Sophie Reads YA: March 2021

March Summary

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What I've read this month:

Duchess If You Dare
Series: The Maidens of Mayhem #1
Author: Anabelle Bryant
March 30th 2021 by Zebra (eARC)
Read: March 4-5 2021
My Rating: 3 Stars
Challenge: 2021 New Release Challenge

Chain of Iron
Series: The Last Hours #2
Author: Cassandra Clare
March 2nd 2021 by Walker Books
Read: March 2-6 2021
My Rating: 4 Stars
Challenge: 2021 New Release Challenge

Project Duchess
Series: Duke Dynasty #1
Author: Sabrina Jeffries
June 25th 2019 by Zebra
Read: March 6-7 2021
My Rating: 4 Stars
Challenge: 2021 Beat the Backlist Challenge

The Duke Undone
Series: None
Author: Joanna Lowell
April 6th 2021 by Berkley Books (eARC)
Read: March 6-8 2021
My Rating: 4 Stars
Challenge: 2021 New Release Challenge

The Bachelor
Series: Duke Dynasty #2
Author: Sabrina Jeffries
February 25th 2020 by Zebra
Read: March 8-10 2021
My Rating: 4 Stars
Challenge: 2021 Beat the Backlist Challenge

Who Wants to Marry a Duke
Series: Duke Dynasty #3
Author: Sabrina Jeffries
August 25th 2020 by Zebra
Read: March 12-13 2021
My Rating: 4 Stars
Challenge: 2021 Beat the Backlist Challenge

Undercover Duke
Series: Duke Dynasty #4
Author: Sabrina Jeffries
May 25th 2021 by Zebra (eARC)
Read: March 13-14 2021
My Rating: 4 Stars
Challenge: 2021 New Release Challenge

The Heiress Gets a Duke
Series: The Gilded Age Heiresses #1
Author: Harper St. George
January 26th 2021 by Berkley Books
Read: March 11-15 2021
My Rating: 4 Stars
Challenge: 2021 New Release Challenge

The Duke I Once Knew
Series: Unlikely Duchesses #1
Author: Olivia Drake
December 31st 2018 by St. Martin's Press
Read: March 15-17 2021
My Rating: 4 Stars
Challenge: 2021 Beat the Backlist Challenge

What I Like About You
Series: None
Author: Marisa Kanter
April 7th 2020 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Read: March 19-20 2021
My Rating: 4 Stars
Challenge: 2021 Beat the Backlist Challenge

Forever My Duke
Series: Unlikely Duchesses #2
Author: Olivia Drake
December 31st 2019 by St. Martin's Press
Read: March 21-23 2021
My Rating: 4 Stars
Challenge: 2021 Beat the Backlist Challenge

The Defiant Wife
Series: The Three Mrs #2
Author: Jess Michaels
April 13th 2021 by The Passionate Pen LLC (eARC)
Read: March 23-24 2021
My Rating: 4 Stars
Challenge: 2021 New Release Challenge

Betting on a Duke’s Heart
Series: None
Author: Royaline Sing
April 19th 2021 by Entangled: Amara (eARC)
Read: March 20-25 2021
My Rating: 3 Stars
Challenge: 2021 New Release Challenge

The Devil and the Heiress
Series: The Gilded Age Heiresses #2
Author: Harper St. George
June 29th 2021 by Berkley Books (eARC)
Read: March 27 2021
My Rating: 4 Stars
Challenge: 2021 New Release Challenge

Kisses and Croissants
Series: None
Author: Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau
April 6th 2021 by Delacorte Press (eARC)
Read: March 27 2021
My Rating: 4 Stars
Challenge: 2021 New Release Challenge

One Wicked Sin
Series: The Scandalous Women of the Ton #2
Author: Nicola Cornick
July 1st 2011 by Mira Books
Read: March 24-30 2021
My Rating: 3 Stars
Challenge: 2021 Beat the Backlist Challenge

Once Upon a Quinceañera
Series: None
Author: Monica Gomez-Hira
March 2nd 2021 by HarperTeen (eARC)
Read: March 28-30 2021
My Rating: 3 Stars
Challenge: 2021 New Release Challenge

Challenges Update:
2021 New Release Challenge: 10 (41 total)
2021 Beat the Backlist Challenge: 7 (48 total)

Summary:

I've been back at work this week, teaching in person, so haven't has as much time to read as I did in January and February, but I still feel like I've done alright. We're going on Easter holidays soon, and I'm hoping to use that time to read/review as much as possible.

How have you done this month? Let me know below.

Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka

Waiting On Wednesday: What's Not to Love by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka

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2021 New Release challenge

ARC Review: Pride and Premeditation (Jane Austen Murder Mystery #1) by Tirzah Price

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Pride and Premeditation
Series: Jane Austen Murder Mystery #1
Author: Tirzah Price
Published April 6th 2021 by HarperTeen

Goodreads Synopsis
Perfect for fans of the Lady Janies and Stalking Jack the Ripper, the first book in the Jane Austen Murder Mysteries series is a clever retelling of Pride and Prejudice that reimagines the iconic settings, characters, and romances in a thrilling and high-stakes whodunit.

When a scandalous murder shocks London high society, seventeen-year-old aspiring lawyer Lizzie Bennet seizes the opportunity to prove herself, despite the interference of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, the stern young heir to the prestigious firm Pemberley Associates.

Convinced the authorities have imprisoned the wrong person, Lizzie vows to solve the murder on her own. But as the case—and her feelings for Darcy—become more complicated, Lizzie discovers that her dream job could make her happy, but it might also get her killed.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via Edelweiss. This in no way impacted on my view.

In Pride and Premeditation, Miss Elizabeth Bennet is 17, and wants nothing more than to join her father's law firm, Longbourn and Sons, but as a woman, she's denied the opportunity. Helping her father in his work, by reading through contracts, and using her opportunities as a lady in society to discover information most men would never uncover, has been a joy, but she wants more. When it's revealed that Mr Charles Bingley, of the Netherfield Bingley's, is accused of murdering his brother in law, Lizzie hopes to be able to help him go free, and discover the true murderer, and in turn allow her father to see the merits of hiring her to Longbourn. Disguising herself as Miss Bingley, she manages to work her way into Newgate, meet with Mr Bingley, and also make a somewhat enemy of Bingley's friend, and lawyer, Fitzwilliam Darcy. From their first meeting, Lizzie and Darcy are at odds with each other, though the longer they are thrown together, their feelings become complicated, as does the investigations. Will Lizzie be able to get Bingley off the murder charge, and bring the real culprit to justice, or has she bitten off more than she can chew?

With the whole cast and crew from the original Pride and Prejudice present, this was an utterly amazing retelling! Ever since I heard about this book, I knew that I would love it, and devoured it all in just a few hours. Like I said, the characters from the original are all present, and it was lovely to see them in different situations, while still being in the Regency Era. Lizzie remains a obstinate, headstrong girl, but one who knows what she wants, and just because she's a girl, doesn't mean she has to be only interested in the Marriage Mart. She wants to be happy, and do something with her life, though she also appreciates a handsome gentleman, when one or two cross her path. Being a young woman, during the Regency Era, her life was really restricted, but she manages to yoke out some freedom for herself, and the admiration of her family, and even of Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy - though Darcy doesn't like to show his feelings. I really felt that this was such a faithful adaptation, but also one that was wholly original, and just blew me away! We still have our 'villains' in Whickham, Mr Collins, and Lady Catherine de Bourgh, though in slightly different guises. The plot line surrounding Bingley's money worries, and Hurst's murder, was expertly done, and just when you think you know who's behind it, someone else appears from the woodwork, or there's a new clue, or death. It kept me engaged right until the final page.

The chemistry and banter between Darcy and Lizzie was as good as the original, though slightly watered down, perhaps owing to the age change. I still shipped them, and the final chapter was amazing! I've just noticed on GR that there's two more books in this series, focusing on Sense and Sensibility and Mansfield Park, so I hope that we might see more of Lizzie and Darcy then. Definitely a book any lover of Pride and Prejudice needs to read!

Dates Read:

February 25, 2021

Rating
5 Stars

2020 New Release challenge

ARC Review: Always the Bluestocking (Never the Bride #6) by Emily E.K. Murdoch

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Always the Bluestocking
Series: Never the Bride #6
Author: Emily E.K. Murdoch
Published September 10th 2020 by Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.

Goodreads Synopsis
Always the bluestocking and never the bride—not that any woman should have to choose…

Miss Mariah Wynn was adopted and has spent her life attempting to prove herself worthy. Intelligent and witty, it's nonetheless not a good idea to let a gentleman know you actually have brains. After all, no one marries the bluestocking, even if she is beautiful and but twenty one.

One man who laughs in the face of bluestockings is Patrick O'Leary, Viscount Donal. He knows the woman's place, and that is most certainly in the home.

Until, that is, he sees Mariah attending a lecture at his alma mater. A woman—at university. He's determined she won’t get an education. She's ready to face down any ignorant man, title or no. A battle of intellect storms while a battle of desire fights under the surface.

Will Mariah and Patrick have enough focus to argue while every bone in their bodies wants to make love?
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Always the Bluestocking follows the final heroine in this series, Miss Mariah Wynn, renowned bluestocking, and adopted sister of Viscount Wynn, our hero from the previous book. She fully believes in education for all, and being a woman should not bar her from university. Known amongst the ton for her bookish ways, she retreats to Oxford, where she tries, again and again, to make her way into lectures, colleges, and even into the Bodleian Library. No matter how many times she is hauled out and denied, she won't stop, and she thinks she's found a somewhat ally in Patrick O'Leary, Viscount Donal. Patrick has returned to Oxford from his Irish estate for his reunion celebrations, and is normally very against bluestockings, but something about Mariah intrigues him. Maybe it was seeing her rip into a rude gentlemen at her brother's wedding, or her sheer determination, but he needs to get closer to her, and soon finds himself agreeing with her goals. Has Mariah found someone who she could imagine being with, and perhaps even finally thinking marriage is for her?

I think that this one was my favourite out of the three in the series I have read. I loved Mariah when we met her in Always the Wallflower, as Letitia's best friend, and when I realised the 6th book would be her story, I was overjoyed. I loved learning more about her, and seeing her power and desire for education - not just for herself, but for all women who want it. She was in a privileges position as the sister of a Viscount, so used that to get a voice, even though it was difficult. The only thing I could've asked for was a little more of the backstory of her and Edward's relationship, as it had been alluded to in both this book and the last one, but that was still missing by the ending. Patrick was a lovely hero, flawed and not perfect, but with Mariah they worked together so well. Sometimes they rubbed each other up the wrong way, and bounced off each other, but their combined strengths were perfect, and they were definitely made for each other. Maybe we could've seen some more from other characters in this story, but all in all, I really enjoyed it!

Dates Read:
August 28, 2020

Rating
3 Stars

March

Stacking the Shelves: March 27th 2021

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2021 Beat the Backlist challenge

Review: All Scot and Bothered (Devil You Know #2) by Kerrigan Byrne

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All Scot and Bothered
Series: Devil You Know #2
Author: Kerrigan Byrne
Published September 29th 2020 by St. Martin's Paperbacks

Goodreads Synopsis
They are a dangerous duke, a fierce lord, and an infamous earl—dark, bold, brave men who know exactly what they want. And there is only one woman who can bring them to their knees...

He is first and foremost—at everything. A man who's made his own way in the world through ruthless cunning and sheer force of will. A strong and imposing Scot who can turn on the charm but does not suffer fools. His title: Lord Chief Justice of the High Court. His name: Cassius Gerard Ramsay. His mission: To investigate the goings-on at London's most notorious gaming hell, owned and operated by one of the most intriguing and desirable women he's ever met.

IN THIS GAME OF LOVE, THE RULES DO NOT APPLY

Cecelia Teague was an orphan facing a rather dire future—until a secret benefactor from her mother's scandalous past swept into her life. Sent to prestigious boarding school and later to university, Cecelia believed high society was at her fingertips...Then, from out of nowhere, she became the inheritor of a gambling establishment. Now Cecelia must live two lives: one as a proper lady who finds herself undeniably drawn to Lord Ramsay and the other as a savvy gaming hell owner trying to save her business from the very same man. He has no idea she is both women...and Cecelia would like to keep it that way. But what happens when consuming passion and escalating danger threaten to reveal the truth?
Goodreads

Review
Miss Cecelia Teague may not be the daughter of the aristocracy, but she has a wealthy benefactor, who saved her from a wicked father, and sent her to school in Switzerland where she met her closest friends, Alexandra and Francesca. Thinking she was alone in the world, she's surprised to discover a maternal aunt has just passed, and left her entire estate to Cecelia, including a school in London - which also is a gaming hell - and a young ward, Phoebe. To top it all off, the Lord Chief Justice, Cassius Gerard Ramsay, is out to take down the school, and thinks that Cecelia - or the Scarlet Lady - is worse than the Whore of Babylon, and involved in the kidnap of young girls and women. Cecelia needs to prove to him that she wants the same thing, and as it becomes clear that both she and Phoebe are at risk, from the mysterious Crimson Council, Ramsay will do just about anything to keep them safe - even if that means tearing down the walls that have protected him from childhood.

We met both Cecelia and Ramsay in Ten Days to Love a Duke, as the best friend of Alex, and Piers' half brother respectively, and there was a hint of romance between the couple. Cecelia and Ramsay both had had horrific upbringings, abandoned and neglected, even being imprisoned underground, and this has left some real emotional scarring for them both. For Cecelia, her 'father' blamed her for the crimes of every woman, punishing her for not being his true daughter, and it's only when she is spirited away to school, that she starts to become comfortable in her life. She meets Jean-Yves, the groundskeeper at the school, who takes her under his wing as a surrogate father, and even helps the Red Rogues to bury the rapist's body and protect them all. Now facing explosions, attempted kidnapping and murder, it seems Cecelia may just fall apart, but Ramsay won't let that happen. I adored how he came and spirited her, Phoebe, and Jean-Yves away to protect them all, against his better judgement, and he was so obvious in his feelings, except to Cecelia herself. Being the son of a woman who abandoned him to become Duchess, and a wastrel father who drowned in his own vomit after becoming too drunk to stand, he dragged himself up, and is now one of the most important men in the country, after only the Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor. He is stoic, and strict with himself, and doesn't allow desire or want to play any part in his life, but since he met Cecelia/the Scarlet Lady, he's tempted beyond all belief. Seeing him open himself up to love, and to being a family with Cecelia and Phoebe was so cute, and I hated the moments where there were angst, and it seemed like they would never get their happy ending. The growing story line surrounding the Crimson Council, and it's wicked hold on the nation is definitely intriguing, and I can't wait to see how it's linked to the deaths of Francesca's friends and family over 20 years ago.

Dates Read:
January 16-18, 2021

Rating
4 Stars

2021 Beat the Backlist challenge

Review: Love & Olives (Love & Gelato #3) by Jenna Evans Welch

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Love & Olives
Series: Love & Gelato #3
Author: Jenna Evans Welch
Published November 10th 2020 by Simon Pulse

Goodreads Synopsis
Santorini felt like an island holding its breath. As if it were keeping in a secret...

Liv Varanakis doesn’t like to think about her father much, which makes sense—he fled to Greece when she was only eight, leaving her with just a few painful memories of their shared love for the lost city of Atlantis. So when teenage Liv suddenly receives a postcard from her father, who explains that National Geographic is supporting a documentary about his theories on Atlantis—and asks if she will fly out to Greece and help—Liv is less than thrilled.

When she arrives in gorgeous Santorini, things are just as awkward as she'd imagined. There are so many questions, so many emotions that flood to the surface after seeing her father for the first time in years. Liv doesn’t want to get sucked back into her father's world. She also definitely doesn’t want Theo, her father’s charismatic so-called protégé, to witness her struggle.

Even so, she can't help but be charmed by everything Santorini has to offer—the beautiful sunsets, the turquoise water, the sun-drenched villages, and the delicious cuisine. But not everything on the Greek island is as perfect as it seems. Because as Liv slowly begins to discover, her father may not have invited her to Greece for Atlantis, but for something much more important.
Goodreads

Review
In Love & Olives, Liv Varanakis has had many years to deal with her father's obsession of Atlantis, and his abandonment when she was only 8 years old. Now a teenager, when she unexpectedly receives a postcard from him, asking her to come to Santorini and help him create a National Geographic documentary all about the lost City. Understandably, Liv is worried about being drawn back into her father's obsession, and after she arrives on the island, it's clear that the emotions and sense of loss she felt at 8, haven't gone away. There's also the issue of the secret her father is keeping, and his protege, Theo, always being around. If it wasn't for how beautiful Santorini was, and how welcoming people, such as Theo, made her feel, Liv would be on the first flight back home. But, the enticement of Atlantis is too much, as is the sense of feeling that if she doesn't reconnect with her dad now, it might soon be too late.

I've wanted to read this book for ages, but never managed to get a copy, but for Valentine's Day this year, Riveted had a number of free reads, and when I spotted this as one of them, I made sure to get it all read in one day. Though it was over 500 pages long, as soon as I got home from work, I devoured the entire book. I loved the other two in the series, and seeing that this one was inspired by Greek mythology, as well as Mamma Mia was enough for this theatre loving, classics graduate to be hooked. Liv was a fantastic main character, who was just a normal teenager, trying to get along with life, when she's hooked back into the life her father has always been obsessed over. She knew next to nothing about her Greek heritage, so being able to explore it further, in Santorini, was something she couldn't give up. I felt like though this was a really long book for a contemporary, it was necessary for us to fully understand Liv and her father's backstory, and the history of Atlantis too. It was clear early on that Liv's father was keeping something secret, and the rest of the island knew what it was, but I hadn't guessed the truth of it all until near the end - and it was nice to be in the same shoes as Liv, discovering the truth as if we were her. The romantic aspect of the story wasn't too big, but Liv and Theo made a cute couple, and definitely helped to lighten up the story when it became heavy. All in all, a really enjoyable summer time read, perfect while we're all living in a covid-world without international travel!

Dates Read:
February 5, 2021

Rating
4 Stars

Grace Burrowes

Waiting On Wednesday: How to Catch a Duke (Rogues to Riches #6) by Grace Burrowes

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2018 Blogger Shame Challenge

ARC Review: There's Something About Nik by Sara Hantz

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2020 New Release challenge

ARC Review: The Marquess' Daring Wager (The Dukes' Pact #2) by Kate Archer

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The Marquess' Daring Wager
Series: The Dukes' Pact #2
Author: Kate Archer
Published September 8th 2020 by Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.

Goodreads Synopsis
A Willful Lady and a Daring Lord.

Lady Sybil Hayworth might be petite, but her looks are deceiving—she comes from iron-willed stock. Her family claims a winding descent from Margaret Beaufort and they are unwavering in defense of their honor. An insult is easily taken, it invariably leads to a feud, and a Hayworth feud will continue until all parties to it have expired.

Richard Smythe, Marquess of Lockwood and heir to the Duke of Gravesley, has the misfortune of becoming one of those enemies. He knew of the plot against Cassandra Knightsbridge, and that is quite enough for Sybil.

Throughout the season, Sybil had enjoyed finding herself led into dinner by the lord, but all that must now come to an end. She will travel to a house party in Yorkshire and she is determined to forget about the gentlemen of the dukes’ pact, especially Lord Lockwood.

As her carriage leaves London and rumbles north, Sybil might be wise to remember that Lord Lockwood is a war hero and there is no risk he will not dare. Lord Lockwood, on the other hand, might be wise to understand that it will take more than pushing into Lord Hugh’s house party to win this particular battle.

#2 in The Dukes’ Pact Series—six dukes take dire steps to force their heirs to marry, while those heirs fight just as hard to remain bachelors. A sweet regency romance.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Though her friend, Cassandra Knightsbridge, now Lady Hampton, has forgiven the gentlemen of the duke's pact, Lady Sybil Hayworth has not. The Hayworth family never forget a slight, and especially not when one of the gentlemen is the son of her father's enemy. Richard Smythe, Marquess of Lockwood and heir to the Duke of Gravesley has always been intrigued by the petite and feisty Lady Sybil, and wants more than anything her forgiveness. When the Blanding family decamp to Yorkshire of a house party, Richard manoeuvres his way in, and tries to get in Sybil's, and her father's, good books. Both of them are attracted to the other, but Sybil will not give in, and when it seems as if Richard is making a joke of the entire thing, and after the pretty Miss Mapleton, she's heartbroken. Richard, for his part, knows he wants to be with Sybil, but the other gentlemen in the pact are actively working against him, and he might just not be able to convince her he's serious.

From the first book in the series, I loved Sybil and Richard's interactions. This time, they aren't together as much, because of the various situations they find themselves in, but I still enjoyed their romance. Richard was nothing if not persistent, and though he went around it the wrong way, he was sweet in his efforts. I also loved the camaraderie between him, Kingston, and little Charlie - who was definitely a cheeky chap! Sybil, for the most part, was a bit brash and abrasive, but seeing her and her parents, you could understand it. The thing that got me the most with the book was how much I dislike Lord Dalton, and though I know one of the books will be about him - likely the final one - I don't know if I'm looking forward to it - unless he suffers before getting his happy ending. His imprisonment of Richard, and trying to actively hurt his chances with Sybil, was abhorrent, and I want him to get his comeuppance in some way. I do look forward to reading about how the other gentlemen get on in their marriage chances.

Dates Read:
August 21-23, 2020

Rating
4 Stars