Sophie Reads YA: July 2023

2023 New Release challenge

ARC Review: The Talk Of The Town (The Brazen Burrells #3) by Lynne Connolly

12:00

The Talk Of The Town
Series: The Brazen Burrells #3
Author: Lynne Connolly
Published June 6th 2023 by Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.

Goodreads Synopsis
Once Bianca was the talk of the town. Now all she wants is a quiet life. Until murder and mayhem erupt around her - again.

When Bianca, Duchess of Whiston is invited to a house party at Stonyhurst, she is looking to restore her reputation. But it doesn't work out that way. The marquess's heir, Mr. Alexander Fraser, draws her as no other man has, not even her late husband.

Events escalate, until Bianca finds herself in the middle of a scandal she may never recover from.

Alex's father turned his back on his aristocratic heritage. He made a name for himself in the new, exciting world of industrial enterprise. He was so successful that his son came to be called the Midas of The North. But when the Marquess of Stonyhurst's three heirs die in battle, Alex becomes the heir, despite his desire not to be so.

Until he meets Bianca. Then he's not so sure about anything any longer, except that he wants her.
Goodreads

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

After her estranged husband dies in a house fire, and is lauded as a hero, Bianca, Dowager Duchess of Whiston, retreats to Edinburgh to grieve, before she makes her return to society. When she is invited to a house party hosted by a former friend, Bianca decides it is time to live again, but she never expects she would meet someone who makes her consider marrying again. Alexander Fraser has always known he was descended from aristocracy, but after his father (the third son of a Marquess) married a woman from India, they were cut off. Making a name for himself, and his family, Alex's father leaves him wealthy, and with no need to rub shoulders with the ton. However his uncle is old, and has no heirs of his own, and Alex is next in line. Arriving at Stonyhurst's home, he is told he is the last choice, but he needs to learn how to act in case he ever inherits. Alex wants nothing to do with his uncle, or his uncle's young wife, but Bianca makes him reconsider.

This book was a lovely story for Bianca, though not an easy one. After what she went through in the previous books, she deserved a happy ending, but didn't believe it was ever going to happen. I loved that she was strong and stood up for herself, and didn't let Stonyhurst run roughshod over her, or play along with his games. Even so, she could still be vulnerable, and was able to open up to Alex, and he to her too. They may have started out with a simple basic attraction to each other, but it was soon obvious that they were the only thing holding the other at the house, and after some events put them more in the spotlight, they trusted the other enough to get through it all, even when it seemed like all was lost. A great ending to Bianca's tale, and the series as a whole!

Dates Read:
June 1, 2023

Rating
3 Stars

July

July Summary

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2023 New Release challenge

ARC Review: An Unusual Courtship (The Brazen Burrells #2) by Lynne Connolly

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An Unusual Courtship
Series: The Brazen Burrells #2
Author: Lynne Connolly
Published January 17th 2023 by Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.

Goodreads Synopsis
A diplomat Earl and a scandal-ridden adventuress aren’t the perfect match—except in passion.

When Juliet Burrell meets Valerian, Earl of Langston, their attraction is immediate, but their path to happiness is littered with obstacles it will take all their strength to overcome. Val is a diplomat, looking for a well-connected, scandal-free bride to help further his career. Juliet is surrounded by constant scandal, even though none of it is of her making. And Val is engaged to be married to Juliet’s best friend.

But when Val discovers that his future bride is in love with someone else, he and Juliet join forces to help them and end up in a betrothal themselves. As Juliet gets to know Val better, she tumbles further into love with him, but she’s acutely aware that she is the exact opposite of what he needs. She cares for him too much to let him sacrifice everything for her and refuses to accept that their betrothal will result in marriage, even though their attraction has blossomed into passion.

Val wants Juliet, though he knows he might have to give up his treasured diplomatic career to have her. For years he’s engaged in the dark world of espionage, secrets, and lies, and he has done his job well and kept people safe. But he has always viewed his future in terms of the diplomatic work he is suited to, work that may not be possible with Juliet at his side.

It’s not long before trouble and tragedy plunge the Burrells into the mire once again, and Val may be the only one who can rescue Juliet from a situation that goes beyond scandal and into treason.

Is love worth the sacrifice he may have to make?
Goodreads

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

As both an Earl and diplomat, Valerian, Earl of Langston, knows that he needs the perfect wife who can support him in his endeavours. And when he thinks he's found her, it's perfect. Now he can stop thinking about the beautiful and smart Juliet Burrell, who plagues his dreams. However it seems that his fiancee is in love with someone else, and Juliet is the one who can help him. But tragedy and scandal follow the Burrells, and when they once more fall from grace, will Val be willing to give up on his hopes of an overseas placement to be with the woman he loves?

This was such an enjoyable book. From the moment I started it, I didn't want to put it down. Val and Juliet's feelings for each other was palpable, and though they tried to fight it, they had been in love for quite some time. Val thought he needed the 'perfect' society miss to be his wife and countess, but Juliet, though her family had scandal attached to them, was right for. She was smart, beautiful, and brought out the best of him. However, Val's overseas placement was not guaranteed, and when a treasonous plot is discovered, it takes them both to solve it, but not without tragedy. I'm really looking forward to the third book, and seeing if Bianca can finally have a happy ending.

Dates Read:
January 22, 2023

Rating
3 Stars

2022 New Release challenge

ARC Review: The Only Honest Man in London (The Brazen Burrells #1) by Lynne Connolly

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The Only Honest Man in London
Series: The Brazen Burrells #1
Author: Lynne Connolly
Published July 15th 2022 by Dragonblade Publishing

Goodreads Synopsis
When the adventuress and the earl meet – sparks fly!

Welcome to book 1 in the new series The Brazen Burrells by USA Today Bestselling author Lynne Connolly.

When the Burrell sisters take the ton by storm, nobody is more surprised than Viola. The whirlwind of their elevation to the highest in the land pushes her into the arms of the Earl of Knowsley. Viola is lost, all her careful plans abandoned. She has nothing to offer but her beauty. A hidden disability has taken away her confidence and her grace. If she gives him her heart, will he give her a ring, or a carte blanche?

Gerald wants to marry, but not to the ravishing beauty who entrances him from the first time he sets eyes on her. He wants a rational marriage with moderate affection, not the tempest of passion Viola leads him into.

From an encounter in the sordid London docks, to a presentation at court, to riding lessons in the park, Viola and Gerald grow closer, until the actions of her sister and his best friend threaten to force them apart.

If they survive this, they can survive anything. If they don’t, they’ll part forever.
Goodreads

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

The Burrell sisters have one final chance to make good marriages, and set the family up, but it's harder that Viola Burrell ever expected. Though they are related to nobility, they are ignored by their grandfather due to their mother's Irish birth, and the money is running out. Taking London by storm, they need to have the perfect reputation, especially after Bianca's fashion faux pas at the theatre. The only person who Viola is drawn to is Gerald, the Earl of Knowsley, who made a bad first impression. But as the season continues, Viola and Gerald are thrown together again and again, and grow closer than ever.

This was an alright book. I liked Viola, but there was something about the whole book that didn't really grip my attention. I was wanting Viola and Gerald to get together, and the ending was great, but there was too many drama and cliches for my liking. I may continue with the series, because the second sister, Juliet, wasn't really discussed much in this book, and I think she has a lot of potential.

Dates Read:
August 14-15, 2022

Rating
3 Stars

July

Stacking the Shelves: July 29th 2023

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2023 Beat the Backlist challenge

ARC Review: His Lady of Mistletoe (Ladies of the Lamp #3) by Charlotte Jardine

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His Lady of Mistletoe
Series: Ladies of the Lamp #3
Author: Charlotte Jardine
Published October 12th 2021 by Griffon Press

Goodreads Synopsis
A heart-warming historical holiday romance, overflowing with Victorian Christmas traditions
Some wounds come from the ballroom, not the battlefield…

Beth Maybury is more at home in field hospitals than London parlors. She’s been the victim of society’s elite before, and the scars—and the epithet ‘Mistletoe Maybury,’ are as fresh to her as the Crimean War. Now, with her spirits at rock bottom, and her mother too distracted by her charity to bother with Christmas, Beth agrees to provide round-the-clock nursing for a patient from her Bethnal Green clinic. However, the position comes with a catch: her charge’s handsome, yet curmudgeonly nephew.

When Nate Hillier, head of the Hillier’s Sweets empire, goes looking for his war veteran uncle to invite him home for Christmas, he hadn’t expected his uncle to be near-death. The old man insists on Miss Elizabeth Maybury caring for him, so Nate is forced to invite the annoying do-gooder into his home, even though it’s almost Christmas.

A rags-to-riches success, Nate has no desire to expose his family to the thinly-veiled scorn of an upper class lady playing at nurse, no matter how gentle her manner or beguiling those toffee-colored eyes. Nate is far too busy running the family business for romance… and most certainly not with a woman whose world is so different to his own.
Goodreads

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

Working as a nurse at the Bethnal Green clinic, Beth Maybury would much rather be with her patients than in a drawing room. But when one of her favourite patients needs around the clock care, and his family have come out of the woodwork for him, Beth knows she is giving up a lot. Spending time at the Hillier home, with the handsome son, Nate, shows her another side to society, and makes her reconsider hiding away so much.

This was a proper cute Christmassy read, and though I read it in the middle of June, I still found myself imagining it was December. Beth's past with society was difficult, and she had hidden away for so long, that her family were worrying about her. The only thing that she enjoyed was helping people at the clinic, which ultimately helps her meet Nate. Beth and Nate were a cute couple, though it wasn't easy for them to find happiness together. Being from different parts in society, and with their own hangups about the ton, they had to overcome their own barriers to let the other person in, but eventually they did.

Dates Read:
June 13, 2023

Rating
3 Stars

Nina Kenwood

Waiting On Wednesday: Unnecessary Drama by Nina Kenwood

10:00

2023 New Release challenge

ARC Review: Stardust in Their Veins (Castles in Their Bones #2) by Laura Sebastian

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Stardust in Their Veins
Series: Castles in Their Bones #2
Author: Laura Sebastian
Published February 7th 2023 by Hodder & Stoughton/Delacorte Press

Goodreads Synopsis
Princesses Beatriz and Daphne have lost their older sister, but their mother's grand scheme of taking the continent of Vesteria is far from complete. With the country of Temarin now under the Empress's control, only the nations of Cellaria and Friv remain free from her rule. What's worse, an ominous prophecy has begun to shine through the constellations: the blood of stars and majesty spilled.

Usurped by conniving cousins Nico and Gigi, Beatriz fears for her life, while in icy Friv, Daphne continues her shaky alliance with the rebels even as she struggles to stay a step ahead of them. But when an unlikely ally offers Beatriz a deal, she finds herself back in her mother's sights.

With enemies around every corner and the stars whispering of betrayal, Daphne and Beatriz can't trust anyone--least of all each other. If they've learned anything, though, it's that the Empress's game is constantly changing. And the arrival of surprise visitors from Temarin just might tip the scales in the princesses' favor... if they manage to avoid meeting their sister's fate before they can make their next move.

Immerse yourself in the second book in a fantasy trilogy from the New York Times bestselling author of the Ash Pricess series. The sequel to Castles in Their Bones is the story of three princesses and the destiny they were born for: seduction, conquest, and the crown.
Goodreads

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

After their sister Sophronia is killed in a coup, Daphne and Beatriz know that they are in danger, and need all the help they can get. Beatriz is lucky to have been only imprisoned by the coup that has taken her throne, and Daphne is dodging attempts on her life at every turn. They don't know who they can trust, and it seems their mother's plots might put them in more danger than they expected. If they can get together, and if they can overcome their past distrust, they might be able to use their star magic to succeed, but the odds are stacked against them.

After the cataclysmic ending to Castles in their Bones, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the sequel, Stardust in their Veins! Sophy had been my favourite of the sisters, and I was gutted that she was murdered, but thankfully her deaths sparked the drive in her sisters to fight against their mother, and the plots against them. This was a hefty book, and so much happened. We had three PoVs, Beatriz, Daphne, and Violie, and each other's individual stories were epic, but when they had moments together, it was fantastic! I didn't really like Violie or Daphne that much in book 1, but we learn so much more about them in this book, and it makes more sense why they acted that way previously. There's so much growth in this book, both in the three main characters, but also in the secondary characters like Bairre, Pasquale and Leopold. The romance is ramping up too, and though some of the characters make bad choices at times, I can see how their actions will help them in the future. Yet again there's a fiery ending, and book 3 can't come soon enough! My favourite of Laura's books, and I think I'd honestly read anything of hers!!

Dates Read:
April 22-29, 2023

Rating
4 Stars