Discussion of HR and other books. And recs. Showing 801-850 of 3,299

[Carol]

Hoopladigital.com now has some audiobooks by Mary Kingswood, if anyone is interested. Although I have The Sisters of Woodside on my Kindle, I haven't read them all and I'm enjoying the ability alternate between the two.

[Danker]

HappyBookworm202
I’m with you about Georgina Clarke. She is a talent.

[Roberta2]

I am back to trying older regencies/Georgians. I downloaded The Bar Sinister which I don't remember ever reading. Let's see if my memory is still good.

[Carol]

Roberta2 wrote: "I am back to trying older regencies/Georgians. I downloaded The Bar Sinister which I don't remember ever reading. Let's see if my memory is still good."

Let us know how you like it because I loved Lady Elizabeth's Comet.

[HappyBookWorm2020]

Carol wrote: "Roberta2 wrote: "I am back to trying older regencies/Georgians. I downloaded The Bar Sinister which I don't remember ever reading. Let's see if my memory is still good."

Let us know..."

I read Lady Elizabeth's Comet but don't remember anything about it. :(

[HappyBookWorm2020]

I'm still reading my way through Jodi Taylor's Chronicles of St. Mary's and enjoying the heck out of it. She is also the author (under another name) of a historical romance novel that many of us liked.

A Bachelor Establishment

[Roberta2]

I did enjoy The Bar Sinister and followed it up with Lady Elizabeth's Comet. I was about to download the 3rd book in the series, and then I saw your review OLT, and I don't think I would like it as much. One of the reasons I liked the first two was the couples were more mature.

[Roberta2]

I forgot that I had preordered A Treacherous Trade. It was released today. I am wary of beginning it so late in the afternoon for fear I will be up really late finishing it.

[HappyBookWorm2020]

I'm currently reading a good murder mystery.

[Danker]

I’ve just started A Treacherous Trade. So far so good. I loved the Comet book and seem to remember (it was so long ago) that I did so because of the laughs. Don’t expect I will get any laughs from A Treacherous Trade.

[Carol]

I started Lady in Scarlet twice. It's just not for me.

[Danker]

Finished the Byrne. Started well. Then declined. Cant recommend.

[HappyBookWorm2020]

Danker wrote: "Finished the Byrne. Started well. Then declined. Cant recommend."

Byrne has been hit or miss for me. I liked some of her Victorian Rebels books.

[OLT]

I'm 40% in with the new Byrne novel. I gave the first one five stars, probably with an extra star just for the novelty of it all. This one no longer has that novelty and so far I don't see it as a better mystery than the Georgina Clarke "harlot" stories. And I'm tired of the two squicky love interests.

[Roberta2]

I finished the Byrne last night. I did like it, although it wasn't as good as the first book. I agree the mystery was better in the first book. I will probably read the 3rd when it comes out.

[Roberta2]

I wish Byrne didn't have this thing about killers as love interests.

[HR-ML]

Roberta2---

I agree that a killer makes a sub-par 'hero'/ love interest.

[Danker]

I reviewed the Byrne book. I wrote a screed here and deleted it, because I thought it too long, but added to it a little and instead used it as a review. Then I didn’t sleep because I thought I may have been overly critical - which is why I gave up reviewing.
As I was awake, I speed read Along Came a Lady by C. Caldwell. It isn’t in the league of The Proposition by Judith Ivory (I seem to remember loving that book) but it is sufficiently unusual and well written for me to recommend it to others. Have any of you read it? The H is a foreman at a coal mine. The h is a teacher of etiquette. I won’t mention spoilers, but there is one glaring omission in the book that I couldn’t overlook. (Did the Duke have other children? What role was actually being offered to the H?) Except for an ending that was very rushed, I think this is the best thing Caldwell has written in a long while. And it’s obviously the beginning of a series which, at this stage, I will keep reading.

[BJ]

Danker wrote: "I reviewed the Byrne book. I wrote a screed here and deleted it, because I thought it too long, but added to it a little and instead used it as a review. Then I didn’t sleep because I thought I may..."
Thx - looks interesting, and it seems to be on special? $1.46.

[Danker]

Yes. I bought it because it was so cheap. I didn’t mention that there is almost instant, orgasmic sex for the virginal h, which usually makes me sigh, or shrug, but the insta-lust was presented in a way that was more credible than usual. I haven’t analysed why — maybe because I was reading at 3am.

[HappyBookWorm2020]

I'm currently reading a thriller - a crime novel. It's pretty good. I'm spoiled after reading several really good historical romances. I have two books I preordered in my kindle just waiting for me to read as soon as I have time (will maybe get one read one this weekend). They are urban fantasy, next in series that I have been reading for quite a while. Yikes, just published books are expensive these days.

Crime novel:

One for Sorrow

[BJ]

I liked a short read recommended on Grovel group on FB.
The Fall that Kills by Peri Elizabeth Scott. It's a quick read, MOC with angry H who wrecks havoc on kind h. I enjoyed it, he did grovel, he needed to after what he did.

[OLT]

I was going to try that Caldwell book Danker tells us about but it's back to $5.99 so no way. Her praise of it is too faint for me to put out six bucks. Meanwhile, I'll just keep doing my daily search for bargain books.

[BJ]

OLT wrote: "I was going to try that Caldwell book Danker tells us about but it's back to $5.99 so no way. Her praise of it is too faint for me to put out six bucks. Meanwhile, I'll just keep doing my daily sea..."
Good call about Along Came a Lady, while I liked the story I got so angry in the final scenes. They ruined the book for me as they did not represent this nice couple who tried so hard to live beyond their illegitimacy. So disappointing, so wrong for this couple.
Along Came a Lady

[HappyBookWorm2020]

Waving hello. I just finished the mystery I've been reading. Very good - but now I want to go back and re-read it to pick up all the things I missed.

One for Sorrow

[OLT]

Anybody here have the time for some heavy duty historical fiction? Sharon Penman's The Sunne in Splendour is on sale at Amazon for $2.99. A sympathetic look at Richard III. May very well be her best work, but it's 1249 pages long. Just saying. It's a bargain.

[Carol]

OLT wrote: "Anybody here have the time for some heavy duty historical fiction? Sharon Penman's The Sunne in Splendour is on sale at Amazon for $2.99. A sympathetic look at Richard III. May very w..."

Sure, when I'm having trouble finishing a 285 page book. Don't think now is the time. What ever I read right now has to be not too long or HEA or character driven and must have a satisfying ending. Just heartbroken seeing those pictures from Ukraine. I thought Covid getting better would put me in a better mood AND then came Ukraine.

[Roberta2]

I'm with Carol on this one. I don't think I can do anything that long. I am having trouble concentrating again just as I did in the first year of Covid.

[Roberta2]

The last time I read a book that was over 1000 pages, it was Stephen King.

[Carol]

I think my long read was Shogun. I read all of Clavell's books. I also read a lot of Mitchner when I was younger. Boy, did he go on.

[Roberta2]

I have to say that King's books are page turners. I was never bored.

[Roberta2]

Boy, did he go on.

Lol

[OLT]

Well, I just thought to put it out there because it's such a good book, but I doubt very much that I would be able to do a reread of it at this time in my life.

[OLT]

Curious about the number of pages, I checked out my book on the shelf. It's 930 pages. And the e-book version has over 1200 pages?

[HappyBookWorm2020]

OLT wrote: "Well, I just thought to put it out there because it's such a good book, but I doubt very much that I would be able to do a reread of it at this time in my life."

Well, I hope I can get around to reading it someday. I got it - thank you for the recommendation. I read the first couple of pages - her writing is beautiful.

[OLT]

HappyBookWorm2020 wrote: "OLT wrote: "Well, I just thought to put it out there because it's such a good book, but I doubt very much that I would be able to do a reread of it at this time in my life."

Well, I hope I can get..."

Wow! I am impressed, HBW. Penman, who died last year, is my favorite historical fiction author. I think my favorite of her books is Here Be Dragons, the first in her Welsh trilogy.

[Carol]

I finished the Ladies Most Unlikely series last night. Very enjoyable. I just love the way Fresina writes. Back tpo my Sunday crossword now.

[Roberta2]

I read Karen Odden's Down a Dark River yesterday and enjoyed it. I will definitely read the second in the series when it comes out.

[Roberta2]

I see now it is $12.99, but I got it for $1.99. Don't remember who recommended it here or noted the price reduction, but thank you.

[OLT]

Roberta2 wrote: "I see now it is $12.99, but I got it for $1.99. Don't remember who recommended it here or noted the price reduction, but thank you."

I mentioned it here. I like the author but don't like the prices of her books so I check periodically for bargain days. I will also recommend two bargain historical mysteries I have found recently that are still on sale: A Killer in King's Cove and The Dying Day. The first is set is post-WWII Canada and the second in post-WWII India.

[OLT]

BTW, Mary Balogh's A Matter of Class is on sale at the moment for $1.99. I had read a library copy of it long ago so downloaded it yesterday. It's, IMO, one of the best things Balogh wrote. A fun MOC.

[Danker]

I’m with OLT on Matter of Class, although I’ve just checked reviews on Amazon and the first three or four featured are real stinkers.
I’ve never understood, by the way, why A Matter of Class has never been released in ebook format in the Antipodes. As I’ve mentioned here previously, I even wrote to the author a couple of years ago and, while I appreciated that she took time to reply to my request that it be released, she seemed unmoved by my enthusiasm! Ha!
Nowadays, the cheapest offer for me, on Amazon, is a dead tree version at $35.60 with $19.95 postage from the United States. And that’s for something that is a novella rather than a novel. No thanks.

[HR-ML]

Danker---
That is an outrageous cost! Most of the used DTB in US are $5 ish
for that book. Do you want me to buy one and mail it to you?

Hi All--
Just finished watching the Lucy & Desi doc on Amazon. It was
bittersweet. Will save Being the Ricardos for another day.

[Roberta2]

Just finished A Speaking Likeness by Sheila Bishop. I really liked it. I had to get a dtb from Amazon. The title hasn't been released as an ebook.

[HappyBookWorm2020]

Carol wrote: "I finished the Ladies Most Unlikely series last night. Very enjoyable. I just love the way Fresina writes. Back tpo my Sunday crossword now."

I love crosswords. Did laundry and housework today, dodging dogs.

[HappyBookWorm2020]

OLT wrote: "BTW, Mary Balogh's A Matter of Class is on sale at the moment for $1.99. I had read a library copy of it long ago so downloaded it yesterday. It's, IMO, one of the best things Balogh..."

Thanks OLT - I got it.

[🐝 Shaz 🐝]

Any one do Wordle Today. Me and my husband do it together every day.

[HR-ML]

Good morn'g all.

GR says we have 333 members. We had this many people check us out. We've come a long way. We value all here.

[OLT]

You are the glue that keeps us together, Cheryl. Thank you. And I hope you are soon on the way to a full recovery.

[HR-ML]

OLT---

Thank you. Saw my MD Thurs. She said my lungs sounded good &
I'd need blood thinners X 3 mos. I trust her.

We have many folks here who keep the discussions lively. And
we can be happy/ sad/ angry/ hopeful/ ourselves.