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what_karla_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
4.5/5 stars
2.5/5 spice
Tropes:
Friends to lovers
Brother's best friend/ Best friend's sister
Poet MMC
Forced proximity
Banter and tension
Clandestine adventures
Dual POV
I read this series out of order, so I already knew a bit about Kieran and Celeste's story. However, that didn't take away from the adventure. This was a surprisingly spicy read... not in the sense that it was scene after scene of smut, but the language, descriptions, and tension leading up to each scene was present anytime the MCs were in each other's presence. The chemistry was palpable, and the flow of the story worked well with the growth of the MCs relationship. The adventures they went on were also fun to read about. It was an enjoyable story that had all the romance, angst, adventure, and spice that I love to read in historical romances.
Trigger/Content warnings:
Blackmail, misogyny, classism, explicit language, and sexual content
2.5/5 spice
Tropes:
Friends to lovers
Brother's best friend/ Best friend's sister
Poet MMC
Forced proximity
Banter and tension
Clandestine adventures
Dual POV
I read this series out of order, so I already knew a bit about Kieran and Celeste's story. However, that didn't take away from the adventure. This was a surprisingly spicy read... not in the sense that it was scene after scene of smut, but the language, descriptions, and tension leading up to each scene was present anytime the MCs were in each other's presence. The chemistry was palpable, and the flow of the story worked well with the growth of the MCs relationship. The adventures they went on were also fun to read about. It was an enjoyable story that had all the romance, angst, adventure, and spice that I love to read in historical romances.
Trigger/Content warnings:
Blackmail, misogyny, classism, explicit language, and sexual content
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Cursing, and Misogyny
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
Wow, this was so much fun! I met Eva Leigh at Steamy Lit Con & she gave me a copy of this book as part of a fundraiser reward that I purchased, and I am so grateful for it! This historical romance is told in third-person limited, past tense POV of our love interests Celeste Kilbern and Kieran Ransome. Kieran is given an ultimatum from his parents that he, his young brother Finn, and their best friend Dom must marry a “respectable” woman within a year or they will be financially cut off. Celeste is actually Dom’s sister, so this is a best friend’s sister/brother’s best friend trope lol. Celeste agrees to bring Kieran to respectable events to improve his rakish reputation as long as he brings her to the scandalous late-night outings so she can live it up before getting married to an earl. Obviously, with this forced proximity and Celeste taking on a sexy persona of “Salome” as she goes out, they become closer and start falling for each other!
I really enjoyed their connection from the beginning. They both had found the other attractive but knew they were off-limits and as they got to know one another, it became harder and harder to dismiss the truth, that they were a perfect fit for each other. Kieran empowered Celeste to follow her dreams in making a difference in her lower-class hometown, and Celeste embraced the softer, more artistic side of Kieran that he was bashful about sharing with just anyone. They challenged the other to be their best selves, and they inspired each other! Plus, the tension was off the charts, omgosh!!!! I loved the build up to their steamy scenes 🤌🏽
Overall, I’d absolutely read more from Eva Leigh in the future and I had such a wonderful time reading this!
steam rating: 3/5
cw: sexism, misogyny, blackmail
Wow, this was so much fun! I met Eva Leigh at Steamy Lit Con & she gave me a copy of this book as part of a fundraiser reward that I purchased, and I am so grateful for it! This historical romance is told in third-person limited, past tense POV of our love interests Celeste Kilbern and Kieran Ransome. Kieran is given an ultimatum from his parents that he, his young brother Finn, and their best friend Dom must marry a “respectable” woman within a year or they will be financially cut off. Celeste is actually Dom’s sister, so this is a best friend’s sister/brother’s best friend trope lol. Celeste agrees to bring Kieran to respectable events to improve his rakish reputation as long as he brings her to the scandalous late-night outings so she can live it up before getting married to an earl. Obviously, with this forced proximity and Celeste taking on a sexy persona of “Salome” as she goes out, they become closer and start falling for each other!
I really enjoyed their connection from the beginning. They both had found the other attractive but knew they were off-limits and as they got to know one another, it became harder and harder to dismiss the truth, that they were a perfect fit for each other. Kieran empowered Celeste to follow her dreams in making a difference in her lower-class hometown, and Celeste embraced the softer, more artistic side of Kieran that he was bashful about sharing with just anyone. They challenged the other to be their best selves, and they inspired each other! Plus, the tension was off the charts, omgosh!!!! I loved the build up to their steamy scenes 🤌🏽
Overall, I’d absolutely read more from Eva Leigh in the future and I had such a wonderful time reading this!
steam rating: 3/5
cw: sexism, misogyny, blackmail
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexism, and Misogyny
ramakn22's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexual content
madsmcw_reads's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was a solid historical romance. It took me a while to get into it because the beginning was fairly slow paced but it did eventually hook me. I loved the themes of women being able to make choices for themselves and consent. There was a lot of steam and at times I thought the word choice was weird but it was still overall enjoyable. The last like 25% is definitely the best part of the story
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Misogyny
bedtimesandbooks's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Sexual content, Alcohol, Death of parent, Cursing, Classism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Homophobia
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