Sophie Reads YA: March 2022

March

March summary

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Eva Leigh

Waiting on Wednesday: The Good Girl's Guide to Rakes (Last Chance Scoundrels #1) by Eva Leigh

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4 Stars

ARC Review: Sense and Second-Degree Murder (Jane Austen Murder Mystery #2) by Tirzah Price

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Sense and Second-Degree Murder
Series: Jane Austen Murder Mystery #2
Author: Tirzah Price
Published April 5th 2022 by Harperteen

Goodreads Synopsis
In this second book of the Jane Austen Murder Mystery series, Tirzah Price takes readers for another fun, murderous romp through one of Austen’s beloved novels. Perfect for fans of The Lady Janies and Stalking Jack the Ripper.

When eighteen-year-old aspiring scientist Elinor Dashwood discovers her beloved father slumped over the desk of his office study, she knows his death means dire straits for the Dashwood women. To make matters worse, an outdated will entails his estate—including Norland & Company, the private investigation firm where her younger sister Marianne worked as her father’s partner and protégé—to their half-brother and his haughty wife, who waste no time in forcing the Dashwoods out of their home and into a cramped apartment on London’s Barton Street.

But before they go, the Dashwood sisters make a startling discovery: a suspicious substance in their father’s teacup—one that can only be described as poison. And poison, as Marianne’s father taught her, always points to murder.

It could be dangerous; it could ruin their reputations; and most importantly, it won’t bring back their father. But if the Dashwood sisters can combine their talents and bring their father’s murderer to justice, it may bring them all some comfort—and it might even lead to love.
Goodreads

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

In the second instalment of the Jane Austen Murder Mystery series, Sense and Second-Degree Murder follows the intrepid Dashwood sisters, who, having just lost their father and their home, search for the truth about his death, and try and continue his work at Norland & Company. When the eldest sister, Elinor, discovers her father's dead body, she thinks only to protect her sisters, Marianne and Margaret, but soon it's clear that his death was not normal. There's clues afoot, and with Marianne's knowledge of investigating, soon the sisters find themselves in a twisted web of lies, and the new people in their lives may be hiding their own secrets.

When I finished reading Pride and Premeditation I couldn't wait for Tirzah's next book. I love Austen's works, and the premise of this series was perfect for me, but I struggled a little with this book. Part of that may have been that I was approved for a voice galley, and it takes me longer to 'read' them than e-books, but I wasn't as invested. I mean, P&P is my favourite of Austen's book so I was bound to enjoy that more, however I had really high hopes for Sense and Second-Degree Murder. What I found was that Marianne was very annoying, until about the last 20% of the book. Obviously if you know the source material, Willoughby is a wrong-one, and Marianne is taken in, but with how she is introduced to us, it's a bit farcical how easily he dupes her. Margaret may have just been my favourite character. She's so plucky and smart, and really helps the plot when all was just about lost. Elinor, I just wanted to hug and comfort. She takes on so much responsibility in the book, and honestly, she deserves to be treated better by her family, and friends. I found once the plot had really begun, and the characters had settled, it definitely improved, and the last 25% or so made it a 4 star book! I was hoping a book in the series would focus on Emma, but it seems the next book will be Manslaughter Park.

Dates Read:

December 4-9, 2021

Rating
5 Stars

2022 New Release challenge

ARC Review: Say You'll Be My Lady (The Unconventional Ladies of Mayfair #2) by Kate Pembrooke

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Say You'll Be My Lady
Series: The Unconventional Ladies of Mayfair #2
Author: Kate Pembrooke
Published February 22nd 2022 by Forever

Goodreads Synopsis
Opposites attract in this irresistible Regency romance, where a proper gentleman who lives by the ton's rules and a lady who lives to break them try to resist one another—perfect for fans of Netflix’s Bridgerton series.

Lady Serena Wynter doesn’t mind flirting with a bit of scandal—she’s determined to ignore society’s strictures and live life on her own fiercely independent terms. These days, she chooses to pour her passions into charitable causes with the vibrant group of ladies in her Wednesday Afternoon Social Club. But there is one man who stirs Serena’s deepest emotions, one who’s irresistibly handsome, infuriatingly circumspect, and too honorable for his own good...

Charles Townshend, former boxer and consummate gentleman, worries Serena’s reckless nature will earn her the ton’s scorn…or put her in serious danger. Though Charles isn’t immune to the attraction between them, a shocking family secret prevents him from ever acting on his desires. But it seems Lady Serena doesn’t intend to let his penchant for propriety stand in the way of a mutually satisfying dalliance.
Goodreads

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

As the daughter of a duke, Lady Serena Wynter should be happily married by now, but she cares more about her social causes, and the Wednesday Afternoon Social Club that entering the marriage mart. The only man, other than her lost beau who died at battle at Badajoz, is Charles Townshend, a former boxer and gentleman, MP and friend of the family. But he believes himself firmly beneath her, and though he loves her, he wouldn't scandalise her and her family with the truth of his parentage. Best friends, they can tell each other just about everything, but they are holding back their feelings, and when they find an orphaned child, Jem, living in the slum, and foster him together, they can see what their future would be like as a family. Will they be able to tell each other the truth, and be together?

I loved book 1, but simply adored Say You'll Be My Lady! Friends to lovers is another trope I adore, as well as found family, and Pembrooke uses both of them so well in this book. We met Serena and Charles in the previous book, and I knew they would fall for each other, if they hadn't already, so reading their love story was fantastic. Because of how close they were, they were able to talk to each other about so much, and it was easy for them to take on the parental roles Jem needed from them when he was found and adopted. They had secrets which may have been scandalous to some people, but when they eventually revealed them to each other, it changed absolutely nothing about their feelings - they still loved each other, but were self sacrificing and willing to step aside for the other to be happy. There's a scene towards the end of the book that seemed straight out of Pride & Prejudice (if you've read it, you'll know which one), that had me cackling as I read it. I honestly could not put this down, and am really happy there's the announcement about a third book at the end of this - Phoebe deserves her romance!

Dates Read:
February 11-12, 2022

Rating
4 Stars

2021 New Release challenge

ARC Review: The Viscount's New Housekeeper by Lucy Ashford

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The Viscount's New Housekeeper
Series: None
Author: Lucy Ashford
Published December 23rd 2021 by Mills & Boon Historical

Goodreads Synopsis
Returning from battle

To a mansion in disarray!

When James, Viscount Grayford, returns home with his reputation in tatters, the last thing he needs is incompetent new housekeeper Emma Bryant! But beneath her drab gown and ugly cap is a pretty young woman of quality, forced to work by straitened circumstances. She proves steadfast and courageous in helping him clear his name, and James can’t help but want her―even if what burns between them is utterly forbidden…
Goodreads

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

Returning home as the new Viscount, James needs to have his house in order, so that he can restore his reputation. So finding the beautiful new, and incompetent, housekeeper, Emma Bryant, is more than a problem. Emma is clearly someone of quality, though she hides the truth - that she's actually a member of the ton, the daughter of an impoverished scholar, and grand-niece of an Earl. She needs to work to help her family, and luckily she gets a position at the nearby estate. However, the staff who remain at the estate are actively working against her, and undermining her responsibility at all turns. James doesn't know whether to trust her, or get rid of her, but when it's clear she is loyal, and wants to help him clear his name. And the growing friendship, turning to love, isn't difficult to miss either.

I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. The characters were lovable, and though mistakes were made, and it was a little cliched at times, it was gripping, and a fun, quick read. Emma had a difficult time of it as housekeeper, as she was clearly of a different class, and not respected by her staff, but she has a spine of steel and won't give up without a fight. I liked the romance, though it wasn't the most smooth of courtships, but all in all, James and Emma were right for each other, and came out stronger on the other side.

Dates Read:
December 20, 2021

Rating
3 Stars

March

Stacking the Shelves: March 26th 2022

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Diana Quincy

Waiting on Wednesday: The Marquess Makes His Move (Clandestine Affairs #3) by Diana Quincy

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2022 New Release challenge

ARC Review: One for All by Lillie Lainoff

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One for All
Series: None
Author: Lillie Lainoff
Published March 8th 2022 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux/February 7th 2023 by Titan Books

Goodreads Synopsis
An OwnVoices, gender-bent retelling of The Three Musketeers, in which a girl with a chronic illness trains as a Musketeer and uncovers secrets, sisterhood, and self-love.

Tania de Batz is most herself with a sword in her hand. Everyone in town thinks her near-constant dizziness makes her weak, nothing but “a sick girl”; even her mother is desperate to marry her off for security. But Tania wants to be strong, independent, a fencer like her father—a former Musketeer and her greatest champion.

Then Papa is brutally, mysteriously murdered. His dying wish? For Tania to attend finishing school. But L’Académie des Mariées, Tania realizes, is no finishing school. It’s a secret training ground for a new kind of Musketeer: women who are socialites on the surface, but strap daggers under their skirts, seduce men into giving up dangerous secrets, and protect France from downfall. And they don’t shy away from a swordfight.

With her newfound sisters at her side, Tania feels for the first time like she has a purpose, like she belongs. But then she meets Étienne, her first target in uncovering a potential assassination plot. He’s kind, charming, and breathlessly attractive—and he might have information about what really happened to her father. Torn between duty and dizzying emotion, Tania will have to lean on her friends, listen to her own body, and decide where her loyalties lie…or risk losing everything she’s ever wanted.

This debut novel is a fierce, whirlwind adventure about the depth of found family, the strength that goes beyond the body, and the determination it takes to fight for what you love.
Goodreads

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

Tania de Batz' life changed when she developed a constant dizziness which impacted her every action. Only working with her former Musketeer father on fencing helped to alleviate the pain, but she knows that the rest of her village pity her, and her mother. Her father believes in her though, but when he is brutally murdered, and Tania is sent to Paris to a finishing school, she feels betrayed. However, when she arrives and meets her fellow 'students', Aria, Théa and Portia, she soon learns that the school is more of a academy, and that she will join the girls into becoming a new era of Musketeers, protecting the king from the threats of the nobles, but potentially opening themselves up to risk.

I'm going to hold my hands up first, and say I know barely nothing about the Three Musketeers, so I was going into One for All pretty blindly. I also don't know much about POTS, the disability which Tania has, but the author has POTS herself, and from what I've seen from other reviews, Tania was the perfect portrayal. Tania as a character was someone who had the whole world against her, and she really had to fight, but literally and figuratively, to prove her worth. She's someone who had a lot of self doubt, partially because of her mother (really don't like her), but also because of her own feelings over her dizziness. Meeting the other girls, and becoming part of a team as this, really was a case of found family, and she flourished so much over the course of the book. She was always a fantastic swordswoman, but her development as a fighter, and becoming comfortable in herself, was done expertly. There's a hint of romance, and even of a love triangle (sort of), but neither were large parts to the story, and didn't take away from the sisterhood element. A really great debut, I'm looking forward to Lillie's next one!

Dates Read:
February 22-24, 2022

Rating
4 Stars