READING: Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare

Publication date: September 27 2016
Published by: Avon
Genre: Adult, Historical Romance, Chick Lit, Georgian 

Rating:

 

On the night of the Parkhurst ball, someone had a scandalous tryst in the library.
• Was it Lord Canby, with the maid, on the divan?
• Or Miss Fairchild, with a rake, against the wall?
• Perhaps the butler did it.

All Charlotte Highwood knows is this: it wasn’t her. But rumors to the contrary are buzzing. Unless she can discover the lovers’ true identity, she’ll be forced to marry Piers Brandon, Lord Granville—the coldest, most arrogantly handsome gentleman she’s ever had the misfortune to embrace. When it comes to emotion, the man hasn’t got a clue.

But as they set about finding the mystery lovers, Piers reveals a few secrets of his own. The oh-so-proper marquess can pick locks, land punches, tease with sly wit... and melt a woman’s knees with a single kiss. The only thing he guards more fiercely than Charlotte’s safety is the truth about his dark past.

Their passion is intense. The danger is real. Soon Charlotte’s feeling torn. Will she risk all to prove her innocence? Or surrender it to a man who’s sworn to never love?

 After reading three amazing books by Tessa Dare, she's definitely going on my author auto-buy list 👏

This one is about Charlotte, a smart girl with a knack for investigating, who is, through no fault of her own, caught in a compromising position with the Marquess Piers Brandon, and is "forced" to marry him. Of course, nothing is that simple, as Charlotte's spirit objects to a marriage of convenience, even when her heart and body don't.

This is a classic Tessa Dare read, and it did not disappoint. Dare is an expert in writing well rounded and likeable characters, even her secondary characters are all interesting and memorable (who can forget that mother??)
What I like most about Dare's books is her ability to combine light-hearted fun with steamy romance, and she does that phenomenally well.
There is a scene where Charlotte's mum is trying to educate Charlotte about sex and its workings using various fruits, like peaches and eggplants. While this is absolutely hilarious to the reader and to Charlotte, she immediately feels despondent thinking that she might never experience something like that herself. This king of level headedness is what I admire in Dare's women. They are strong and free spirited yes, but also pragmatic in a sense, and completely aware of their place in the world, especially when we're talking early 18oos.

That being said, the fact that they are not as fanciful as other HR heroines, doesn't mean that the romance isn't as magical, because it is. In this case, it might have been a little too magical. Don't get me wrong, I loved all Charlotte and Piers's steamy trysts. However, I found it a bit unrealistic for a young, innocent girl, with no prior romantic encounters to suddenly be so open to being that intimate with a man. I am not saying it's wrong, far from it. I'm only saying that I personally found it too far fetched for the era, and that was the only "issue" I had with this book. I would have preferred the thrill of the chase to last a little longer, rather than Charlotte succumbing to Piers so easily.

Piers was likeable for an alpha male. He was funny and serious when needed, and I liked how he seemed to come alive next to Charlotte. But let's face it, men are never the focal point in Dare's books. Women are arguably the more interesting and complex characters, and their involvement with men always leads to the latter's betterment, another thing I love about Dare's books.

If you are into HR and you still haven't heard of Tessa Dare's books (impossible!), please give them a try. I guarantee you won't regret it.
Also, if you are ever in a reading/life slump and you can't seem to get out of it, they are the perfect remedy 👌

 

READING: Harvest of Sighs (Thornchapel #3) by Sierra Simone

Publication date: May 1 2020

Published by: - - 

Genre: Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Erotica, Menage, BDSM

Rating: 

Delphine Dansey carries her heart on the outside of her body; she’s looking for love and chasing dreams. She’s spoiled and selfish, the kind of beautiful that’s made for money and fame. But somehow she’s ended up in my keeping: a pretty submissive I can’t seem to resist, a lover who obsesses and tempts me.

I thought I’d locked my heart away a long time ago, along with all my other weaknesses. But some doors won't stay closed, no matter how hard I fight to keep them shut. She unravels me, just like our friends are unraveling, just like Thornchapel itself is unraveling.

All year long, we’ve been sowing lust and jealousy and pain, heedless of the consequences. But a harvest is inevitable, and so now we must reap our sorrows.

And our sighs.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND READING THE BOOK BEFORE READING THIS REVIEW!

This review is suuuper long because I have much to say. I know it’s boring to read long ass reviews, which is why I divided it in small parts so you can read the part you like and skip the rest 😊

I’m so sad I finished this already! I get so engrossed in these books and the Thornchapel verse, that I feel so empty when I finish them. It’s just hard to come back to reality 😭 

OK so let’s get right into it!
Harvest of Sighs was a bit of a puzzle for me. I can’t quite figure it out. That’s why I was going back and forth with 3 and 4 stars, deciding on 3 one minute and 4 the other.
Harvest of Sighs is definitely different than its predecessors. Apparently, Simone decided to lead the story to a different direction, one I admit I didn’t predict. One with less sex and kink (don’t get me wrong, it hasn't lost its sizzle, not at all) and more character development. Also, we finally see the group interacting with people outside their group and be in places other than Thornchapel, which didn’t happen in the previous books.
I understand the need to change it up, I do. And I admire Simone’s courage to step out of her comfort zone and write something other than the 6 of them having sex in Thornchapel again and again and again, because what’s the point in that? 
Thing is, it didn’t always work. But when it did, it was amazing. 

Rebecca and Delphine
I had my reservations about these two from the beginning. Delphine I like just enough, but Rebecca was always indifferent to me. She is just a cold person with not much going for her, personality-wise. She could be much more interesting (and that goes for Delphine too) if she was given a chance from the beginning. Putting the focus on two background characters in Book 3 of a four-book series and expect us to be on board, it's just too late. If their stories and who they are carried the same weight as Poe, Auden and SS, then yes, probably. If more glimpses of them, past or present, together or with others, were peppered in the previous two books then yes, I might have gotten on board. The little flashback they shared in this book was so well written and sweet, but just not enough and very last minute-y. 
Ultimately, and after a lot of effort on my part, I couldn’t see any chemistry between them, their relationship felt forced to me. Also, the structure of the book didn’t help. Simone would give us back to back Rebecca/Delphine POV chapters, which suddenly stopped in the middle of plot development, followed by a long stretch of Poe/Auden/SS POV. By the time she got back to Rebecca/Delphine I had lost interest, and just wanted to read more Poe/Auden/SS chapters.
I don’t know how this relationship will end, but I think these two should not be together. They were miserable for the entire book, and not in a good way.

Auden and St.Sebastian
Speaking of miserable…how contradictory it is, when it works so badly for one couple and so perfectly for another.
What can I say about these two? They are such a pleasure to read. I was looking forward to their chapters throughout the whole book. Simone does her best writing when it comes to them, and their chemistry is electrifying. 
The scene where SS cried in Auden’s lap ahhhhh 😱. One of my favourite parts of the book. Not only it inspired a lot of emotion, but it was also the trigger of Auden’s change which I absolutely loved. It’s the first time we see Auden doubting the decisions he’s made and the things he’s done. It’s the first time we see him actually stopping to take everything in and realising there is something wrong. I really liked that side of him, and having him of all people have doubts and guilt, this unrelenting Thorn God, it was amazing and beautifully written by Simone. 
Of course, the only person that really gets Auden is SS, that’s why he is the only one Auden confides in, no surprise there. And what followed was so intimate and primal and intense that it would either bring these two together in an unbreakable bond forever, or tear them apart. If you haven’t figured it out yet, their final scene at Thornchapel was my other favourite part of the book, from its beginning to its bitter end. I feel like at this point, Simone can never go wrong with these two, their chemistry is undeniable and effortless.

Incest
That being said, I had a hard time with them this time, I am not gonna lie. 
I admittedly have not read a lot of erotica and BDSM books, so I don’t really know how "bad" things get in books of the genre, but for me personally incest is something I can't get behind, even fictional one. That’s why I didn’t like Forbidden when everyone was praising it, and I certainly didn’t like what it did to my perception of Auden and SS. I liked that SS stood his ground, even though he never stopped lusting after Auden, and put a stop to their sexual relationship. Granted, it was true to character, but a welcome surprise nevertheless, since I was sure Simone would definitely keep them together regardless.
In the end, I begrudgingly accepted what ended up happening between them because of:
1. Their very emotional and gut wrenching scene at the gala 
2. The fact that they are not really brothers. I mean, I’m guessing that in book 4 it will be revealed that SS is actually Delphine’s brother and not Auden’s. 
I’m hoping.
If I’m wrong, I am gonna have to re evaluate my opinion of this book 😬

Poe
Boring as ever. She is no more than a prop at this point. Can Auden and SS ditch her and go live somewhere just the two of them?
Also, the fact that Poe leaves with SS in the end and that it wasn't shown at all! I was shocked. I mean where is Auden’s reaction to losing both of them? Nothing? How can you skip this whole thing, which basically is the heart of the books, their relationship? Very bad.

Becket
I really liked Becket in the previous two books, but I didn’t like what Simone did to him in this one. Right from the start he was shown like this poor lovesick puppy who was following Poe around, something that Auden was not a fan of. In fact, I would definitely not be surprised if Auden wouldn’t hesitate to hurt him if things with him and Poe went sour. I mean, Becket announced he was practically fired and was moving away, and all Auden could muster for his great friend was something along the lines of "OK, see ya". 
I didn’t like how he was pushed to the side on this one, when in the previous two books all 6 of them where in things together and shared this great bond. That goes for Rebecca and Delphine as well. 
The sex with Poe felt desperate, completely the opposite from their scene in the church in Feast of Sparks, which was hot hot hot.
I think he’s not going to survive book 4, unfortunately 💀

While the previous books acted as magnets bringing all 6 of them together, Harvest of Sighs definitely acted as a bomb, blowing them up into little pieces. Some survived, some not.
Bright side: we won't have to wait long for the finale since it's coming out Halloween 2020.

READING: Behind Closed Doors by B.A.Paris

Publication date: August 9 2016

Published by: St. Martin's Press

Genre: Adult, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Contemporary

Rating: 

Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace. He has looks and wealth, she has charm and elegance. You might not want to like them, but you do.

You’d like to get to know Grace better.
But it’s difficult, because you realise Jack and Grace are never apart.

Some might call this true love. Others might ask why Grace never answers the phone. Or how she can never meet for coffee, even though she doesn’t work. How she can cook such elaborate meals but remain so slim. And why there are bars on one of the bedroom windows.

Sometimes, the perfect marriage is the perfect lie.

Easily 4,5/5 and I could definitely consider 5/5, it was that good.

I really liked Paris's writing-perfect for the genre; no-nonsense, not flashy. Just matter of fact but still managed to make you care enough about the characters. 
I liked Grace. Many think her weak but I didn't see it that way. She often blamed herself for not seeing Jack's "issues" (even though how could she?), thus taking responsibility, all the while not losing hope and trying to save hers and her sister's lives.
I would have liked Jack to be more of an understated evil guy and not an outright psychopath, but that's just me. I think it would have given the book that a little extra something to make it a solid 5/5.
Overall, I definitely recommend it to fans of the genre. It can be read in one sitting.

Piece of advice: don't leave the last chapters for tomorrow or later in the day. Read the end in one go, otherwise you will feel disconnected from the story when tension peaks.

READING: Inexpressible Island (End of Forever #3) by Paullina Simons

Publication date: July 23 2019
Published by: Harper Collins
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Historical, Mystery, Suspense, Time Travel, Romance

Rating: 

Julian has lost everything he ever loved and is almost out of time. His life and death struggle against fate offers him one last chance to do the impossible and save the woman to whom he is permanently bound.

Together, Julian and Josephine must wage war against the relentless dark force that threatens to destroy them. This fight will take everything they have and everything they are as they try once more to give each other their unfinished lives back.

As time runs out for the star-crossed lovers, Julian learns that fate has one last cruel trick in store for them--and even a man who has lost everything still has something left to lose.

Gut wrenching but still beautiful, the last instalment in End of Forever had it all (well, almost). 

This series might have been about two people's epic love story in the beginning but I think in the end, it was all about Julian and about his personal journey as a son, a friend, a partner. He is the main focus of Inexpressible Island and Mia just compliments his story. 
I have to hand it to Simons, her storytelling is magnificent. All the twists and turns will have you sitting at the edge of your seat going "No way!" almost throughout. She knew where she was going with the story from the first page of the first book and it showed. The way the story came together was the most beautiful part of the book for me.
What made me drop one star, was the actual ending. Not that it was particularly bad, but after all this anticipation about what would happen on Julian's last journey, it was a bit anticlimactic imo. I personally don't think a HEA suited these two. I know Julian and Mia had been through so much and they deserved it, but a happy ending comes in many forms. It doesn't always mean 

a beautiful wife and a baby.

shoved in the last 10 pages. I didn't like that history was re-written to their advantage with no actual reasoning. Unless 

it was confirmed that Julian did that full circle "meet Mia-time travel-get lost in the caves-meet Mia" multiple times and the re-writing of history is finally him being lucky and living the best version out of 10 or 100 of tries. Then, yes. I accept the ending. But none of that was made certain. Maybe it was sort of implied, but I can't be sure. Honestly, after Julian got rescued and he "started" his life again and met Mia, I had this sense of foreboding, emotionally preparing for her to die. But not only she didn't die, everything was changed on top of that and I thought "Oh, Ok. Was that it? Why didn't he do that from the beginning then if that's all it took...?" Also, at some point I thought that Mia is the one who time-travelled and came to find him for a change the way she was written, acting all obsessed with Julian from day one. But no, not even that. So even though I was very satisfied with how Julian's story turned out, I was disappointed in how Mia's story concluded. Then again, I was never fond of Mia :/

To readers starting this series now: if you get past the 1st half of book 1, then you are good to go. It only gets better from there.
Paullina Simons is a master when it comes to epic romances, end of story.
Remember: this is a deeply heartbreaking story, bordering on really depressing. Not for the faint of heart.

READING: A Beggar's Kingdom (End of Forever #2) by Paullina Simons

Publication date: July 23 2019
Published by: Harper Collins
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Historical, Mystery, Suspense, Time Travel, Romance
Rating: 

Sometimes a second chance is your only hope. 

Is there a fate beyond the fates? Julian has failed Josephine once. Despite grave danger and impossible odds, he is determined to do the unimaginable and try again to save the woman he loves. 

What follows is a love story like no other as the doomed lovers embark on an incredible adventure across time and space. Racing through history and against the merciless clock, they face countless dangers and deadly enemies. 

Living amid beauty and ecstasy, bloodshed and betrayal, each time they court and cheat death brings Julian and Josephine closer to an unthinkable sacrifice and a confrontation with the harshest master of all...destiny. 

THIS BOOK PIERCED RIGHT THROUGH MY CHEST, TOOK MY HEART OUT AND SLOWLY CRUSHED IT UNDER ITS BOOT. 

WHY BOOK??😭😭

Julian’s and Josephine’s love story achieves epic proportions in book 2, as Julian time travels 4 times (yes, 4) in different periods starting from 1600s+ to early 1900s. 

I cannot write a proper review without including spoilers, so for those of you who haven’t read book 2, steer clear.
Also, just a warning: this review is going to be super long because I am going to comment on each time travel period individually.

Julian first time travels to 1665. I liked his journey to the other side better in book 1 (the leap) than the caves in book 2. Because the time travelling itself happens very early in the book (page 20 or so), it felt a bit sudden and awkward to me. I didn’t like Josephine-Mallory – not a big surprise there- and I couldn’t help but wonder why Julian puts himself through all that crap to be with this person who is so obviously cunning and manipulative.
This time around she is a thief and a murderer. She actually told Julian that he ruined her plans to become wealthy with his love, and I don’t think she would have any qualms about hurting Julian to get what she wanted. And the funny part is that Julian knew that and was still willing to sacrifice everything for her. So, yeah. I found that very farfetched (even for time travel!) and ridiculous. When they try to escape through the great fire of London she dies and he is brought back.

The second time Julian time travelled, he landed on 1775 right in the most poor, dangerous and disgusting part of London. Josephine-Miri was a thief and a small time con artist. Herself, her mom and a couple others in her gang, basically live in the streets which are full of diseases and infections. Yeah, not a happy place. Julian even says “Everything stinks, every minute of every day”. I guess he meant it both metaphorically and literally. I think Julian (and the reader) is at his most miserable on this timeline. He is desperately trying to earn Josephine-Miri's love knowing he only has 49 days and she doesn’t even acknowledge his existence, she wants nothing to do with him. When he finally gets her to come around and run away together, they are ambushed by her old gang who betrays her, and both of them are sentenced to public abuse and humiliation, basically setting them up on the pillory and having the public throwing stuff at them. How's that for dismal gloom and doom uh? It was as depressing as it sounds and to see Julian's utter devastation as he realises he is brought back to the present without having achieved anything, was too much for my poor heart to take.

Present :
Ashton, man. I mean, what was that? I wanted to punch him in the face and throw the book out the window. Nothing, and I mean nothing, Ashton had been through in his life could justify his actions. He was a lying, cheating dog. End of story. I hated Julian trying to justify his behaviour to Z. “He is who he is and you knew when you chose him”. No, dude. It doesn’t work like that. Not everything is justified by “It is what it is”, I don’t accept it. Be a man and take some responsibility for your shitty behaviour.
Also, what happened to Riley stayed with me for a long time after I read it. At first, I thought it was such a cheap shot and a belittlement of Riley’s character. I didn’t want Ashton to be cast as this important and impactful presence in Riley’s life whose absence and betrayal made her to literally go mad. After mulling it over, I thought of Z.'s ending and how these two girls, with completely different backgrounds, decided to make different decisions and take different paths in life after such a loss and sense of abandonment. So even though Riley’s demise for lack of a better word still chafes, I understand why Simons wanted to make that comparison and contradiction. 

The third time Julian travelles was to 1854 and this was hands down my favourite period. It was the first time I actually liked Jospehine-Mirabelle. She didn’t put on airs, she was respectful and humble with poise without being rigid and cold. She fell in love with Julian straight away without it being obnoxious insta love. It was the first time it was hinted that Jospehine-Mirabelle knew Julian already, and their coming together was just glorious. I loved everything in that story, except for the ending of course which was- surprise surprise! super tragic. Regardless of their ending it was the only time that I actually believed their eternal love, connection and devotion to each other. If Josephine was like that in book 1, it would be just perfect. 
Also, the Jon Snow reference killed me!

Present:
Ashton’s death shook me, I am not gonna lie. I detested him after what he did to those girls but the way his death was written was just soul crushing. I was sad for him sure, but mostly I was sad for Julian and all the loss he suffered and how he still soldiered on driven by his love for this one girl. Sounds super cheesy I know, but Simons is just that good: she makes you care about the most unlikeable characters and have all these deep feelings about the corniest situations.

The fourth and final time, Julian travelled to 1911 and this time he lands in New Zealand where “Josephine’s” mum took her, after she had a gypsy warn her about her daughter’s curse. They have all been waiting for Julian as this "mystery man" who would come and save “Josephine” from the curse. This story was the most difficult one to wrap my mind around as I was an emotional and mental wreck by that point. This timeline is very dark, and it reminded me a lot of the feeling I got when watching Twin Peaks. That sense of foreboding, of always being in danger. I especially liked Julian’s scene with Edgar Evans. I liked the directness and how it played out, finally showcasing a strong minded man other than Julian. Bit of a dick, but hey, so is Julian if we’re being honest.

All in all, A Beggar’s Kingdom was a quite long, massively depressing read. Reason being, the absence of multiple POVs so the reader is constantly attacked by Julian’s extremely dark thoughts and feelings with no possible escape.
Simon outdid herself once again with her outstanding writing. If the same story was written by anyone else, I would never have made it to book 2. Obviously, there were parts I liked more and parts that made me very angry. I thought to myself many times "Do I actually like this book? I don't like any of the characters."
The answer is yes. As long as a book is unputdownable and it makes me think and feel things, it's the bomb as far as I'm concerned. 

Let’s hope for a great conclusion in Inexpressible Island (book 3) coming out November 2019.

READING: The Verdict by Olivia Isaac Henry

Publication date: August 12 2019

Published by: One More Chapter

Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Crime, Suspense, Mystery

Rating:

A cheating wife. An estranged mother. But is she guilty of murder? 

Please raise your right hand.
An affair at work has cost Julia Winter her job and her marriage. There’s no denying she has let her family down.
 Please remain standing.
When a body is discovered on the North Downs, it hits local headlines. But for Julia, the news is doubly shocking because the body was buried just opposite the house she lived in over twenty years ago. And it is one of her former housemates.
 Please resume your seat.
Up on the stand, Julia’s not the only person to have secrets that are unearthed during the trial. But the evidence against her is overwhelming.
 
And yet one question remains: is she the murderer, or the victim?
 
Jurors, you may be excused.

What a find!
I knew nothing about The Verdict going in; only that it was a mystery/thriller and judging by the title, I assumed there was a court case involved somehow..? 
I was really pleasantly surprised by The Verdict. Well, as pleasantly surprised as someone can be by the horrible things that happen to the characters. 

I know it’ll sound strange, but I loved how plain Julia was. You know how in books the main characters no matter how hard they try to be written as “simple”, they still have a characteristic, a trait that makes them different? Too smart, too pretty, too cynical, too optimistic whatever it is, it’s something that makes them stand out in a way? Julia had none of that, and as a reader I really appreciated it. She was described as completely unremarkable and un-noteworthy. She was living a pretty sad life but she never blamed anyone else but herself. She knew she was a passive pushover and that would probably never going to change. She was still judgemental of others though, a trait I’m pretty sure she got from her mom with whom she didn’t have the best relationship. She easily judged others for making wrong choices while she was fully aware that she made worse. She was a very confused, sad woman and I felt so sorry for her. That is why I occasionally love reading books from non-American authors. I find them to be much more raw and real as opposed to American novels which tend to be a bit more glamorised for the masses.
The rest of the characters were equally well crafted (especially Genevieve-loved her!) and they all had an important part to play, they weren’t just background noise. 

The story was great, even though it lacked the huge big finish. I expected that though, since it’s easy to predict what will happen in the end from early on. There was one thing I definitely did not see coming and it was a pretty good “twist” but as far as the main story is concerned, it was simple and there is nothing wrong with that. A lot of emphasis was given on the trial and the suspects’ testimonies which had me sitting on the edge of my seat.

The only thing I didn’t particularly like was how Julia’s relationship with her mother gets fixed with a bland “I didn’t know” from her mother in the end. I don’t think it’s an adequate enough excuse after a lifetime of putting her down and never taking her side.
Also, don’t get discouraged if you find it quite slow pacing at first. It picks up after 35% or so.
There was a lot of back and forth with different periods of time, and even though I don't mind when it is done properly and the reader knows where and when they are the entire time like this one, some people may find it confusing and tiring so I thought I'd let you know.

I went through a lot of “Read now” books on NetGalley to find The Verdict and I’m glad I did. It was a powerful and realistic take on an abused woman’s life, and where her unassertiveness and very bad decisions led her. I’d recommend it to mystery and courtroom drama fans.

READING: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Publication date: May 14 2019
Published by: St. Martin Griffin 
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, MM, Romance
Rating: 

What happens when America's First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales?

When his mother became President, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast as the American equivalent of a young royal. Handsome, charismatic, genius—his image is pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House. There's only one problem: Alex has a beef with the actual prince, Henry, across the pond. And when the tabloids get hold of a photo involving an Alex-Henry altercation, U.S./British relations take a turn for the worse.

Heads of family, state, and other handlers devise a plan for damage control: staging a truce between the two rivals. What at first begins as a fake, Instragramable friendship grows deeper, and more dangerous, than either Alex or Henry could have imagined. Soon Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret romance with a surprisingly unstuffy Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations and begs the question: Can love save the world after all? Where do we find the courage, and the power, to be the people we are meant to be? And how can we learn to let our true colors shine through?

I love him, with all that, because of

all that. On purpose. I love him on purpose. 

If the Lord of Over-the-topchester and the Duchess of Over-hypedshire had a child, it would be Red, White and Royal Blue.

Before I am publically flogged at the city square for blasphemy, hear me out.

Red… wasn’t a bad book. It was, above all else, a very optimistic and positive take on the revelation of a romantic relationship between two prominent and powerful men in today’s society. It was very hopeful and sweet and cute and rainbows and glitter and as pink as its cover.

I couldn’t relate much to the characters which was of course to be expected. No matter how down to earth and humble the FSOTUS and the Prince of England were, and they were not, they are still the FSOTUS and the Prince of England. Their lives are outwardly to us and I am assuming ours is to them. So yeah, I don’t really care about extravagant parties and royal weddings that cost a developing country’s GDP. Thanks but no.

HENRY & ALEX
I thought they were both really sweet and their courtship very romantic and lovey-dovey, almost fairy tale-ish. I truly believe that Alex loved Henry (I had no doubt about Henry, he was obsessed with Alex) even though I’d rather he mulled it over a bit more seeing how impulsive he was. I liked their banter and their sense of humor, Henry’s “rigidness” balancing out Alex’s almost clownish behaviour. 
The emails they sent to each other could have been dialled down a notch; rich beyond measure, 20 something year old guys can’t recite so many literary quotes. They can’t recite any actually. Nice touch, but silly after a while.
I have to admit, I was a bit lukewarm about Alex throughout the book. I didn’t believe he was as “real” as advertised, definitely not a Texas country boy and I wouldn’t be surprised if down the line he broke Henry’s heart. It’s not that he was a bad guy, not at all. Like I said in a previous review: it’s the Westernised upbringing: entitled to everything, go get it, you can do it! While that is a great sentiment and I applaud it, it has a self centered undertone to it, a “if don’t like, dispose and get another one” kind of feel. I was pleasantly surprised to see that McQuiston did maintain that difference in attitudes between American and English whether inadvertently or not. Henry was always more composed and put more thought into everything he did and said, not because he was supposed to be the stiff heir to the throne, but because as Europeans we are all programmed to think and behave this way, from royalty to low class. Some of you might think that I am exaggerating or that I am simply wrong. I am telling you though, I wasn’t aware these cultural differences even existed until I migrated from Europe to Australia, so I am speaking from personal experience. 
Seeing that Red…was told exclusively from Alex’s POV in present tense, it was even harder for me to go along and understand the way his or his family acted. That is why I wasn’t particularly fond of the back and forth emails, they kinda took away all the intimacy and didn’t give them the chance to interact with and learn more in depth stuff about each other.
As far as NA MM romantic relationships go this one was OK, but I have seen way better (ahem Mark Cooper versus America) 

POLITICS
Always being on top of what’s happening in the world and constantly educating myself, I have formed my own political views and I will surely not be swayed by a NA romance novel of all things. Apart from it praising Nazis and sexual predators, I don’t mind reading others' political opinions and views. McQuiston is obviously very influenced by the 2016 US election as she mentioned in her acknowledgments, and is taking a very clear stance against a fictional Republican candidate who is apparently very vile. I wasn’t at all surprised at that, as I wouldn’t be surprised if the same was said for a Democrat candidate. I am old and cynical enough to not have any trust in politicians no matter how great they may seem. I don’t begrudge McQuiston’s political stance at all, this is a work of fiction after all.
However, I agree that her characters were one dimensional, Richards was the dark, evil villain and Ellen was the gallant, self-sacrificing hero, which is utterly unrealistic and an obvious lie. I don’t believe for a second that she wouldn’t throw a massive fit when her son’s scandal came out that close to elections or that she wouldn't try to twist it to her benefit, there is simply too much at stake. But again, over-romanticised, super wishful work of fiction.
I would have mad respect for McQuiston if she made Henry and Alex denounce their positions and live their lives peacefully away from the public eye. But I guess giving up Burberry button downs and Gucci bomber jackets was too much to ask.

OTHER CHARACTERS
The rest of the characters were way over the top and I didn’t like any of them :/ Sad, but true. Luna’s story was too convenient and I didn’t like McQuiston springing sexual harassment on me, too much on the nose.

Was Red… over ambitious? Yes.
Was it pretentious? Definitely.
Was it way too long? For sure. 

Despite all that, I’d still recommend it to all the wide-eyed, day dreaming teens out there who haven’t got their hopes totally crushed by the system yet. This is definitely for them.

READING: A Feast of Sparks (Thornchapel #2) by Sierra Simone

Publication date: August 1 2019
Published by: Sierra Simone
Genre: Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Erotica, Menage, BDSM
Rating: 

I’m an outcast and a loner, named for death itself. Fate wasn’t supposed to have plans for me.

But then she came back—the girl I once kissed in a thorn-covered chapel in the woods. She came back, and I could no more resist her than I could pry out my own heart. And by some trick of fate, she wants me as much as I want her. The only problem? She also wants the man who owns Thornchapel, Auden Guest.

And so do I.

Eight years ago, I did something to Auden, something terrible. He hurt me back the only way he knew how, and so here we are: our hatred seasoned with pain and my loneliness seasoned with longing. The only thing we can agree on is Proserpina Markham, and she wants us to find a way to be together—all three of us. 

If Auden wants to earn her as his submissive, then he has to earn me as well.

But with the discovery of bones behind the altar and the carnal revel of Beltane fast approaching, it’s becoming clear that Thornchapel’s secrets are much deeper and older than any of us could have ever guessed. And no matter how bright and merry a feast of sparks may be, it’s always followed by ashes. 

And darkness.

Well, I’ll be damned.

Even though my TBR pile is ginormous, I decided that reading the sequel of a book I didn’t like, was the best use of my time. 🙄 But that’s just me, I can’t abandon books. Once I make a commitment, I am in all the way. And A Lesson in Thorns was too intriguing, if nothing else, to not at least try and read the next in the series.

Feast of Sparks starts right where A Lesson of Thorns left off. Not giving anything away, just saying it was something very traumatic and shocking for Poe. So instead of dealing with her grief, she decided instead to have a lengthy BDSM session with Rebecca and Auden, who is now Rebecca’s BDSM student (thirsty for knowledge, that one!). I am not going to judge people’s grieving process and the way they choose to deal with sadness, to each their own. It’s just something about this scene that I found offensive, even though there was not an instance of an objection of any kind or lack of consent. All participants seemed to fully enjoy it, but for me it was too much. I felt like Poe didn’t request the scene because she wanted to deal with her pain and grief, but she just plain wanted to have sex just for the sake of it. That she used what happened to “justify” her incessant need for sex, didn’t sit right with me.

After that, there were short sexy scenes here and there but nothing too major until the very end, something I found very refreshing. Finally we learn about Saint and Auden’s back story and it was a real treat. It was touching and almost romantic to see how much these two loved each other from a very young age and how Auden just adored Saint, which is not apparent in A Lesson of Thorns. He lusted after him sure, but we didn’t see how deep his feelings for him went until now. That was the books’ main difference in my opinion: how unromantic and completely in your face and matter of fact A Lesson of Thorns was, and how more subdued and calm Feast of Sparks was.

That is, until we get to the last scene. Because trust me, there was nothing subdued about that!
We’re talking massive sex free-for-all with all of the characters participating – yes, even the priest. Completely unexplained, out of the blue, but I’m not gonna lie: still hot.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by Feast of Sparks. I don’t know if that’s because I had zero expectations going in, or because it was actually decent. Don’t get me wrong, it was stilled filled with silly moments that made me snort, even though they were supposed to be “serious”, but I am satisfied with the amount of effort Simone put into her characters. They had more interaction with outsiders and they were actually putting some thought into their actions.

But everything was just noise compared to teenagers Auden and Saint seducing each other, that was pure gold.

After feeling exhausted reading about copious amounts of sex, I was ready for the ending everyone has been talking about.
And it was a big one (pun definitely intended) 💣 💣 💣
I’m not going to say I was shocked at the actual revelation, but I was surely shocked about the fact that Simone actually went there. I guessed it right around the middle, but I thought “Nah, no way that’ll happen, it’s too risqué”. But it did, and I don’t know how I feel about it. Obviously I don’t like it, but I am sure it will easily be explained away at the beginning of the next book, so I am not going to be too upset just yet.

Confession: I am definitely going to read book 3. 

READING: A Lesson in Thorns (Thornchapel #1) by Sierra Simone

Publication date: March 19 2019
Published by: Sierra Simone
Genre: Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Erotica, Menage, BDSM
Rating: 

When librarian Poe Markham takes the job at Thornchapel, she only wants two things: to stay away from Thornchapel’s tortured owner, Auden Guest, and to find out what happened to her mother twelve years ago. It should be easy enough—keep her head down while she works in the house’s crumbling private library and while she hunts down any information as to why this remote manor tucked into the fog-shrouded moors would be the last place her mother was seen alive. But Thornchapel has other plans for her... 

As Poe begins uncovering the house’s secrets, both new and old, she’s also pulled into the seductive, elegant world of Auden and his friends—and drawn to Auden’s worst enemy, the beautiful and brooding St. Sebastian. And as Thornchapel slowly tightens its coil of truths and lies around them, Poe, Auden and St. Sebastian start unravelling into filthy, holy pleasure and pain. Together, they awaken a fate that will either anoint them or leave them in ashes… 

"If I don’t come at least once a day, I’m miserable. And yet, I still haven’t had sex."

🙅🏼🔴
I can't, I just can't. I never EVER give up on or DNF books but I disliked this book almost immediately. 
I was this close to abandoning it after only 8% but after much consideration, and honestly because I was bored at work, I decided to give it another chance. So naturally, I skimmed.
And skimmed and skimmed.

Nonsense, nonsense, nonsense, skipping all the unbearable pretentiousness (the female lead's name is Proserpina ffs! Poe for short [...]
Other ridiculous names are Auden, St. Sebastian and Delphine. So you get the gist...

Character development was non existent - the only thing we know about these characters is that they like sex. Like, a lot. There is no other personality or character trait mentioned, no life stories, no background, no talk of families, other friends etc. It's like they exist just to be at Thornchapel and constantly have sex with each other. The only thing we learn from the tiny prologue, is that six 12 year olds performed a fake wedding at a chapel behind some rich boy's house, and then three of them kissed. 10 years later and Proserpina (ugh),being the exceptional librarian that she is (is there a bad librarian?) is summoned to that guy's mansion to go through some old tomes - I don't exactly know what she was doing there to be honest because a) I skimmed and b) didn't really care.
Now, she hasn't seen these people in 10 years, and as soon as she sees one of the guys she kissed when she was a kid, she immediately wants him and is 100% sure belongs to her and all that crap. She then sees the other guy she kissed back then, who is engaged I might add, and she thinks he belongs to her too. And the guy, honourable man that he is, thinks the same.

Skim skim skim, and around halfway in Poe finds an old book with an ancient binding ritual in it which is performed at Thornchapel. One person is the Lord and the other the Bride, and they must unite under the fool moon and whatever else, I didn’t get into details.
Of course all of them (practical strangers) went “Yes, let’s do an orgy!” (as you do), and decided to perform the ritual. 

And thus begins a ridiculously over the top tale of endless boners and wet pussies. 
I know, I know. That is basically the definition of erotica. What else did I expect, right? 
Well, some kind of story for starters. Interesting and likable characters, maybe? I have read other erotica books, granted not many, and while they still have a lot of sex, it wasn’t all about that. The characters resemble real people and they have actual thoughts and emotions that don’t revolve around getting off all the time.

A Lesson in Thorns was pure, unadulterated porn. That’s all.
That being said, it was great porn. The scene with Poe’s spanking and the orgy itself which was like 100 pages long, were admittedly very very hot. I personally had some moral objections about a couple of things, but at that point taking the moral high ground was not an option, considering the book I was reading. 

In a sentence, A Lesson of Thorns was an extremely sensual, tantalising, sexy book of complete nonsense.
If you are in it only for the sex and don't care about the fact that there is no story and all the characters are very unlikeable, then go for it. Otherwise, I personally don't get the hype at all.
----
EDIT: Sorry, did I mention that 4 of the 6 characters were basically described as sex on legs, but at 22 they were still virgins? Yeah.