enemies to lovers – Book Dust Magic

I couldn’t ask for a better historical romance to end the year with: A Wicked Game by Kate Bateman (Book Review) @STMRomance #BookLovers #HistoricalRomance

A Wicked Game by Kate Bateman book cover US edition

GIFTED / Today I am happy to bring you my review for a book that I have finished recently: A Wicked Game by Kate Bateman. It is a third book in The Ruthless Rivals series but it can be read as standalone. Still, as I enjoyed the book I highly suggest to read all the previous books in the series (which I still have to do myself).

This novel was published on December 27th by St. Martin’s Press and it has 304 pages. I want to say thanks to Sara La Cotti for giving me an early access to read and review this novel.

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

If there’s one thing impossible for a Davies to resist, it’s a challenge from a Montgomery. . .

A teasing bet.

Shipwrecked and imprisoned thanks to an incorrect map, Captain Morgan Davies has returned to London to exact sweet revenge on the cartographer responsible for his suffering. He’s also vowed to claim the winner’s prize―three kisses―in the bet he made with his long-time nemesis, the prickly, smart-mouthed Harriet Montgomery. His incarceration has clarified his feelings for her, but convincing the infuriating woman he wants to marry her is going to be his greatest challenge yet. When Harriet’s revealed to be the very mapmaker he seeks, Morgan decides to combine revenge and seduction into one delightful package. . .

A dangerous enemy.

Harriet’s always wanted witty scoundrel Morgan, and now he’s back; as handsome and as taunting as ever. She has enough on her plate dealing with her father’s failing eyesight and a rival mapmaker copying her work to play wicked games with a dastardly Davies―however tempting he might be. But when a threat from Morgan’s past puts them both in danger, Harry discovers that she and Morgan might not be enemies at all . . .

Review:

I feel blessed to had a chance to read A Wicked Game prior it’s release. I loved it so much!

As you might know, this year I rediscovered my love for historical romance and I am going through all the popular authors I haven’t had a chance to read before, Kate Bateman being one of them.

I guess after finishing A Wicked Game I can see where all the hype comes from.
She is just a mastermind when it comes to creating/showing chemistry between main characters.

I could feel it on every single page that included Harry and Morgan together.
This is (fr)enemies to lovers story, but it was obvious from the very first page that the characters have feelings for each other.
One would said, the sexual tension could be cut with a knife.

Also, it helps that the story itself was pretty entertaining and fun.
I like how the author gave us all the informations about cartography and paper places (that I knew something about already from Paper Towns by John Green).
I was never brilliant when it comes to history, but Bateman made sure to pull me right to the historical period our characters live in by throwing some real happenings that took place in that time.
I also appreciate the action that happened closer to the end.

The story is written in third person and it is so easy to read.

This is third book in the series but it can be read as standalone. However, characters from the first two novels make appearance as side characters in this one.

I will definitely read more books by Kate Bateman in the future.

This book make me crave for more historical romance: Never Rescue a Rogue by Virginia Heath @STMRomance #BookLovers #HistoricalRomance

Never Rescue a Rouge by Virginia Heath book cover US edition

GIFTED / Today I am happy to bring you my review for a book that awoke my love for historical romances. I always loved to read that genre but for some time I didn’t pick it up for a while, but this book reminded me why I love it. I really needed this in my life and now, thanks to Never Rescue a Rouge I can’t wait to read more. I crave for it.

Never Rescue a Rogue is a second book in The Merriwell Sisters series and it has 368 pages. It will be published on November 8th 2022 by St. Martin’s Griffin. I want to thank their publicist Sara for inviting me to read and review this book via Netgalley.

About the book:

Diana Merriwell and Giles Sinclair only tolerate one another for the sake of their nearest and dearest. Everyone believes that the two of them are meant to be together, but Diana and Giles know that their constant pithy barbs come from a shared disdain—not a hidden attraction. Diana loves the freedom of working at the newspaper too much to give it up for marriage, and Giles is happily married to his bachelor lifestyle. But they do have one thing in common—the secrets they can’t risk escaping.

When Giles’ father, the curmudgeonly Duke of Harpenden unexpectedly turns up his toes, it’s only a matter of time before someone comes crawling out of the woodwork who knows the true circumstances of his only son’s birth. As the threat of blackmail becomes real, Giles must uncover the truth of his parentage first, or else he and all those who depend upon him will be ruined—and dogged bloodhound Diana is his best hope at sniffing out the truth. As Giles and Diana dive into his family’s past, the attraction that the two of them insisted wasn’t there proves impossible to ignore. Soon, the future of the Sinclair estate isn’t the only thing on the line…

Review:

I wasn’t even aware how much I craved historical romance until I started reading this one. Never Rescue a Rogue reminded me how passionate and fun historical romances can be. For that, I am glad because now I crave even more.

This book was pure fun. It isn’t a comedy, don’t get me wrong. Still, Virginia Heath has the way of writing her words that everything, her descriptions, inner monologues and characters’ conversations are so entertaining.
I guess it isn’t a surprise that I flew through this book so fast.

I haven’t read the first book in the series (I would want to) but I didn’t feel like I was missing out. Never Rescue a Rogue can be read as a standalone.
However, all the characters Heath created were great to read about, so it would be a shame not to read their own books. Therefore, I will continue with the series.

My favourite character was Dalton who is the butler. It seems like every scene that had him in it made a book little bit better, brighter.
I also liked Vee who is Diana‘s (main character) younger sister. At times I hope the two of them would get together but I guess we won’t be seeing that movie since Vee is getting her own happily ever after in the next book, and Dalton isn’t the love interest.

As for our main characters in this book, Diana was the character one can look up to.
She loves her independence, her job and she is like a force that is not afraid of anything.
I have to admit I wasn’t head over hills for Giles at first, but I did enjoy seeing the chemistry between them and it was so obvious how Diana’s company does him good.

This is an example how enemies-to-lovers trope can be done, without unnecessarily drama, hate or going too far.
It was all tastsfully done.

4 stars from me and one big recommendation to you guys!

Simply amazing: Book Lovers by Emily Henry @PRHGlobal #partner #BookLovers #romance

Book Lovers by Emily Henry book cover US edition

GIFTED / It is my pleasure to talk about one book I adored and would LOVE to see made into a movie: Book Lovers by Emily Henry. This novel was so good and although it is filled with cliches it is also somewhat different from your typical romance. It seems like this book is loved not only by romance readers, but readers who like different genres as well. I guess we can say Emily Henry really succeeded to make a masterpiece with this one!

Book Lovers was released on May 3rd 2022 and it has 384 pages. I want to say thank you to Penguin Random House Global for sending me an e-galley of this novel (in an exchange for an honest review).

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

Nora Stephens’ life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.

Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small-town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.

If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.

Review:

If Emily Henry wasn’t on my favourite-authors-list yet, Book Lovers placed her there on the top.
I loved this book so much and I think this is her best work yet.
Her previous novels, Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation I adored, but this one raised the bar and now I now my expectations for Henry’s future books will be so high that I kind of feel little sorry for her.

The story follows Nora who says herself that she is the bitch guys leave to have their happily ever after with a small town girl.
Nora is a shark when it comes to business, loves her career and life in the city, but when her younger sister asks her to visit a small town called Sunshine Falls together, she couldn’t say no, although she knows small town romance isn’t a book of her life.

I loved Nora as a narrator.
The novel is written in first person and following Nora’s perspective was everything.
All the Hallmark references and making fun of cliches was amazing. I laughed so many times while reading.

Charlie, who is love interest in the story, was such a good person. I do think he was believable but I also think guys like him are very rare in this world.
If I was still into having book boyfriends I would probably have announced him as mine.

The best part of the story (and if my memory serves me well it is the case in all of the books written by Henry that I have read so far) are conversations between the characters.
They were realistic, entertaining and what made the story shine.

I also want to say that I appreciate that the conflict between the characters was realistic and how it was uncertain how characters would get through it.
I also want to note that I am happy about Nora not going through that cliche character development one would expect from a small town romance, but how the author decided to hug her career orientated persona and gave her a different way to find happiness.

This was a buddy red with my friend Amanda. Reading Book Lovers we had so much fun together.
As I loved this story so much, I am sure I will reread it again at some point. Honestly, I can’t wait for it!

New book in a new series to me: How to Love Your Neighbor by Sophie Sullivan #bookreview @STMRomance #BookLovers #Romance

How to Love Your Neighbor by Sophie Sullivan book cover US edition

GIFTED / Today I would like to talk about a romance I read twice this year. I enjoyed it the both times I read it, and think it is a series worth checking. However, I would like to warn you to start with the first book in the series, called Ten Rules for Faking It, as the characters and some happenings from that book were mentioned in this novel.
How to Love Your Neighbor was published on January 22nd 2022 and it has 352 pages. I want to say thank you to Sara from St. Martin’s Griffin for inviting me to read and review this book via Netgalley.

FROM GOODREADS /

Interior Design School? Check. Cute house to fix up? Check.

Sexy, grumpy neighbor who is going to get in the way of your plans? Check. Unfortunately.

Grace Travis has it all figured out. In between finishing school and working a million odd jobs, she’ll get her degree and her dream job. Most importantly, she’ll have a place to belong, something her harsh mother could never make. When an opportunity to fix up—and live in—a little house on the beach comes along, Grace is all in. Until her biggest roadblock moves in next door.

Noah Jansen knows how to make a deal. As a real estate developer, he knows when he’s found something special. Something he could even call home. Provided he can expand by taking over the house next door–the house with the combative and beautiful woman living in it.

With the rules for being neighborly going out the window, Grace and Noah are in an all-out feud. But sometimes, your nemesis can show you that home is always where the heart is.

Review:

So… I read How to Love Your Neighbor twice this year and even though I forgot so much from the first time I was reading it, I still stand by my rating of 3,5 stars.

The reason I decided to reread this novel was because I realized I forgot too many things and it didn’t feel appropriate to write a review on something I just briefly remember.
How I forgot it so fast and was even surprised I didn’t remember important side characters is a whole another problem and I will call my cards on post covid instead of on book itself.

Still, my main impressions stayed the same: at the beginning I couldn’t stand Noah (the love interest) for the love of me, with his arrogance and expectations to get whatever he wants however he wants. He reminded me of one political party (from Croatia), fathers’ sons who get everything they want in life without ever having to make an effort, that never look back on people they cross over on their way.

Even when Noah had his change of heart (which was purely bc he fell in love with MC, not because he had some epiphany or character development) I still didn’t like him, and if this was a real life and not a romance book, I wouldn’t trust him.

On the other side, our MC Grace was easy to like and to understand.
I even identified with her when it comes to her relationship with her mother in a way (but here I have to stress out our situations are very different).
Side characters were amazing and scenes that involved them were my favourites.

The writing style was good and easy to follow.
The book was entertaining enough to make me want to check other work written by Sophie Sullivan.

If you are looking for a relaxing summer read to pass time and be entertained How to Love Your Neighbor is a good choice.