How Zoologists Organize Things by David Bainbridge

Title: How Zoologists Organize Things: The Art of Classification

Author: David Bainbridge

Publisher: Frances Lincoln 2020

Genre: Nonfiction - Science

Pages: 256

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR - Winter

Humankind’s fascination with the animal kingdom began as a matter of survival – differentiating the edible from the toxic, the ferocious from the tractable. Since then, our compulsion to catalogue wildlife has played a key role in growing our understanding of the planet and ourselves, inspiring religious beliefs and evolving scientific theories. The book unveils wild truths and even wilder myths about animals, as perpetuated by zoologists – revealing how much more there is to learn, and unlearn.

Long before Darwin, our ancestors were obsessed with the visual similarities and differences between the animals. Early scientists could sense there was an order that unified all life and formulated a variety of schemes to help illustrate this. This human quest to classify living beings has left us with a rich artistic legacy, from the folklore and religiosity of the ancient and Medieval world through the naturalistic cataloging of the Enlightenment to the modern, computer-generated classificatory labyrinth.

Now this is a book I can get behind. We are treated to a journey through time focusing on the classification of living (and sometimes nonliving) things. We get to learn about the major players in the various time periods. But what really made the book a winner for me was all the illustrations. Most of the book is taken up with illustrations from various scientists and time periods. We get to visually see the evolution of classification throughout the centuries. I spent very long periods of time just looking at all the little details within the illustrations. Lovely!

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Next up on the TBR pile:

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz

Title: The Plot

Author: Jean Hanff Korelitz

Publisher: Celadon 2021

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 336

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Jacob Finch Bonner was once a promising young novelist with a respectably published first book. Today, he’s teaching in a third-rate MFA program and struggling to maintain what’s left of his self-respect; he hasn’t written―let alone published―anything decent in years. When Evan Parker, his most arrogant student, announces he doesn’t need Jake’s help because the plot of his book in progress is a sure thing, Jake is prepared to dismiss the boast as typical amateur narcissism. But then . . . he hears the plot.

Jake returns to the downward trajectory of his own career and braces himself for the supernova publication of Evan Parker’s first novel: but it never comes. When he discovers that his former student has died, presumably without ever completing his book, Jake does what any self-respecting writer would do with a story like that―a story that absolutely needs to be told.

In a few short years, all of Evan Parker’s predictions have come true, but Jake is the author enjoying the wave. He is wealthy, famous, praised and read all over the world. But at the height of his glorious new life, an e-mail arrives, the first salvo in a terrifying, anonymous campaign: You are a thief, it says.

As Jake struggles to understand his antagonist and hide the truth from his readers and his publishers, he begins to learn more about his late student, and what he discovers both amazes and terrifies him. Who was Evan Parker, and how did he get the idea for his “sure thing” of a novel? What is the real story behind the plot, and who stole it from whom?

Our book club selection for January. I wasn’t convinced that this was going to be my book from the overall impression I got from people who loved it. And it turns out, that I was right about what my review would be. This just didn’t landed with me. I rarely love thrillers and this one felt very obvious and yet very slow and ponderous throughout. Right away I did not care for the main character. I understand that he’s not to well-loved, but I struggled to find anything redeemable about him. So no good connection the characters. From there, we spend way too much time slowly moving through his life. I was thoroughly bored. We don’t even get to the thriller part of the mystery until way after the halfway mark. I just couldn’t deal with the pacing at all. And then the actual reveal is a giant multi-page monologue from the “villain.” The story becomes so convoluted that we needed the villain to monologue for that many pages to explain their actions. I just didn’t really care at that point. Thrillers… just not my thing at all.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life's Too Short by Abby Jimenez

Title: Life’s Too Short (The Friend Zone #3)

Author: Abby Jimenez

Publisher: Forever 2021

Genre: Romance

Pages: 385

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR - Winter

When Vanessa Price quit her job to pursue her dream of traveling the globe, she wasn't expecting to gain millions of YouTube followers who shared her joy of seizing every moment. For her, living each day to its fullest isn't just a motto. Her mother and sister never saw the age of 30, and Vanessa doesn't want to take anything for granted. But after her half sister suddenly leaves Vanessa in custody of her baby daughter, life goes from "daily adventure" to "next-level bad" (now with bonus baby vomit in hair). The last person Vanessa expects to show up offering help is the hot lawyer next door, Adrian Copeland. After all, she barely knows him. No one warned her that he was the Secret Baby Tamer or that she'd be spending a whole lot of time with him and his geriatric Chihuahua. Now she's feeling things she's vowed not to feel. Because the only thing worse than falling for Adrian is finding a little hope for a future she may never see.

I wasn’t sure how much I was going to love this volume as we meet Adrian for literally five minutes in the previous book. Thankfully, this was much more of a stand alone book where we get to really know our main characters and the characters from the previous book only make an appearance in one chapter. Right away, I really fell for Adrian and his entire outlook on life. And then get to meet Vanessa and everything stars to change. At times, I was a bit annoyed with Vanessa and wanted her to be more honest with Adrian, but thankfully she grew by the end of the book. And Adrian eased up on his control of life and learned to live. I did have two issues with the book: 1. Jimenez does not write steamy scenes at all. They are very perfunctory when I really wanted something more descriptive. 2. The amount of times they randomly left the baby with the Yoga Lady down the hall was unbelievable. They somehow had an amazing support system and didn’t even realize it. Such privilege. Otherwise, I really did enjoy this addition to the series.

The Friend Zone

Next up on the TBR pile:

Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Sweater by Debbie Johnson

Title: Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Sweater

Author: Debbie Johnson

Publisher: One More Chapter 2015

Genre: Romance

Pages: 222

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

For single mum Maggie, Christmas has always been a family occasion – her daughter Ellen filling the house with her bubbly warmth and mistletoe, her dad Paddy having one too many festive tipples, and the traditional family Christmas tree looking like a drunken elf vomited a rainbow all over it.

But this year, with both Ellen and Paddy away for the holidays, Maggie’s facing a truly blue Christmas – alone with nothing but a bottle of Baileys and an M&S turkey dinner.

Until walking the snowy streets of Oxford, Marco Cavelli quite literally crashes into her life – and, complete with broken leg, becomes her unexpected houseguest. All dreamy brown eyes and 6’5” of gorgeousness, the man is hotter and more delicious than a freshly baked mince pie.

Though Maggie always thought it’s a truth universally acknowledged that you never kiss a man in a Christmas jumper?

Decent little Christmas romance to end my year’s reading. This is just as light and fluffy as I was hoping that it would. I loved Ellen in the very small parts that she appeared in. Seriously, she was a great kid. As for Maggie and Marco, their romance was fairly believable and swoony. And I hear that this was made into a Hallmark movie. I’ll have to look this one up to add to next year’s viewing. I would have liked more steam, as this is clearly leaning into the sweet romance. But it was enjoyable overall.

Next up on the TBR pile:

As You Wish by Cary Elwes

Title: As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride

Author: Cary Elwes

Publisher: Atria 2016

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 272

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

The Princess Bride has been a family favorite for close to three decades. Ranked by the American Film Institute as one of the top 100 Greatest Love Stories and by the Writers Guild of America as one of the top 100 screenplays of all time, The Princess Bride will continue to resonate with audiences for years to come.

Cary Elwes was inspired to share his memories and give fans an unprecedented look into the creation of the film while participating in the twenty-fifth anniversary cast reunion. In As You Wishhe has created an enchanting experience; in addition to never-before seen photos and interviews with his fellow cast mates, there are plenty of set secrets and backstage stories.

On advice from J, I listened to this audiobook driving to Indiana for Christmas. It was a complete delight. We get this amazing behind-the-scenes look at the making of a beloved movie. My favorite bits were all the stories involving Andre the Giant. He was much more interesting than I had known. I loved listening to Cary Elwes telling the stories. You could tell that he really loved making this movie with these people. The audiobook was made even better by the voices of some of the other players involved. This book is definitely for those that love the movie; I don’t think someone who has never seen the movie would get much out of these stories. As it is, I loved the movie and thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler

Title: The Tourist Attraction (Moose Springs, Alaska #1)

Author: Sarah Morgenthaler

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca 2020

Genre: Romance

Pages: 375

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Curl up with a quirky small-town Alaskan rom-com that'll leave you laughing over:

A grumpy local and the sunny tourist who turns his world upside down
A rogue moose who threatens to steal every scene
A vacation you'll never forget
And a sweet romance that doesn't need to scald the pages to burn its way into your heart

He had a strict "no tourists" policy...until she broke all of his rules.When Graham Barnett named his diner The Tourist Trap, he meant it as a joke. Now he's stuck slinging reindeer dogs to an endless parade of resort visitors who couldn't interest him less. Not even the sweet, enthusiastic tourist in the corner who blushes every time he looks her way...

Two weeks in Alaska isn't just the top item on Zoey Caldwell's bucket list. It's the whole bucket. One look at the mountain town of Moose Springs and she's smitten. But when an act of kindness brings Zoey into Graham's world, she may just find there's more to the grumpy local than meets the eye...and more to love in Moose Springs than just the Alaskan wilderness.

This story of Alaska marries together all the things you didn't realize you needed: a whirlwind vacation, a friendly moose, a grumpy diner owner, a quirky tourist, plenty of restaurant humor, and a happy ending that'll take you away from it all.

A very breezy but sweet romance set in Alaska. I was under the impression that this was a Christmas book but it’s actually set during the summer. Oh well. I still loved the setting of Moose Springs, Alaska. Zoey is a good main character but Graham was clearly the favorite person in the book. I loved his relationships with all the other townspeople. Ulysses was the best random encounter. I can’t wait to revisit the town and find out what happens with the resort.

Moose Springs, Alaska

#1 The Tourist Attraction
#2 Mistletoe and Mr. Right
#3 Enjoy the View

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Grosvenor Square Christmas

Title: A Grosvenor Square Christmas

Author: Anna Campbell, Shana Galen, Vanessa Kelly, Kate Noble

Publisher: 2013

Genre: Romance

Pages: 171

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Four breathtakingly romantic tales of a Regency Christmas from four bestselling romance authors.

Down through the years, enchantment touches a tall gray house in Grosvenor Square. The legend of Lady Winterson’s Christmas ball promises true love and happiness to one lucky couple. Who will feel the magic this winter?

1803 - The Seduction of a Duchess by Shana Galen

Rowena Harcourt, the Duchess of Valère, never forgot the handsome footman who helped her escape the French Revolution. For fourteen years, Gabriel Lamarque has loved Rowena—now at Lady Winterson’s Christmas ball, has fate finally delivered a chance to win her hand?

1818 - One Kiss for Christmas by Vanessa Kelly

Nigel Dash is London’s most reliable gentleman, a reputation he never minded until he fell in love with beautiful Amelia Easton. Unfortunately, Amelia sees Nigel as a dependable friend, not a dashing suitor. At Lady Winterson’s famous Christmas ball, Nigel vows to change Amelia’s mind—by sweeping her off her feet.

1825 - His Christmas Cinderella by Anna Campbell

At the season’s most glittering ball, a girl who has never dared to dream of forever after discovers a Christmas miracle.

1830 - The Last First Kiss by Kate Noble

Susannah Westforth has always loved Sebastian Beckett – but he’s only ever seen her as a friend. When Sebastian takes his Grand Tour, Susannah transforms herself into a woman he’ll notice. Now Sebastian is back, just in time for Lady Winterson's Christmas ball – but the last thing he expects to see is his little Susie, all grown up...

You’re invited to join the whirling dance at Lady Winterson’s sparkling Christmas ball, where miracles happen and true love shines forever. How can you resist?

These were all decent little stories but I wanted more from them. We get beginnings or middles but nothing like a satisfying story. I wanted a whole lot more for these characters. So another mostly disappointing collection of stories.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Season for Second Chances by Jenny Bayliss

Title: A Season for Second Chances

Author: Jenny Bayliss

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons 2021

Genre: Romance

Pages: 448

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Annie Sharpe’s spark for life has fizzled out. Her kids are grown up, her restaurant is doing just fine on its own, and her twenty-six-year marriage has come to an unceremonious end. Untethered for the first time in her adult life, she finds a winter guardian position in a historic seaside home and decides to leave her city life behind for a brand-new beginning.

When she arrives in Willow Bay, Annie is enamored by the charming house, the invigorating sea breeze, and the town’s rich seasonal traditions. Not to mention, her neighbors receive her with open arms—that is, all except the surly nephew of the homeowner, whose grand plans for the property are at odds with her residency. As Christmas approaches, tensions and tides rise in Willow Bay, and Annie’s future seems less and less certain. But with a little can-do spirit and holiday magic, the most difficult time of her life will become…a season for second chances.

I enjoyed Bayliss’s previous book, but this one was a miss for me. I was expecting another Christmas romantic comedy. This is not that. Instead we get a very slow moving look at a woman starting again in a new-to-her village. Not enough happened to keep me really interested. I wanted more and something a little lighter. Oh well. Not every book I read is a winner.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Miss Moriarty, I Presume? by Sherry Thomas

Title: Miss Moriarty, I Presume? (Lady Sherlock #6)

Author: Sherry Thomas

Publisher: Berkley 2021

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 365

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

A most unexpected client shows up at Charlotte Holmes's doorstep: Moriarty himself. Moriarty fears that tragedy has befallen his daughter and wants Charlotte to find out the truth.

Charlotte and Mrs. Watson travel to a remote community of occult practitioners where Moriarty's daughter was last seen, a place full of lies and liars. Meanwhile, Charlotte’s sister Livia tries to make sense of a mysterious message from her beau Mr. Marbleton. And Charlotte’s longtime friend and ally Lord Ingram at last turns his seductive prowess on Charlotte—or is it the other way around?

But the more secrets Charlotte unravels about Miss Moriarty’s disappearance, the more she wonders why Moriarty has entrusted this delicate matter to her of all people. Is it merely to test Charlotte's skills as an investigator, or has the man of shadows trapped her in a nest of vipers?

And now we come to the end of the series… And what an ending it was! We finally get to meet Moriarty in person and dive into his organization and personal life. Obviously this volume was going to involve Reichenbach Falls and the “death” of Sherlock. It was fun to read how this was going to get twisted and updated for this version of the story. I loved the interactions between Charlotte, Ash, and Mrs. Watson. Those three are the core of this series and it was fitting for the series to end with then. I loved the setting of the Garden and the atmospheric elements of the story. I completely sped through this not wanting to wait for the ending! Now I am a little sad the series is over. I really might have to go back and re-read it soon.

Lady Sherlock

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Princess for Christmas by Jenny Holiday

Title: A Princess for Christmas (A Princess for Christmas #1)

Author: Jenny Holiday

Publisher: Avon 2020

Genre: Romance

Pages: 396

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Leo Ricci's already handling all he can, between taking care of his little sister Gabby, driving a cab, and being the super of his apartment building in the Bronx. But when Gabby spots a "princess" in a gown outside of the UN trying to hail a cab, she begs her brother to stop and help. Before he knows it, he's got a real-life damsel in distress in the backseat of his car.

Princess Marie of Eldovia shouldn't be hailing a cab, or even be out and about. But after her mother’s death, her father has plunged into a devastating depression and the fate of her small Alpine country has fallen on Marie’s shoulders. She’s taken aback by the gruff but devastatingly handsome driver who shows her more kindness than she’s seen in a long time.

When Marie asks Leo to be her driver for the rest of her trip, he agrees, thinking he’ll squire a rich miss around for a while and make more money than he has in months. He doesn’t expect to like and start longing for the unpredictable Marie. And when he and Gabby end up in Eldovia for Christmas, he discovers the princess who is all wrong for him is also the woman who is his perfect match.

Perfectly decent little Christmas story, but not my favorite. This one is definitely a Hallmark/Lifetime Christmas movie in book form, but with some slightly explicit scenes. Really those scenes annoyed me the most. I was fully onboard with a princess of a made-up country falling for a Bronx guy scenario complete with chaste kisses in the snow and maybe a slightly heated embrace. With this story, we get some random sexual encounters that feel very high school in their tone and description. I wasn’t a fan of the dirty talk aspect as it felt very immature in this case. (If done well, I don’t mind dirty talk at all. See my enjoyment of many eroitca stories.) Something about Leo and Marie’s relationship felt slightly off to me. But I am intrigued by Max and want to read his and Dani’s story.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Well Matched by Jen DeLuca

Title: Well Matched (Well Met #3)

Author: Jen DeLuca

Publisher: Berkley 2021

Genre: Romance

Pages: 313

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR

Single mother April Parker has lived in Willow Creek for twelve years with a wall around her heart. On the verge of being an empty nester, she’s decided to move on from her quaint little town, and asks her friend Mitch for his help with some home improvement projects to get her house ready to sell.

Mitch Malone is known for being the life of every party, but mostly for the attire he wears to the local Renaissance Faire—a kilt (and not much else) that shows off his muscled form to perfection. While he agrees to help April, he needs a favor too: she'll pretend to be his girlfriend at an upcoming family dinner, so that he can avoid the lectures about settling down and having a more “serious” career than high school coach and gym teacher. April reluctantly agrees, but when dinner turns into a weekend trip, it becomes hard to tell what's real and what's been just for show. But when the weekend ends, so must their fake relationship.

As summer begins, Faire returns to Willow Creek, and April volunteers for the first time. When Mitch's family shows up unexpectedly, April pretends to be Mitch's girlfriend again...and it doesn't feel so fake anymore. Despite their obvious connection, April insists they’ve just been putting on an act. But when there’s the chance for something real, she has to decide whether to change her plans—and open her heart—for the kilt-wearing hunk who might just be the love of her life.

After a disappointing second book in the series (I just really didn’t love the main characters), we get to Mitch and April’s very good story. I have loved Mitch since seeing him in the first book and always wanted to get to know him better. Thankfully, we get to see him in all his kilted glory for this book. It is true that April annoyed me throughout sections of this book, but I also realize why she struggled opening up to Mitch. Being independent for so long definitely made it hard for her to trust and give in to someone else. Totally understand that even if it annoyed me. I loved that we get to see her continued relationship with her daughter and get some pop ins from the rest of the characters we know. I also liked that this one wasn’t completely centered not he Ren Faire. We get som great scenes toward the end of the book, but a lot is set in April’s house and other locations. It helps to keep the series feeling fresh. And apparently, there’s going to be a fourth book! I’ll definitely have to add that one to my future reading list.

Well Met

#1 Well Met
#2 Well Played
#3 Well Matched

Next up on the TBR pile:

Beautiful Stranger by Christina Lauren

Title: Beautiful Stranger (Beautiful #2)

Author: Christina Lauren

Publisher: Gallery Books 2013

Genre: Romance

Pages: 356

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Escaping a cheating ex, finance whiz Sara Dillon's moved to New York City and is looking for excitement without a lot of strings attached. So meeting the irresistible, sexy Brit at a dance club should have meant nothing more than a night's fun. But the manner--and speed--with which he melts her inhibitions turns him from a one-time hookup and into her Beautiful Stranger.

The whole city knows Max Stella loves women, not that he's ever found one he particularly wants to keep around. Despite pulling in plenty with his Wall Street bad boy charm, it's not until Sara--and the wild photos she lets him take of her--that he starts wondering if there's someone for him outside of the bedroom.

Hooking up in places where anybody could catch them, the only thing scarier for Sara than getting caught in public is having Max get too close in private.

Ah this is better! I realized that part of why I gave the first two books in this series 3 stars was because I didn’t absolutely love the main characters. Their constant sniping at each other wasn’t really my thing. The banter between Max and Sara is much more enjoyable and gave this book another star! I would have totally fallen for someone like Max. Once again, we start with a bang, get it, bang? and push ahead full steam for the rest of the book. Very open door, and I loved it. Such fun! Now back to my regularly scheduled holiday romances.

Beautiful Bastard

#1 Beautiful Bastard
#1.5 Beautiful Bitch
#2 Beautiful Stranger
#2.5 Beautiful Bombshell
#3 Beautiful Player
#3.5 Beautiful Beginning
#3.6 Beautiful Beloved
#4 Beautiful Secret
#4.5 Beautiful Boss
#5 Beautiful

Next up on the TBR pile:

Pastels and Jingle Bells by Christine S. Feldman

Title: Pastels and Jingle Bells (Heavenly Bites #1)

Author: Christine S. Feldman

Publisher: 2013

Genre: Romance

Pages: 103

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Trish Ackerly never expected to cross paths with Ian Rafferty again, but when she spots the former bully of her childhood years through her bakery window, she thinks she may just have been given the best Christmas gift ever: the opportunity to finally give Ian the comeuppance he deserves.

But clearly she does not have a knack for this whole revenge thing, because before she can make good on her plans, Trish gets inadvertently drawn into Ian’s life in an unexpected way that lets her see just how different the man is from the boy he used to be. In fact, much to her astonishment, she actually starts to like the guy.

A lot.

Trouble is, Ian doesn’t know who she really is, and explaining it to him is going to be a little difficult now—which is bad news, because Trish is starting to realize that all she really wants for Christmas this year…is Ian.

Cute little introduction story, but just not enough. This needed to be twice as long so we could actually spend some time with Trish and Ian as a couple. I loved Kelsey and really felt like we need to dig into her more and learn about her life. Plus, where’s her mom? Cute and fun, but not enough for me!

Heavenly Bites

#1 Pastels and Jingle Bells
#2 Love Lessons
#3 Playing Cupid

Next up on the TBR pile:

Beautiful Bitch by Christina Lauren

Title: Beautiful Bitch (Beautiful #2)

Author: Christina Lauren

Publisher: Gallery Books 2013

Genre: Romance

Pages: 161

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Just when Chloe’s career starts to take off, Bennett wishes it would all slow down long enough to spend a wild night alone with his intern-cum-girlfriend. Preferably one in which he can show her he’s still the boss.

After her continued refusals to take time off with him, Bennett can finally no longer take no for an answer. And so the couple find themselves with two plane tickets, one French villa, and a surprising conversation that, predictably, leaves them wrestling under the covers.

Decent little novella and continuation of Chloe and Bennett’s story. I like the story, but didn’t love the construction. We jump back and forth through their timeline following the events of Beautiful Bastard. I would have liked a bit more of a linear progression. And the different fonts for each point of view were unnecessary. We could have had chapters just title “Chloe” or “Bennett” to designate. For some strange reason, I am still into this series (despite the lower rating) and will be continuing.

Beautiful Bastard

#1 Beautiful Bastard
#1.5 Beautiful Bitch
#2 Beautiful Stranger
#2.5 Beautiful Bombshell
#3 Beautiful Player
#3.5 Beautiful Beginning
#3.6 Beautiful Beloved
#4 Beautiful Secret
#4.5 Beautiful Boss
#5 Beautiful

Next up on the TBR pile:

God Rest Ye, Royal Gentlemen by Rhys Bowen

Title: God Rest Ye, Royal Gentlemen (Royal Spyness #15)

Author: Rhys Bowen

Publisher: Berkley 2021

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 302

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Georgie is excited for her first Christmas as a married woman in her lovely new home. She suggests to her dashing husband, Darcy, that they have a little house party, but when Darcy receives a letter from his aunt Ermintrude, there is an abrupt change in plans. She has moved to a house on the edge of the Sandringham estate, near the royal family, and wants to invite Darcy and his new bride for Christmas. Aunt Ermintrude hints that the queen would like Georgie nearby. Georgie had not known that Aunt Ermintrude was a former lady-in-waiting and close confidante of her royal highness. The letter is therefore almost a royal request, so Georgie, Darcy, and their Christmas guests: Mummy, Grandad, Fig, and Binky all head to Sandringham.

Georgie soon learns that the notorious Mrs. Simpson, mistress to the Prince of Wales, will also be in attendance. It is now crystal clear to Georgie that the Queen expects her to do a bit of spying. There is tension in the air from the get-go, and when Georgie pays a visit to the queen, she learns that there is more to her request than just some simple eavesdropping. There have been a couple of strange accidents at the estate recently. Two gentlemen of the royal household have died in mysterious circumstances and another has been shot by mistake during a hunt. Georgie begins to suspect that a member of the royal family is the real target but her investigation will put her new husband and love of her life, Darcy, in the crosshairs of a killer.

Oof. I think I am officially done with this series. Georgie hasn’t really grown much in the past ten books and Darcy still really annoys me. It’s the side characters that really make these books entertaining. But even now, I’m not convinced they are enough to continue. I just feel like the series is rehashing the same things over and over again with nothing new introduced. Plus the mysteries have really been lackluster. Sorry Georgie, but I just can’t do it anymore.

Her Royal Spyness:

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Princess Plan by Julia London

Title: The Princess Plan (Royal Wedding #1)

Author: Julia London

Publisher: HQN 2019

Genre: Romance

Pages: 392

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Nothing gets the tongues of London’s high society wagging like a good scandal. And when the personal secretary of the visiting Prince Sebastian of Alucia is found murdered, it’s all anyone can talk about, including Eliza Tricklebank. Her unapologetic gossip gazette has benefited from an anonymous tip about the crime, prompting Sebastian to take an interest in playing detective—and an even greater interest in Eliza.

With a trade deal on the line and mounting pressure to secure a noble bride, there’s nothing more salacious than a prince dallying with a commoner. Sebastian finds Eliza’s contrary manner as frustrating as it is seductive, but they’ll have to work together if they’re going to catch the culprit. And when things heat up behind closed doors, it’s the prince who’ll have to decide what comes first—his country or his heart.

I grabbed the third book in this series as it’s set at Christmas. But I am not an animal, and I always try to read series in order. Therefore, I had to head back to the library and get books one and two to read first. This series starter was a fun delightful romance and murder mystery intrigue. We are thrown into political intrigue and dangerous factions with Eliza as she navigates an accidental friendship with a foreign prince. But of course we are also going to get some romance thrown in there. I loved Eliza’s ability to be herself in the face of societal pressures. She was a delight to follow throughout the storyline. And Sebastian was a lovely lead male character. I wanted a bit more about them once he declared his love, but that’s a usual complaint. Overall, I really enjoyed this one and will be continuing to read the trilogy.

Royal Wedding

#1 The Princess Plan
#2 A Royal Kiss and Tell
#3 A Princess by Christmas

Next up on the TBR pile:

Always, in December by Emily Stone

Title: Always, in December

Author: Emily Stone

Publisher: Dell 2021

Genre: Romance

Pages: 416

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Every December, Josie posts a letter from her home in London to the parents she lost on Christmas night many years ago. Each year, she writes the same three words: Missing you, always.But this year, her annual trip to the postbox is knocked off course by a bicycle collision with a handsome stranger--a stranger who will change the course of Josie's life.

Josie always thought she was the only one who avoided the Christmas season, but this year, Max has his own reasons for doing the same—and coincidence leads them to spending the holiday together. Aglow with new love, Josie thinks this might be the start of something special.

Only for Max to disappear without saying goodbye.

Over the course of the next year, Max and Josie will find that fate continues to bring them together in places they'd never expect. New York City. Edinburgh. The quiet English countryside. And it turns out, Max had every reason to leave and every reason to stay. But what does fate hold for Josie and Max as Christmas approaches again?

CW: Death

I grabbed this one to add to my holiday romances, but it ended up being a lot heavier than I thought it would. Ultimately, this is a book about grief. Josie spend an entire year really wrestling with the grief of losing her parents on Christmas Eve as a child. But then she’s left once more when Max disappears and then reappears at various events. I kept waiting for the big drop to happen and it does, but right at the end. Overall, I was really enjoying the story and loved following Josie with occasional interludes from Max. But it definitely wasn’t the fun and fluffy book I was expecting.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox

Title: The Holiday Swap

Author: Maggie Knox

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons 2021

Genre: Romance

Pages: 352

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

When chef Charlie Goodwin gets hit on the head on the L.A. set of her reality baking show, she loses a lot more than consciousness; she also loses her ability to taste and smell—both critical to her success as show judge. Meanwhile, Charlie's identical twin, Cass, is frantically trying to hold her own life together back in their quaint mountain hometown while running the family's bustling bakery and dealing with her ex, who won't get the memo that they're over.

With only days until Christmas, a desperate Charlie asks Cass to do something they haven't done since they were kids: switch places. Looking for her own escape from reality, Cass agrees. But temporarily trading lives proves more complicated than they imagined, especially when rugged firefighter Jake Greenman and gorgeous physician assistant Miguel Rodriguez are thrown into the mix. Will the twins' identity swap be a recipe for disaster, or does it have all the right ingredients for getting their lives back on track?

A fun and madcap style holiday romance for this year. This was very predictable, but I still really enjoyed it. Sometimes what you need is a nice and predictable romance for the week. I really fell for Cass and loved following her storyline. Charlie has me annoyed at her as a few points in the story. She seemed to not take the assignment as seriously as her sister. But everyone and everything came together at the end. I just wish that we had a few more chapters to sit with the two relationships at the end of the book. (But that’s really my constant complaint about these types of books.) Overall, a lovely Christmas romance and I need to watch the movie version soon.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Scandalous Lord Dere by Stephanie Laurens

Title: Scandalous Lord Dere

Author: Stephanie Laurens

Publisher: Avon 2011

Genre: Romance

Pages: 184

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Once upon a time, a young woman attended a New Year's Eve ball...The moon shone brightly, music filled the air. Kisses were stolen and promises made. But what happens when morning comes? A new year brings new scandal when a rake awakens in the bed of the flame-haired temptress who had seduced him years before. All of society has them bedded, but can he convince her to become wedded?

Much better! This was a fun Regency era romance involving old flames and a blizzard. I do so love the trapped-in-a-storm trope in my romance. This one was drawn out just how I like them to be. We slowly get to know Adrian and Abby’s history and their potential future. Plus we get a few very steamy scenes sprinkled throughout the novella. Very enjoyable historical romance.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Winter's Knight by Elizabeth Cole

Title: A Winter’s Knight (Regency Rhapsody #1)

Author: Elizabeth Cole

Publisher: 2012

Genre: Romance

Pages: 56

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Phoebe Hartridge runs into serious danger on an icy winter evening. But her rescuer, the mysterious Anthony Sterling, immediately melts her heart and makes her dream of a life beyond her tiny, sheltered world. The more she gets to know him, the more she senses he is hiding something from her.

When Captain Anthony Sterling was wounded in battle, he lost his leg, his fiancee, and any hope for happiness. Even the revelation that he is the heir to a fortune brought him nothing but bitterness. Then his chance encounter with the charming, innocent Phoebe makes him wonder if there may be a future for him after all. But first he must escape the shadows of his past.

My biggest complaint about this one is the length. So incredibly short! And so much happens in that short amount of time. The main characters get engaged after a week. A little too quick for me overall. I would have like to learn more about each of them and sit with their romance for longer. Meh. I won’t be reading the rest of this short story series (even if the library had it, I’m not paying for such short stories). Time to move on.

Regency Rhapsody

#1 A Winter’s Knight
#2 Scandal at Dawn
#3 Watch for Me by Moonlight
#4 A Voice at Midnight
#5 A Dress the Color of Dusk

Next up on the TBR pile: