Posted on by Maureen

Widdershins (Whyborne&Griffin) by Jordan L. Hawk

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Widdershins is the first book in Jordan L. Hawk’s Whyborne & Griffin series. I’d heard quite a bit of buzz about this series in one of my reading groups. I took the plunge, and I have absolutely no regrets about this decision.

Percival Endicott Whyborne spends his days working in a museum as a comparative philologist, and he is perfectly content with his solitary life. When private detective Griffin Flaherty believes that an ancient book may be the key to his case, Whyborne offers to help with translation. Before he knows it, the shy and withdrawn Whyborne is thrown into the middle of something that defies explanation. Something truly terrifying is afoot, and Whyborne and Griffin must team up if they are going to defeat the evil that has been unleashed. As Whyborne spends more time with Griffin, he finds it more and more difficult to suppress his feelings. He thinks it impossible that Griffin could ever return those feelings. But after seeing some of the things that he has seen, Whyborne should know that anything is possible. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Wagering for Miss Blake by Callie Hutton

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Wagering for Miss Blake was written by Callie Hutton, and is the fourth book in her Lords & Ladies in Love series of Regency-era historical romance novels. I haven’t read any of Hutton’s other books, but I am always excited to discover new authors.

Giles is instantly smitten the moment he meets Suzanna, but she informs him that he can’t marry him because she can only consider men with titles. Giles, the third son of an earl, is so smitten that he isn’t particularly offended by this rather mercenary declaration, and he soon discovers that this is her parents’ rule, not necessarily what she wants. Giles, ever the optimist, bets Suzanna that he can make her fall in love with him.

Suzanna feels torn between her feelings and her parents’ wishes. Giles is the first man she has ever felt a connection with, but she knows how important it is to her parents that marry a man with a title. She tries to avoid him, but he is rather persistent in his attempt to persuade her to change her mind about him.

I found myself feeling sorry for Suzanna. It’s clear that her mother is overbearing, and the ironic part is that Suzanna’s father is not titled, so that makes her mother somewhat hypocritical for insisting that Suzanna rule out any non-titled suitors. Giles, for what it’s worth, is a very patient soul. He knows that he can reveal information that would necessitate a marriage, but he chooses to win his wager fairly.

There is, a Big Misunderstanding to create conflict, but it could have been solved quite easily with a simple conversation. I thought the way in which Suzanna handled the resolution was unfair, considering that she created the problem in the first place.

I would recommend Wagering for Miss Blake. This story was cute enough, and it’s fairly light in tone. There is plenty of cute banter, and Giles is a sweetheart. I’m looking forward to reading more of Hutton’s books in the future.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

Posted on by Maureen

The Leshy and the Lumberjack by Ginger Streusel

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The Leshy and the Lumberjack was written by Ginger Streusel. It is a paranormal m/m romance, and as soon as I saw it on Netgalley, I knew it sounded like something I would like.

Isaak is a humble woodcutter who lives in a village with his family. He spends his day in the forest chopping wood, and he’s very aware of the forest spirits. He doesn’t kill any of the forest animals, and there are certain parts of the forest he doesn’t venture into because it’s the Leshy’s domain. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Him by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy

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Him was written by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy, and it’s the first book in their Him/Us duology of contemporary m/m romance novels. I picked up the Audible edition of this book during a sale because I’d heard a lot of chatter in one of my Facebook groups. I actually listened to this a while ago, but I am woefully behind with my reviews.

Jamie Canning and Ryan Wesley were best friends who spent their summers at hockey camp together. But things got a little weird on the last night of their final year after a dare turned into a proposition. By the time their paths cross at the college hockey championships, they have not spoken for four years, and each thinks the other is mad at him. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Borrowing Blue by Lucy Lennox

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Borrowing Blue was written by Lucy Lennox. It’s the first book in her Made Marian series of contemporary m/m romance novels. I picked up the Audible edition of this book as part of a sale, and I don’t and I actually listened to it a while ago, but I am way behind with my reviews, so I am just getting around to it now.

Blue is at a vineyard for his sister’s wedding when he sees his ex-boyfriend walk into the room with his new boyfriend- but wait- the boyfriend is wearing a ring. Given that Blue and his ex broke up only about six months ago after dating for several years, this is utterly mortifying for Blue. Luckily, the guy sitting next to him is more than happy to share a kiss so that the dreadful ex won’t realize how sad and alone Blue really is. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

One for the Rogue by Manda Collins

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One for the Rogue is the fourth book in Manda Collins’ Regency-era Studies in Scandal series. I have read the other three books in the series, and so I was definitely excited to read this one. Collins dropped some hints about this pairing in the last book, so it made waiting for this book very difficult!

Gemma is the last unmarried young lady living in Beauchamp House, and she is perfectly happy with that arrangement. She is not interested in finding a husband, and she would much rather devote her time to her passion- geology and fossils. She has tangled with Lord Cameron Lisle once already, so she is not particularly thrilled when he takes up residence in a neighboring manor house. But since Gemma’s sister is married to Cam’s brother, there is no reason that the two of them can’t come to some sort of understanding. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

The Unbinding of Mary Reade by Miriam McNamara

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The Unbinding of Mary Reade is a young adult novel written by Miriam McNamara. I was very excited about the opportunity to read this book because I love historical fiction; I don’t read as much Georgian fiction as Regency, but its still an era that I enjoy. In addition to one of my favorite settings, the premise sounded fascinating.

Circumstance has forced Mary Reade to live as a boy named Mark for almost her entire life. As the story begins, Mary’s ship has been attacked by pirates. She chooses to align herself with the pirates, mostly because she sees a girl pirate and imagines being able to go through life as who she is, not who she has to present herself as. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

When Life Gives You Lululemons by Lauren Weisberger

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When Life Gives You Lululemons was written by Lauren Weisberger. This is a spinoff to her wildly popular novel, The Devil Wears Prada. I must admit, I didn’t even remember that there was already a sequel to The Devil Wears Prada, but I was excited about this spinoff because I was looking forward to a relatively light and fun “beach read”.

Fans of The Devil Wears Prada will remember Emily as Miranda Priestly’s assistant. She has moved on from that part of her life, and she now works as an image consultant. She’s going through a rough patch with work, and ends up in Greenwich, visiting Miriam- an old friend from summer camp. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Out, Proud, and Prejudiced by Megan Reddaway

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Out, Proud, and Prejudiced is a contemporary romance novel by Megan Reddaway. It’s also a gay adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, and as soon as I saw the description, I knew that I had to read this book.

If you’re a fan of Jane Austen’s literary classic, the basic storyline should be familiar to you, with the notable exception of most of the characters being gay men. Bennet Rourke meets Darius Lanniker, and their mutual dislike is almost palpable. They are forced to endure each other because their friends are dating. Misunderstandings occur, mostly due to the machinations of the villainous Wyndham. Can Bennet and Darius see beyond their initial impressions of each other, or are their differences far too great? Read more

Posted on by Maureen

It’s All About the Duke by Amelia Grey

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It’s All About The Duke is the third book in Amelia Grey’s The Rakes of St. James series of Regency-era historical romance novels. I enjoyed reading the second book in this series, so I was looking forward to finding out what was going to happen next.

The Duke of Rathburne, or Rath, as he prefers to be called, finds himself in possession of a young ward who needs to make her debut in Society. Rath is acting out of a sense of duty and responsibility; this jaded rake certainly isn’t going to do anything foolish like fall in love with the girl. Read more