drops_everything_and_reads's reviews
1181 reviews

Huge thanks to Entangled Publishing and the author for the ARC of Emma Theriault’s historical romance, A Lady Would Know Better. 

While we keep hearing that historical romance is “dead” I know I’m not alone in refusing to accept this! Let me know in the comments if you’re a HissyRoNo fan and your faves!

This romp of a romance pubs January 28, 2025, which means if you’re in Canada, you can buy it during the GST/HST tax break and save some money!!!!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading ALWKB; strong female characters, a family of siblings who are devoted to each other, shenanigans, mystery….

Readers should be aware that grief is very present in the book; all deaths are off page and before the book starts, but they are referenced. Be gentle with your heart if you choose to read this book. 

Emma writes so well - even amidst the themes of grief and loss, there is so much humour. She writes her characters with care, making them fully dimensional (even when the FMC is dealing with amnesia!) and this made me root for the FMC and MMC while also not-so-secretly hoping we get stories for the siblings so we can spend time with each of them. 

If you enjoyed Duchess Material, Ne’er Duke Well, or Hot Earl Summer, I think you’ll enjoy this one.

If so, you gotta check out Clean Point by @megjoneswrites which is the FIRST in a sports romance series about tennis players!

I don't play tennis, but I love to watch and tennis fans know that January means Australian Open and the start of a new season! So what better time to pick up Meg's newest book and dive deep into the tennis world?

I love this enemies-to-lovers romance with both Scottie and Nick seeking a comeback in the professional tennis world, but for very different reasons. Scottie won Wimbledon but after a failed drug test and a ban from playing, has been partying around the world. Nick has been dealing with injuries and is trying to come back for one last win before retiring. And while they are seeking glory in singles tennis, their coach challenges them to take on pairs tennis, too, forcing them to spend A LOT of time together. 

Over time, Scottie and Nick get to know each other, learn to open up and trust each other, their feelings grow and they become each other's biggest supporter. 

There's lots of banter, sexy scenes, emotions, and more. Meg is a brilliant writer and I hope lots of people pick up this book!

I'm so excited for the rest of the books in the series, but if you want to read more by Meg now, check out her debut book, Invisible String, which she self-published.

Have you ever finished a book with beloved characters and wondered "what happens to them after the book ends? what do they do next???"

Well, Vanessa Kelly helps to answer that for beloved Jane Austen characters Emma Woodhouse and George Knightly in the first book in her new historical mystery series that has Emma solving murders in her small village in the English countryside!

This book was a delight to read and it is obvious that the author is a big fan of Jane Austen and intends for the series to be a. tribute to Jane and Emma. The characterization of Emma, George, Mr. Woodhouse, Harriett and other characters is an absolute delight and the seeds have been planted for further character arcs in future books. 

The murder mystery itself was fun to follow and the clues scattered throughout the pages all made sense once the killer is revealed. Emma is perfectly positioned to be an amateur sleuth, what with being a beloved member of the village, the wife of the magistrate, and simply being a determined, feisty, curious person.

A wonderful book and I'll definitely be reading future books in the series, in addition to exploring Vanessa's backlist. 

I do not want to imagine a world without Lyla Sage's Blue Rebel series in it because these book are fantastic. 
The build up to Teddy and Gus's book started in book one and we all knew that it was going to be off the charts entertaining and romantic and spicy and it was all that and more. 

In this book, Lyla was able to take two people who have been 'enemies' for years, and guide them through their journey of finding love with one another in a way that is tender, and soft, and vulnerable, and honest, and steamy. 
It seems so right that Gus and Teddy, the two people who feel like they have to hold it altogether for everyone else, learn that with each other, they can let down their guards, revealing secret truths, finding comfort in each other, and understanding one another like no one else does. 

Add in Gus's adorable kid, Riley, and it just goes to another level. Gus is such a superb father, and Riley really helps to show his super-soft side to Teddy. 

It's also great to catch up with the other characters of Blue Rebel, though that only made me pine even more for Dusty and Cam's story and am so excited to read that one!

I also like that the books are a bit shorter than the average romance, making it a quick read that just hits all the feels in the right way. 

Thanks to Dial Press for the eARC; All opinions are my own. 

This is a fun book from Amber Roberts!

Overall, I enjoyed it, but there were some parts I was unsure about. I wasn't too keen on the FMC, Lex, knowingly leading the MMC, James, on with respect to his job and the presence (or lack thereof) of ghosts. I just really don't like pranks/jokes that impact on someone's employment. 

I did like and appreciate the growth that Lex goes through in the book, of being a misunderstood daughter who desperately needs support and encouragement and just can't find it from her family, to really taking ownership of her life, career, and her place in the community. 

This was a fun, cozy read, that gave me Hallmark movie vibes (which works for me). 

Thanks to Alcove Press for the eARC; all opinions are my own. 

Another great instalment in the Lady Adler Mystery series from Katharine Schellman!
I always get excited when a new book in the series is released as I continue to grow more and more fond of Lady Adler, her family, and Captain Jack Hartley with each book. 

In this instalment, there are two mysteries for Lady Adler to solve; one involves a young woman who needs assistance to access her inheritance, and the other involves the potential growing of poison in a flower window box. 

Of course, things aren't always what they seem to be, and the two mysteries are actually linked. The way Schellman is able to take us on the journey to build the links and to find a satisfying conclusion is part of the fun of reading mystery books, for me. She builds the evidence into the story in such subtle ways that by the time we reach the conclusion, we know it is the only conclusion to come too, but we don't necessarily get there before Lady Adler and her friends do. 

I look forward to the next book in the series and will continue to recommend this book and series to fellow readers of historical mysteries with some romance in it!

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books for an eARC; all opinions are my own. 

If Maggie North writes it, I am 100% going to read it. I absolutely loved Maggie's debut book Rules for Second Chances and was thrilled to receive an early copy of her second book the Ripple Effect

I love the journey that we go on with Stellar and McHuge, two people who have built up defensive walls for a variety of reasons, but then they each pursue life very differently. Stellar is closed off, trusting very few people, and sees relationships as transactional. McHuge trusts very easily, literally giving the shirt off his back to someone if they ask for it, but does very little to put himself first.  The two are at different ends of a spectrum, which creates tension in their relationship, which they have to navigate if they are going to work together, let alone have a romantic relationship with each other. 

The premise of why Stellar and McHuge have been thrown together is a delight, and is largely an extension of Maggie's first book, in which the MCs follow guidance from a relationship book written by McHuge. Ripple is about McHuge taking his skills and knowledge and passion for his relationship psychology work and transferring it to the great outdoors, setting up a business that challenges couples to embark on a camping and white water canoeing adventure that will test them all and help them to grow. Stellar is hired to be the on-site medical doctor and also for her outdoors expertise, and through a series of unfortunate circumstances, Stellar ends up fake proposing to McHuge so they can be fake engaged in order to support the new business venture. 

As with the first book, I found myself relating a lot to the characters, Stellar, McHuge and even some of the side characters. The lessons McHuge took his campers on were concepts I found myself reflecting on in my personal life, and, dare I say, wondering if I should embark on some camping adventures of my own (probably not). 

Maggie's ability to describe the scenery of the locations really pays off, given the characters spend so much time outside. I felt like I was sitting right beside the characters during evening campfire, or paddling a boat down the river with them, heading towards the next set of rapids. Reading Ripple was like an immersive experience of the imagination and emotions. 

I'm so excited for more people to read this book and to read more of what Maggie writes. 

Thanks to Maggie north and SMP for the eARC of the book. All opinions are my own, though I acknowledge an inherent bias as I am friends with the author.