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First review of the year is up on Heart Of SFF!

First review of the year is up on Heart Of SFF!

So considering it says in the description of this book that Jane has been thrown out of time, I thought it took a long time for the book to get to that point. I’d have loved to read that first section of the book, before August and Jane figure it out, without knowing that twist. But knowing it, it made that first bit feel a bit weird and strange, like a lot of suspense was being built when the reader already knew what it was being built up to.

Moving on though: this is a sweet, slow burn romance, although once Jane and August do get together, there are some very detailed, steamy scenes. I really liked how their romance built up, going from chance encounters, through August’s slight obsession, to an actual friendship and more. Predictably the main problem point in their relationship is that Jane is effectively a ghost and therefore there are some limits to their future together. But for a fairly straightforward romance, rather than a more elaborate fantasy book, that was absolutely fine for me.

What I found much more interesting and heartening to read was how August transforms over the novel from a very self-reliant person, keeping her secrets to herself and ready to uproot at any moment, into someone who lets in some people and becomes friends. She gets drawn into a really loving, caring community, which also happens to be a very queer one. There’s the let’s-club-together-to-save-this-treasured-community-business trope, which I always enjoy, and as part of that August and her new friends organise a charity drag cabaret. This honestly made me tear up, reading some of those scenes.

That care, and love, in a community of people who have historically been persecuted, and in the very city where the story is set, was really powerful to me. I loved that through Jane’s memories of being a lesbian in 1970s USA, we see a real contrast and echo of August’s present day experiences. It also taught me a little USA queer history.

Full review on HeartOfSFF.co.uk - follow the link in my bio 😀📚
#bookreview #OneLastStop #CaseyMcQuiston #RedWhiteAndRoyalBlue #BookBlogger @panmacmillan #audiobook

Do you dip in and out of books or strictly read on

Do you dip in and out of books or strictly read one at once? I started reading The Galaxy And The Ground Within on holiday this summer and when I go away next week for a quiet family break I might finally get to finish it 😂

I’ve loved the other books I’ve read by Becky Chambers so 🤞🏻 this will deliver the relaxed, holiday vibes I want 📚🚀

#bookstagram #beckychambers #thegalaxyandthegroundwithin @hodderbooks @hodderscape #amreading #thelongwaytoasmallangryplanet #scifi #foundfamily #ukbookstagram #ukbookblogger #sciencefictionbooks

I didn’t realise until I started reading it that

I didn’t realise until I started reading it that this book draws lightly on some Romeo & Juliet threads – having never read or seen the play except the lovely Cbeebies adaption, I expect there’s more references in here than I noticed, but even coming to it blank it was a really good story. Similarly, I didn’t know it was set in the same world as the author’s previous duology, and while it references events from those stories I never felt like I was missing something for having not read the books.

I enjoyed the slow evolution of Rosalind and Orion’s relationship from grumpy people forced to work together into friends who care about each other. I hate reading instalove and I really appreciated that the changes in how these two felt about each other develop gradually over several weeks. It felt very believable and I’m looking forward to hopefully seeing it turn into something more romantic in book two.

I also liked the little peeks into Celia and Oliver’s relationship. I get the feeling that will be explored a lot more in the sequel, and again I’m excited to see that.

Over the course of the story, as they unfold the mystery, you can really see Rosalind shift from being very self-reliant and not trusting other people or letting anyone close, into gradually accepting help. She has good reasons for having closed herself off and although early in the story it’s against her will that she has to work together with Orion, and then put a little faith because of him into his other friends, by the end of the book she’s started to realise the benefits of having more people on her side.

This was a great mystery story and gave me a real insight into a historical setting which I didn’t know much about. I really liked the character development, and I’ll definitely be looking out for the sequel.

Thank you @hodderscape for the review copy via @netgalley!
#foulladyfortune #chloegong #theseviolentdelights #ourviolentends #hodderandstoughton #bookblogger #bookreview #ukbookblogger #booktok #tiktokbooks #fantasybooks #amreading #amreadingfantasy #weneeddiversebooks #romeoandjuliet #asyoulikeit #bookadaptations #purplebooks #netgalleyreads

Pleased with how this cake turned out ☺️ Fores

Pleased with how this cake turned out ☺️ Forest fruits loaf. #homebaking #gbbo #greatbritishbakeoff #EasyBakes

This book came out in June from Mills & Boon and i

This book came out in June from Mills & Boon and initially I was intrigued by a historical romance set in the Caribbean. I’d give a content warning for emotional & physical abuse from a family member, but aside from that I enjoyed the early chapters of the book. Pauline’s parents died when she was a fairly young child and she’s been under the supervision of her much older brother. He treats her harshly, and then engineers circumstances to force her into a marriage with Sebastian. The main conflict of the romance in the book hinges around first, Sebastian thinking Paulina was in league with her brother to stage the engagement and then around his various other concerns about the trouble with caring for someone. This is where I got bored. He swings back and forth so often between acting like he cares for her and then deciding that too many people “depend” on him for him to do something as dangerous as *gasp* caring about a woman. Just look at all the terrible things that happen when he does! *eye roll*
I really got fed up of him and had to force myself to push on just so I could find out how they eventually resolved things with Paulina’s brother. Honestly though I think she deserved a better husband than Sebastian.

I received this ebook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

#BookBlogger #MillsAndBoon #HistoricalRomance #caribbeanromance #CaribbeanBooks #WeNeedDiverseBooks #RomanceBlogger #BookReview #UKBookBlogger #AmReadingRomance #Netgalley

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