Audio: Guarded by the Warrior by Eliza Knight

By: Eliza Knight

Narrated by: Antony Ferguson

Series: Conquered Bride, Book 5

Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins

Release date: 05-20-25

Publisher: Tantor Media

Historical romance/ received from tantor

Emilia runs away from family drama and seeks the help of her king. And the king places her with Lord Ian.

Ian needs a governess, because his dad left behind a bunch of bastards and now they are swarming the castle. He is a good guy and wants to care for them all, but he is only one man.

Lady Emilia has secrets and wants to be on the right side of history. She can keep low here.

But they fancy each other, obviously. She has secrets, he does not think anyone would ever want him.

Romance, danger, secrets. A good one.

Good narration. But then I always like Scottish romances done by Ferguson. He does them very well.

Suffering through a short marriage to an enemy of Scotland, Lady Emilia MacCulloch manages to escape just before her husband dies. But the Ross Clan will stop at nothing to get her back, for she plays a big part in their plans to thwart Robert the Bruce. She fears not only for her life, but for her family who will be labeled traitors. Placed by her king as a governess in the household of a devastatingly handsome warrior, Emilia finds herself drawn to the man when she had previously sworn off love altogether.Ian Matheson has spent his entire life trying to prove himself. When his father passes away and his mother takes her vows at a nearby abbey, he is suddenly left in a position he was wholly unprepared for. And then his father's dozen illegitimate children arrive on his doorstep in need of a father figure of their own. They are adorable and reckless, and he's certain they'll drive him mad. Just when he thinks he might actually need to find a wife to help him, Lady Emilia is presented to him by the king. She needs his protection and he needs her help with the bairns. Ian is tempted by her angelic face, her fiery tongue, and the secrets that surround her. He must resist his growing desire and prove to his clan that he is a worthy leader. But maybe he can have the respect of his people and Emilia, too.

A wizard´s guide to defensive baking by T. Kingfisher

Narrated by: Patricia Santomasso

Release date: 10-12-21

Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher: Tantor Audio

YA /from audible

This was a cute fantasy. I tried it in audio, thanks to audible.

Mona works for her aunt, baking. She has some magic and can make gingerbread men dance, and she made this angry sourdough start that she named Bob.

Then she finds a dead body, someone is killing mages, and something is wrong in the city.

Quite the little adventure as she tries to save the day. Even the smallest baker can make a difference.

Just sweet and good you know. Also great narration

Fourteen-year-old Mona isn’t like the wizards charged with defending the city. She can’t control lightning or speak to water. Her familiar is a sourdough starter and her magic only works on bread. She has a comfortable life in her aunt’s bakery making gingerbread men dance.

But Mona’s life is turned upside down when she finds a dead body on the bakery floor. An assassin is stalking the streets of Mona’s city, preying on magic folk, and it appears that Mona is his next target. And in an embattled city suddenly bereft of wizards, the assassin may be the least of Mona’s worries…

TMST

 

 

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

5/27/2025 Which books are you looking forward to reading this Summer? (Jun-Aug)

You know me, I have no idea. But I have....WAY too many books on my nightstand right now begging to get read so those.

6/3/2025 Paper, electronic, audio... How do you read? Has it changed in recent years?

6/10/2025 New to me authors: who have you discovered in the past 12 months?

6/17/2025 How do you choose what to read next?

6/24/2025 Do you have any travel or staycation plans for the summer?

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

If you are interested in participating in TMST or receiving periodic emails that list the upcoming TMST topics and questions,  please fill out this GOOGLE FORM.  Participation is optional and never required.

Carole reviews. One of those flings

Author: Lauren Blakely

Narrator: Full cast

Title: One of Those Flings

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Novella, Short story, Humor

Format: Audiobook

Published: August 31, 2020

Where I got It: Audible

Summary: 

Skyler’s breakup survival plan is simple: Swear off men for a year and celebrate her man cleanse with a solo tropical vacation to Hawaii. Snorkeling, sightseeing, zip lining, and leisurely dinners by the sea are just what the doctor ordered to mend her broken heart.

That is, until she meets a hunky adventure tour guide who makes her want to break all her own rules. Handsome, funny, and exciting, Caleb is by far the hottest local attraction. Will a romantic island fling lead to more heartbreak - or a new beginning?

Review:

Weee! Short story!

Here we follow Caleb and Skyler. They both survived a bad break-up and refuse to date for a while. Skyler decides to take a nice vacation to celebrate her 1 year of single-hood. That is.....until she meets Caleb. Caleb is a tour guide and lives life by the rules. 

So this was a full cast of narrators. It is more like a movie that you can't see and it worked well. Simple and fun. 

It was really short and it was fine. I did want more of an epilogue but it is what it is. 

Cute couple. Fun local. And some humor sprinkled in. It was a nice short. 

Thank you Blodeuedd for the recommendation ;) It was fun. 

3 stars. 

- Favorite Character(s): Skyler and Caleb

- Least Favorite Character(s): no one. 

 

 Challenge(s):

- Audiobook #23

The Striker by Ana Huang

592 pages, Paperback

First published October 22, 2024

Series: Gods of the Game (#1)

Contemporary romance /library

This was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long. It did not need 600 pages. I could have cut it in half and you would not have missed a thing.

I think they finally did it after 200 pages. And then there was some drama 500 pages in. And yeah I skimmed some.

Plotholes. Asher is the best player! But oh no he is feuding with a team mate, ok, that shit is gonna get you transferred. So they need to take ballet lessons...why? Srsly, WHY?!?!?! Other than the reason that he can meet Scarlett and fall in love. The thing is that the other guy is her brother and he does not even take the lessons cos he leaves for France. Wasn¨t the whole point to...oh forget it.

Anyway, they had no chemistry. So it certainly does not take 600 pages for them to fall in love cos I felt nothing.

The whole oh no, her brother is my teammate drama. Ugh, if my brother tried to pull that shit I would leave him in the dust. Who effing cares if you know her brother. I do hate this trope. It is stupid.

It did have some good things...like some, just make it shorter.

Would I recommended it? No

She's the only woman he wants...and the only one he can't have.

Asher Donovan is a living legend―the darling of the Premier League, the (arguably) greatest footballer in the world.

But his reckless antics and recent team transfer have caused much controversy, and when his feud with his rival-turned-teammate costs them a championship, they're forced to "bond" during off-season cross-training.

Surviving the summer shouldn't be hard…until Asher meets their new trainer. She's beautiful, talented, and no matter how hard he tries, he can't take his mind off her.

The only problem? She's his rival's sister―and completely off limits.

***

Scarlett DuBois is a former prima ballerina whose career was cut short by a tragic accident.

Now a teacher at a prestigious dance academy but still haunted by the ghosts of her past, the last thing she wants is to spend the summer cross-training Asher Donovan, of all people.

She swore she would never date a footballer, but when her brother leaves town for an emergency, she finds herself thrown into dangerously close proximity with the gorgeous, charming striker.

Training, she can deal with. But falling in love? That's out of the question―especially when he's the only person with the power to break her heart.

Quicksilver by Callie Hart

Series: Fae & Alchemy (#1)

Format: 624 pages, Paperback

Published: December 3, 2024 by Forever

Library/Romantasy I guess

This took me some time because frankly it was really boring.

The MC was, omg stupid. Was I supposed to think she was cool when she was offered pretty dresses and she was all I want pants! You are a guest, but whatever. You are SO different. Pants, oh you are so daring.

Then she ends up in Fae land and insults the king...If I had been that king I would probably just have taken her head right there, but he does not. Stupid king, who will respect you if you let trash like her talk to you like that?? Off with her head.

Do not even get me started on the male love interest calling her a nickname probably a 1000 times. It was annoying...so very annoying. Give it a rest, we get it. She is special and everyone wants to be friends at once.

No real worldbuilding. I do not get this world.

No romance at all. They hooked up after 300 long pages. Not even a lot. So certainly not a smexy book.

Oh this was negative, but I did not like Saeris. Kingfisher was boring and brooding. No chemistry.

I did skim a lot to get through it. I should not listen to booktok. All hyped books are overrated.

Do not touch the sword. Do not turn the key. Do not open the gate. In the land of the unforgiving desert, there isn't much a girl wouldn't do for a glass of water.

'

Twenty-four-year-old Saeris Fane is good at keeping secrets. No one knows about the strange powers she possesses, or the fact that she has been picking pockets and stealing from the Undying Queen's reservoirs for as long as she can remember.

But a secret is like a knot. Sooner or later, it is bound to come undone.

When Saeris comes face-to-face with Death himself, she inadvertently re-opens a gateway between realms and is transported to a land of ice and snow. The Fae have always been the stuff of myth, of legend, of nightmares... but it turns out they're real, and Saeris has landed herself in the middle of a centuries-long conflict that might just get her killed.

The first of her kind to tread the frozen mountains of Yvelia in over a thousand years, Saeris mistakenly binds herself to Kingfisher, a handsome Fae warrior, who has secrets and nefarious agendas of his own. He will use her Alchemist's magic to protect his people, no matter what it costs him . . . or her.

Death has a name. It is Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate. His past is murky. His attitude stinks. And he's the only way Saeris is going to make it home.

TMST

 

 

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

5/20/2025 Do you have a fitness routine or exercise you enjoy?

That would be walking, but to be more exact, hiking. My hikes can just be like walking into the woods for 30 min. So no long hikes. And if I feel really adventurous, I will just walk, see something that probably is animal path and just head in.

I do like bikerides too :)

5/27/2025 Which books are you looking forward to reading this Summer? (Jun-Aug)

6/3/2025 Paper, electronic, audio... How do you read? Has it changed in recent years?

6/10/2025 New to me authors: who have you discovered in the past 12 months?

6/17/2025 How do you choose what to read next?

6/24/2025 Do you have any travel or staycation plans for the summer?

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

If you are interested in participating in TMST or receiving periodic emails that list the upcoming TMST topics and questions,  please fill out this GOOGLE FORM.  Participation is optional and never required.

Carole´s Monday: Into the Fall

 

Author: Tamara L Miller

Title: Into the Fall

Genre: Thriller, Mystery

Format: ebook

Pages: 253

Published: February 1, 2025

Where I got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

For better or for worse, Sarah Anderson has it a thriving career, a nice home in Ottawa, two young kids…and a marriage coming apart at the seams.

Then her husband, Matthew, vanishes without a trace during a family vacation up north. Sarah and her children are nearly lost among the slumbering lakes, treacherous cliffs, and brooding forests of the Canadian Shield. A glacier-scraped realm of ancient beauty and terror, it’s a world away from the safety of the suburbs. And a big storm is brewing.

A kind rural lawman comes to their aid and takes an interest in the case. The trail goes cold, however, launching Sarah into a yearlong odyssey to find her husband. On the way, she must reconnect with her estranged sister and duck the suspicions of a slick city police officer. But that’s nothing compared to unearthing the dark secrets buried deep in the granite of her marriage—and in herself.

Review:

I've been itching for some more mystery lately. Can't get enough!! I have another one I'm ready to dive into. Honestly, I go through spells I feel. Read none and then a bunch. This was free on Amazon so I grabbed it up. 

Here we follow Sarah and her family. She has a thriving career and a nice home in Ottawa. Two kids and a husband....but her marriage is coming apart at the seams. The family decide to head up north and do some camping and bounding. However, her husband, Matthew, vanishes without a trace. Sarah and the kids are nearly lost in the woods and there is a big storm brewing outside. A nice rural lawman comes to their aid and picks up the case. When the trail goes cold, Sarah will take over and start a yearlong odyssey to find her husband. 

This sounded absolutely epic when I grabbed it up, but I ended up wanting to DNF this multiple times. I stuck through this because I HAD to know what happened to Matthew. Curiousity kills the cat...right?

Don't get me wrong, the author has a way with words! The way they can bring the scenary to life was beautiful. However, I didn't really care about the characters. I didn't like jumping back and forth in time. I get WHY we did, but it just messed with the flow at times. 

The mystery was mysterious and like I said it kept me hooked enough to finish this. However, the reveals at the end annoyed me. It was fitting in a way, but eh. Lots of build up and it felt anti-climatic in a way. 

All-in-all, this just wasn't for me. The mystery had me hooked until the end and then I felt deflated. Hopefully you like this better than I did. Just not for me. However, I will give some kudos. The author does have a way with description that is beautiful. 

2 stars from me. 

Favorite Character(s): Sarah?

Least Favorite Character(s): Matthew FOR sure. 

 Challenge(s):

- Cloak & Dagger #11

Audio: One of those flings by Lauren Blakely

Narrated by: Andi Arndt, Jason Clarke, Erin Mallon, Savannah Peachwood, Emma Wilder, Jakobi Diem, Dan Bittner

Length: 1 hr and 17 mins

Release date: 08-31-20

Publisher: Audible Originals

Contemporary romance/from audible

Ok so this one was really short, but that is why I chose it.

I have not listened to many books like this, or any. It was entirely told through dialogue, and it does work well. But it was different because no inner thoughts, more like a movie then. A cast of narrators, sound effects, a lot for a short story.

But hey it worked for me. Girl goes on vacay alone, meets hot guy, and then they will eventually live happily ever after.

It works

Skyler’s breakup survival plan is simple: Swear off men for a year and celebrate her man cleanse with a solo tropical vacation to Hawaii. Snorkeling, sightseeing, zip lining, and leisurely dinners by the sea are just what the doctor ordered to mend her broken heart.

That is, until she meets a hunky adventure tour guide who makes her want to break all her own rules. Handsome, funny, and exciting, Caleb is by far the hottest local attraction. Will a romantic island fling lead to more heartbreak - or a new beginning?

In love with the Viscount - Julianne Maclean

Series: Book 3, American Heiress Trilogy

Release date: 05-06-25

Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher: Tantor Media

Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor

Historical romance / audio from the publisher 

I am like 100% sure I had written a review for this one! How?!

Adele is an American heiress who is off to marry an English Lord. Harold seems nice and all, but then she is kidnapped and rescued by his handsome cousin. The no good rake.

She does have some trauma from the kidnapping, that seems rather dark. And she wants to get to know Harold, but he seems cold and clueless. But the hot cousin, oh he is so handsome and all she can think of. But he is not husband material.

She is the good girl who does everything by the rules. And yes she will listen to her heart in the end.

Good narration.

Could this love nonsense really be worth the trouble?To Adele Wilson the answer is clear: of course not. She has seen her two sisters dragged through scandal and heartbreak (not to mention every ballroom in London) to find the husbands of their dreams. And that's why she said yes to the first amiable British lord who requested her hand. And why shouldn't she marry him? He is kind, honest, and not sentimental in the least.Unlike his wilder, more mysterious cousin Damien Renshaw, Viscount Alcester. Ignoring Damien altogether would be easy if he were the sort of dishonorable man intent on seducing his cousin's betrothed. But he is clearly trying to resist her, and his suddenly proper behavior only makes him more tempting to the usually well-behaved Adele. Indeed, Damien seems to be bringing out another side of Adele, a heady, passionate, exhilarating side. It seems that fate is contriving to teach her—against her best intentions—exactly what this love nonsense is all about . . .

Audio Bryony and Roses by T.Kingfisher

Narrated by: Justine Eyre

Length: 5 hrs and 51 mins

Release date: 10-13-15 by Tantor Audio

From audible

Fantasy

I was sure I had written a review already, but I guess not.

This is a Beauty and the Beast re-telling, but really close to the actual story.

Bryony is trying to get home and seeks shelter in an seemingly abandoned mansion. But there lives a Beast, and the house seems alive and magics things for her.

She starts to garden. The beast cant say what is wrong...but something is wrong in this spooky house.

A bit darker than the original. Not dark dark, just spookier. But for me to close to the original.

Good narration. But then I really like Eyre.

Bryony and her sisters have come down in the world. Their merchant father died trying to reclaim his fortune and left them to eke out a living in a village far from their home in the city.

But when Bryony is caught in a snowstorm and takes refuge in an abandoned manor, she stumbles into a house full of dark enchantments. Is the Beast that lives there her captor, or a fellow prisoner? Is the house her enemy or her ally? And why are roses blooming out of season in the courtyard?

Armed only with gardening shears and her wits, Bryony must untangle the secrets of the house before she—or the Beast—are swallowed by them.

TMST

 

 

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

5/13/2025 Share some book covers you love from the past year.

You know what, I checked my books from 2025, and this one is the only one I truly adore :)

5/20/2025 Do you have a fitness routine or exercise you enjoy?

5/27/2025 Which books are you looking forward to reading this Summer? (Jun-Aug)

6/3/2025 Paper, electronic, audio... How do you read? Has it changed in recent years?

6/10/2025 New to me authors: who have you discovered in the past 12 months?

6/17/2025 How do you choose what to read next?

6/24/2025 Do you have any travel or staycation plans for the summer?

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

If you are interested in participating in TMST or receiving periodic emails that list the upcoming TMST topics and questions,  please fill out this GOOGLE FORM.  Participation is optional and never required.

Carole´s Monday. Love, rebooted

Author: Kathy Summers

Narrator: Emily Atack & Stuart Martin

Title: Love, Rebooted

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Humor

Format: Audiobook

Published: March 20, 2025

Where I got It: Audible

Summary: 

FRIENDS. RIVALS. LOVERS. Liv’s happy with life in her thirties. She has two cats, one BFF, and no boyfriend, which is just how she likes it. Plus, she loves working at a not-for-profit software company where she can be her authentically autistic self. This is her happy ever after.

But when her beloved firm merges with a repulsive rival, Liv finds herself competing with her sort-of-ex for the top job. Sure, Finn had been Liv’s best friend at university, with his nerdy good looks and their shared love of Tolkien, but there was that one night, their song, and … well, she doesn’t like to talk about it. In fact, she hasn’t thought about him since.

Unlike Finn who is delighted to have Liv back in his life. Could this finally be his chance to rescue their friendship after all these years? But he knows it’s only a matter of time until he wins the job and Liv gets laid off. He hates everything about it, but he’s a single dad with a daughter to support, so losing isn’t an option – not even to his soulmate.

But in the close proximity of a cut-throat corporate world, Finn finds himself falling first and soon his priority becomes breaking down Liv’s barriers. As the pair struggle to keep their professional and personal lives separate, Liv starts to think maybe Finn’s suggestion of a friendship reboot isn’t such a bad idea after all… And as for that funny feeling inside… no, that’s nothing. Nothing at all…

Review:

This sounded like a cute second chance story. Plus that cover is adorable!

Here we follow Liv and Finn. The two were university besties, but after an awkward evening....they stop talking. Years later Liv believes her life is perfect but that comes crashing down when her job merges with another company. She finds herself competing with her sort-of-ex and best friend for the same job. Finn, on the other hand, is delighted to have Liv back in his life so that he can finally save their friendship and maybe have more if she's willing. They are forced to work together through this merger and maybe find something more than just being close proximity co-workers. 

This was so refreshing!! Interesting characters and an interesting situation. They were friends but acted like BF/GF in school. After an awkward kiss and misunderstanding in a message...they fell apart. It was cute seeing their remeet-cute moment. Finn is determined to at least be friends again. Sure he wants more, but he'll take what he can. They are two peas in a pod and his life hasn't been the same without her. She wants more too, but she likes her life the way it is....plus she doesn't like messy and complicated relationships.

The two of them were so charming and entertaining. I loved watching them muddle their way through getting over the past, working through work stuff, working for something more. All the while being nerdy and geeky. The shared love of LOTR was adorable. 

There were SO many layers to this romance that I was worried it would be too much, but it all felt....natural and real. Life is muddy and complex. 

The narrators were so charming and I loved their voices. 

All-in-all, I highly enjoyed this one. I loved how muddy and complex everything was. It took forever for them to find their HEA, but it was well deserved. 

5 stars from me. 

- Favorite Character(s): Finn and Liv

- Least Favorite Character(s): Finn's boss

 Challenge(s):

- Audiobook #20

Audio: Still hung up on you

Narrated by: Andrew Eiden, Luci Christian Bell

Release date: 09-14-23

Length: 2 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher: Audible Originals

Categories: Romance

I am trying audible and this was my first pick. Totally random and chosen cos it was short. Also!! If anyone know any good audible only ones then do tell me :D

Ethan and Hannah broke up 15 years ago. Suddenly she calls him up because she is looking for a sweater she lost 15 years ago...and so it continues, almost everything done via phone calls. It worked really well actually. They fall for each other again and they do not even know what the other one looks like now.

But yes that is it, she needs that sweater. They call each other all the time and then they live happily ever after.

Fun and short

Two narrators and it works so well as it goes back and forth.

Hannah Gold never thought she’d speak to Ethan Reisner ever again. Getting dumped in high school will do that to you. But when she needs to find a beloved sweater in time for her parents’ 50th anniversary, she begins her search where she last saw it: Ethan’s childhood home.

She thought calling Ethan out of the blue would be the hardest part, but breaking fifteen years of silence was just the beginning. Why is Ethan being so friendly? And helpful? And funny? And is it possible for someone to be handsome over the phone?

As her feelings take her to unexpected places and her parents’ anniversary looms closer, Hannah will have to dig deep, find out what’s real, and decide exactly what she wants.

TMST

 

 

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

5/6/2025 What is your least favorite thing about spring?

Least favorite thing? Oh there is no least favorite thing. Maybe cos it is so short? We can have snow still in April, which means over 6 months of winter if it is bad, and then maybe one month of spring before summer.  After that long you long for spring even if winter is lovely. So yeah nothing bad.

5/13/2025 Share some book covers you love from the past year.

5/20/2025 Do you have a fitness routine or exercise you enjoy?

5/27/2025 Which books are you looking forward to reading this Summer? (Jun-Aug)

6/3/2025 Paper, electronic, audio... How do you read? Has it changed in recent years?

6/10/2025 New to me authors: who have you discovered in the past 12 months?

6/17/2025 How do you choose what to read next?

6/24/2025 Do you have any travel or staycation plans for the summer?

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

If you are interested in participating in TMST or receiving periodic emails that list the upcoming TMST topics and questions,  please fill out this GOOGLE FORM.  Participation is optional and never required.

Carole´s Monday: The Charm School

 

Author: Susan Wiggs

Title: The Charm School

Series: The Calhoun Chronicles #1

Genre: Historical Romance

Format: ebook

Pages: 384

Published: April 1, 1999

Where I got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

As the ballrooms of 1800s America glitter, romance is afoot...

Boston and Rio de Janeiro, 1851

An awkward misfit in an accomplished family, Isadora Peabody yearns to escape her life as a wallflower in Boston society. Fate intervenes when she learns that a ship bound for Rio de Janeiro is in need of an interpreter—a pursuit she very much enjoys. The only problem? The surly and handsome captain is adamantly opposed to a woman taking the role.

Sea captain Ryan Calhoun used to have a good family name. But he’d purposely walked away from everything it afforded him, driven by his quest to right an old wrong. When he finds himself falling for the meek young woman who comes aboard his ship, he’s determined to stay away from her—if only to keep her out of his secretive, dangerous plans.

As the tides of attraction flow between them, Ryan and Isadora must risk it all for love. For a true lady must learn to speak her mind, and Isadora is ready to put her newfound charms to the test.

Review:

This was voted for our DNF 2nd Chance challenge. I try to do this challenge twice a year, because sometimes a book (like some people) deserves a second chance. 

Isadora is awkward and a misfit in an accomplished family. She is nothing but a wallflower in the society of Boston. Fate has a funny way of intervening, and she finds herself on a ship bound to Rio de Janeiro as an interpreter. Everything seems golden.....except for the surly and handsome captain. Ryan used to have a good family name, but he walked away to right an old wrong. Isadora is something he wants to avoid so he can keep his secretive and dangerous plan...well...a secret. Attraction and lust have other plans for them though. 

I still don't get what the title means. There is no school. Ryan doesn't do much to teach her. Is it the boat? Is it the sea? Is Isadora self-teaching? Beh. 

Ryan is meh. 

Isadora is meh. 

Their chemistry seems forced and I just can't buy it even at the end. I did enjoy some of their quips though. I actually chuckled a bit.

The locations are the best part of the story! So refreshing, but sadly I still didn't warm up to these two as a couple. 

I managed to get to the end just so I could see the hows and whys. Morbid curiosity I guess.

All-in-all, I DID finish this so I can safely say it is a slight win for the DNF 2nd Chance challenge. However, my opinion barely changed. I'll give it a bonus star for the locations and the quips. 2 stars from me.  

Favorite Character(s): the boat

Least Favorite Character(s): Isadora's family.

 Challenge(s):

- Library love #10

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

Series: The Housemaid (#1)

Format: 336 pages, Paperback

Published: August 23, 2022 by Grand Central Publishing

Thriller/own

I really do not want to say too much about this one. You have to experience it for yourself.

Millie needs a job, but as an ex convict that is hard. She gets a job as a housemaid. The wife is a total B*tch, the kid is a brat, and the husband rather handsome now isn´t he.

She sleeps in the attic in a strange room that locks from the outside. Jane Eyre vibes here

I would have quit that horrid place. She got so much shit, and she is just trying her best because she needs money.

But...yes twists, a punch in the gut, and I just did not see things coming. Recommended.

Will I read more? Honestly, I am not that interested. The only bad thing about the book is that it gave us an insight into what happens next and they kind of lost me there. So like round 2? Not that interested in that.

But yes read this one!!! And if someone has read book 2...is it just the same formula again? I have read one and I am happy. I like when I do not see things coming

Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.

I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.

I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.

But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.

They don’t know what I’m capable of…

Audio: Master of Mayhem by Mary Wine

Series: Book 2, The Enchanted Well

Release date: 04-29-25

Length: 5 hrs and 56 mins

Narrated by: Antony Ferguson

Historical romance/to Review from Tantor Audio

In book Sabine´s sister was taken by Scots, and now Sabine venture out to dance on May Day. And what enfolds is that she too is taken away by a Scot.

Ruben Lindsey is enthralled by the English Woman he meets and after some trouble he can only see to her safety by taken her to Scotland. And yes as always, the Scots are not happy because she is English after all. 

Sabine is falling for Ruben, but they can not marry! I thought the villain would be this cranky Cook we meet, but there is another villain emerging. In these days only men knitted in guilds to sell things. And oh no Sabine can knit! I even had to go google it and yes there used to be knitting guilds with men only.

There is some arguing as they butt heads, some danger as some do not want her there and me wondering if there ever can be a happy ending.

I have listened to a lot of books by Ferguson, all Wine books, and I always enjoy his narration. I am very used to it and it would not be a Wine, or Scottish book without it.

Legend has it that looking into the enchanted Midnight Well on a full moon will reveal your true love’s face and bind your fates together... forever.

Ruben Lindsey, heir to the Lindsey lands, was only tasked with delivering a letter but when he happens upon the mythical midnight well and sees the face of a beautiful woman in its waters – the same face of the woman he must deliver the letter to – he simply can't ignore the pull he feels to her.

Sabine “Modesty” Hawlyn feels confined by her rigid Puritan life enforced by her extremely religious father who has arranged for her to marry a man she does not want. She yearns for freedom and when a handsome stranger brings news from her eldest sister Prudence who was whisked away across the border to Scotland, she can’t help but hope for something more – especially now that she has also seen the Scotsman’s face in the waters of the well.

During May Day celebrations, a last piece of joy and freedom for Modesty, she is unexpectedly attacked by the Queen’s men. To her relief the handsome Scot comes to her rescue, but when her savior becomes her captor, she begins to question what fate has in store for her.