Book Review: Something in the Heir by Suzanne Enoch @STMRomance #BookLovers #HistoricalRomance

Something in the Heir by Suzanne Enoch book cover US edition

GIFTED / Today I decided to talk about a book that I have finished recently. It is a historical romance with book-to-lovers and marriage of convenience tropes.

Something in the Heir was published on September 20th 2022 by St. Martin Griffin’s and it has 352 pages.  I want to thank publicist Sara from St. Martin Press for inviting me to read and review this book via Netgalley.

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About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

Emmeline and William Pershing have enjoyed a perfectly convenient marriage for eight years. Their relationship is a seamless blend of their talents and goals. They’ve settled into separate, well-ordered lives beneath the same roof, and are content to stay that way—or so Emmeline thinks. And if William has secretly longed for a bit more from the woman he adores, he’s managed to be content with her supreme skills as a hostess and planner, which has helped him advance his career.

Then when Emmeline’s grandfather, the reclusive Duke of Welshire, summons them both for his birthday celebration and demands they bring their two little angelic children, William is stunned to discover that his very proper wife invented not one, but two heirs to fulfill the agreement for living at Winnover. But surely if Emmeline and William team up and borrow two cherubs to call their own, what could go wrong? Enter George, age 8, and Rose, 5—the two most unruly orphans in Britain.

As the insanity unfolds, their careful, professional arrangement takes some surprisingly intimate turns as well. Perhaps it takes a bit of madness to create the perfect happily ever after.

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Review:

Not long after I read Never Rescue a Rogue by Virginia Heath I found myself craving for more historical romance (and that crave is still active) so Something in the Heir came to my life in just about the right time.

Suzanne Enoch is pretty popular in my country and now when I finished her book I can see why. Her writing style is witty and I can imagine myself grabbing her work when I need something to make me feel better.

However, although I enjoyed author’s writing style, the story she created this time around didn’t win my heart.
I did enjoy it to some degree, but I signed up for a romance, and in reality I got a family comedy with somewhat shallow protagonists.

The story has tropes that are popular in romance books: marriage of convenience and friends-to-lovers, but the reason I simply reject to call this a romance are children who took the spot from main characters, their chemistry and everything in between.

This story was more about orphan children coming to lives of our two main characters (for a reason that can put a bad taste in readers mouths I am sure) and them winning the hearts of said protagonists than about Emma and Will‘s path to find love with each other.
I mean, there was not even one scene where the reader would witness the chemistry between them or root for them.
It was all predictable in a way, which I don’t mind, but I wish I was swept away by at least one or two moments of love in this story.

So overall, this book was fun but it read like historical fiction because it lacked when it comes to romance.

book review rating 2,75 hearts

Perfect to spend your vacation with: You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry @PenguinUKBooks #BookLovers #Romance

you and me on Vacation by Emily Henry book cover UK edition

GIFTED / I am so happy to finally tell you all about a book I enjoyed so much this summer, You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry, also published by name People We Meet on Vacation in US, and at the same time, I am sorry I haven’t posted this review sooner. But better late then never, right?

You and Me on Vacation was published on July 22nd 2021, and it has 368 pages. I want to say thank you to Georgia Taylor from Penguin Random House UK for sending me a Netgalley widget and inviting me to read and review this novel.

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About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

TWO FRIENDS
TEN SUMMER TRIPS
THEIR LAST CHANCE TO FALL IN LOVE

12 SUMMERS AGO: Poppy and Alex meet. They hate each other, and are pretty confident they’ll never speak again.

11 SUMMERS AGO: They’re forced to share a ride home from college and by the end of it a friendship is formed. And a pact: every year, one vacation together.

10 SUMMERS AGO: Alex discovers his fear of flying on the way to Vancouver.
Poppy holds his hand the whole way.

7 SUMMERS AGO: They get far too drunk and narrowly avoid getting matching tattoos in New Orleans.

2 SUMMERS AGO: It all goes wrong.

THIS SUMMER: Poppy asks Alex to join her on one last trip. A trip that will determine the rest of their lives.

You and Me on Vacation is a love story for fans of When Harry Met Sally and One Day. Get ready to travel the world, snort with laughter and – most of all – lose your heart to Poppy and Alex.

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Review:

I was lucky enough to get an invitation to read You and Me on Vacation before it’s release.
Because life had other plans, I wasn’t able to get into it earlier, but I am so glad I enjoyed this story before it officially hits the shalves.

Last year I read Henry’s Beach Read and fell in love with it.
It is one of the best books I read in 2020 and I couldn’t wait to read her newest adult novel.

After finishing You and Me on Vacation (published in US with a title People you Meet on Vacation) I can say that Henry’s writing style really speaks to me (you see what I did here? 😉 ).
Jokes aside, I came to realization that I really enjoy her way of telling stories. I still haven’t check her ya books, and I plan to read them all at some point. I feel like she has potential to become one of my favourite authors.

The book talks about two friends who every summer go to vacation together. We follow present day and see previous 10 years in their own chapters.
The story is told from Poppy’s POV, first person, and it’s perfect best friends to lovers story.
The author mentioned in her note that it was inspired by When Harry met Sally.

Even though this books talks about our main characters visiting places, including my home country Croatia which is so rarely featured in American novels), it is character driven story.
In my honest opinion, it lacks descriptions of places, and if I told you I felt like I was there with our characters, exploring countries, I would lie.
I felt their personal emotions though, and that is what really matters.

One other thing this book accomplished was to make me want to travel somewhere.
I know we are in time when traveling comes with obstacles a is not recommended (damn you Covid! 😡 ), but it was nice to daydream and reminisce).

I know this book is considered as romance. In my opinion it is somewhere between that and women’s fiction.
Chick lit would be perfect genre.

I highly recommend You and Me on Vacation and suggest you to read it on a sunny day.