Jill's Book Blog

Review: Woke Up Like This

Title: Woke Up Like This
Author: Amy Lea
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Mindy’s Book Studio
Source: Firefly Books Distributed Lines
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: October 1, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Planning the perfect prom is one last “to do” on ultra-organized Charlotte Wu’s high school bucket list. So far, so good, if not for a decorating accident that sends Charlotte crash-landing off a ladder, face-first into her obnoxiously ripped archnemesis J. T. Renner. Worse? When Charlotte wakes up, she finds herself in an unfamiliar bed at thirty years old, with her bearded fiancé, Renner, by her side.

Either they’ve lost their minds or they’ve been drop-kicked into adulthood, forever trapped in the thirty-year-old bodies of their future selves. With each other as their only constant, Charlotte and Renner discover all that’s changed in the time they’ve missed. Charlotte also learns there’s more to Renner than irritating-jock charm, and that reaching the next milestone isn’t as important as what happens in between.

Navigating a series of adventures and a confounding new normal, Charlotte and Renner will do whatever it takes to find a way back to seventeen. But when―and if―they do, what then?

Review:

Charlotte Wu is a super organized high school senior who is preparing for prom. She’s the vice-president of student council, and she has to work with her archenemy, J.T. Renner, who is president. While setting up the decorations for prom, Charlotte falls off a ladder and onto Renner. She opens her eyes in an unfamiliar bed, as a thirty-year-old, with Renner sleeping beside her. Neither of them know how they’ve jumped thirty years into the future. A lot has changed in the past thirteen years, starting with their upcoming wedding. Charlotte has no idea why she would be marrying her enemy, who she’s hated since he stood her up for homecoming in their freshman year. If they want to return to their senior year, they have to figure out why they were sent into the future, and maybe they were meant to be together all along.

13 Going on 30 is one of my favourite rom coms, so I was excited to read this similar story! The movie is mentioned in the book, but to Charlotte, it’s considered a movie from her mom’s generation. Charlotte had such strong feelings of hatred towards Renner, it wasn’t hard for those feelings to be flipped to love. Though there was a misunderstanding that caused their rivalry throughout high school, it made sense that it happened the way it did.

Woke Up Like This is a fun time travel rom com!

Thank you Firefly Distributed Lines for sending me a copy of this book!

Content warnings: death of parent, divorce

Have you read Woke Up Like This? What did you think of it?

Review: Patience, Princess Catherine (Young Royals #4)

Title: Patience, Princess Catherine (Young Royals #4)
Author: Carolyn Meyer
Genre: Middle Grade, Historical Fiction
Publisher: Clarion Books
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: May 1, 2004
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

England anxiously awaits Prince Arthur’s betrothed—the Spanish princess who will be its future queen. But when Arthur dies not long after the wedding, Catherine of Aragon’s fate becomes uncertain. Will the king and Catherine’s parents arrange a marriage with Arthur’s brother, Henry, or will she return to Spain a widow? Through all this turmoil, the young princess’s resolve remains unshaken. She will one day be England’s queen . . . no matter how long it takes.

Review:

Spanish Princess Catherine was sent to England to marry Princess Arthur Tudor, the future King. A few months after their wedding, Arthur died, but Catherine stayed in England. For many years, her future remained uncertain. Will she go home to Spain or marry Arthur’s younger brother Henry? Catherine must be patient while she waits, determined to one day be Queen of England.

This is a great middle grade adaptation of Catherine of Aragon’s life. It told her story leading up to her marriage to Henry VIII. Each chapter began with a passage about what Henry was doing at the time and what his feelings were towards Catherine. The story focused on the big events that happened over the eight years that Catherine was left waiting to be Queen.

Patience, Princess Catherine is a great middle grade story for readers interested in history.

Other books in the series:

Mary, Bloody Mary (Young Royals #1)
Beware, Princess Elizabeth (Young Royals #2)
Doomed Queen Anne (Young Royals #3)
Duchessina: A Novel of Catherine De Medici (Young Royals #5)
The Bad Queen: Rules and Instructions for Marie Antoinette (Young Royals #6)
The Wild Queen: The Days and Nights of Mary Queen of Scots (Young Royals #7)

Have you read Patience, Princess Catherine? What did you think of it?

Review: Sinner’s Isle

Title: Sinner’s Isle
Author: Angela Montoya
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Joy Revolution
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: October 31, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A spellbinding romantic fantasy about a powerful witch who will do anything to escape the remote island she’s being held captive on, including blackmail a notorious, charming pirate who washes up on shore, from debut author Angela Montoya.

Rosalinda is trapped on Sinner’s Isle, an island filled with young women like her—Majestics, beautiful witches loathed by society for their dangerous magic yet revered by powerful men who want to use them.

For years, she has been kept under the watchful, calculating eye of Doña Lucia. Now eighteen, Rosa will be the prized commodity at this year’s Offering, a fiesta for the wealthy to engage in drink, damsels, and debauchery. That is why she must flee—before someone forces the vicious phantoms within her to destroy everything she touches.

Handsome, swashbuckling Mariano has long sailed the high seas as the Prince of Pirates. Then the king’s fleet attacks his father’s infamous ship, leaving him marooned on Sinner’s Isle with only an enchanted chain meant to lead him to his heart’s desire. Instead, he falls into the hands of a brazen (although) bewitching headache—Rosa.

Together they must outwit each other and their enemies before the Offering ends and it’s too late to escape the perils of Sinner’s Isle.

Review:

Rosalinda lives on Sinner’s Isle, where she’s been kept for most of her life along with other Majestics, who are witches. Rosa is a powerful Majestic, with shadows that can do her bidding. Every year the Majestics are offered up to powerful men in the world, so they can be bonded for life and use their powers to help the men. It’s Rosa’s year to be offered, and she’s the most powerful girl of the year. Mariano is the son of infamous pirates. When his father dies suddenly, he must escape their ship before his uncles kill him to take his place. Mariano washes up on Sinner’s Isle, where he encounters Rosa. They make a deal for Mariano to help Rosa and her best friend escape their fate as Majestics, but it isn’t easy to escape their destiny.

This was an exciting and original story! It was interesting how the Majestics were both revered and ostracized from society. They had magic powers, so they were used to be bonded with powerful men, but they were also sent to an isolated island away from the rest of society. There were some surprising twists that I didn’t see coming. The story had a great, complete ending, but there is also the possibility for another book in this world in the future.

Sinner’s Isle is a great debut novel!

Thank you Penguin Teen Canada for providing a copy of this book!

Content warnings: death of parents, death, blood, violence

Have you read Sinner’s Isle? What did you think of it?

Review: Histories of the Unexpected: The Tudors

Title: Histories of the Unexpected: The Tudors
Author: Sam Willis, James Daybell
Genre: Nonfiction
Publisher: Atlantic Books
Source: Library
Format: Ebook
Release Date: November 7, 2019
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Histories of the Unexpected not only presents a new way of thinking about the past, but also reveals the world around us as never before.

Traditionally, the Tudors have been understood in a straightforward way but the period really comes alive if you take an unexpected approach to its history. Yes, Tudor monarchs, exploration and religion have a fascinating history… but so too does cannibalism, shrinking, bells, hats, mirrors, monsters, faces, letter-writing and accidents!

Each of these subjects is equally fascinating in its own right, and each sheds new light on the traditional subjects and themes that we think we know so well.

Review:

The Histories of the Unexpected: The Tudors gives a history of the Tudors that isn’t traditionally written about. Often history books are about the art, religion, and monarchy of the Tudor era. This book has chapters on monsters, toilets, rings, bells, and even cannibalism. It was definitely unexpected and entertaining!

If you want to learn some fun facts about the Tudor era, I recommend this quick read!

Have you read Histories of the Unexpected: The Tudors? What did you think of it?

Review: Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord (Lady Petra Inquires #1)

Title: Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord (Lady Petra Inquires #1)
Author: Celeste Connally
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: November 14, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Bridgerton meets Agatha Christie in Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord, a dazzling first entry in a terrific new Regency-era mystery series with a feminist spin.

When Lady Petra Forsyth’s fiancé and soulmate dies just weeks ahead of their wedding, she makes the shocking proclamation—in front of London’s loosest lips—that she will never remarry. A woman of independent means, Petra sees no reason to cede her wealth and freedom to any man now that the love of her life has passed, nor does she intend to become confined to her country home. Instead, she uses her title to gain access to elite spaces and enjoy the best of society without expectations.

But when ballroom gossip suggests that a longtime friend has died of “melancholia” while in the care of a questionable physician, Petra vows to use her status to dig deeper—uncovering a private asylum where men pay to have their wives and daughters locked away, or worse. Just as Lady Petra has reason to believe her friend is not dead, but a prisoner, her own headstrong actions and thirst for independence are used to put her own freedom in jeopardy.

Review:

Lady Petra Forsyth declares that she will never marry following the tragic death of her fiancée. She has independent wealth, but her announcement still sent a shock throughout society. While attending a ball, Petra learns that a close friend died suddenly of “melancholia” following treatment by an unusual doctor in an asylum. Petra is suspicious of this news, especially when her friend’s former footman says he has seen the woman alive. Petra uses her status in society to find out what is happening to the women who are sent to the asylum by their husbands or male relatives.

I really enjoyed this story. It started out a little humourous. Petra was a strong, independent woman, who questioned a lot of things that were assumed to be true in society. The story became quite dark as Petra investigated the asylum. Many of the women who were there were tested on with horrific treatments, just because they were women who didn’t do what the men in their lives expected of them. Those parts were hard to read, but I’m sure they were based on real experiences of women. The story ended on a cliffhanger so I can’t wait to read what happens next.

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord is a great Regency mystery!

Thank you Minotaur Books for sending me a copy of this book!

Content warnings: misogyny, murder, surgery, sexual assault (off page)

Have you read Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord? What did you think of it?

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord is a great Regency mystery!

Thank you Minotaur Books for sending me a copy of this book!

Content warnings: misogyny, murder, surgery, gaslighting

Review: How to Survive in Tudor England

Title: How to Survive in Tudor England
Author: Toni Mount
Genre: Nonfiction
Publisher: Pen & Sword
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: January 25, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Imagine you were transported back in time to Tudor England and had to start a new life there, without smartphones, internet or social media. When transport means walking or, if you’re lucky, horseback, how will you know where you are or where to go? Where will you live and where will you work? What will you eat and what shall you wear? And who can you turn to if you fall ill or are mugged in the street, or God forbid if you upset the king? In a period when execution by beheading was the fate of thousands how can you keep your head in Tudor England?

All these questions and many more are answered in this new guidebook for How to Survive in Tudor England . A handy self-help guide with tips and suggestions to make your visit to the 16th century much more fun, this lively and engaging book will help the reader deal with the new experiences they may encounter and the problems that might occur.

Enjoy interviews with the celebrities of the day, and learn some new words to set the mood for your time-traveling adventure. Have an exciting visit but be sure to keep this book to hand.

Review:

This book explains how to survive in Tudor England (1485-1603) if you travelled through time back to that era. It started out with a reference to the show Doctor Who (which is about time travel) so I knew I would enjoy this book.

It was a fun read that tells you what to eat, wear, and how to behave. Almost all the chapters had a fictional interview with a famous person associated with that chapter, which was so funny. All of the interviews made me laugh.

How to Survive in Tudor England is an entertaining read for anyone interested in the Tudors!

Thank you Pen and Sword for providing a digital copy of this book.

Have you read How to Survive in Tudor England? What did you think of it?

Review: A Princess for Christmas (Christmas in Eldovia #1)

Title: A Princess for Christmas (Christmas in Eldovia #1)
Author: Jenny Holiday
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Avon
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: October 13, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

From USA Today bestselling author Jenny Holiday comes a modern fairy tale just in time for Christmas about a tough New Yorker from the other side of the tracks who falls for a princess from the other side of the world.

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.

Review:

Leo Ricci is busy driving a cab in New York and being the sole caregiver for his little sister after the death of his parents. One day while they are driving home, his sister notices a woman in a gown trying to hail a cab outside of the UN. She insists they stop and help the woman, who turns out to be the Princess of Eldovia, a small country in Europe. Princess Marie has had to take on a lot of responsibility for the country following the death of her mother. When she gets into Leo’s cab, he is kind to her in a way she hasn’t experienced in a long time. He offers to personally drive her around New York while she’s visiting. Marie appreciates his help so much that she invites Leo and his sister to Eldovia for Christmas. Leo and Marie can’t deny the attraction they feel, but Marie has expectations for her future marriage, so it can only be a holiday fling, unless they can find a way to break the rules.

This story was like an adult version of The Princess Diaries. Marie had an innocence about her, since she hadn’t been exposed to a lot outside of the palace. Leo was gruff, but kind, especially when it came to his sister. Marie and Leo had a steamy romance, and I was hoping they would find a way to be together. I’m so glad this is the start of a series because I really enjoyed reading about these characters.

A Princess for Christmas is a sweet holiday read.

Content warnings: death of parents, car accident (off page), cancer

Other books in the series:

Duke, Actually (Christmas in Eldovia #2)
So This is Christmas (Christmas in Eldovia #3)

Have you read A Princess for Christmas? What did you think of it?

Review: Snowed In for Christmas

Title: Snowed In for Christmas
Author: Jaqueline Snowe
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Forever
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: October 3, 2023
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Sorority mom Becca Fairfield is used to guys not taking her seriously. She’s too blond, too quirky, or Just. Too. Much. So she’s ditched dating to focus on her job and a house filled with drama and plenty of tea. Now with the holidays and a major blizzard on her doorstep, Becca has everything she needs to survive the next two weeks on her own. Hot cocoa, plenty of books . . . and the memory of a steamy kiss with a certain sexy, grumposaurus next-door neighbor to keep her warm.

Only Becca’s seriously underestimated this Snowpocalypse. So when the power goes out and Harrison Cooper—football coach, master crank, and the guy who acted mega-awkward after said steamy kiss—offers her shelter, it only makes sense to accept. They’ll just be Blizzard Buddies. Hang out, stay safe, and maybe indulge in a little R-rated cuddling . Becca knows that Harrison isn’t the dating kind, and what happens during the storm lasts only as long as the storm. But are they keeping warm . . . or playing with fire?

Review:

Becca Fairfield is the sorority mom at a sorority house where she looks after a bunch of college girls. She’s focused on her job, and hasn’t found the right guy yet. She’s quirky and the guys she’s dated haven’t understood her. That includes the football coach next door, Harrison Cooper. When Becca and Harrison went on a date two years ago, he ghosted her. Now, they’re both home alone during a huge blizzard. When the power goes out and one of the sorority house’s windows breaks, Harrison insists that Becca come to his house to wait out the storm. The freezing temperatures force them to cuddle to warm each other up with their body heat. They agree to just be “Blizzard Buddies” and have a short romance during the storm, but it isn’t easy to let go of these new feelings once the snow clears.

I have to admit, I felt cold while reading this story about the snow storm. It was scary to imagine a storm like that, especially when they lost power in severely cold temperatures. Becca and Harrison’s romance was out of convenience, since they were attracted to each other while they were snowed in, but they did have some things in common that made it seem like the relationship would last. The story had a really cute ending too!

Snowed In for Christmas is a cute holiday romance!

Thank you Forever for providing a digital copy of this book.

Content warnings: car accident, drunk driving

Have you read Snowed In for Christmas? What did you think of it?

Review: A Kilt for Christmas (The Enchanted Highlands #3)

Title: A Kilt for Christmas (The Enchanted Highlands #3)
Author: Tricia O’Malley
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Lovewrite Publishing
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Audiobook
Release Date: November 17, 2023
Rating: ★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Legend has it that wishes made at the standing stones during Christmas come true. As if.

Maisie Barron is over it. A small-town girl with big dreams, her frustrations lead her to make a silly wish at the standing stones outside Loren Brae. Little does she know, the magick found there will transform her wish into a catastrophic event that threatens the upcoming Christmas Book Festival.Weston Smith needs a break. Burnt out from his tenure-track professorship, he decides that a holiday in little Loren Brae, Scotland, will be the perfect escape he needs to recharge his batteries. The last thing he expects is to find the woman he’s been waiting his whole life for. With the over-zealous help of a gaggle of elderly book club members, West finds himself on a real-life mission to woo the woman of his dreams.There’s more than magic at play when sparks ignite. Snowed in, with an undeniable attraction brewing, only West and Maisie can save Loren Brae from the snowstorm of the century.Author’s a handsome American takes on a lonely Scotswoman in this stand-alone, small-town, Scottish romance. Wicked banter, a highland ghost coo, and dogs dressed in kilts make this magical Christmas story the perfect happily-ever-after.

Review:

Weston Smith is a professor in California who decides to take a vacation in Loren Brae, Scotland before Christmas. The town is hosting the Christmas Book Festival, which West is excited to help out with. He meets Maisie Barron, a girl from the town who dreams of being an author. West instantly knows she’s the woman of his dreams. Maisie makes a wish at the standing stones outside the town, which causes a catastrophic snow storm that snows in Maisie and West together. They can’t help but succumb to their attraction while they’re stuck in the storm of the century.

This was a short Christmas read. It’s part of a series, which I haven’t read, and I think that put me at a disadvantage. I wasn’t familiar with the town or characters, who may have been introduced more thoroughly in previous books. Maisie and West fell in love at first sight. I’m not a fan of the instant love trope, because it doesn’t feel genuine or long lasting.

Unfortunately, A Kilt for Christmas didn’t work for me.

Thank you Dreamscape Select for providing a copy of this audiobook.

Other books in the series:

Wild Scottish Knight (The Enchanted Highlands #1)
Wild Scottish Love (The Enchanted Highlands #2)

Have you read A Kilt for Christmas? What did you think of it?