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toosharpbyhalf's reviews
41 reviews
The Winter King by C.L. Wilson
3.0
Very much a Historical Romance in a fantasy setting but absolutely none the worse for that. The core of the story is an arranged wedding between a stubborn misfit heroine with the power of storms and a cold masculine hero with the power of ice. Only she can melt his icy heart. This is a very well written book which has a well drawn fantasy setting and plenty of drama, political, maneuvering, war, danger, poignancy and, yes, lots of sex!
If anything my taste runs to more deferred gratification whereas this is very much a case of the two main viewpoint characters instantly craving each other, but despite that it's very effective. They come to trust each other and gradually fall in love while sharing trials, tribulations and plenty of passionate encounters.
If anything my taste runs to more deferred gratification whereas this is very much a case of the two main viewpoint characters instantly craving each other, but despite that it's very effective. They come to trust each other and gradually fall in love while sharing trials, tribulations and plenty of passionate encounters.
Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
4.0
An excellent historical romance. The heroine is bright, strong-willed and instantly desires the wrong man, the dangerously stormy Marquess of Dain. But underneath his philandering sneer lies a complicated, self-doubting and broken man who can be gradually mended by the love of the right woman. There's na great deal more plot than that, and some steamy bedroom scenes, but the characters are what shine through for me. Very satisfying.
The Unquiet Heart by Kaite Welsh
4.0
The sequel to The Wages of Sin is an empowering book filled with vivid women.
Sarah, a trailblazing medical student, battles Victorian patriarchy, murders, and her own heart.
This is a fine blend of Feminism, Murder Mystery and Historical Romance, roughly in that order. L There's a strong thread of mystery and romance which constantly pull you forwards but those are by no means the main thrust of the book which is very much about the social and patriarchal constraints Sarah faces, which are stifling and infuriating in equal measure. At times she despairs but ultimately she is a no-nonsense woman who wants to live life on her own terms and she's having none of it.
Most of the characters are female and they are an extremely varied and well drawn group of flawed and rounded individuals.
Sarah, a trailblazing medical student, battles Victorian patriarchy, murders, and her own heart.
This is a fine blend of Feminism, Murder Mystery and Historical Romance, roughly in that order. L There's a strong thread of mystery and romance which constantly pull you forwards but those are by no means the main thrust of the book which is very much about the social and patriarchal constraints Sarah faces, which are stifling and infuriating in equal measure. At times she despairs but ultimately she is a no-nonsense woman who wants to live life on her own terms and she's having none of it.
Most of the characters are female and they are an extremely varied and well drawn group of flawed and rounded individuals.
The Madness of Miss Grey by Julia Bennet
4.0
The setting for this historical romance is a 'madhouse' to which the heroine has been cruelly dispatched. All her efforts to escape have come to nothing when a new Doctor arrives who might offer hope of escape.
Helen is a fascinating heroine, both captive and wronged and also constantly scheming and trying to figure out ways to turn people and situations to her advantage. She's also deliciously in touch with her own desires and unashamed in pursuing them. Watching her slowly realise that her feelings for the new Doctor are genuine is an absolute pleasure.
The Doctor himself is appealingly humble: restrained, educated, doubting himself, a simple farmworker who has bettered himself but will never consider himself handsome. They're a mismatched pairing in the best way
They finally come together after a goodly amount of delayed gratification, and there's a satisfying happy ever after.
Helen is a fascinating heroine, both captive and wronged and also constantly scheming and trying to figure out ways to turn people and situations to her advantage. She's also deliciously in touch with her own desires and unashamed in pursuing them. Watching her slowly realise that her feelings for the new Doctor are genuine is an absolute pleasure.
The Doctor himself is appealingly humble: restrained, educated, doubting himself, a simple farmworker who has bettered himself but will never consider himself handsome. They're a mismatched pairing in the best way
They finally come together after a goodly amount of delayed gratification, and there's a satisfying happy ever after.
The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite
4.0
This is a beautifully written book that has at its core the lesbian romance between Lucy, a young woman and ardent astronomer, and Catherine, a slightly older Countess. Both newly single, both desperately needing what the other offers. Their romance is so sweet and so laced with tenderness, self-doubt and support (not to mention passion!), but the book encompasses so many more themes about science, art, women's accomplishments and the patriarchal traditions that try to hold them back. This makes it a rounded and rewarding read with a powerful message and a satisfyingly triumphant conclusion.
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar
5.0
A heart-tearingly beautiful novella.
This is a poetic, elliptical, savage love story between two women on opposite sides of a time war, sparring with each other across all of history.
Barely meeting, they trade beautiful, increasingly romantic letters, hidden in outlandish ways to conceal their correspondence from their superiors.
Any plot description fails to do this book justice. It's like wading through language, trailing your fingers in imagination. Absolutely beautiful.
This is a poetic, elliptical, savage love story between two women on opposite sides of a time war, sparring with each other across all of history.
Barely meeting, they trade beautiful, increasingly romantic letters, hidden in outlandish ways to conceal their correspondence from their superiors.
Any plot description fails to do this book justice. It's like wading through language, trailing your fingers in imagination. Absolutely beautiful.
A Christmas Gone Perfectly Wrong by Cecilia Grant
5.0
I adored this Regency novella in which the uptight Andrew Blackshear and the free-spirited Lucy find themselves through highly unlikely circumstances sheltering with a family in a farmhouse on Christmas Eve, and posing as husband and wife to avoid a scandal. This has all the warmth of a Christmas story as the couple discover the true meaning of Christmas, all the repressed yearning of a romance, and a wicked sense of humour. Very satisfying!