Act Like a Lady Think Like a Lord by Celeste Connally

Act Like A Lady Think Like A Lord by Celeste Connally published by @Minotaur_Books is out now. It is the first mystery in the Lady Petra Inquires series.

Lady Petra Forsyth’s fiancé died a few weeks before their wedding. She decides that she will never remarry which causes quite a stir. She also notices that a longtime friend has died of “melancholia” while being looked after by a questionable physician. She feels the need to dig deeper into what happened to her friend.

This story combined two things I love mystery and the Regency era. It moved along quickly with twists and turns that lead to an interesting ending. I enjoyed meeting a variety of character such as a delightful street urchin, a female dog trainer, members of the ton and household servants who seem to know all. The story did a nice job representing mental health in the time period.

Act Like A Lady Think Like A Lord is a story set in Regency London with a great mystery ,some fascinating characters and an interesting plot. I recommend Act Like A Lady Think Like A Lord by Celeste Connally. I look forward to the next one in the series as the ending made me wonder what will happen next!

I was given a complimentary copy and not required to write a positive review.

You’re invited to take part in a Regency Mystery Box Sweepstakes and Quiz! Enter for a chance to win mystery Regency-themed items straight from the UK (even we don’t know what they are!) as well as a signed hardcover copy of the new book. If you share about the quiz on social, you’ll get a bonus entry! After entering, take our fun quiz to test your Regency knowledge.

A Family for the Orphans by Heidi Main

 

A Family for the Orphans by Heidi Main is a sweet romance and second in the Triple C Ranch series. I have not read the first, but was able to easily follow. (Though I am going back to read the first book) Walter McCaw and Trisha Campbell are guardians of their best friends three sweet children who are under 8. Together they are trying to run a horse farm that the children will inherit as their parents wished. Both Trisha and Walter have their own pasts to contend with as they struggle to make everything work.

I am officially trying to find a way to visit this beautiful horse farm with such beautiful, endearing and interesting characters! This delightful story had all the feels for me. I loved the sweet slow burn romance of Walter and Trisha. The backdrop of struggling to make the horse farm a success, helping three grieving children and working through their past wove together to make such a great read. I loved  the faith thread in this story.

 

I greatly enjoyed A Family for the Orphans by Heidi Main. The characters, setting and sweet romance made for a wonderful story. I highly recommend A Family for the Orphans!

I was given a complimentary copy and not required to write a positive review.

Heidi Main writes sweet inspirational romance novels set in small towns. She lives in the central North Carolina’s suburbs, but dreams of acreage and horseback riding, which is probably why her novels include wide-open ranches and horses.

Heidi worked in the computer field, then owned a Jazzercise franchise, before she began her writing career. She loves to take walks, garden, play board games, curl up with a good book, and watch HGTV. A perfect Saturday is lounging on the deck with her husband and watching the many birds in their backyard. 

A Brilliant Match by Jennie Goutet

A Brilliant Match by Jennie Goutet is the first in The Earl’s Sisters series and it is a true delight!  Lady Dorothea Rowlandson is the first daughter of the late earl.  She is just launching into society due to the timing of his death.  She is determined to form an advantageous match to help her family.  Miles Shaw is a charming young man with an estate that is falling apart.  He needs to marry well to help the estate.  But he wants a love match like his parents.  What are they both to do?

Miles is a great hero who pursues Dorothea so charmingly.  A hero who dances with grace is truly sigh worthy!  As we learn his back story you can not help, but love him even more!   Dorothea’s struggles with herself played out so well on the pages of the story.  The alternating POV’s with Miles and Dorothea had me engaged and hoping for their match!   The secondary characters added depth and interest to the story.  I found myself wrapped up and invested in the London Season and learned more about Regency times through the author’s fabulous writing. 

This story was a pure delight!  I loved the banter, romance, and watching each character change and grow.  I am so thrilled it is the first of what will prove to be a wonderful series!  I highly recommend A Brilliant Match by Jennie Goutet! 

I was given a complimentary copy and not required to write a positive review. 

Jennie Goutet is the best-selling author of twelve Regency romances, including the Clavering Chronicles, Memorable Proposals, and Daughters of the Gentry series. Her books have received first place in historical romance for the New England Reader’s Choice Awards and have hit the number one spot in Regency Romance on Amazon. They have been featured on BookBub and Hoopla, and are translated into five languages.



Jennie is an American-born Anglophile who lives with her French husband and their three children in a small town outside of Paris. Her imagination resides in Regency England, where her best-selling proper Regency romances are set. You can learn more about Jennie’s books and sign up for her newsletter on her author website: jenniegoutet.com or purchase her books at jenniegoutetbooks.com.

To Spark A Match by Jen Turano

To Spark a Match by Jen Turano is the second book in her "The Matchmakers" series, but it can be read alone. Miss Adelaide Duveen believes she will be a spinster, but has made peace with her fate and enjoys her cats and books. She is content with her life until she is completely ostracized from society. Mr. Gideon Abbott is partly responsible for her issues and tries to find a way to help her back into society’s good graces. But what if they have a spark of something more?

Jen Turano is one of my favorite authors and once again she did not disappoint. The story was lively and had me laughing from beginning to end. I was enchanted with the interesting details about the Gilded Age and enjoyed immersing myself in the story. Adelaide is an endearing quirky character who I enjoyed getting to know along with Gideon. The secondary characters had great personalities that had me wanting to visit New York City and meet them all!

To Spark a Match has mystery, humor, great characters, and sweet romance. The story drew me in and it was hard to put down. An absolute delightful read! I highly recommend To Spark a Match by Jen Turano!

I was given a complimentary copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

Named One of the Funniest Voices in Inspirational Romance by Booklist, Jen Turano is a USA Today Best-Selling Author, known for penning quirky historical romances set in the Gilded Age. Her books have earned Publisher Weekly and Booklist starred reviews, top picks from Romantic Times, and praise from Library Journal. She’s been a finalist twice for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards and had two of her books listed in the top 100 romances of the past decade from Booklist. When she’s not writing, she spends her time outside of Denver, CO. Readers may find her at www.jenturano.com – www.facebook.com/jenturanoauthor, www.instagram.com/jenturanoauthor

Jen is represented by Sarah Younger, senior literary agent, Nancy Yost Literary Agency, New York.

A Fish Out of Water by Savannah Scott

A Fish Out of Water by Savannah Scott is second book in her Love Trippin’ series. Summer Monroe is working on Marbella Island and trying to break into acting by playing a mermaid in the island production of In So Deep. Her past is mysterious and she is not into charmers. Ben who is a charmer just arrived on the island. He smiles and makes everyone happy around him and women love to fall for him. Except for Summer. Why won’t she give him the time of day?

This delightful sweet enemies to lovers Rom-Com was such a wonderful fun read! Savannah Scott has become an auto-buy author for me. I feel like I am on a wonderful adventure I do not want to end when I read one of her stories. I adored Ben and Summer with their banter, the way Summer resisted Ben, Ben’s devotion to Summer and their slow burn romance. I started off thinking Ben was a little bit goofy. After a few chapters of getting to know him, I was completely taken. The setting of Marbella Island was charming. It was a pleasure to visit with old and new friend and learn about the places, animals, and what to do while visiting.

I enjoyed the well-developed characters, the slow burn romance and the charming setting. I am anxiously awaiting the next story in this series! I highly recommend A Fish Out of Water.

I was given a complimentary copy and not required to write a positive review.

When I’m not writing, I’m either reading, dancing zumba, or going on a walk or out to coffee with friends. I love road trips, especially when there’s adventure in the mix.
MY DREAM
I love love love writing.
In April 2020 I took a big leap and started writing fiction.
I didn’t know if I could, but some writer friends encouraged me. Turns out, I’m not half bad at this gig, and I LOVE IT! (so so so much!)
I started writing sweet romance and have nine books under my name (Patty H Scott).
In Dec 2021 I started writing closed-door romcom as Savannah Scott, with Friend(shipped) being the first book in my Getting Shipped series.

If you want to know why I use a pen name, go here.

The Good Part by Sophie Cousens

 

Thank you to PRH Audio for the advanced listening copy.

The Good Part by Sophie Cousens is a time slip what if kind of a novel. Lucy just wants to skip to the good part of her life. The life where everything is sorted out and each days seems so planned. She wants this so much she wishes on a wishing machine and wakes up 16 years in the future. The question is do you want to get to your destination without taking the journey?

I am a huge Sophie Cousens fan and this story did not disappoint. Lucy was so likable and the family she woke up to delightful. It was fun to see she still had her friends and many of her dreams had come true. It was interesting to think about waking up and being a mom. A job that is hard, but even harder to step into. The characters in the story were so endearing and helped to make me so invested in the story. I was fascinated with the premise of what if you skipped through everything in between. So many times, that is what we think we want. But do we really? I love how the author brought such depth to the story.

It was a pleasure to listen to this. The narrator Kerry Gilbert did a great job and really brought the story to life for me. Great audio!

I loved how The Good Part was thoughtful, funny and filled with delightful characters! I want to read it again! I highly recommend The Good Part by Sophie Cousens.

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a review.

Sophie Cousens writes romantic comedies. Before becoming a full time writer, she worked as a TV producer in London for more than twelve years, working on shows such as The Graham Norton Show, Russell Howard's Good News and Big Brother.

She now lives on the island of Jersey in the UK, and balances her writing career with taking care of two small children. Sophie yearns for a time when she can add a miniature dachshund to her brood, and wishes for the ability to read books faster than she keeps buying them.

This Time Next Year is her first novel.

A Wedding (Mis)Match by Kaylee Baldwin

A Wedding (Mis)Match by Kaylee Baldwin. Eliana is an influencer with a platform of being Happily Single! She is visiting Florida to plan her sister’s wedding and hang out with family. Winnie is Eliana’s grandmother and part of the Palms Retirement Center where Asher works as a speech pathologist. Eliana and Asher are not off to great start, but can anyone really stand up to Grandma Winnie and her match-making team?

This sweet and clean romantic comedy is part of the Diamond Cove Romantic Comedy series. I did not read the first book in the series, but was easily able to follow along. (I will be going back to read it!) The story is told from Asher, Eliana & and Winnie’s point of view which made it very fun to read. It was a pleasure to watch Eliana and Asher’s relationship grow. They both had obstacles to overcome while falling in love and building a solid friendship.

It was great to visit the Diamond Cove Community and Eliana’s family. As a sibling and mom of someone with a disability I loved seeing Eliana’s brother, Cameron, in the story. He was a part of the story in a delightful and realistic way.

This was a great Rom -Com! I loved the Diamond Cove Community, the endearing characters, and the laugh out loud moments. There were sweet moments with animals, wedding planning, and I enjoyed the drama at the Palms retirement community. I highly recommend A Wedding(Mis) Match.

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

A day in the life of Kaylee Baldwin includes: managing her four children’s schedules, listening to bookish podcasts, writing her latest book, binge-watching reality cooking shows, hanging out with her husband, and reading in every spare second she can find. She graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in English Literature and currently lives in southern Arizona with her family. She is a founding editor for Sweetly Us Editing and has nine published novels, one of which was a Whitney Award Finalist. You can follow her reading adventures on Instagram @kayleelovesstory

The Letter Tree by Rachel Fordham

The Letter Tree by Rachel Fordham is a heartfelt romance. Under her father’s watchful eye Laura Bradshaw shares company and with only her family’s housekeeper and a parrot. Her secret is that she is able to exchange letters with someone in a tree. Isaac Campbell is the bachelor that everyone wants to know in Buffalo. But Isaac is only thinking about the young women he is exchanging letters with in an oak tree at the zoo.

If you take You’ve Got Mail mix it in with a redemptive Romeo and Juliet tale and a dash of mystery you will have The Letter Tree. I felt myself lost in this delightful character driven story that shines a light on unforgiveness and how it destroys us. It was a pleasure to watch the beautifully written characters transform in the story, and I enjoyed walking through life with them. Learning about the 1917 Buffalo Zoo, flag pole sittings, and Niagara Fall stunts were intriguing historical information. Isaac is a wonderful hero who learns to stand on his own and sacrifice for love.

This is a beautifully written, redemptive, heartfelt story. I was all in from the beginning to the end. I highly recommend!

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a review.

I grew up in a big family in Washington State and was a tom boy, an athlete, and a voracious reader. I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t nose deep in a book or making up stories in my mind. I never thought I’d be a writer though- that was something other people did (people that understood grammar better than me). I went off to college and earned a bachelors in sociology with plans to be a social worker (this never happened but we did become foster parents). I met my husband, Tyler, while in college and being a wife and a year and a half later a mother. I’m a family first kind of girl so spending my days with my husband and kids keeps my heart happy.

Years later after cross country moves and more children we settled once again in Washington State. This time I am on a beautiful island with my favorite people all around me. I couldn’t ask for a finer setting to ignite my imagination, add to that the fact that my husband has unwavering faith in my abilities. When he made the off-hand comment, “you read so much you should write a book,” I took it as a challenge. And I haven’t stopped since.

And so here I am writing in between diaper changes and packing lunches. It’s not uncommon for my kids or Tyler to ask me why I’m laughing or crying as I type away. It’s become a bit of a family affair this whole writing thing! I love books with satisfying romances, I love all things historical and I consider it a huge success if I can make a reader laugh and cry in the same story.

And connecting with readers is another one of my joys! Thank you for visiting me. Be sure to connect with me on social media I’ll do my best to keep you up to date on all things writing (and probably a few other random “life” things).

The Rom Con by Devon Daniels

The Rom Con by Devon Daniels is a delightful Romantic Comedy with all the feels. Cassidy Sutton is a writer at the online women’s publication Siren. Their rival magazine is Brawler, and they hate all the things that stand for and represent. She has had it with dating. Her grandmother recommends that she try some 1950’s dating advice. Cassidy decides to try it out in a fake relationship and then write about it for her readers. She meets Jack Bradford at a work event. The problem is that Jack is the founder of Brawler, and she might really like him.

The Rom Con made me so happy! The fabulous banter, swoony hero, and laugh out loud funny scenes were fabulous! I felt so connected to the characters and Jack could be my hero of the year! I enjoyed the dating advice, hanging out on the streets of New York City, and loved Cassidy’s family especially her grandmother. The author did an incredible job weaving pop culture, the battle of the sexes and wisdom throughout the novel. There were so many wonderful quotes.

“Maybe Life is thinking you have all the answer, then realizing you know nothing at all.”

I found this story fabulous! The Rom Con by Devon Daniels has the banter, the romance and the sweet happily ever after. I highly recommend it.

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a review.
CW: Open door 1 Scene I was part of a traveling ARC team. #talkingtomybookstravelingarc

Devon Daniels is a born-and-bred California girl whose own love story found her transplanted to the Maryland shores of the Chesapeake Bay. She's a graduate of the University of Southern California (fight on!) and in her past life worked in marketing, product design, and music.

Devon loves writing books that make people laugh, cry, and swoon, and feels incredibly lucky that her job is to make people happy. Her debut novel Meet You in the Middle was chosen as one of the Best Books of 2021 by USA Today.

When she's not writing, you'll find her clinging to her sanity as mom, chef, chauffeur, and referee to four children, or sneaking off with her husband for date nights.

Muskoka Holiday Morsels by Carolyn Miller consists of 12 short stories that start with Canadian Thanksgiving and continue through New Year’s. Each sweet story takes place in Muskoka, Canada and we visit with characters from the other novels in the author’s Muskoka Romance Series.

I absolutely adored this book. Each chapter is a separate story that ties into the whole of the book. It was fun to visit with secondary characters from the other stories and have an extended epilogue with other old friends (characters) from other books in the series. I felt like I was sitting at a table in The Coffee Blend catching up with old friends. I loved catching up with everyone and extending my stay.

Muskoka Holiday Morsels is the perfect book to enjoy with a holiday drink cuddled under a blanket. It is always a pleasure to visit with everyone in Muskoka. I highly recommend Muskoka Holiday Morsels by Carolyn Miller.

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

Carolyn Miller is an Inspirational Regency romance author who lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia with her husband and four children. Together with her husband she has pastored a church for ten years, and worked as a public high school English and Learning and Support teacher.

A longtime lover of romance, especially that of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s Regency era, Carolyn holds a BA in English Literature, and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives.

She loves reading, music, films, gardens, art, travel and international food, and really enjoy creating worlds where flawed people can grow in faith, hope and love.

The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella

 

The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella and read by Bessie Carter was a great listen.  Sasha is burned out.  Like so burned out.  Due to drastic circumstances she decides to spend some time at the Sea Resort of her childhood in February.  Finn is also burned out and has the same idea.  But a Sea Resort does not have the same appeal in February as in the summer. 

I greatly enjoyed this audio book.  I have been burned out and I loved how the author shared Sasha and Finn’s journey.  There were so many funny scenes, interesting characters, and great banter.  I enjoyed the ending and how they both made peace with their lives. One of my favorite parts of the story of their old surfing instructor.   When at the beach this last week I found myself wanting to yell his mantra, “The Ride is It!”   I love stories about people who invest in other’s lives.

The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella and read by Bessie Carter was an enjoyable listen.  I recommend it! 

Sophie Kinsella has sold over 45 million copies of her books in more than 60 countries, and she has been translated into over 40 languages.

Sophie first hit the UK bestseller lists in September 2000 with her first novel in the Shopaholic series – The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic (also published as Confessions of a Shopaholic). The book’s heroine, Becky Bloomwood – a fun and feisty financial journalist who loves shopping but is hopeless with money – captured the hearts of readers worldwide. Becky has since featured in eight further bestselling books, Shopaholic Abroad (also published as Shopaholic Takes Manhattan), Shopaholic Ties the Knot, Shopaholic & Sister, Shopaholic & Baby, Mini Shopaholic, Shopaholic to the Stars, Shopaholic to the Rescue and Christmas Shopaholic. Becky Bloomwood came to the big screen in 2009 with the hit Disney movie ‘Confessions of a Shopaholic’, starring Isla Fisher and Hugh Dancy.

Sophie has also written eleven standalone novels which have all been bestsellers in the UK, USA and other countries around the world: Can You Keep A Secret?, The Undomestic Goddess, Remember Me?, Twenties Girl, I’ve Got Your Number, Wedding Night, My Not So Perfect Life, which was a Goodreads Choice Awards finalist for Best Fiction in 2017, Surprise Me, I Owe You One, Love Your Life and The Party Crasher.

In 2014 she published a Young Adult novel, Finding Audrey, about a teenage girl with social anxiety and her madcap family, and in January 2018, Sophie published the first illustrated book for young readers in her Mummy Fairy and Me series, about the charming adventures of a mother-daughter fairy duo (also published as Fairy Mom and Me).

Sophie wrote her first novel under her real name, Madeleine Wickham, aged 24, whilst she was working as a financial journalist. The Tennis Party was immediately hailed as a success by critics and the public alike and became a top ten bestseller. She went on to publish six more novels as Madeleine Wickham: A Desirable Residence, Swimming Pool Sunday, The Gatecrasher, The Wedding Girl, Cocktails for Three and Sleeping Arrangements.

Sophie was born in London. She studied music at New College, Oxford, but after a year switched to Politics, Philosophy and Economics. She lives in the UK with her husband and family.