romance

Review: Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

~ megs14malloy

Vampires of El NorteVampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Set in 1840’s Mexico, Vampires of El Norte is a love story a lifetime in the making. It’s more than just a love story between two people though. It also speaks to the love of the land, one’s home and culture.

This is the latest release from Isabel Cañas. It’s a beautifully told Historical Romance story with well-blended Horror elements. We’re talking creepy vampires!

Having loved The Hacienda, I was so excited for this release. Not only did it sound amazing, but the cover is easily one of my favorites of all time.

While this started a little slow, taking me about a week to make it through the first 10%, after I got through the initial build-up, I couldn’t put it down.

In this story, we are following two young people, Nena and Néstor. Nena is the daughter of a wealthy rancher and Néstor was her childhood best friend.

The two were inseparable as kids, even past the point where it was considered appropriate. They would sneak off and slowly, over time, they began to grow sweet on one another.

During one of their secretive late night rendezvous, Nena was attacked by a mysterious monster. Néstor races her to help, but believing Nena dead, he promptly flees the area. He’s been on the run ever since, wracked with grief, moving from ranch to ranch working as a vaquero.

When the heart of our story begins, nine years have passed since that terrifying night of Nena’s attack.

Nena has remained on her parent’s ranch, training with Néstor’s Grandmother to become a curandera. When war threatens to spill over their borders, the locals gather together and form a cavalry to fight back against the invaders from the United States.

Nena’s father is in charge and she convinces him to let her travel with the group as their healer. Men will be getting sick and injured and she knows she can prove herself useful.

Preparing to travel to the battlefields, Nena and Néstor are reunited with very mixed feelings. Néstor has lived the past 9-years feeling guilty for Nena’s presumed death and Nena has lived the past 9-years feeling abandoned by Néstor.

Good ole’ fashioned romantic miscommunication ensues.

As frightening and dangerous as war is, the nightmares from Nena and Néstor’s past still lurk in the shadows and they’re about to become more threatening than ever.

Forced to work together, will Nena and Néstor be able to put their misunderstandings aside long enough to rid their country from their enemies, both human and non-human?

As I mentioned above, this did take me a little bit to really become invested in. Once Nena and Néstor were reunited though, I was hooked. I loved their chemistry.

The journey of their relationship, as well as what was happening in the plot was just so satisfying. I really enjoyed them getting to know one another as adults.

The side characters, as well, added a lot. Both of them had family members still rather prominent in their lives and it was interesting watching all those dynamics play out.

I am not a Historical Fiction reader generally. It’s definitely not a genre I gravitate towards, however the way Cañas expertly blends in convincing Supernatural Horror elements really sells it for me.

I love the imagery she creates. These vampires are definitely not the sparkly kind. I also appreciate the vivid settings and how much culture plays a role in the story. You really get a sense of place and time from her writing.

Overall, I just had a really great time with this. I felt transported. This was the perfect type of romance story for me. I will remember this one for a long time.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I cannot wait to see what Cañas delivers next!!!

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Review: Back in a Spell (The Witches of Thistle Grove #3) by Lana Harper

~ megs14malloy

Back in a Spell (The Witches of Thistle Grove, #3)Back in a Spell by Lana Harper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Back in a Spell is the third book in The Witches of Thistle Grove series by Lana Harper. The fourth book, In Charm’s Way, is set to releases on August 22, 2023.

For those unfamiliar with the series, the books are companion novels. They take place in the small, magical town of Thistle Grove, following the same timeline, but each book focuses on different main characters.

In this installment, we follow Nina Blackmoore and Morty Gutierrez. Nina comes from one of Thistle Groves founding families, so it is through her perspective where we initially get the magic in this story.

A year ago, Nina’s engagement was broken off. Her fiance left her, but not before leaving her with an ear-full of her faults first. Traumatized by this break-up, Nina hasn’t yet started dating again.

With encouragement from her best friend, Jessa, though, Nina decides maybe now is the time. Jessa helps her create a dating profile on a well-known site and they sift through potential matches.

After Nina connects with someone, Morty, they decide to meet up for a drink. Nina is impressed with Morty’s forwardness and looks forward to meeting in person.

The date ends up being a disaster though. They have nothing in common, but end up connected nevertheless after that fateful night when Morty begins developing magical powers.

I thought this was super cute and it was exactly what I was in the mood for. I listened to the audiobook in a day and definitely recommend that format. It was engaging and kept me entertained throughout.

I liked the set-up of this one. It has that classic enemies-to-lovers feel, but the failed date at the beginning added a little something extra. It seemed so promising at first, but I loved how they both ended up being annoyed by one another.

I love when people toss sharp barbs back and forth, all over the barely contained sexual tension. Witty banter pleases me to no end. It’s how I live my life.

I also liked how this tied in more of the lore of the town. We learned additional background surrounding the founding families, the Blackmoores especially. I am really looking forward to continuing on with this series.

For me, this was actually my favorite of the series as far as my engagement level is concerned. I think Morty and Nina are probably my favorite of the couples. I loved their chemistry and watching their relationship evolve.

I would recommend The Witches of Thistle Grove series to anyone who enjoys whimsical, low-stakes romance stories with a solid level of steam. Also, as mentioned above, I definitely recommend the audiobooks. I have listened to them all and really enjoyed the narration.

I am hoping to start the fourth book very soon!!

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Review: The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston

~ megs14malloy

The Seven Year SlipThe Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Last year, after reading the synopsis, I had no idea how Ashley Poston was going to deliver on the The Dead Romantics. How was it even going to work?

Not only did she nail that, but it ended up being one of my most memorable books of 2022. I loved it so much and have been eagerly anticipating this new release ever since.

The time has finally come for the latest Adult Romantic Contemporary from Ashley Poston.

Unsurprisingly, The Seven Year Slip is stunning. I love this story with my whole heart. Poston has such a unique and magical sense of Contemporary storytelling that really vibes with my tastes.

I cried actual tears, y’all. That’s rough, but feels so good.

In this story we follow Clementine, a single-woman in NYC. She works in publishing and lives in a well-loved apartment that she recently inherited from her late-Aunt.

Six-months have passed since the toughest day in Clementine’s life and she feels like she is doing a relatively good job holding it all together. She is still working hard, focusing on that and just staying busy.

She may be fooling herself though, as she’s sort of standing in place; stuck.

That is until the apartment, which her Aunt always promised her was magical, delivers her the perfect gift she needed to potentially shake her out of her funk.

A man. The apartment delivers her a handsome, kind, sexy man with a Southern drawl and a penchant for cooking. The only problem, for him, it’s seven years in the past.

How the heck is this going to work, you may be wondering? How does this even make sense? All I can say to you is, trust the Poston.

The Seven Year Slip is an absolute delight. It’s so layered and beautiful. I loved so, so much about this story, but for me, the really special part was the relationship between Clementine and her Aunt.

As someone who is so incredibly close with my now adult niece and nephew, that aspect hit me hard. Right in the feels, like a gut punch. You could tell that Poston was writing this story from the heart. I felt it all the way to the marrow of my bones.

Poston’s writing is incredibly smooth and engaging. She quickly pulls you in and before you know it, you’re completely immersed in whatever world she has created.

Additionally, she has a smart and snarky wit that just tickles me. Her characters are fantastic and I love the exploration of the different kinds of love and relationships. Particularly the family relationships are so well done.

As you can tell, I adored this story. I walk away with a full heart. 10-out-of-10 recommend.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This will definitely be a standout for me in 2023!

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Review: Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

~ megs14malloy

Love, TheoreticallyLove, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Queen of steamy-STEM is back and she’s brought with her a BIG man! Oh yeahhhh, you better believe it!

His name is Jack, he’s brillant and he’s the size of a refrigerator. His chest is so wide, that when our MC, Elsie, runs into him, black holes are brought to mind. And his hands!? Don’t even get me started on his hands!!

Listen. We all know Ms. Ali Hazelwood has a formula. She knows what works and she is sticking to it. Clearly, as I have read everything she has had published, I AM HERE FOR IT!!

Seriously, I am such a fangirl at this point, it’s embarrassing. I don’t think I have ever rated one of her books less than 4.5-stars. It’s a whole thing.

The setting of this one is Boston’s bustling academic corridor. We have Elsie, a theoretical physicist, who is currently working as an adjunct professor at multiple area colleges and universities.

Elsie is sweet and quirky and also, struggling financially. She has acquired a bit of an undercover second-job, where she works as a fake girlfriend. She has kept this part of her life completely secret, except from her best friend/roommate, as it could put her academic career in jeopardy.

Sure enough, she finds herself in a bit of a pickle when the grumpy older brother of her favorite client turns up on the hiring committee of her latest job interview. It’s MIT. She wants this.

Jack Smith, an annoyingly attractive experimental physicist believes Elsie is a librarian dating his brother, so needless to say he’s a little shocked to find out who she really is.

Confusion ensues on both parts. What to do, what to do?!

It’s Ali Hazelwood, y’all! You know what’s about to go down in this story. Sparks, steam and all out nerdy romance bliss.

I loved these characters. Again. Always. Hazelwood creates such charming, lovable characters. They have issues, they’re not perfect and they’re so relatable because of that.

Jack is an absolute cinnamon roll. I loved how thoughtful and open he was. His feelings for Elsie were pretty clear, although she was a bit more bumbling, I did actually really adore her. The chemistry between the two was fantastic.

I feel like we do wait a bit longer for the steam to set in with this story than with previous Hazelwood books, but boy, oh boy, was it ever worth the wait!!!

I loved this. It’s that simple. I will continue to pick up every single thing that Hazelwood writes. I would love to see an archaeologist thrown in the mix at some point, but that could be my own personal kink…

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

As expected, this was steamy, swoon-worthy, witty, perfection. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what Hazelwood comes up with next!!

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Review: Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler

~ megs14malloy

Going BicoastalGoing Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Going Bicoastal is the must-read Queer YA Contemporary Romance of the summer! It made me giddy. I loved it!

That may seem like a bold proclamation, but I mean it from the depths of my soul. I absolutely adored it, from the first chapter to the last.

In this story, our main character is Natalya, a bi Jewish girl, who lives with her Dad, a mathematics Professor in NYC. Her estranged Mom works in advertising and lives in L.A.

With summer approaching, Natalya needs to make a big decision. Her Mom wants her to go to L.A. to live with her for the summer.

They’ve barely spoken in years and going to stay with her Mom, means leaving everything she knows and loves behind; including her Dad and the red-headed girl she’s been crushing on.

Natalya can see the other side too though. It could be a chance to repair her relationship with her Mom. Does she want that? And the opportunity to explore new interests and opportunities; to get out of her comfort zone.

It’s such an important choice. How will she ever be able to make it? She has a tough time making regular impact choices on a regular day…

She can’t choose. So then, in the best use of the Sliding Doors plot device since, well, Sliding Doors, we the Reader, get to watch both choices playing out parallel to one another via alternating chapters.

We see Tal in NYC, breaking out of her shell, talking to the girl, taking on new interests and potentially healing things with her Mom through a long-distance option.

We see Nat in L.A., living with her Mom for the first time in years, working at her Mom’s business, meeting an interesting boy who also is working as an intern at her Mom’s office, and befriending others in the L.A. Queer and Foodie communities.

Natalya’s learning so much about herself and the plethora of new experiences are helping her understand what she may want for herself in the future.

Y’all, Adler absolutely crushed the construction of this story. While it may sound confusing, it is so seamless, it makes perfect sense as it’s unfolding.

I never found myself scratching my head or feeling like I was missing something. It’s easy in the moment to just coast along with Natalya on her journey.

It’s also fun developing opinions on which situation you would prefer. I was Team NYC from the start, and pretty much stayed that way throughout, although the LA scene definitely grew on me due to the all the delicious sounding food and super friendly people.

The writing is engaging and keeps you wanting to know more. I desperately wanted to know what was going to ultimately happen. As I got closer to the end, I wondered how Adler was going to be able to wrap it up.

I loved the ending. It was such a great choice in my opinion. I feel like this might not be for everyone, but I fully support the direction Adler went with it. My heart fills with joy even thinking about it.

Honestly, I appreciated so much how unapologetically sweet and hopeful this story is. Everyone deserves a happy ending, and I think everyone can find one here.

I definitely recommend this to YA Romance Readers, or anyone looking for a fun and unique Queer story. Be prepared to smile.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. 10-out-of-10 recommend!

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Review: Nocturne by Alyssa Wees

~ megs14malloy

NocturneNocturne by Alyssa Wees
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Let’s start off this review with a little confession, shall we?

I participated in a Readathon this week where one of the prompts was to read the lowest rated book on your TBR. While this isn’t the lowest rated book overall, it was the lowest rate ARC that I currently had to read.

Always trying to check off some ARCs, I decided to give it a go, but I didn’t go in with high expectations.

Luckily for me, Nocturne turned out to be a pretty great example of why I tend not to look at ratings and reviews before I pick up a book. I know that goes against everything we’re doing here, but it’s the truth.

Reading is an incredibly subjective activity. Pair the right book, at the right time, with the right Reader and magic can happen. Read that same book when your in a certain mood and it can be a total flop.

I’m clearly the right Reader for this book. This story is set in 1930’s Chicago and seamlessly blends Historical Fiction with Dark Fantasy and light Romance.

Our main character is Grace Dragotta, who after being orphaned, ventures out on her own and joins a dancing company. A life she dreamed of. When we meet Grace, she is a teen and on the cusp of being elevated to prima ballerina within her company.

Unfortunately for Grace, raising to this rank is bittersweet. She only gets the role after her best friend, Emilia, leaves her spot as prima to be married. Grace is losing the closest person to her in all the world. She doesn’t know how she’ll get by without Emilia’s comforting presence.

Not long after her ascendancy, Grace receives word from her Mistress that she has caught the eye of a mysterious, wealthy patron. In order to keep her dance house afloat, the Mistress essentially sells Grace to this man.

Grace is forced to live at his estate, only traveling back to the studio to train and perform. There’s a lot of whispers about her new life, but Grace tries her best to just get on with it.

As she learns the shocking truth about her patron, it’s clear that the life she dreamed for herself will never come to be.

Y’all, I really enjoyed this. It’s not a complicated story. It’s pretty straight-forward, well-written and the concepts are easy to understand.

I should note that I grew up in dance and playing the violin, the two artistic pursuits that the main character engages in. Having my own personal experience and passions in those two areas did increase my connection to the story. I loved Grace and learning about her life.

This feels very much inspired by Beauty and the Beast. I loved those elements. I wasn’t expecting them and every time I would come across something that made me think of that classic tale, it would make me happy.

The relationship between Grace and her Master, was lush and evocative. I really enjoyed the truth of him and what he was offering her. Additionally, I enjoyed the evolution of her feelings for him and her place in his world.

Wees writing is quite beautiful and I liked the way she wrote the initial set-up and then progressed the plot. I thought the pacing of this was fantastic, it kept me engaged the entire way through.

Overall, I found Nocturne to be lyrical, dark and enchanting. Wees successfully swept me up and away into a whole other world. In a way, it felt like a love letter to the healing power of artistic expression. I’m so glad I finally made time for it.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Del Rey, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was gorgeous and I look forward to reading more from Wees in the future!

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Review: The Plus One (A Brush with Love #3) by Mazey Eddings

~ megs14malloy

The Plus One (A Brush with Love, #3)The Plus One by Mazey Eddings
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

The Plus One is the newest installment in the A Brush with Love series by Mazey Eddings. This series consists of companion novels, set in Philadelphia, following a strong and supportive friendship group of women in their late-20s.

Each of the women we meet over the course of the series is incredibly-well fleshed out, with their own distinct strengths, weaknesses and personality quirks.

In this third book, it is Indira’s turn to take the leading role. We have met Indira in the previous two books, but it was nice to really get to know her through this story. I’ve always liked her, after this though, I love her.

This starts off horribly for Indira after she walks in on her live-in boyfriend, Chris, having a bit of a tug and cuddle with a stranger. It’s clearly not the first time.

Indira is horrified, she can’t believe her eyes, like really can’t believe her eyes. Is that peanut butter?! She’s ticked, she’s done, she wants out.

Quickly packing her things, including her adorable cat, Indira races over to her brother, Colin’s, house, heartbroken and distraught. Well, maybe not heartbroken per se, but definitely distraught.

Adding insult to injury, when she gets to Colin’s she discovers his best friend, Jude, is currently staying there as well. Ughhhh, life is unfair.

Of course he is. With Colin and his fiance’s wedding rapidly approaching, of course Jude would be there, it just couldn’t be worse timing for Indira. She can’t stand Jude. Even growing up, they were always at odds with one another.

Jude, a surgeon, has been traveling the world for the past few years working in the most dire circumstances, war-torn and impoverished communities; humanitarian crisis zones. Returning to the United States for Colin’s wedding, Jude is having a hard time adjusting.

He’s suffering from lack of sleep, paralyzing guilt and anxiety stemming from the things he has seen; the patients he has lost. The last thing he needs now is Indira.

While Indira is happy to have a place to go to escape Chris and his new lady friend, that doesn’t solve all her problems. Chris is friends with Colin and part of the wedding party.

With many pre-wedding events planned and the actual event itself looming on the horizon, she’s rattled with anxiety, how can she possibly face him?! It’s going to be awful.

Knowing of her predicament, Jude feels for Indira. He’s not heartless. Together they form a pact to fake date over the course of the wedding festivities. It will be great for both of them to have support during those events.

Indira has noticed something off about Jude since he’s been back. She’s hoping she’ll be able to provide some help for him if he begins to get overwhelmed.

As Indira and Jude spend more time together, it becomes clear that maybe their opinions of one-another have changed. It’s hard to deny the spark that fires between them. Will it last, or will it fizzle out once their need for fake dating is over?

Mazey Eddings is becoming quite the star in my eyes. My goodness, this series just keeps delivering the steam, the humor and all the feels!!

I loved both Indira and Jude. I also love how Eddings brings real-life issues to the page for her characters. No one is perfect in these stories. Everyone has something, sometimes multiple things, that they are working on, or through.

I was again impressed with how quickly Eddings is able to develop such flawed, sympathetic, witty and charming characters. It’s gripping right from start, mainly because you get sucked into the characters lives.

Jude’s story. in particular, I felt was incredibly well done. It was powerful, hard-hitting, eye-opening and honestly, quite serious. His PTSD was laid at your feet. It’s a heavy topic to tackle in an otherwise funny, romantic story.

I thought Eddings did a great job balancing the serious with the more light-hearted aspects. With this being said though, I did feel the tone of this one was a little different, heavier in a way, than the previous two.

It’s still fantastic, don’t get me wrong. I think part of it actually may stem from the relationship dynamic between our two mains. Jude and Indira have known each other a long time. They have an established relationship.

In the first two books, some of the fun and excitement came from two characters meeting, dating and falling in love. There’s always some underlying excitement in that process because it’s all new.

Here the exploration of the relationship was different because they came in with a history. That history did allow them to go deeper though, I felt, than the previous two couples. That’s not a bad thing, it just tackles romance from a different angle.

The humor, wit, steamy scenes and hilarious situations did not change though. Eddings knows how to shock, surprise and impress. I was completely absorbed in this story. Jude and Indira will always have a special place in my heart.

Thank you so much to the publisher, St. Martin’s Griffin, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I am in love with this series and cannot wait for the next book!

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Review: Stars and Smoke (Stars and Smoke #1) by Marie Lu

~ megs14malloy

Stars and Smoke (Stars and Smoke, #1)Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Stars and Smoke is the newest release from veteran-YA author, and one of my personal favorites, Marie Lu.

In this story we meet Winter Young and Sydney Cossette. Winter is an international pop star and Sydney is a top-spy for a special-ops group. They’re as opposite as opposite can be, but through an unusual set of circumstances they end up coming into one another’s orbit.

It begins when the organization approaches Winter with the hopes of recruiting him. A major crime boss, Eli Morrison, who they have been trying to take down for years, has a daughter, Penelope, with an upcoming birthday.

Daddy Dearest is throwing the party of a lifetime for the occasion and wants Winter to perform at the event. The organization, Panacea, sees this as an opportunity to infiltrate Morrison’s world. If Winter agrees to work with them, he can be their eyes on the inside.

Not just Winter though. They can’t send an unseasoned operative in by himself. Sydney will be going with him, posing as his bodyguard. She has plenty of experience for the both of them.

I wouldn’t say that Sydney is necessarily excited about the assignment. She just knows this guy is going to do nothing but get in her way, but alas, orders are orders.

The tension between the two is palatable. Will they be able to put it aside long enough to complete a successful mission, or will they crash and burn, risking everything, even their lives?

I had a blast reading this. I found this to be such a refreshing change of pace from my normal reads. It’s unique, fast-paced and thrilling, with well-created characters and an exciting plot.

I really enjoyed both Winter and Sydney. Initially, I was most excited for Winter because I tend to love characters who are musicians. This story didn’t really focus much on that aspect, it was more about Winter’s fame, but I was still here for it.

As I got deeper into the story, I found myself drawn to Sydney’s story more. I love her character. A girl from a difficult background, Sydney joined Panacea as a way to escape her earlier life.

It’s interesting because as agents of Panacea, they aren’t supposed to really build prominent relationships because it makes it difficult to focus on their missions. This reminded me of the Jedi in a way and I feel like Sydney, in another time and place, would make an INCREDIBLE Jedi.

Nerdy-epiphanies aside, Sydney is just fantastic. I did enjoy watching the relationship between Sydney and Winter play-out as well, although I will say, I disagree with the synopsis calling this, a smoldering enemies-to-lovers story.

I get it, but I wouldn’t say that’s accurate. I felt like, while some of that may come into play, anyone expecting ‘smoldering’ romance may be disappointed. Just a little warning and of course, my personal opinion. You’re idea of smoldering may be completely different than mine.

I did really enjoy the twists and turns over the course of the story and as a start to a series, I think this is a great base on which to build. I am looking forward to seeing the direction Lu takes this one. I will absolutely be continuing on with it.

One final note, the audiobook has incredible narration, so I definitely recommend that format for my fellow Audiobook Lovers out there!!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Roaring Brook Press and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copies to read and review. Lu’s writing never fails to transport me into her stories.

Stars and Smoke is available now!!!

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Review: Immortality (The Anatomy Duology #2) by Dana Schwartz

~ megs14malloy

ImmortalityImmortality by Dana Schwartz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Immortality is the second book in Dana Schwart’s YA-Gothic Fantasy Romance The Anatomy Duology.

First, let’s get the most obvious thing out of the way. This cover is absolutely stunning and the two novels together…

They’re perfection. They also fit this story nicely. These books follow Hazel Sinnett, who after the tumultuous events of Anatomy: A Love Story finds herself on her own.

Not one to give up in the face of adversity, however, Hazel continues to plug along, doing what she does best; learning about human anatomy, while also putting her knowledge to good use helping the underprivileged of Edinburgh.

When a young woman comes to Hazel, scared and distressed, she never even considers turning the sick woman away, even though the procedure she requests is against the law.

Unfortunately for Hazel, her efforts that day don’t go unnoticed and she is arrested and imprisoned. The punishment, possibly execution. This is no joke.

Just when Hazel thinks it’s the end of the road for her, a confounding message arrives that saves her skin. She has been specifically requested to be the personal physician of Princess Charlotte, the sickly daughter of King George IV.

Before she knows it, Hazel is freed from prison and transported to the Palace, where she must befriend the Princess, a task easier said than done, and figure out just what the heck is wrong with her.

As Hazel becomes more involved with the royal court, it’s clear to her that something is afoot. If she can’t figure out what it is, and soon, there could be a lot more than just her life at stake. We have a mystery on our hands!

Immortality is a very solid sequel. Sometimes it can be difficult with a second book to create the same magic as the first, but I think Schwartz pulled it off overall.

I was delighted from the get-go to be back with Hazel. I really grew to love her over the course of the first book and she was sticking true to herself in this follow-up.

As a girl who goes against the grain of what family and society expect of her, Hazel’s personality rings true and is quite intriguing. I love how she never backed down, even when her family basically shunned her. She took risks and although doesn’t live the most extravagant lifestyle, I think she’s able to sleep pretty comfortably at night.


I was sorry to see her get into a bit of a pickle early on in this one, but it was fun watching how she got out of it. Of course it was more pure luck and her reputation than anything else, but we’ll take what we can get.

I also liked her immersion in the royal court. There were definitely some interesting characters flitting about around there and as expected, a ton of royal drama.

While this one didn’t feel as dark and gothic to me, mainly due to the different road the plot went down, it was still well done as far as the atmosphere and overall vibe.

I also missed the dynamic we had between Hazel and Jack in the first one. As they were getting to know one another, the pining and tension was fantastic and you really couldn’t have that same thing here. I missed it, but obviously understand why that couldn’t be a part of this continuation.

However, we do get another intriguing man, a doctor no less, circling around Hazel like a bee to honey, so that definitely brought some more cute fun.

I’ve enjoyed watching Hazel grow over the course of this story, as she became even more committed to her vocation, in spite of the contempt, disrespect and disregard she received from most of her male peers.

I also enjoyed the light fantastical elements sprinkled throughout the duology, the idea of the immortality serum; to learn more, you’ll have to read the book, by the way.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I enjoyed my time with this duology and am looking forward to reading more from Dana Schwartz.

I hope she sticks to the gothic-feeling, light-fantasy romance style that she brought us here. She does it so well!

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Review: Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake (A Brush With Love #2) by Mazey Eddings

~ megs14malloy

Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake (A Brush With Love, #2)Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake by Mazey Eddings
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake is the second book in Mazey Eddings’ adorable A Brush With Love series. These novels are Adult Romances that follow a friendship group of women.

I loved getting to know a little bit about Lizzie at the end of A Brush with Love, so I was super excited when I learned she was to have the starring role in this next novel!!!

Lizzie, a professional baker, is known to be the chaotic one in their friendship group. She really tries, but yeah, she messes up sometimes, forgets things, gets distracted, makes reckless decisions, etc. It’s just who she is.

Although some people may look at these things as personality quirks, for Lizzie, who lives every day with uncontrolled Adult-ADHD, they are a lot more than that. She struggles to stay on track, with even every day functions oftentimes being difficult for her.

One mistake she doesn’t make is getting into a serious relationship. Hook-ups, sure, yes, she loves that one night of intimacy and pushing boundaries. Anything more than that brings complications. No, thank you.

That’s why when her most recent hook-up with a super charming, sexy Australian man named Rake, turns into a 2-night affair, it really throws her for a loop.

Rake, who was only in the States for a business trip, returned to Australia shortly thereafter. Regardless of the distance, he can’t seem to get that charming redhead off his mind. He’s given up on relationships though, so just needs to accept it for what it was; two wild nights.

But when Lizzie calls him to tell him she’s pregnant, it very suddenly becomes much more than that. What will this non-couple, this long-distance non-couple, do?

I had a ton of fun with this book. The audiobook is delightful, the narration was so engaging. It’s wild, charming, funny, OTT and 100% a page-turner.

I loved both of these characters so much, as well as getting to watch their relationship evolve. Eddings writes some incredible banter and her characters are always well-developed, often dealing with relatable issues.

Additionally, the steamy scenes are fantastic. And yeah, it’s super steamy, so please don’t go into this thinking it’s rated-PG. It’s not, this is R. However, it’s not overwhelmingly so. This novel is about the story of the relationship more than the great sex.

I can definitely say after this book that Mazey Eddings is one of my go-to Romance writers. I will pick up anything she writes in the future.

Thank you so much to the publisher, St. Martin’s Griffin, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I enjoyed this so much and am looking forward to the next book in the series where Lizzie’s friend, Indira, gets her time to shine!!

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