Genre: Romance

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros | Book Review

Posted October 26, 2023 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 4 Comments

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Series: The Empyrean #1
Also in this series: Onyx Storm
Published by Red Tower Books on May 2, 2023
Genres: Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 528
Format: eBook
Source: Library
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Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Yarros.

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.

Hello, I’d like to introduce you to Fourth Wing, my new personality. I’m sure you’ve been seeing reviews of Fourth Wing all over the internet for months now, so I’m not going to say a lot here. I’m not going to discuss the characters or the story or anything specific, really. I’m just going to tell you my thoughts and whether or not this book is worth reading! My brain feels very unorganized, so a list of random thoughts it is! We all know how much I love lists!

This. Book. Is. Everything.
You need to read it.
The hype is absolutely 100% real and justified.
The world is rich and interesting and will suck you in.
The characters will make you either love or loathe them.
I loved dragons before, but the dragons in this book have my heart. I love them so much.
Basgiath War College is such a cool, yet ruthless place.
The romance was on fire.
This is the new ACTOAR series for me. I’m obsessed. I have needed a romantasy series like this for so long, and I am so excited about how long it’s supposed to be.
I haven’t read a book this quickly in an extremely long time. I could not stop, it was so gripping.
There’s danger!!
Prepare to cry.
Your mouth will drop at the end.
Seriously, beware the cliffhanger.

I can sum it all up in two words: read it. I will never not recommend this book! I am counting down the days until my copy of Iron Flame, book #2, arrives in my mailbox! I can’t wait!!

In the Weeds by B.K. Borison | Book Review

Posted August 18, 2023 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 0 Comments

In the Weeds by B.K. Borison
Series: Lovelight #2
Also in this series: Business Casual, Mixed Signals
Published by Berkley on July 13, 2023
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance, Romantic Comedy
Pages: 334
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
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A grumpy farmer and a no-nonsense social media influencer have another chance at love in this charming romantic comedy.

Evelyn St. James isn’t the kind of woman you forget. Beckett Porter certainly hasn’t. One incredible weekend in Maine, and he’s officially a man distracted. He’s not unfamiliar with hot and heavy flings, but Evie wove some sort of magic over him during their tumble in the sheets. He can’t stop thinking about her laugh. Her hand pressed flat against his chest. Her smiling mouth at his neck.

So when she suddenly appears on his farm as part of a social media contest, he is…confused. He had no idea that the sweet and sexy woman he met at a bar is actually a global phenomenon. When Evie disappears again, Beckett resolves to finally move on.

But Evie, who has been feeling disconnected from her work and increasingly dissatisfied with life online, is trying to find her way back to something real. She returns to the last place she was Lovelight Farms and the tiny town of Inglewild. And it has absolutely nothing to do with the hot farmer she spent two incredible nights with.

*happy sigh* The Lovelight series is quickly becoming a cozy favorite of mine. I adored Lovelight Farms when I read it last Christmas, and In the Weeds is even better! Evie and Beckett get their second chance at love, and I enjoyed their journey. Readers met Evie in the first book, as she was the social media influencer who highlighted Lovelight Farms at Christmastime. It was mentioned at that time that she and Beckett had had a steamy night together recently, which made for an awkward surprise reunion when she showed up at the farm. Just like that night in the hotel room, she disappeared on Beckett without a word after she had enough info for her piece on Lovelight Farms. In the Weeds begins with a flashback to that fateful one-night stand, where readers get all the juicy details of what happened between the two of them.

Spring has sprung in Inglewild, and I loved seeing the flowers bloom and tagging along on planting days on the farm. I’m happy to report that Beckett’s adorable kittens are still babies who rule the farm and have Beckett whipped. I fell in love with this broody farmer in the first book. There’s just something about a man who loves to rescue animals, and I suggest you prepare to melt over a sweet little duckling in this book. I enjoyed getting to know Beckett more, and I loved Evie as well! Evie is experiencing some major burnout with her job and is feeling a little lost in her life. When her assistant asks her to name the last place she felt truly happy, Lovelight Farms immediately flashed across her mind. So, of course, she returns… not really knowing why. She and Beckett run into each other right when she arrives and finds out there’s no place in the entire town for her to stay and Beckett, being the gentleman that he is, offers her one of the spare rooms in his house. She moves into his house and back into his heart. There’s so many feelings between these two, my goodness. The romance in this story feels so real and raw. It is a very slow burn, dripping with angst and I loved it. They both have a lot to work through personally, as well as together. Their nights drinking tea together on his porch, their mornings skirting feelings around the kitchen, and their not-so-secret longing for one another was delicious. I just loved watching them work through their emotions and their feelings.

Inglewild is the most amazing town. The gossip phone tree, activated when anything interesting happens, made me giggle. The supporting characters, some of whom are instrumental in getting these two together, warmed my heart. Everyone is ready, willing, and eager to lend a helping hand whenever needed, whether it be to offer baking advice or help warm someone up who fell in a freezing lake. I loved seeing Stella and Luka again, as well as Layla. These three, plus Beckett, own Lovelight Farms together and I love this supportive found family of friends. If one of them is out stress digging in the fields in the middle of the night, the rest of them will climb out of bed and bring shovels and coffee to dig together in silence. If someone is camped out on the floor of their kitchen feeling sad, at least one of them is bound to show up and sit on the floor with them. The friendships in this series make my heart ache in the best possible way.

As with the first book, I love B.K. Borison’s writing. Her descriptions of the scenery and the goings on at the farm made me feel like I was there. She writes the best love stories and characters you’re sure to fall in love with. I’ve already read the next book in this series because I could not pull myself away from this cozy world she’s created. I’d like to stay here forever!

Ledge by Stacey McEwan | Mini Book Review

Posted August 10, 2023 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 1 Comment

Ledge by Stacey McEwan
Series: The Glacian Trilogy #1
Published by Angry Robot on October 31, 2021
Genres: Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 271
Format: Audiobook
Source: Audible
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After being randomly selected as a human sacrifice, instead of death, Dawsyn finds herself on a quest to save her people from their icy prison...
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In a place known as the Ledge, a civilization is trapped by a vast chasm and sheer mountain face. There is no way for anyone to escape the frozen wasteland without befalling a deathly drop. They know nothing of the outside world except that it is where the Glacians reside – mystical and vicious winged creatures who bring meagre rations in exchange for a periodic human sacrifice.

Dawsyn, ax wielder and only remaining member of her family, has so far avoided the annual culling, but her luck has run out. She is chosen and ripped from her icy home, the only world she knows. No one knows what will happen to her on the other side, least of all Dawsyn. Murdered? Enslaved? Worse?

Fortunately, a half-Glacian called Ryon offers to help them both escape, but how can she trust one of the very creatures that plagued her life? Dawsyn is a survivor, and she is not afraid to cut anyone down to live.

With a slow-burning romance, high stakes and even higher rewards, this richly created new fantasy series by popular TikToker Stacey McEwan will keep you gripped to the very end.

*Content warnings* gratuitous violence & death; death of a minor; suicide; attempted sexual assault

I am a huge romantasy fan, yet I find myself struggling to find books in the genre that can hold a candle to my favorites (ACOTAR, The Winter King, Bridge Kingdom, among others). When a friend suggested I pick up Ledge to quench my romantasy thirst, I was a little skeptical. I don’t usually end up liking the TikTok/social media sensations and find them to be overly hyped because everyone has been caught up in the frenzy. I’m currently side-eying Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros for this same reason, but that’s another story. lol. Anyway, I really, really enjoyed Ledge and immediately downloaded the sequel, Chasm, on Netgalley when it was over. And here’s the funny thing. When I sat down to write this review and began to think about all the different aspects of a book I always write about like the characters, romance, worldbuilding, story, etc. I realized that this book is lacking in several areas. It has plot holes and pacing issues. So why could I not stop reading it? I couldn’t put it down and really grabbed on to the unique aspects of the story. So that’s super wild to me! How can I fly through a book and not notice all the issues it has? LOL. Anyway, let’s dissect this. As always, my main points are bolded.

1. I love a fantasy set in a freezing cold world. These are my very favorites. I’m not sure why, I just love how cozy (or ominous) and magical (or eerie) a wintry setting makes these stories. Ledge takes place in a small village right on the edge of a deep chasm in the treacherous mountains. It’s completely cut off from the rest of the world, and nobody leaves unless they are snatched away by a Glacian, a violent winged creature that reminds me of a dragon, never to be seen again. The people who live on the ledge struggle for everything. The Glacian kingdom sends them just enough rations and supplies to keep them alive, but they’re essentially fighting each other for everything they have. In exchange for these rations from the Glacians, the people of the ledge are forced to offer themselves up as human sacrifices every so often. When the time comes, they all stand outside their homes as the Glacians fly over them and decide who they will choose. Dawsyn has lost her entire family to the Glacians, and now her luck has run out. She is taken and flown to the castle on the other side of the chasm, where she is held prisoner until the time comes for her to make a life changing decision. I found this concept to be super compelling, and I loved the setting. The frigid ledge, the scary kingdom on the other side, and the chasm that separates them had me so intrigued. I really enjoyed the set-up of the story.

2. But then… the story really slows down and turns inward to focus on the romance, and the worldbuilding suffers as a result. The Glacian king allows Dawsyn to choose her fate. She can either live as a mindless shell or she can run down the mountain in a race against the Glacians who will attempt to hunt and kill her on her way, something nobody has been successful at doing so far. Of course, she chooses to run and I was so excited for a suspenseful descent with danger and battles and loads of suspense. I was hoping the bulk of the book would focus on this, actually. But it never happened. We meet Ryon, half human half Glacian, who volunteers to be one of the creatures who will hunt Dawsyn. But he has an ulterior motive. His goal is to escape with her to the kingdom below and set his plan in motion to ultimately overthrow the king and find a way for humans and Glacians to live in peace. A noble goal. Instead of hunting her, he finds her and they join forces to descend the mountain together.

3. And then the story stops. lol. There was potential for so much suspense and excitement, but things get too easy for these characters. This super treacherous mountain seems like a hill for how quickly they descend it. Like, I was picturing Mt. Everest or the Alps for how cold it is (and how far removed these people and the creatures are from the rest of the world) but then they hit the bottom in no time and I was like… oh, so was it just a little hilly Appalachian Mountain maybe? There are some revelations, which I enjoyed. Some secrets are aired. But overall it all felt too easy. And it all moved at a glacial speed. I kept reading because the beginning really grabbed me, but we spend a little too much time hiding in an inn trying to figure out what to do, even though Ryon’s plan has been in motion forever… and things are basically ready to go? So… why did he even bring Dawsyn if she literally had nothing to offer him and actually hinders his ability to carry out his plan efficiently? It just felt like too much of a liability for someone who has been waiting a long time for the opportune moment to overthrow an entire kingdom.

4. Dawsyn and Ryon are very underdeveloped characters. We get a little backstory of Dawsyn losing her family members one by one, and we get some very murky details about Ryon’s past. But they’re both seriously lacking in personality. And they don’t make sense. Dawsyn has been on the brink of starvation in a barren wasteland for her entire life. How can she do anything but sit by the fire and try not to die? She’s wielding axes and killing things and is so strong. How can this be? It makes no sense. This weird insta-love they fall into also makes no sense. Why does she trust him so easily? He is the enemy, yet she wants to give herself over to him completely even though he’s done nothing to prove to her that she can trust him. And why does he care about her at all? Because she’s pretty? I can’t figure out a reason why they love each other. Also, Ryon insists on calling Dawsyn “girl”. WHY? WHYYY!? It’s so annoying! Glacians live a long time, so I guess he’s old even though he’s smoking hot (Edward, is that you?), but why must he call her “girl”? It felt demeaning and really rubbed me the wrong way. Plus, she asked him not to call her that multiple times so he doesn’t even respect her. I’m sure both of them are annoyed that the author forced them to fall in love, because there is no love built between the two of them. It seems to only happen for the sake of the plot.

5. Many little details are shrouded in this kind of vague nothingness. Readers are told things but are never shown anything. Why do Dawsyn and Ryon both swear the same way when they’ve been brought up practically on different planets, and are different species? Where did Dawsyn’s training in weaponry and combat come from? What is this magic system? How do we have a mage who just randomly appears and heals people of their injuries to ensure the story can continue? Where did the Glacians come from? There’s no history of these creatures. They clearly haven’t always existed (or at least not in this place) since there was a life before the ledge that Dawsyn’s grandmother experienced. So where did they come from? This pool that renders humans shells and allows the Glacians to be immortal… Um, ok? Why? How?

6. The writing, while nice at times, never really settled into one consistent style. It’s like the author wrote this in chunks over the years and then pieced it all together. The prose changes, and there was no real consistency.

7. So why 3 stars? Well, it’s that whole compulsion to read that I mentioned in the beginning. I was so captivated by the bones of this story that I kept hoping things would get more fleshed out and my questions would be answered. The story sounds so cool on the surface, and the author could have done so much more if she had dug a little deeper and really tackled everything she set out to create. I feel like she got tired or bogged down by her imagination. But the thing is, she did write something I binged. She got me. The twist at the end FLOORED me. I was shaken to my very core. Holy cliffhanger. Regardless of all my criticisms, this book grabbed me. I thought about it when I wasn’t reading it. I read for longer stretches than my sleep schedule allowed. I don’t even know what happened. I think it was a case of the right book at the right time and I will absolutely be reading the next one. I hope more worldbuilding happens, more questions are answered, and we get a more developed Dawsyn and Ryon.

Wow. Just look at the turmoil in my review. LOL. I enjoyed this book, I was entertained, and I will be recommending it to others. BUT it would be so much better with some improvements that I hope to see in Chasm. So do with that what you will!

The Roommate Pact by Allison Ashley | Book Review

Posted July 31, 2023 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 1 Comment

The Roommate Pact by Allison Ashley
Published by Mira on August 1, 2023
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Pages: 320
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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All of the fun, none of the heartache…as long as they stick to the agreement.

The proposition is simple: if ER nurse Claire Harper and her roommate, firefighter Graham Scott, are still single by the time they’re forty, they’ll take the proverbial plunge together…as friends with benefits. Maybe it’s the wine, but in the moment, Claire figures the pact is a safe-enough deal, considering she hasn’t had much luck in love and he’s in no rush to settle down. Like, at all. Besides, there’s no way she could ever really fall for Graham and his thrill-seeking ways. Not after what happened to her father…

Just as things begin to heat up way before the proposed deadline, Graham’s injured in a serious rock-climbing accident—and he needs Claire’s help to heal. She’ll do whatever it takes to nurse him back to health…even if it means moving into Graham’s bed and putting up with his little dog who hates her. But with this no-strings arrangement taking a complicated turn, keeping “for now” from turning into “forever” isn’t as easy as they’d planned.

I read and really enjoyed Would You Rather, so I was excited to read this companion novel! Would You Rather features Noah and Mia, both of whom make multiple important appearances in The Roommate Pact. Both of them are close friends with Claire and Graham, who take center stage in this book. So while The Roommate Pact works fine as a standalone, I recommend you reading Would You Rather first for Noah’s and Mia’s sweet marriage of convenience love story. One thing you can expect with an Allison Ashley book is an emotional story with some humor thrown in, and that’s exactly what you get with The Roommate Pact! As always, my main points are bolded.

1. Friends to lovers is one of my favorite romance tropes, so I was happy Allison Ashley chose to use it again in this book. Claire and Graham are roommates and good friends. He’s a firefighter (mmmmmm) and she’s a nurse. They made a silly pact to become friends with benefits at 40 if they are not in serious relationships at that point, so you know they already have a tiny thing for one another. While chatting outside one night, Claire realizes how seriously Graham took that pact. The feelings start to bloom between them then and there, and go into overdrive when Graham is injured. Claire offers to help him recover at home, and that’s where our love story begins.

2. I really liked Graham and Claire! Both of them have some trauma from their pasts that make them reluctant to entertain any kind of relationship with the other, which is where the friends with benefits idea came from. Graham has a risky lifestyle, being a firefighter and a hiker/rock climber, and Claire experienced loss as a child as a result of someone else’s risky lifestyle, so he’s kind of off limits for her. She doesn’t want to constantly worry about losing the person she ends up. Graham was burned as a teen, and vowed never to fall in love again. Both of them are in for a rude awakening when they discover that love always finds a way around these kinds of rules people set for themselves.

3. I said I liked Claire, but Graham has my heart and deserves a little more discussion. Claire suggests that he journal during his recovery, and he decides to write her long emails while she’s at work instead. He sends them to an email address she hasn’t checked in ages, and finds this outlet to be very therapeutic. He learns a lot about himself and is so vulnerable. I really felt for him and loved seeing him grow and change. He’s just such a good guy. He’s a protector, a provider, and I love him. Oh, and he falls first. So good.

4. GERTRUDE. There is a tiny dog with a huge attitude in this book and I LOVED her. Gertie is Graham’s little princess, and boy is she spoiled. This dog hates Claire with every fiber of her being, and it was the cutest and funniest journey for the two of them. Gertie brought a lot of comedic relief to the story, which I loved.

5. The romance is a little formulaic as far as the friends to lovers trope goes, but it was sweet in the end. Graham is unable to speak for a little while due to a small injury in the hospital after being intubated, so OF COURSE this means Claire needs to sleep in his bed with him every night even though he texts her all day long. How convenient! I enjoyed their friendship and their conversations. I loved the trip they take together to his parents’ house, and Claire’s interactions with his parents. SO sweet. I really enjoyed delving into their minds and learning what they truly think about one another. Graham’s emails, where he pours out his heart had me in a puddle. There’s so many feelings on both sides. On the surface, though, there’s a lot of physical attraction and that’s the bulk of what actually propels the romance forward. Because they decide to become friends with benefits a few years earlier than originally planned their relationship starts out very physically driven, even though the actual intimate scenes are fade-to-black (which I thought that was an odd choice considering the nature of their relationship). Their foundation was formed before the book begins so readers arrive on scene just in time for things to get physical. I guess I just wanted to see more of that depth, rather than be told it’s there. I felt like I was missing a lot of info that I needed to be able to fully believe the love story. There was a lot of telling and not much showing.

6. There’s a lot of discussion surrounding grief, loss, illness, fear of the unknown, and processing trauma. These topics were handled with respect and sensitivity, which I really appreciated. I don’t tend to enjoy heavier topics like these in my romance because I read to try and get away from my own inner demons. But Allison Ashley does such a good job tackling weightier subject matter, and juxtaposing it with humor and flirtatious banter.

So all in all, I enjoyed this! I really loved Graham and his little Gertrude. I enjoyed seeing Claire and Graham open up and express their fears and grapple with what they have been through individually in their pasts. I do wish I had been able to see more depth to their relationship, rather than being told about it, but I do really like them as a couple. I’m definitely interested in seeing what Allison Ashley has in store for us next.

How to Be a Wallflower by Eloisa James | Book Review

Posted July 20, 2023 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 0 Comments

How to Be a Wallflower by Eloisa James
Series: Would-Be Wallflowers #1
Published by Avon on March 29, 2022
Genres: Historical Romance, Romance
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
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Miss Cleopatra Lewis is about to be launched in society by her aristocratic grandfather. But since she has no intention of marrying, she visits a costume emporium specifically to order unflattering dresses guaranteed to put off any prospective suitors.

Powerful and charismatic Jacob Astor Addison is in London, acquiring businesses to add to his theatrical holdings in America—as well as buying an emerald for a young lady back in Boston. He's furious when a she-devil masquerading as an English lady steals Quimby's Costume Emporium from under his nose.

Jake strikes a devil's bargain, offering to design her “wallflower wardrobe” and giving Cleo the chance to design his. Cleo can't resist the fun of clothing the rough-hewn American in feathers and flowers. And somehow in the middle of their lively competition, Jake becomes her closest friend.

It isn't until Cleo becomes the toast of all society that Jake realizes she's stolen his fiercely guarded heart. But unlike the noblemen at her feet, he doesn't belong in her refined and cultured world.

Caught between the demands of honor and desire, Jake would give up everything to be with the woman he loves—if she'll have him!

Historical romance might just be my favorite genre, which is so surprising to me! I loved it as a teen, and it was actually my first adult romance genre so maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised! I’ve been discovering a lot of new-to-me authors in this genre over the last year, and this year I’m rediscovering Eloisa James. I read a fairytale retelling of hers a couple years ago and enjoyed it, but I never picked up anything else by her until I received How to Be A Wallflower for review. I was looking for more books for lovers of Lisa Kleypas and fell down a bit of a rabbit hole that led to me finding out that Eloisa and Lisa are friends, and that they love each other’s writing! That got me even more excited to jump back in to Eloisa’s titles and I’m so glad I did! Right after I finished this one I read another one of hers, and both were so much fun! I’m hopeful I’ve found another author to love! As always, my main points are bolded.

1. Right off the bat I knew I’d like Cleo. She’s a spicy spitfire, and I loved watching her put people in their place. I loved her personality. Not every lady would take pride in being the owner of a company that makes commodes (toilets), but she does! Her mother pushed the boundaries of society and lived her best life, and Cleo is following in her footsteps now. She doesn’t care that she doesn’t fit in, she just owns who she is and loves herself. She has no interest in settling down with a man and handing everything she’s worked for over to him, so she sets out to become a wallflower–someone no man would pay any attention to. She designs the most unattractive wardrobe for herself and is ready to blend in while she joins her grandfather in London. But no, she will pay for her own lodging because she’s an independent woman. She’s reluctant to start a relationship with Jake because her mom couldn’t commit to just one man and Cleo doesn’t want to hurt him. I loved this unconventional role reversal, and I just loved her!

2. Jacob Astor Addison, rugged American businessman, wants to buy a clothing shop and take it to America to change the world of theater. I loved Jake, too. He’s so burly and strong and he won a fight with a bear, for crying out loud. An actual bear in the wild. He falls very quickly, and boy does he have it bad for Cleo. Like so, so bad. He loves her so much that he’s willing to parade about London in the brightest colors and the boldest prints because she helped design his wardrobe for him. He insists on moving to her floor at the hotel she’s staying at so he can make sure she’s safe (since she lives there alone). And yes, he rents out the entire floor so it’s just the two of them. In their own suites. He befriends her grandpa. He worms his way right into her heart and patiently allows her to fall a little, back away, fall a little more, get scared, and ultimately fall head over heels, all on her own time.

3. I loved the friendship these two form on their way to love. They sit around and have stimulating conversations over meals. The banter is amazing. They are such wonderful communicators, and we know how that makes me soar. They’re both so open with their fears and emotions and wants, and they get to know one another on a very deep level. It just felt like this romance was built on a stronger foundation than many others in this genre.

4. The romance is just amazing. The pining on his part, and the trepidation on her part. The things he thinks about her and says to her face had me swooning. I loved that Jake let Cleo drive the romance at her own speed. They kissed when she wanted it. They did… *ahem* other things on her terms. He respects her feelings and her wishes, and is such a flirty cinnamon roll gentleman that he left me weak in the knees. The story is just so romantic.

5. The entire story is very sweet and low stakes, which was so refreshing. There was little to no angst, no big miscommunications or misunderstandings, no villains. Just two people working their way to each other.

6. I loved the supporting characters. All of them.

7. The humor! Perhaps parts of this story are a little outlandish and unbelievable, but I didn’t care! I loved the humor, and had so much fun reading this.

All in all, I highly recommend this book and am excited to continue with the series! I took a little detour and went to an older release, My American Duchess, because I heard it’s the love story of Jake’s best friend, Merry. I loved her so much in this book that I absolutely had to go read her story. It was amazing, and my review should be up in the next few weeks! I can’t wait to read more from Eloisa James!