Comfort Reads: The Bride Wore White by Amanda Quick

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Content Notes: a list of content notes can be found at The StoryGraph

Back in the summer of 2007, I was pregnant, off for the summer, and decided to take things very easy. After losing our first pregnancy just a few months previously, I wasn’t willing to take any risks and spent that summer reading as many books as I possibly could. I finally went to our closest library only to discover that wasn’t where I was supposed to get my library card and after successfully acquiring said library card from the correct library, discovered Amanda Quick. Quick, the historical romance pen name of Jayne Ann Krentz, became my obsession that summer. I read them all. Every single title the library, and the surrounding libraries, had. I read through the trilogies that spanned time and pen names. Books set in the 1800’s written by Amanda Quick. Contemporaries written by Jayne Ann Krentz. Futuristic paranormals written by Jayne Castle. These books all contain her core story: an independent and ambitious woman saves herself from danger with the help of a handsome and grumpy man who has a complicated and tragic past. Some are incredibly dated, pretty sexist, and, with a lot of love, formulaic. But, I still love them and will continue to read them.

I have shelves of signed books and preorder swag. Whenever I find a hardcover in one of those bargain bins at Menards, seriously the best part of the store, I always buy them. Sometimes you just need a book that is going to go exactly as you know it will. No surprises, no new and exciting ideas. Just a book that brings a smile when you realize that you hit that point in the book, just like you knew you would. The books where they always say the whole name of a town or hotel every single time it’s brought up. The books where the villain always spills their guts as they’re about to harm the main characters. The books where everyone is so concerned about High Society and it’s Expectations. The books that make you chuckle every time you realize you could play a bingo card off the tropes. I love it all.

When I was prepping everything for my hysterectomy last week, I knew I would need an audiobook that I would enjoy but also not really need to pay attention to. Something that would keep me entertained but also not one that required 100% of my focus because hello, pain and pain meds are kind of known to be distracting.

So what did I pick? Wow, it’s in the title folks.

Book 7 of the Burning Cover series, The Bride Wore White, brings us the story of Prudence Ryland, aka Madame Ariadne, a psychic dream consultant who is obsessed with tea. (They all are. Every single heroine.) When a client mysteriously dies after a consultation, Prudence packs her bags and heads to Burning Cove to start a new life away from the suspicions of the tightly knit psychic community and the high society clientele they serve. There, mysterious circumstances cause her to enlist the help of Luther Pell and his investigator Jack Wingate. Together, Prudence and Jack race against time to uncover the threat against her and of course, fall madly in love with each other.

It was everything I could have hoped for! It truly was. Prudence does have real psychic powers and once in Burning Cove, goes on to get a job as a Librarian in an academic library where she quickly discovers she has a great talent in working with psychic research and materials. So of course she becomes obsessed with Jack’s manuscript on criminal profiling. Jack had a disastrous ending to his previous case which left him scarred and with horrible nightmares. With so much love, of course the psychic dream consultant falls hard for the grumpy handsome guy with nightmares! Truly, this book was exactly what I needed, when I needed it. The perfect comfort read.

If you’re interested in checking out this series, know that people from previous books show up, but you can definitely read all of them as stand-alone novels. If you haven’t read her Arcane Society novels, I highly, highly recommend them. The way the characters are woven together across time always makes for fun cameos and were an absolute nightmare to shelve at the Library.

I hope this book brings you as many smiles as it did me.

If you’d like to add this book to your shelf, you can click on the cover above or here for ordering information. I listened to my copy through Libby from my library.

This post may contain links, including Amazon Associate Links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases.


Pride Reads: Something Fabulous by Alexis Hall

There are numerous lists (yay!) of amazing books to read during Pride Month, and all year long! Here is one of my favorites!

Available now

This is such a wild ride of a romance! I loved every madcap, ridiculous scenario found within these pages and I can’t wait to see what comes next!

Set in the old fashioned England Times, Valentine Layton, the Duke of Malvern (and don’t you forget it) has finally fulfilled his duty and proposed to the woman he has been betrothed to since childhood. What should have been a romantic proposal quickly turned into a frantic chase across the countryside to find his fiancé, Arabella, after she ran away screaming. Accompanied by her twin brother Bonaventure, Bonny to his friends, Valentine is forced to rise too early, dress without a valet, ride for an uncomfortably long time, and face feelings that he didn’t know were possible.

Something Fabulous is equal parts ridiculous romp and heartfelt journey to discovery. Valentine has lived his life exactly as he thought he should. He has tried to fulfill what he believes are his parent’s wishes and live his life as properly and respectfully as he can. All of that is thrown out the window, extremely reluctantly, by proposing to Arabella. Valentine hasn’t seen Arabella or Bonny since childhood and is woefully unprepared for their reaction to him and what he has seen is an inevitable proposal of marriage. While Valentine was raised in wealth, the twins were raised by an uncle after their parent’s death without the luxuries he is so used to. Valentine also lacks the incredible imagination the twins have developed from their childhood of crafting their own novels when their uncle supplied them with only boring nonfiction.

As Valentine and Bonny travel across the countryside pursuing Arabella and her maid, Valentine is forced to realize that things are not all that he believes. Bonny is unapologetic in his love for men and bedroom delights and Valentine is completely thrown by his exuberant personality. As Valentine finds himself feeling…something for Bonny, his entire world view is thrown upside down.

Something Fabulous is a funny, heartwarming, and steamy adventure through the countryside. Highly, highly recommend it.

If you would like to add this amazing book to your collection, you can find ordering information here:

 


This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon Associate links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases.

A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera

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This! This is the perfect romance novel! I know I just said this not too long ago, but now this book has my vote for the world’s best historical romance novel. I love this book so much that I know this is going to be a bit rambling but trust me, it’s amazing and everyone should read it. Now. Read it now. The incomparable Adriana Herrera has given us an incredible heroine with the character Luz Alana. Luz is the heir to a rum distilling empire where the workers are just as valued as the rum itself. Along with her sister and two best friends, Luz sets sail for Paris to showcase her rum at the Exposition Universelle where she discovers that her booth has been overtaken by two annoyingly attractive men and their whisky.

James Evanston Sinclair, Evan, if he finds you worthy, is determined to take over the family whisky distillery and turn it into something that will overshadow his father’s disgusting and devious behavior. When he discovers that a gorgeous and powerful force has boldly called him out for disturbing her rum display, Evan is immediately captivated. When he sees the incredibly rude treatment she receives from the sea of men around them, Evan is instantly angry and becomes invested in seeing her become successful at the exposition.

Luz has sailed to Paris to secure her family’s future and build her empire. Evan has traveled to Paris to destroy his father and rebuild his family’s name. They didn’t plan to fall in love…

But it’s a Romance and that’s what they’re going to do! This book is absolutely everything that I love in a romance. There’s incredible banter. Luz and Evan spar back forth constantly and it’s so hot! So hot. They have incredible chemistry and I found myself squealing and reading lines out loud to the Hubs. Evan is obsessed with keeping her happy and is incredibly protective but knows that he has to let her fight her own battles so she can earn the respect of the buyers and wholesalers. But, he really wants to mess a few of them up. Very satisfying.

Readers, Luz complained twice about hating corsets and the man goes and has a new bra designed for her so she’s more comfortable. I mean, the audacity of being such an amazing man.

Every single character is interesting and I would read an entire book about them falling in love. Even the gentleman that works as Evan’s master blender-why hasn’t Evan seen him smile before now? What’s his story? I want to read it. I also want to read the books about Luz’s two best friends and even one set far in the future for her sister Clarita. There were so many juicy little moments where looks were shared and characters made connections that Herrera has to have plans for these characters, right? I’m very hopeful.

The writing is absolutely incredible and it’s so seamlessly plotted that you find yourself flying through the pages. I read the first 90% in one sitting and couldn’t wait to finish it. Luz, Manuela and Aurora have fierce and fabulous friendship. They all play off each other so well and I really loved getting to see their devotion for each other.

This book is absolutely fantastic and I can’t recommend it highly enough. If you’d like to add this book to your collection, you can find ordering information here:


As always, this post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon Associate links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases. All opinions and mistakes are my own.




Something Fabulous by Alexis Hall

Available now

This is such a wild ride of a romance! I loved every madcap, ridiculous scenario found within these pages and I can’t wait to see what comes next!

Set in the old fashioned England Times, Valentine Layton, the Duke of Malvern (and don’t you forget it) has finally fulfilled his duty and proposed to the woman he has been betrothed to since childhood. What should have been a romantic proposal quickly turned into a frantic chase across the countryside to find his fiancé, Arabella, after she ran away screaming. Accompanied by her twin brother Bonaventure, Bonny to his friends, Valentine is forced to rise too early, dress without a valet, ride for an uncomfortably long time, and face feelings that he didn’t know were possible.

Something Fabulous is equal parts ridiculous romp and heartfelt journey to discovery. Valentine has lived his life exactly as he thought he should. He has tried to fulfill what he believes are his parent’s wishes and live his life as properly and respectfully as he can. All of that is thrown out the window, extremely reluctantly, by proposing to Arabella. Valentine hasn’t seen Arabella or Bonny since childhood and is woefully unprepared for their reaction to him and what he has seen is an inevitable proposal of marriage. While Valentine was raised in wealth, the twins were raised by an uncle after their parent’s death without the luxuries he is so used to. Valentine also lacks the incredible imagination the twins have developed from their childhood of crafting their own novels when their uncle supplied them with only boring nonfiction.

As Valentine and Bonny travel across the countryside pursuing Arabella and her maid, Valentine is forced to realize that things are not all that he believes. Bonny is unapologetic in his love for men and bedroom delights and Valentine is completely thrown by his exuberant personality. As Valentine finds himself feeling…something for Bonny, his entire world view is thrown upside down.

Something Fabulous is a funny, heartwarming, and steamy adventure through the countryside. Highly, highly recommend it.

If you would like to add this amazing book to your collection, you can find ordering information here:

 


This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon Associate links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases.

Heart and Hand by Rebel Carter

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Back in November, I received the most delightful book mail after winning the monthly paperback giveaway from Lucy Eden. Included in that giveaway was my very first Rebel Carter romance and Reader Friends, it’s definitely not my last! I loved this book! Absolutely loved it. I’m not typically an early American historical reader, but this book involves the interracial marriage between a New York socialite and two ex-Union soldiers living in the Montana territory.

Two Husbands!!! How does anyone pass up a book with two husbands in 1886 Montana? I know I don’t.

Julie Baptiste is tired of society life and is looking for something more fulfilling in her life. When the opportunity to move west and become a school teacher, as well as a wife to a couple of ex-Union soldiers, is made available to her, Julie decides to take a leap of faith. Forrest and William are both settled in Gold Sky, Montana as local lawmen and want a wife and children to complete their family. After months of letters between Forrest and herself, Julie knows that moving to Gold Sky offers her the best chance at the happiness and fulfillment she’s been searching for.

Oh, how I love this book! Not only do we get to see Julie bravely take the risk of moving halfway across the country, by herself, to marry two men she’s never met, but we also get to see her fall in love with teaching and become a respected member of Gold Sky. Julie has to take a train, by herself, for nearly a month to travel to Gold Sky from New York. The thought of being stuck on a train for a month sounds horrifying and I can’t imagine how miserable it would have been. I also love how Julie knows from the beginning that she’s marrying both Will and Forrest. There is no bait and switch here-she goes in, eyes wide open, to marrying these men. And did she ever get lucky! Both Forrest and Will go out of their way to make her feel comfortable, cared for, and respected. They really take care of her down to the smallest details like choosing a house with many bedrooms, including one for herself if she’d like. They also left much of the decorating for her so the house felt like hers, not just theirs. When the school fundraiser gets thrust on her last minute, they both step up to help in any way they can. Such a good guys.

It was also really beautiful to watch how the trio learned to navigate their new relationship and the intricacies of this type of marriage. The respect they all had for each other and for their relationship was really to satisfying to see. It’s just so good! I wish I had the words to tell you how good it is!

If you would like to add this amazing book to your collection, you can find ordering information here:

 

This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon Associate links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases.

Bombshell by Sarah MacLean

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I had the absolute pleasure of reading this in nearly one sitting, uninterrupted, while traveling back from Florida. I highly recommend finding a time where you can dive in and become completely enthralled in the world that MacLean has so masterfully crafted. Sesily Talbot, our infamous and scandalous Talbot sister is back with her own book and surrounded by strong, independent women who know how to get things done.

Tired of watching evil men get away with horrendous crimes, Sesily, along with Duchess and Lady Imogen, work quietly behind the scenes to ensure that women are saved from brutish husbands and abusive employers. But during a late night gathering to celebrate their latest success, Sesily is faced with the man who stole her heart years before. Caleb Calhoun, best friend and business partner with one of Sesily’s sisters, is back in town and prepared for the knife to the heart that is Sesily Talbot. Caleb quickly realizes that Sesily is involved in some dangerous shenanigans and is determined to keep her safe. Sesily can easily take care of herself and is constantly having to remind Caleb of just that fact. As these two battle their desire for each other, greater forces threaten to keep them apart.

This is an absolutely fantastic book! I loved every page and found myself laughing out loud so many times.

Come for the innuendoes, stay for the toppling of the patriarchy.

In Bombshell, MacLean has created a tight knit group of women who are invested in creating a more equal and safe environment for all women to live and thrive. Duchess throws these wonderful parties for the female staff of wealthy homes to give them a safe place to relax and find refuge from evil bosses. It was so interesting to read all the tiny details about how those women were helped and the measures that were taken to ensure their enjoyment that you could tell this was something really personal for the author. Just like with the friendship between Duchess, Imogen and Sesily. I loved how close they were, but also how ruthless they were each other. I also found it beyond delightful how scared some of the men were of the group’s fighting skills. Sesily, Duchess, and Imogen fought together, partied together, and were willing to die for each other and have definitely set the bar very high for all friendships. Also, I loved how much Imogen loves to blow things up. Her book is going to be amazing!

The road to romance for Sesily and Caleb was such winding and bumpy one. There were so many times that I was convinced that there was no coming back and yet MacLean was able to bring them back together effortlessly. Much of Sesily’s strength came not from her knife skills, but from knowing when to be honest and vulnerable with other people. Also, I loved how fiercely sex positive Sesily was. That girl had no regrets about her past and wasn’t going to let anyone deny her any pleasure. It was also really interesting to see some frank discussions about birth control and whether or not children were going to be a part of Sesily’s future. Don’t get me wrong, Caleb was great too, I just fell in love with Sesily and have so much respect for her and her gang of avengers.

I loved this book and I can’t wait to see what comes next for this fabulous group of women. Highly, highly recommend.

If you would like to add this amazing historical romance to your shelf, you can find ordering information here:

 

This post contains affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases.

Blog Tour! The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton

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If you have ever found yourself wondering what is the best knife to hide in a corset or the most effective poison to administer to a traveling dignitary during a seven course meal, then Reader Friends, do I have the book for you. While The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels is a fabulous romp full of humor and adventure, it also serves as a guide for those wondering how to be the most civilized and proper murderer and thief. For example, a pirate should always make sure to leave the house equipped with a hat, parasol and gloves to ensure that they do not succumb to The Great Peril. The Great Peril of freckles, that is. 

It just isn’t done. 

When a washed up bottle leads to the discovery of a spell that can move objects, no matter the size or weight, a former book club became the grand Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels. The Wisteria Society takes their pirating extremely seriously and takes great pains to raise their daughters as proper Lady Pirates. One such young lady, Cecilia Bassingthwaite has been eagerly, but not too eagerly, awaiting her formal induction to the Society. Having learned how to kill with a teaspoon, steer a flying house and always pour the tea before the milk, she is ready to join the ranks of this illustrious society. However, someone is trying to assassinate her, and not in any type of clever way, and between fending off attempts of murder and locating a new novel, there just hasn’t been the time. 

When the members of the Society are kidnapped, Cecilia must use her wits and the help of an unlikely ally, whose identity seems to change more often than his waistcoat, to save her aunt and the other Society members. 

I have never been more thrilled to find out a book is the first in a series. The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels is one of the most enjoyable reading experiences I’ve had in a long time. It’s incredibly funny and thoroughly enjoys mocking it’s own genre, while at the same time, is a love letter to historical romance. It is a wonderfully madcap steampunk adventure filled with magical elements that shows not only the strength of women, but the power they hold when they come together. 

Thoroughly entertaining, The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels is the fantastical romance of the summer. 

Don’t believe me? You should. I would never lie to you. The lovely folks at Berkley have sent an excerpt to share with you and I can’t wait to hear everyone’s thoughts. 

Enjoy!

THE WISTERIA SOCIETY OF LADY SCOUNDRELS by India Holton

Berkley Trade Paperback Original | On Sale: June 15th, 2021

Excerpt

There was no possibility of walking to the library that day. Morning rain had blanched the air, and Miss Darlington feared that if Cecilia ventured out she would develop a cough and be dead within the week. Therefore Cecilia was at home, sitting with her aunt in a room ten degrees colder than the streets of London, and reading aloud The Song of Hiawatha by “that American rogue, Mr. Longfellow,” when the strange gentleman knocked at their door.

As the sound barged through the house, interrupting Cecilia’s recitation mid-¬rhyme, she looked inquiringly at her aunt. But Miss Darlington’s own gaze went to the mantel clock, which was ticking sedately ¬toward a quarter to one. The old lady frowned.

“It is an abomination the way people these days knock at any wild, unseemly hour,” she said in much the same tone the prime minister had used in Parliament recently to decry the London rioters. “I do declare—¬!”

Cecilia waited, but Miss Darlington’s only declaration came in the form of sipping her tea pointedly, by which Cecilia understood that the abominable caller was to be ignored. She returned to Hiawatha and had just begun proceeding “¬toward the land of the Pearl-¬Feather” when the knocking came again with increased force, silencing her and causing Miss Darlington to set her teacup into its saucer with a clink. Tea splashed, and Cecilia hastily laid down the poetry book before things ¬¬really got out of hand.

“I shall see who it is,” she said, smoothing her dress as she rose and touching the red-¬gold hair at her temples, although there was no crease in the muslin nor a single strand out of place in her coiffure.

“Do be careful, dear,” Miss Darlington admonished. “Anyone attempting to visit at this time of day is obviously some kind of hooligan.”

“Fear not, Aunty.” Cecilia took up a bone-¬handled letter opener from the small table beside her chair. “They will not trouble me.”

Miss Darlington harrumphed. “We are buying no subscriptions today,” she called out as Cecilia left the room.

In fact they had never bought subscriptions, so this was an unnecessary injunction, although typical of Miss Darlington, who persisted in seeing her ward as the reckless tomboy who had entered her care ten years before: prone to climbing trees, fashioning cloaks from tablecloths, and making unauthorized doorstep purchases whenever the fancy took her. But a decade’s proper education had wrought wonders, and now Cecilia walked the hall quite calmly, her French heels tapping against the polished marble floor, her intentions aimed in no way ¬toward the taking of a subscription. She opened the door.

“Yes?” she asked.

“Good afternoon,” said the man on the step. “May I interest you in a brochure on the plight of the endangered North Atlantic auk?”

Cecilia blinked from his pleasant smile to the brochure he was holding out in a black-¬gloved hand. She noticed at once the scandalous lack of hat upon his blond hair and the embroidery trimming his black frock coat. He wore neither sideburns nor mustache, his boots were tall and buckled, and a silver hoop hung from one ear. She looked again at his smile, which quirked in response.

“No,” she said, and closed the door.

And bolted it.

Ned remained for a moment longer with the brochure extended as his brain waited for his body to catch up with events. He considered what he had seen of the woman who had stood so briefly in the shadows of the doorway, but he could not recall the exact color of the sash that waisted her soft white dress, nor whether it had been pearls or stars in her hair, nor even how deeply winter dreamed in her lovely eyes. He held only a general impression of “beauty so rare and face so fair”—¬and implacability so terrifying in such a young woman.

And then his body made pace, and he grinned.

Miss Darlington was pouring herself another cup of tea when Cecilia returned to the parlor. “Who was it?” she asked without looking up.

“A pirate, I believe,” Cecilia said as she sat and, taking the little book of poetry, began sliding a finger down a page to relocate the line at which she’d been interrupted.

Miss Darlington set the teapot down. With a delicate pair of tongs fashioned like a sea monster, she began loading sugar cubes into her cup. “What made you think that?”

Cecilia was quiet a moment as she recollected the man. He had been handsome in a rather dangerous way, despite the ridiculous coat. A light in his eyes had suggested he’d known his brochure would not fool her, but he’d entertained himself with the pose anyway. She predicted his hair would fall over his brow if a breeze went through it, and that the slight bulge in his trousers had been in case she was not happy to see him—¬a dagger, or perhaps a gun.

“Well?” her aunt prompted, and Cecilia blinked herself back into focus.

“He had a tattoo of an anchor on his wrist,” she said. “Part of it was visible from beneath his sleeve. But he did not offer me a secret handshake, nor invite himself in for tea, as anyone of decent piratic society would have done, so I took him for a rogue and shut him out.”

“A rogue pirate! At our door!” Miss Darlington made a small, disapproving noise behind pursed lips. “How reprehensible. Think of the germs he might have had. I wonder what he was after.”

Cecilia shrugged. Had Hiawatha confronted the magician yet? She could not remember. Her finger, three-¬quarters of the way down the page, moved up again. “The Scope diamond, perhaps,” she said. “Or Lady Askew’s necklace.”

Miss Darlington clanked a teaspoon around her cup in a manner that made Cecilia wince. “Imagine if you had been out as you planned, Cecilia dear. What would I have done, had he broken in?”

“Shot him?” Cecilia suggested.

Miss Dar¬ling¬ton arched two vehemently plucked eyebrows ¬toward the ringlets on her brow. “Good heavens, child, what do you take me for, a maniac? Think of the damage a ricocheting bullet would do in this room.”

“Stabbed him, then?”

“And get blood all over the rug? It’s a sixteenth-¬century Persian antique, you know, part of the royal collection. It took a great deal of effort to acquire.”

“Steal,” Cecilia murmured.

“Obtain by private means.”

“Well,” Cecilia said, abandoning a losing battle in favor of the original topic of conversation. “It was indeed fortunate I was here. ‘The level moon stared at him—¬’ ”

“The moon? Is it up already?” Miss Darlington glared at the wall as if she might see through its swarm of framed pictures, its wallpaper and wood, to the celestial orb beyond, and therefore convey her disgust at its diurnal shenanigans.

“No, it stared at Hiawatha,” Cecilia explained. “In the poem.”

“Oh. Carry on, then.”

“ ‘In his face stared pale and haggard—¬’ ”

“Repetitive fellow, isn’t he?”

“Poets do tend to—¬”

Miss Darlington waved a hand irritably. “I don’t mean the poet, girl. The pirate. Look, he’s now trying to climb in the window.”







Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own. This post may also contain affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases.




The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Available Now

Readers, I´m not going to lie, I was in the mood to read exactly like this when I discovered this gorgeous book in my inbox. I am a huge fan of Silvia Moreno-Garcia and each book I have read is better than the last. I fell in love with her writing in Mexican Gothic and immediately checked out Certain Dark Things from the Library. Fun fact! Certain Dark Things is going to be re-released this fall and it has a gorgeous cover.

In The Beautiful Ones, we are transported to Loisail and the glamorous homes of the wealthy who reside there. In a world where magic is considered ¨common” and for mere performers, a young socialite´s debut in the Grand Season is threatened when her uncontrolled powers jeopardize her ability to catch the eye of a wealthy gentleman. Antonina ¨Nina¨ Bealieu is overwhelmed by the enormity of the crowds and expectations of the Grand Season. She would much rather spend her days researching and cataloging her extensive insect collection. When she happens upon the great magical performer Hector Auvray in the Library during a ball, she is immediately smitten with his fame and charm. When Nina accepts his offer of a dance, she is completely unaware that she is now a pawn in Hector´s grand plan to win back her cousin´s wife, Valérie, a woman who was once engaged to Hector and still holds his heart.

As Hector maneuvers his way in to Nina´s life to gain access to Valéire, Nina develops feelings that grow from friendship to true love. As the two begin a genuine a courtship, Hectors quest to win back his love exposes dark and lurid secrets that have the ability to put everyone in danger.

This book is amazing! It´s a gorgeous combination of magical fantasy, historical romance, and intense drama. It´s perfect for fans of historical romance who want to branch out from the traditional story and discover a fresh and insightful take on the genre. The magical system is wonderfully developed and adds another layer of complexity to the societal expectations of the characters in this world. I loved how magic was used in this story. Nina is currently living with her adoring and wonderful cousin Gaétan Beaulieu and his critical and harsh wife Valérie during her debut. She is indebted to both of them and needs their contacts to find a suitable husband. Luckily for Nina, Gaétan is more progressive in his thinking and wants love and happiness for his younger cousin. Valérie, on the other hand, wants her married and out of the house. She has no desire to waste any of her time on someone else´s needs and actively despises her husband. When Hector comes back into her life, Valérie seems to genuinely enjoy toying with him and wants nothing more than to bring torment to everyone around her. She is a truly diabolical character and is written perfectly as the foil to Nina´s genuine kindness and curiosity of life and science.

This is the definition of a slow burn romance and watching the three main characters circle around and around each other had me on the edge of my seat the entire book. Over and over again Hector had the opportunity to realize how his love was really obsession and he yet he just kept stumbling in the wrong direction. Nina in all of her naivete, uses romance novels as her guide to courtship and is constantly confused when Hector doesn´t act as the novel´s heroes do and you just want to pat her on the head and have ¨The Talk¨ with her.

I absolutely loved this book and cannot recommend it highly enough. Moreno-Garcia weaves together an intricate and gorgeous story of love, betrayal, and the complexities of societal and familial expectations.

If you want to add this gorgeous book to your shelf, you can find ordering information here:

 
 

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own. This post also contains affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases.