‘Though, February is short, it is filled with lots of love and sweet surprises.’ —Charmaine J Forde
‘In the coldest February, as in every other month in every other year, the best thing to hold on to in this world is each other.’ — Linda Ellerbee
Title: The Mystery Guest
Series: Molly the Maid #2
Author: Nita Prose
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!
Title: The Scarlet Veil
Series: Scarlet Veil #1
Author: Shelby Mahurin
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!
Nothing this week!
🎧 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!
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
What have you read lately?
Title: Wildfire
Series: Maple Hills #2
Author: 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!
Henry is next in Daydream and I cannot wait!
Title: The City of Stardust
Author: Georgia Summers
The Everly family is cursed. Every generation is destined to lose their best and brightest, taken by a woman named Penelope, who never ages, never sickens, and never forgives a debt.
When her mother vanishes in the middle of the night, the curse falls on Violet Everly—unless she can break it first. To do so, she must descend into a seductive, magical underworld of power-hungry scholars, fickle gods, and monsters bent on revenge. And at the edges of the world, she’ll find the City of Stardust, where the Everly story began.
Violet’s family is subject to a curse and it’s now Violet who needs to be wary.
She meets Penelope and Aleksander and her Uncle’s seem to know them already – and Violet is about to find out about family secrets and a world she didn’t know existed!
It was a slow start but absolutely loved the writing, it totally drew you in.
You can expect:
~ Enemies to lovers
~ Scholars
~ Other worlds
~ Otherly beings
~ Betrayals
~ A small romance
All in all it was a magical world which I throughly enjoyed!
‘Who is he without Violet Everly?’
That ending – is that the end? Is this a standalone? If yes then this is genius! Although I’d love more Caspian!
Title: The Seven Year Slip
Author: Ashley Postin
Sometimes, the worst day of your life happens, and you have to figure out how to live after it.
So Clementine forms a plan to keep her heart safe: stay busy, work hard, find someone decent to love, and try to remember to chase the moon. The last one is silly and obviously metaphorical, but her aunt always told her that you needed at least one big dream to keep going. And for the last year, that plan has gone off without a hitch. Mostly. The love part is hard because she doesn’t want to get too close to anyone—she isn’t sure her heart can take it.
And then she finds a strange man standing in the kitchen of her late aunt’s apartment. A man with kind eyes and a Southern drawl and a taste for lemon pies. The kind of man that, before it all, she would’ve fallen head-over-heels for. And she might again.
Except, he exists in the past. Seven years ago, to be exact. And she, quite literally, lives seven years in his future.
Her aunt always said the apartment was a pinch in time, a place where moments blended together like watercolors. And Clementine knows that if she lets her heart fall, she’ll be doomed.
After all, love is never a matter of time—but a matter of timing.
I’ve found my first best book of 24!
Clementine inherits her aunts apartment but it has a secret. The secret for Clementine is Iwan and she falls and falls hard. But he exists 7 years in the past……
Oh this book was a delicious ache, how the author writes and captures grief is heartwrenchingly good and how she builds everything up to a crescendo and threads in easter eggs that left me with my jaw hanging, amazing!
Clementine and Iwan’s banter was top notch and, talking of Iwan, he’s made his way onto my bbf list – chefs are HOT!
This was a serving of second chance romance with a dash of magical realism!
Title: The Hurricane Wars
Series: Hurricane Wars #1
Author: Thea Guanzon
The heart is a battlefield.
All Talasyn has ever known is the Hurricane Wars. Growing up an orphan in a nation under siege by the ruthless Night Emperor, Talasyn has found her family among the soldiers who fight for freedom. But she is hiding a deadly secret: light magic courses through her veins, a blazing power believed to have been wiped out years ago that can cut through the Night Empire’s shadows.
Prince Alaric, the emperor’s only son and heir, has been forged into a weapon by his father. Tasked with obliterating any threats to the Night Empire’s rule with the strength of his armies and mighty Shadow magic, Alaric has never been bested. That is until he sees Talasyn burning brightly on the battlefield with the magic that killed his grandfather, turned his father into a monster, and ignited the Hurricane Wars. In a clash of light and dark, their powers merge and create a force the likes of which has never been seen.
Talasyn and Alaric both know this war can only end with them. But a greater threat is coming, and the strange new magic they can create together could be the only way to overcome it. Thrust into an uneasy alliance, they will confront the secrets at the heart of the war and find, in each other, a searing passion–one that could save their world…or destroy it.
An exquisite fantasy brimming with unforgettable characters, sizzling enemies-to-lovers romance, and richly drawn worlds, The Hurricane Wars marks the breathtaking debut of an extraordinary new writer.
Oh this was a bloomin great read!
I listened to the audio and can confirm the narrator was utterly fabulous!
Talasyn fights for the rebels in The Hurricane Wars against Alaric, the Night Emperor. But is Alaric just a puppet, and is Talasyn?
It’s a case of the light meeting the dark and fireworks ensue!
What to expect:
~ Enemies to lovers,
~ Kiss him, off him energy,
~ Off the charts segsual tension,
~ Arranged marriage,
~ Forced proximity,
~ Political intrigue,
~ Can defo see a Star Wars connection!
I was rooting for the pair all the way but there is just too many obstacles (and moral reasons!) against them to be together and actually be happy, even though they actually seem perfect for each other!
How long for book 2?!
Here’s what’s tantalising me that’s releasing in February (that I’ll probably buy!!)
Will there ever be a month where I don’t want any books?!
Bride by Ali Hazelwood
Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey
Visions of Flesh and Blood by JLA
Prisoners Throne by Holly Black
Will you be getting any of these?
CJRTB Books 