Top Five Reads of September 2022

In the month of September, I finished reading 24 books (20 historical romance, 2 contemporary romance, 1 young adult fantasy, and 1 nonfiction). Here are my five favorite books from the month! (listed in alphabetical order by author last name)
The Notorious Rake by Mary Balogh (1992)
This one got recommended to me a couple of times by different folks on Instagram. It’s an older historical romance with a bang of a set up. Quite literally. Our two main characters are at the gardens with their friends, total opposites, and get stuck in a thunderstorm while out on a walk together. The lady is absolutely terrified of storms due to a past experience where a tent next to her was struck by lightning and four men were killed, so she inevitably has a panic attack. Our two people have found shelter in a covered picnic area and the gentleman distracts her from the panic by kissing her… and then proceeds to have sex with her. I’m not quite sure that a lady having a panic attack counts as consent in any instance, but this was written in the early 1990s, so let’s suspend disbelief for a second. This is all like the first chapter of the book, and then when the storm eases, he brings her to his mistress den and they do it again (with verbal consent this time). And then he proceeds to spend the rest of the book pursuing her, even though she just wants to say “Thank you, sir, see you again never.” Further on, there’s backstory of how he turned into a rake and it’s actually really sad and it made me really feel for the guy… so aside from the crazypants beginning, it’ll give you all the classic Balogh feels.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org
The Duke Alone by Christi Caldwell (2022)
Historical romance in Regency/Victorian era England. Home Alone retelling with Lady Myrtle being left behind in her London house for the holidays. Myrtle is terribly sunshiney and makes the acquaintance of the grumpy duke next door. The duke, Val, has a terrible reputation and is rumored to have murdered his staff and fed them to his wolfish dog. He’s really just terribly depressed after his wife died in a tragic carriage accident. Over the course of a days, he comes to enjoy her relentless smiling and singing. Super sweet and funny. Warning that this one is fade to black… caught me off guard, but by that point, I was already enchanted by the story, so I didn’t mind too much.
Advance ebook provided by Montlake via NetGalley.

Dare to Love a Duke by Eva Leigh (2018)
Historical romance in Regency/Victorian era England; book 3 of the London Underground series. We have our newly inherited duke still mourning his father but dealing with his new responsibilities. Knowing that he has to protect his mother and sister’s reputations, he will have to cease going to flirt with the proprietress of the sex club he frequents. After he spends one last night with her, he finds out that his father actually secretly owned the club and he needs to decide whether to keep it open or shut it down. High drama there! Also, of course, I was on a page with a scene from the club when I realized my kid could read over my shoulder…
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone (2022)
Contemporary romance on the set of a sweet holiday rom-com movie for a squeaky clean network. Our heroine is a plus-sized adult entertainer and our hero is an ex-boy band member trying to rehabilitate his reputation. And of course, they each have a pre-existing crush on each other, so sparks fly and they start secretly spending naked time together. This book had all sorts of great callbacks to boy band hijinks (reality TV shows, rabid fans, and sketchy managers). We get to meet the other boy band members as well and I’m looking forward to reading their future stories.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Print book provided by Avon Books and BiblioLifestyle.

The Devil of Downtown by Joanna Shupe (2020)
Historical romance set in Gilded Age New York; book 3 of the Uptown Girls series. This one has the youngest sister of the series out doing charitable works and asking the local crime boss for assistance. In exchange for his help, he wants to be seen in public with her to get closer to a business associate. And then after that, we snowball into their intense chemistry and attraction and then deal with their opposite stations in life.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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Structures of Historical Romance Series: Binge Readers’ Dream
Historical romance books are usually either standalone novels (not related to any other novels) or in series. Usually the summaries of books from a series will state that each book can be read as a standalone novel and you do not need to read other books in the series to understand it. Each book tells a complete story of a single couple with a clear conclusion and happily ever after. It’s rare to see a cliffhanger associated with the relationship status of the main characters of the story that requires you to read the next book. And since the main conclusion of a romance is that the couple ends up happily together, it’s not really a big surprise what happens to previous couples in previous books if you read the books out of order.
However, my personal preference is to read the books in order. The timeline usually goes in order and the characters that will become future main characters will show up as friends and family members and give you some backstory to their personalities. I like to have fun guessing who the next main characters will be based on the hints the authors provide within earlier books. I also enjoy seeing how the relationships of previous books continue to endure later on in the series. In some cases, books later in a series may give away major plot points from previous books (above and beyond the previous couple getting together). When I write book reviews, I try to note this as much as possible so that you won’t spoil yourself by accident. If you’re worried about spoilers though, you really can’t go wrong with just reading in order. Another tip if you’re worried about spoilers: don’t read the summaries of future books in the series. I’ve done this before where I’ve read a summary and realized someone who was married in an early book becomes a widow along the way and has a new romance later in the series.
Series Group Examples
So if each book is a complete story on its own, what makes a series a series? Often the series will be grouped around a central theme or a group of acquaintances. Of the books I’ve read, they’re usually either a family group or a friend group.
One popular example of a family group is the Bridgertons Series by Julia Quinn; there are eight siblings and there are eight books to showcase each sibling’s romance. Julia Quinn also does this with the Smythe-Smith Quartet and the Rokesbys Series.

Another common grouping is based on friend group. Either a group of men who went to school together, a group of women who went to school together, childhood friends, or newfound friends in adulthood. A popular example here is the Wallflowers Series by Lisa Kleypas, where four women with poor marriage prospects repeatedly meet at balls and form a pact to assist each other in finding husbands.

Multi-Series Universes
In some cases, authors will connect more than one series together and they are really within the same universe. Characters will reappear in future books or deal with the next generation. For example, Sarah MacLean integrates all her books in the same universe with time moving forward from one series to the next and the major settings (like casinos or modistes) remain consistent. Another example is Lisa Kleypas’ Wallflowers Series which introduces some beloved characters and then the offspring of those couples come back in the Ravenels Series. When I first started reading historical romance, I did not realize that authors sometimes connect series together and now that I do, I try to read author backlists chronologically based on publication date. You’ll notice in my book reviews that I will put the year of publication next to the title of the book to help with that.

How to Find the Series Order
New historical romance books are being released constantly and sometimes it’s hard to tell if it’s part of a series. I like to refer to a few different sources to check the order of books within a series or even just the publication dates for older books. First, the author’s website is a great resource, especially since they’re the one who wrote the books in the first place. If anyone should give a recommendation on the order to read some books, the author is that person. Second, when you’re shopping for books on Amazon or looking at book reviews on Goodreads, they will often link to other books within that series or give an overall series summary page. Third, if you’re borrowing ebooks from the library, the Libby app will often state the series listing order. I’ve found this to be spotty, so I tend not to trust this source as much. My favorite resource for finding the reading order for series is the website Fantastic Fiction. I will use this site to look up an author’s name and find their entire backlist. The books are grouped and numbered by series and each individual book listing will give you the summary and links to purchase (and you can use the library extension plugin on this page to find the book at your library). This site definitely helps to keep me organized and knowing the order in which whole series are published and the order of books within each series.
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Women Who Dare Series by Beverly Jenkins / Historical Romance Book Series

Sometimes I purposely request advance reader copies of books from authors that I want to read but I haven’t gotten to yet. That’s what I did when I requested the latest historical romance from Beverly Jenkins earlier this year. And since I know that I generally like to read series in order, I borrowed the other books in this series as well. Overall, these three books read as standalone to each other set in post-Civil War America, though they are connected to other earlier works by Beverly Jenkins. They vary in terms spice/steam level which is appropriate to the characters’ histories and personalities. While there are often heavier themes related to racial discrimination, the overall stories are engaging and have bits of humor within.
1. Rebel (2019)
Schoolteacher meets army captain in this book set in New Orleans. Although our teacher is betrothed to someone else when we meet her, she quickly falls for the dashing hero who saves her from a physical attack and helps her to rebuild her schoolrooms. The happy couples we meet from the hero’s family have previously been introduced in their own stories: Through the Storm (1998), Winds of the Storm (2004), and Captured (2009).
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

2. Wild Rain (2021)
A snowstorm rescue, instant attraction, and sickbed care in this one. Our heroine is a rancher in Wyoming and her brother is the town doctor. A newspaperman from back East is there to interview the doctor and gets caught in the snow, needing rescue. In this story, we have a non-virgin historical heroine who clearly communicates that she does not want children. All sorts of steam in this one, which is true to character. This story was not connected to the previous book. The heroine’s brother and sister-in-law’s story is told in Tempest (2018).
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

3. To Catch a Raven (2022)
This book covers a lot of geographical ground, but at some point we are back in New Orleans with a grifter family that is being coerced into assisting with the recovery of a stolen copy of the Declaration of Independence. Our straightlaced hero is teamed up with the swindler heroine, and they need to fake being married and servants of the house they’re investigating. Though they’re total opposites in many ways, we get to see them start a steamy affair. Meanwhile, his father and her mother are rekindling their own romance that ended decades ago. We cross paths a bit with the matriarch from Rebel who assists in a double-cross scheme.
Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley. Advance print book provided by Avon Books.

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How to Read Hundreds of Books for Free: Leveraging the Local Library

From January 2021 when I started my romance reading adventure until now (September 2022), I have borrowed and read over 450 books from my library. I have been a huge fan of borrowing ebooks from the library for many years, but as a voracious romance reader, the library is even more beloved because of the sheer volume of books I can consume without spending any money. Living in Sacramento County, California, my primary library is the Sacramento Public Library and I primarily use the digital content available for ebooks and audiobooks. If you’re new to borrowing digital content, I’ll recap how I go about it.
How to Borrow Digital Content
Using OverDrive/Libby
The primary digital collection that I access from the library is from OverDrive. The collection and usage limits will vary from library to library. For example, Sacramento Public Library allows 60 simultaneous checkouts for three weeks and 30 holds. The catalog can be viewed on a web browser via the OverDrive website or on the Libby app, which integrates with the OverDrive catalog. If you’ve logged into either the website or the app with your library card, all your borrows and holds should be synchronized.
Within OverDrive/Libby, each book will have a limited number of copies owned by the library. If someone else has already borrowed the digital copy, you have to option to put the book on hold. When it’s available, you will receive an email or a notification on your device. You can then choose to borrow it immediately or delay the hold a bit longer if you’re not ready to read it yet.
If you want a book that your library does not own, you may have the option to recommend it to the library. You’ll need to use the OverDrive website to do this. Search for the book you want and when it does not appear in the results, click the link that says “add titles the library doesn’t own” to see more info. Below the image of the book, there’s a link to “Recommend” and you can click that and input your email address. If the library ends up purchasing the book, you’ll receive an email or notification when it’s available to borrow. I use this feature all the time for upcoming releases I’m excited about and then I get to be first in line to borrow the book when it’s available.
So now that you’ve borrowed an ebook or audiobook, how do you read/listen to it?
Ebooks can be read either within the Libby app or sent to your Kindle app or device. Within the native Libby app on your smartphone or tablet, you can adjust the font settings and size, background color, spacing, etc. The app tracks how long you have been reading the book and gives you an estimate of how much time you have remaining until you finish the book. If you choose to send the ebook to Kindle, it’ll send you to a page to log in with your Amazon account information. You can then select the device you have linked to your Amazon account. I tend to jump around from device to device so I personally use the Kindle app on my phone, a Kindle Paperwhite e-reader, and the Kindle Cloud Reader on my web browser on my laptop. Since they’re all synced together, I can switch devices without losing my place. The Kindle options will also allow you to customize font size, spacing, etc.
Audiobooks can be played within the Libby app. I generally like the user interface here and am able to increase the playback speed, jump between chapters, bookmark locations, etc. I appreciate the indicators that show how many minutes are left in each chapter.
Using Hoopla
Hoopla is another digital catalog with ebooks, audiobooks, movies, TV shows, and music. Depending on your library, you are limited to a certain number of checkouts per month for a pre-specified check out timeframe. Sacramento Public Library allows five checkouts per calendar month for a period of three weeks for ebooks. The upside to Hoopla is that there are no holds and you can borrow anything from the catalog immediately. Their collection is the same no matter which library card you’re using and overlaps a little bit with the OverDrive/Libby collection. I tend to check Hoopla for a book I want only if it’s not available on OverDrive/Libby. Books borrowed via Hoopla can only be viewed using the Hoopla app or on the web (i.e. I can’t send the book to my e-reader device).
Maximize Access with Multiple Library Cards
One of the best things about primarily reading ebooks is that I don’t need to physically go anywhere to pick up and borrow a book. They’re all right at my fingertips either on my computer or my smartphone. This means that distance is pretty much meaningless and I can borrow an ebook from a library system that is hundreds of miles away from where I live. Many library systems are fully aware of this benefit and offer library cards to all residents within the state (even if they’re not exactly in town or able to physically come to a branch). My strategy for finding additional library cards is to Google “California library ecard” or “California digital library card” (obviously, change to your own state as needed). Many of the results will give you the specific criteria for how to apply for a card and whether you need to be a local resident or need to visit a branch in person. Please follow all the rules set forth by the library and be honest about your real address and phone number! Also, library policies are subject to change and a card I may have gotten a few years ago might not be available to all residents anymore. If you’re approved for a digital library card, you can access all of the digital resources that are offered from that library (which hopefully includes OverDrive/Libby or Hoopla).
Out of Area Paid Library Cards
In some cases, there are libraries across the United States that will allow out of area patrons to purchase library card access. Most famously, the Brooklyn Public Library previously offered this service (as of July 2022, this is no longer available). However a few other major libraries in the US offer library cards for a small fee. Again, libraries may change their policies at any time so these may not be available indefinitely. Information and links below are from this Reddit post.
The Queens Public Library offers a non-resident card for $50 annually that you can apply and pay for online to have immediate access. Smaller selection than Brooklyn, but a large number of holds and loans on OverDrive / Libby!
Houston Public Library also has a digital access card for $40 annually that you can apply for online where they add a “fee” to your account so you can pay for it. But they add the fee immediately, unlike Brooklyn, so you can pay with a credit card and have immediate access.
The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library system has a non-resident card that gives access to their online collections for $45 annually. Apply for it online here.
The Orange County Library System offers a fee card that gives access to both physical and digital collections for $75 for 3 months, or $125 annually. Note that this is almost double the cost of most other cards, but has the benefit of accessing physical collections if you’re ever in Orange County. Apply for it online here. Note: This is the only option available to non-US residents.
The Enoch Pratt Free Library offers an out-of-state card for $50 annually that looks like it gives access to both physical and digital collections. You’ll have to fill out a form and send it via email. Instructions are here.
Search Quickly with Library Extension
A method for easily checking if the book you’re interested in reading is available at the library (before you purchase a physical or digital copy) is to install the Library Extension plugin for your web browser. After it is installed, you can update the settings to add your own library systems to the extension and then select if you want the extension to search physical catalogs and/or digital catalogs. As mentioned above, I have a lot of library cards for systems throughout the state of California, so it’s really nice to have multiple libraries being searched at the same time. If you have lots of libraries selected, I also recommend changing the General Settings to change the search from “automatic” to “on-demand” so that your page isn’t taking forever to load every time you’re just browsing on a book website. Now, when you visit major book-related websites (Amazon, Goodreads, FantasticFiction, and others), you will be able to see if the book you want is available at the library. Before I installed this extension, I would methodically go through every library card in my Libby app searching for the book I wanted and it was terribly time-consuming. Now it’s all one search right on the book listing page.
Even More Books with Paid Ebook Memberships
For even more access, there are paid ebook subscription services like Kindle Unlimited or Scribd which typically charge a monthly membership fee to access their catalog. I’ll talk about these in a separate post in the future.
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Weekly Reads: Sept 19 to 25, 2022

Welcome to the first edition of my weekly reads! My plan here is to recap the books and fanfics I’ve read from Monday to Sunday of the previous week. I’ve given myself Mondays to finish writing this post and then I’ll publish on Tuesdays. Hopefully you’ll enjoy hearing about my reads in more of a real-time setting. The reviews that I post on TikTok and Instagram are batch-created so I’ve got a backlog of them that I trickle out when I post. As far as reading “productivity” this week, it was probably a light-to-average reading week for me. But I still managed to read a few good books this week. I’ve highlighted my pick of the week below with a “🌟”.
Naughty or Nice Holiday Anthology (2022)
This one is a compilation of historical romance authors with holiday novellas that comes out on October 18, 2022. I only read one of the novellas in here this week. I generally don’t recommend trying to binge-read novellas because the stories tend to be fluffy and not very deep. I like to read novellas from within anthologies in between other longer/in-depth novels or when they fall into sequence into the other books by the same author.
The novella I read was A Very Daring Christmas by Charlie Lane and it is part of the Daring Debutantes series. This is a quick little second chance romance between a duchess’ younger sister and the dowager duchess’ steward. They were caught kissing and separated by the old bat and they’re thrown back together 6 months later at Christmas-time. Fluffy cute story that I mostly just skimmed.
Advance ebook provided by WOLF publishing via NetGalley.
Shop this book via Amazon
Heartless by Marissa Meyer (2016)
If you ever wanted a back story for the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, this one is for you. Our queen (before she’s a queen) is the daughter of a marquess and simply wants to open a bakery. As she’s being courted by the king, she ends up falling for the court joker, who is in town for his own secret mission. There’s a load of different adventures throughout the story and it’s definitely action-packed. While I enjoyed the story and the last quarter of the book, it kind of dragged along at some points and ultimately, we know that the lady will eventually become the queen.
Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Ebook borrowed from Kindle Unlimited.
Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm
Bridgerton Fanfic: The Marriage Agreement by fade_like_starlight
Benedict/Penelope story that takes place a couple years after Season 2 of the Netflix series. While out on a promenade, Benedict realizes how charming Penelope is and proposes a deal where they will marry in two years if they do not find a love match in the meantime. The story covers that two year timeframe and it is a delightfully sweet slow burn. You get to watch their friendship bloom over the years and turn into affection and then more. I’m a sucker for rare pairs within the Bridgerton universe, and this one was really good. It’s one chapter, but 17,000+ words, so it’ll take a bit of time to read.
Read this fic on Archive of Our Own
🌟 A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone (2022)
Contemporary romance on the set of a sweet holiday rom-com movie for a squeaky clean network. Our heroine is a plus-sized adult entertainer and our hero is an ex-boy band member trying to rehabilitate his reputation. And of course, they each have a pre-existing crush on each other, so sparks fly and they start secretly spending naked time together. This book had all sorts of great callbacks to boy band hijinks (reality TV shows, rabid fans, and sketchy managers). We get to meet the other boy band members as well and I’m looking forward to reading their future stories.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Print book provided by Avon Books and BiblioLifestyle.
Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm
Bridgerton Fanfic: Dreams Between Us by junipere5x5
Anthony/Kate one-shot that is an extended scene between the two at the art gallery in Season 2, Episode 7 of the TV series. It’s just a little expanded conversation that we didn’t see on screen, full of longing and sadness.
Read this fic on Archive of Our Own
Bridgerton Fanfic: the very first night by beautifultropicalfish
Colin/Penelope one-shot that takes place after they are married and Penelope’s sister are teasing her for keeping her dance card with Colin’s name on it. Super cute and sweet. This fic blends the TV series and book series universes a bit.
Read this fic on Archive of Our Own
Valued by the Viscount by Alexa Aston (2022)
This book is the 6th in the Second Sons of London historical romance series. Our hero has previously appeared earlier in the series and was unsuccessful in courting a few of the other ladies we know. He’s looking to marry this year and looking forward to a house party where he can meet eligible ladies. The hostess of the party comes across a young widow at the cemetery and learns of the lady’s dire circumstances and brings her home. Our heroine has led a sheltered childhood, her parents died before she could make her debut, her brother sold her off to a cruel husband 30 years her senior, and now her stepson has booted her out of a home. Yikes! When our two main characters meet, they have an instant attraction and our viscount realizes how delicate he has to be with the lady. Overall, it was an easy read and I enjoyed seeing our viscount finally get his love match. This book will be available on Kindle Unlimited on October 4, 2022.
Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.
Shop this book via Amazon
Harry Potter Fanfic: Everything Is Going to Change by Drops_of_CyprusGreen
Hermione/Draco one-shot where they’ve been potions and study partners and grow closer. I’m not sure on the timeframe this takes place, but it’s a short, quick, fluffy read.
Read this fic on Archive of Our Own
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Adoration for Ali Hazelwood

I have been reading Ali Hazelwood’s writing since before I knew she was Ali Hazelwood. Coming off a disappointing conclusion to The Rise of Skywalker, I was itching for Rey/Kylo Ren fanfiction (more adoringly known as Reylo). One of the writers I discovered in December 2019/January 2020 was Ever-So-Reylo on Archive of Our Own (Ao3, a popular fanfiction site) and she served up all the smutty goodness that can exist between two fictional characters. I read and enjoyed and moved on.
Fast forward to about January 2021 and I come across a cover reveal for an upcoming romantic comedy novel about a grad student fake dating her surly professor. And I’m thinking… wait… I’ve read this before. And this is around the time when I’m just starting to read traditionally published romance (rather than just Dramione or Reylo fic… more on those in a separate post), so I pop the book (The Love Hypothesis) onto my library’s wishlist and call it a day.
Fast forward again to Summer 2021 and this book is literally everywhere. It becomes a crazypants viral TikTok sensation and my fanfiction-loving heart is so excited for Ali! And since I had put this book on my library wishlist so long ago, I got to borrow the ebook the instant it was released.
The Love Hypothesis (2021)
I was very much looking forward to seeing how the book changed from the fanfiction version (which I had only a vague memory of) and was glad to see that most of the humor and banter remained in the book. To me, Ali’s writing is quick and quippy and steeped in pop culture. And I might just have the right amount of exposure to academia and be about the right age to understand most of the punchlines. And while there’s less smut than a fanfic (because really, what is fanfic if not just there for the smut), it’s still intensely entertaining.

STEMinist Novella Series (2022)
The background with these three novellas is that they were released in audiobook format three months before their corresponding ebook versions were released. My preferred format is ebook so my original plan was to just wait for the ebooks. However, those plans were busted when I started seeing all the social media buzz about the first book. And on a lunchtime whim, my friend and I decided to check to see if there were any library copies of the audiobook on publication day. I cannot tell you how excited we were to sneakily find a copy of Under One Roof at 2pm-ish on publication day at one of my area libraries with no holds. It’s like no one else realized it had been added to their catalog yet. And of course within hours of snagging the loans, there were a dozen people waiting behind us. And so it goes… now I’m an audiobook person. At least that day and the days of the other STEMinist novella launches.
But how were the stories?
Each book takes a different storytelling technique in terms of timeline. Under One Roof starts at one time point, then jumps back 6 months and then goes chronologically until we get back to present day. Stuck With You uses an every other chapter split where the past timeline is all one day told every other chapter and the present moves forward bit by bit. I vaguely recall Below Zero having a present day and flashback chunk in the middle before going back to present day. I also think these were originally one-shot fanfics that were converted into novellas. (A one-shot is a one-chapter fanfic with minimal set-up and a slice of life or *cough*smut*cough*).
Story-wise, we have a lot of miscommunication as the central conflict between the characters with a lot of instant attraction bringing them together. It’s pretty much light and fluffy town, which I generally expect from novellas. There is lots of witty banter and the spice is spicy. (which, ok, spice on audio? not for me…) Of the three, Under One Roof was my fave and Below Zero was my least fave.



Love on the Brain (2022)
The internet seems to have mixed reviews on Ali’s second full-length novel. Some say it’s too similar to The Love Hypothesis and some say that she only writes the same sort of grumpy-sunshine relationship. And I can see that. Really. We have a heroine-only point of view where she thinks that the guy in the story hates her (but really, he’s just terribly socially awkward and has been pining for her the whole time). If you’re looking for something other than a Kylo Ren/Ben Solo/Mr. Darcy character, you’ll be disappointed. But if you adore Mr. Darcy, the main character in Love on the Brain will give you exactly that. He’s grumpy and awkward and says all the wrong things in real life and all right things in his Twitter DMs. The comedy is funny and there’s more spice than The Love Hypothesis. Some of the plot points were a little underdeveloped plus there’s a workplace sabotage to uncover which comes out of nowhere, but if you’re here for fun and not for story, just ignore that, and enjoy the interactions between our two main characters.

Overall, I’m a fan of Ali’s humorous writing style and will continue to read her books. They might not float to the top of my list in terms of plot and story, but the bits that work are entertaining and I always feel like I had a good time reading.
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Book Review: Bridgerton Series by Julia Quinn
With all the hype that the Netflix series has gotten, I knew I had to read the Bridgerton books by Julia Quinn. After reading them, I can definitely see why someone decided they needed to re-create it on screen.
The Duke and I by Julia Quinn (2000)
Book 1 of Bridgerton Series
Regency-era romance. Daphne Bridgerton is in her second Season of the Marriage Mart and looking for a suitable husband. She’s been friend-zoned by all the reasonable candidates and only gets proposed to by old guys or the idiotic Nigel Berbrooke. Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings, is back in London after his father’s death. The Ambitious Mamas have identified Simon as an oh-so-very-eligible catch for their daughters and he wants to avoid them. Simon and Daphne decide to fake-court so that Simon will appear unavailable and Daphne will appear more desirable. But of course they’re actually attracted to each other. Problem is that Simon has no desire to marry or have children (because of his own experiences with his father). They get caught in a compromising position and need to marry anyway. Expect angst with poor communication between our two leads, the absolute worst motherly “talk” about how babies are made, and a trigger warning about non-consensual relations between our couple. Starts as a fake-relationship trope, but it doesn’t last that long.
This novel is the basis for the first season of the Netflix series Bridgerton. The book focuses on the plot between the main couple of the story, with very little insight to the other characters. In the Netflix series, they punched up the drama by adding subplots for many of the other characters, and also added characters not seen in this novel. I agree with this artistic choice because it increases the pacing of the story and adds different characters for the audience to identify with. The series also kept a lot of the best moments of the book and the fun, humorous bits. Worth reading and worth watching.
The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn (2000)
Book 2 of Bridgerton Series
Regency-era romance. Viscount Anthony Bridgerton has decided that it’s time to find a wife. He’s not looking for a love match; he’s looking for someone who can conduct herself and serve as the next Viscountess Bridgerton. He has identified Edwina Sheffield as this Season’s diamond and aims to court her. The problem? Edwina’s older sister Kate is well-known as Edwina’s gatekeeper and she’s fully aware of Anthony’s not-so-gentlemanly reputation. Anthony and Kate have a contentious relationship as he attempts to court Edwina. Though there is that idea that passionate arguments may lead to other types of passionate encounters… Probably considered an enemies-to-lovers story. Ultimately, Edwina isn’t as smitten as we think, Nigel Berbrooke continues to be an idiot, somehow a bee sting can cause a compromising situation, and everyone important has a tragic backstory.
An Offer from a Gentleman by Julia Quinn (2001)
Book 3 of Bridgerton Series
Regency-era romance. Want to talk about a tragic backstory? Let’s talk about Sophie Beckett. Sophie is the illegitimate daughter of the Earl of Penwood whom she lives with as his ward. The Earl marries, his wife and her two daughters move in, he dies, and Sophie becomes an unpaid maid. One night, she sneaks off to a masquerade ball, where she dances with Benedict Bridgerton. She runs away at midnight, leaving him with her glove. Benedict tries to track down the owner of the glove and inquires at Penwood House; when Lady Penwood realizes that Sophie attended the ball, she throws Sophie out. Cut to a few years later, Benedict has been pining over the mysterious Silver Lady he met at the masquerade. He’s at a house party with a bunch of drunken louts and plans to tell his host he’s leaving, when he comes across a group of them assaulting a young woman. He rescues her and they leave. The woman? It’s Sophie. She recognizes him, but he doesn’t recognize her at all. The rest of the story follows their growing (continued?) attraction for each other, issues with their social class differences, her dodgy back story (apparently she speaks too eloquently to be a servant), and meeting up with the other Bridgertons.
Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn (2002)
Book 4 of Bridgerton Series
Regency-era romance. Colin Bridgerton is back in England after many years of extensive travel. He has no idea what he is meant to do with his life; Anthony is the head of the family, Benedict is an artist, and Colin is… adrift. Penelope Featherington is coming to terms with the unlikelihood that she will ever marry; she’s 28-years-old and has never had any marriage proposals. At least now, she can sit down and eat eclairs with all the other spinsters and chaperones. As Colin and Penelope constantly cross paths (she is best friends with his sister Eloise, after all), he starts to notice her in a way he hadn’t before. This one is the story where the girl pines for the boy for years, the boy doesn’t see her in a romantic way, the boy finally figures out he’s attracted to the girl, and they both get to be happy. Of the Bridgerton books I’ve read up to this point, this one is my favorite. There are so many scenes in this book that made me smile or laugh. As a fellow wallflower, I adore Penelope Featherington. I also love the way Colin takes on Penelope’s mother. Oh, and this is the book when we finally unmask Lady Whistledown, London’s most notorious gossip columnist.
To Sir Phillip, with Love by Julia Quinn (2003)
Book 5 of Bridgerton Series
Regency-era romance. Eloise Bridgerton has been a proud spinster. Who needs to marry anyway? She’s got her family, her hobbies, her freedom, and her best friend Penelope to share in spinsterhood. Except… well… we’ve read about Penelope in the previous book. And all of a sudden, Eloise is alone. She has been exchanging letters with Phillip Crane for the past year (after the death of his wife, Eloise’s cousin, Marina), and his last one was a request to meet to see if they would be suitable for marriage. It sounded crazy when she read it… but maybe she should take him up on it. Eloise impulsively runs off to Phillip’s house to meet him and neither are what the other expects. He thought she’d be a desperate spinster (she’s not), and she had no idea that he had two kids (they’re terribly unruly and he’s mostly looking for their new mother). But still, they muddle through to see if they’d suit. And the Bridgerton brothers show up at some point for much needed hilarity and heartfelt talks. Expect the usual breaking down of emotional barriers and getting through to an unsociable and taciturn man, taming unruly children through attention and affection, and all that happily ever after stuff.
When He was Wicked by Julia Quinn (2004)
Book 6 of Bridgerton Series
Regency-era romance. We’ve heard bits and pieces about Francesca Bridgerton in previous books, but now we finally get to focus on her story. She marries John Stirling (Earl of Kilmartin), but he tragically dies in his sleep, leaving her a widow at age 22. John’s cousin, Michael, is set to inherit the Earldom. However, he has been secretly in love with Francesca and cannot bear to take John’s place in all his duties. He flees the country. Meanwhile, Francesca has been the steward of the Kilmartin estate and mourns her husband; eventually, when she finds herself longing for a baby, Francesca decides to remarry. She still loves her husband, so she isn’t looking for someone to love. Michael returns from his travels and finds that his feelings for Francesca have not abated. And while Francesca used to see Michael as nothing more than a good friend, she starts to realize that he’s an attractive man. But is she dishonoring her husband by lusting after Michael? At this point, we start to see the timelines overlap among Colin’s, Eloise’s, and Francesca’s stories. I love to read about my favorite characters with different points of view that add to previous books. Colin’s interactions with Michael in this book are hilarious (and we get to read about him telling Michael about Penelope in this one, from Michael’s point of view).
It’s In His Kiss by Julia Quinn (2005)
Book 7 of Bridgerton Series
Regency-era romance. Hyacinth Bridgerton is the youngest of the bunch; she’s outspoken and brash, and slightly tired of this whole finding a husband business. Gareth St. Clair has been dealing with his disappointing brute of a father by avoiding responsibility at all costs. His only endearing quality is how he dotes on his maternal grandmother, Lady Danbury. Since Hyacinth and Lady Danbury have struck up an odd friendship, Hyacinth and Gareth cross paths quite frequently. When Gareth receives his paternal grandmother’s diary, he needs help translating it since it is written in Italian. Lucky for him, Hyacinth reads Italian. Our two heroes work together to discover Grandma St. Clair’s secrets, grow closer together, and uncover some secrets from Gareth’s past.
On the Way to the Wedding by Julia Quinn (2006)
Book 8 of Bridgerton Series
Regency-era romance. Gregory Bridgerton has always believed in love. With seven siblings in disgustingly happy marriages, he’s seen the evidence of it. When he first sees Hermione Watson at his brother’s house party, he falls instantly in love with her. But so does every other man that sets sights on her. Lucy Abernathy is Hermione’s best friend and sees that Gregory stands out from the rest, so she decides to help him woo her friend. When it ultimately doesn’t work out with Hermione, Gregory and Lucy come to realize their feelings for each other. Unfortunately, Lucy is engaged to somebody else, and Lucy is pragmatic and practical about her duties and responsibilities. What will Gregory do to win over Lucy? And will Lucy follow her duty or her heart?
I’ve made some brush lettered printable bookmarks to go along with the couples from this book series. Get the download here.
Book Review: The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon
I’ve finally decided to put my library card to work and read a bunch of novels this year. As I read them, I’d love to share them with you. So here it goes… quick little book summaries that hopefully get you interested in your own reading habits.
The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon (2021)
Contemporary romance. Shay Goldstein has worked in public radio for a decade; she’s a show producer but has always dreamed of being on air. Dominic Yun is new to the station but thinks he knows everything because he went to grad school. When the station wants to start a new dating and relationship show hosted by a broken-up couple, Shay and Dominic are picked because of the witty arguing they do (even though they’ve never dated). As they learn how to be exes, Shay and Dominic learn more about each other… and get closer (duh, it’s a romance novel). Clever integration of podcast transcripts between chapters. Starts as enemies-to-lovers, but barely. Fun, flirty, banter. Definitely enjoyable to read – I could totally see this one turning into a movie that I’d love to watch.
Keeping the romance alive… I’ve made some brush lettered printable bookmarks to go along with the couple from this book. Get the download here.













