Books

Book 1,067: Two for Trust – Elle Brownlee

Book cover for "Two for Trust"And just like that, this book took another step forward as the most read book since I started this blog. Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is giving it a run for its money with three reads (Jan 2013; Aug 2013; Dec 2015; and an upcoming re-read), and if you count Austen adaptations it’s no contest. But, I’ve read Two for Trust five times now, twice in 2020 and then again in February 2023 and again in October of 2024.

I genuinely have no idea why I enjoy it so much. It’s a simple love story that’s decently written and it’s squeaky clean. There are a couple of heated moments and 1-2 super heated kisses, but that’s it and that’s definitely part of why I enjoy it. Part of it is how quickly I can read it—if I don’t start too late in the evening I can finish it in one sitting!

Continue reading “Book 1,067: Two for Trust – Elle Brownlee”

Books

Book 1,065: Pride and Premeditation (Jane Austen Murder Mystery #1) – Tirzah Price

Book cover of "Pride & Premeditation"I had no intentions of reading this book (or the entire series) even though I’m already looking ahead to Manslaughter Park, the adaptation of Mansfield Park I’ve decided to read this year.

HOWEVER, the cruise we went on in early March had an honest-to-god library. Like an entire room with books you could take out and read on the ship and we just happened to sit right beside this and it was too much of a coincidence to NOT read it.

I stuck to my plans and finished up two ARC’s prior to starting, but the second I started I flew through this one thanks to my familiarity with the source material and Price’s great adaptation.

Continue reading “Book 1,065: Pride and Premeditation (Jane Austen Murder Mystery #1) – Tirzah Price”

ARC, Books

Book 1,063: The Spellshop – Sarah Beth Durst

Book cover of "The Spellshop"When the publisher reached out about this one they referred to it as “cottage core fantasy” and I was like OMFG I am here for this.* One of my favorite game streamers does cottage core Minecraft and I may have been watching it at the time. This was back in January of 2024 (SHAME ON ME I KNOW) and after a wild year last year I finally picked this one up and it was lovely.

The Spellshop is the tale of Kiela, a librarian from the capital city, who flees to her home island with a sentient spider plant and then causes all sorts of good unintended consequences as she adapts to small town life again. It’s a slow-burn romance set in a light fantasy in which I genuinely forgot on some occasions until someone’s blue skin tone or antlers were mentioned or magic.

Continue reading “Book 1,063: The Spellshop – Sarah Beth Durst”

ARC, Books

Book 1,062: Go Luck Yourself (Royals & Romance #2) – Sara Raasch

When the publisher reached out to me with a copy of this, I went back and forth on whether to accept.* I was still making my way through the first in the series and it was a bit of a slog, but as I neared the end I found myself really enjoying that one and wanted to know what happened so I grabbed a digital copy of it—but for real go look at the physical copy . . . I mean those green edges are GORGEOUS!

Picking up immediately after The Nightmare Before Kissmass, we find ourselves with Kris, the Christmas spare, as he’s woefully moping around having confessed his feelings to the Princess of Easter. He’s back at university and looking for an outlet. Unfortunately, that outlet ends up being a massive prank involving a ton of tinsel in a room occupied by Loch, who unbeknownst to Kris is the Prince of St. Patrick’s Day. And it goes from there.

Continue reading “Book 1,062: Go Luck Yourself (Royals & Romance #2) – Sara Raasch”

Books

Book 1,061: Yours, Eventually – Nura Maznavi

Book cover of "Yours, Eventually"I knew I would read some Jane Austen this year, it’s her 250th, but I didn’t realize how much or that I’d decide I’m going to re-read all six of her novels plus an adaptation of each. That’s new because when the publisher reached out about this debut novel, it put me at 1/3 of the way done so I was like “heck yeah!”*

Yours, Eventually, is a modern day retelling of Austen’s Persuasion set in a Pakistani-American community in California. I loved that it wasn’t your expected setting or even culture! I immediately was reminded of Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin which has languished on my shelf for far too long, but it’s a Pride and Prejudice adaptation, and there are a million of those, so I’m glad I went with a less-often adaptation first!

Continue reading “Book 1,061: Yours, Eventually – Nura Maznavi”