Je suis Charlie

Je suis Charlie

Tuesday 9 November 2021

Never Fall For Your Fake Fiancée by Virgina Heath

The first in a new historical rom-com series, a handsome earl hires a fake fiancée to keep his matchmaking mother at bay, but hilarity ensues when love threatens to complicate everything.

The last thing Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham, ever wants is a wife. Unfortunately for him, his mother is determined to find him one, even from across the other side of the ocean. So, Hugh invents a fake fiancée to keep his mother’s matchmaking ways at bay. But when Hugh learns his interfering mother is on a ship bound for England, he realizes his complicated, convoluted but convenient ruse is about to implode. Until he collides with a beautiful woman, who might just be the miracle he needs.

Minerva Merriwell has had to struggle to support herself and her two younger sisters ever since their feckless father abandoned them. Work as a woodcut engraver is few and far between, and the Merriwell sisters are nearly penniless. So, when Hugh asks Minerva to pose as his fiancée while his mother is visiting, she knows that while the scheme sounds ludicrous, the offer is too good to pass up.

Once Minerva and her sisters arrive at Hugh's estate, of course, nothing goes according to his meticulous plan. As hilarity and miscommunication ensue, while everyone tries to keep their tangled stories straight, Hugh and Minerva’s fake engagement starts to turn into a real romance. But can they trust each other, when their relationship started with a lie?
 
 
Review
 
I absolutely adored this book that went straight onto my list of keepers. I'll definitely need a print copy of it as well. I loved Hugh and Minerva, even though Hugh made me scream in frustration a couple of times (when I wasn't laughing or giggling) but he was just too lovable to stay mad at him.
Minerva is amazing, sweet, competent, caring and all of her flaws make her even more perfect. Her ability not to take herself too seriously (in a good way) and to laugh about herself, is one of the things that I love most about her.

Between Hugh, Minerva, Drury Lane and his mother, there are so many imaginative and funny things happening, so many wonderful characters to meet and fall in love with, that I just kept on reading till the end. And I must admit that I will never be able to listen to Mozart with a straight face again...

Minerva's sisters, his butler, and his best friend, all of the minor characters are lovingly described and I can't wait to learn more about them in the books to come. And I already know that I haven't read Minerva and Hugh's story for the last time. Well-written, funny, and captivating, this book is simply amazing!

 

Wednesday 1 September 2021

Text by Cambria Hebert

 

 

Text 

by Cambria Hebert

A Nail Biting Romantic Suspense Take It Off Standalone Novel

 


Blurb

 ***This is a new adult contemporary novel and contains sexual content and graphic language. It is not intended for young adult readers.***

One text can change everything.
Honor Calhoun never thought her life would ever be like the books she writes for a living. One morning while out for a run, she learns not all bad things are plots in novels. Some horrors can actually come true.
She faces off with a persistent attacker, holds her own, but in the end is taken hostage and thrown into a hole. In the middle of the woods.
But Honor didn’t go down there alone.
She took her kidnapper’s phone with her. With a spotty signal and a dying battery, her hope is slim.
Nathan Reed is an active duty Marine stationed at a small reserve base in Pennsylvania. All he wants is a calm and uneventful duty station where he can forget the memories of his time in a war-torn country.
But a single text changes everything.
Nathan becomes Honor’s only hope for survival, and he has to go against the clock, push aside his past, and take on a mission for a girl he’s never met.
Both of them want freedom… but they have to survive long enough to obtain it.

 

Review

Wow, what a ride! One text, one single text that changed their lives and saved both of them as a result. The war veteran and the writer, the survivors...both of them are fighters and willing to do everything to protect themselves and those around them.
I loved that both of our heroes, Honor, and Nathan were unabashedly honest in the way they dealt with each other. No games, no shyness, just honesty.
Surviving not just the kidnapping but everything that came afterward, well, those two and the events definitely kept me on my toes. Towards the end, I barely breathed but just kept turning the pages faster and faster. Once again a great book by an amazing author, I can't wait to explore the other books in this series!

🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞

 

 

 

 

Wednesday 12 May 2021

Bombshell by Jessica Prince


BOMBSHELL by Jessica Prince

 

57802803. sy475

 

  

Blurb

𝑯𝒆’𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕, 𝒔𝒐 𝑰 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒓 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒑𝒊𝒅, 𝒔𝒆𝒙𝒚 𝒋𝒆𝒓𝒌 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌.


After ending the world’s worst relationship, Marin Grey had sworn off men. So it was rather inconvenient that she couldn’t seem to keep her eyes and thoughts off the Ice King himself, Pierce Walton—also known as her ex-boyfriend’s older, much hotter brother.

He was cold, callous, and rude. He was also the most gorgeous man she’d ever laid eyes on, which made the fact that he’d hated her from first sight all the more unfair.

When circumstances dictate they put their swords away so Marin can help Pierce take care of his son, that ice-cold hate suddenly takes a turn into something much hotter. And if they aren’t careful, they could both be burned alive.

 

 Review

It took me rather a long time to get into this book. Somehow I missed the spark that made me fly through the pages and kept me glued to my reader in the other books by Jessica Prince that I read. I started to read and put it aside, started again, ...repeat.

I can't even say why it took me so long or what exactly I was missing but I couldn't feel the chemistry at the beginning and even though I really liked both main characters, I couldn't relate to them at all. Halfway through the book, I felt more emotionally invested and found myself laughing out loud, giggling, and being annoyed (yes, that as well) only to stay mildly interested for a couple of pages bc the story seemed at times a bit predictable and ... well, the characters, on the whole, stayed a bit flat and not as interesting and well developed as usual. Also, the plot felt as if it was missing some real action.

I absolutely loved all the other books set in Hope Valley but this one feels totally different and not just because it is the start of a new series. I will definitely read the other books in the Whiskey Dolls Series as well because even though I didn't love Bombshell as much as the other books by Jessica Prince, I can't wait to learn more about the Whiskey Dolls girls and their stories.

Wednesday 31 March 2021

Jane Eyre von Charlotte Brontë, Hörspiel

 

 

 

Jane Eyre

Charlotte Brontë


https://blogger.penguinrandomhouse.de/content/edition/cover/350px/9783844520675.jpg


 
Hörspiel
 
Gelesen von: Sylvester Groth, Sascha Maria Icks, Christian Redl
Laufzeit: 230 Minuten

 

Inhalt

„Ich bin kein Vogel, und kein Netz umgarnt mich, ich bin ein freier Mensch mit einem freien Willen – das werde ich zeigen, indem ich Sie verlasse“, sagt Jane Eyre zu dem Mann, den sie liebt. Christiane Ohaus hat den romantischen Klassiker in ein akustisches Universum verwandelt, mit genialer Leichtigkeit greifen Musik, Geräusche und schauspielerische Gestaltung ineinander. Mit Sascha Icks als Jane Eyre, die sich zwischen ihrer Liebe und ihrer Selbstständigkeit entscheiden muss, mit Christian Redl als mürrisch-liebenswertem Landedelmann und Sylvester Groth als seinem Konkurrenten bleibt auch der kleinste Zwischenton von Charlotte Brontës großem Roman bewahrt.

 Rezension

Ich muss zugeben, dass ich mich mit diesem Hörspiel eines von mir sehr geschätzten Klassikers ein wenig schwer getan habe. Auch wenn die Sprecher gut sind und ich diese Geschichte als solche absolut genial finde und in diversene Variationen schon gelesen und gesehen habe, so schwer tue ich mich doch mit dieser Umsetzung als Hörspiel. 


Die Stimmen, bzw. das Sprechen erinnern mich sehr ans Theater, dabei vermisse ich dann aber doch den visuellen Part. Auch die Musik empfinde ich als eher unangenehm und aufdringlich und nicht unbedingt als gute Untermalung. Nach einiger Zeit gewöhnte ich mich zwar daran, aber so recht konnte der Funke nicht überspringen. Ich muss allerdings dazu sagen, dass ich normalerweise Hörbücher höre und nur sehr selten Hörspiele. Wer damit schon mehr Erfahrung hat, wird es vermutlich anders empfinden. Ich finde es schade, dass so doch einiges vom Sprachfluss und der Erzählweise der Autorin untergeht, da ich Charlotte Brontë als Autorin auch aufgrund ihres Schreibstils sehr schätze.

Lässt man meine Voreingenommenheit gegenüber dem Hörspiel einmal außen vor, ist es insgesamt schon gut umgesetzt, denke ich. Wer also ganz unvoreingenommen hier rangeht, dürfte auch an diese Version große Freude haben, auch wenn es leider nicht unbedingt meinen Geschmack trifft.  

 

☕☕☕

 

 



Sunday 14 March 2021

Family Camp (Daddy Dearest #1) by Eli Easton

Family Camp (Daddy Dearest, #1)

 

Family Camp (Daddy Dearest #1) by Eli Easton

 

 

Blurb

When Geo signs up for Family Camp, he envisions nature hikes, s’mores, and a chance to win over his recalcitrant new foster kids, Jayden and Lucy. He’s tried to become a dad for so long, and he hopes the three of them can be the family he’s always wanted. What he doesn’t anticipate is the prickly and gorgeous camp counselor who constantly comes to his rescue.

Travis spends a week every year at Camp Evermore, the camp his adoptive parents own. As a pro baseball player, his presence guarantees a full campground and excited campers. He has one rule: never, ever mess around with anyone at camp. His profession demands he stay in the closet. But one sweet and funny new dad is about to test all his resolve.

Sparks fly for Geo and Travis, and not because of the nightly campfire. Having been a foster kid himself, Travis is drawn to Geo’s sincerity and big heart and to his kids. The four of them just fit. But will this be a summer romance? Or can they find a way to be a family long after Family Camp is over?

 

Review

Beautiful and sweet, spiced with lots of humor while at the same time it touches some serious issues that make the reader fall gard and fast for Geo and his kids and, of course, for Travis.

I loved that even though the overall tone is light and sweet and kept me smiling goofily throughout the book, you still do realize that life is not all unicorns and roses for those four. It touches some subjects that are hard but you can always feel the love (and the chemistry) between all of them.
A lighthearted beautiful love story that went straight to my keeper shelf. 


☕☕☕☕

 

 

Thursday 11 March 2021

Krone und Blut (Die Königskriege 2) von Robert Low


Krone und Blut (Die Königskriege 2)

von 

Robert Low


Inhalt

 In den düsteren Jahren des frühen 14. Jahrhunderts kämpft das Schottische Königreich verzweifelt gegen die englischen Besatzer. Doch die großen Kriegsherren und Clansführer sind der Schlachten müde. Sir William Wallace, einer der Führer des schottischen Widerstands, muss nach Frankreich fliehen. Für den englischen König Edward scheint die Stunde des Sieges gekommen. Doch als der legendäre Freiheitskämpfer Robert the Bruce seinen Anspruch auf die schottische Krone geltend macht, flammt der Widerstand wieder auf. Der Kampf um die Freiheit wird für viele der letzte sein ...

 Rezension

Puhhhhh, ich muss ja zugeben, dass ich dieses Buch schon recht duster fand. Eigentlich liebe ich Bücher über die Zeit und es war auch mit Sicherheit keine ganz einfache und einfache Zeit für diejenigen, die sie erlebten, aber mir war nicht bewusst, dass der Blut-Part des Titels doch so richtungsweisend sein würde.

Es ist definitiv nichts für Zartbesaitete, das war mir auch vorher klar, alledings nicht ganz so deutlich, mein Mann kam mit dem Buch auch besser klar als ich, aber dennoch, auch wenn man das berücksichtigt, hätte ich mir eine etwas gradlinigere und klarere Handlung gewünscht. Insbesondere auch, aber nicht nur in der Vermischung mit den fiktiven Elementen, wird es für mich nicht immer ganz klar nachvollziehbar und ich war mir nicht immer ganz sicher, welche Bedeutung ein Handlungsstrang haben soll. Den dritten Band dieser Trilogie werde ich mir wohl nicht noch geben.

 

 ☕☕☕

 

 

 

 

 



Monday 1 March 2021

Der italienische Garten von Alyson Richman


 Der italienische Garten von Alyson Richman

  Übersetzt von: Norbert Möllemann

 

 Inhalt

Portofino 1943. Mitten im Krieg geht eine junge Frau von Bord eines Schiffes. Die Deutschen halten den malerischen Küstenort besetzt und lassen Elodie nicht mit ihren gefälschten Papieren passieren. Doch in letzter Sekunde gibt ein fremder Mann sie als seine Cousine aus und rettet sie. In seinem Haus auf den Klippen gewährt ihr Angelo Zuflucht. Aber Elodie kann niemandem trauen, denn ihr Geheimnis würde nicht nur sie das Leben kosten …

 

 Rezension

Ich muss zugeben, dass ich mir zwar dessen bewusst war, in welcher Zeit dieses Buch spielt, aber es war doch einige Grad härter als erwartet. Intensiv, mitreissend, aber definitiv keine leichte, fluffig-warme Kost, sondern ein Blick in eine Zeit der Willkür und des Hasses, eine Zeit, in der Musik verbindet, aber auch zum Code für Nachrichten des Widerstands wird und eine Zeit, in der Folter und Mord an der Tagesordnung waren.

Es gab auch Zeiten der Menschlichkeit, aber oft genug ertappte ich mich, dass ich die Luft anhielt und hoffte, dass alles gut geht....doch das war nicht immer der Fall.

So ein harmlos klingender Titel, hinter dem sich doch eine Geschichte verbirgt, die ganz und gar nicht harmlos ist, sondern den Leser auf eine Reise zwischen Grauen und Hoffnung, zwischen Folter und Liebe mitnimmt.  

 

☕☕☕☕

 

 


Sunday 21 February 2021

Der Spanische Bürgerkrieg: 1936-1939 von Antony Beevor

 

 Der Spanische Bürgerkrieg: 1936-1939 

von Antony Beevor

  
Übersetzt von:  
 Helmut Ettinger, Michael Bayer, Hans Freundl, Norbert Juraschitz, Renate Weitbrecht

 

 

 

 Inhalt

 Der Spanische Bürgerkrieg wurde zum Trauma für das moderne Spanien und ist in der Gesellschaft bis heute spürbar. Im Kampf der Volksfront, die von großen Teilen der europäischen Intellektuellen ideell und militärisch (in internationalen Brigaden) unterstützt wurde, gegen die Nationalisten unter General Franco, hinter dem das nationalsozialistische Deutschland und das faschistische Italien standen, bekämpften sich die beiden großen Ideologien des Jahrhunderts.

Antony Beevor erzählt die Geschichte des Spanischen Bürgerkriegs und seiner Folgen aus der Perspektive des 21. Jahrhunderts. Meisterhaft entwirrt er die komplexen gesamtpolitischen und die innerspanischen Ursachen des Krieges und zeigt den dramatischen Verlauf bis hin zur katastrophalen Niederlage der Republikaner 1939.

 Rezension

Es kann wohl niemand Hemingway lieben und sich nicht auch für den Spanischen Bürgerkrieg interessieren - zumindest ich kann das nicht. Ich muss allerdings zugeben, dass ich Sorge hatte, dass dieses Buch vielleicht doch etwas zu trocken sein könnte, aber das war definitiv nicht der Fall.

Im Gegenteil, der Autor schildert auf sehr anschauliche und interessante Weise gut verständlich die Ereignisse der Zeit von 1936 bis 1939 und wie es dazu kam. Es ist naturgemäß keine leichte Kost, aber gut lesbar und gut nachvollziehbar.

Es finden sich zudem noch etliche zeitgenössische Fotos in dem Buch, sowie im Anahang viele Karten, Hintergrundinformationen, sowie reichhaltige zusätzliche Anmerkungen, die das Verständnis erleichtern und eine nähere Auseinandersetzung mit dem Thema ermöglichen.
Interessant, gut und umfassend, wer sich für das Thema interessiert, wird an diesem Buch definitiv seine Freude haben. 


☕☕☕☕☕

 

 

Sunday 14 February 2021

A Stitch in Time (Thorne Manor #1) by Kelley Armstrong



A Stitch in Time (Thorne Manor #1)  

by

 Kelley Armstrong


 Blurb

Thorne Manor has always been haunted...and it has always haunted Bronwyn Dale. As a young girl, Bronwyn could pass through a time slip in her great-aunt’s house, where she visited William Thorne, a boy her own age, born two centuries earlier. After a family tragedy, the house was shuttered and Bronwyn was convinced that William existed only in her imagination.

Now, twenty years later Bronwyn inherits Thorne Manor. And when she returns, William is waiting.

William Thorne is no longer the boy she remembers. He’s a difficult and tempestuous man, his own life marred by tragedy and a scandal that had him retreating to self-imposed exile in his beloved moors. He’s also none too pleased with Bronwyn for abandoning him all those years ago.

As their friendship rekindles and sparks into something more, Bronwyn must also deal with ghosts in the present version of the house. Soon she realizes they are linked to William and the secret scandal that drove him back to Thorne Manor. To build a future, Bronwyn must confront the past.

 

 Review

This book was so absolutely beautiful, one of those books where you go back to buy the audiobook bc you have to go somewhere and don't want to miss a single moment and you simply need to read on right now. Next, you go back online to check out the paperback because this book is one that you definitely want to hold in your hand as well, you just need it.

And finally, while still remembering everything, still feeling the happiness, the giddiness, the fear and tension and the final relief that you felt while reading this book, you go on and pre-order the next book in this series because you simply can't wait to learn more and to meet Bronwyn and William again.

A wonderful story, captivating with lots of action and a mystery to solve, a beautiful love story and a love that spans centuries - simply perfect.


🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞 

 

 

Friday 12 February 2021

The Hunt (By Kiss and Claw Book 2) by Melissa Haag

 

 

The Hunt (By Kiss and Claw Book 2) by Melissa Haag

 


Blurb

I was fine existing on copious amounts of chocolate.  But, thanks to Fenris’s less than helpful intervention, Mom’s building a nightclub named “Man-beef Buffet.”  My hell is only beginning.

Hounded by the Academy's guidance counselor, smothered by her mother, and harassed by a perverted brownie, Eliana’s patience for well-meaning help is thinning.  She has more important matters on her plate.  Like, dealing with the repercussions of a backfired spell while avoiding the local, hot werewolf.

When something starts stalking her, Eliana decides she’s done playing by everyone else’s rules.  She might be afraid to feed, but she’s far from weak.  The beast pursuing her will soon feel what it’s like when the hunter becomes the hunted.

Warning: Contains a starving succubus with violent reactions to sex toys, a loving mom who supports nudism, and a brownie with fertility issues.  Recommended for mature teen readers and up.

 Review

It is still a toss-up between the Fates and Furies books and Eliana's books but seriously? This book is simply amazing and I loved every single page of it! Even though I hadn't read Howl again, it took me only a few sentences to be back in Uttira and everything came back at once. Oh, well, Piepen made himself unforgettable once again and I may have cringed while laughing out loud but he and his kind are sweet (in their own particular way at least) and it's always fun to meet them - inside the pages of a book.
Fenris is still wonderful and supportive, charming and just Fenris. With Megan and Oanen still gone and one or more crisis at hand, he is there to support Eliana however and when ever he can. While we are still trying to find Ashlyn and Eliana under pressure to feed properly whereas Fenris still has to fend of potential mates, I still can't make my mind up about Eliana's mother. She means well but....
And then there's Adira. And all the others who expect Eliana to behave like a good succubus no matter what she wants and how she feels - and it makes me furious! I loved Eliana from the first tackle-hug on and seeing her hurt because of these people... ugh.

This is once again an absolutely wonderful book with a great storyline and unique and very lovable characters - I loved It and can't wait to read the next book in the series, The Hunger! 

 

 🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞

 

 

Love In Moments (Love Distilled #2) by Scarlett Cole

 
 
 

 IT IS LIVE!

The wonderful second book in the Love Distilled series is finally live!

     Love In Moments (Love Distilled #2) by Scarlett Cole

  
Love In Moments (Love Distilled # 2)
 
 
BLURB
 


Swedish hockey player, Anders “Iceberg” Berg, is counting the days until he’s an unrestricted free agent and can land the contract he’s worth. Yet, instead of recovering and resting at home so he can play to impress his dream organization, he’s in Denver for his brother’s wedding at a gin distillery, watching the pretty brunette who organized the whole thing. 


Olivia Dyer can’t wait to put the year behind her. Her father died, and the event hall she ran at her family’s distillery was destroyed. The cost to the business and her mental health more than she could ever afford to repay. Rebuilding both takes all her effort leaving little time for anything else. Except for a single night of fun with the hot hockey player who’s been watching her every move.

When a kitchen catastrophe throws Anders and Liv together, it ends with an evening neither of them can forget. It was only meant to be one night. But when Anders is unexpectedly traded to see out the rest of his contract with the Denver Rush, and his plans to leave as quickly as possible are disrupted by the sultry brunette who defines courage, their only option is to give to the attraction they feel for one another.

Yet with Liv stuck in the past and Anders firmly focused on the future, can they put aside their differences and allow themselves to find love in the present?
 
 
 
REVIEW
 
Wow, simply wow. This book is absolutely amazing!

On the one hand, there is the beautiful love between Anders and Olivia, their chemistry and their love are palpable and I loved to see them grow together, to support each other and help each other fly. Those two are wonderful together and I felt with them, cheered them on, and worried a lot along the way. Oh, and I might have wanted to kick Anders sometimes...

Anders and Olivia are complex and complicated characters, both of them battling their own demons.
Whereas Anders is still trying to figure out his future and to find his place in the game and in his world, Olivia is dealing with the aftermath of a crippling depression that ruled her life for far too long. It hasn't been that long that she has fought her way back to life and at times she is still struggling. As someone who has first-hand experience with depression, I recognized much of myself in her. The author perfectly described the crippling feelings, the helplessness, and also the lack of understanding of those around you who never experienced anything like this and simply can't understand it.
This book is intense and honest and despite this serious topic, it is still a beautiful love story and we get to see Olivia reclaim her life bit by bit, step by step with Anders at her side who supports her.

I really loved this book and can't wait to read the next book in the series! 

🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞

 

P.S. You might want to keep a glass of gin at hand when you read the book. 

It won't be a Dyer's Medallion but still - it will be gin.  😉



Thursday 21 January 2021

May McGoldrick Borrowed Dreams: Pennington Family (Scottish Dream Trilogy Book 1)

 

 

 

  

Borrowed Dreams

 (Scottish Dream Trilogy Book 1)

by

 May McGoldrick

 

Blurb

 From the USA Best Selling Author The first Book In a New Trilogy (Scottish Dream Trilogy)  Winner of the Holt Medallion for Best Historical Romance  THE PROPOSAL Driven to undo the evil wrought by her dead husband, Millicent Wentworth must find a way to save her estate and free the innocent people he enslaves. Her only hope is a marriage—in name only—to the notorious widower the Earl of Aytoun. THE GROOM Devastated by the tragic accident that killed his wife and left him gravely wounded, Lyon Pennington, fourth Earl of Aytoun, is tormented by the accusations that blame him for the catastrophe. Filled with despair, he lets his mother lure him into a marriage of convenience—for the sake of a good-hearted woman on the verge of financial ruin. THE DESIRE Under Millicent’s gentle gaze, Lyon begins to regain his strength and his wounded heart begins to heal. And soon Millicent discovers that beneath his unruly beard and grim demeanor, Lyon just may be the most handsome—and caring—man she’s ever encountered. For the first time in her life, she realizes that she is alive—alive with a smoldering desire for the one man she’ll love forever… Winner of Holt Medallion for Best Historical Romance Winner of Romantic Times Award for Best British-Set Historical Romance

 

 Review
 
 I just realized the other day that even though this is one of my alltime favorites, I never wrote a review for this amazing book. This is one of the books that feel like Comfort food for the soul to me and I read and reread it very often.

I love the characters, both of them have suffered so much and still they dare hope. Seeing Lyon and Millicent fall for each other and help each other heal, is something special that always touches my heart.

Set in the Highlands at the time of the Clearings, were whole families were left homeless and forced to leave their native land, this beautiful passionate book tells a story of compassion and healing and the power of love.

Seeing Millicent heal and take a chance at love, see her change because of love after everything she endured, never fails to move me. Her compassion for the former slaves in her employ, her fight for their rights and happiness as well as her love and compassion for them, make her even more precious. And when Lyon enters her life and you can feel how she is drawn to him despite her fears and insecurities and when he slowly, upturned dish by upturned dish, shattered glass by shattered glass comes to appreciate her compassion, her fire and sees her as the beautiful and strong young woman that she is - it still gets me, every time I read it.

Their love for each other and those around them is palpable and I love to read their personal story and about their personal growth but I also love that this story highlights a time that you don't read about very often. There are the Clearings and the consequences for the people working the lands on the one hand and slavery and it's cruelty on the other hand.

Slavery is not yet banned in England at the time where this book is set. This book doesn't sugarcoat anything but shows slavery as the cruel disgrace that it was. You learn about it in the characters' memories and in a rather factual way though, compassionate but still factual.

There are so many wonderful multi-layered and complex characters in this book, you care for each and every one of them deeply and they stay with you for a long time after you have closed the book.
I can't say how often I've read this book by now but Millicent and Lyon and all the others ar
ound them are friends that I love to visit often.
 
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟


Tuesday 19 January 2021

Knight (Fae Games Book 2) by Karen Lynch



Blurb

Jesse's adventures in bounty hunting continue.
Will she discover why her parents were taken?
Will she ever forgive Lukas and his men?
New dangers and intrigues await her because the Fae games are far from over



 Review

 Oh my god, I absolutely love this book! I've read it a couple of times already, now I'm waiting patiently... okay, kidding... impatiently for the audiobook to be released.

I've read all the books in the Relentless series by the author numerous times, read them, listened to them, petted the paperbacks (and the gorgeous hardback) lovingly... you know, that kind of book love.
So, naturally, I was thrilled (and a bit worried) when I started to read Pawn, the first book in the Fae Games series. The expectations were high but - the book was even better than I could have hoped for. An instant favorite, read and listened to far too many times by now to remember how often and now - Knight.

You should have read Pawn before you start reading Knight because Knight continues where Pawn ended - and I loved every minute of this book. Once again it kept me glued to my reader and, well, l can't even start to say what I loved best. If you fell in love with Finch in Pawn, you will love to meet him (and others) again in Knight. I was  constantly awww-ing and smiling goofily when reading about him and.... oops.

The story itself was captivating and I loved to see the different characters unfold and, yep, some groveling and making up for stupid actions may have been involved as well, just in case you were wondering.

The imaginative narrative, the well-developed and captivating plot and the authentic multi-layered characters as well as the amazing writing make this book and this whole series once again so special. And now I'm anxiously and very impatiently waiting for Queen, the final book in the trilogy!

 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟