drops_everything_and_reads's reviews
1180 reviews

I thoroughly enjoyed the second book in the series and am so excited to read more!

I loved how the first book, Never Blow a Kiss, introduced us to Frankie, but didn't give away too much as to what her storyline would be but had enough information to intrigue me. 
Frankie is brilliant at math, and not as brilliant of being an 'appropriate' governess but nonetheless, that is her job and she gets a job working for notorious gambling hell owner, Jasper Jones, who may have knowledge of where her missing sister could be, as he has taken guardianship of his fifteen year old niece. 

Frankie and Jasper find they have a lot more in common (including an attraction to one another) and start to work together to find Frankie's sister. Of course, if they happen to act on their attraction once or twice, well, that's just wonderful. 

A great book from Lindsay and I think will be enjoyed by many fans of historical romance books. 

Thanks to Forever for an eARC of the book. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed the third book in the series, especially the time loop aspect!

I think so many people would love a second chance to do something over, but obviously, it can't happen in real life so living vicariously through Sirena as she is re-lives the month of October and uses the opportunity to make different decisions, and seize opportunities. I did like, though, that it didn't completely change who she was as a person; she still had a specific goal in mind which, at times, she had to find the balance of constantly working towards that goal or take some time to have some fun, especially with Gus. Of course, taking that time to have fun is actually what helps her achieve her goals, even if they look a bit different than at the beginning. 

Gus was an interesting guy; he's been through some major life changes in order to do what he wants, but he still seems to be holding back as he lives his life as a former reality star. I thought Gus and Sirena were could partners to one another - challenging, supporting, balancing. 

another great read from Celestine Martin!

Thanks to Forever for the eARC. all opinions are my own. 

Thanks to @sourcebookscasa I was able to read an eARC of @fayedelacour upcoming book, A Lady’s Guide to London, pubbing April 15, 2025

It’s the second in the Lucky Ladies of London series, and focuses on Della, who owns and operates a gambling hell for ladies with her bestie, Jane, the FMC in The Lady He Lost. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and loved how unexpected it was wrt having a MMC who is married - but long separated - and is definitely on the fringes of “polite” society, as well as a FMC who has her own business, and seeks to live life on her own terms. 

The I bring was, IMO, perfect for the two MCs. It’s a messy conclusion but one that makes sense for them. 

There’s some side characters we spend time with and whom I hope get their own stories! I will definitely be reading more books by Faye as she continues her publishing career! 

If you like the vibes of Lindsay Lovise’s Never Gamble Your Heart, Laura Lee Guhrke’s Lady Scandal or Amalie Howard’s The Worst Duke in London, then I suggest you add A Lady’s Guide to your TBR. 

I love that the book is set in Mumbai, India; it’s a nice change of pace from the many books set in the USA. Accordingly, in the audiobook, the narrator would use Indian accents for some of the characters which was fun to hear. 

The story itself was great. Jia is an aspiring matchmaker who, herself, is looking for love while also trying to matchmaker other people. Jaiman owns a pub and has been in love with Jia for years but has put that notion aside, thinking she’s not interested. 

I love how each MC is so well developed; there is vulnerability, emotion, confidence, and uncertainty. the pressure to succeed while also staying true to their ambitions. I enjoyed how Jia and Jaiman kept being pushed together, and the attraction and chemistry was obvious. 

I’m definitely going to pick up the author’s second book

ARC review of A Lady’s Lesson in Scandal, book two in the Queen’s Deadly Damsels series by Darcy McGuire!

Thanks to @theboldbookclub I received an early ebook of the book and then I read it and loved it but bc my executive functioning sucks, it’s taken me way too long to post a review BUT HERE I AM NOW!!!

We have a wallflower who is desperate to escape an arranged marriage negotiated by an evil stepmother and we have a war vet who keeps to himself and isn’t really the most popular guy in London society.

So what is a desperate woman - Millie - gonna do? Well, create a scandal, render herself unmarriageable and continue working for Queen Vicky with her friends so they can take down some nasty criminals. She didn’t account for the scandalous kiss with Major General Beaufort Drake being so delectable nor that he would be of the gallant variety and offer to marry her.

But our friend Drake is also investigating the same nasty criminals but for the Prime Minister. And then Millie and Drake, her family and their friends and guests are alllllll together for a week for a wedding house party where they hope to reveal the culprit(s).

And of course Millie and Drake kiss, bang, and find themselves falling in love AS TWO PEOPLE INVESTIGATING CRIMES TOGETHER ARE WONT TO DO IN A ROMANCE BOOK.

I’m loving this series. It has everything I enjoy in a historical romance with a mystery. I’m hooked.

My mystery book reading binge continues! This time with It’s Elementary by Elise Bryant.

It pubbed last July from Berkley and I’m annoyed with myself that I didn’t read it sooner!

How much did I like this book? Well, I immediately looked up when book two comes out because it’s a series! Yay! 

FYI, book two is The Game is Afoot and pubs July 8, 2025. 

The MC, Mavis, is very relatable: a single mother, working a job she doesn’t love, tries to avoid the other “perfect” moms at the school drop-off, and constantly feels the pressure to Do It All and Do It Perfectly. 

She inadvertently gets caught up in investigating the disappearance of the school principal after witnessing some sketchy behaviour from the president of the PTA. 
Her partner in sleuthing is the good looking school psychologist who makes her feel things….

This is a pretty light-hearted mystery, and there’s a secondary mystery that allowed for some misdirection. I had a suspicion about the character who is the main culprit early on so I wasn’t surprised when I was proven correct, but the motive was definitely interesting. And I liked that there was nuance and things weren’t all wrapped up neatly. 

The book doesn’t focus solely on the mystery, but also how Mavis navigates her life as a single mom to a young daughter, living with her father (who is a delight), a job where she feels unappreciated, her relationship with her daughter’s father, friendships, and more. 

I’m thrilled this is a series!

I think the writing of the book is fantastic, but I just found that the storyline just wasn't for me. I paused my reading of the book at around 35% and just didn't feel compelled to pick it up again. I think it was a bit too dark for me. 
I do love that the author wrote about a region of the US - Appalachia - that is often overlooked and underestimated. 

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read. I have no doubt that there will be fans of the book!

Alas, I ended up DNFing the book as it didn't hold my attention. I found it predictable and lacking tension and chemistry. 
I hope others enjoy the book; it's simply personal preference that I didn't enjoy it.

thanks to the publisher for the eARC. 

Time for book two of Lisa Kleypas’s The Wallflowers series! In It Happened One Autumn, Lillian Bowman takes centre stage with Marcus, Earl of Westcliff, who knows he needs to marry and wants to marry a ‘proper’ British lady. And Lillian is mischievous, doesn’t follow the rules, and is…. American. 

I think this is my fave of the series. Lillian is just so much fun and she knows how to poke at Marcus to get on his nerves. They both have strong personalities, but in very different ways such that they balance each other out wonderfully. 

In book one, we learned that Lillian and Daisy are in England to find aristocratic husbands, preferably also wealthy, at the behest of their parents. In book two, we learn more about their family dynamics, including how much Lillian and Daisy have grown to support one another given their parents combination of disinterest, demands, pressure, and lack of understanding. 

The friendship of the Wallflowers continues to be an important part of the series, with the group turning their attentions to securing a husband for Lillian, while also celebrating and supporting Annabelle in her new marriage to Simon. 

Another banger of a book!!

Okay, so this is the Wallflowers book I’ve heard the most about because of Sebastian St. Vincent, so I was excited to get to this one, especially after the events of book two (no spoilers here!) 

Evie is such a wonderful character and so much stronger than the people in her life, and in London society, give her credit for. She’s been living with her aunts and uncles since she was a young girl and has somehow managed to survive this long. I love how she takes her life into her own hands and finds a way to get out of a shitty place so that she can do more with her life, including seeing her dying father. 

Her choice is St. Vincent is… interesting. Definitely a marriage of convenience: she needs to marry, he needs the money. He doesn’t exactly have a stellar reputation, and it’s so obvious that he’s even wondering why she picked him. 

St. Vincent definitely proves himself over the course of the book that he is so much more than people thought he was, what he even thought he was. I kinda like that he didn’t try to hide his past, or pretend that it didn’t happen, but more acknowledged that he was taking a different path, but that not everyone would fully forgive him for his past misdeeds. 

I also enjoyed the suspense and action parts of the book, as St. Vincent takes over running Evie’s father’s gambling establishment and all the chaos that comes with it. And Evie, oh how Evie grows in confidence now that she’s free of her awful family and has the support of St. Vincent and her friends. 

So while this book wasn’t my fave of the series, I really enjoyed it and definitely think Evie and St. Vincent had the biggest character growth of the series.