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hnmoore's review
5.0
I love this series so much. Even though the first two books had my favorite characters, I felt this one had the most humor. Also, you know, it's super hot. I hope there are more books to come!
idontstandbymostofmyoldratings's review
4.0
That sex scene @76%, uhm, wowza. This is easily my favorite of the trilogy, which is a honestly huge surprise for me. I didn't think I'd care much for a romance set at a wedding or the conflict between desire and religious beliefs but here we are. My only wish is for Nash to have his own story (romantic or not), I loved that sweet nerd.
theatricalreader's review
4.0
I think this is my favorite book in the series. It was so sweet and the discussions about religion in a romance was so interesting
piningtree's review
4.0
That sex scene @76%, uhm, wowza. This is easily my favorite of the trilogy, which is a honestly huge surprise for me. I didn't think I'd care much for a romance set at a wedding or the conflict between desire and religious beliefs but here we are. My only wish is for Nash to have his own story (romantic or not), I loved that sweet nerd.
jenreadsromance's review
4.0
I reviewed this book at The Book Queen's site. I reviewed it as the same time as Tessa Bailey's TOO HARD TO FORGET, talking about the Catholicism of the heroes.
http://www.tbqsbookpalace.com/2017/08/catholicism-in-romance-lady-of-royale.html
Last month during the #RomBookLove bonanza, one of Jennifer Porter’s topics asked for suggestions about something they’d like to see in romance. One of the most interesting answers was Tamsen Parker saying she wanted more “people of faith” in romance, and not just inspies. A follow-up tweet from Jennifer Porter sparked some further conversation about this idea. I thought, “Nah” and moved on. And then, lo and behold, two of my autobuy authors released books with very Catholic heroes. What we will do for our favorite writers!
A Brief Overview of the Books
The first book is The Lady of Royale Street by Thea De Salle. I loved The King of Bourbon Street and was excited to read this third book in the series, featuring Sol’s brother and Rain’s best friend. Alex and Theresa meet in the week leading up to Sol and Rain’s wedding. The plot of this one was a little contrived. The paparazzi is mobbing the wedding venues, and Alex and Theresa are sent out on a variety of errands to help prepare for the big day. Given how filthy rich those families are, I never for a second believed that the Best Man and Maid of Honor (My BFF and I prefer the term “Best Woman.” Feel free to adopt for your own usage, please.) would be hustling all over Louisiana completing such menial tasks. Alex and Theresa are attracted to each other and spend a lot of time trapped in a car that’s too small for them, and the sexual tension is thick. Their affair is sizzling, but Alex’s rigid Catholicism is an impediment to their happiness.
The other was Too Hard to Forget by Tessa Bailey. In this story, when Peggy Clarkson was a senior in college, she had a hot, heavy, and secret affair with the head football coach. It’s three years later, and Peggy blows back into town, determined to show Elliott that she’s moved on. I’ve previously established that I don’t like the “second chance at love” trope, but Tessa Bailey could write a closed-door, secret baby romance about a virgin and a billionaire tycoon in a small town and I’d fucking read it. (You may take a moment to giggle about the idea of Tessa Bailey writing a closed door romance, though.) Once again, the hero’s rigid religious beliefs cause difficulties for the couple.
The HEAs
I was raised Catholic, so I’m pretty familiar with the Church’s ideas about sex before marriage. But at the same time, it’s sort of...weird...because I think of romance as THE sex-positive genre, and reading about Alex and Elliott’s shame and regret made me both uncomfortable and angry. These are grown men well into their 30s, not teenagers fumbling around with sexual desire for the first time. For me, it’s pretty simple if you have pants feelings: act on them if the interest is mutual, have fun, use a condom, and wash up afterwards! Things are not that simple for Alex and Elliott. I know that even though fiction isn’t true, there is truth in fiction. Good books should show me the warring desires and internal struggles of characters, even if they’re things I wouldn’t feel conflicted about. And, regardless of my personal feelings, both books are a believable portrayal of characters trying to balance the demands of their Catholic faith with romantic relationships.
Of the two heroines, Peggy is far more damaged by Elliott’s guilt and self-disgust. Maybe it’s spoilery, but there is this completely devastating line late in the book where she confronts him and says, “You made me into a sin.” I gasped out loud when I read it, because it was that raw and painful. It’s not just that they have sinned, it’s that SHE is the sin. It ravaged me. It’s taken years for Peggy to understand that Elliott transferred the weight of all his shame to her and she’s still carrying it around. Only after this confrontation does Elliott understand and atone for his behavior. Which, you know, is a pretty neat narrative trick and kind of how the whole sinning thing is supposed to work out for Catholics: you sin, you confess, you do your penance, and then you’re forgiven.
In The Lady of Royale Street, the conflict plays out differently. Theresa is also Catholic, but she doesn’t have Alex’s hang-ups about sex. In fact, she’s royally (Royale-y?!) pissed at him when he tries to bring his guilty feelings to their bed. She’s just not there for it, pushing back on Alex’s shame and recrimination. I loved Thea De Salle for making Theresa a woman of faith who doesn’t have a zero sum belief system. I could not have taken another book where the heroine bears the brunt of the faith-based emotional damage. Alex talks to quite a few folks about his confused feelings---some help him, others don’t. Ultimately, Alex has to decide how to balance dogma with his desire to win Theresa’s love.
I can’t help but end on a personal note. I left the Catholic Church because I think it’s oppressively patriarchal. And because of my history and who I am, these books were hard for me to read. Elliott and Alex were compelled to follow the rules of their faith, even if it meant personal unhappiness. There were lots of times I didn’t like them very much, and it was impossible for me not to read these books as damning examples of how that patriarchal thinking harms both men and women. Both authors show these relationships having to tackle painful, thought-provoking conflicts to reach that HEA. For me it was hard, but other readers might not have the same feelings.
Too Hard to Forget and The Lady of Royale Street both deserve good ratings for showing how complicated it is to be a person of faith in modern society. Were the writers of those original tweets wishing for these kinds of books? Do books about people of faith need to have that faith be the source of the conflict? I don’t have the answer to that, but I do know neither of these books were light, fluffy reads. Maybe the next time I hear someone talking shit about romance, I’ll tell them to read one of these books.
P.S.
In the time between the writing and scheduling of this review, I shared it with a friend who had a very Christian upbringing. She responded by saying, "I don’t think I could read romance novels with that sort of guilt/shame around sex in them. Too many triggers." I think that's what I was trying to get at when I talked about how the genre is sex-positive. I didn't use the word triggering, but maybe I should have.
For whatever reason, that comment led me to another line of thought. I tried to imagine what it would be like if the gender roles were flipped in these books. How would I have felt about a woman brining such intense feelings of shame about sex into a relationship? Would that book have been written? It's honestly impossible for me to imagine reading that book...because that doesn't sound like a romance, it sounds like a tragedy.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley.
http://www.tbqsbookpalace.com/2017/08/catholicism-in-romance-lady-of-royale.html
Last month during the #RomBookLove bonanza, one of Jennifer Porter’s topics asked for suggestions about something they’d like to see in romance. One of the most interesting answers was Tamsen Parker saying she wanted more “people of faith” in romance, and not just inspies. A follow-up tweet from Jennifer Porter sparked some further conversation about this idea. I thought, “Nah” and moved on. And then, lo and behold, two of my autobuy authors released books with very Catholic heroes. What we will do for our favorite writers!
A Brief Overview of the Books
The first book is The Lady of Royale Street by Thea De Salle. I loved The King of Bourbon Street and was excited to read this third book in the series, featuring Sol’s brother and Rain’s best friend. Alex and Theresa meet in the week leading up to Sol and Rain’s wedding. The plot of this one was a little contrived. The paparazzi is mobbing the wedding venues, and Alex and Theresa are sent out on a variety of errands to help prepare for the big day. Given how filthy rich those families are, I never for a second believed that the Best Man and Maid of Honor (My BFF and I prefer the term “Best Woman.” Feel free to adopt for your own usage, please.) would be hustling all over Louisiana completing such menial tasks. Alex and Theresa are attracted to each other and spend a lot of time trapped in a car that’s too small for them, and the sexual tension is thick. Their affair is sizzling, but Alex’s rigid Catholicism is an impediment to their happiness.
The other was Too Hard to Forget by Tessa Bailey. In this story, when Peggy Clarkson was a senior in college, she had a hot, heavy, and secret affair with the head football coach. It’s three years later, and Peggy blows back into town, determined to show Elliott that she’s moved on. I’ve previously established that I don’t like the “second chance at love” trope, but Tessa Bailey could write a closed-door, secret baby romance about a virgin and a billionaire tycoon in a small town and I’d fucking read it. (You may take a moment to giggle about the idea of Tessa Bailey writing a closed door romance, though.) Once again, the hero’s rigid religious beliefs cause difficulties for the couple.
The HEAs
I was raised Catholic, so I’m pretty familiar with the Church’s ideas about sex before marriage. But at the same time, it’s sort of...weird...because I think of romance as THE sex-positive genre, and reading about Alex and Elliott’s shame and regret made me both uncomfortable and angry. These are grown men well into their 30s, not teenagers fumbling around with sexual desire for the first time. For me, it’s pretty simple if you have pants feelings: act on them if the interest is mutual, have fun, use a condom, and wash up afterwards! Things are not that simple for Alex and Elliott. I know that even though fiction isn’t true, there is truth in fiction. Good books should show me the warring desires and internal struggles of characters, even if they’re things I wouldn’t feel conflicted about. And, regardless of my personal feelings, both books are a believable portrayal of characters trying to balance the demands of their Catholic faith with romantic relationships.
Of the two heroines, Peggy is far more damaged by Elliott’s guilt and self-disgust. Maybe it’s spoilery, but there is this completely devastating line late in the book where she confronts him and says, “You made me into a sin.” I gasped out loud when I read it, because it was that raw and painful. It’s not just that they have sinned, it’s that SHE is the sin. It ravaged me. It’s taken years for Peggy to understand that Elliott transferred the weight of all his shame to her and she’s still carrying it around. Only after this confrontation does Elliott understand and atone for his behavior. Which, you know, is a pretty neat narrative trick and kind of how the whole sinning thing is supposed to work out for Catholics: you sin, you confess, you do your penance, and then you’re forgiven.
In The Lady of Royale Street, the conflict plays out differently. Theresa is also Catholic, but she doesn’t have Alex’s hang-ups about sex. In fact, she’s royally (Royale-y?!) pissed at him when he tries to bring his guilty feelings to their bed. She’s just not there for it, pushing back on Alex’s shame and recrimination. I loved Thea De Salle for making Theresa a woman of faith who doesn’t have a zero sum belief system. I could not have taken another book where the heroine bears the brunt of the faith-based emotional damage. Alex talks to quite a few folks about his confused feelings---some help him, others don’t. Ultimately, Alex has to decide how to balance dogma with his desire to win Theresa’s love.
I can’t help but end on a personal note. I left the Catholic Church because I think it’s oppressively patriarchal. And because of my history and who I am, these books were hard for me to read. Elliott and Alex were compelled to follow the rules of their faith, even if it meant personal unhappiness. There were lots of times I didn’t like them very much, and it was impossible for me not to read these books as damning examples of how that patriarchal thinking harms both men and women. Both authors show these relationships having to tackle painful, thought-provoking conflicts to reach that HEA. For me it was hard, but other readers might not have the same feelings.
Too Hard to Forget and The Lady of Royale Street both deserve good ratings for showing how complicated it is to be a person of faith in modern society. Were the writers of those original tweets wishing for these kinds of books? Do books about people of faith need to have that faith be the source of the conflict? I don’t have the answer to that, but I do know neither of these books were light, fluffy reads. Maybe the next time I hear someone talking shit about romance, I’ll tell them to read one of these books.
P.S.
In the time between the writing and scheduling of this review, I shared it with a friend who had a very Christian upbringing. She responded by saying, "I don’t think I could read romance novels with that sort of guilt/shame around sex in them. Too many triggers." I think that's what I was trying to get at when I talked about how the genre is sex-positive. I didn't use the word triggering, but maybe I should have.
For whatever reason, that comment led me to another line of thought. I tried to imagine what it would be like if the gender roles were flipped in these books. How would I have felt about a woman brining such intense feelings of shame about sex into a relationship? Would that book have been written? It's honestly impossible for me to imagine reading that book...because that doesn't sound like a romance, it sounds like a tragedy.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley.
thefox22's review
3.0
ah, this was honestly my least favorite of the series. I just found it a little boring? I was more interested in all of the secondary characters' lives rather than Theresa's and Alex's, I'm afraid. (Probably had a bit to do with Alex's stubbornness about faith and his views, which is FINE, except I'm not into that). There were far more characters I wanted to have their own book before Alex. Like omg Nash. Everyone calls him boring, but I actually really like his personality? He's such a cute nerd. It was so great to see Maddy and Darren again because I'd missed her boldness and his dad jokes. And oh was it WONDERFUL to see Sol and Rain get married after all that they'd been through. That was my favorite part of this. So yeah, I don't know about a rating for this one. Because on the one hand, it was like brain candy. But on the other, I didn't feel much of anything when it came to the romance, and that was supposed to be the shining star of this book.
Rating: 2.5 Paw Prints!
Rating: 2.5 Paw Prints!
deereadsthings's review
5.0
So I finished this book about a week ago, and I still can’t get over how perfect it is. I loved the first two books in the series and this one definitely didn’t disappoint. There’s a lot to love about these books but for me it’s really all about the characters, and these morons are some of my favourites.
First let’s talk about our main characters, Alex was such a fun character to read, especially after getting glimpses of him in the previous books. I loved learning more about him and I loved all the different dynamics he had with all the other characters, especially his brothers. The difference between him and Sol was hilarious and perfect, and I loved that you could still tell they cared about each other. I also just loved Theresa, her and Rain are total opposites but also total best friends and it was so nice to see their friendship. I also just loved her as a character, she’s sure of her self and willing to do whatever she needs to for the people she cares about and it’s just lovely! Also her and Alex? I’m sorry but yes, they are precious and wonderful and everything I wanted.
I also just love all the side characters in this series, the author could write a book about each and every one of them and I’d be so happy, there’s really no wrong choice. I think my new favourite is Nash, he’s hilarious and amazing and I love him. And getting to see the couples from the first two books was so nice! I love that we got more of them in this one even though it was definitely all about Alex and Theresa.
Another thing about this series that I always enjoy is the settings, I’ve never been to New Orleans but the way the city is described is just magical and I can picture it so vividly every time.
Overall I loved this book, I can’t choose a favourite from the series because they’re all so good, and if you liked the first two then I’d definitely recommend this one! Also if you’re looking for a good romance series then definitely check out the first book, even ignoring the genre they are some of the best books that I’ve ever read and I will always recommend them.
First let’s talk about our main characters, Alex was such a fun character to read, especially after getting glimpses of him in the previous books. I loved learning more about him and I loved all the different dynamics he had with all the other characters, especially his brothers. The difference between him and Sol was hilarious and perfect, and I loved that you could still tell they cared about each other. I also just loved Theresa, her and Rain are total opposites but also total best friends and it was so nice to see their friendship. I also just loved her as a character, she’s sure of her self and willing to do whatever she needs to for the people she cares about and it’s just lovely! Also her and Alex? I’m sorry but yes, they are precious and wonderful and everything I wanted.
I also just love all the side characters in this series, the author could write a book about each and every one of them and I’d be so happy, there’s really no wrong choice. I think my new favourite is Nash, he’s hilarious and amazing and I love him. And getting to see the couples from the first two books was so nice! I love that we got more of them in this one even though it was definitely all about Alex and Theresa.
Another thing about this series that I always enjoy is the settings, I’ve never been to New Orleans but the way the city is described is just magical and I can picture it so vividly every time.
Overall I loved this book, I can’t choose a favourite from the series because they’re all so good, and if you liked the first two then I’d definitely recommend this one! Also if you’re looking for a good romance series then definitely check out the first book, even ignoring the genre they are some of the best books that I’ve ever read and I will always recommend them.
charlotteannehamilton's review
5.0
[[5 STARS]]
I honestly think this was my favourite in the NOLA Nights series. Mostly because of the chemistry that Alex and Theresa had. It was so freaking incredible. From the second they met to the very end of the book. And the ANGST. That just kept me coming back for more. I was obsessed!!
I honestly think this was my favourite in the NOLA Nights series. Mostly because of the chemistry that Alex and Theresa had. It was so freaking incredible. From the second they met to the very end of the book. And the ANGST. That just kept me coming back for more. I was obsessed!!
theshrinkette's review
4.0
You know, just when you think you can predict how this is about to go down, Thea de Salle throws you a curveball. A fun one, too. Detailed review to come.