Glimpses Of My Books

A Proposal They Can't Refuse  has a wonderful selection of themes I adore in a book: food, family, culture (in this case hispanic), and two main characters impossible not to love. Oh, and some Irish Whiskey! Kamilah Vega is a fiery Puerto Rican chef determined to make her family's restaurant,  El Coquí,  succeed. She is hopeful that entering the Fall Foodie Tour will help put the restaurant on the map for good. Convincing her family however is a struggle, they are not too keen on the changes that would be necessary for a win. And even worse, they don't trust her to succeed.  The restaurant shares a building with a Distillery.  Liam Kane and his grandfather have turned their family Irish Distillery into a successful business and are hoping to win a national competition with their secret and new whisky blend. But just as they are about to get things going, his grandfather hits him with some horrible news: he has cancer, is not looking...

I absolutely adore this series, I will never be able to forget Quinn and Jane from the first book, My Only and Only Duke ,  and even less my favorite to date, Lord Stephen, from book 6, How to Catch a Duke . All the books in this series are very well written and have charming and lovable characters. It is often the case that one can pick up any book in a series like this and read that without having read the others. My one and only issue with Never a Duke  is that you really can't do that. There is an immense amount of focus on characters from previous books and it sadly distracts the reader from Ned and Lady Rosalind's love story. I love when previous characters make an appearance, but this was a just a tad too much. I was getting confused because liking it or not it is hard to keep 6 other couples straight in your head, especially when you read so many other books in between. It was just all a little too much. But, don't let that deter you from reading this beauty. As alw...

Miss Eliza's English Kitchen  was a very intriguing read. I do like a good historical fiction from time to time, specially when it is based in real facts and real people (if you like historical fiction, see  Tsarina - it even made on my top 10 of 2020) and this one did not disappoint. Perfection! Blurb: In a novel perfect for fans of Hazel Gaynor’s A Memory of Violets and upstairs-downstairs stories, Annabel Abbs, the award-winning author of The Joyce Girl, returns with the brilliant real-life story of Eliza Acton and her assistant as they revolutionized British cooking and cookbooks around the world. Before Mrs. Beeton and well before Julia Child, there was Eliza Acton, who changed the course of cookery writing forever. England 1837. Victorian London is awash with exciting new ingredients from spices to exotic fruits, but Eliza Acton has no desire to spend her days in the kitchen. Determined to be a poet and shamed by the suggestion she write a cookery book ins...

@glimpses_of_my_books Oh the beauty that is discovering new authors! Kristin Vayden is someone I had not heard of before Fortune Favors the Duke  was announced and Sourcebooks told me she is local to Washington State. I am planning a signing event with her and Lucy Gilmore this December at  Inkling Bookshop  and of-course I had to read the book ahead of time.  Fortune Favors the Duke  was utterly adorable! I managed to read this beauty in two sittings and I will be reading the other books in the series. Blurb: Quinton Errington is perfectly happy teaching at Cambridge, with his elder brother carrying the duties of being the Duke of Wesley. But when a trip to celebrate Wesley's last week of bachelorhood ends in tragedy, Quinton, who becomes the Duke of Wesley, would give anything to have his brother back. Now, under the most heartbreaking circumstances, Wesley's would-be bride, Catherine Greatheart, is left wanting. Her only protection left, her grandmother, ha...

Two Young Adult reviews in a row? That has not happened in a very very long time. I obviously still read them, but just not as often anymore. Margaret Rogerson is one of those authors I will drop everything to go and read her next title. I absolutely loved her two other books: An Enchantment of Ravens  and Sorcery of Thorns ,  so as you can imagine I was very excited about this one.  Blurb: The dead of Loraille do not rest. Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister, a nun who cleanses the bodies of the deceased so that their souls can pass on; otherwise, they will rise as spirits with a ravenous hunger for the living. She would rather deal with the dead than the living, who trade whispers about her scarred hands and troubled past. When her convent is attacked by possessed soldiers, Artemisia defends it by awakening an ancient spirit bound to a saint’s relic. It is a revenant, a malevolent being that threatens to possess her the moment she drops her guard. Wielding its ext...

Western Romance... I am sure you, romance aficionado, knows all about it. Because I avoid reading too many cowboy romances (just not my thing) I kind of put Western in that same category and never read it. Thankfully Entangled Publishing saw to rectify my mistake by sending me a book with a fabulous cover, awesome title, great blurb, and therefore trapped me into reading it. And now that I've read it... where is the next one Michelle McLean ?  And of-course, now that I know this is not your average 'put me to sleep' cowboy romance (again, just not my thing), I also have to go on a quest to find all things Western Romance. I am currently listening to Texas Destiny by Lorraine Heath and loving it just as much as I loved this beauty. Two completely different books, but both Western Romance, and both amazing!  Now that you know my history with Western Romances you will understand when I say I went into this book with zero expectations. In my mind I just had: "it sounds f...

Blurb: He was the most beautiful man alive. And if I wasn't careful, he was going to be my death. *A scorchingly hot modern retelling of Psyche and Eros that's as sinful as it is sweet.* In the ultra-modern city of Olympus, there's always a price to pay. Psyche knew she'd have to face Aphrodite's ire eventually, but she never expected her literal heart to be at stake...or for Aphrodite's gorgeous son to be the one ordered to strike the killing blow. Eros has no problem shedding blood. But when it comes time to take out his latest target, he can't do it. Confused by his reaction to Psyche, he does the only thing he can think of to keep her safe: he marries her. Psyche vows to make Eros's life a living hell until they find a way out of this mess. But as lines blur and loyalties shift, she realizes he might take her heart after all...and she's not sure she can survive the loss. Electric Idol is Katee's modern take on Eros and Psyche and my first ev...

I am late to the party with this one and there are reasons for it.  Reason number one: my least favorite trope- kids. It doesn't matter if it is single mom, single dad, big party of the story or small, kids in books are only ok when is not romance. There is nothing romantic about a kid... making the kid maybe :) Reason number two: I adore Christina and Lauren's older books and series, but their latest books have all been mid range and since parts of the plot were already not my thing I was just worried I would dislike it. I am happy to say I didn't dislike it, but it wasn't a 5 star book. Much the contrary, I skipped the audio book a few times because I got bored.  Here is the Blurb: Single mom Jess Davis is a data and statistics wizard, but no amount of number crunching can convince her to step back into the dating world. Raised by her grandparents--who now help raise her seven-year-old daughter, Juno--Jess has been left behind too often to feel comfortable letting any...

It is always nice when a book surprises you. Yes & I Love You was more than the title suggests. Yes, it is certainly a romance novel, but it also deals with things most of us don't think about when talking inclusion in books. The main female character, Hollyn, has tourette syndrome and suffers panic attacks. The disease affected the character's daily life but didn't define who she was. The author, Roni Loren,  holds a master’s degree in social work and spent years as a mental health counselor, and it is clear her experiences helped her here. She represented the illness well and did a great job at demonstrating how anxiety and other daily things we take for granted made things harder for Hollyn.   Hollyn is very successful in her field. She runs a popular blog and her word is the law. If she recommends your business or entertainment it is certain it will be successful. But because of her tourettes she hides behind the screen and no one knows what the popular revie...

He wants a prim and proper duchess, not the Wildest of the Wildes! Blurb: Already notorious for the golden hair that proves her mother’s infidelity, Lady Joan can’t seem to avoid scandals, but her latest escapade may finally ruin her: she’s determined to perform the title role of a prince—in breeches, naturally. She has the perfect model for an aristocratic male in mind: Thaddeus Erskine Shaw, Viscount Greywick, a man who scorned the very idea of marrying her. Not that Joan would want such a dubious honor, of course. For years, Thaddeus has avoided the one Wilde who shakes his composure, but he’s horrified when he grasps the danger Joan’s putting herself in. Staring into her defiant eyes, he makes the grim vow that he’ll keep her safe. He strikes a bargain: after one performance, the lady must return to her father’s castle and marry one of three gentlemen whom he deems acceptable. Not including him, of course. The Review: 4.5 Stars This is only my second book by Eloisa James and I am h...

How to Catch a Duke, Grace Burrowes I've been waiting for this book for sometime. Lord Stephen Wentworth's past was mentioned many times in previous books and I was hoping Grace Burrowes would give him a happy ending. After everything he went through in life he most certainly deserved it.  As book opening goes, the one to How to Catch a Duke  had me dying of curiosity instantly: "I have come to ask you to kill me, my lord." Miss Abigail Abbott is no damsel in distress, but she also knows when she can't handle an enemy on her own. She believes the only solution to her problems is to disappear and she trusts Lord Stephen will help her. Lord Stephen is a juxtaposition... charming and brutish, sad and happy, caring and ruthless, the most intelligent and most clueless... Although you don't have to have read any of the previous books in this series to enjoy this one, I would advise you to do so. I think Stephen's personality traits and past will be more touching...

  In Five Years by Rebecca Serle was easily one of my favorite reads last year and I was very excited to read this book by her. I am not 100% sure what the exactly release date was but I think the print book was released in 2014 and Simon and Schuster picked up in audio format this year. It was released (re-released?) February 2nd. I listened to this beauty on libro.fm pretty much in one sitting.  The Blurb: Sorrow can be seductive—but can hope triumph over heartbreak? A dark and searing novel from the  New York Times  bestselling author of   In Five Years . Caggie never wanted to be a hero, but some things are decided for us. Growing up among Manhattan’s social elite, Caggie always had everything a girl could want, including a storied last name. But after saving a girl from the brink of suicide, Caggie becomes infamous, and now all she wants is to be left alone. After all, she’s still reeling from the recent death of her younger sister, the subsequent destruct...

How good was this book you ask? Good enough that I am ordering the first book in the series immediately. Hello Christina Britton, nice to meet you, and welcome to my 'must read everything she writes' list. It's a short list, specially for historical romances. Although I enjoy the stories, I also often find them tedious to read and it takes me a week or two to get through one book. Which to some is normal, to me it is not. I like taking about 3 days per book. How along did it take me to read this one? 2 glorious days. And so, 5 glorious stars to Someday My Duke Will Come ! Blurb: A fake engagement becomes the real thing in the next book in the series New York Times bestselling author Grace Burrowes calls "first-rate Regency fun!" Lady Clara Ashford's world changed fifteen years ago at the hands of a rogue who took her innocence. Determined never to give into temptation again, she settles into a life as caregiver for her family. With her younger sister recently ...

How do you feel about holiday reads? or small town/seaside novels? Happy Singles Day  reminds me of the easy to read novels that came out every Christmas and of small town seaside novels.  Paige, a Certified Professional Organizer in Chicago has everything in her life in order. After one very bad experience with her ex and her old boss she started her own company and is very successful. But, she is in desperate need of a holiday. The perfect opportunity appears after she clicks on an ad for Happy Singles Day.  What better time to go away? Because who needs  a man? Certainly not Paige.  Once Paige arrives at the small sea side town in the middle of nowhere she soon realizes things are not as they appeared on the website. For starters, there are no cars in town. She needs to get on a bike to get to the B&B. Once she does get to the B&B it looks like someone's house, with crap all over and definitely not set for the peaceful holiday week she was looking for...

"One daring to-do list and a crash course in flirtation turn a Type A overachiever’s world upside down.

"The second novel in New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Elizabeth Hoyt's Greycourt Series features an enemies-to-lovers romance with her signature blend of captivating characters and sensual romance.

Sometimes you only realize you've been missing something when a favorite author of yours comes up with something new. I did not know I liked charming Bollywood actors, now I know I do. Thanks for that Juliette Cross! I think.... hehe (as if I needed another obsession)

A few months ago a friend of mine introduced my first HJ Marshall title and I loved it. So of-course, when she told me about her new title I requested it straight away. And boy I'm glad I did! The Blurb: What if someone crawled into the dark with you and offered you a way out? I made a deal to save my sister and became ensnared in a world filled with depravity, finding comfort in the dark recesses of my mind. The wicked feelings deep within can overtake you if you’re left without light for too long, and I reveled in the merciless world that equally thrilled and frightened me. He accepted the darker parts of me, the shame and regret, and made a deal to save me. He brought me back into the light, learning to twist my delights to his will, destroying the shameful fragments that remained. Redeeming me with his touch, he destroyed the pain that tore through my heart. He was a dangerous man who became my monster and my hero, recognizing the wicked parts of me and welcoming them. Knowing ...

June has been a good reading month, although not all books have been 5 star reads they have all been great reads . And on that note, thank you kindly to author Lisa Becker for sending me a copy of her book to read and review. This beauty comes out July 14th, 2020!

The Honey-Don't List, Christina Lauren I absolute love these ladies. Christina and Lauren are above and beyond talented and I am very happy to sit and read another title by them. The Honey-Don't List  was sweet, charming, and it had its funny moments.  Another day under quarantine, another fabulous read ;)