Skip to content

Tag: Young Adult

Review – Most ArdentlyBook Review Featured Image
March 19, 2026
Rachel
Leave a Comment

Review – Most Ardently

Posted in Book Blogger

Most Ardently

by Susan Mesler-Evans

book cover: Most Ardently

Genres: LGBTQ+, Contemporary Romance
Release Date: October 21, 2019
Pages: 372
Get from: Library | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

Elisa Benitez is proud of who she is, from her bitingly sarcastic remarks, to her love of both pretty boys and pretty girls. If someone doesn’t like her, that’s their problem, and Elisa couldn’t care less. Particularly if that person is Darcy Fitzgerald, a snobby, socially awkward heiress with an attitude problem and more money than she knows what to do with.

From the moment they meet, Elisa and Darcy are at each other’s throats — which is a bit unfortunate, since Darcy’s best friend is dating Elisa’s sister. It quickly becomes clear that fate intends to throw the two of them together, whether they like it or not. As hers and Darcy’s lives become more and more entwined, Elisa’s once-dull world quickly spirals into chaos in this story of pride, prejudice, and finding love with the people you least expect.

Keep ReadingReview – Most Ardently
Review – ThawBook Review Featured Image
May 8, 2024
Rachel
Leave a Comment

Review – Thaw

Posted in Book Blogger

Thaw

by Anniina Sjöblom

Book Cover: Thaw

Genres: Historical European Fiction, Historical Fiction Short Stories
Release Date: December 19, 2019
Pages: 138
Purchase from: Amazon

My Rating: ★★★☆☆

View ratings overview

☆☆☆☆☆ – Did not finish
★☆☆☆☆ – Hated it
★★☆☆☆ – Disliked it
★★★☆☆ – Okay
★★★★☆ – Liked it
★★★★★ – Loved it
Read the full explanation of my book rating system.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that one false step can involve a lady in endless ruin. On a rainy November day in 1811, Miss Elizabeth Bennet finds herself wondering why no one ever bothered to tell her about this.

A few blithe steps on a morning walk, taken after a succession of rain, lead to unexpected events that irrevocably change the course of Elizabeth’s life, placing her fate in the hands of the haughty and conceited Mr. Darcy – the last man in the world she had ever thought to marry.

As long winter days slowly pass, she writes letters to her loved ones, trying to come to terms with her new role as a wife and the Mistress of Pemberley. But can she ever learn to love her husband? Will he overcome his arrogant notions of rank and circumstance?

And most importantly – will the shades of Pemberley ever recover from being thus polluted?

This novella is based on the beloved characters of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

Keep ReadingReview – Thaw
Review – No Less Than Any OtherBook Review Featured Image
March 19, 2024
Rachel
Leave a Comment

Review – No Less Than Any Other

Posted in Book Blogger

No Less Than Any Other

by MJ Stratton

Book Cover: No Less Than Any Other

Genres: Historical Regency Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance
Release Date: February 5, 2024
Pages: 235
Purchase from: Amazon

My Rating: ★★★★★

View ratings overview

☆☆☆☆☆ – Did not finish
★☆☆☆☆ – Hated it
★★☆☆☆ – Disliked it
★★★☆☆ – Okay
★★★★☆ – Liked it
★★★★★ – Loved it
Read the full explanation of my book rating system.

Elizabeth Bennet is not the son and heir her mother wished, much to Mrs. Bennet’s despair. But all was not lost, for soon after her second daughter’s birth, Mrs. Bennet delivered a son. Tom Bennet, born just minutes after his sister, was their family’s savior from the moment he took his first breath.

Tom Bennet’s peculiar nature soon sets him apart from others around him. His striking intelligence, key in aiding his family, paired with his many oddities leaves those around him with many differing opinions. None, though, are more dedicated to his well-being than his twin sister Elizabeth.

The closer to reaching their majority the twins get, the more frantic Mrs. Bennet is, for should anything befall Tom, her hopes and security will be dashed. She is determined that her girls must marry wealthy, eligible men as an extra precaution. When Netherfield Park is let at last and is filled with eligible men, Mrs. Bennet sees her chance to ensnare at least one wealthy man for her daughters. But will the rumors of heartless neighbors prevent the new tenants from forming any serious designs on any of the Bennet daughters?

No Less Than Any Other is a sweet and clean Pride and Prejudice variation.

Keep ReadingReview – No Less Than Any Other
Review – Mr. Darcy of LongbournBook Review Featured Image
January 24, 2023
Rachel
Leave a Comment

Review – Mr. Darcy of Longbourn

Posted in Book Blogger

Mr. Darcy of Longbourn

by April Floyd

Genres: Historical British Fiction, Historical Regency Fiction, Regency Historical Romance
Release Date: March 15, 2019
Pages: 262
Purchase from: Amazon

My Rating: ★★★☆☆

View ratings overview

☆☆☆☆☆ – Did not finish
★☆☆☆☆ – Hated it
★★☆☆☆ – Disliked it
★★★☆☆ – Okay
★★★★☆ – Liked it
★★★★★ – Loved it
Read the full explanation of my book rating system.

What if Darcy and Elizabeth switched places? She would be the wealthy young lady of Pemberley and he the master of Longbourn. Elizabeth’s mother, Lady Fanny Bennet, wishes for all her daughters to marry titled gentlemen. Mr. Bennet agrees to a point, but he also thinks love should play a part in any match. In Hertfordshire, Elizabeth visits Mr. and Miss Bingley at Netherfield Park and meets Mr. Darcy at the Assembly. Get ready for some of your favorite characters to be flipped and flustered by this twist on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice! Lady Catherine is no longer a lady and the Fitzwilliams are in trade. Can gentleman farmer Darcy win the love of the spoilt and willful Elizabeth Bennet? A rose by any other name…

Keep ReadingReview – Mr. Darcy of Longbourn
Review – Heart of the ImpalerInstagram 12-7-21
December 7, 2021
Rachel
One Comment

Review – Heart of the Impaler

Posted in Book Blogger

Heart of the Impaler

by Alexander Delacroix

Heart of the Impaler

Genres: Historical, Young Adult
Release Date: December 7, 2021
Pages: 347
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | Kobo | iBooks

My Rating: ★★★☆☆

View ratings overview

☆☆☆☆☆ – Did not finish
★☆☆☆☆ – Hated it
★★☆☆☆ – Disliked it
★★★☆☆ – Okay
★★★★☆ – Liked it
★★★★★ – Loved it
Read the full explanation of my book rating system.

Alexander Delacroix’s darkly romantic debut Heart of the Impaler is perfect for fans of Kiersten White’s And I Darken.

Vlad Dracula has long lived in the shadows cast by his bloodthirsty father, the voivode, and his older brother, Mircea. Despite their cruelty, Vlad has yearned to prove himself worthy of the throne his whole life. In the cold halls of the voivode’s palace, Vlad can only rely on his cousin and closest friend, Andrei Musat.

When Vlad and Andrei meet Ilona Csáki, the daughter of an influential boyar, they each find themselves inextricably drawn to her. But then Ilona is betrothed to Mircea as part of a political alliance, and Vlad’s resentfulness of his brother begins to seethe into something far darker.

Ilona has no desire to marry the voivode’s eldest son, but love and marriage are the least of her worries. The royal family’s enemies have already tried to put an arrow through her back—and if anyone discovers her blossoming feelings for Andrei and Vlad, she may just wish they’d succeeded.

Beneath the shadow of impending war, the only battle that will be deadlier than the one for Ilona’s life will be the one for her heart.

Keep ReadingReview – Heart of the Impaler
Review – Fatal ThroneInstagram 7-27-21
July 27, 2021
Rachel
Leave a Comment

Review – Fatal Throne

Posted in Book Blogger

Fatal Throne

by Candace Fleming, M.T. Anderson, Stephanie Hemphill, Lisa Ann Sandell, Jennifer Donnelly, Linda Sue Park, and Deborah Hopkinson

Fatal Throne

Genres: Historical Fiction, Biographical Fiction, Tudor, Young Adult
Release Date: May 1, 2018
Pages: 388
Purchase from: Amazon

My Rating: ★★★★☆

View ratings overview

☆☆☆☆☆ – Did not finish
★☆☆☆☆ – Hated it
★★☆☆☆ – Disliked it
★★★☆☆ – Okay
★★★★☆ – Liked it
★★★★★ – Loved it
Read the full explanation of my book rating system.

If you were one of King Henry VIII’s six wives, who would you be? Would you be Anne Boleyn, who literally lost her head? Would you be the subject of rumor and scandal like Catherine Howard? Or would you get away and survive like Anna of Cleves?

Meet them and Henry’s other queens–each bound for divorce or death–in this epic and thrilling novel that reads like fantasy but really happened. Watch spellbound as each of these women attempts to survive their unpredictable king as he grows more and more obsessed with producing a male heir. And discover how the power-hungry court fanned the flames of Henry’s passions . . . and his most horrible impulses.

Whether you’re a huge fan of all things Tudor or new to this jaw-dropping saga, you won’t be able to get the unique voices of Henry and his wives–all brought to life by seven award-winning and bestselling authors–out of your head.

This is an intimate look at the royals during one of the most treacherous times in history. Who will you root for and who will you love to hate?

Keep ReadingReview – Fatal Throne
Review – Mrs. Perivale and the Blue Fire CrystalInstagram 5-18-21
May 18, 2021
Rachel
Leave a Comment

Review – Mrs. Perivale and the Blue Fire Crystal

Posted in Book Blogger

Mrs. Perivale and the Blue Fire Crystal

by Dash Hoffman

Mrs. Perivale and the Blue Fire Crystal

Series: Mrs. Perivale
Genres: Fantasy
Release Date: March 1, 2017
Pages: 335
Purchase from: Amazon

My Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

View ratings overview

☆☆☆☆☆ – Did not finish
★☆☆☆☆ – Hated it
★★☆☆☆ – Disliked it
★★★☆☆ – Okay
★★★★☆ – Liked it
★★★★★ – Loved it
Read the full explanation of my book rating system.

“People your age belong at home.” 73 year old Mrs. Perivale is told when she tries to volunteer. With her son grown and gone, and her community turning their backs on her, the gravity of no longer being needed sinks her spirits deeply. She wonders if she has outlived her usefulness until a mystical little creature sneaks into Alice Perivale’s home and begs her to come with him; there is a prophecy about her, and she must help save his world!

Finding herself in a magical place she had no idea existed, committed to a dangerous mission far more vital than helping out in her neighborhood, Alice dusts off her courage and bravery, rediscovering the feisty, sassy, powerhouse woman she is deep inside. She is determined to find the stolen Blue Fire Crystal before the imbalance between elements destroys all of the magical land of Corevé. Together with her extraordinary family of six cats and her skeptical-yet-devoted butler Henderson, she takes on the tremendous challenge.

With time running out and the world falling to pieces, Alice’s precious companions are pulled away from her, and she is faced with impossible choices. Does she choose what she wants most of all, does she rescue her family, or does she save the world that will not survive without her?

Keep ReadingReview – Mrs. Perivale and the Blue Fire Crystal
October 8, 2019
Rachel
3 Comments

Review – Dorothy in the Land of Monsters

Posted in Book Blogger

Dorothy in the Land of Monsters

by Garten Gevedon

Dorothy in the Land of MonstersSeries: Oz ReVamped, Book 1
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult
Release Date: October 11, 2019
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks
My Rating: ★★★★☆

Shifters, Zombies, and Vampires? Oh my!

My name is Dorothy Gale, and I think I might be dead.

When my dog Toto and I got swept up in a twister, we landed in hell. A very colorful hell. Like a rainbow dripping in blood. Now it looks as though this dreadful underworld plagued with vampires, zombies, and shifters will be the site of my eternal damnation.

They say this terrifying land called Oz isn’t hell or purgatory and escape is possible, but first I must survive the journey down the blood-soaked yellow brick road to the only place in Oz where vampires dare not tread—The City of Emeralds.

With enchanted footwear and the help of my three new friends—a friendly zombie, a massive shifter lion, and a heartless axe murderer of evil night creatures (who also happens to be the hottest guy I’ve ever seen)—Toto and I have a chance to make it to the Vampire Free Zone. When we get there, I must convince the most powerful wizard in this magical land of monsters to send us out of this radiant nightmare and back to the world of the living. They say he’s just as frightening as this monstrous land, that he detests visitors, and even the most horrifying creatures cower in his presence. But I must seek him out. And when I find him, I’ll do whatever it takes to make him send me home.

Keep ReadingReview – Dorothy in the Land of Monsters
April 16, 2019
Rachel
Leave a Comment

FanFiction Review – Results of a Proper Introduction

Posted in Book Blogger

Results of a Proper Introduction

by dunuelos

Genre: Harry Potter
Word Count: 73,285
My Rating: ★★★

A spin-off of my Lone Traveler stories (Lone Traveler originally from The Professional). Harry gets a proper introduction with some insights from an alternate self who has lived it. What does he do with this information? How would his attitudes change?

Keep ReadingFanFiction Review – Results of a Proper Introduction
April 11, 2019
Rachel
Leave a Comment

FanFiction Review – Building a Better Burrow

Posted in Book Blogger

Building a Better Burrow

by dunuelos

Genre: Harry Potter
Word Count: 35,149
My Rating: ★★★+

The Better Burrow arc from my Lone Traveler compendium: The Lone Traveler encounters the Burrow before it was expanded. Maybe it can be made into a safer and more comfortable home for this version of the Weasleys. It’s amazing how much a building can change history.

Keep ReadingFanFiction Review – Building a Better Burrow
January 3, 2019
Rachel
Leave a Comment

Review – My Lady Jane

Posted in Book Blogger

My Lady Jane

by Cynthia Hand Jodi Meadows, and Brodi Ashton

My Lady JaneSeries: The Lady Janies, Book 1
Genres: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Retelling
Release Date: June 7, 2016
Pages: 512
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
My Rating: ★★★★☆

Edward (long live the king) is the King of England. He’s also dying, which is inconvenient, as he’s only sixteen and he’d much rather be planning for his first kiss than considering who will inherit his crown…

Jane (reads too many books) is Edward’s cousin, and far more interested in books than romance. Unfortunately for Jane, Edward has arranged to marry her off to secure the line of succession. And there’s something a little odd about her intended…

Gifford (call him G) is a horse. That is, he’s an Eðian (eth-y-un, for the uninitiated). Every day at dawn he becomes a noble chestnut steed—but then he wakes at dusk with a mouthful of hay. It’s all very undignified.

The plot thickens as Edward, Jane, and G are drawn into a dangerous conspiracy. With the fate of the kingdom at stake, our heroes will have to engage in some conspiring of their own. But can they pull off their plan before it’s off with their heads?

Keep ReadingReview – My Lady Jane
December 28, 2018
Rachel
Leave a Comment

Review – My Plain Jane

Posted in Book Blogger

My Plain Jane

by Cynthia Hand Jodi Meadows, and Brodi Ashton

My Plain JaneSeries: The Lady Janies, Book 2
Genres: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Retelling, Classic Rewrites
Release Date: June 26, 2018
Pages: 464
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
My Rating: ★★★★★

You may think you know the story. Penniless orphan Jane Eyre begins a new life as a governess at Thornfield Hall, where she meets one dark, brooding Mr. Rochester—and, Reader, she marries him. Or does she?

Prepare for an adventure of Gothic proportions, in which all is not as it seems, a certain gentleman is hiding more than skeletons in his closets, and one orphan Jane Eyre, aspiring author Charlotte Bronte, and supernatural investigator Alexander Blackwood are about to be drawn together on the most epic ghost hunt this side of Wuthering Heights.

Keep ReadingReview – My Plain Jane
December 18, 2018
Rachel
Leave a Comment

Review – Hunting Prince Dracula

Posted in Book Blogger

Hunting Prince Dracula

by Kerri Maniscalco

Hunting Prince DraculaSeries: Stalking Jack the Ripper, Book 2
Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Horror, Romance
Release Date: September 19, 2017
Pages: 480
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
My Rating: ★★★★☆

Following the grief and horror of her discovery of Jack the Ripper’s true identity, Audrey Rose Wadsworth has no choice but to flee London and its memories. Together with the arrogant yet charming Thomas Cresswell, she journeys to the dark heart of Romania, home to one of Europe’s best schools of forensic medicine…and to another notorious killer, Vlad the Impaler, whose thirst for blood became legend.
But her life’s dream is soon tainted by blood-soaked discoveries in the halls of the school’s forbidding castle, and Audrey Rose is compelled to investigate the strangely familiar murders. What she finds brings all her terrifying fears to life once again.
Keep ReadingReview – Hunting Prince Dracula
December 11, 2018
Rachel
Leave a Comment

Review – Stalking Jack the Ripper

Posted in Book Blogger

Stalking Jack the Ripper

by Kerri Maniscalco

Stalking Jack the RipperSeries: Stalking Jack the Ripper, Book 1
Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Horror, Romance
Release Date: September 20, 2016
Pages: 352
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
My Rating: ★★★★☆

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord’s daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father’s wishes and society’s expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle’s laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

Keep ReadingReview – Stalking Jack the Ripper
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that I can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognizing you when you return to this website and helping me to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

You can adjust all of your cookie settings by navigating the tabs on the left hand side.

This information is provided in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).