Monique S.'s Blog, page 11

Very sweet!

Her Duchess to Desire by Jane Walsh

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Georgette Heyer started me on loving historical romances with strong female leads with "Faro's Daughter" and her only true queer one "Masqueraders" had me hooked. The only thiing I missed was a true lesbian one, but then her time probably didn't permet her to write one.

So I am always interested in those, who nowadays write historical romances about lesbian women. This one is well and truly a delight, witty and with two great female leads, but also a host of wonderful other characters, almost all of them queer.

While some might want to call Anne, Duchess Hawthorne, an ice queen, she didn't read like that at all to me and I found the romance between Letty and her very sweet. The whole plot line is very inventive and I regretted starting it late in the day, as I probably would have read it in one go, had I not fallen asleep on my couch with the book in hand (sometime around midnight,I guess), after a couple of glasses of nice Shiraz.

I will definitely have a look at the previous two books in Jane Walsh's nobility series, now that I know to buy the papaerbacks from the start, to be able to re-read several times ... and on my sofa with some nice music for background.



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Feelgood Read.

Cast Away Her Fears by Claire Highton-Stevenson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Talk about Murphy's Law, booking a luxury "shipwreck" holiday only for it turning frighteningly real!

The plot cannot be described other than the univers playing a practical joke on Connie, but for her benefit. It isn't really funny at all to begin with, but the joke emerges more and more and so do the benefits. In all a very entertaining read with a feel good ending.



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Not to my taste

The Third Act by Emily Banting

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


DNF at 10%.

I have only started this book and am already dropping it, because I have no time for the underlying belief, that growing older than 55 years of age means getting frail, ill, even.

I am 68 years of age and I still climb my best friends roof to mend storm damage, can walk a long distance path with a heavy backpack for hours, and work ouside building things with more endurance as a lot of people less than a third of my age, even males.

This whole old and frail thing in my opinion is nothing but a belief system of a society, that has become complacent, even loving vampyric structures like today's medicine, pharmaceutical industry and "corporate culture"!

So, no, the way this tale starts is not at all to my taste!



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une réussite incroyable.

À l’abordage: livre lesbien by Kadyan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


J’ai pris beaucoup de plaisir de ce lecture!

Je suis une fille de la mer, moi, même si j’étais née un garçon à Hambourg en Allemagne. Depuis m’ayant installée dans la Bretagne en 2000, j’ai dévoré les livres de Alexander Kent sur Richard Bolitho et de Patrick O’Brian sur Capitaine Jack Aubrey et Dr. Maturin. Tous les deux sont des vraies experts sur les marines des voiliers.

Ça dit, le livre de Kadyan ne manque rien par comparaison. Je sais manier un voilier de douze métres, et je n’ai trouvé rien de grave pour me gaspiller la joie de la lecture. Comme j’ai dit, je suis une fille de la mer.

L’ intrigue de l’histoire n’est pas neuve, on a lu assez des romans sur Mary Reed et Anne Bonny et on a regardé "Against all Flags" bien de temps. Mais, comme le personnage de Mary dit dans le roman, aucune entre eux n’a jamais eu le courage de Théo.

Il est encore plus impressionnant, donc, voire Kadyan construire une future heureuse pour Théo et Paul. Ce livre vaut plus de cinq étoiles, spécialement pour moi. J’aime la douce romance entre Théo et Paul (des femmes cachées tous les deux) et la réception de leur romance par leur coéquipiers.

Mes félicitations pour une réussite incroyable.



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Exceptionnel!

C'était un Vendredi by Gaelle Cathy

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


C’est difficile dire quelque chose sur ce livre sans révéler trop sur l’intrigue, mais je crois, que un avis sur un contenu difficile serait bien, peut être comme une introduction.

J’ai fait un service volontaire avec les ambulances du Croix Rouge dans ma ville natale, Hamburg en Allemagne, et étais formé paramédicale. J’ai vue plein des choses bien dur à supporter, mais une certaine partie de cette histoire m’a presque tourné l’estomac néanmoins.

Le personnage de Justine j’ai aimé des le début. Aussi j’ai bien soupçonné, que il en avait une chose très grave dans le passé de Jenyfer, mais rien ne m’a préparé pour les événements ici décrits. De tout façon la réaction de Justine fait de lui vraiment une héroïne, l’amour elle porte pour Jenyfer et le courage elle fait preuve on ne peut que de rêver trouver pour soi-même. Sans en l’espoir pour un fin heureux m’aurait déserté.

En fin de compte on trouve une intrigue, qui montre, que l’amour peut vaincre presque tout, si les deux dans l’affaire n’en perdent pas l’espoir.



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A nice read.

Back in Your Arms by Monica McCallan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a well written novel, that does and then not, follow an established pattern.

Both characters are well defined and dealing with the same problem, not even having attempted to take the first chance, so when Quinn has to come back to her Hometown fur her job and meets Sawyer and her family again, it seems just like a desaster waiting to happen. But Both are more alike in their avoidance strategies and coping mechanisms than they could even imagine.

As they each try to build enough courage to confess to themselves and the other what they really feel, they grow closer and finally admit, that all they want is to be together. What I really like about this is, that the author makes no secret of the fact, that success in business isn't necessarily leading to a fulfilled life, but possibly even to an empty one.



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Exellent!

Behind Her Eyes by Melissa Tereze

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


What can I say? I just love this book!



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Disturbing!

Whispering Oaks: A WLW Romantic Suspense by Stephanie Shea

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


If you want a disturbing, hair raising page turner this is for you. It would have been a five star without the setup for a sequel in the end, as I would certainly not subject myself to more of the psycho terror decribed here.



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Exceptional!

The Writing on the Wall by Nicole Pyland

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I have read the celelbrities series and liked it well enough, but this one is one class up by comparison.

I loved both main characters from the start, especially Weston. Her quirky method of witing is absoluely endearing. Annie, too, is very loveable and the dialogues between the two make for a lot of the fun in this read. The absolute cuteness of their budding romance as well as the surprising twist towards the (yes, happy) end make this an exceptional novel.

I simply could not put it down and read it in one go.



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One for animal lovers :)

Hideaway by Rachel Lacey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Hideaway is a cute, straight lined second chance romance with two very likeable and sweet main characters, Phoebe and Taylor, plus a host of lovely animals. The plot is heart warming even through some tense moments, that more concern the animals than the MC’s rekindling their teen crush, that ended badly and yet not, apparently.

This is a very nice read, devoid of any overly construed drama and full of Awww moments, that I can whole heartedly recommend.



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