Blodeuedd's Monday Review: A Night to Surrender by Tessa Dare

By: Tessa Dare

Narrated by: Carolyn Morris

Series: Spindle Cove, Book 1

Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins

Release date: 12-17-13

Publisher: HarperAudio

From: Bookbeat

Historical romance

Spindle Cove is a safe haven. Whether it is to hide from men, hide your flaws, get better from an illness, or find yourself. Spinster cove is the place to be.

Everyone looks up to and asks Susanna for help. And she likes the way this quiet village is.

Until an obnoxious soldier shows up. He is to form a militia, but where are the men?! Then he becomes an Earl too, and takes her castle.

Bram and Susanna butt heads through out the book. Until they start to butt heads in other ways.

I liked the village, the people, and yes I have read books in this series before so I know with whom some of the people end up with.

Their romance was more lusty, they had some drama to get over and then they lived happily ever after

Good narration too

Welcome to Spindle Cove, where the ladies with delicate constitutions come for the sea air, and men in their prime are . . . nowhere to be found.Or are they?

Spindle Cove is the destination of choice for certain types of well-bred young ladies: the painfully shy, young wives disenchanted with matrimony, and young girls too enchanted with the wrong men; it is a haven for those who live there.

Victor Bramwell, the new Earl of Rycliff, knows he doesn’t belong here. So far as he can tell, there’s nothing in this place but spinsters . . . and sheep. But he has no choice, he has orders to gather a militia. It’s a simple mission, made complicated by the spirited, exquisite Susanna Finch—a woman who is determined to save her personal utopia from the invasion of Bram’s makeshift army.

Susanna has no use for aggravating men; Bram has sworn off interfering women. The scene is set for an epic battle…but who can be named the winner when both have so much to lose?

Book Review: Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley

Author: Jamie Wesley

Title: Fake It Till You Bake It

Genre: Contemporary, Sports Romance, Chick Lit

Format: ebook

Published: June 21, 2022

Where I Got It: Borrowed from the library

Summary: 

A reality star and a cupcake-baking football player pretend to be a couple in order to save his bakery in this sweet and sexy romance from Jamie Wesley, Fake It Till You Bake It.

Jada Townsend-Matthews is the most reviled woman in America after turning down a proposal on a reality dating show. When she comes home to lick her wounds, Jada finds herself working at San Diego's newest cupcake bakery, Sugar Blitz, alongside the uptight owner and professional football player Donovan Dell.

When a reporter mistakenly believes Jada and Donovan are an item, they realize they can use the misunderstanding to their advantage to help the struggling bakery and rehabilitate Jada's image. Faking a relationship should be simple, but sometimes love is the most unexpected ingredient.

Review:

Randomly stumbled upon this while looking for a book with food on the cover (for this reading challenge). It's a fake romance and a sports romance JUST in time for the start of Football season....perfection. 

Here we follow Jada and Donovan. Jada is the most hated woman in America after her stint on a reality show. She turned down the proposal of America's sweetheart and now she is in hiding and nursing her wounds. Her grandmother decides enough is enough and forces Jada to go back into the world and get a job or she will take away Jada's trust fund. Enter in Sugar Blitz. Sugar Blitz is owned by Donovan who is a football player and Donovan owes a lot to Jada's granny so he agrees to take on this employee who doesn't know a lick about working in a bakery. When a reporter mistakenly believes Jada and Donovan are an item, they realize they can use this misunderstanding to their advantage. Help Jada's image AND get more customers for his bakery. Win-win.

This was a lot of fun. Two unlikely people who are SO made for each other. She is a hot mess and chaotic. He is a strict and uptight dude. They even each other out for sure. 

I loved the backdrop of the bakery. It made me want to munch on some cupcakes while reading this!! Seems unlikely a football player would own a bakery because we all know they rarely get to indulge. As unrealistic as this is.....it oddly was fitting after getting to know Donovan. He loves to bake and this allows him to be creative. It's an outlet of sorts.

Now....the ending felt..........off. I didn't agree with Jada's decision. Yes, they get their HEA but Jada HAD to throw in a last-minute dramatic impulsive decision. One would think she would've learned her lesson since all her troubles have been caused by decisions like this. Granted, it all works out in the end, but still. Seemed like an unnecessary moment. 

Other than that, I really did like this book. It had a fun set of characters and a fun bakery. I'm curious to see if we'll get a second book. The ending made it seem one of our sides might be getting their own love story! One can hope! I'll give this 4 stars. 

Challenge(s):

- #22 for Romance Reading Challenge - Food on cover

Book Review: Georgina by Clare Darcy

Author: Clare Darcy

Title: Georgina

Genre: Historical Romance

Format: Paperback

Published: January 1, 1971

Where I Got It: Flint Library Book Sale

Summary: 

A dead bore! Miss Georgina Powers concluded after shutting the door in the face of her latest suitor, announcing to one and all that spinsterhood was preferable to a life with a dimwit twice her age. She longed for a love match, not the humdrum offers that came her way. But as the granddaughter of Lady Mercer, Georgina was expected to make a shrewd alliance of the first order. And now after refusing this most eligible suitor she was being shipped off to distant relations in the wilds of Ireland, where sheer boredom would force her to reflect on her folly.

To the surprise of both Georgina and her disapproving grandmama, the Emerald Isle yielded the roguish Mr. Shannon, a handsome Irishman with a most scandalous past. Georgina was sure to set the ton on its ear with her choice of a groom, but for all the wrong reasons!

Review:

I picked this up at the annual Flint Library book sale a million years ago. I haven't gone in a long while but it is a lot of fun. They give you a huge paper bag for $5 and you can take as many books as you want so as long as they fit in the bag. It is a chaotic fun time! There were some books I literally just took because of the title and the cover. No time to read the summary. Thus is the case with this one. It is finally time to dust this bad boy off. 

Here we follow Miss Georgina Powers. She is done with suitors. She would rather be a spinster than marry a bore, idiot, or someone twice her age. She wants love, but there is none to be had with the list of suitors calling her. After refusing the prize of a suitor, she is sent off to live with distant relations in the wilds of Ireland. Enter in Mr Shannon....a handsome Irishman with the most roguish and scandalous past. 

Okay. I am going to be 100% honest here. When I shoved this book in my paper bag...I assumed this was going to be a P&P variation. Georgina is the title and the author's name is Darcy.........lo' and behold I was wrong. LOL.

To quote Georgina....what a bore! The beginning had me nodding off while attempting to read this. Things spiced up a bit when Mr Shannon entered in but that fizzled out after a few. 

I just could not care about anyone in this. I just couldn't connect. I did finish this though but I'll admit I skimmed here and there just to move things along. 

Oh. The ending wasn't too shabby. It seemed very organic and fit.

Sadly, this wasn't for me. There was that one golden section and the ending wasn't too bad, but other than that? Eh. I will give this 2 stars. I'm feeling generous today.

Challenge(s):

- #6 TBR Pile Reading

Joint Review: Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare

Hello all! We will be discussing "Do You Want to Start a Scandal" by Tessa Dare. Blodeuedd is in red and Carole is in purple.

Author: Tessa Dare

Title: Do You Want to Start a Scandal

Series: Castles Ever After #4

Genre: Historical Romance
Published: September 27, 2016

Pages: 272

Summary:

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?

Discussion:

I have been reading Dare for so many years, and she is always fun 🙂

I’ve read some. She is fun! And I like that I could skip to this one. I think I’m missing a book or two of the series but it did well as a standalone which is always nice. 

I just took a look again, and it is Spindle Cove nr 5, but! Castles nr 4! No wonder it works like a stand alone. And yes I have read some here and there. At the moment I am reading a book where Charlotte is 14

Awwwwww I do plan on backtracking. This was fun and I want to see the others fall in love. 

I am going to do Spindle Cove the missing ones :D I fear September will be a Dare month, but that is good.

I’m beginning to feel that too. I crave more of her books! :D 

I liked this one cos omg that beginning. I had to hide my face in laughter and giggled as I was out walking

This was very funny!!!!! Especially with the aubergine! LOLLLLL

It was just the perfect mix of funny and cute

It really was. The drama was there but it didn’t take too long to fix. I loved this couple. 

I kept trying to solve the mystery too, but I honestly suck at solving mysteries

There wasn’t much given to solve it. I think the author did it on purpose. The solution had me rolling in laughter.

It was a tricky one! 

Cute couple, good times, I even liked her mother. Sure, meddling for sure, but she wanted the best. The one I could not stand was her besties sister, ugh!

Oooh that friend Frances or something another. She can rot for all I care. She was mean and terrible. I GET that she was looking out for her sister, but was she? I think she was just jealous of Charlotte. 

I did like Edmund? Though. Omg honestly all the times he was shouting murderer made me lol

Bless him. That little boy just wanted to solve the murder so bad. A part of me thought maybe he wasn’t wrong. Hahahahaha. 

I think he will solve crimes when he grows up!

Awww I hope so. Maybe we’ll get a book for him ;) Maybe Piers will take the lad under his wings.

I could see that in the future. I really do not have a lot to say about this book cos I was amused all the way through. Def read it, listen to it, and do not give one thought which order it is in.

I’m sure the audio is a lot of fun. I did the ebook and I enjoyed it immensely!! I bet the audio is fun ;) But yes, this was a gem. It was funny, had heart, and a great cast of characters. 

Awesome narration. Nothing to complain about there

Love that! Maybe I’ll try and see if my library has the audio for one of the others of the series. I do plan on reading the others. Maybe, like you said, this might end up being the month of Dare. Darempter. Hehe

I have a mix of things coming up, spindle cover and castle ever after. Good times ;D Oh and one from a series that I loved, but I never read one of the books. Gotta catch them all

Hahahahaha I choose you Dare!

I dare you to Dare

Yessss!!!!! The end?

The end

About the Authors

Carole and Blodeuedd have been blogging for a long while now. For the last few years the epic duo has been discussing books, watching movies, and even wetting the pen and sharing their stories with the worldwide web. They both love cats, chocolate, and a good story.