The Highlander’s Princess Bride
Written by: Vanessa Kelly
Released on: 10/31/17
Genre: Historical Romance
Reviewed by: Danielle
Rating: 4.5 Unruly Highlanders
Recommended for: Fans of Scottish earls and buttoned-up governesses
Vanessa Kelly is one of the more popular names in historical romance, and for good reason. She constantly writes characters that have a compelling story without bogging her readers down with it. In this book, we meet Victoria and Nick. Victoria is an English governess who just happens to be the illegitimate offspring of the Prince Regent and she’s gotten herself into some unavoidable trouble. In order to let the gossip die down, her protective family have decided to take her to Scotland where she may be the governess to the Earl of Arnprior’s unruly brothers. Once she gets to the Highlands, she realizes that Nick’s brothers are much too old for a governess, with the exception of his youngest brother who is frail and recovering from an illness. There are some hijinks, as expected, and the book is pretty delightful. The characters in the book are well-fleshed out, and I can’t wait to read more about them in future installments! Buy it!
Crimes Against A Book Club
Written by: Kathy Cooperman
Released on: 5/1/17
Genre: Comedy and Fiction
Reviewed by: Leanne
Rating: 4 Desperate Dames
Recommended for: People in direct sales and those longing to make a quick buck
Annie and Sarah have been friends for years and have seemingly perfect lives. Success in career and family appear admirable from the outside, but circumstances they never imagined cause them to launch a scheme that is both unethical and illegal. Annie becomes the behind the scenes mastermind while Sarah is the face of the business. Fancying themselves modern day Robin Hoods, they target the wealthy and frivolous book club ladies of LaJolla, California. Annie and Sarah have few qualms about duping the super rich snobs around them. After all, they each need the money for a good reason, not mani-pedis and couture. With a background in comedy and criminal law, Kathy Cooperman’s debut novel is a fun tale of desperation and duplicity. Can Annie and Sarah pull of their scheme, or will they lose their freedom and their friendship? Buy It!
Slasher Girls and Monster Boys
Written by: April Genevieve Tucholke
Released on: 8/8/15
Genre: YA Horror Short Stories
Reviewed by: Angela
Rating: 4.5 Bloody Knives
Recommended for: Anyone that needs a break from HEA in quick bursts
I admit, I probably like April Genevieve Tucholke too much. She reminds me of one of my closest friends, so I feel like I know her. In this collection of short horror stories (that came out a few years ago now), A.G.T. collects stories from all of the best YA authors, including Kendare Blake, Leigh Bardugo, Marie Lu, and Tucholke herself.
While I enjoy a good Gothic Romance novels, I am not a big horror reader–in fact, I try to not read horror at all–and this book is the perfectly creepy example of why. At the end of each story, you flip the book upside down and it tells you which familiar tale it is based on–such as Frankenstein, Carrie, Alice in Wonderland, and I Know What You Did Last Summer. It becomes a sort of game, trying to place the “inspirations” that each author used to come up with their nightmare. The only thing that would have made this collection better is if they had included author’s notes at the end so we could see how she approached authors, if she assigned selections as a writing challenge or if they were just told to write a short based on another work or three. Buy it!
The Pretender
Written by: HelenKay Dimon
Released on: 12/26/17
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Reviewed by: Janna*
Rating: 4 Stolen Paintings
Recommended for: Readers who like their romance with a side of murder mystery
Gabrielle Wright has been the unofficial suspect in her sister’s murder for over a year. Her estranged uncle is leading the campaign to see her arrested and charged, and Gabby has no idea how to prove her innocence and clear her name. Hounded by the media and receiving threats, she flees to the one place she has left-the private island owned by her family…and the scene of her sister Tabitha’s murder.
Gabby is not prepared to meet Harrison Tate, the drop dead gorgeous appraiser who is on the island to appraise the family’s art and antiques. But unbeknownst to her, Harris is the only man who can prove she is not the killer. The art appraiser is actually a former thief, and he knows Gabby didn’t kill Tabitha because he was the one who discovered her body…while breaking in to steal a painting. DUNH DUNH DUNH! Talk about an awkward situation.
Will Gabby and Harris be able to overcome their traumatic pasts and indulge in the crazy attraction between them? What will Gabby do when she learns of Harris’ connection to the murder? Will Gabby be able to find the real killer before he silences her forever? THE FEELS, GUYS. The feels. A fast- paced, suspenseful and sexy read. Preorder it!
*arc provided by publisher in exchange for honest review
There you have it! Real quick reviews for books we loved … real quick because we lazy. Hope you find something new to read. But in the meantime, tell us what you are reading in the comments or on twitter using #TNReads.
