Bookworm Nation

The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart by Nancy Campbell Allen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I probably shouldn't use the word delightful when describing a murder mystery, but this book was delightful.

This story takes place in the late 1800s, and it was such a fascinating time in history and Ms. Allen did a great job of creating the setting and what life would have been like back then, especially for women who were gaining more rights and freedoms. Amelie such a likable and endearing heroine. She is a Woman of Independent Means, working at her aunts newspaper and living in her own apartment. She is innocent in a lot of ways, but savvy and witty. Our hero, the serious and handsome Detective Michael Baker is also very likable and it as fun to see this hardened detective melt around Amelie. They were really cute together!

I dont read a whole lot of mysteries, but I thought this one was well done. I loved the setting and how everything played out. Kept me engaged and turning the pages. I like the supporting cast a lot and hope Ms. Allen will make this a series and write about Amelie's cousins.

Content PG13 for mild violence
Romance: Kissing
Language: None
Violence: Plot surrounds a murder investigation(s), a kidnapping & attack, nothing overly graphic or gory.

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Welcome to Swoony Worthy Spotlights, hosted by Bookworm Nation, Katie's Clean Book Collection and KJ's Book Nook! Swoon Worthy Spotlights features 1-3 of our favorite books that we have read during the month. We will share the cover(s), our review(s) and a link to each other's post so you can check out which books we have all chosen!

March was a great reading month for me, there were so many fun books I was able to find. Here are two of my favorite contemporaries and two of my favorite historicals for the month (in random order).




Another great addition to the Peel library. This has the whole "friend first" storyline that really has you rooting for these two to figure things out. Great storytelling and a fun, swoony romance.


Lets see, a steampunk paranormal retelling of Beauty and the Beast.... yes, please! This was a lot of fun. Great leading characters with a great romance and fun mystery. This one sucked me in at page one and I had a hard time putting it down.



This one was a surprise, it is filled with memorable scenes, some funny, some swoony. The leads are both strong characters and it's fun to watch the battle of wits play out. I really loved the romance in this one, slow building and believable. (Content- this is more on the steamy clean side, no sex scenes)

Beauty and the Clockwork Beast by Nancy Campbell Allen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5

I've wanted to give the Steampunk genre a try for a long time now and was excited when I saw that one of my favorite authors wrote a book in this genre. I get to try out the genre by an author I trust and throw in a good Beauty and the Beasy plot and it turned out being pretty epic.

Lucy Pickett will do anything to help her cousing Kate. Kate is newly married and has taken up residence with her new husband at the family estate of Blackwell Manor. Home to the emfamous Earl of Blackwell, Lord Miles. Lord Miles has always been an outcast, but never moreso than when his wife mysteriously dies a month into their marrige, and his sister the very next day. Lucy is a fun character, she very self-assured and tenatious. She's a rising star in her field, but puts that all on hold to help her belovd cousin. She's has a good read on people and sees through Lord Mile's rough exterior to the good man beneath. I liked Lord Miles, I always like the broody hero that secretly has a caring heart. Lucy and Miles have great chemistry, the can but heads one minute and have a swoony moment the next. Lots of tension and obstacles for them to overcome.

I read a lot of regencies (I'm not sure if this is technically a regency, can't remember what year it was supposed to take place, but it feels like a regency timeframe), and I thought the added Steampunk and Paranormal elements were fun and unique. The mystery keeps you guessing and on the edge of your seat, you won't want to put this one down. Can't wait to read more from this series!

Content
Romance: Clean
Language: None
Violence: Mild
Series: Steampunk Proper Romance, #1

Source: Netgalley, will be purchasing a hardcopy for my personal collection!

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Welcome to our newest Book Blog Meme hosted by Bookworm Nation, Katie's Clean Book Collection and KJ's Book Nook! Once a month Author's Corner will feature either a favorite author or new to us author. We will share the author's bio, one of our favorite books of theirs and a review. Each of us will be featuring a different author each month so there will also be links to each of our posts.

We love finding and sharing amazing authors with others, We thought this would be the perfect way to share the love not only with other bookworms but with the authors that we absolutely adore! So... without further adieu... may we present our first...Author's Corner!


For my first Author's Corner I am going to choose...

Happy New Year and Happy Reading!

From Cairo, With Love by Nancy Campbell Allen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’m a big fan of the Timeless Romance Anthologies, and love that they’re publishing these Single novellas now. I was excited to see one of my favorite authors Nancy Campbell Allen had written one. I obviously jumped at the chance to read it.

This was a fun read, a well developed novella that is able to capture your attention and hold you tight until the end. I’m a sucker for a good romance, but also love when there is a little suspense thrown in to keep our characters (and us) on our toes. I thought this had a fun setting, likable characters and sweet romance. A great read when you’re looking for a quick escape.

Content: Clean

Source: Review copy


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My Fair Gentleman by Nancy Campbell Allen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I found out one of my favorite authors was writing a new book in my favorite genre I may have done a little happy dance! I have really been looking forward to this one, and it did not disappoint.

Lady Ivy Carlisle is everything that is proper, she lives her life conforming to societies strict rules and pretends to be happy about it. Every since her sister shamed the family, she feels its her duty to be the perfect society miss. She takes her role so seriously that she even anonymously writes edicate guidelines and helps tutor young girls about to make their debut into society. Her world is turned upside down when her next pupil turns out to be an attracted sailor who has just inherited a title. To say he is not happy about giving up the sea and the possibility of captaining his own ship to be a Lord is an understatement. Jack Elliot was a likable hero, broody on the outside and kind on the inside. Always a good combination in my book. He gives Ivy a hard time and it was fun watching their sparks fly. I thought they had good chemistry and it was fun watching them together.

I thought this was a fun read, so glad Ms. Allen decided to write in the Regency era, she's a natural! I look forward to reading hopefully a lot more books from her! If you enjoy Regency's give this one a try!

Content
Romance: Clean
Language: None
Religious: None
Other: None


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Autumn Masquerade by Josi S. Kilpack
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've been looking forward to this collection for a long time now. I had to pre-order it and started reading as soon as it came out. A fun collection of regency stories.



A Merry Dance by Josi Kilpack
A fun setting and characters. I liked the plot of this one, especially Lila's attempts to make Mr. Luthford not fall in love with her. A cute idea for a story and fun to watch their relationship unfold.



Unmasking a Duke by Donna Hatch
I was pleasantly surprised when I started reading this and realized the main character, Hannah, was from the Rogue Heart series. We meet Hannah in The Stranger She Married. Anyway, I really enjoyed this one. A charming story, loved returning to the regency world Hatch has created. (Is a stand alone, but some characters are from the Rogue Heart series).



What's in a Name by Nancy Campbell Allen
I've been a fan of Nancy's for a very long time and thought she moved into the regency setting flawlessly. This had a fun plot, I liked the relationship between Penelope and her Duke and just had an enjoyable time reading it.



Overall, this was a fun collection. I liked how each one had a similar theme with a masquerade ball in each one as well. Would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys regency's.



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This meme is hosted by A Night's Dream of Books and focuses on the pretty book covers you come across and want to share with others. I love a pretty book cover, I even created a shelf on Goodreads to help me keep track of the pretty covers that I love. For this week I chose a cover that really jumped out at me when it first came out a few months back. Part of my excitement was that the author is a personal favorite of mine. I thought the cover was a good match for the story inside, which ended up being a really fun read. It's always a win-win when the cover is awesome and the inside matches.

I've missed participating in Waiting On Wednesday and look forward to getting back into the swing of things. Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Breaking the Spine, which spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. My choice for this week is:



Synopsis from Goodreads:
Jack would rather be at sea than fixing the mistakes of his grandfather, the late Earl of Stansworth. Instead, he finds that inheriting his grandfather's wealth and title—and securing the welfare of his sister and mother—means joining the ranks of high society and living with the aristocracy. Luckily, Ivy Carlisle, the granddaughter of a dear friend of Jack's late grandmother, is willing to teach him etiquette and properly introduce him into society. Jack soon learns that his challenge isn't surviving his new lifestyle but surviving the conspiracies against him—as well as keeping himself from falling madly in love with his new tutor.

Why I'm Waiting:
This has a combination of everything I love. First, a pretty cover. Second, a regency setting and a new take on My Fair Lady (which is a favorite movie of mine) and lastly, its written by one of my very favorite authors. I've read all of Ms. Allen's books and love her writing. I can't wait to see what she does in the regency genre. I know it'll be awesome!

All Lily Bordeaux wants is a shop of her own in the French Quarter, but the family legacy, passed down from her Salem witch ancestors, is bearing down on her despite her efforts to avoid it. A series of events place her in danger, but an old friend from college, Bennett Duschesne, may be the one person who can convince her to confront her past demons and embrace her gifts. As she grows closer to Bennett, evil forces threaten to destroy everything she loves. Will she have accepted her family legacy, only to find she was too late?

I’ve read all of Nancy C Allen’s (aka Kari Gray) books and was so excited when I saw she was going to be writing a new paranormal novella series. I got it the day it came out and devoured it in one sitting. She really can write any genre!

Lily is a descendent from the Salem Witches, but after losing her parents she doesn’t want anything to do with her “powers” and closes them off. Then one day she awakens after a bomb exploded at her aunt’s boutique and she realizes she should have been honing her powers, not ignoring them. To get answers and to protect her aunt she opens herself up to her powers and goes on the hunt for an elusive talisman. I thought this was a fun novella; a lot is packed in to the 118 pages!

Lily was a likable heroine, I liked that she was strong and wanted to take matters into her own hands. I also liked that she was willing to accept help when she needed it. I liked the romance with her and Bennett. They had been friends for a long time and had drifted apart when he started dating another girl. They’re reunited after the explosion and realize the depth of their feelings. The romance was sweet, a little fast, but considering the length of the novel and the fact that they had known each other before made it believable. The overall story was fun and I look forward to reading the rest of the series! Beautiful cover!

Content, PG:
Romance: Clean, mild innuendo (a little steamier than her other books, if I remember)
Language: Mild (H, D, S)
Violence: Mild

Source: Amazon Kindle Unlimited

Book One: Love Beyond Time
Book Two: No Time for Love
Book Three: A Time for the Heart
Book Four: Echoes

Book Two: No Time for Love
Book Three: A Time for the Heart
Book Four: Echoes

Genre: Fiction

Author Site: www.ncallen.blogspot.com
“The hands that gripped the steering wheel were bruised and bleeding; all traces of the expensive manicure administered mere hours before had been obliterated.”

One Word Review: Exciting

Book Synopsis: Connor O’Brian knows his engagement is a mistake, but before he can take steps to end it, his fiancée is dead and FBI agents are on his doorstep. Then Liz Saxton, a resourceful and self-assured private investigator, shows up looking dangerously like the woman he thought he loved. Connor is hardly looking for a new romance, and the last thing Liz wants is to get involved in a murder investigation with someone as attractive as Connor O’Brian. Before they know it, Liz and Connor find themselves on a non-stop chase across continents and oceans in a race to find the evidence they need before a bullet finds them.

My Review: So, this book follows Liz (Amber’s sister from Love Beyond Time) and Connor. This could probably be a stand-alone, but I would recommend reading book one first. I liked that we were able to see a bit of Amber and Tyler and what they have been up too since their story was told. Liz and Connor have known each other for years but have only been “just friends”, although deep down they both have feelings for one another. They are thrown together when Connor’s condo keeps getting broken into and Liz, the private investigator, decides to help her friend out. As the story unfolds we learn that Connor’s fiancée wasn’t all that she seemed and her death may not have been an accident.

I enjoyed Liz and Connor, and it was fun watching them interact knowing that they both liked each other and at the same time not wanting to ruin their friendship. It was fun traveling with them all over the world as they try and solve the mystery of Allyson’s death and the mysterious disk left in Connor’s condo. This book is action packed, suspenseful, and full of romantic tension. A fun, quick read that anyone would enjoy.

Reading Order:
Book One: Love Beyond Time
Book Two: No Time for Love
Book Three: A Time for the Heart
Book Four: Echoes