TBR Challenge 2017 Summary

This year I'm posting this a little earlier but since the challenge is complete, I can leave my final summary already as well.

I've also updated my final comment on the challenge in the challenge's page and when I add the links to the 2018 challenge in the beginning of the year, I'll change that page but for now a simple comment is here.

This was a good year when it comes to the challenge picks, as always I have good and not as good stories but that's part of the fun, to not know if everything is going to be perfect or a let down.

Of my list, the books that impressed me the most happened in the months of March, June, July, October and November. The ones I didn't enjoy as much were February and April.

But here is a list and a brief summary of them: 

January: An Interrupted Tapestry by Madeline Hunter ( short story) 
A story about a woman who needs to make a bargain over an old tapestry to settle a debt in medieval England. The romance is interesting but the details weren't enough to make the short story feel more complete. 6/10

February: Fighting Silence by Aly Martinez (new-to-you-author) 
The romance between two childhood friends who don't come from stable families. the challenges over their growing up and the struggles they face didn't win me over because the pacing was badly done and some author's decisions not well done. 5/10 

March: The One Plus One by Jojo Moyes (comfort read) 
Really liked it! A mother of two wants to take her youngest to a math's competition but her life isn't easy, her newfound love interest isn't as quiet as he seems but the adventures they share only strengthen their relationship and the story is gorgeous. 9/10

April: The Hooker and the Hermit by LH Cosway and Penny Reid (contemporary) 
Well, interesting details and premise but I didn't enjoy the story line that much. I think the focus wasn't on the elements I wanted to read about and the rest just felt like using up space. Not a great winner for me. 5/10 

May: The Library of Unrequited Love by Sophie Divry (Something Different) 
This is a second person narrator and that was different enough from the usual. It's a short monologue that broaches almost every theme related to libraries and their patrons and the narrator in specific. I liked reading it. 7/10

June: The Heir by Grace Burrowes (Favorite Trope)
My first book by the author and I liked the governess/lord romance trope although it could have been done better. But I liked spending time with the characters and the detail is amazing in the story. Overall, time well spent for me. 8/10

July: Hasty Death by M.C. Beaton (Series Catch-Up) 
I really had a great time reading this little series - only 4 books - by the author. This is historical mystery with tones of romance and comedy. The writing is very simple and the plots rather predictable but I had a lot of fun reading. 8/10

August: Finders Keepers by Linnea Sinclair (Kicking it old school)
I like this author's work, I enjoyed reading about the protagonists and the issues they face while in the space shifts or the galaxies they travel in. The romance is interesting, the plot as well but I think this isn't the author's best work, overall. 7/10

September: Butterfly Swords by Jeannie Lin (Historical) 
I've come to realize this is a hit or miss author for me and while I like the details of the Oriental settings, the stories themselves just don't fully grab me. Also, this romance wasn't easy to believe in due to the lack of chemistry between protagonists. 6/10

October: Low Pressure by Sandra Brown ( romantic suspense)
The author writes intricate but easy to follow plots and I really love how the romances seem to almost be a necessity between the main characters and not just an afterthought. Once again, it was great to read about different people finding common ground. 8/10

November: Isn't She Lovely? by Lauren Layne (Recommend read)
Quite a positive surprise considering the protagonists are college students and the romances with these types of characters don't always win me over but the take on Pygmalion was cute enough and the story has depth. 8/10

December: Sweet Inspiration by Penny Watson (Holiday read)
The idea is quite sweet and I liked this version of Santa Klaus' family. But the execution didn't convince me and the romantic relationship between the main characters, their interactions and with others just felt a little flat to me. 6/10 

💛 Thinking about the complete set, this year was a good one, I'd say. Not looking at genres, the majority of my choices went to contemporary stories or plots which is a little bit of a surprise for me but perhaps my yearly math will tell me I've increased my reading of contemporary novels. I do have a lot of those in the TBR pile...
Of course, at the end of the year what it matters the most to me is that it was a fun challenge to do.

TBR Challenge: Penny Watson - Sweet Inspiration

What if the legend of Santa Claus is in fact, true? What if Santa has five big strapping sons who help him run his empire? Five single, sexy sons looking for romance...
Nicholas Klaus is a master pastry chef, a strict disciplinarian, and the eldest son of the legendary Santa Claus. One look at café owner Lucy Brewster sends him into an unexpected tailspin of lusty desires. 
When Lucy is injured, Nicholas makes a decision that catapults both of their lives into turmoil ....
Lucy Brewster, the free-spirited proprietor of Sweet Inspiration, has a flair for concocting sugary confections but no time for adventure. She gets more than she bargained for when she awakens in the North Pole...rambunctious elves, a fitness-obsessed Santa, and the man of her dreams. Does she have what it takes to become the next Mrs. Klaus? 

Comment: To finish the TBR Challenge year, the usual is for the participants to have a Holiday Read and I'm sure most readers choose or think about choosing a Christmas story. I just think it's more appropriate and maybe easier, and we can always pick other holiday reads for the rest of the year. Somehow, on Christmas it feels more suitable to read a book about Christmas or set on Christmas time...

In this book we have a sweet story about a young woman and Santa Klaus' older son. 

Santa is not what most people are used to but he does live in North Pole in a magical place that happens to be controlled by elfin magic. The elves are the real magical side of Christmas and the Santa Klaus family is just the face of it. 

Nicholas is the older of 5 sons Santa has and, by tradition, he will take over Santa duties at some point but the problem is that Nicholas is a pastry chef and he doesn't really feel inclined to become Santa but knows it's what is expected of him.

Lucy is a human young woman in New York who owns a bakery. Her delicacies are very much appreciated and that also catches Nicholas' attention so they meet because he visits her store. But will they be able to be together since they come from so different places?

I knew about this book (and series) practically an year ago because someone I know read this book and recommended it. I added to my TBR and I confess it seemed a good candidate for this month's theme, so this time around I started the book with good expectations.

Overall, this ended up being a sweet story as one would imagine considering the themes but when I think about the little details, the pile starts to pile up because no matter how good my suspension of belief - and I have no problems with fantasy - some things just weren't as easy to accept as I imagined. Or, at least, that was my personal impression and the reason why I couldn't enjoy it a bit more.

The plot is very simple and basically revolves around Nicholas need to meet Lucy and when something happens to her, he takes her to his home against the "rules". Although the how Lucy ends up in the North Pole isn't that unlikely to buy - magic is involved of course - the relationship between the two just didn't strike me as believable within the context presented.

Nicholas takes weeks to finally approach Lucy while sampling her work at her bakery. Lucy, apparently, has always taken notice of Nicholas but never felt like talking to him either. But from the moment they finally exchange words until the end of that day they are already having sex and thinking about forever even if not getting together. I can accept attraction and recognition but love in such a short amount of time...I can't understand why authors can't easily write things in a way that would encompass a bigger passage of time, it would be so simple.

While in the North Pole, and despite her efforts to have her bakery, all her commitment, Lucy rarely thinks about it and immediately is accepted by the elves (well, most of them) and Nicholas' family. Some scenes/situations related to this were fun and sweet to read about. However, again things happen quite quickly, Nicholas and Lucy are thinking about forever but two main issues - Nicholas' lack of will to become Santa and Lucy's fear she might be the reason he won't try harder - are interesting obstacles to overcome.

Sadly for my appreciation of the story, the solution for this is preceded by one of those "I'm selfless and a martyr" moments that while I don't fully dislike, wasn't done well here, I think.

There are many cute and adorable things, I liked some elves, I liked the world created by the author, the imaginary of Santa and things related to him and Christmas were quite interesting and refreshing to read about. It was also delicious to have conversations about cookies and pastries and sweets, considering both Nicholas and Lucy were owners of bakeries.

The explanations for some things were fantasy but so charming that I didn't mind them. Yet, I wasn't sold on some ideas regarding Lucy and Nicholas a couple nor as individuals that must deal with a new situation. I especially didn't like Lucy that much, she was a good person but I didn't see any specific quality in her that endeared her to me, that made her as special as the son of Santa is.

All things considered, this was  an entertaining novel, the richness of the imagination of the author is obvious but the execution of what happens around the fictional and fantasy parts wasn't likewise balanced or well thought, I'd say, in order for it to look seamless and as magical as it could.

I still would like to read he story of one of the other brothers (not all seem equally intriguing for me) but I don't think it's a priority right now. Maybe next Christmas.

Grade: 6/10

TBR Challenge: Lauren Layne - Isn't She Lovely?

Stephanie Kendrick gave up her whole summer to ace her NYU film school screenwriting course, so she's pissed to be stuck with a preppy, spoiled frat boy as her writing partner. Then again, with her piercings, black-rimmed eyes, and Goth wardrobe, Stephanie isn't exactly Ethan Price's type, either. He's probably got his eye on some leggy blonde with a trust fund... or does he?
As the summer scene kicks off in the Hamptons, Ethan is desperate to make his snobbish mother forget the pedigreed girl who broke his heart. While Stephanie's a stretch as a decoy, the right makeover and a pastel cardigan just might do the trick. She may not love the idea of playing Ethan's brainless Barbie girlfriend, but the free rent and luxurious digs make a tempting offer. So does the promise of a ready-made screenplay idea inspired by their charade.
But when Stephanie steps into Ethan's privileged world, the "acting" begins to feel all too real. The kissing and touching that were intended to fool the Hamptons crowd wind up manipulating "them." And Stephanie faces a question she's too afraid to ask: Is Ethan falling for the real her or for the dolled-up princess he wants to see?

Comment: This book was recommended to me as a sweet romance, therefore I thought it would be an appropriate choice for the challenge this month, since it's Recommended Read time. I think I'll always be wary of new adult stories because so often they are just an excuse for erotica with younger characters or it's YA undercover but you know, there's always the hope this will be the one to change my mind. I'm glad this one ended up being a good story.

This is said to be a sort of version on the Pygmalion trope and I happen to like it so  was hopeful about the way the author would treat it here. We have two college students having a summer course on film edition and such and they need to work in pairs. Although our couple meets rather awkwardly right before first class, they are  - surprise! - placed together to work on a two team project. The assignment, however, gets personal contours when their personal lives are mixed but while their work develops and their pseudo film/social experience goes on, they start to realize they can overlook appearances and be happy just as they are...or not?

This is indeed a sweet story. I was worried this would focus too much on dramatics and sex and not the story but I was positively surprised by how the author treated the plot. I liked it how Stephanie and Ethan, our protagonists, had more in them than met the eye. It was also nice to have alternate POVs so that it didn't seem that the focus was mostly in one and not in them as a team, so in this regard I think the author's choice was a good one.

It seems there are two more stories - this is a prequel - but by the blurb alone I don't feel as invested in trying those as I wanted to read this one.

The plot isn't too complicated and even the not so believable scenes have a depth I was not expecting to find here. It's not difficult to guess what happens but I was still very lad by the gradual way the main characters fell in love. There was no insta knowledge or sex but their feelings seemed to develop at a credible pace and this has helped me to like seeing them together. 

As you can imagine, both have some hidden feelings to deal with and this experience is a good escape for them. I must confess I find it difficult to weight in which one had it the heaviest because although I can understand Stephanie's reaction to something in her past, I can't help but imagine some of her attitudes were a little childish but well, how can I really judge... as for Ethan, he seemed a bit more consistent (in terms of personality) but maybe it was in his reaction to something also difficult to overcome.

What I both think clever and disappointing is how this information was treated. We don't get to see the resolution black in white for Ethan's issues but maybe that's a symbol of reality. At the same time it was sort of anti climatic. 

When it comes to Stephanie, her problems do seem to have a lot of closure...is it meant for us to grasp Ethan played a part in making her realize she needed to live for now or was it is just an overload of sugar to make it more romantic? 

The end was cute and if this was a movie, that end would be a very good one, if not a little bit too cheesy. But my overall impression is a positive one. I liked how the story developed for the most part and how we (the readers) weren't screamed at with all the conclusions we needed; we could simply get them at our own pace. As always, there was some focus on things I wouldn't say were necessary but that can be overlooked if one concentrates on the positive aspects and there are several in this story to make it appealing.

I don't think I've changed my opinion on NA books but this one can certainly remain as one I'd use to defend the genre if I had to.

Grade: 8/10

TBR Challenge: Sandra Brown - Low Pressure

Bellamy Lyston Price was only twelve years old when her older sister Susan was killed on a stormy Memorial Day. Bellamy's fear of storms is a legacy of the tornado that destroyed the crime scene as well as her memory of one vital fact that still eludes her ...Now, 18 years later, Bellamy has written a novel based on Susan's murder. It's her first book, and it's an instant sensation. But because the novel is based on the most traumatic event of her life, she's published it under a pseudonym to protect herself and her family. But when a sleazy reporter for a tabloid newspaper discovers that the book is based on a real crime, Bellamy's identity - and dark family secrets - are exposed. Suddenly, she finds herself embroiled in a personal conflict and at the mercy of her sister's killer, who for almost two decades has gotten away with murder ...and will stop at nothing to keep it that way.

Comment: Another of Sandra Brown's titles I've had in my TBR list was what I chose for this month's TBR Challenge post. October is about a paranormal or romantic suspense book and I don't think picking a Sandra Brown book would ever be a bad choice. 

In this book we follow Bellamy Price and her attempt to remember what happened to her older sister and why she was murdered when Bellamy was 12. One way to to do was to write a book about it, with an obvious pseudonym but a paparazzi found her out and the public was very receptive except some of the real people she based her characters on.  

As Bellamy and Denton Carter, her sister's boyfriend at the time of her murder, team up to try to understand why some inconsistencies happened and who might be the real killer instead of the man sent to prison for that, problems arise and Bellamy starts getting clues someone must be watching what she does...

Those who have read more than one romantic suspense title by Sandra Brown will know her stories are always richly done, even if the characters sometimes drive us crazy with their attitudes. I think mrs Brown has done quite the transition from the old 80s and 90s romances to these more contemporary suspense titles but her trademark use of a romantic relationship as one of the driving motors of her plots is something I appreciate a lot.

In this book, Bellamy Price is a heroine looking to find a way to get over a traumatic event in her past and her means to vent her need to get past it was to write a book but she didn't count on being discovered, which means her successful book is easily recognized as real by those who lived it. This premise makes it believable that Bellamy will try to uncover what really happened in the past and if the man condemned and sent to prison was actually the killer. I liked Bellamy, she had some traits I like in heroines, such as her sort of reserve and lack of arrogance. I think it played well since the author decided to use her murdered sister as a complete opposite.

The plot is not a very complex one but the aim isn't obviously that and although I couldn't say it for certain, the killer was not a complete surprise. I just think things were tidied up a bit too perfectly but on the other hand it makes sense, through an emotional point of view. Bellamy and Denton's attempts were quite valid and the whole notion of the crime, why it existed in the first place has all reason if one considers the negative aspects of the human flaws and why some people have such a huge amount of them and others, thankfully, don't.

The romance is a heavy subject explored in the author's books and I really liked to see the evolution of Bellamy and Denton's relationship, how little by little they developed a connection. It was especially rewarding to see things between them weren't easy or simple and, personally, I appreciated the author didn't dramatize how the past between Denton and Bellamy's older sister could be used to emphasize how things are with Bellamy now. I also liked how the sexual tension was described between Bellamy and Denton, in this the author never fails to deliver.

The HEA is subtle and not on your face, but the notion they are in love is there and leaves a lot to the imagination.

There are little things I didn't like as much but we're talking about a detail here, another there and the piling up does make me wrinkle my nose in some moments but overall this was fascinating and engaging as most books I've read by her and just the idea of spending some time reading her books is enough to make me feel it's a positive experience so...added to the fact I liked he plot, this is one of the books by her I liked the best. Not close to the ones I found perfect but right after those perfect ones in my list. Therefore, recommended for sure.

Grade: 8/10

TBR Challenge: Jeannie Lin - Butterfly Swords

During China's infamous Tang Dynasty, a time awash with luxury yet littered with deadly intrigues and fallen royalty, betrayed Princess Ai Li flees before her wedding.
Miles from home, with only her delicate butterfly swords for defense, she enlists the reluctant protection of a blue-eyed warrior.
Battle-scarred, embittered Ryam has always held his own life at cheap value. Ai Li's innocent trust in him and honorable, stubborn nature make him desperate to protect herwhich means not seducing the first woman he has ever truly wanted.

Comment: September is the month dedicated to the Historical theme as part of the already usual TBR Challenge. I picked this book not only because it has been in the pile for some time but because I liked the previous books I've read by the author so I had confidence this would be appealing as well.

In this book we meet Ai Li, a young woman running from an undesired marriage to a man she suspects is a traitor to the emperor who happens to be her father. 

Ai Li decides to escape by staging her abduction and when things go slightly wrong with her plan, there is Ryam, a foreigner warrior, and he helps her hide and run. They bargain Ryam will help her get to the imperial city but she will then be on her own. The problem is that they start falling in love with each other and Ryam might not be quite welcome int he city...

This book is set in China, something still a novelty for what I usually read about and that made the book interesting for that alone. I think one of the elements I liked the most was the mentioning of Chinese traditions and details which can be very different from a western society, something even more obvious in historical settings. I think that this wasn't as explored as I would have liked, even more considering the difference in status of the main characters.

The plot was believable enough, I suppose, but I admit I struggled to pay attention due to two reasons: first, I'm not overly fond of on-the-road tropes and the romances don't always feel realistic when portrayed like that and second, the relationship between Ai Li and Ryam didn't feel as it was meant to be. As always, this is a matter of personal impressions, I'm sure many others read it differently but putting these two details together made the book feel slightly weaker for me.

Romances on the road always seem like an adventure and I guess they are but in this case Ai Li and Ryam just seem too different to make it a stronger relationship. I understand both their goals when traveling, even if Ryam thinks he won't be welcomed but while they share this and that, I never had the idea they wouldn't be happy with anyone but one another. This is what often I imagine when reading a romance, as if that couple is a good complement but in this case I wasn't convinced. Maybe it was the way this was written, maybe it was the notion there were expectations related to Ai Li and while in a western setting the difference in class feels like a simple detail to be overcome, her it felt like too much, since they come from different backgrounds and countries.

Their interactions weren't convincing for me either. The evolution of their relationship didn't feel natural, just a means to make them closer. I can't tell if a longer book would have allowed for a stronger romance but I just didn't feel the pacing was adequate.

The different situations in the book didn't make me overly fond of the story and I did force myself to read and focus instead of looking at other things. I would say I wasn't lost in this world. I thought each new situation Ryam and Ai Li faced before they got to their destination mattered much, it was just a means to make them act or react.

Then we got to the end and everything took a very unbelievable turn for me. I just didn't buy the way things were solved and the HEA felt like a detail to include rather than a natural conclusion.

All in all, a great attempt in terms of setting, I did like the ideas but the writing wasn't always addictive and some details were sub par. I suppose it's a matter of time and technique, since her later work reads better to me. This is the first full length story in the Tang Dynasty series and the next title does seem more interesting but...I'm having doubts now. Maybe I'll get it one day later.

Grade: 6/10

TBR Challenge: Linnea Sinclair - Finders Keepers

Independent trader Trilby Elliot is making some not-quite-legal modifications to her starfreighter, when an unexpected visitor falls out of space. Literally. He’s crashed onto the uninhabited planet of Avanar in a crippled ’Sko fighter–the last place you’d expect to find a Zafharin military officer because the ’Sko and the Zafharin have been at war as long as Trilby can remember.
Rhis Vanur is your typically arrogant Zafharin. But to Trilby’s surprise, he doesn’t look down on her or her slapdash ship. Still, Trilby’s learned the hard way that even though she found Rhis, she can’t keep him. She’s just a low-budget jump jockey as far as men like him are concerned. She’s not falling for his offer to help…until Port Rumor reports her best friend missing and Trilby learns that the ’Sko are hunting both her and Rhis. Now they’re in it together for better, for worse–or till death blasts them to oblivion....

Comment: It's time for another TBR Challenge read and this month the theme was "kicking it old school", basically meaning a book with at least 10 years publication. As it happened with many other readers, this is always a theme I can easily choose something because there's a lot to pick from within the TBR pile and many of the books aren't that young.

My choice is a book by Linnea Sinclair, whose work I like. This book was first published in 2002 although my own copy is from 2005. In either case, it has been more than 10 years since it was originally published.

In this story we meet Trilby Elliott, an independent trader who is alone in a remote planet, doing some work on her ship, basically adding some details which could be considered illegal in some places. Completely unexpected, something happens and she rescues a man from a dangerous zone of the planet, simply to get scared she might have made a mistake when the man regains his senses and she realizes he's from the other side of the galaxy, therefore not from the same area as she is. He tries to overpower her but they soon realize if they work together, they can lave quicker and he can return to where he is needed, no harm, no foul. The problem is the closes space brings them together in ore ways than one and even the future of the galaxy might be a subject to worry about...

I liked that the author tried to include some class differences in the characters of Trilby and Rhys. Clearly, they come from two different backgrounds and are seen as different people when it comes to their importance in society. Although this didn't define who they were to one another, obviously the reader is supposed to see not only the unlikeliness of their relationship in different settings but also the even more impressive decision of their HEA at the end. Personally, this seemed quite evident to me but I still appreciated how they decided to be together anyway.

I think, though, that the way they have fallen in love feels a little too weak, consistency related, because it happened too fast in my opinion.

The plot, as it often happens with books by the author, is set in a alternative reality of a sci-fi scenario. It's quite interesting to see on the page the imagination of not only the situations related to the plot but the whole setting which comes from the authors imagination. There is so much detail, so many little features and descriptions it has to be some sort of notion which the author tried to bring to life. This is not a plot where we just assume known things, it's like a whole new world presented from scratch (loosely based on existing things if one does think about it for a while) but while still letting the reader imagining in their own way how things could possibly be. I like this aspect of the author's work a lot, even if there are some consistency mistakes or some confusing content sometimes.

This is not a perfect book, nor a perfect romance but I think it does offer that escapism feeling one often considers when reading fiction, especially something so unlike the reality around us.

The plot is complex enough and I think some things weren't as easy to grasp but since this was one of the first books by the author, she has improved a lot with time.

There are some situations which I also think weren't as appealing, namely the need to have obvious villains and caricatural figures to highlight the goodness in others but that can be seen as just a personal preference, I guess. I'd also have preferred some details to be more obvious solved but leaving it in our imagination works too...

All in all, this was a good enough book, a fascinating story, amazing details and elements, a romance interesting enough because both Rhys and Trilby's personalities were intriguing but I've read better by mrs Sinclair. I will keep reading her work anyway, though, but I wouldn't say this is the book to really make a reader fall in love with her writing style and "voice".

Grade: 7/10

TBR Challenge: MC Beaton - Hasty Death

Lady Rose Summer refuses to abide by her parents' insistence that she marry. Even more distressing, she wants to become self-supporting by moving out with her maid Daisy and going to work in trade. On advice from Captain Harry Cathcart-a noble-born private investigator who knows the independent-minded Rose all too well-the Earl and Countess of Hadshire agree to let Lady Rose work as a typist and live in a women's hostel.
Eager to join the working classes, Lady Rose abandoned the comforts of her parents' home. But life as a working woman isn't quite what Rose had imagined---long hours as a typist and nights spent in a dreary women's hostel are not very empowering when you're poor, cold, and tired. Luckily for Rose, her drudgery comes to a merciful end when she learns of the untimely death of an acquaintance.
Freddy Pomfret, a silly and vacuous young man, was almost certainly up to no good before he was shot dead in his London flat. When she inadvertently discovers that recently-murdered playboy Freddy Pomfret was a blackmailer, and she also discovers incriminating evidence pointing to several members of her class, she returns to London high society in order to investigate properly. With the help of Captain Harry Cathcart and Superintendent Kerridge of Scotland Yard, Rose prepares to do the social rounds---uncovering a devious blackmail plot and an unexpected killer.

Comment: This is another post which belongs to the TBR Challenge I'm participating in, hosted by Wendy, the SuperLibrarian. July is dedicated to the Series Catch-Up theme and this time around I chose the second installment of a four titles series. I've read the first book in the beginning of the year and I really liked it, so this was not a difficult choice.

In this second installment, Lady Rose Summer is dedicated to be an independent working woman, master of her own destiny and somehow, along with the help of captain Harry Cathcart, whom she met in the previous book, her parents allow Rose to try for a few months while they go on a vacation for Nice. However, the situation isn't as easy as Rose imagined, for living of one's paycheck isn't the same as having all the comforts of home. Along with Rose, is her new maid/friend Daisy and things seem to go well when it comes to teaching Rose a lesson until an almost tragedy is avoided and rose starts to realize some things.

At the same time, a new death happens to someone Rose and Harry and we knew from the previous book. Of course, again Rose decides she wants to help Harry's investigation and once more, she finds herself in trouble...

For those who haven't read this series, this is an historical mystery series featuring Harry Cathcart, a clever military man who came from war needing to support himself despite being the son of a baron. Being in trade however, makes him not very worthy in society's eyes but that doesn't stop them from using his skills as an investigator. That is how he met Lady Rose's family and helped them in the previous book. Now the two meet again for the same reason and again, there is a murder investigation to solve too.

As it happened with the first book, I liked reading this one quite a lot. There's humor in the book, but it's not forced, and it can be subtle, it just seems to work out well for me. The murder investigation isn't too complex nor filled with missed calls or twists, it's a rather simple but well thought plot and the murderer someone not too obvious but who doesn't come from nowhere either. I like how we also get the domestic side of things along with the mystery and both are connected quite well.

Harry and Rose are a case we could almost say a matter of opposites attract. Lady Rose knows her place (sort of) but she hopes and wishes for independence and adventure and she has always imagined a husband would put a stop on that (the way her parents didn't do, actually). She likes Harry but there's a certain sense of entitlement to her which doesn't let her be as genuine or as friendly with him as we would like. Personally, this side of her is what I disliked the most because she also has other characteristics I am fond of in her personality.

Harry is used to life, he brought a lame leg from the war and some depression which he mostly ignores when he's busy and working and investigating. He likes Rose but they are not in the place where they can tell each other the sort of things we, as romance readers, would like them to say. Harry is proud and he wouldn't do anything unless he is certain of that. I really like Harry, he is not complicated, he doesn't care about what others think for the most part but he is kind and tries to help. I'm looking for to the book where they finally give in and admit their attraction and - eventually - marry. At least this is where the story is obviously moving to in terms of romance.

The writing is also simple and without much fuss. I enjoyed reading the story, reading between the lines and getting a very accurate POV throughout the novel about all characters and their motivations. This isn't a big book, it's not a complicated or melodramatic plot but it does bring a lot to infer and I liked how I could follow things quite easily without needing a chart with connections and stuff like that we sometimes could use in bigger and more complex mysteries.

This story features some interesting characters. It's very interesting how each one can sort of represent an idea or a concept without being so obvious that it would make them a cliché (for instance we have a vegetarian character and that does make us think about it and how people saw it in an historical context). There are several situations that touch the class system, the difference between types of poverty, the often seen stat of society values and morals and such but never in a preaching tone nor in a way that would make us think the purpose of the book was to think of that and not the mystery.

If one were to compare to other historicals, certainly this one wouldn't feel as correct/formal or serious, but I think it's very charming and has many aspects to convince the readers they are spending their time well.

The secondary characters work out pretty well too and I was very eager to see what would happen next. I can understand why it doesn't work for many people and after reading other books in the genre - and not enjoying some - I agree it could be better in some aspects like editing and the murder solving but overall, for me it was quite enjoyable. Maybe best to read the books in order considering some situations mentioned might be difficult to imagine without previous knowledge.

The end was good enough, the important things when it comes to Harry and Rose aren't solved but there two more books to go and I'm very happy to think I still have them to enjoy.

As for recommendations, those who like the "cozy mystery" type of book will probably like this series.

Grade: 8/10

TBR Challenge: Grace Burrowes - The Heir

Gayle Windham, Earl of Westhaven, is the first legitimate son and heir to the Duke of Moreland. To escape his father's inexorable pressure to marry, he decides to spend the summer at his townhouse in London, where he finds himself intrigued by the secretive ways of his beautiful housekeeper...
Anna Seaton is a beautiful, talented, educated woman, which is why it is so puzzling to Gayle Windham that she works as his housekeeper.
As the two draw closer and begin to lose their hearts to each other, Anna's secrets threaten to bring the earl's orderly life crashing down - and he doesn't know how he's going to protect her from the fallout... 

Comment: This year June is a month dedicated to Favorite Trope books when it comes to the monthly TBR challenge post. I have several preferences in books and one of them is when a richer, usually more confident or steady man helps (meaning, not overpowers nor bosses around, nor treats the heroine as a child) the heroine to accomplish her goals o is there to be a support system which eventually makes them realize their relationship is all about themselves as a couple and not just the things around them defining who they are to one another.

I also like different class relationships when done well. This book has an earl and his housekeeper ending up together so I thought it would be a good choice.

Anne Seaton is the housekeeper at the earl of Westhaven's house and she is efficient and dedicated. The book starts when she attacks the earl thinking he is another man going to touch a maid in an improper way. After she realizes her mistake, she helps him and he starts paying attention to her which eventually leads the to talk and discuss many things rather than just household needs and slowly they fall in love.

Anna, however, has a secret and she fears she can't allow others, especially people she comes to care about like the earl and his brothers, to be in danger or to be caught in the scandal of her real identity being know. Will she finally accept the earl's help?

I've had this book to read since last year, it's quite a lengthy book, almost 500 pages in my paperback edition and it's a very rich and detailed story.

I was curious about the author, this is my first attempt with her work but I had good enough expectations, not only because of good opinions but also by the idea of this novel and another one I'm interested in by her, whose blurbs have caught my eye easily.

I liked this one, it was certainly complex when it comes to whys and hows and explanations of every thing but I'm sure a few less pages would have done the trick as well.

My biggest issue is the way the characters dealt with one or two things. I certainly liked how slowly but simply the relationship between Anna and Westhaven developed, I loved his relationship with his brothers and also his parents, I liked how considerate they al were with those in their service - not something always seen in historicals -  which makes me think the author has an eye for detail ans creating the perfect environment. But this means things are thought and overthought to the extreme and this means that often easy things take ages to happen or that the solution could be a quick one and isn't for plot purposes without any need. 

This is a situation I saw repeating itself throughout the novel...plus, when things get to a conclusion and it feels like the end is near, there are still several pages left because the main couple is stubborn to just say they want to be with one another. Why waiting like martyrs for the others to guess their thoughts?

Apart from some characterization choices, I liked the characters, they are rich in behavior scenes, meaning, we learn a lot about them by seeing how thy behave and not just by knowing or seeing them telling things to one another and the secondary cast was amazing, especially the brothers, characters I'm curious about and I will probably read their stories too.

The main couple was the center stage but they weren't "clogging" the narrative with their inner thoughts all the time, we had plenty of pages just watching the plot develop and that worked out well for me. But yes, some details dragged on a bit...

I liked Anna although it annoyed me a bit she was not really a housekeeper...well, that can be more easily accepted when we think the hero will become a duke...oh well. Anna was just trying to fo a goo deed and I liked how attentive she was whether for others' preferences or about tasks to be done, etc.

The earl was a great hero, not overbearing, not careless..a perfect blend I think. If only he showed his nobility status a bit more at the end when it came to show Anna he wanted her as a wife, I don't mean his opinion of her as a woman or a person he took care of too...well, perfection doesn't really exist, I guess.

The end was predictable but had its fairy tale similarity and the HEA deserved. There is an epilogue, surprisingly short after such a long book...I would have preferred a smaller final end of story and a better epilogue.

This was not a perfect historical but I found out it worked well enough for me and the reading experience pleasant and easy to maintain.

Grade: 8/10

TBR Challenge: Sophie Divry - The Library of Unrequited Love

One morning a librarian finds a reader who has been locked in overnight. She begins to talk to him, a one-way conversation full of sharp insight and quiet outrage.
As she rails against snobbish senior colleagues, an ungrateful and ignorant public, the strictures of the Dewey Decimal System and the sinister expansionist conspiracies of the books themselves, two things shine through: her unrequited passion for a researcher named Martin, and an ardent and absolute love for the arts.
A delightful divertissement for the discerning bookworm ...

Comment: Another post for the TBR Challenge of 2017. In May the theme is Something Different, which this time I decided to interpret as a different type of book. I really think this is adequate in all senses: it's a type of book I don't usually read, it's much shorter than what I usually like and it's told in the 2nd person narrator, probably one of the oddest narrative styles out there.

This is a monologue of sorts, told by a librarian who discovers someone who slept at her section of the library that night and when she comes in, she wakes him up and shares a lot of opinions with him until it's opening hours. The librarian's speech includes several subjects related to the library, to life in general, to literature, to those who attend the library. But the librarian's monologue also tells us some of her most personal quirks and which type of person she surely is...

This can be read as a short story. It was in my TBR for some time because 1) I like books where people talk about books and 2) it featured a librarian, probably the profession I'd have liked to have had I thought better about my professional life. It also interested me to see how someone, usually on the other side of the desk or the corridor, probably feels about several issues.

And from this arises my biggest disappointment with the novel, even if I consider this a good short tale: the monologue doesn't reference many contemporary issues, it does mention some, but I think I'd have liked a more contemporary approach. The narrator felt a bit dated but, I assume, it's just another form of showing a stereotypical portrait.

The reality is the narrator mentions several interesting facts, namely about the library method of classifying books by areas, and specifying the subject the more precise it gets, about french literature author's (the author is french) and why people go to the library, not forgetting how personalities can explain why people act a certain way and, even librarians, interact with one another at work and that doesn't dismiss the fact some people simply are bad co workers.

Because this is a monologue the graphic area of text is continuous, there are no paragraphs so the reading can be a bit tiring but, it's such a short book, I've read it in less than an hour but I got some food for thought. We never think, except if it's someone we know, what the librarian is really thinking, if by helping she is really there or simply fulfilling a task...But this narrator is a little bit too dated in her approach to what a library is. I can understand that but the cover image is quite precise. I feel this character is just the personification of what librarians used to be looked at: people who knew many things, who were respected, sometimes feared because of the control they had over a situation, and that spot was difficult to overcome. It should be mentioned too that this librarian is at a local, small library. I can only assume interaction is different in big libraries or those who receive more public.

This librarian is also smitten with a patron. She never talks personal things with him, she is fascinated with the back of his neck and we get a lot of information about her when she talks about him and why he must attend the library there. I couldn't help thinking about those medieval troubadours who sung about platonic love, never to be really reciprocated and thus, felt more worthy than simple and passable carnal love. This librarian doesn't really want to be with Martin, the patron, but she put him in a position where she can admire him sometimes and that makes him special. I think this detail isn't necessary for the little story, which I confess, I would have preferred to stay focused on the library itself, but it added interesting elements to the characterization of the librarian.

I don''t think this was fully perfect short story, it mentioned some interesting subjects, I learned a few things but overall, it could have given us a way better vision of what it means to be a librarian today and why libraries are - and can - still be one of the best places on earth.

As for the challenge, well, it was certainly different than the romance based stories I normally read.

Grade: 7/10

TBR Challenge: LH Cosway & Penny Reid - The Hooker and the Hermit

Annie Catrel, social media expert extraordinaire at Davidson & Croft Media and clandestine celebrity

blogger, can make anyone shine in the court of public opinion. She is the Socialmedialite, anonymous creator of New York’s Finest and the internet’s darling. Virtual reality is Annie’s forte, but actual reality? Not so much.
Ronan Fitzpatrick, aka the best hooker the world of rugby has seen in decades, despises the media—social or otherwise. The press has spun a web of lies depicting him as rugby’s wild and reckless bad boy. Suspended from his team, Ronan has come to Manhattan to escape the drama, lay low, fly under the radar. Only, Ronan isn’t easy to overlook, and he can’t escape the notice of the Socialmedialite…
When Ronan is sent to Davidson & Croft Media to reshape his public image, he never expects to cross paths with shy but beautiful Annie, nor does he expect his fierce attraction to her. He couldn’t be happier when her boss suggests pairing them together.
What lengths will Annie take to keep her virtual identity concealed? And what happens when the hooker discovers who the hermit really is?

Comment: April is here and more books out of the TBR are being read. 

It's also time for another specific TBR challenge read and this month the theme is Contemporary. I picked this book out of many possibilities mainly because it would suit the theme. I was curious about it but now that I have read it, despite having interesting points, it wasn't as amazing I hoped for.

In this book we meet Annie Catrel, a introvert young woman who works at a marketing company and has a blogger where her secret identity works as an alter ego to all the vivacious attitude she doesn't have in real life.

Ronan Fitzpatrick is an Irish rugby player who is in the US to rest and to improve his public image after a break up. Ronan and Annie meet quite by chance but he is immediately smitten with her. Annie is definitely more cautious but being forced to work together will bring them even closer. But what was only a job will develop to something more unless Annie can't admit she wants to be with Ronan a lot more than she wants to keep her life tidy...

When this book begins, our main couple is brought together so Annie can work her magic on Ronan and make him a new, better liked person online. Usually I'm quite fond of relationships developing in a work environment, as long as they're realistic and don't make the characters act silly in a situation where people should behave a certain way. Thankfully, most of the plot is set outside the office, so we don't have that idea in out face all the time. But I still think it's completely inappropriate that they go from client/employee to people in who act in lust.

Ok, this is mostly on Ronan's side but... I understand the romance had to start somehow but the way things were happening just didn't convince me.

Another situation that got me thinking is Annie's condition. She is described as an introvert and we read several scenes where that becomes obvious. I liked this. I like shy heroines, so going to introvert ones can be interesting, even more so because the two can be confused often. But similarities apart, Annie isn't very sure of herself in social situations and rather prefers to be left alone. Yes, she had to come out of her shell in order to a romantic heroine, but she has some actions I can't see an introvert having. Or maybe, the way the situations were being described just didn't give the right impression.

The romance was along the lines of what we would expect. Ronan is clearly an alpha type and that's fine but he pushed Annie into saying and doing things I thought were too much. I just can't seem to appreciate how forceful he acts in some situations and how gentle he is in others. It felt weird and to be honest, their connection didn't seem as romantic as that. Yes, they were sexually attracted to each other and they might even be a good couple but I struggled to think that instead of all the details I'd change.

Plus their intimacy scenes just...well, I could easily skip them because I felt weren't interesting. Somehow their emotional journey didn't convince me so the sex felt secondary and could easily not have been included and I wouldn't mind. In fact, one or two scenes related to sex were actually bad in my opinion, not the descriptions themselves, but the state of mind in which Annie sometimes is before they happen. I can't say for certain but...it felt she wasn't much into it at first or maybe Ronan is more kinky than he had to Why I don't know. My impression perhaps.

Odd questions: If Ronan is a rugby player and his career matters why don't we see him talking more about it?

Why it always look so easy and fast to simply run from one place to the airport and fly home? There is no airport control, no check in, no waiting time to go through?

This was my first story by both authors. I also didn't read anything by each one individually, so I'll try something else by both in the future. But I have to say I wasn't as impressed by this story as I wanted. Some readers have mentioned in some parts we can see two people wrote this. I confess I don't pay much attention to that sort of detail, but in some scenes it can be easy to see it if you look for it.

All in all, maybe not the best book by either to start with but it does offer some good scenes and presents social media as something all of us are aware of but how real is what everyone thinks or says online? Interesting detail but not totally when I think in general terms.

Grade: 5/10

TBR Challenge: Jojo Moyes - The One Plus One

Suppose your life sucks. A lot. Your husband has done a vanishing act, your teenage stepson is being bullied and your math whiz daughter has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can’t afford to pay for. That’s Jess’s life in a nutshell—until an unexpected knight-in-shining-armor offers to rescue them. Only Jess’s knight turns out to be Geeky Ed, the obnoxious tech millionaire whose vacation home she happens to clean. But Ed has big problems of his own, and driving the dysfunctional family to the Math Olympiad feels like his first unselfish act in ages... maybe ever. 

Comment: This was my choice for this month's installment of the TBR Challenge. March would be a month dedicated to a Comfort Read. As Wendy has said, a comfort read can be open to interpretation and in this specific case, I looked at it as in a book that I knew would be entertaining and I'd want to spend time with, feeling comfortable. By opinions and and other comments I knew this would be something along my tastes so I felt pretty content with picking this one and, joyfully, I was proved right and comforted.

In this book we meet a British family which includes a single working mother, a math's genius child, a eyeliner user teenager and a not always good smelling dog. This family isn't at its best but when the opportunity to gain some money appears in the form of an Maths' Olympiad in Scotland, the family goes there with the help of mr Ed Nicholls, one of the patrons the single mom Jess works for. But the journey isn't easy and all characters must learn something from it, even if the lesson isn't easy to accept. In a both humorous but deep style, we learn that first impressions aren't always the most trustful and everyone can hide a better person inside.

I was very expectant of reading this book, especially because I've read other books by the author and liked the style (if not always the content) and I saw good opinions and people mentioning things I know I'd like.

This book is told from everyone's POV, one chapter at a time, always alternating between Ed, Jess, teenager Nicky and little Tanzie. It's not always easy to keep the flow using this writing tactic but in this case, it worked out pretty well.

What truly made me eager to get to this book was Jess. She is a single mom and she works two jobs to support her family. Her situation with her husband, trying to deal with a depression at his mother's is part of the plot, so I won't say much about it, but Jess herself was fascinating. She is the epitome of so many women, women who work, who have bills to pay, who feel the weight of their actions on their shoulders, who can't always meet ends meet, who love and defend their children but don't always have the power to change things. Reading about this type of character could be depressing and sad but the author has an optimistic Jess, someone who tries to see the best of everyone. And I like when a working woman, even facing adversity, can find someone to trust in, like Ed and can be her own person even when things don't go as easy as she wanted but at the end, all goes well, because hope always moves us.

I really liked Jess, not because she is perfect - she isn't! - but because she tries her best.

The plot isn't too complicated but in every page we learn something new, we see something more in each character's development and the situations that seemed easy to deal with have more layers we didn't anticipate, even if we did wonder about them at times.

It was great to see how each character was changed by getting to know the others better, especially Jess and her kids knowing Ed and vice versa. Every day's feelings we don't always think about were portrayed here quite well, especially when it came to deal with family and expectations others have of us.

There's a subtle romance  between Jess and Ed which I liked to see develop but their lusting after one another isn't the focus and it never feels cheap. They bond somehow and their feelings just happen. The evolution of their romance is in sync with the plot development and this now only makes everything seem well structured but also reveals how the author has thought about how to insert every detail at the right moment. It just seemed flawless for me.

The character's themselves are amazing. None is perfect, all have a bit of introspectiveness in them, but who hasn't at our weakest moments?

Jess I liked a lot, Ed was a good surprise because he faced a bad situation and he acted very realistically. Nicky is the bullied teenager just because he is different but he is a wonderful person and Tanzie is a genius but still a little girl. All these characters interactions with one another and other people show us always a little bit more about them and how they change to become better somehow. I really liked the sense of hope we get from the end of the book.

After finishing this book, I realized I had gone through the major emotions, from laughing to crying, from feeling sad to very happy and this book feels very good. I think that, in terms of enjoying the read and getting some comfort, this was quite the success for me. Sometimes, things align themselves in a way with books and they just make sense and feel right for us. I really liked this one a lot and I think this is now my favorite by the author. I'm curious to see if the ones I haven't read yet (but that I have in my TBR) will be as amazing.

This one I really recommend!

Grade: 9/10