Top Ten Tuesday is featured by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
Topic: Quick Reads/Books to Read When Time is Short
I’ve decided to do a mix of novellas and also books I devoured in a day (but they aren’t novellas!!)
Novellas Six Scorched Roses by Carissa Broadbent Thornhedge by T Kingfisher A Court of Frost and Starlight by SJM Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson Homogeny by Alek Cristea Inside the World of Bridgerton by Catherine Curzon
Books I read in a day! Bonesmith by Nicki Pau Preto From Blood and Ash by JLA Gilded by Marissa Meyer Gleam by Raven Kennedy
A romantic fantasy set in a regency England inspired world. We follow a magical dressmaker who enters the world of balls, scandal sheets and royals.
A Fragile Enchantment by Alison Saft
Exclusive colourway cover Foil design on the hardcover @bluelyboo Dust jacket art @sashac_art Endpapers by @sashac_art Digitally sprayed edges Bonus content Digital signature
The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received.
Hope you’ve had a good week?
Well here we are, hello February!
Not much to report from this week really, the week I’ve dubbed House of Flame and Shadow week!
My son had some injections and I had a couple of days off and all I did was read HoFaS and made a dent in it but still not finished, that book is huge!
New Arrivals
Eliza Mace by Sarah Burton
What I’ve Read
🎧 The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧 To Cage a God by Elizabeth May ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Look out for my reviews soon!
You might have missed…..
Review – The Scarlet Veil by Shelby Mahurin Review – The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose Review – Hollen the Soulless by Denali Day
Always the dutiful daughter, Lady Joselyn is weeks away from marrying a rival lord in order to secure the future of her father’s house. However, she suddenly finds herself in the clutches of an ancient beast she’s only ever heard of in legends. More terrifying than that is the beast’s master, a wild man who insists Joselyn is his bride by right, and plans to seal his claim in blood.
Wyvern-rider, Hollen, has finally captured the woman of his dreams, though he quickly learns waiting for her was less than half the battle. His new bride wants nothing to do with him and Hollen knows he only has one chance to change her mind. To win her over, he’ll do whatever he must, even if it means keeping secrets.
Their wills pitted against each other, Joselyn will go to any lengths to free herself from this savage and fulfill her marital contract. Her father’s life depends upon it. But even as she plots her escape, Joselyn begins to wonder if one can also be bound by a duty to their own heart.
I was recommended this book by a book friend, a savage Dokiri leader and Lady Joselyn – was totally up for that! I was thinking Game of Thrones material!
There are 2 things about this book that I can say with absolute certainty.
1) Hollen, even though a savage, is a dream man with the patience of a saint. 2) Joselyn Helena Elise Fury was a fool for the majority of this book!
Actually 3.
3) I am not up for closed door segsual scenes. I mean what the heck! I thought this was going to be a juicy offering!
But it was quite gory, there was one part where that I had to skip because it was vile!
Although I disliked Joselyn I must say she was most definitely loyal and determined, mostly for the wrong people and wrong things though! She really grated on my nerves!
I did love the writing and also the descriptions of the world they live in and I do think I’ll read the next book!
Molly Gray is not like anyone else. With her flair for cleaning and proper etiquette, she has risen through the ranks of the glorious five-star Regency Grand Hotel to become the esteemed Head Maid. But just as her life reaches a pinnacle state of perfection, her world is turned upside down when J.D. Grimthorpe, the world-renowned mystery author, drops dead—very dead—on the hotel’s tea room floor.
When Detective Stark, Molly’s old foe, investigates the author’s unexpected demise, it becomes clear that this death was murder most foul. Suspects abound, and everyone wants to know who killed J.D. Grimthorpe? Was it Lily, the new Maid-in-Training? Or was it Serena, the author’s secretary? Could Mr. Preston, the hotel’s beloved doorman, be hiding something? And is Molly really as innocent as she seems?
As the case threatens the hotel’s pristine reputation, Molly knows she alone holds the key to unlocking the killer’s identity. But that key is buried deep in her past—because long ago, she knew J.D. Grimthorpe. Molly begins to comb her memory for clues, revisiting her childhood and the mysterious Grimthorpe mansion where she and her dearly departed Gran once worked side by side. With the entire hotel under investigation, Molly must solve the mystery post-haste. If there’s one thing Molly knows for sure, it’s that dirty secrets don’t stay buried forever…
Molly the Maid is back with another mystery at the Regency Grand!
An author holds a press conference to make an important announcement but he doesn’t get to do it as someone poisons his tea! Scandal!
The pressure is on as the staff are all under suspicion coupled with the fact that Molly has a secret so her detective skills are put to the test!
In this book we learn more about her early life and the life of her Gran. Some of these parts broke my heart but what shone through was what a beautiful person Molly’s Gran was.
I loved this cozy mystery and the little revelation at the end made my heart sing!
Do I detect a change of employment for Molly? I’d be interested to see where that goes but would defo miss the Regency Grand and Mr Preston!
Célie Tremblay has always been a good girl: kind and beautiful, a daughter of whom every parent would be proud. She surprises the entire kingdom when she defies tradition to become the first huntswoman—including her new captain and fiancé, Jean Luc, who rules the huntsmen with an iron fist. He isn’t the only one concerned for Célie’s safety, however. Though her friends try to protect her from the horrors of her past, mysterious whispers still haunt her, and a new evil is rising in Belterra—leaving bodies in its wake, each one drained of blood.
Determined to prove herself in her new role, Célie tracks the killer to the lair of Les Éternels—ancient creatures only spoken about in nursery rhymes—and catches the attention of their king, a monster who hides his plans for her behind beautiful words and sharp smiles. Now Célie has new reason to fear the dark because the closer he gets, the more tempted she feels to give in to his dark hunger—and her own.
Back in the world of Cesarine and the Chasseur Tower, and with Celie (the first woman Chasseur) and her fiance, Jean Luc.
But all isn’t well and, let me just say now, shame on Jean-Luc – I know he thought he was coming from a good place but it so was not.
This led to Celie making the most horrendous decisions. Honestly Celie made me rage throughout this book, her decision making was poorer than poor but I will say her character growth was huge!
So after all that Celie went through (ugh that coffin part) she finds herself kidnapped and a Bride, but not in the way you think! Michal is a generous host and I loved him from the start – not sure if I was meant to, he’s a beautiful man!
I know I haven’t said much about the plot but I don’t really know what to say without giving spoilers so I’ll say nothing!
Nice to see Lou and Reid again, happy she had her sticky buns but was disappointed there was no big tiddy liddy!
But that ending….WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!!!Ready for book 2 now!
The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received.
Hope you’ve had a good week?
Well here we are coming up to the end of January, one of my favourite months!
We’ve had our fair share of awful weather this week, 2 storms back to back and the wind was so strong I thought my roof was going to blow off!
But it has been a great reading week, or should I say listening week?! Three great stories and I was throwing those 4 and 5 stars around like confetti!
New Arrivals
Nothing this week!
What I’ve Read
🎧 The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Postin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧 The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🎧 Faebound by Saara El-Arifi ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Look out for my reviews soon!
You might have missed…..
Feature – February releases Review – The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon Review – The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Postin Review – City of Stardust by Georgia Summers Review – Wildfire by Hannah Grace
Maple Hills students Russ Callaghan and Aurora Roberts cross paths at a party celebrating the end of the academic year, where a drinking game results in them having a passionate one-night stand. Never one to overstay her welcome (or expect much from a man), Aurora slips away before Russ even has the chance to ask for her full name.
Imagine their surprise when they bump into each other on the first day of the summer camp where they are both counselors, hoping to escape their complicated home lives by spending the summer working. Russ hopes if he gets far enough away from Maple Hills, he can avoid dealing with the repercussions of his father’s gambling addiction, while Aurora is tired of craving attention from everyone around her, and wants to go back to the last place she truly felt at home.
Russ knows breaking the camp’s strict “no staff fraternizing” rule will have him heading back to Maple Hills before the summer is over, but unfortunately for him, Aurora has never been very good at caring about the rules. Will the two learn to peacefully coexist? Or did their one night together start a fire they can’t put out?
Russ, aka Muffin, and Aurora, aka Rory, have what they both think is a one nighter back at Maple Hills but then find themselves together again as camp counsellors!
This book was so good, I loved this more than Icebreaker! Russ was my kind of man and Rory is right – Russ Callaghan can call me a good girl anytime!!!!
Their chemistry was huge and their romance is utterly cute! They’ve both got baggage which is the crux of the story…..
Xander was a great side character, I don’t think we will get his story as he’s not a Maple Hills OG but I’d love it!
CJRTB Books 