𝗢𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 (𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘛𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘙𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘩, 1) | Book Review

𝗢𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 (𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘛𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘙𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘩,1)

𝗕𝘆 𝗝.𝗦. 𝗪𝗼𝗼𝗱

𝘖𝘶𝘵 𝘕𝘰𝘸!

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🐴𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱:

Second Chance

Small Town

Forced Proximity

Horse Trainer

Morally Grey Cowboy Vibe

Cattle Ranch Setting

It’s Always Been You

Anyone else horse crazy as a kid? I was, so this book was a dream! The romantic tension between Cade and Dani, two exes seriously pining after each other, was palpable! That, plus the horse training and equine therapy, made me excited to see how their story unfolds. 

Cade and Dani are trying to navigate their feelings for one another after a devastating breakup six years ago. But Dani needs help with one of her horses, and Cade’s one of the best trainers around. Forced to be near each other, it’s obvious their feelings for one another are still alive and well. 

While Cade has been battling grief and inner darkness, and didn’t always handle things the best, I loved watching him work through his issues and try to make things right with Dani. Issues with family and the horses kept complicating matters between him and Dani, and I was hoping it wouldn’t be too late for them. 

This was a great start to a new series, introducing several characters, so I’m interested to see who the main characters will be in the next book.  

Thank you @hambright_pr and @authorjswood for this gifted eBook. 

🧢🤠 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗲: 𝗖𝗼𝘄𝗯𝗼𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝘁?

TBR Thursday

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This is a feature I could probably do weekly! Summer was full of great books, and here are just a few that I haven’t had a chance to read yet. 

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 

𝗕𝘆 𝗝𝗲𝗻𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘁

Thank you @avonbooks 

Sexy new adult romance meets swashbuckling adventure when ex-childhood friends Paige and Seb reconnect to finally track down the treasure that has been a legend in their small Michigan beach town for decades. Perfect for fans of The Goonies and Netflix’s Outer Banks who are craving more romance!

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𝗔𝘀 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘀 𝗜𝘁 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀

𝗕𝘆 𝗝𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝘀

Thank you @stmartinspress

Set in a seaside town in Italy, As Long as It Takes is a charming summer romance about finding your roots and letting love blossom.

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𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗕

𝗕𝘆 𝗘𝗹𝗼𝗶𝘀𝗮 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀

Thank you @gallerybooks

Lady B may have married Bluebeard; she may have fallen in love with a gorgeous, grumpy solicitor; she may have met a ghost and survived to tell the tale! New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Eloisa James delights with witty historical romance with a gothic twist.

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𝗜𝘁 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗠𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿

𝗕𝘆 𝗟𝗶𝘇 𝗟𝗮𝘄𝘀𝗼𝗻

Thank you @bookmarked 

Murder has a way of bringing people together…

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𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗖𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗛𝘂𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 

𝗕𝘆 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗽𝘀𝗼𝗻

Thank you @bookmarked 

A heartwarming small-town tale of rediscovering joy in unexpected places. Starting over isn’t easy, but sometimes it’s exactly what we need.

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𝗨𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿

𝗕𝘆 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝘀𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘆

Thank you @SimonTeen

A teen starts to fall for the boy she and her best friend agreed was off-limits while building a relationship with the new guy in town at the same time in this “charming” (School Library Journal, starred review) seaside teen romance perfect for fans of The Summer I Turned Pretty.

📚 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘄𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗯𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀?

𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗼 𝗘𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘆 | Book Review

𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗼 𝗘𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘆

𝗕𝘆 𝗕𝗶𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲

𝘖𝘶𝘵 𝘕𝘰𝘸!

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Mo Ellery is like walking chaos! But she’s one of those people who can just go with the flow as her world seems to go up in flames, or rather, down a sinkhole around her. 

This has one of the funniest openings, as Mo manages to make a work video call x-rated, leading to her getting fired, dumped, and kicked out of her apartment all on her birthday.

Her new job as a crossing guard puts her in the path of a deadly accident. A man speeds into a giant sinkhole; he doesn’t survive, but his carload of poodles do. 

When there is talk of murder being involved, Mo not only becomes a doggie babysitter, but fancies herself an amateur sleuth as well. 

There is an actual twisty mystery in here among all the wackiness. But the cast of quirky characters and Mo’s unhinged thoughts, uncensored words, and oblivious nature are what had me laughing, and ok, maybe cringing too. Plus, I loved how the dogs became integral characters in the story.

This is one to have fun with! 

 Thank you partner @williammorrowbooks for this gifted book. 

🎧 Thank you @harperaudio for the gifted audiobook. Cia Court’s narration nailed Mo’s high energy along with the over-the-top chaos perfectly. 

🛑 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄, 𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴?

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 | Book Review

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 (𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘨𝘦, 1)

𝗕𝘆 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗺𝗮𝗻

𝘏𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘗𝘶𝘣 𝘞𝘦𝘦𝘬!

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Thank you | gifted | @scribnerbooks and @simon.audio 

Last week I shared Alice Hoffman’s iconic 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 for Witchy Wednesday, and this week I’m excited to share her latest witchy series! 

No one crafts a witch’s tale quite like Alice Hoffman! Once again, she has woven historical facts with folklore, magic, and nature-inspired spells, plus a celebration of sisterhood, to create a bewitching story.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 transports you back to 1950s Massachusetts. Ava and Lauren are two students at Radcliffe College who are recruited by the Lilith Society, a secret society for witches. But when women go missing, it soon becomes evident that the witch trials of the past are far from over. 

Darkened hallways, libraries, secret societies, crows, and women murmuring spells and magic set the perfect atmosphere for this moody, mysterious read. While the plot isn’t overly deep, I enjoyed the strong themes of female friendship, empowerment, and women standing strong together. 

🎧 Mena Suvari delivered an immersive narration that fit this rich, atmospheric historical narrative perfectly. It was a tall order, but she brought the right tones and emotions, making it a great complement to the physical book. 

📙 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆?

𝗧𝗮𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗶 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 | Book Review

𝗧𝗮𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗶 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆

𝗕𝘆 𝗥.𝗙. 𝗞𝘂𝗮𝗻𝗴

𝘏𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘗𝘶𝘣 𝘋𝘢𝘺!

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I was thrilled to receive this gorgeous edition of 𝗧𝗮𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗶 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆. 

I read and loved R.F. Kuang’s Babel several years ago, and here, I feel as though this book may have very personal roots for Kuang.

Lily Chen is a Chinese-American college student who goes to Taipei for an intensive Chinese language program. This has shadows of a coming-of-age story, but it’s very specific. While Lily attends this language program with a group of students, she wants to understand her heritage and the culture of her lineage, and to learn Chinese to connect with her family. But it is as if her family is hiding something from her; can language be the key to finding her true self?

This felt a bit like a narrative memoir, as if Lily were journaling her day-to-day events for us. 

What I found fascinating was:

1. The description of life in Taipei: the food, the living accommodations, the weather, and societal and cultural norms. 

2. Learning a language in such an intensive way. Kuang’s deep knowledge of linguistics lets her share many nuances of the Chinese language that had me engrossed. 

3. The expectations placed on Lily, whether it was from her family, her friends, or even by her culture. 

The story moves more slowly, but I appreciated experiencing Taipei and parts of Taiwan through Lily. In the end, I sympathized with her wanting to understand her past yet not knowing quite where she fit in.

Thank you partner @williammorrowbooks for this gifted book. 

🌏𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱? 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲?

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗱𝘆 | Book Review

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗱𝘆

𝗕𝘆 𝗕𝗼 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝗴

𝘏𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘗𝘶𝘣 𝘋𝘢𝘺!

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Thank you | gifted | @harperviabooks and @librofm 

This is a beautiful and immersive tale of the first Chinese woman brought to the United States in the 1800s. Though historical fiction, Bo Wang has structured the narrative so it feels so real and alive, as if you were truly living alongside Afong Moy (just one of her many names). 

She was born a disappointment to her mother, a concubine, in Canton. Then, in 1834, she was sold to an American merchant who brought her to New York to be part of an exhibit to sell Chinese imports. Eventually, Afong Moy, or Julia, now known as “China,” becomes part of P.T. Barnum’s Museum. 

What makes this such a powerful read is Afong Moy’s progression. She starts with no voice, no agency, and we watch her slowly learn to play the game as she heads to San Francisco during the gold rush. 

Bo Wang does not gloss over the atrocities of racism, colonialism, and treating humans as commodities and exhibitions, and a multitude of other abuses. It wouldn’t have been genuine if she hadn’t. A truly unforgettable debut novel about a forgotten woman. 

🎧 The audiobook and its stellar narrators, Jenna Yi, Cassandra Campbell, and Bahni Turpin, amplified the distinctive sections of Afong Moy’s life. It was wonderful, intriguing, and highly engaging.

❓𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲, 𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁?

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗜 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗮𝗱 | Book Review

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗜 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗮𝗱

𝗕𝘆 𝗔𝗺𝘆 𝗕𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗻

𝘖𝘶𝘵 𝘕𝘰𝘸!

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I love a fake dating romance, and this one put a unique twist on it, and I was hooked! 

💜𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱:

Fake Exes Reunited

Messy Family Drama

Past Trauma

Wedding Chaos

Yearning!

Only One Barn

Second Chances

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Thea is already on edge with her sister announcing a whirlwind wedding. But she is floored when she arrives and realizes she recognizes the groom and his family, especially his brother Owen. The man who paid her to be his girlfriend at a wedding years ago, and she then “fake-broke” up with him. 

Now he asks for a second chance to fake it all again with her.

This was such a great mix of romance and family drama. I loved some characters and wanted to kick others in the shin. Things between both the sisters and the families get pretty messy and emotional. There’s a lot of meddling, and Thea and Owen aren’t exactly being straight up about their fake relationship.

It’s romantic and spicy, with great banter that kept me smiling, but it also delves into past trauma and insecurities. The humor balances the emotional depth, making it so big-hearted!

🎧 I loved pairing my reading with the audiobook from @spotifyforauthors. Narrators Kristie Lee Walsh and Danny Montooth captured Thea and Owen delightfully. They made this a joy to listen to. 

Thank you @youhadmeathea for the gifted book & @amybuchananbooks and @tlcbooktours for the gifted audiobook.  

❓𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗳 𝘂𝗻𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱?

𝗟𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗯𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 | Book Feature

𝗟𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗯𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀

𝗕𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼 𝗘𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗿

𝘖𝘶𝘵 𝘕𝘰𝘸!

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𝙄𝙣 𝙖 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨, 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙠 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚.

Based on the heroic true stories of librarians who fought back, 𝗟𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗯𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 is a gripping tale of courage, the profound power of literature as resistance, and one woman’s struggle to preserve humanity in the face of absolute evil.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸:

Berlin, 1933. The vibrant cultural heart of Germany is darkening under the shadow of the Nazi regime. For Helene Nathan, one of the first female librarians at a prestigious German library, the books she cherishes are no longer just sources of knowledge–they are targets. As the government begins its systematic purge of literature, compiling lists of “forbidden” works and orchestrating public book burnings, Helene realizes she cannot stand by as her world turns to ash.

Determined to resist the encroaching tyranny, Helene and her colleagues embark on a perilous mission of secretly collecting and hiding the very books slated for destruction. It’s a dangerous act of defiance in a city where every neighbor could be an informant and the Gestapo are a constant, looming threat. Her quiet rebellion is especially complicated by the fact that Helene is half-Jewish, and Rudolf Kummer, a ruthless Nazi official, seemingly has a personal vendetta against her.

As the stakes escalate and friends and neighbors begin to disappear, Helene must decide how much she is willing to sacrifice. Her fight is not just for the pages she saves, but for the very soul of her country and the freedom to think.

Thank you @tlcbooktours @thomasnelsonfiction and @marioescobar.oficial for this gifted book.

📕🔥 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗯?!

𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗨𝗴𝗹𝘆 | Book Feature

𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗨𝗴𝗹𝘆

𝗕𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲

𝘖𝘶𝘵 𝘕𝘰𝘸!

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Today I’m sharing with you a powerful and raw coming-of-age story. 

In 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗨𝗴𝗹𝘆, Rae Cline draws us into the story of a thirteen-year-old girl seeking to escape her abusive, alcoholic, charismatic father and desperate to protect her mother.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸:

Set in 1985 in Harpers Ferry and Jolo, West Virginia, it’s a story anchored in the promise of Reagan, the fear of AIDS, the songs of Patti Smith, Cyndi Lauper, and Tina Turner heard through a Walkman, and other signs of its time and place. It’s also a universal and ongoing story about poverty, addiction, religious charlatans, sexual predators, and how children are made to suffer for the sins of their parents. 

Clementine is a girl in trouble. She’s homeless, living in a conversion van at a campground tucked into a little stretch of riverfront on the Potomac. She’s hungry, craving Pop-Tarts while forced to eat fried snake for supper. And she’s pregnant. Daddy says he’ll fix it. But unlike Mama and the folks who believe he can walk on water, Clem knows better than to trust Daddy.

As told through the eyes of its remarkable young heroine, 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗨𝗴𝗹𝘆 is ultimately a story about the everyday marvels of tenacity and resourcefulness, the kindness of strangers, and the possibility of breaking the cycle of domestic violence and generational trauma.

Thank you @tlcbooktours and @raeclineauthor for this gifted book. 

🐍𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗻𝗮𝗸𝗲. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱?

𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗮 𝗙𝗹𝘆𝗻𝗻’𝘀 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 | Book Review

𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗮 𝗙𝗹𝘆𝗻𝗻’𝘀 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆

𝗕𝘆 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝘀

𝘏𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘗𝘶𝘣 𝘞𝘦𝘦𝘬!

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I can’t pass up books about books, and I’ve read Jacqueline Firkins before, so I knew this would be fun, insightful, and maybe a bit quirky. 

Philippa, a history professor, has hit some major bumps in the road, literally. She decides to make a change and head to the seaside, to the house of her late grandmother, who was a bestselling pirate-romance author. Philippa needs some solitude from questioning siblings and judgmental parents.  

Yet she finds she has a roommate. Dylan was the man who helped her grandmother write, and it seems he was also the model for the pirate king on those racy covers years ago. 

Philippa and Dylan are funny, if not awkward, together at first. They have to find their comfort zone with each other as they both have insecurities, anxieties, and unresolved grief. I loved how, in trying to write a book together, they not only found a plot but also found courage, strength, and experienced personal growth. 

This is a slower, character-driven romance that offers a heartfelt, hopeful look at living through grief, fear, or doubt. 

🎧 Thank you @brilliancepublishing for the audiobook. Andi Arndt does a great job narrating; she brings the right tone and attitude to Philippa, making the narrative even more engaging. I love that Christian Black narrates the excerpts from the pirate romances. It really made that section pop! 

Thank you to author @jfkillsdarlings for this gifted copy. 

⁉️ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘀𝗼 𝗳𝗮𝗿? 

𝗠𝘆 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗳 ___ 𝗮𝗻𝗱 ___!