#TNReads: Real Quick Reviews for Lazy Readers Featuring Lisa Kleypas

Is it possible to give a book 6 stars? If so, Devil’s Daughter gets them. If you’ve never read anything by Lisa Kleypas please for the love of God, one-click her entire library today. If you have, then you’ve most certainly read Devil in Winter which features the best hero in historical romance, Sebastian St. Vincent. Well, guess what? Devil’s Daughter is about -you guessed it- his daughter.

If that didn’t sell you, then the story of young widow and single mother Lady Pheobe Clare and West Ravenel, the man responsible for making her late husband’s childhood miserable, will do it. Their story has all of the forbidden romance, witty banter, and sigh-inducing declarations of love that you deserve.

This was such an exciting, original read that takes on so many prevalent issues in today’s society – income inequality, gender stereotypes, THE PATRIARCHY, and it greatly parallels some really topical news stories right now (cough, cough, the wall).

Since the plot is pretty complex, I’ll give just the basics: young girls are trained at the Medio School for Girls to become Primeras – conservative, always in control, and proper – or Segundas – beautiful, sensual, and carefree – and are sold as a matching set to a wealthy man, with the intention to balance each other out. Our main character, Dani, is a Primera with a secret and will be married off to the chief military strategist’s son alongside her enemy (of course) Segunda, Carmen.

The world is terrifying, because it reads as a little too close to our own, despite the polygamy and mythology of the world of Medio. The characters are fully fleshed-out and complex, and most importantly, there’s an enemy-to-lovers f/f romance. I didn’t see it coming, and it’s great.

P.S. There’s a cliffhanger…and it sucks. I need the sequel, like, now.

I have been reading and recommending KJ Charles’ books for a long time. In fact, if you look at my writer’s bio the “gay wizard regency novels” is an homage to her Magpie series and how much I love it. So, when she comes out with a new book, I am definitely going to read it.

Any Old Diamonds started out exactly how I expected it to – a sympathetic hero, Alec – or Lord Alexander – second son of a horrible duke, who is trying to make his own way in the word through illustrating. He meets up with the Lilywhite Boys, a couple of legendary thieves, to hatch a plan to steal some diamonds from his father’s duchess. They agree, and one of them, Jerry, takes on the role of becoming Alec’s new friend about town, in order to secure an invitation to the ducal estate in the country. Of course, that friendship lands them in very interesting places. But the novel doesn’t go the expected route of boy-meets-boy. Charles has crafted an insanely intricate plot with huge twists that tear you up inside and have you reaching for the first page all over again once you finish the last. Incredibly good novel; highly recommend!

Ella has lost everyone she has ever loved. Her husband left her when she realized she was pregnant with twins, her parents, her grandmother and her brother all died tragically and now she’s at risk of losing her five-year-old daughter to an aggressive form of cancer. She’s twenty-five, owns her own business and has nothing left to give. The only thing she has that’s all her own is her special ops pen pal, but when he stops responding to her letters after her brother is KIA, she really is all alone.

Beckett is an elite soldier who fulfills his best friend’s dying wish by moving to Colorado to care for his sister. That sister is Ella and, unbeknownst to her, he’s her missing pen pal.

I cried real tears reading The Last Letter. Not just a pretty single tear, but full on ugly cried with snot running down my face. Not cool, Rebecca Yarros.

Tess struggles to maintain sanity as her adult children and ex-husband struggle to cut the cord and live their own lives. While adjusting to her new neighborhood, mystery surrounds Tess as vandals begin their protest of Londoners moving in and raising property values to heights the locals can’t afford. Adding to the mayhem are several gentlemen who both interest and frustrate Tess in various ways, making it difficult to determine who is friend and who is foe?

Light-hearted and relatable, Jane Wenham-Jones novel explores some of the joys and frustrations of finding your life in transition at a time when you thought things would be settling down. Slow to start, the pace picks up as Tess and her neighbors feel increasingly threatened by the vandals and Tess’s relationships with several men deepen to the point where she must analyze what she really wants from life.