This week saw a little more variety than last time’s romance extravaganza, but never fear! Still plenty of stolen kisses and scandals in this edition! I also finished one series and… accidentally started another with no end in sight. Oops! Probably appropriate, though, given the book. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this week’s fare as much as I did.
How to Catch a Wild Viscount (a.k.a. The Legend of the Werestag) by Tessa Dare: Dare’s novellas are always a good time! At the risk of sounding eager for a series (heaven knows there are plenty enough in romancelandia), I kind of want to read about the other characters in the story now, too.
Scandal in Spring by Lisa Kleypas: I still have A Wallflower Christmas left before I complete the “Wallflower” series, but this may be my favorite. I liked the story and the leads, of course, but what really sticks in my mind is the author’s deft handling of a tricky sister dynamic. Daisy and Lillian are very different women, whose love for each other makes their conflicts even more painful, but it’s also their love that brings them back to each other in the end. As one in a pair of similarly headstrong, devoted, and not always like-minded sisters, I found a lot to relate to.
Worth Any Price by Lisa Kleypas: This was a pleasant surprise! I wasn’t sure what to expect from the final “Bow Street Runners” installment, but I think this was the best yet, integrating the plot into the romance better than in the previous books. And this may be a little embarrassing, but… I only figured out while reading this that the “Bow Street Runners” books are part of Kleypas’s expanded universe, taking place before the “Wallflowers” series. It can be read as a completely separate series, of course, but it was still funny to realize so late in the game (with both series!).
The Accidental Highwayman by Ben Tripp: So, there are two sides to my review of The Accidental Highwayman. 1) The book, taken on its own, is an absolute delight, satisfying my love of the ridiculous and of fairy tales. But 2) I didn’t know until halfway through that it’s the first in a trilogy… which hasn’t been added to since this was released in 2014! Now, I fully believe this can be read and enjoyed as an open-ended standalone. But knowing there was supposed to be more, I can’t help feeling a little cheated. You’re really gonna leave me like this, Ben Tripp? Really??
Right Ho, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse: Life is always better with Jeeves in it! This story finds Wooster and Jeeves in the country, caught up in a tangled web of contrary lovers and, as usual, at cross-purposes for how to untangle the situation. If you ever need a laugh, just pick this up – or any of the Wooster & Jeeves books, really. You can’t go wrong with Wodehouse!
What’s on your reading list this week?
–b
Book It With Becca 