Tag Archives: romance

May Monthly Wrap-Up

I have had an excellent reading month this month. A few of the books I read were children’s books, but sometimes it is nice to have a bit of variety on the Blog! I also did quite well for 5 star reads. I had a quiet start to the year with very few 5 star reads, but it seems to be picking up a bit now. We shall see how long it lasts!

What I have been reading this month:

May 2023 Reading List

My Favourite Book of May 2023

My Book Reviews:

Book Review -The Coronation of King Charles III by Vlasta Sopociova

Book Review -The Tiger Child by Joanna Troughton

Library Book Review – Royals by Rachel Hawkins

Library Book Review -The Boy Who Would Be King by Michael Porpurgo

Random Things Tours – Book Review – Sylvia by Maithryi Karnoor

Random Things Tours – Book Review – The Medici Murders by David Hewson

Library Book Review – Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins

Library Book Review – The Adventures of Paddington – The Crown Jewels Caper

Library Book Review – A Year of Nature Poems by Joseph Coelho withKelly Louise Judd (Illustrations)

Book Review – Queen Charlotte by Julia Quinn and Shonda Rhimes

My Sunday Wrap Up Posts:

Sunday Post – 7 May 2023

Sunday Post – 14 May 2023

Sunday Post – 21 May 2023

Sunday Post – 28 May 2023

I hope that you have enjoyed my reviews and other posts. Here’s to next month!

#bookstagram #bibliophile #igreads #currentlyreading #bookreview #instaread #lovetoread #booksarelife #readingisfundamental #whatimreading #bookreviewer #bookaddicts #bookpost #tbrpile #justread #bookishphotography #whattoreadnext #readallday #bookworms #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #bookpic #newreads #booknerd #readinggoals #wrapup #springreading #mayreading #popularbooks #romance #royal #coronation

“book”, “read”, “book review”, “book blog”,”recommended”, “easy read”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”, “entertaining”, “reading goals”, “romance”, “what book should I read next”, “what books would you recommend”, “wrap up”,”may reading”, “popular books”, “romance”, “royal”, “coronation”

Time Travel Thursday

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It’s Time Travel Thursday! This is where I take a look back at what I was reading this time last year (or the year before or the year before that…).

This day in 2022 I was reading:

Random Things Tours – Book Review – War Babies by Rachel Billingham

Book Review – Distant Stars by Kassandra Garrison

Library Book Review – Secrets of the Mummy Concierge by Tiffany Norris

Book Review – Book Lovers by Emily Henry

A real mix of books here; Romance, Historical Fiction and Non-Fiction. I have a feeling that both the library book (Secrets of the Mummy Concierge) and the author’s request book (Distant Stars), came up quite close to each other so I ended up with lots of books on the go!

What were you reading this time last year?

#bibliophile #igreads #currentlyreading #bookreview #instaread #lovetoread #booksarelife #readingisfundamental #whatimreading #bookreviewer #bookaddicts #bookpost #tbrpile #justread #bookishphotography #whattoreadnext #readallday #bookworms #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #bookpic #newreads #booknerd #timetravelthursday #pastreads #summerreading

“book”, “read”, “book blog”, “recommended”, “easy read”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”, “past reads”,”entertaining”, “what should I read next”

Book of the Month – My Favourite Book Of May 2023

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Library Book Review – Royals by Rachel Hawkins

Book Description From Goodreads:

“Meet Daisy Winters. She’s an offbeat sixteen-year-old Floridian with mermaid-red hair; a part time job at a bootleg Walmart, and a perfect older sister who’s nearly engaged to the Crown Prince of Scotland. Daisy has no desire to live in the spotlight, but relentless tabloid attention forces her to join Ellie at the relative seclusion of the castle across the pond.

While the dashing young Miles has been appointed to teach Daisy the ropes of being regal, the prince’s roguish younger brother kicks up scandal wherever he goes, and tries his best to take Daisy along for the ride. The crown–and the intriguing Miles–might be trying to make Daisy into a lady . . . but Daisy may just rewrite the royal rulebook to suit herself.”

It was a very close one this month, with a number of 5 star reads. I struggled to choose just one from my 5 star list, but in the end went for this.

What has been your favourite book this month?

#bookstagram #bookish #instabooks #ilovebooks #readinglist #bookblog #readmore #reads #currentread #booknerdigan #readingaddict #avidreader #newread #readallthebooks #booksta #booksandbooks #readaholic #booksparks #booksarelife #bibliophile #bookwormlife #reader #beautifulbooks #bookphotograph #bibliophile #bookofthemonth #romance #royal

“book”, “read”, “book review”, “book blog”, “new”, “recommended”, “easy read”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”, “what book will get me out of a reading slump”, “entertaining”, “what should I read next”, “book of the month”,”what should I have read this month”, “romance”

What I have been reading this month – May 2023 Reading List

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The Coronation of King Charles III by Vlasta Sopociova ⭐Rated 3/5⭐ CHILDREN’S NON FICTION

The Tiger Child by Joanna Troughton ⭐Rated 5/5⭐ CHILDREN’S FOLK TALES

The Medici Murders by David Hewson ⭐Rated 4.5/5⭐ CRIME/MYSTERY

The Boy Who Would Be King by Michael Porpurgo ⭐Rated 5/5⭐ CHILDREN’S FICTION

Royals by Rachel Hawkins ⭐Rated 5/5⭐ ROMANCE

Summer Wedding by Sarah Morgan ⭐ Rated 5/5⭐ ROMANCE

Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins ⭐ Rated 5/5⭐ ROMANCE

The Adventures of Paddington The Crown Jewels Caper ⭐Rated 5/5⭐ CHILDREN’S FICTION

Summer At The Ice Cream Cafe by Jo Thomas ⭐ Rated 5/5⭐ ROMANCE

Review due 8 June

Queen Charlotte by Julia Quinn and Shonda Rhimes⭐ Rated 3.5/5⭐ ROMANCE

Genre Goal Checklist:

Royal = 6 books read

Finally some 5 star reads! I have had a good month for reading and been lucky that those books were good enough to be considered 5 star reads!

“book”, “read”, “book review”, “book blog”,”recommended”, “easy read”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”, “entertaining”, “reading goals”, “what should I read next”, “what did you read”, what would you recommend that I read”, “what would get me out of a reading slump”, “children’s books”, “romance”, “mystery”, “may reading”

Time Travel Thursday on Friday!

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It’s Time Travel Thursday! This is where I take a look back at what I was reading this time last year (or the year before or the year before that…).

This day in 2022 I was reading:

Random Things Tours – Book Review – A Most Private Bank by Andreas Clenow

Book Description From Goodreads:

“A decade after Jim Dixon’s fall from grace, after the events that burnt his career on Wall Street, his past is catching up to him. Zurich had been the perfect place for a fresh start, a place where he could be a big fish in a small pond. The secretive world of Swiss high finance, a world of deception, greed, and excess, where everyone lies for one or another reason, provided the perfect cover. Until she showed up.

Meeting the socialite daughter of his former client was just a courtesy, nothing more. Another spoiled princess looking for VIP tickets to the opera, or a private shopping session at Louis Vuitton. So he thought. But Christina Rosenbaum was not the typical second generation heiress. This was the meeting that would set it all in motion.

Caught between unscrupulous bankers, hedge fund managers, organized crime, state actors, and law enforcement, Jim is left with no choice. One way or another, it will be over before the end of the week. This week would see careers destroyed, lives lost, and fortunes made.”

Random Things Tours – Book Review – Lucie Yi Is Not A Romantic by Lauren Ho

Book Description From Goodreads:

“An ambitious career woman signs up for a co-parenting website only to find a match she never expected, in this unflinchingly funny and honest novel from the author of Last Tang Standing.

Management consultant Lucie Yi is done waiting for Mr. Right. After a harrowing breakup foiled her plans for children—and drove her to a meltdown in a Tribeca baby store—she’s ready to take matters into her own hands. She signs up for an elective co-parenting website to find a suitable partner with whom to procreate—as platonic as family planning can be.

Collin Read checks all of Lucie’s boxes; he shares a similar cultural background, he’s honest, and most important, he’s ready to become a father. When they match, it doesn’t take long for Lucie to take a leap of faith for her future. So what if her conservative family might not approve? When Lucie becomes pregnant, the pair return to Singapore and, sure enough, her parents refuse to look on the bright side. Even more complicated, Lucie’s ex-fiancé reappears, sparking unresolved feelings and compounding work pressures and the baffling ways her body is changing. Suddenly her straightforward arrangement is falling apart before her very eyes, and Lucie will have to decide how to juggle the demands of the people she loves while pursuing the life she really wants.”

Quite different books, one a Crime/Thriller/Mystery and the other a Rom Com. I do like to mix up my reading!

What were you reading this time last year?

“book”, “read”, “book blog”, “recommended”, “easy read”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”, “past reads”,”entertaining”, “what should I read next”

WWW Wednesday – Currently Reading, Finished Reading, Reading Next

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It’s W W W Wednesday! Hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words, here are my 3 Ws (Currently Reading, Just Finished Reading and Future Reading):

What I Am Currently Reading:

Queen Charlotte by Julia Quinn and Shonda Rhimes (click for link to Goodreads)

I have read a bit more of this book, but prioritised a Blog Tour book over it, so I am not as far through as I could be!

What I Have Finished Reading:

Summer at the Ice Cream Cafe by Jo Thomas (click for link to Goodreads)

Keep your eyes peeled for my review on 8 June!

What I Am Reading Next:

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (click for link to Goodreads)

I keep meaning to start this book, but other ones get in the way! I have a couple of Blog Tours coming up and I am waiting for those books to come through, so if they do arrive then this book might be put back again…

What are your 3 Ws for this week?

#bookstagram #bibliophile #igreads #currentlyreading #finishedreading #bookreview #instaread #lovetoread #booksarelife #readingisfundamental #whatimreading #bookreviewer #bookaddicts #bookpost #tbrpile #justread #bookishphotography #whattoreadnext #readallday #bookworms #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #bookpic #newreads #booknerd #library #popularbooks #newbooks #wwwwednesday #springreading

“book”, “read”, “book review”, “book blog”, “new”, “recommended”, “easy read”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”, “reading slump” “entertaining”, “what should I read next”, “what books do you recommend”, “popular books”

Library Book Review – Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins

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Library Book

Genre: Romance

Number of Pages: 274

📖PLOT SUMMARY FROM GOODREADS📖

Millie Quint is devastated when she discovers that her sort-of-best friend/sort-of-girlfriend has been kissing someone else. And because Millie cannot stand the thought of confronting her ex every day, she decides to apply for scholarships to boarding schools . . . the farther from Houston the better.

Millie can’t believe her luck when she’s accepted into one of the world’s most exclusive schools, located in the rolling highlands of Scotland. Everything about Scotland is different: the country is misty and green; the school is gorgeous, and the students think Americans are cute.

The only problem: Mille’s roommate Flora is a total princess.

She’s also an actual princess. Of Scotland.

At first, the girls can barely stand each other–Flora is both high-class and high-key–but before Millie knows it, she has another sort-of-best-friend/sort-of-girlfriend. Even though Princess Flora could be a new chapter in her love life, Millie knows the chances of happily ever afters are slim . . . after all, real life isn’t a fairy tale . . . or is it?

💭THOUGHTS💭

Carrying on with my Royal reading theme, I saw that Royals by Rachel Hawkins had a sequel. As I really enjoyed Royals earlier this month, I decided to borrow this second book from the library to see if it was just as good. I can confirm that it was!

The writing was light and kept my interest. The format was similar to the first book with magazine articles sprinkled throughout which added extra interest.

The chapters were of an average length with some longer ones dotted around. Overall the book had a good flow and I wanted to keep on reading.

The characters were good. There were some characters from the first book mentioned, but if you hadn’t read the first book it didn’t spoil this one. Personally I think that it is better if you do read Royals, just so that you get an idea of what it is to be like in the family, but as I said I don’t think that it is essential.

In this book I enjoyed reading about the journey of the main characters’ relationship and how Princess Flora seemed to grow.

Lastly the settings. I loved being in Scotland. Whilst the settings weren’t always the main focus, when they were, they were well written about and made me want to go and visit!

Overall an enjoyable read.

⭐Rated 5/5⭐

#bookstagram #instabook #bookphotography #igbooks #ilovereading #bookhaul #bookhoarder #bookaddiction #bookstoread #whattoread #fortheloveofbooks #bookblogging #bookpics #weekendreads #bookrecs #booknerdproblems #bookpictures #bookstagram #amreading #booksbooksbooks #instablog #booknerds #bookphotos #bibliophile #romance #library #bookreview #royal #coronation

“book”, “read”, “book blog”, “easy read”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”, “spring reading”, “library book”, “book review”, “coronation”, “romance”, “royal”

Top Ten Tuesday -Books I Recommend to Others the Most

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Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday! Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, this week I am doing the previous week’s theme Books I Recommend to Others the Most. 9 May was my birthday so I missed out on doing this post!

Here are books that I have already recommended and books that I would recommend:

Books I have recommended:

Book Review – The House in the Cerulean Sea by T J Klune

FANTASY

Book Review – The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

COSY MYSTERY

Book Review – Dial A For Aunties by Jesse Sutanto

CONTEMPORARY HUMOUR

Inferno by Dan Brown (click for link to Goodreads)

MYSTERY/THRILLER

Library Book Review – The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict

CHRISTMAS/THRILLER

Library Book Review – You Had Me At Halloumi by Ginger Jones

CHICK LIT/ROMANCE

Book Review – A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas

FANTASY/ROMANCE

Books that I would recommend:

Library Book Review – Royals by Rachel Hawkins

ROMANCE

Book Review – The 13th Assassin by Frank Malley

SPY THRILLER

Book Review – The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

ROMANCE

What books do you recommend to people?

“book”, “read”, “book review”, “book blog”, “recommended”, “easy read”, “library”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”, “cosy books”, “romance”, “reading slump”, “entertaining”, “what should I read next”, “what books do you recommend”, “book recommendations”, “mystery”, “thriller”, “fantasy”

Happy Mother’s Day!

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Happy Mother’s Day!

As I am in the UK I had my Mother’s Day in March, but Happy Mother’s Day to those of you celebrating today!

I have decided to highlight my latest read, a Netgalley book, Summer Wedding by Sarah Morgan. I have chosen this book because it centres around a Mother and the outcomes of the decisions that she has had to make in her life. My review is due on 25 May so keep your eyes peeled for that!

Summer Wedding by Sarah Morgan (click for link to Goodreads)

Book Description From Goodreads:

“A family wedding
Catherine Swift is a bestselling romance author, but her personal story hasn’t been quite so successful; three failed marriages have left her relationship with her daughters strained. Engaged once again, Catherine is counting on this wedding, at her villa in Corfu, to finally bring the family together.

A summer of secrets
Adeline can’t believe her mother is getting married for a fourth time, or that she’s expected to attend. It brings back the pain of her mother’s infidelity and the baby who was the result. Not that she blames her half-sister Cassie, but then she’s never tried to know her, either. Cassie, on the other hand, is thrilled by her mother’s news – she’s always admired Catherine’s resilience, and is excited to meet the mystery groom. Cassie also has a secret of her own, and a summer in Corfu will give her the time she needs to process everything.

A chance to start over again
As the guests arrive on the island, and the big day approaches, Catherine begins to reveal secrets from her past, and suddenly both Cassie and Adeline realise that they don’t know their mother at all…”

Have a great day!

“book”, “read”, “book review”, “book blog”,”recommended”, “easy read”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”, “entertaining”, “what should I read next”, “mother’s day”

Eurovision Final – Books that are set in the Countries that are in the Final!

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In honour of the Eurovision final, I thought that it would be nice to highlight books that are set in some of the finalist’s countries. I haven’t read books from every single Country so I will highlight the ten that I have!

PORTUGAL

Random Things Tours – Book Review – It Only Takes A Minute by Sasha Lane

FRANCE

Library Book Review – The Little Paris Patisserie by Julie Caplin

CYPRUS

Library Book Review – You Had Me At Halloumi by Ginger Jones

SPAIN

Random Things Tours – Book Review – Retreat to the Spanish Sun by Jo Thomas

ITALY

Random Things Tours – Book Review – Murder Under The Tuscan Sun by Rachel Rhys

FINLAND

Random Things Blog Tour – Book Review – The Rabbit Factor by Antti Tuomainen

AUSTRALIA

Random Things Tours – Book Review – The Bay by Allie Reynolds

NORWAY (for a small part of the book)

Book Review – The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

GERMANY (for part of the book)

Random Things Tours – Book Review – Double or Nothing by Kim Sherwood

Book Review – Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

#eurovision2023 #books #reading #bibliophile #library #romance #thriller #gothicfiction #travel #bookblog #bookreview #bookrecommendations

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