yourbookishbff's reviews
590 reviews

A Lady's Formula for Love by Elizabeth Everett

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funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

I really enjoyed this as a series set-up, even when it got a bit hung up in introducing too many side characters (all of whom I assume will eventually be main characters/important in some way, but all of whom were difficult to track on a first read). Everett's writing style and humor comes through in this first installment, and I loved her take on a bodyguard romance. I felt the character development was a bit jumpy/rushed, but honestly, I had a good time with this despite that.
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Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology by Shane Hawk, Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This is really a remarkable collection of short-form horror. I'm hardly its target audience (I'm a wimp!), but I do love a number of these authors and have read their other work, and was intrigued by the premise for this particular collection. Some of these stories are genuinely terrifying, others heartbreaking, others unsettling, but all felt earnest and raw. Woven throughout these stories are narratives of colonization and genocide, multigenerational trauma and displacement. Highly recommend for horror and dark fiction fans, and for those who, like me, will occasionally dabble if the time is just right.
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A Modest Independence by Mimi Matthews

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

I jumped back to this story after finishing the Belles of London, as I realized 1) these characters are all in the same universe, and I needed to know more about this hot(ly competent) solicitor and 2) I've had this on my TBR for ages because it's a road-trip romance! This did not disappoint, and I'm left in awe of the research Matthews must have done to make this story possible. Her story brings reclusive solicitor Tom Finchley and the desperate-for-adventure Jenny across the Chanel, to Cairo, and then on to India, where they travel through Calcutta, Delhi, and even Darjeeling. The modes of transportation alone are painstakingly described, and I found the trip itself fascinating. 

And the romance! I was missing a bit of context on the fall-out between Finchley and Jenny in the previous book, but it ultimately didn't lessen my appreciation for their current relationship tension. Matthews writes such beautiful longing, and I loved that these two actually divulge their affection for each other early on in the story, making the conflict the alignment of their life plans and not the declaration of hidden feelings or miscommunication of some kind. While the final resolution to their third-act breakup missed a beat or two for me, I had a great time with this story and appreciated how Matthews framed their grand gestures and declarations within the context of their backstories and goals.

So many character overlaps for the Matthews fans! Ahmad and Mira!! Alex Archer! Now I need to go back and read book one so I can blow through this series as well. Matthews writing is so elegant and romantic, and I just really enjoy her very earnest characters. 
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When You Wish Upon a Duke by Charis Michaels

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funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a really sweet Peter Pan retelling that reimagines the fairy tale's most memorable themes - growing up and claiming adult responsibility, finding adventure in your day-to-day life - while also capturing the whimsical spirit of the original tale. This is a story that glimmers on page - literally, as we experience the Northern Lights from a heated Icelandic pool - and keeps the reader suspended between realities. I wasn't quite in the mood for a book as lighthearted as this ultimately was, but I think readers will love the focus on the female main character's growth, independence and agency at each turn. 
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The Muse of Maiden Lane by Mimi Matthews

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emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

A stunning conclusion to the Belle's of London - and easily my favorite of the series. From the moment Stella races from the ballroom at the end of Anne and Hartford's book, I was enthralled. The sharp banter between her and Teddy from the outset, the ways they shield their own vulnerabilities, the tension that builds as they tentatively circle one another, the ability they have to see each other's independence and passion - every note felt right between them. And once again, Matthews writes a Bad Family like no other, and I found myself feeling a uniquely Mimi-Matthews-brand of claustrophobic rage at the halfway point. She examines both family loyalty and abuse, raising the stakes and turning characters against one another to expose the layers of ableism and control at work in each. And our reward for sticking with her through the pain is an absolutely magical third act, a slow-burn that culminates in a star-bright inferno of desire and devotion and devastating vulnerability. She has perfected the art of fade-to-black intimacy, showing us the ways two people long for - and learn from - one another. I adored this final chapter in our series, and I know lovers of this series will be equally swept away by Stella and Teddy. 

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced reader's copy.
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Beloved by Toni Morrison

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challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Who am I to review Toni Morrison. This is a classic for a reason, and a second read of Beloved (the first as a baby high school student) gripped me. Morrison is unparalleled in her use of sentence-level prose to convey deep trauma.
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The Bride Goes Rogue by Joanna Shupe

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emotional funny lighthearted tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I almost hated this. Were it not for the absolute perfection that is the three-tiered grovel in the third act, I could never have forgiven Preston for being the stupidest, shallowest, most arrogant man alive. Preston needed to 1) be rejected repeatedly and 2) apologize and 3) earn back trust through small and sincere gestures and then 4) be rejected repeatedly again and then, finally, possibly, thankfully 5) grovel and grand gesture his way to a happily ever after. What a relief to see Shupe stick the landing here. 
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The Duke Gets Even by Joanna Shupe

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emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Perfect. A thrice-jilted duke is my absolute favorite kind of duke, and to see THIS duke emotionally leveled by the brave and loyal and fiercely free Nellie? Love it. A lot to love, but highlights for me include: an abortion backstory that doesn't lean on trauma and instead centers agency and confidence, a strong focus on reproductive agency for all women, an absolutely stunning love declaration, a believable third-act conflict and a strong show of female friendship from our supporting cast. 
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A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 38%.
Not in the right mood for this unfortunately. I'm told the narration is a game-changer, though, so I'm going to opt for that instead and see if my mood circles around to this.
A Beastly Kind of Earl by Mia Vincy

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Mia Vincy routinely decimates me emotionally, and this was no exception. What begins as an absolutely bananas premise - the FMC is pretending to be her sister but WOOPS ends up fake married to a mysterious earl who OH DEAR already knows she's not who she says she is and just needs a wedding-on-paper for a spot of cash - serves up an emotional gut punch when both characters fall slowly and earnestly in love. Thea's societal ruination and the familial fall-out feels familiar (in that we encounter it frequently in historical romance) and altogether original (because only Thea would stage a pamphleteering campaign to expose the truth). Likewise, our widower "Beast" feels more fleshed out here, as we see his emotional journey caring for - and then grieving - a loved one with mental illness. Vincy's strength is in plotting conflict resolution, and once again, she nails each beat, as both characters need to find individual closure on their pasts before they can be truly vulnerable and open to commitment with one another. The final scenes are absolutely delightful (I ugly cried) and the overlap with A Scandalous Lady is UNREAL. Mia Vincy is an underrated talent in historical romance, and I'm begging romance readers to read her backlist!
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