Category: Romance

Recent Reads: A Special Cornish Christmas by Phillipa Ashley

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

A Special Cornish Christmas by Phillipa Ashley has Bo, the cafe owner in Falford, who dresses in 1950s style dresses, loves the music, and is a member of Falford Flingers, who dance to rock and roll music, as the main character, who along with two friends, gets a predication at a summer fete that she’ll meet the love of her life by Christmas!

There is a lot of Christmas rock and roll music, and other Christmas songs, mentioned, and it really made me feel like Christmas was soon, and that I needed to listen to all of these songs!

The story is also very Christmas based, and there are characters from the previous book who pop up!   I really enjoyed the music references, and all of the food and drink that was being mentioned!  The characters are enjoyable, and the story was good!

This is the second book sent in Falford, so if you’ve enjoyed this community, then read An Endless Cornish Summer.

A Special Cornish Christmas was published on 11th November 2021, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Phillipa Ashley on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and her website.

I’ve read some other books by Phillipa Ashley, other than An Endless Cornish Summer above:

A Surprise Christmas Wedding

A Perfect Cornish Christmas

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Avon Books UK.

 

Recent Reads: It’s In His Kiss by Julia Quinn (Bridgertons 7)

Posted on by Pam

My review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

It’s In His Kiss by Julia Quinn (Bridgertons 7) is about Hyacinth, the youngest Bridgerton daughter, and Gareth St Clair.  Gareth’s and his father do not get on, so much so, that Gareth moved out and moved in with his grandmother, Lady Danbury!

Hyacinth has been out for more than a couple of seasons, and so the marriage offers are drying up.  She wants a man that is her equal as a husband.

Lady Danbury wants her grandson married, Violet Bridgerton wants her daughter married, and so there are plans made.

This is a romance set in regency period.  As with all the Bridgertons books, there are sex scenes.  It’s a good story, with a good pace that sweeps you along.  I was unhappy with Gareth’s motivations mid way through the book, but enjoyed the rest of it!

It’s In His Kiss was published on 28th June 2005 and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Julia Quinn on Facebook, Instagram and her website.

You can read my review for the previous Bridgertons books below:

The Duke and I – Bridgertons 1

The Viscount Who Loved Me – Bridgertons 2

An Offer From A Gentleman – Bridgertons 3

Romancing Mister Bridgerton – Bridgertons 4

To Sir Phillip, with love – Bridgertons 5

When He Was Wicked – Bridgertons 6

Recent Reads: The Perfect Christmas Gift by Katie Ginger

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Perfect Christmas Gift by Katie Ginger is a lovely book, that will make you feel super cosy and so much in the Christmas spirit!

Bella is a primary school teacher whose boyfriend leaves her one day in November, completely unexpectedly.  Nick lives next door to Bella, and he’s been trying to keep it all together for his son Freddie, after his wife, Paige, left them both 6 months ago. 

I really enjoyed this Christmas romance, set in a small village, where everyone knows everyone else’s business, there is a lovely community spirit, a lot of Christmas, family and romance.  It is a really lovely read, and one that will make you feel ready for Christmas!

The Perfect Christmas Gift was published on 22nd October 2021, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Katie Ginger on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and on her website.

You can read my reviews of other Katie Ginger books below

The Secrets of Meadow Farmhouse

The Little Theatre on the Seafront

I was given this book in return for an unbiased review, and so my thanks to NetGalley and to HQ.

Recent Reads: The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer

Posted on by Pam

My review:?????

The Black Moth was Georgette Heyer’s first novel, and is a well written book, with lots of intricate plot, and characters who you enjoy cheering on or booing.

Jack Carstates is a highwayman, having been exiled by his family for cheating at cards, and lived abroad for years, but now he is back in England.  

Diana Beauleigh is a beauty, and the Duke of Andover has decided that she should be his, and so arranges a kidnapping that a certain highwayman interrupts.

I’ve loved Georgette Heyer since I discovered her in my late teens.  They are books that sweep you off on adventures, and always have some form of misapprehension about someone’s identity, or their intentions, and the Black Moth doesn’t disappoint!

The Black Moth was first published in 1921, and so this is the centanuary edition, which was published on 26th August 2021, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

Georgette Heyer wrote a great many regency romances, and also detective fiction, and so here is a link for her on GoodReads.

If you’ve been enjoying The Bridgerton TV series or books, then I would highly recommend you try Georgette Heyer!

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Penguin Cornerstone.

Recent Reads: When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn (Bridgertons 6)

Posted on by Pam

My review:????

When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn is the story of Francesca.  She marries John, an Earl, who is best friends with his cousin, Michael Stirling, a notorious rake, who is also in love with Francesca.  When John dies, and Francesca goes into mourning, Michael flees to India, but time passes, and he returns.  But can he have Francesca?

This book is appropriately titled, and has a lot of sexual tension, and sex scenes. It’s also an enjoyable will they, won’t they.  I’ve really enjoyed the series of books, and look forward to watching this unfold on the TV show!

When He Was Wicked was published on 29th June 2004, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Julia Quinn on Facebook, Instagram and her website.

You can read my review for the previous Bridgertons books below:

The Duke and I – Bridgertons 1

The Viscount Who Loved Me – Bridgertons 2

An Offer From A Gentleman – Bridgertons 3

Romancing Mister Bridgerton – Bridgertons 4

To Sir Phillip, with Love – Bridgertons 5

Recent Reads: A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas (A Court of Thorns and Roses 4)

Posted on by Pam

My review:????

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas is the first book from another perspective in this series!  It’s mostly from the point of view of Nesta, Feyre’s sister, who is prickly, angry, and Feyre is not sure how to help her any more.

This is an epic fantasy series, set in a world where human and fae are separated by a wall, for the good of humanity.  Sarah J Maas writes fantasy with a raunchy romance edge.

I’ve been enjoying reading this series, and the next book is due next year!

A Court of Silver Flames was published on 16th February 2021, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Sarah J Maas on her website or on Instagram.

You can read my reviews for the previous books in the series here:

A Court of Thorns and Roses (book 1)

A Court of Mist and Fury (book 2)

A Court of Wings and Ruin (book 3)

A Court of Frost and Starlight (book 3.1)

Recent Reads: You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry

Posted on by Pam

My review:????

You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry is the story of Poppy and Alex, who have gone on holiday for every year for 11 years, except two years ago, when something happened.  Poppy wants to get back to the way things were with her best friend, and so invites Alex on holiday again this summer.

This is full of awkward pauses, uncomfortable moments, and a lot of heat, but the last one is to be expected from Palm Springs in the height of summer!  Reading about how Poppy and Alex try to work out what they are now was really good.  The tension and awkwardness was really apparent!

If you would like to get away with Poppy and Alex, you’ll enjoy the flashbacks to the years of their friendships and the other holidays they’ve been together, and partake in the mystery that is: what happened two years ago to mess with this friendship? 

You and Me on Vacation was published on 8th July 2021 and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Emily Henry on Instagram and on her website.

I have also read Beach Read by Emily Henry, and loved it!

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Penguin.

Recent Reads: To Sir Phillip, with Love by Julia Quinn (Bridgertons 5)

Posted on by Pam

My review:?????

To Sir Phillip, with Love by Julia Quinn is about Eloise Bridgerton, who, after the marriage of Penelope to Colin, is feeling a little lost.  When her cousin dies, Eloise does what she spends so much of her days doing, she writes a letter to her late cousin’s husband, and discovers a man that is interesting.

They continue writing for a while, and he suggests marriage one day, Eloise takes her time to think about it – she hasn’t met him, so she couldn’t do it, could she?

This is an enjoyable romance of mistaken identities, confused feelings, and twins that run the house.  I enjoyed it in the same way that I enjoy Georgette Heyer books – a fabulous journey in to the past.  I’m looking forward to the next season of The Bridgertons on Netflix, and will be looking forward to when they get to Eloise’s story!

To Sir Phillip, with Love was published on 1st July 2003 and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Julia Quinn on Facebook, Instagram and her website.

You can read my review for the previous Bridgertons books below:

The Duke and I – Bridgertons 1

The Viscount Who Loved Me – Bridgertons 2

An Offer From A Gentleman – Bridgertons 3

Romancing Mister Bridgerton – Bridgertons 4

Recent Reads: An Endless Cornish Summer by Phillipa Ashley

Posted on by Pam

My review:????

An Endless Cornish Summer by Phillipa Ashley has Rose who is working in Cornwall for the summer so that she can try to find the man who saved her life.  She had a rare blood issue and a bone marrow transplant saved her life.  She wrote to thank the donor, and got a postcard back, and so she’s come to the place from the postcard!

Rose joins in community life, and is also working locally as she’s an archaeologist, and has a dig nearby.  She’s still on the lookout for her donor, and thinks it’s one of the local boat building brothers.  But how is she going to find out?

This is the story about finding happiness, and has beautiful descriptions of Cornwall.  It is an uplifting romance, and was lovely to read.

An Endless Cornish Summer was published on 24th June 2021 and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Phillipa Ashley on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and her website.

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Avon Books UK.

Recent Reads: A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas (A Court of Thorns and Roses 3.1)

Posted on by Pam

My review:????

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas is a book inbetween books.  You often get novellas or short stories between books, but this book is over 200 pages, so compared to the other books, this is much shorter.  It feels like a Christmas story, and so was lovely and warming.

Winter Solstice is coming and so Feyre, Rhys and so on can have some time off, they just need to be able to shut off.  This is a lovely story, just focusing on people trying to heal, which is important after the events of the last book.

This is also the last book from Feyre’s point of view, which is interesting to me, so I’m looking forward to the next book in the series!  

A Court of Frost and Starlight was published on 1st May 2018 and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Sarah J Maas on her website or on Instagram.

You can read my reviews for the previous books in the series here:

A Court of Thorns and Roses (book 1)

A Court of Mist and Fury (book 2)

A Court of Wings and Ruin (book 3)