Tag Archive for: 4 Stars

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Review: The Duke and I

Review: The Duke and ITitle: The Duke and I: Daphne's Story
Author: Julia Quinn
Series: Bridgerton #1
Genre(s): Historical Fiction, Romance
Pages: 464
Source: Library
For: Personal Interest
Rating:
Sexual Content: 3 Flames

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There's content in this book that may be triggering to some readers. I've tried to include the possible triggers in this book at end of my review.
Goodreads Synopsis

In the ballrooms and drawing rooms of Regency London, rules abound. From their earliest days, children of aristocrats learn how to address an earl and curtsey before a prince--while other dictates of the ton are unspoken yet universally understood. A proper duke should be imperious and aloof. A young, marriageable lady should be amiable ... but not too amiable. Daphne Bridgerton has always failed at the latter. And, amiability is not a characteristic shared by Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings. Recently returned to England from abroad, he intends to shun both marriage and society--just as his callous father shunned Simon throughout his painful childhood. But amid the glittering, gossipy, cut-throat world of London’s elite, there is only one certainty: love ignores every rule...

My Thoughts

I decided to read THE DUKE AND I because the audiobook was available to borrow from my library and I really enjoyed watching the first season of BRIDGERTON on Netflix. I’m glad I decided to read the book because it was such a fun, steamy historical fiction.

I really loved the setting of Regency era England, abound with rules and etiquette. It was fun to see some of the characters trying to skirt those rules for a few seconds of privacy. I loved the themes of family, forgiveness, redemption, and love conquering all.

Despite that THE DUKE AND I is a historical romance and takes place during the time of one’s reputation being the most important thing, there are plenty of swoon-worthy moments. I really loved Daphne and her courage to help Simon, the Duke of Hastings, overcome his past trauma, showing him that love is more powerful and healing than anger and resentment. I loved the instant connection and attraction between Daphne and Simon. I especially loved the sexual tension between the two of them.

THE DUKE AND I is not only a historical romance, it’s also a thought-provoking story that deals with hard subjects like child abandonment, child abuse, betrayal, forgiveness, and healing from trauma. Though some of the scenes are hard to read, I thought the story was profound and heart-felt.

The edition I read had a second epilogue written after Quinn received many requests to know how the characters were doing. It’s set 21 years after the events in the main story. Even though I enjoyed getting a glimpse of the life Daphne and Simon had together, I thought it was a bit much due to its length.

I look forward to reading more books in the Bridgerton series and hope that I’ll like Daphne’s family as much as I liked her.

Have you read THE DUKE AND I? If so, what did you think?

Trigger Warning

There is a trigger warning for loss of a parent, death during childbirth, child abandonment, child abuse, miscarriage, and sexual assault.

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Review: Bringing Down the Duke

Review: Bringing Down the DukeTitle: Bringing Down the Duke
Author: Evie Dunmore
Series: A League of Extraordinary Women #1
Genre(s): Historical Fiction, Romance
Pages: 335
Source: Library
For: Personal Interest
Rating:
Sexual Content: 3.5 Flames

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There's content in this book that may be triggering to some readers. I've tried to include the possible triggers in this book at end of my review.
Goodreads Synopsis

England, 1879. Annabelle Archer, the brilliant but destitute daughter of a country vicar, has earned herself a place among the first cohort of female students at the renowned University of Oxford. In return for her scholarship, she must support the rising women's suffrage movement. Her charge: recruit men of influence to champion their cause. Her target: Sebastian Devereux, the cold and calculating Duke of Montgomery who steers Britain's politics at the Queen's command. Her challenge: not to give in to the powerful attraction she can't deny for the man who opposes everything she stands for.

My Thoughts

I decided to read BRINGING DOWN THE DUKE because the audiobook was available to borrow from my library. I’m so glad I decided to read it because it was such a fun, steamy historical fiction.

I really loved the setting of Victorian era England, just at the beginning of the suffragette movement and the admission of women to Oxford. I thought it gave the romance and characters, especially Annabelle and Sebastian, some depth. Not only did I love the theme of women’s rights and equality in BRINGING DOWN THE DUKE, I also loved the themes of friendship, finding one’s own way, and duty to one’s country vs. being on the right side of history.

Despite that BRINGING DOWN THE DUKE is a historical romance and takes place during the time of one’s reputation being the most important thing, there are plenty of swoon-worthy moments. I really loved Annabelle and her willingness to speak her mind even though it was looked down on at that time. I loved the instant connection and attraction between her and Sebastian, the Duke of Montgomery. I especially loved the sexual tension between the two of them.

I look forward to reading more books written by Evie Dunmore, including the other three novels in this series. I’m not quite as fond of Lady Lucy, but I’m sure I’ll like her more once I read her story. And, I really loved Catriona and Hattie so I think it’ll be fun to read their happy-every-afters.

Have you read BRINGING DOWN THE DUKE? If so, what did you think?

Trigger Warning

There is a trigger warning for loss of a parent, miscarriage, and sexual manipulation.

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Review: When I’m Dead

Review: When I’m DeadTitle: When I'm Dead
Author: Hannah Morrissey
Series: Black Harbor #3
Genre(s): Thriller
Pages: 320
Source: Library
For: Book of the Month
Rating:
Sexual Content: 2 Flames

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There's content in this book that may be triggering to some readers. I've tried to include the possible triggers in this book at end of my review.
Goodreads Synopsis

On a bone-chilling October night, Medical Examiner Rowan Winthorp investigates the death of her daughter’s best friend. Hours later, the tragedy hits even closer to home when she makes a devastating discovery--her daughter, Chloe, is gone. But, not without a trace.

My Thoughts

WHEN I’M DEAD was my October 2023 pick for Book of the Month (BOTM) and I read it as part of the BOTM challenge I’m doing this year.

WHEN I’M DEAD isn’t really a sequel to HELLO, TRANSCRIBER and THE WIDOWMAKER because it focuses on other characters. There are a few secondary characters that are in each book, but the main commonality between the three stories is the setting–Black Harbor, Wisconsin. I love the Easter eggs in THE WIDOWMAKER and WHEN I’M DEAD that unite the stories as a series.

I thought the story was captivating, emotional, and suspenseful. I love Morrissey’s prose. It’s so descriptive and beautiful. (Although, if I heard “shadow of a doubt” one more time, I might have screamed.) I really liked that the story’s told from multiple POVs. I loved the different look into what was going on and I thought each POV was unique and made the story better.

Just like its predecessors, WHEN I’M DEAD is a very dark thriller that kept me guessing until the end. It’s thought-provoking and deals with subjects like bullying, suicide, and parent / child relationships.

I really liked the characters in WHEN I’M DEAD. I especially liked Rowan and Axel’s because of their need to find their daughter, Chloe, and their self-doubt in wondering whether they were good parents and really knew their daughter. There was so much more emotion in this story than the previous two, which kept me reading and thinking about the story when I wasn’t.

I’m so glad I read all three books in the Black Harbor series even though I could have just read WHEN I’M DEAD without really missing anything. I look forward to any other books in the series as well.

Have you read WHEN I’M DEAD? If so, what did you think?

Trigger Warning

There is a trigger warning for suicide, bullying, death of a parent, death of a child, and death of animals.

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Review: The Widowmaker

Review: The WidowmakerTitle: The Widowmaker
Author: Hannah Morrissey
Series: Black Harbor #2
Genre(s): Thriller
Pages: 304
Source: Library
For: Personal Interest
Rating:
Sexual Content: 1.5 Flames

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There's content in this book that may be triggering to some readers. I've tried to include the possible triggers in this book at end of my review.
Goodreads Synopsis

A wealthy family shrouded in scandal; a detective tasked with solving an impossible cold case; and a woman with a dark past collide in Hannah Morrissey's stunning new Black Harbor mystery, THE WIDOWMAKER.

My Thoughts

As I said in my HELLO, TRANSCRIBER review, I found out WHEN I’M DEAD, one of my Book of the Month (BOTM) books, is the third book in the Black Harbor series. I wanted to read it this month so I decided to check out the first (HELLO, TRANSCRIBER) and second (THE WIDOWMAKER) books from my library.

Even though THE WIDOWMAKER is the second book in the Black Harbor series, it’s not really sequel to HELLO, TRANSCRIBER. Investigator Kole, now Sgt. Kole, does return as a secondary character, but the commonality between the two stories is the setting–Black Harbor, Wisconsin–the most crime-ridden city in the state. And, THE WIDOWMAKER’s told in a dual POV.

I thought the story was captivating and suspenseful. I love Morrissey’s beautifully descriptive prose. Because of the dual POV, it took me a few chapters to understand what was happening. At that point, I zipped right through the story. When I wasn’t listening to the audiobook, I was thinking about the characters and their lives.

THE WIDOWMAKER is a very dark thriller that kept me guessing until the end. It’s very thought-provoking and deals with hard subjects like child abandonment, abuse, and sexual assault.

I liked both of the main characters. I also liked the narrators for the audiobook. They both did a great job bringing Morgan and Investigator Hudson to life. I thought some of the secondary characters were a bit flat and could’ve been fleshed out more. I liked the little Easter eggs pointing to HELLO, TRANSCRIBER when Hudson was interacting with and talking about Sgt. Kole.

Even though I wouldn’t have missed anything by skipping HELLO, TRANSCRIBER and THE WIDOWMAKER, I’m glad I decided to read both of them. I liked getting to know Black Harbor and its people and I’m even more excited to finally read WHEN I’M DEAD.

Have you read THE WIDOWMAKER? If so, what did you think?

Trigger Warning

There is a trigger warning for suicide, suicidal ideation, death of a parent, child abandonment, child abuse, spousal abuse, and sexual assault.

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Review: Hello, Transcriber

Review: Hello, TranscriberTitle: Hello, Transcriber
Author: Hannah Morrissey
Series: Black Harbor #1
Genre(s): Romance, Thriller
Pages: 304
Source: Library
For: Personal Interest
Rating:
Sexual Content: 3 Flames

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There's content in this book that may be triggering to some readers. I've tried to include the possible triggers in this book at end of my review.
Goodreads Synopsis

Every night, while the street lamps shed the only light on Wisconsin's most crime-ridden city, police transcriber Hazel Greenlee listens as detectives divulge Black Harbor's gruesome secrets. As an aspiring writer, Hazel believes that writing a novel could be her only ticket out of this frozen hellscape. And then her neighbor confesses to hiding the body of an overdose victim in a dumpster.

My Thoughts

I found out WHEN I’M DEAD, one of my Book of the Month (BOTM) books, is the third book in the Black Harbor series. I wanted to read it this month so I decided to check out the first (HELLO, TRANSCRIBER) and second (THE WIDOWMAKER) books from my library.

I’m glad I decided to read HELLO, TRANSCRIBER. It was a captivating romantic thriller. Thanks to Morrissey’s beautifully descriptive prose, I zipped right through it by staying up all night listening to the audiobook. It hooked me right from the beginning and has left me thinking about the characters and their relationships.

HELLO, TRANSCRIBER is more than a thriller with romantic fluff. It’s also a thought-provoking story that deals with hard subjects like spousal abuse, depression and suicidal ideation, homo- and transphobia, and drug use in minors.

As I read HELLO, TRANSCRIBER, I could see the big twist at the end. Knowing about the twist didn’t ruin the suspense or story for me, though, because I still wanted to know how everything would play out. View Spoiler »

Before I started reading HELLO, TRANSCRIBER, I thought the series was a classic series with the same characters in each novel. However, I’ve since learned that the sequels are companion novels with different characters that take place in Black Harbor. Despite this, I look forward to reading both sequels and any others Morrissey writes.

Have you read HELLO, TRANSCRIBER? If so, what did you think?

Trigger Warning

There is a trigger warning for suicide, suicidal ideation, cheating on a spouse, spousal abuse, homo- and transphobia, and drug use.

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