We have the final instalment of the Brown Sisters! It was a delight to follow along Evie’s misadventures (even though Dani’s book is still my favourite!).

Eve has had an easy life, but not so easy as it might seem at first sight… She feels very much at drift, and it’s hard for her to fit in – only copying and mirroring social interactions is she able to try and connect with people. But not the right people! Her “friends” keep her around for help, but that’s about it.

When Eve’s family decide for her that she needs to stop living of her trust fund, she feels frustrated as she knows that she doesn’t do that on a whim, or on purpose, things just…don’t work out for her. And Eve realizes that she doesn’t really know who she is, or what she wants. And she ends up LITERALLY hit the person who will help her with that.

Meet Jacob, the owner of a B&B whose goal is to make sure people have a home away from home. When he meets Eve, who sings, and is a bit much, he doesn’t really know how to behave. He’s attracted to her, but at the same she pushes some of his buttons, and in the beginning, it’s slightly hard for him to cope with it.

Their relationship was very cute and adorable, and even though I thought it could have had a bit more interaction with high and lows, I did enjoy it.

On that note, I did feel the end was a bit… quick, I would say? Not the resolution, the “problem”. I get why they behaved the way they did, but I felt that Eve would have been different, she would have pushed Jacob right away, and maybe that would have been worse than what happened, but that’s just what felt a bit off for me.

I liked seeing Eve at the B&B, and discovering what really made her happy, but I would have liked to see some things happening between her and the guest, instead of just being told that Jacob noticed this and it made him and them happy.

Also, I liked seeing all the characters from the previous books, but again, I felt like the reactions that lead to the “problem” was a bit much… The sisters and their respective boyfriends are rational people, and the message they got from Eve didn’t have any HUGE triggers to make them do what they did. The guys say to just call Eve, but the sisters go full on PROTECTIVE MODE for their baby sister Eve (which denotes a bit how they still think of her, even though she is a grown woman – which they admit (isn’t it great when that happens?)!!!

This was such a fun book, with main characters who are Autistic (as I’m not, I will not comment on that depiction, as I don’t feel like I’m in a place where I could or should do it), and secondary characters that just made you laugh and helped the story going.

Talia Hibbert is great at giving her characters particular traits that are very visible with their behaviours, like the fact that Eve absolutely loves music, but we don’t just see her listening to it – she quotes music, sings, and hums, amongst other little things.

Anyway, I loved Eve, loved Jacob, and I can’t wait to read the spin-off series with all the other characters from Skybriar, the little town where his B&B is located.

[Romantic Covers] Rokesbys series, by Julia Quinn

Welcome back to Romantic Covers!

Today’s covers are of a prequel of a series which has become quite famous. Anyone seen the Bridgerton series?

Well, here's the covers for the prequels (although the books were published AFTER the Bridgerton book series!), the Rokesbys series, written by Julia Quinn.

On the left, the US covers all have strong, bold dress colours; on the right, the Portuguese (PT) covers, have a softer look. As you can see, the last Portuguese cover has a question mark on top of it, as the book hasn't been published yet, but the blog Algodão Doce Para O Cérebro shared the cover of the book, which we hope will be published this year.

Let me know which one is your favourite, and please comment about what you like (or dislike!) about each cover 😊

[Review] Love Is a Rogue, by Lenora Bell

Title: Love is A Rogue
Series: Wallflowers vs. Rogues #1
Author: Lenora Bell
Publisher: Avon
Number of pages: 384
Publication date: October 27th 2020

Synopsis:

Once upon a time in Mayfair, a group of wallflowers formed a secret society with goals that had absolutely nothing to do with matrimony. Their most troublesome obstacle? Rogues!

They call her Beastly Beatrice.

Wallflower Lady Beatrice Bentley longs to remain in the wilds of Cornwall to complete her etymological dictionary. Too bad her brother's Gothic mansion is under renovation. How can she work with an annoyingly arrogant and too-handsome rogue swinging a hammer nearby?

Rogue. Scoundrel. Call him anything you like as long as you pay him.

Navy man Stamford Wright is leaving England soon, and renovating Thornhill House is just a job. It's not about the duke's bookish sister or her fiery copper hair. Or the etymology lessons the prim-yet-alluring lady insists on giving him. Or the forbidden things he'd love to teach her.

They say never mix business with pleasure. But when Beatrice and Ford aren't arguing, they're kissing.

Sometimes, temptation proves too strong to resist…even if the cost is a heart.

Review:

I received an eARC at no cost from the publisher, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you.

I absolutely loved this book. A hero that’s a carpenter and a heroine who is an etymologist – perfect combination!

One of the things that always makes my heart flutter is acts of service. Because acts of service mean that you’ve been paying attention to your partner (or your friend, or whoever the other person is in this situation) and it just makes me so happy that the characters listen to each other’s needs *swoon*.

This book is a bit of a Beauty and The Beast retelling, since our heroine “was born with palsy of the facial nerve caused by damage from the instruments the doctors used” (in Love is a Rogue, by Lenora Bell) during her birth, which means one side of her face does not move “normaly”, and her smile is lopsided.

Lady Beatrice Bentley, this beautiful, rich lady, who prefers a comfortable blue dress than the somewhat growing and starting to be exaggerated creations of the 1830’s, can’t help but feel the attraction to Stamford Wright, the roguish carpenter working on her brother’s estate.

I loved falling in love with Ford and Beatrice, and seeing their love develop and overcome what would be thought of as a barrier for the time, or if not a barrier, at least a strong detriment for their union.

Beatrice loves words, and she is fascinated with the words that disappear from our language, and the ones that are almost “chosen” to remain, and for Ford this is not an interest, but he becomes fascinated with how happy Beatrice is when she’s talking about writing her dictionary, and how caring he is for her and her love of books. I mean… he built her BOOKSHELVES!

Also, this book is full of feminism, sisterhood, all the things we want to see in this world. As I was reading this book, I found myself mirrored in the women of The Mayfair Ladies Knitting League, with the same wishes and desires: “Why should being female preclude me from being an entrepreneur? I say, smash down the barriers” (Love is A Rogue, by Lenora Bell). One of my favourite quotes from this book is exactly related to women (women as in anyone that identifies as female), and how we see ourselves in the world and society: “We women are all so critical of ourselves. We’re too plump, or too thin. Too tall, or too short. Our hair is too curly, or too straight. We live in a society that rewards conformity to a strict set of physical standards and an even more rigid set of rules for proper behaviour. We have these unpleasant thoughts running round and round in our minds. Wouldn’t it be revolutionary if we decided to love ourselves exactly the way we are?” (in Love is a Rogue, by Lenora Bell). Apologies for the long quote, but I loved it so much, that I remember shedding a tear when I read this. Self-love, and supporting ourselves and others, shouldn’t that be the ultimate goal?

Anyway, this book was also a love dedication to all of us readers, as I’m sure you can understand from the above mentioned love of books and words. As I was reading this book, I found myself highlighting these sentences that put into words a feeling that I’m sure most readers relate to: “But I can’t possibly read all of them [books]. It keeps me up at night sometimes, knowing that I can’t read every book I own. You should see how many books are stacked beside by bed just waiting to be read. And I don’t have the time to read them all” (in Love is A Rogue, by Lenora Bell).

Of course, this book is a romance, and the love story is the main element. But in this case, for me, it felt like there was more than ONE love story – there was the love between Beatrice and Ford, but also the love between these women supporting each other’s endeavours, and the love for words, and for your own passions!

All in all, I loved this book. It is romantic, sexy, powerful, all you want in a good book.



P.S. Make sure you read the acknowledgements at the end!

[Review] Heiress Gone Wild, by Laura Lee Guhrke

Title Heiress Gone Wild
Series: Dear Lady Truelove #4
Author: Laura Lee Guhrke
Publisher: Avon
Number of pages: 384
Publication date: September 24th 2019

Synopsis:

Dear Lady Truelove,
My ward is driving me crazy. I have to marry her off and get her out of my life. There's just one problem…

When Jonathan Deverill promised a dying friend he'd be guardian to the man's daughter, he envisioned a girl in pigtails and pinafores, a child he could leave behind in some finishing school. Problem is, his ward is actually a fully-grown, defiant beauty whose longing for romance threatens to make his guardianship a living hell.

New York heiress Marjorie McGann wants a London season and a titled husband who can help her spend the Yankee millions she's inherited, and she thinks her new British guardian is the perfect person to help her find him. But Jonathan has no intention of letting his friend's fortune be squandered. Under his watchful, protective eye, Marjorie finds romance hard to come by...until one fateful night when her own guardian's devastating kisses makes her wonder if the greatest romance of all might be right in front of her.

Review:

I received an eARC at no cost from the author, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you.

This was my first Laura Lee Guhrke book. I don’t know why it took me so long to read this author!

I’ll admit, some things in the book were a bit too much for me, but in general this was quite fun!

I really liked Marjorie, she was fun, and she was very determined. And for someone who pretty much lived her whole life between the walls of a school, she was very courageous. Because it courage to actually do what she did. It’s all good when you’re thinking about going on an adventure, but actually doing it, takes a lot of guts!

The romance trope in this book is the ward-guardian trope. But not to worry, Marjorie isn’t a child, or teenager, she’s a young woman – which the hero knew nothing about, and he was very surprised to find a beautiful woman instead of a young girl in pigtails.

Jonathan does seem a bit annoying sometimes, but we have to keep in mind he is trying to protect both Marjorie and himself. He wants her to have her dream, but at the same time he wants his sanity. Whenever Marjorie does something crazy, we can clearly see all the mechanics in his head, and sometimes it does come out, but it’s mostly #internallyscreaming.

This book was a lot of fun, as we accompanied both the hero and the heroine to discover new (and old) dreams, and what they actually wanted out of their lives. It really pushes some of our buttons, and force us to, alongside the characters, see what we’re looking for in our lives. Is it really the ballrooms and gossip, or do we want something more? This was the question for Marjorie. And for Jonathan? Well, for him it was even a bigger question, as he had no idea what he wanted to do, besides what he already did. But he wanted a new dream… he just didn’t know what that would entail. And together, they find a new, adventurous dream.

[Review] The Devil of Downtown, by Joanna Shupe

Title The Devil of Downtown
Series: Uptown Girls #3
Author: Joanna Shupe
Publisher: Avon
Number of pages: 384
Publication date: June 30th 2020

Synopsis:

The final novel in Joanna Shupe's critically acclaimed Uptown Girl series about a beautiful do-gooder who must decide if she can team up with one of New York's brashest criminals without losing something irreplaceable: her heart.

Manhattan kingpin.
Brilliant mastermind.
Gentleman gangster.

He's built a wall around his heart...

Orphaned and abandoned on the Bowery's mean streets, Jack Mulligan survived on strength, cunning, and ambition. Now he rules his territory better than any politician or copper ever could. He didn't get here by being soft. But in uptown do-gooder Justine Greene―the very definition of an iron fist in a velvet glove―Jack may have met his match.

She wears hers on her sleeve...

Justine is devoted to tracking down deadbeat husbands and fighting for fair working conditions. When her mission brings her face-to-face with Jack, she's shocked to find the man behind the criminal empire is considerably more charming and honorable than many "gentlemen" she knows.

Forming an unlikely alliance, they discover an unexpected desire. And when Justine's past catches up with them, Jack may be her only hope of survival. Is she ready to make a deal with the devil...?

Review:

I received an eARC at no cost from the publisher, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you.

I loved this book so much I couldn’t even write the review when I finished as I was so excited I couldn’t keep still enough to actually sit in front of a computer.

When I finished The Devil of Downtown my first thought was… I want to read it again! That’s how much I loved it.

I’ve always loved a bad boy who is good for his love and/or has a heart of gold. Jack Mulligan… doesn’t have a heart of gold, but he does like Justine and he doesn’t want to see her hurt.

Jack Mulligan “rules” downtown New York. His character is based on a real man, Paul Kelly. Here is an image of Paul Jelly [on the left, image from wikipedia], and an image of Vincent Piazza [on the right], who plays Lucky Luciano on the tv series Boardwalk Empire, which the author, Joanna Shupe, has mentioned she used as an inspiration for Jack:

For fans of the series Pecky Blinders, Jack is also quite similar to Tommy Shelby, played by Cillian Murphy:

And if Jack Mulligan is the devil of downtown, Justine is the do-gooder, the angel. While he deals in favours, blackmail, and balance of power, she deals in the business of helping people just because they need it.

Justine works at an institution where she helps women whose husbands abandoned them and their children either return, or pay retribution. It’s in her work that she meets Jack, as one of the men employed by him abandoned his wife, and kids. Jack doesn’t like having someone talking to his employers, and he makes a deal with Justine that this man will pay to support his wife and children, if she owes him a favour, which he can collect at any point. She hates not knowing what might happen, but she has no other choice.

Jack respects Justine because she stands her ground, she challenges him – and she is able to do this because she knows Jack does not hurt women or children. She believes he will not break his “code”, but still Jack thinks she is incredible just by behaving like that. You go Justine!

All throughout the book there is this motto that Jack will corrupt Justine, that he’s a spider and will get her stuck in his web without her noticing. And, in a way… that does happen. But Justine realizes what happened and she didn’t like the person she was becoming. It was a heartbreaking scene. Have I mentioned I cried in this book? More than once, actually. But I still loved it!

They had such an amazing chemistry, Jack exudes sexiness, and Justine, whom most people considered plain, was like an avenging angel, and had this sexual energy that just appealed so much to Jack.

I know some people will not be happy with the end… but for me it was perfect. Because they both acknowledge that for them to be together, things have to change, at least slightly.

Although I’m an only child, I really connected with Justine, and understood her very well. And Jack just connected with me in all the right ways.

The sisters of the previous books are also in The Devil of Downtown, but I paid almost no attention to them. They were just plot points to make us understand Justine better, in my opinion.

I just loved this book so much, the essence of New York, and blackmail, and the power, and the sexiness.. It was pretty much perfect.



P.S. for anyone that would like to know more about New York, Jack Mulligan, Justine, and just gilded age history, Joanna Shupe did a life video on facebook, which you can watch HERE.

[Review] About a Rogue, by Caroline Linden

Title About A Rogue
Series: Desperately Seeking Duke #1
Author: Caroline Linden
Publisher: Avon
Number of pages: 384
Publication date: June 30th 2020

Synopsis:

The first book in the new series Desperately Seeking Duke from USA Today bestselling and RITA award-winning author Caroline Linden.

It’s no love match…

Bianca Tate is horrified when her sister Cathy is obliged to accept an offer of marriage from Maximilian St. James, notorious rake. Defiantly she helps Cathy elope with her true love, and takes her sister’s place at the altar.

It’s not even the match that was made…

Perched on the lowest branch of his family tree, Max has relied on charm and cunning to survive. But an unexpected stroke of luck gives him an outside chance at a dukedom—and which Tate sister he weds hardly seems to matter.

But could it be the perfect match?

Married or not, Bianca is determined to protect her family’s prosperous ceramics business, even when Max shows an affinity for it—not to mention a dangerous ability to intrigue and tempt Bianca herself. And when Max realizes how beautiful and intelligent and desirable Bianca is, he’ll have to prove he’s no rogue, but the passionately devoted husband she craves…

Review:

I received an eARC at no cost from the publisher, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you.

So, I read a few contemporaries before this (some very good, one not so good), and I was in need of a historical that you bring me the will to read again. This book definitely did it.

About a Rogue is an enemies to lovers story, and I have to say I really enjoyed it, as usual with Caroline Linden’s books.

I really liked the main couple, Bianca was just the right amount of fiery, and Max was a wonderful man trying to win his bride over.

There’s a bit of mystery at the end of the story, and I have to be honest – I did not expect that! Which is good, in case anyone is wondering.

Bianca fierce love for her sister and her work was very amazing, and even if her decision to marry Max was made in the spur of the moment, she kept to it, and even if she didn’t want to fall in love, and actually trying to prevent it, she also realized when it was time to just let go, which I really enjoyed, as I prefer stories where people are not so stubborn that they only realize they love one another in a death or life situation.

Max was indeed a rogue, but he’s so much more than that. He’s an intelligent man, with a head for figures, and he’s very good at business adventures. And he also knows how to best engage with Bianca, without ever forcing her or imposing on her, he simply makes himself known, and actually does the work for both the business and the love relationship.

The conflict at the end could have spiralled out of control if handled differently, but I think the author did just the right thing. Yes, Max hid something from Bianca (and her family), but he had a good reason for it, and I like that Bianca is slightly sad that he didn’t trust her, but not exactly hurt, because she understands him and his reasons.

The book ended up being a quick read, and was just right for my mood.

[Review] Get A Life, Chloe Brown, by Talia Hibbert

Title Get A Life, Chloe Brown
Series:The Brown Sisters #1
Author: Talia Hibbert
Publisher: Avon
Number of pages: 373
Publication date: November 5th 2019

Synopsis:

Chloe Brown is a chronically ill computer geek with a goal, a plan, and a list.
After almost—but not quite—dying, she’s come up with seven directives to help her “Get a Life”, and she’s already completed the first: finally moving out of her glamorous family’s mansion. The next items?

• Enjoy a drunken night out.
• Ride a motorcycle.
• Go camping.
• Have meaningless but thoroughly enjoyable sex.
• Travel the world with nothing but hand luggage.
• And... do something bad.

But it’s not easy being bad, even when you’ve written step-by-step guidelines on how to do it correctly. What Chloe needs is a teacher, and she knows just the man for the job.

Redford ‘Red’ Morgan is a handyman with tattoos, a motorcycle, and more sex appeal than ten-thousand Hollywood heartthrobs. He’s also an artist who paints at night and hides his work in the light of day, which Chloe knows because she spies on him occasionally. Just the teeniest, tiniest bit.

But when she enlists Red in her mission to rebel, she learns things about him that no spy session could teach her. Like why he clearly resents Chloe’s wealthy background. And why he never shows his art to anyone. And what really lies beneath his rough exterior…

Review:


Although this is the first book in the Brown Sisters series, it’s actually the second one I’m reading. I started with Take A Hint, Dani Brown, and now I’ve also read Get A Life, Chloe Brown, which means now I’m anxiously waiting the story of the third sister, Eve.

I really liked this book. I liked how Talia Hibbert showed us Chloe’s physical struggles, but did not bury her personality with them. Which, I think, is exactly the point of the book. By fear, Chloe had let her disease take over her life, but now she felt ready to take back the reins, and “get a life”. In enters Red – Redford Morgan -, the superintendent of her new flat. And Red, with his red hair, his bike, and his art, crawled his way into her heart.

I loved Red. Talia sure knows how to write a great hero. He’s considerate, he’s funny, he’s interesting, and he also has a difficult past, emotionally wise. He’s been hurt, and a bit like Chloe, he hasn’t really learned how to trust after that.

And Chloe decides they can help each other, which developed both a friendship and a romantic relationship between them.

I enjoyed their progress, and the romance, and steamy scenes. I do think the end was quite quick, very neatly tided with a bow. I would have liked maybe a deeper conversation between our main characters, but I did love the little gifts Red gives Chloe, and how they are carefully thought, not just things she would like, but things that she can actually use.

All in all, it was a great book. Romantic, and adventurous, and funny, and mostly a story about having courage, and being brave enough to go after what we really want out of our lives. A lesson we sometimes forget in the middle of life actually passing by us.

[Review] Take A Hint, Dani Brown, by Talia Hibbert

Title: Take A Hint, Dani Brown
Series: The Brown Sisters #2
Author: Talia Hibbert
Publisher: Avon
Number of pages: 320
Publication date: June 23rd 2020

Synopsis:

Talia Hibbert returns with another charming romantic comedy about a young woman who agrees to fake date her friend after a video of him “rescuing” her from their office building goes viral...

Danika Brown knows what she wants: professional success, academic renown, and an occasional roll in the hay to relieve all that career-driven tension. But romance? Been there, done that, burned the T-shirt. Romantic partners, whatever their gender, are a distraction at best and a drain at worst. So Dani asks the universe for the perfect friend-with-benefits—someone who knows the score and knows their way around the bedroom.

When brooding security guard Zafir Ansari rescues Dani from a workplace fire drill gone wrong, it’s an obvious sign: PhD student Dani and ex-rugby player Zaf are destined to sleep together. But before she can explain that fact, a video of the heroic rescue goes viral. Now half the internet is shipping #DrRugbae—and Zaf is begging Dani to play along. Turns out, his sports charity for kids could really use the publicity. Lying to help children? Who on earth would refuse?

Dani’s plan is simple: fake a relationship in public, seduce Zaf behind the scenes. The trouble is, grumpy Zaf’s secretly a hopeless romantic—and he’s determined to corrupt Dani’s stone-cold realism. Before long, he’s tackling her fears into the dirt. But the former sports star has issues of his own, and the walls around his heart are as thick as his... um, thighs.

Suddenly, the easy lay Dani dreamed of is more complex than her thesis. Has her wish backfired? Is her focus being tested? Or is the universe just waiting for her to take a hint?

Review:

I received an eARC at no cost from the author, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you.

I know this is the second book in a series, and I haven’t read the first one (yet! I’ve bought today so, it should be read soon!) but I couldn’t resist the premise.

I finished the book at 1 a.m. today. It made me feel all the feels. I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to write a proper review, as I’m still with that “in love” feeling.

This book has a cinnamon roll hero. I mean… I’m totally in love with Zafir Ansari. He’s a Muslim, former rugby player, who reads romance novels. I mean…do I need to say anything else?

I loved how Talia Hibbert was so real. She shows real struggles and real achievements, and she does it in such a caring way.

Danika Brown is a fierce, PhD. student and a university teacher. She is a sexy, confident, and awesome bisexual – except she doesn’t do “feelings”. And Zaf is more in touch with his feelings than most, as he had to deal with mental health issues, and knows how important it is to recognize how we feel, and accept it. So, when these two decide to fake a relationship to help Zaf’s charity, and add benefits to that same relationship, things start to change.

Dani never really had someone (besides her sisters and her best friends) that understood her, and actually cared about her and her work – because that’s a whole package. And the people she knew before, they didn’t get how important that was to her, and at the same she didn’t recognize their feelings (I’m looking at Jo, not at Mateo, to be clear). She did try, when she thought she was in love, and when that went wrong, she decided no long term thing for her, just give her a f*ck buddy, and she’ll be happy. But Zaf is more than that. He’s a friend, and he actually pays attention to her, and when things change between them Dani is scared.

And Zaf gets it. Late, but he does. Zaf is an amazing guy, who has dealt, and continually deals with mental health problems, and he’s created this amazing charity where he teaches young boys to accept and recognize their feelings and their struggles, without toxic masculinity – go Zaf!

I loved the hot, sexy times, but most of all I loved to see their relationship grow, and seeing Dani and Zaf being recognized by their separate works, it’s inspiring. And Dani’s gesture, at the end of the book? If I had already melted for our hero, this made me completely adore our heroine, because she respected his love of romance books, and made a gesture with them for him – not because she had to or he asked her to, but because she wanted to and knew it would make him happy.

Because that’s the goal in a romantic relationship, isn’t it? To be with someone not because you have to, but because you want to, and you are happy to be with them, and do nice things for them, again, not because you have to or feel obliged to do it, but because it gives makes you happy to make them happy.

[Review] The Worst Best Man, by Mia Sosa

Title The Worst Best Man
Series: --
Author: Mia Sosa
Publisher: Avon
Number of pages: 368
Publication date: February 4th 2020

Synopsis:

A wedding planner left at the altar. Yeah, the irony isn’t lost on Carolina Santos, either. But despite that embarrassing blip from her past, Lina’s managed to make other people’s dreams come true as a top-tier wedding coordinator in DC. After impressing an influential guest, she’s offered an opportunity that could change her life. There’s just one hitch… she has to collaborate with the best (make that worst) man from her own failed nuptials.

Tired of living in his older brother’s shadow, marketing expert Max Hartley is determined to make his mark with a coveted hotel client looking to expand its brand. Then he learns he’ll be working with his brother’s whip-smart, stunning—absolutely off-limits—ex-fiancée. And she loathes him.

If they can survive the next few weeks and nail their presentation without killing each other, they’ll both come out ahead. Except Max has been public enemy number one ever since he encouraged his brother to jilt the bride, and Lina’s ready to dish out a little payback of her own.

But even the best laid plans can go awry, and soon Lina and Max discover animosity may not be the only emotion creating sparks between them. Still, this star-crossed couple can never be more than temporary playmates because Lina isn’t interested in falling in love and Max refuses to play runner-up to his brother ever again...

Review:


This book is written by a Brazilian author, and I had a great time reading it, and reading a bit of Brazilian Portuguese.

The Worst Best Man has an “enemies to lovers” trope, although I don’t really think Max and Lina were enemies per se, but more Lina hated him for something they both believed he had caused, even if he hasn’t the one to actually do the deed.

Max is charming, funny, caring, and very good at his marketing job. Lina is a sexy, emotional, resilient, funny, hard-working wedding planner. And Lina was engaged to Max’s brother. Literally, they broke up on the wedding day – Andrew sent Max a text to tell Lina it was over. Classy, right?

Anyway, Max and Lina have to work together to create a pitch for Lina’s dream job, and pretty much Max’s dream job as well. Which means they have to put their differences aside and work together to “sell” Lina as the best wedding planner for a rich hotel.

As they start to get along, they go to visit a wedding venue, and… oh no, the car broke down, and they have to stay there, and there’s only one room for a couple, so of course they decide to share but there’s only one bed. Another great trope.

I really liked the way the author introduced the change in pace between our couple, how they are slight enemies, to friends, to lovers, to and actual couple.

The event at the wedding venue was a touch of genius to get the characters to open up without forcing them and to give us readers both inside in the life of WOC (Women of Colour), “A Black woman isn’t justifiably upset, she’s angry. A Latinx person confronts someone, they’re fiery or feisty. I don’t like raising my voice in public, Max. There’s too much baggage associated with it. A woman gets emotional in the workplace, she’s irrational and not fit for leadership.”, and a male character who recognizes his privileged and own prejudice, "I’m a White man, and I’m embarrassed to realize that none of this would have occurred to me if Lina hadn’t forced me to see it. It’s a privilege I take for granted—the ability to be who I want and say what I want no matter the space I’m in."

This was a funny, steamy, enlightening rom-com, with great touches of Brazilian culture, from capoeira to brigadeiros, and it really was a joy to read it.

[Review] Would I Lie to the Duke, by Eva Leigh

Title Would I Lie to the Duke
Series: Union of the Rakes #2
Author: Eva Leigh
Publisher: Avon
Number of pages: 384
Publication date: August 25th 2020

Synopsis:

When an ambitious entrepreneur pretends to be a lady of means, she catches the eye—and heart—of a duke...

Jessica McGale's family business desperately needs investors, and she's determined to succeed at any cost. But she knows London's elite will never look twice at a humble farm girl like herself. Posing as “Lady Whitfield,” however, places her in the orbit of wealthy, powerful people—most notably the Duke of Rotherby. His influence and support could save her company, but Jess never expected the effect he'd have on her.

Society thinks Noel is a notorious, carefree duke who dabbles in investments, but there's a side to him that only his closest friends see. When he crosses paths with Lady Whitfield at a business bazaar, his world tilts on its axis. She's brilliant and compelling, and brings him to his knees like no woman has before. Trust is difficult for Noel, but Jess makes him believe anything is possible...

As time ticks down on her Cinderella scheme, the thought of achieving her goal at Noel's expense breaks Jess' heart. He doesn't just want her now, he wants her forever. But will her secret end their future before it begins?

Review:

I received an eARC at no cost from the publisher, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you.

Would I Lie To The Duke is a book I had a hard time describing how it made me feel, for a very simple reason: I hate liars. [I like the fake relationship trope because both characters are aware and in on it]. And yet, I enjoyed this book quite a bit, with the exception of the moments I was reminded that Jess was lying, because she had several opportunities to tell the truth.

But let's start at the begging. Jess's family is in trouble and they might lose their livelihood, which is why she became a companion and is searching for people who will sell her family's soap in London, as well as invest in their factory.

Cue the Bazaar. A place where wealthy people look for their next profitable investments. It would be a dream to be able to present her project there.

After being rejected by Bond Street vendors, Jess meets (at a distance) the also investor and savvy Duke of Rotherby, Noel. And luck has it, he is one of the Bazaar's investors.

So, when Jess decides to try her luck, he is there, and she presents herself as a Lady, even though she is truly a commoner, a farm girl as she describes herself.

She continues her lie during the whole Bazaar, and her acquaintance with Noel, even when he tells her he feels so happy with her because she doesn't lie, and she doesn't want anything from him. She had several opportunities to tell him the truth. Not necessarily to the Bazaar people, but to him at least. And she abandons him after he pretty much pours his heart out. I was heartbroken for Noel.

In the end, I enjoyed the book, but ended up with the feeling that maybe they shouldn't be together. Jess had her reasons to lie, but that still could have changed as they got to know each other.

I was always disappointed with Jess when she failed to tell him the truth. I think he would have understood (as he did in the end) but suffered less if she had been honest. And I believe he would have helped her, if only she had asked. My favourite part (with the exception of the very sexy, very steamy sex scenes) was when Jess' siblings told her she didn't need to be doing all of that on her own. I think she really needed that bucket of cold water to take her down from the mind-set of "I'm essential, nothing will work without me". Because that's the feeling I got when she said to herself, she was doing it for family, they needed her, who would take care of them? But they were all grown ups. So.... there was a lot of lack of communication that could have helped so much.

I did like Noel quite a bit, as well as his friends. He was intelligent, business savvy, he cared about his tenants. Yes, he used to be quite a rake, but he never forgot his responsibilities. He admired other smart minds, no matter their gender. And he had a crooked smile, who can resist that?

I'm sure that when you read this, you'll think I didn't really enjoy the book, but that's a lie. Even with its problems, I laughed out loud several times as I was reading it, I loved the sexy moments, I really enjoyed a business/inventions background to the story, and I did like at least one of the main characters, which was enough to get me through the book with me cheering for Noel the whole time.

Steamy, great hero, and it left me curious about the other men in the Union of Rakes circle.