Review: The Devil and the Heiress

Title: The Devil and the Heiress (The Gilded Age Heiresses #2)
Author: Harper St. George
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance
Publisher: Berkley Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: June 29, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Sparks fly when a runaway heiress bargains with a devilish rogue to escape a marriage of convenience. 

No one would guess that beneath Violet Crenshaw’s ladylike demeanor lies the heart of a rebel. American heiresses looking to secure English lords must be on their best behavior, but Violet has other plans. She intends to flee London and the marriage her parents have arranged to become a published author–if only the wickedly handsome earl who inspired her most outrageously sinful character didn’t insist on coming with her.

Christian Halston, Earl of Leigh, has a scheme of his own: escort the surprisingly spirited dollar princess north and use every delicious moment in close quarters to convince Violet to marry him. Christian needs an heiress to rebuild his Scottish estate but the more time he spends with Violet, the more he realizes what he really needs is her–by his side, near his heart, in his bed.

Though Christian’s burning glances offer unholy temptation, Violet has no intention of surrendering herself or her newfound freedom in a permanent deal with the devil. It’s going to take more than pretty words to prove this fortune hunter’s love is true….

Review:

Violet Crenshaw’s American parents want her to get married. She doesn’t like the husband they’ve chosen for her, so she decides to flee London so she can work on her manuscript at an artist’s retreat. Just as Violet is ready to flee, she’s stopped by Christian Halston, Earl of Leigh. He offers to give her a ride out of the city, so she can run away from her family. Violet doesn’t know that Christian asked Violet’s father if he could marry her, but he was turned down. Christian hopes that he can convince Violet that they should get married on their long trip north. However, an accident throws them together in an unexpected way. Violet has to try to keep herself from falling for the devilish Christian while he tries to charm her into marriage.

This was such a fun sequel to The Heiress Gets a Duke. That book followed Violet’s older sister August who wasn’t in this story that much because she was traveling back to America at the end of that book.

There was a lot of steamy romance in this book. I loved Violet and I could relate to her desire to be a writer. She had to struggle with rejection, but she kept pursuing her dream.

The romance for the next book in the series was introduced throughout the book. It will follow Violet’s brother, who made a couple of appearances in this story. I can’t wait to read that one.

The Devil and the Heiress is a fun historical romance!

Thank you Berkley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore

To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters

Other books in the series:

Have you read The Devil and the Heiress? What did you think of it?

‘Waiting on’ Wednesday – July 7

This is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. In this post we highlight a book that’s highly anticipated.

The book that I’m waiting on this Wednesday is If the Shoe Fits (Meant to Be #1) by Julie Murphy. The expected publication date is August 3, 2021.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

After having just graduated with a degree in shoe design, and trying to get her feet on the ground, Cindy is working for her stepmother, who happens to be the executive producer of America’s favorite reality show, Before Midnight. When a spot on the show needs filling ASAP, Cindy volunteers, hoping it might help jump-start her fashion career, or at least give her something to do while her peers land jobs in the world of high fashion.

Turns out being the only plus size woman on a reality dating competition makes a splash, and soon Cindy becomes a body positivity icon for women everywhere. What she doesn’t expect? That she may just find inspiration-and love-in the process. Ultimately, Cindy learns that if the shoe doesn’t fit, maybe it’s time to design your own.

What books are you waiting on this week?

Top Ten Tuesday – Books That Made Me Love Reading

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and it is now hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is Reasons Why I Love Reading, so I decided to make a list of the Books That Made Me Love Reading. Here’s my list:

1. Mole and Shrew All Year Through by Jackie French Koller

2. Shadowland by Meg Cabot

3. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

4. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

5. Without a Trace by Carolyn Keene

6. It Begins by Richie Tankersley Cusick

7. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

8. The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney

9. Into the Blue by Ben M. Baglio

10. Kittens in the Kitchen by Ben M. Baglio

(All book covers from Goodreads)

What’s your list of books on your Top Ten Tuesday?

Happy Pub Day – July 6

Happy Pub Day to all of these new books!

Cold Hearted by Serena Valentino

Where It All Lands by Jennie Wexler

The Queen Will Betray You by Sarah Henning

The Girl In the Headlines by Hannah Jayne

The Okay Witch and the Hungry Shadow by Emma Steinkellner

The Temple House Vanishing by Rachel Donohue

The Hunted by Roz Nay

Like Me by Hayley Phelan

The House of Serendipity by Lucy Ivison

Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell

It Ends in Fire by Andrew Shvarts

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

What We Devour by Linsey Miller

Rise to the Sun by Leah Johnson

What books are you most excited for this week?

Review: One Last Stop [audiobook]

Title: One Last Stop
Author: Casey McQuiston
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, LGBTQ
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Audiobook
Release Date: June 1, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue comes a new romantic comedy that will stop readers in their tracks…

For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can’t imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there’s certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures.

But then, there’s this gorgeous girl on the train.

Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough edges and swoopy hair and soft smile, showing up in a leather jacket to save August’s day when she needed it most. August’s subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers there’s one big problem: Jane doesn’t just look like an old school punk rocker. She’s literally displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help her. Maybe it’s time to start believing in some things, after all.

Casey McQuiston’s One Last Stop is a magical, sexy, big-hearted romance where the impossible becomes possible as August does everything in her power to save the girl lost in time.

Review:

Twenty-three-year-old August moves to New York City to escape her complicated relationship with her mom. She moves in with a quirky group of roommates and starts working at a pancake diner. Then, one day when she’s on the subway, she sees a girl. Jane is mysterious and intriguing. August keeps seeing Jane on the train and falls for her more each time. However, she hasn’t seen Jane outside of the train. That’s because Jane can’t leave. Jane is from the 1970s and is somehow stuck on the subway train. August has to do everything possible to somehow save Jane.

I went into this story without knowing what it was about. I loved Casey’s book Red, White and Royal Blue so I knew I would love this one. I was surprised to see the magical realism aspect, with Jane from the 1970s stuck on a modern train. This was a fun and unique concept.

I loved the romance between August and Jane. It was a little strange, since their relationship had to take place on a subway train. However, I was really hoping they could be together outside of the train. There were some heartbreaking moments but I loved the ending.

This audiobook had a great narrator. She used different voices for different characters, so I could always tell who was speaking. The quirky cast of characters were hilarious. There were funny moments throughout the story, even during serious situations. Those funny parts broke the tension and lightened the mood of this emotional story.

One Last Stop is a great romcom!

Thank you Macmillan Audio for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Have you read One Last Stop? What did you think of it?

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? – July 5

This blog meme is hosted by Book Date. It is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week.  It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment, and er… add to that ever growing TBR pile!

What I just finished:

This weekend I finished One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston.

What I’m currently reading:

I’m currently reading Samira Surfs by Rukhsanna Guidroz.

What I’m reading next:

Next I will be reading The Temple House Vanishing by Rachel Donohue.

What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books?

Jill’s Weekly Wrap-Up – July 4

Here are my reviews for the week with my ratings:

I did 7 weekly blogging memes:

How was your week? What did you guys read?

Sundays in Bed With… One Last Stop

The meme that dares to ask what book has been in your bed this morning? Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today! This meme is hosted by Midnight Book Girl.

This Sunday I’m reading One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue comes a new romantic comedy that will stop readers in their tracks…

For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can’t imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there’s certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures.

But then, there’s this gorgeous girl on the train.

Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough edges and swoopy hair and soft smile, showing up in a leather jacket to save August’s day when she needed it most. August’s subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers there’s one big problem: Jane doesn’t just look like an old school punk rocker. She’s literally displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help her. Maybe it’s time to start believing in some things, after all.

Casey McQuiston’s One Last Stop is a magical, sexy, big-hearted romance where the impossible becomes possible as August does everything in her power to save the girl lost in time.

What book are you in bed with today?

Six for Sunday – Summery Covers

This meme is hosted by Steph at A little but a lot. The weekly prompts for 2019 can be found here.

This week’s prompt is Summery Colours, so these are my Summery Covers. Here’s my list:

1. That Summer in Maine by Brianna Wolfson

2. Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler

3. You Have a Match by Emma Lord

4. A Taste for Love by Jennifer Yen

5. Charming as a Verb by Ben Philippe

6. My Last Summer with Cass by Mark Crilley

(All book covers from Goodreads)

Did you make a Six for Sunday list?

Review: The Passing Playbook

Title: The Passing Playbook
Author: Isaac Fitzsimons
Genre: Young Adult, LGBTQ, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: June 1, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Love, Simon meets Friday Night Lights in this feelgood LGBTQ+ romance about a trans teen torn between standing up for his rights and staying stealth.

‘A sharply observant and vividly drawn debut. I loved every minute I spent in this story’ – Becky Albertalli

Fifteen-year-old Spencer Harris is a proud nerd, an awesome big brother and a Messi-in-training. He’s also transgender. After transitioning at his old school leads to a year of bullying, Spencer gets a fresh start at Oakley, the most liberal private school in Ohio. 

At Oakley, Spencer seems to have it all: more accepting classmates, a decent shot at a starting position on the boy’s soccer team, great new friends, and maybe even something more than friendship with one of his teammates. The problem is, no one at Oakley knows Spencer is trans – he’s passing. 

So when a discriminatory law forces Spencer’s coach to bench him after he discovers the ‘F’ on Spencer’s birth certificate, Spencer has to make a choice: cheer his team on from the sidelines or publicly fight for his right to play, even if it means coming out to everyone – including the guy he’s falling for.

Review:

Spencer Harris starts at a new private high school in his sophomore year after being bullied and receiving death threats at his old school for being transgender. Spencer is starting this school with a fresh start as a boy, without coming out. He had played soccer in middle school, and was excited to play on the high school team. It gets more complicated when he starts to like one of his teammates, Justice. Spencer is one of the best players on the team, until the coach learns that Spencer’s birth certificate lists him as a female, which would disqualify the team from playing in the final tournament. Spencer has to figure out how to continue being himself while also fighting for queer and transgender rights.

This story had such a cute romance. Spencer and Justice were perfect together. There was a lot of tension in their relationship because Spencer wasn’t out as transgender and Justice wasn’t out as gay. They had to hide their relationship from a lot of people but I was rooting for them the entire time.

There were some devastating scenes in this story. Spencer was lucky to have such a supportive family. They were learning along the way with Spencer, but they made an effort to figure everything out to make his life the best it could be. Even though he had his family’s support, Spencer still had to change schools because he was in danger. Justice was from an extremely religious family who didn’t hide their homophobia. Their school also wasn’t that open to making the school as accessible to queer students, even though they were considered progressive. Spencer’s story was uplifting, but there was a lot of homophobia and transphobia around him.

The Passing Playbook is a heartwarming transgender love story.

Thank you Penguin Young Readers for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

May the Best Man Win by Z.R. Ellor

Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith

Have you read The Passing Playbook? What did you think of it?