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The Wedding Date (The Wedding Date #1)
The Wedding Date (The Wedding Date #1)
Jasmine Guillory | 2018 | Romance
8
5.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Cute romance with lots of banter
Alexa Monroe would not usually go on a date with a man she was trapped with in an elevator. But she cannot deny the chemistry she feels with Drew Nichols when they get stuck during a power outage. Drew is about to head to the wedding of his ex, and he asks Alexa to be his date. At the wedding, the pair have a lot of fun, but Drew has to fly back to his job as a pediatric surgeon in LA and Alexa must return to Berkley, where she's the mayor's chief of staff. But they cannot stop thinking about each other, so they start long distance dating. Still, they must overcome Drew's commitment issues and Alexa's own insecurities.

I inadvertently read the fifth book in this series first, so I went back to start at the beginning. I found this one to be very similar to the fifth book, which I liked better, but it was still enjoyable. Book #5 features Alexa's sister, so I knew a lot of the plot of this one, but oh well. I did not care for Drew as much--he was a little irritating with his commitment and anger issues, but he grew on me. The book featured what seems to be Guillory's trademark fun banter and focus on delicious, fun snacks. And she tackles serious issues, such as racism, along with the romance.

Overall, this was a cute read. I liked Alexa a lot and enjoyed escaping into a good romance. This is probably a 3.5-star read, but rounded up because it made me smile.
  
The Perfect Lap (Racing Hearts in Serenity #2)
The Perfect Lap (Racing Hearts in Serenity #2)
Sedona Hutton | 2019 | Contemporary, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Perfect Lap is the second book in the Racing Hearts series, and this time we meet with AJ and Ella. Ella made a mistake and lost her job because of it. She also split with her boyfriend as he had a hand in it too. AJ is a great racing driver, but lets his personal issues cloud his mind once he has finished the race. Together, these two have lessons to learn.

This was an easy read, and a great follow on to book one. It didn't have the same pizazz for me as Nora's Promise, but it was still a charming read. AJ really does have a heart of gold, and just needs Ella's help to focus on what is really important. In turn, Ella needs to realise that not every man is a write-off. Add in three children and a down-on-her-luck mother, and you have all the ingredients for the story. I particularly liked seeing the cameos from Nora and Davey, plus the hints of the books to come.

A smooth read, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading, this was perfectly paced and with a strong set of characters. You do not have to know anything about Nascar racing either (which is a bonus for me!) Absolutely recommended, but I would suggest you start with Nora's Promise first, just to get the bigger picture.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
Immortal Beginnings (Etherya's Earth #4.5)
Immortal Beginnings (Etherya's Earth #4.5)
Rebecca Hefner | 2022 | Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Well-written, well-paced, loving, kind, tender, and HOT!
IMMORTAL BEGINNINGS takes place after Evie has beaten Crimeous. Dragos was a Deamon in the war, fighting as a soldier in a war he didn't agree with but had no choice in. Raina is the widow of a Vampyre who died in that war. She moved home due to the memories and found herself living next to Dragos.

This is so sweet! Seriously! Dragos is... oh, I just want to give him a hug! And then maybe climb him like a tree. If there's something I love it's a man who is manly and also tender and loving. Dragos is all of the above. Raina has her concerns, which are all completely understandable, but Dragos is there to help her work through them.

I don't like novellas. I'm greedy and always want more. This is no exception. So why the five stars? Because it's too good not to. I may want more - more backstory, more current events, more hope for the future (although the epilogue is pretty damn good) - more everything but that is no reason to not give five stars where they are due. Everything that is here is well-written, well-paced, loving, kind, tender, HOT!

This was a fantastic addition to the series and I have no hesitation in recommending it - even if it is 'only' a novella! 😉

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
The Queens Lady
The Queens Lady
Joanna Hickson | 2022 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Queens Lady is the second in the Queens of the Tower series, and picks up the Joan Vaux story where it left off in the last book. She’s now Lady Joan Guildford, and is Lady in Waiting to Queen Elizabeth, the wife of Henry VII. It’s a privileged position and means that Joan is at Court when Prince Arthur dies and Prince Henry is named as heir. Joan acts as something of a go between with the King and Queen, but King Henry is a serious, dour man - and this isn’t improved when the Queen dies shortly after her son.

Joan no longer has a place at court, and her husband falls out of favour when his enemies gain considerable influence with the King.

It was really interesting to learn about the inner workings of the English court and the precarious line that courtiers had to tread. Joan also gave some insight into some significant historical events: the Field of the Cloth of Gold in France, Princess Margaret’s marriage to King James, the arrival of Catherine of Aragon, and accompanying Princess Mary to Paris when she marries King Louis.

I’m an absolute sucker for historical fiction, and I loved the details and the very human, realistic style this book was written in. And I really liked Joan.

The ravens are a constant - after all, Joan is the Lady of the Ravens. Bu they’re not as central to the storyline this time.

I don’t know whether this will just be a duology, or if there’s more to come, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Highly recommended.