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Cosmic Cabaret
Rosalie Redd, Jayne Fury, C.J. Cade, Kat Vancil, Blaire Edens, Diana Rivis, Tessa McFionn, Dena Garson, Selene Grace Silver, Cailin Briste, Athena Grayson , Jenna Lincoln and Kerry Adrienne
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Kara Skinner (332 KP) rated The Princess of Aenya in Books
Jul 20, 2020
Genre: Fantasy
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Princess Radia is struggling to rule Aenya, a once-mighty kingdom now all but cut off from the rest of the world. But her adopted brother, Zaibos, leader of Aenya’s army, rebels against her until she’s forced to go into hiding while he rules as a sadistic tyrant. Now Radia and her bodyguard Demacharon have to hide until they can take back Tyrnael. But Radia isn’t all that she seems. She might possess power greater than anything she or her allies imagined.
The Princess of Aenya by Nick Alimonos was a good book, but I think I would enjoy it more reading it a second time. From the beginning, there’s an onslaught of action and story coming from multiple characters at once. The main storyline follows Radia and Demacharon as they fight to survive. But Hugo and Esse, a soldier and a servant, are introduced, as well as Ugh, a Bogren, and Eros, an assassin hired to kill Radia.
Through alternating chapters, the reader has to follow all of these storylines before they eventually intertwine in the end of the book and, for me at least, this was difficult. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed the individual storylines and characters.
Hugo and Esse deserve their own book. I would love for a companion novel to be made about them leading the rebellion in Tyrnael while Radia had to be in hiding. Esse was bred to be a servant, someone designed to not stand out or aspire to anything more than serving others. But she fought against that lifelong training to lead a rebellion against a sadistic tyrant. Before Zaibos, Tyrnael was at peace for a thousand years. No one had any experience protesting or rebelling because there wasn’t a need. But Esse stepped up and started to lead! Honestly, her story is just as fascinating as Radia’s, and a lot more relatable. I love stories about people who take their fate into their own hands so Esse’s story would be a great one.
I really liked Eros as well. He represents the dark side of Tyrnael. Just because there was peace doesn’t mean everyone was happy. Sexual intercourse is forbidden in Tyrnael. Eros was born from sexual intercourse so he and his mother were branded and ostracized. He was forced to become an assassin to support and protect his mother. Honestly, I wanted him to fail and succeed at the same time because succeeding meant killing Radia but it also meant the brand getting lifted from his mother.
However, while I enjoyed the characters and could follow and enjoy the plot overall, there’s still a lot I’m confused about. There are five storylines to juggle, six if you count Demarchon’s flashbacks. Not only are we following Radia, but we are also following Eros, Ugh, Esse, and Zaibos through their stories. It’s a lot to take in and keep straight.
The Princess of Aenya was an enjoyable read and the ending was satisfying. However, I would get a lot more out of the story if I reread it.
Get The Princess of Aenya on Amazon.
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Princess Radia is struggling to rule Aenya, a once-mighty kingdom now all but cut off from the rest of the world. But her adopted brother, Zaibos, leader of Aenya’s army, rebels against her until she’s forced to go into hiding while he rules as a sadistic tyrant. Now Radia and her bodyguard Demacharon have to hide until they can take back Tyrnael. But Radia isn’t all that she seems. She might possess power greater than anything she or her allies imagined.
The Princess of Aenya by Nick Alimonos was a good book, but I think I would enjoy it more reading it a second time. From the beginning, there’s an onslaught of action and story coming from multiple characters at once. The main storyline follows Radia and Demacharon as they fight to survive. But Hugo and Esse, a soldier and a servant, are introduced, as well as Ugh, a Bogren, and Eros, an assassin hired to kill Radia.
Through alternating chapters, the reader has to follow all of these storylines before they eventually intertwine in the end of the book and, for me at least, this was difficult. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed the individual storylines and characters.
Hugo and Esse deserve their own book. I would love for a companion novel to be made about them leading the rebellion in Tyrnael while Radia had to be in hiding. Esse was bred to be a servant, someone designed to not stand out or aspire to anything more than serving others. But she fought against that lifelong training to lead a rebellion against a sadistic tyrant. Before Zaibos, Tyrnael was at peace for a thousand years. No one had any experience protesting or rebelling because there wasn’t a need. But Esse stepped up and started to lead! Honestly, her story is just as fascinating as Radia’s, and a lot more relatable. I love stories about people who take their fate into their own hands so Esse’s story would be a great one.
I really liked Eros as well. He represents the dark side of Tyrnael. Just because there was peace doesn’t mean everyone was happy. Sexual intercourse is forbidden in Tyrnael. Eros was born from sexual intercourse so he and his mother were branded and ostracized. He was forced to become an assassin to support and protect his mother. Honestly, I wanted him to fail and succeed at the same time because succeeding meant killing Radia but it also meant the brand getting lifted from his mother.
However, while I enjoyed the characters and could follow and enjoy the plot overall, there’s still a lot I’m confused about. There are five storylines to juggle, six if you count Demarchon’s flashbacks. Not only are we following Radia, but we are also following Eros, Ugh, Esse, and Zaibos through their stories. It’s a lot to take in and keep straight.
The Princess of Aenya was an enjoyable read and the ending was satisfying. However, I would get a lot more out of the story if I reread it.
Get The Princess of Aenya on Amazon.
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Kara Skinner (332 KP) rated Eternity in Books
Jun 12, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
300 years ago, Raven St. James was hanged for witchcraft. But she revives among the dead to find herself alive. She is an Immortal High Witch, one of the light. A note from her mother warns that there are others, those of the Dark, who preserve their own lives by taking the hearts of those like her.
Duncan Wallace’s forbidden love for the secretive lass costs him his life.
300 years later, he loves her again, tormented by hazy memories of a past that can’t be real. She tells him of another lifetime, claims to be immortal. Though he knows she’s deluded, he can’t stay away. And the Dark Witch after her heart is far closer than either of them know.
After reading and loving the Once Upon a Time boxed set by Maggie Shayne, I was super excited to find her book Eternity free on Smashwords. But while I liked it a lot, I didn’t like it as much as Once Upon a Time. Perhaps my expectations were too high.
Raven and her sister Arianna are both good characters. I like Raven’s spirit and loyalty a lot, as well as Arianna’s sass. Duncan is pretty fine himself. His devotion to Raven is incredibly sexy and I’ve always enjoyed a good Scottish brogue myself. In one scene, she heals him from a fever while trying to keep her identity a secret from him. That is a very delicious scene and it’s one of the first real tastes of magic we see. Gotta love that scene, as well as reading about Duncan trying to protect Raven in the Americas.
But the initial meeting was a little lacking. Sure, it’s pretty powerful, having Duncan speak up on Raven’s behalf and then quit the Catholic church for her. I love the compassion he shows there, despite Raven telling him to stop before he’s hanged himself.
But they’re practically in love within two minutes of meeting each other. Sure, that would be fine if Raven, unaware of her immense power, accidentally put a spell on him. But she didn’t. There’s no real explanation for their insta-love. The most we get is their souls recognized each other. Yippee.
The insta-love wasn’t necessary, either. A young, idealistic man can be sickened by an execution without being in love with her. There was plenty of time to introduce more romantic feelings later.
Duncan and Raven in the Americas are excellent together, though. I wish we had seen more of them in the seventeenth century. Because Duncan in the twentieth is bland.
There’s no better word for it, really. He’s bland. Modern-day Duncan is easily confused and manipulated and even after he gets memories from his past life, he still doesn’t believe Raven when she tells him of their past. It takes him forever to realize Raven’s not mentally unbalanced and actually knows what she’s talking about.
There is a second book with Raven’s sister, Arianna. Even though I was a little disappointed in this book, I still might buy Infinity. After all, this wasn’t even close to being a bad book. It’s certainly well-written and entertaining. Now that my expectations for Maggie Shayne’s work has gotten a reality check– honestly, any book she wrote would have been a letdown after the two amazing love stories in Once Upon a Time.
Duncan Wallace’s forbidden love for the secretive lass costs him his life.
300 years later, he loves her again, tormented by hazy memories of a past that can’t be real. She tells him of another lifetime, claims to be immortal. Though he knows she’s deluded, he can’t stay away. And the Dark Witch after her heart is far closer than either of them know.
After reading and loving the Once Upon a Time boxed set by Maggie Shayne, I was super excited to find her book Eternity free on Smashwords. But while I liked it a lot, I didn’t like it as much as Once Upon a Time. Perhaps my expectations were too high.
Raven and her sister Arianna are both good characters. I like Raven’s spirit and loyalty a lot, as well as Arianna’s sass. Duncan is pretty fine himself. His devotion to Raven is incredibly sexy and I’ve always enjoyed a good Scottish brogue myself. In one scene, she heals him from a fever while trying to keep her identity a secret from him. That is a very delicious scene and it’s one of the first real tastes of magic we see. Gotta love that scene, as well as reading about Duncan trying to protect Raven in the Americas.
But the initial meeting was a little lacking. Sure, it’s pretty powerful, having Duncan speak up on Raven’s behalf and then quit the Catholic church for her. I love the compassion he shows there, despite Raven telling him to stop before he’s hanged himself.
But they’re practically in love within two minutes of meeting each other. Sure, that would be fine if Raven, unaware of her immense power, accidentally put a spell on him. But she didn’t. There’s no real explanation for their insta-love. The most we get is their souls recognized each other. Yippee.
The insta-love wasn’t necessary, either. A young, idealistic man can be sickened by an execution without being in love with her. There was plenty of time to introduce more romantic feelings later.
Duncan and Raven in the Americas are excellent together, though. I wish we had seen more of them in the seventeenth century. Because Duncan in the twentieth is bland.
There’s no better word for it, really. He’s bland. Modern-day Duncan is easily confused and manipulated and even after he gets memories from his past life, he still doesn’t believe Raven when she tells him of their past. It takes him forever to realize Raven’s not mentally unbalanced and actually knows what she’s talking about.
There is a second book with Raven’s sister, Arianna. Even though I was a little disappointed in this book, I still might buy Infinity. After all, this wasn’t even close to being a bad book. It’s certainly well-written and entertaining. Now that my expectations for Maggie Shayne’s work has gotten a reality check– honestly, any book she wrote would have been a letdown after the two amazing love stories in Once Upon a Time.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Rampage (2018) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
I have long written about the troubled history of bringing video game movies to the screen. For every success such as “Resident Evil” there are failures such as “Super Mario Bros”, “Wing Commander”, “DOOM”, and countless others. In recent years studios have taken more control of films based on their titles and we have seen some better success at least from a financial point. I was on set and very briefly in “Postal” and “Far Cry” and between scenes it was explained to me that with many video game films, you can use names and a basic premise from the game, but visuals, scenarios and such are usually forbidden as they cannot follow past stories or impede on any possible new projects. What is left is usually something with the name of the game and a very loose association.
“Tomb Raider” and “Assassin’s Creed” recently had a solid box office and while “Warcraft” fizzled domestically it did well overseas but not enough to trigger a sequel but showed an upward trend of star power and bigger budgets for game related films.
All of which brings us to “Rampage”; which is based on a classic arcade game which spawned version on multiple gaming platforms and sequels over the years.
The movie stars Dwayne Johnson as Davis Okoye; a former military operative who joined an anti-poaching task force and now resides in San Diego caring for Primates. His associates note that he has a better relationship with the animals in his care than he does the people around him and Davis is more than fine with this.
His favorite animal is an Albino Gorilla named George and Davis has even managed to teach him and other members of the group to speak to him via sign language.
All seems well until debris from a satellite crashes into George’s enclosure one night as well as various locales around the country.
George begins to grow at an alarming rate and shows increased aggression which is troubling to Davis and draws the attention of a genetics company who are involved in a rogue genetics experiment and a disgraced scientist named Dr. Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris) who strive to help George and get control of the situation. Naturally the people behind the experiment are not going to let this happen and involve Government Agent Russell (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), to transport them all to a secure locale.
Naturally things do not go as planned and with multiple creatures now on the loose and heading to Chicago, and the military powerless to stop the carnage, it is up to Davis to save George and save the day.
The film uses some lavish visuals to depict the creatures and the action scenes are very entertaining. For a game with a very basic premise, it was nice to see the attempt made to flesh out the backstory and characters and not make the film just an extended FX reel.
There are some scenes and lines that would not be appropriate for younger viewers as a couple at our screener seemed to have some issues with the intensity at times. That being said, “Rampage” delivers an over the top, campy, and fully entertaining mix of video games and classic monster movies. The strong cast and great effects make for an enjoyable action film as long as you accept things with a wink and a smile. I hope this is a success as I would love to see a future film in the series and Johnson, Morgan, and Harris were a very winning combination.
http://sknr.net/2018/04/11/rampage/
“Tomb Raider” and “Assassin’s Creed” recently had a solid box office and while “Warcraft” fizzled domestically it did well overseas but not enough to trigger a sequel but showed an upward trend of star power and bigger budgets for game related films.
All of which brings us to “Rampage”; which is based on a classic arcade game which spawned version on multiple gaming platforms and sequels over the years.
The movie stars Dwayne Johnson as Davis Okoye; a former military operative who joined an anti-poaching task force and now resides in San Diego caring for Primates. His associates note that he has a better relationship with the animals in his care than he does the people around him and Davis is more than fine with this.
His favorite animal is an Albino Gorilla named George and Davis has even managed to teach him and other members of the group to speak to him via sign language.
All seems well until debris from a satellite crashes into George’s enclosure one night as well as various locales around the country.
George begins to grow at an alarming rate and shows increased aggression which is troubling to Davis and draws the attention of a genetics company who are involved in a rogue genetics experiment and a disgraced scientist named Dr. Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris) who strive to help George and get control of the situation. Naturally the people behind the experiment are not going to let this happen and involve Government Agent Russell (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), to transport them all to a secure locale.
Naturally things do not go as planned and with multiple creatures now on the loose and heading to Chicago, and the military powerless to stop the carnage, it is up to Davis to save George and save the day.
The film uses some lavish visuals to depict the creatures and the action scenes are very entertaining. For a game with a very basic premise, it was nice to see the attempt made to flesh out the backstory and characters and not make the film just an extended FX reel.
There are some scenes and lines that would not be appropriate for younger viewers as a couple at our screener seemed to have some issues with the intensity at times. That being said, “Rampage” delivers an over the top, campy, and fully entertaining mix of video games and classic monster movies. The strong cast and great effects make for an enjoyable action film as long as you accept things with a wink and a smile. I hope this is a success as I would love to see a future film in the series and Johnson, Morgan, and Harris were a very winning combination.
http://sknr.net/2018/04/11/rampage/
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Beyond the Red Mountains in Books
Nov 8, 2019
Kelvin has lived all his life in the city of Triopolis, a peaceful place between the mountains and the sea. After all there are no other towns or civilisations on the planet, not since the Dark Days when everything changed.
Kelvin's first clue that all might not be as he has been taught when he discovers an old book warning about a mysterious figure called Luther who seems to have been carefully erased from the history of Triopolis. And it is clear that he is not the only one who is aware of secrets.
Elizabeth is the princess of Westville, the centre of a civilisation that has conquered every other city in the world - there are not many. She is locked in a loveless and arranged marriage but is determined to find some way out.
When fate brings Kelvin and Elizabeth together they realise there is a lot more going on than the elders of either city would have them believe. Before long they are on the run, desperately trying to save themselves and their cities from dark forces. They have allies and enemies, but telling one from the other is only half the battle...
Beyond the Red Mountains is a fantasy novel that is of epic proportions but avoids all the tropes and cliches of 'epic' fantasy. There isn't really a great quest, there isn't a dark lord threatening all of existence. All of the characters seem very real and all have their own reasons for their actions, whether these are with or against the main protagonists.
There are many twists and turns and the story doesn't let itself get too bogged down in long conversations or descriptions, letting the story unfold to reveal the narrative and the history. Not every decision Kelvin and Elizabeth make is the right one, but it is always made with the best intentions. The characterisation really does stand out, with a lot of care taken to make the characters believable. I was particularly struck by one of the characters who are opposed to Kelvin and Elizabeth but the reader ends up feeling enormous sympathy for.
There is a (perhaps inevitable) romantic connection between Kelvin and Elizabeth but this is well played and unfolds very realistically and is never overplayed or overstated. Some of the keepers of ancient wisdom they meet are perhaps a little to forthcoming about forbidden knowledge but this means the story doesn't slow but can take the next step so this can be forgiven.
The prose is very simple, clearly aimed at a young adult audience, although some of the themes and scenes are perhaps not for the very young end of the spectrum. As an introduction to lengthy fantasy tales this works very well though. The ending is a real cliff hanger and definitely makes me want to read the sequel.
There were a few more spelling mistakes and incorrect (or plain missing) words in the eBook version I read but this wasn't really a problem, it was always clear what was intended.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wanted to tackle a human-scale epic fantasy novel with a difference, one that cared about all of its characters, even the ones nominally pitched against the 'heroes'.
Kelvin's first clue that all might not be as he has been taught when he discovers an old book warning about a mysterious figure called Luther who seems to have been carefully erased from the history of Triopolis. And it is clear that he is not the only one who is aware of secrets.
Elizabeth is the princess of Westville, the centre of a civilisation that has conquered every other city in the world - there are not many. She is locked in a loveless and arranged marriage but is determined to find some way out.
When fate brings Kelvin and Elizabeth together they realise there is a lot more going on than the elders of either city would have them believe. Before long they are on the run, desperately trying to save themselves and their cities from dark forces. They have allies and enemies, but telling one from the other is only half the battle...
Beyond the Red Mountains is a fantasy novel that is of epic proportions but avoids all the tropes and cliches of 'epic' fantasy. There isn't really a great quest, there isn't a dark lord threatening all of existence. All of the characters seem very real and all have their own reasons for their actions, whether these are with or against the main protagonists.
There are many twists and turns and the story doesn't let itself get too bogged down in long conversations or descriptions, letting the story unfold to reveal the narrative and the history. Not every decision Kelvin and Elizabeth make is the right one, but it is always made with the best intentions. The characterisation really does stand out, with a lot of care taken to make the characters believable. I was particularly struck by one of the characters who are opposed to Kelvin and Elizabeth but the reader ends up feeling enormous sympathy for.
There is a (perhaps inevitable) romantic connection between Kelvin and Elizabeth but this is well played and unfolds very realistically and is never overplayed or overstated. Some of the keepers of ancient wisdom they meet are perhaps a little to forthcoming about forbidden knowledge but this means the story doesn't slow but can take the next step so this can be forgiven.
The prose is very simple, clearly aimed at a young adult audience, although some of the themes and scenes are perhaps not for the very young end of the spectrum. As an introduction to lengthy fantasy tales this works very well though. The ending is a real cliff hanger and definitely makes me want to read the sequel.
There were a few more spelling mistakes and incorrect (or plain missing) words in the eBook version I read but this wasn't really a problem, it was always clear what was intended.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wanted to tackle a human-scale epic fantasy novel with a difference, one that cared about all of its characters, even the ones nominally pitched against the 'heroes'.
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated The Deadly Highway in Books
Nov 30, 2020
Good Book but a lot of errors
The Deadly Highway by T. Harrogate is a decent book, but I feel like it is still in the early stages of publishing. It could still use quite a bit of work. The book also escalates very quickly, even for it being a short book.
Lucy’s father is an alcoholic and because of his choices the two of them live in a one room apartment on the poor side of town. Her father has forbidden Lucy to interact with the others living in their neighborhood in an act of denial about their situation. These rules have left Lucy feeling alone and isolated to the point that she feels she can not take it any longer. Mix that with the cramped, dirty living conditions, and her father’s drunken anger and Lucy decides to run away.
As she is leaving home Lucy runs into two other teens who live close by called Julia and Graham. The two question Lucy on where she is going and decide to run away with her. Graham quickly becomes the leader of the group and they plan for him to steal a car. Unfortunately for the girls it is already too late by the time they discover what Graham is doing with the owners of the cars. By the time they make their discovery Graham has the girls completely under his control and they are just along for the ride.
Surprisingly enough this book did offer some twists at the end that I was not expecting, thought the chapter names are dead giveaways. At the same time the book itself was not quiet what I expected and was mostly enjoyable. I also liked the word of warning at the end of the book for those that still believe things like this can’t or won’t happen to them. Unfortunately this book needs edited again and closely at that. Frequently words are completely left out, sentences restart in the middle, or the wrong word is used entirely. There are also multiple timeline errors and consistency problems with things such as names. I also wish there was just a little more detail and background into the lives of all three teenagers.
Due to the content of this book it is best for mature young adults and adults. The simplistic language and writing style, along with the short page count makes it ideal for those who struggle with reading or don’t read often. This book dose contain murder and rape although nothing goes into detail. I rate this book 2 out of 4. Originally I was going to give this book 3 with its saving grace being its simplicity. However, upon finishing this book I discovered that the people this book is best suited for would possible struggle with all the errors, making it unreadable to them. Overall the book is good but its hard to read in its current state, it still needs a lot of work.
The Deadly Highway | Book| Austin Macauley Publishers
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com/
Lucy’s father is an alcoholic and because of his choices the two of them live in a one room apartment on the poor side of town. Her father has forbidden Lucy to interact with the others living in their neighborhood in an act of denial about their situation. These rules have left Lucy feeling alone and isolated to the point that she feels she can not take it any longer. Mix that with the cramped, dirty living conditions, and her father’s drunken anger and Lucy decides to run away.
As she is leaving home Lucy runs into two other teens who live close by called Julia and Graham. The two question Lucy on where she is going and decide to run away with her. Graham quickly becomes the leader of the group and they plan for him to steal a car. Unfortunately for the girls it is already too late by the time they discover what Graham is doing with the owners of the cars. By the time they make their discovery Graham has the girls completely under his control and they are just along for the ride.
Surprisingly enough this book did offer some twists at the end that I was not expecting, thought the chapter names are dead giveaways. At the same time the book itself was not quiet what I expected and was mostly enjoyable. I also liked the word of warning at the end of the book for those that still believe things like this can’t or won’t happen to them. Unfortunately this book needs edited again and closely at that. Frequently words are completely left out, sentences restart in the middle, or the wrong word is used entirely. There are also multiple timeline errors and consistency problems with things such as names. I also wish there was just a little more detail and background into the lives of all three teenagers.
Due to the content of this book it is best for mature young adults and adults. The simplistic language and writing style, along with the short page count makes it ideal for those who struggle with reading or don’t read often. This book dose contain murder and rape although nothing goes into detail. I rate this book 2 out of 4. Originally I was going to give this book 3 with its saving grace being its simplicity. However, upon finishing this book I discovered that the people this book is best suited for would possible struggle with all the errors, making it unreadable to them. Overall the book is good but its hard to read in its current state, it still needs a lot of work.
The Deadly Highway | Book| Austin Macauley Publishers
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com/
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The Princess Plan (A Royal Wedding, Book 1) in Books
Oct 5, 2020
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#1 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3099410597">The Princess Plan</a> - ★★★
#2 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3361072334">A Royal Kiss and Tell</a> - TBR
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I received The Princess Plan by Julia London from the amazing team at Mills & Boon. This is the first book in the series A Royal Wedding.
Historical romances are a hit or miss for me, and this one didn’t really hit the mark like I wanted it to. Prince Sebastian of Alucia is on his visit in London, when his personal secretary is murdered.
And a murder such as this one creates a very big buzz in London’s high society. When a scandal like this occurs, it’s all anyone talks about, including Eliza Trickelbank, who happens to own a gossip gazette.
When her gazette receives an anonymous tip off about this crime, Prince Sebastian has no choice, but to work with her in order to solve the mystery of his friend’s murder.
With a trade deal on the line and a pressure to find a noble bride, there is nothing more dangerous than a prince socialising with a commoner. They can’t seem to agree on anything, and find each other frustrating, but the temptation between them becomes harder and harder to be ignored.
<b><i>My Thoughts:</i></b>
I loved the Cinderella vibe around this book, and the trope of prince meets commoner. I also enjoyed the trope of enemies becoming lovers. Even though, in this case, it was more of a forbidden temptation meets annoyance that turns into affection.
I liked Sebastian as much as I disliked Eliza. Everything that annoyed me about her, he somehow managed to compensate for. She was trying very hard to be independent, but instead, she gave up a vibe that was almost unbearable and very insecure. With Sebastian I loved the dilemma between country vs heart, which I assume many nobles, especially during that time in England felt. I am sure that many of them sacrificed their love just to do right by their country.
I found the gazette excerpts quite funny at times, and very enlightening. They take you into a whole new world, where you feel as if you’re there, getting ready for a ball, or reading about the latest gossip of the nobles. The writing style matches the time setting perfectly. I think Julia London did an amazing job when it comes to that. Here is an excerpt that really made me giggle:
<b><i>“New information suggests that if a lady wishes to enjoy a romp without consequence, trotting a horse briskly the day after the romp should remove said consequence.”</i></b>
To conclude, I enjoyed The Princess Plan, but it wasn’t a favorite. The writing was beautiful and I am sure this will be a favorite for people that love historical romances. The only reason I didn’t love it is because of Eliza’s character and the tropes that I have already seen before.
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#1 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3099410597">The Princess Plan</a> - ★★★
#2 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3361072334">A Royal Kiss and Tell</a> - TBR
<img src="https://i0.wp.com/diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Book-Review-Banner-85.png?resize=768%2C432&ssl=1"/>;
I received The Princess Plan by Julia London from the amazing team at Mills & Boon. This is the first book in the series A Royal Wedding.
Historical romances are a hit or miss for me, and this one didn’t really hit the mark like I wanted it to. Prince Sebastian of Alucia is on his visit in London, when his personal secretary is murdered.
And a murder such as this one creates a very big buzz in London’s high society. When a scandal like this occurs, it’s all anyone talks about, including Eliza Trickelbank, who happens to own a gossip gazette.
When her gazette receives an anonymous tip off about this crime, Prince Sebastian has no choice, but to work with her in order to solve the mystery of his friend’s murder.
With a trade deal on the line and a pressure to find a noble bride, there is nothing more dangerous than a prince socialising with a commoner. They can’t seem to agree on anything, and find each other frustrating, but the temptation between them becomes harder and harder to be ignored.
<b><i>My Thoughts:</i></b>
I loved the Cinderella vibe around this book, and the trope of prince meets commoner. I also enjoyed the trope of enemies becoming lovers. Even though, in this case, it was more of a forbidden temptation meets annoyance that turns into affection.
I liked Sebastian as much as I disliked Eliza. Everything that annoyed me about her, he somehow managed to compensate for. She was trying very hard to be independent, but instead, she gave up a vibe that was almost unbearable and very insecure. With Sebastian I loved the dilemma between country vs heart, which I assume many nobles, especially during that time in England felt. I am sure that many of them sacrificed their love just to do right by their country.
I found the gazette excerpts quite funny at times, and very enlightening. They take you into a whole new world, where you feel as if you’re there, getting ready for a ball, or reading about the latest gossip of the nobles. The writing style matches the time setting perfectly. I think Julia London did an amazing job when it comes to that. Here is an excerpt that really made me giggle:
<b><i>“New information suggests that if a lady wishes to enjoy a romp without consequence, trotting a horse briskly the day after the romp should remove said consequence.”</i></b>
To conclude, I enjoyed The Princess Plan, but it wasn’t a favorite. The writing was beautiful and I am sure this will be a favorite for people that love historical romances. The only reason I didn’t love it is because of Eliza’s character and the tropes that I have already seen before.
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