G. Bianco, 2019
 Anna Bennett is well known for her historical romance novels and her newest novel only solidifies her place as a masterful writer of the genre. Girls Before Earls, which kicks off her newest series and comes out on December 28th, features a rogue-turned-guardian and a strict headmistress who, despite their initial dislike for one another, grow to care for one another as well as grow as characters. To survive her difficult childhood, Miss Hazel Lively relied on two things:a tough outer shell and a love of books. Now, at the age of twenty-eight, she’s finally realized her life-long dream of opening a school for girls. She’s hoping that the wealthy families who flock to the shore for the summer will entrust their daughters to Bellehaven Academy―and help pay the way for less fortunate students. All Hazel must do is maintain a flawless reputation and raise a good deal of money. It’s a foolproof plan…till a sinfully handsome earl strides into her office. Gabriel Beckett, Earl of Bladenton, has had a monstrous headache since the day his teenaged niece became his ward. She’s been expelled from two London boarding schools and is doing her damnedest to scare off his potential fiancée. But Blade has a plan of his own―enroll his niece at Bellehaven Academy, where she’ll be out of town and out of his hair. He just needs to convince the buttoned-up headmistress with the soulful brown eyes to take on his niece. When Blade makes a generous offer to the school, it’s impossible for Hazel to refuse. But she has one non-negotiable condition: the earl must visit his niece every other week. Soon, Blade discovers there’s much more to Hazel than meticulous lesson plans. In moonlit seaside coves and candlelit ballrooms, their sparring leads to flirtation…and something altogether deeper. But the passion that flares between them poses a threat to Hazel’s school and Blade’s battered heart. They say a good thing can’t last forever, but true love? Well, it just might… I really loved this book! It’s not a shocker that I’m a fan of historical romance novels, but this one just filled me with so many emotions. Watching Hazel and Blade fall in love, Hazel’s interactions with the girls of Bellehaven Academy, the girls becoming friends, and all of the drama that ensues made me laugh, cry, and just fall in love with this book. I am very excited to continue reading this series when the next book comes out and I will definitely be checking out the rest of Bennett’s books in the future. *I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest opinion. 
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 In her debut romance novel, Ali Hazelwood brings readers into the world of STEM research and doctorate programs, but throws in a little fake dating to spice things up a bit! Featured as a Book of the Month choice in September 2021 and now a current TikTok sensation, The Love Hypothesis is a must-read for anyone looking for a feel-good binge read. As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn't believe in lasting romantic relationships--but her best friend does, and that's what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees. That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor--and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford's reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive's career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding...six-pack abs. Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope. I LOVED this book! I had been wanting to read this book since I saw it on NetGalley and then got nervous/excited when I saw all the hype it was getting, but let me tell you: the hype is SO WELL DESERVED!! It was so binge-worthy and not only did I love Olive and Adam (along with the other side characters), but I also loved the setting of academia and all of the science-y details! Between the banter, characters, and storyline, this story is fantastically written and is a must read for all romance fans!! This book might seriously be one of my favorite books of 2021 so if you haven’t already, GO READ IT NOW!! I am eagerly awaiting Hazelwood’s next book and I have a feeling I will be making her an auto-buy author in the future!   Renee Ahdieh Fans rejoice! The third installment in The Beautiful Series is out today (12/7) and it’s everything we’ve been waiting for! While we embark on a new adventure with some of the minor characters from this series, the hype is definitely warranted for The Righteous. Following the explosive events of The Damned, Odette faces a vampire’s final death. The Court of the Lions have done everything they can to save her but have failed. A healer from the Sylvan Vale could help her, but only Arjun Desai, as a half fey, can cross the boundary between realms. The Sylvan Vale is a world Arjun despises, but knowing it could save Odette, he returns to the Vale with all haste, leaving the mirrored tare between the two worlds open and unwittingly setting the stage for both love and war. Pippa Montrose is to wed Phoebus Devereux and become a member of his well-heeled family, offering salvation to her own. But Celine is missing. Pippa has no idea where her best friend has gone, but she’s certain it’s in the company of vampire Sébastien Saint Germain and that Arjun can lead her to them. Pippa enjoins the help of Eloise, the daughter of a powerful sorceress, to discover the gateway Arjun uses to travel between worlds. Pippa marches right through in search of her friend. But what she discovers on the other side is a dangerous, duplicitous world full of mischief and magic she doesn’t understand, and most unexpectedly, she finds love. I loved this book and really enjoyed diving back into this fabulous world of characters! I’ll admit that I was a little hesitant about this book shifting the focus to Pippa and Arjun instead of staying on Celine and Bastien, but Ahdieh did a wonderful job of using these characters to enhance the original storyline instead of just making this third book a filler book to hold over readers until the final book. I honestly think I may have liked this book better than The Damned (aka Book 2 in the series) just because of the pacing and the way that the story shifted. I enjoyed the plot and adored the romantic aspects between Pippa and Arjun. If you haven’t read this series then WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!? This YA series is amazing and I cannot wait for the final book to come out! *I received an ARC from Penguin Teen in exchange for my honest opinion.  What happens when the man of your dreams literally starts appearing in your dreams? Well, South African author, Therese Beharrie, tries to answer that question in her new romcom, And They Lived Happily Ever After, which just came out on November 30th. A lonely childhood in foster care taught Gaia Anders that the only thing she could trust was her dream life. Now a successful romance author, Gaia has the best of two worlds. Anything she dreams at night is magically written into her bestselling novels. Nothing real can compare—until she gets caught up in one utterly surprising, crazy-passionate, waking-life kiss. Workaholic businessman Jacob Scott has had a crush on his brother's best friend, Gaia, since forever, but he never expected this explosive desire. Or that living out his and Gaia's sexiest fantasies in their now-shared dreams would turn his single-minded ways upside down—and make him want all of the woman behind them. But Gaia has secrets from her past she won't reveal. And Jacob's attempts to keep the peace in his own fractured family put him up against her deepest fears. Now, they must somehow face hard truths about who they are and what they're running from. And the only way to break this spell means realizing real-life true love's power… This novel (which kicks off a new series) is cute. I appreciate the way Beharrie highlights the foster care system in South Africa and the way mental health is also discussed in this #ownvoices story. However, the romance aspect and plot overall fell a little flat for me. I just felt like it was missing something to connect everything together and I found it a bit difficult sometimes to keep track of what was a dream and what was real life. Overall, this was a good book and I’m intrigued to see how the series will continue, but I’ve read better romcoms. *I received an ARC from Kensington Books in exchange for my honest opinion.  |
AuthorHi! My name is Elisa and my bookshelf is quite literally overflowing! Join me in my journey of reading as many books as humanly possible! Archives
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