Reading Roundup #78: Something More

Sometimes, we know exactly what we need, and sometimes, it takes a little longer to figure out… and a lot of work to make it happen. This week, all of our characters are fighting for what they need, whether it’s love, survival, or simply a sense of purpose.

Something in the Heir by Suzanne Enoch: A delightful romp of a book, perfect for when you need a light read with plenty of laughs. The initial setup and conflict is rather convoluted, but just don’t think too hard and everything else is fun enough to distract you from that. With romance, found family, and adventure, there’s a little bit of everything in this one, so you’ll never be bored! My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson: Tender and bittersweet, The Lost Ticket is a tribute to the chance encounters that change our lives. Sampson’s writing is sharp and incredibly readable, making for a breezy read, even in the darker moments. The second half was a little less enjoyable because there’s a lot of the heroine’s asshole ex, when I really just wanted to spend more time with her budding romance and found family, but it all worked out in the end, and I was sorry to say goodbye. My thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer: When a man facing an arranged marriage meets a young woman running away from an arranged marriage, he appoints himself guardian of her midnight flight… effectively running away from his own unwanted betrothal in the process. On their journey, shenanigans ensue, including everything from mistaken identities to jewel thievery and murder, and it’s really just a riotous good time, with a few truly swoony moments of romance thrown in. I cackled, sighed, and added it to the list of Heyer books I’ll reread.

Barrayar (Vorkosigan Saga #3, publication order) by Lois McMaster Bujold: In a word? Dayuuuumn. In more words? Cordelia Vorkosigan, née Naismith, is officially one of my favorite fictional characters, as of this book. I loved her in Shards of Honor, of course, because she’s great, but in Barrayar, she’s unstoppable. Whether navigating politics, protecting and caring for her chosen family, or literally storming the castle, Cordelia is quick-witted, fierce, and incredibly, beautifully human. If you don’t walk away from this in awe, equally terrified of and in love with her, well, that’s clearly on you because she’s the best.

The Warrior’s Apprentice (Vorkosigan Saga #4, publication order) by Lois McMaster Bujold: At last, Miles Vorkosigan makes his entrance, and he is a fascinating product of his larger than life parents. After washing out of the military academy’s physical exams, Miles’s restless mind latches onto the first puzzle he can find, and soon enough, it all starts spinning out of control, with Miles just barely managing to avert disaster at every turn — and accidentally creating a mercenary fleet and providing dangerous ammunition for his father’s political adversaries in the process. If, like me, you’re a Rafael Sabatini fan, pull up a seat and meet your new favorite noble schemer.

Much Ado About Dukes (Never a Wallflower #2) by Eva Devon: The book suffers a bit from trying to do all the things, but it’s an easy, not-unpleasant read. There were some good character moments, and several moments of intention and unintentional humor made me laugh. However, the biggest highlights were the male lead’s brothers, who were smarter than everyone else (Ben, particularly) and really, just adorable puppies. My thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Again the Magic (Wallflowers #0) by Lisa Kleypas: A prequel to the Wallflowers series, Again the Magic tells the scandalous tale of Westcliff’s sister and the stable boy. I wish we’d spent more time seeing them happy together at the end because, while I love tragic misunderstandings and for-your-own-good secrets as much as the next gal, we really deserved more good times after all the suffering. But oh my, they were compelling. *sigh*

Cold-Hearted Rake (Ravenels #1) by Lisa Kleypas: Not my favorite of the Ravenel series but quite fun. I like Devon a lot more than expected (especially when he wasn’t being pigheaded about denying his own feelings), but honestly, the most fun was watching the sister-brother relationship spring up between Kathleen and West, who were delightful together.

Overall, another great reading week! I hope yours is going as well as mine — let me know in the comments! And definitely let me know if you’re reading something I should add to my list. As you know, I can never have enough good books on my TBR.

—b