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chloe_liese's reviews
232 reviews
To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters
This was fun as well as full of really strong character interiority and growth. From a hoax/prank war type deal it was a bit more tame and conversation-heavy than action-oriented which to me didn’t raise the stakes quite like I expected, but I still found this very enjoyable. I got really invested in the friend circle, and I’m totally wanting West’s book. Just sayin’
The Perils of Pleasure by Julie Anne Long
Well this was such an engrossing, clever and sexy story. Just the right kind and amount of suspense, and a very swoony ending! In some parts the pace dragged for me, but otherwise I really enjoyed it.
It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas
This one was a bit of a mess for me. The Machiavellian undertones continue, people being pawns for marriage and financial security in the desperate days of the landed gentry’s dwindling finances. But this slips into even more sinister places including a glaring lack of consent while Lillian is drunk, that even though this book is from an unfortunately less evolved societal and romance writing time, is a bridge too far for me to cross.
I like how this sets up Lord St. Vincent and the work of his redemption in Devil in Winter, but otherwise this was an uncomfortably problematic book.
CW: mention of parental emotional abuse, abduction, lack of consent, mention/threat of rape.
I like how this sets up Lord St. Vincent and the work of his redemption in Devil in Winter, but otherwise this was an uncomfortably problematic book.
CW: mention of parental emotional abuse, abduction, lack of consent, mention/threat of rape.
Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas
This was hot, yes, and I liked seeing the wallflowers come together to advocate for their own interests in a world that used women as pawns for social and financial gain, but this still exhibited the earlier Kleypas storytelling tendency to much more tell than show that just doesn’t work for me. I want to *see* their emotional connection and growth, not just be told in three paragraphs. The pacing was also pretty slow—I would have loved to wrap up the stony cross time at the 30% mark and see a bit more subplot take us somewhere more interesting than a constant back and forth between Simon & Anabelle.
Not Quite a Lady by Loretta Chase
5.0
This was so damn delightful. Great banter, funny, hot enemies to lovers tension, and a truly endearing cast of secondary familial characters. Did I mention it was hot? Because it IS and I adored every scene that brought their passion to the surface while building their connection.
Worth Any Price by Lisa Kleypas
5.0
This was delightful. The pacing was probably my favorite of the Bow Street Runner novels, and Lottie and Nick’s characterization is vividly detailed, 3-D and deliciously nuanced. Their chemistry crackled from their first meeting and each interaction built the foundation of their relationship while crumbling their resistance to love until they were truly at peace with their lives and each other. An incredibly satisfying end to the series!
A Lady's Formula for Love by Elizabeth Everett
5.0
Thank you to the author for this free review copy—all opinions are my own and are in no way influenced by this!
ALERT! ALERT! Bodyguard Romance. STEM Heroine. Corsets. Kisses. Need I say more??
“What is a Victorian lady's formula for love? Mix one brilliant noblewoman and her enigmatic protection officer. Add in a measure of danger and attraction. Heat over the warmth of humor and friendship, and the result is more than simple chemistry—it's elemental.”
Friends. Historical Romance Lovers. Lend me your ears. A LADY’S FORMULA FOR LOVE’s prose hits the same glorious notes as Lisa Kleypas & my queen Tessa Dare—it is *everything* I want in Historical Romance—banter, wit, sensuality in spades & strong female friendship. Add in a dash of suspense, sciencey geekdom & a hot, gruff SCOTTISH bodyguard & I’m in raptures. Violet and Arthur's chemistry is palpable, their backstories tender, vulnerable, and compelling; I loved how they slowly opened up to each other and found solace in their relationship as they never had with anyone else. Bonus? They’re mature. They’re relatable. And the sexual tension is diiiivine. I cannot recommend this book enough.
“You have taught me much about the world, but your most important lesson was about the heart. Home is where I love. Not where I live. [...] You are home.”
ALERT! ALERT! Bodyguard Romance. STEM Heroine. Corsets. Kisses. Need I say more??
“What is a Victorian lady's formula for love? Mix one brilliant noblewoman and her enigmatic protection officer. Add in a measure of danger and attraction. Heat over the warmth of humor and friendship, and the result is more than simple chemistry—it's elemental.”
Friends. Historical Romance Lovers. Lend me your ears. A LADY’S FORMULA FOR LOVE’s prose hits the same glorious notes as Lisa Kleypas & my queen Tessa Dare—it is *everything* I want in Historical Romance—banter, wit, sensuality in spades & strong female friendship. Add in a dash of suspense, sciencey geekdom & a hot, gruff SCOTTISH bodyguard & I’m in raptures. Violet and Arthur's chemistry is palpable, their backstories tender, vulnerable, and compelling; I loved how they slowly opened up to each other and found solace in their relationship as they never had with anyone else. Bonus? They’re mature. They’re relatable. And the sexual tension is diiiivine. I cannot recommend this book enough.
“You have taught me much about the world, but your most important lesson was about the heart. Home is where I love. Not where I live. [...] You are home.”
Lady Sophia's Lover by Lisa Kleypas
5.0
After reading the first in Kleypas’ Bow Street Runner series and not enjoying it too much I hadn’t planned on reading the next book but I am SO glad I did. This was hot, fast-paced, and an original, engaging plot. I loved it. Highly recommend—just bypass the first in the series and jump right in with the tenacious Lady Sophia and her grumpy, passionate silver fox, Sir Ross Cannon.
First Comes Scandal by Julia Quinn
I’m a sucker for childhood friends turned lovers. Throw in a marriage of convenience and I’m here for it. This was low stakes, lotsa banter, and an easy relaxing read. My first Julia Quinn(!!) but not my last.
It Happened One Midnight by Julie Anne Long
5.0
Okay. Wow. WOW. I thought I loved the older Redmond son, Miles, and his story with Cynthia (Pennyroyal Green #2, and I did, I really did) BUT I loved this one more. Jonathan is the best kind of rake—the inadvertent rake, the I-didn't-mean-to-break-hearts, I'm-not-trying-to-be-so-charming rake & easygoing youngest Redmond son. He's decidedly less sexual and seductive than a lot of rakes are written, and I loved that—he's just one of those guys who really can't help that he's genetically gifted with charm and persuasion. It doesn't hurt that he's genuinely a good person—he steps in between innocents and harm, he sees his father's autocratic rule of their family as decidedly unjust, and he's devoted to his siblings. And as soon as we see him meet Tommy, we realize he's not nearly as easygoing as we thought. Jonathan cares. Deeply.
Enter Thomasina—Tommy. I. Love. Tommy. She's one of my favorite kinds of heroine—strong and soft; determined and schooled by the world, yet compassionate and still guided by her heart. Life has dealt Tommy some bad shit, and rather than become a cold-hearted cynic, she grabs life with two hands and fights to make sure the wrongs done to her as an illegitimate child forced into child labor aren't done to more innocent children. The commentary and history of child labor practices is Dickensian level bleak and difficult but so well explored and so victoriously challenged in this story.
Jonathan and Tommy were my favorite kind of couple, and one of my favorite tropes—bantering, teasing, flirty friends (then lovers). While from wildly different backgrounds and initially decidedly uninterested in anything beyond their professional use for each other, they're quickly forced into being on each other's side, and they soon realize how much they have in common in their belief systems and convictions. These two were a perfect pairing of minds and bodies—their chemistry was *incredible*. Physically, psychologically, emotionally. It was the best kind of torture waiting for this slow-burn-fuse to fully ignite. When it did, it was so damn good.
On top of that, Julie Anne Long is an incredibly gifted writer. I soaked up her smooth metaphors, the just-right amount of descriptive language to set the scene and paint the characters before me. The opening line of this book made me gasp, and I had a sense right there I was in for something special. I tend to 5-star books I know I'll keep thinking about, that really stuck with me. This book? I wish I could give it 10.
The Pennyroyal Green series is only loosely related standalones, and you really aren't missing anything except names of couples (but this is romance, so we know they ended up together anyway, whether you read it or not) when you pick them up out of order. If you want an exemplary title from Julie Anne Long, this is a great one to start with. It's my new favorite. Now off to read the next available one from my library...
Enter Thomasina—Tommy. I. Love. Tommy. She's one of my favorite kinds of heroine—strong and soft; determined and schooled by the world, yet compassionate and still guided by her heart. Life has dealt Tommy some bad shit, and rather than become a cold-hearted cynic, she grabs life with two hands and fights to make sure the wrongs done to her as an illegitimate child forced into child labor aren't done to more innocent children. The commentary and history of child labor practices is Dickensian level bleak and difficult but so well explored and so victoriously challenged in this story.
Jonathan and Tommy were my favorite kind of couple, and one of my favorite tropes—bantering, teasing, flirty friends (then lovers). While from wildly different backgrounds and initially decidedly uninterested in anything beyond their professional use for each other, they're quickly forced into being on each other's side, and they soon realize how much they have in common in their belief systems and convictions. These two were a perfect pairing of minds and bodies—their chemistry was *incredible*. Physically, psychologically, emotionally. It was the best kind of torture waiting for this slow-burn-fuse to fully ignite. When it did, it was so damn good.
On top of that, Julie Anne Long is an incredibly gifted writer. I soaked up her smooth metaphors, the just-right amount of descriptive language to set the scene and paint the characters before me. The opening line of this book made me gasp, and I had a sense right there I was in for something special. I tend to 5-star books I know I'll keep thinking about, that really stuck with me. This book? I wish I could give it 10.
The Pennyroyal Green series is only loosely related standalones, and you really aren't missing anything except names of couples (but this is romance, so we know they ended up together anyway, whether you read it or not) when you pick them up out of order. If you want an exemplary title from Julie Anne Long, this is a great one to start with. It's my new favorite. Now off to read the next available one from my library...