Author: Dani @ Overflowing Shelf

My name is Dani and I'm a lover of all things books. I'm a bit of a moody read, but tend to love anything romance related. When I don't have my nose in a book, I can be found working at my job in healthcare communications in Boston. You can find me on Twitter @danijohns or on Instagram @overflowingshelf. Or feel free to email me at overflowingshelf@gmail.com.

Review: Texas Destiny by Lorraine Heath

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Texas Destiny by Lorraine Heath
Texas Destiny
Lorraine Heath
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: June 1, 1997 (republished May 29, 2018)
Series or Standalone: Texas Trilogy
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads
Rating: 5 Stars

MY REVIEW

CW: War; panic attacks; gun violence; kidnapping; references to suicide, rape, murder, slavery, physical abuse

I am finally starting my deep dive into Lorraine Heath’s back catalog as she’s quickly become one of my favorite authors, and let me tell you – Texas Destiny did not disappoint. This book was the first book in her first-ever series, Texas Trilogy, and has all the hallmarks of what I’ve come to love about Lorraine Heath’s books. Fantastic characters, a romance filled with lots of pining and angst, so many feelings, unconventional situations, and so much more! Despite publishing over 25 years ago, this book is still worth picking up today.

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Audiobook Review: The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian

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The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian
The Queer Principles of Kit Webb
Cat Sebastian
Publisher: Avon Books
Publication Date: June 8, 2021
Series or Standalone: London Highwaymen #1
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads
Rating:4 Stars
Performance Rating:4 Stars
Story Rating:4 Stars

MY REVIEW

CW: Gun violence; death; blood; homophobia; death of a child; death of a parent

The Queer Principles of Kit Webb was so fun and so unexpected! Not only did I love the romance, but these characters stole a piece of my heart. 

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ARC Review: How the Wallflower Was Won by Eva Leigh

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How the Wallflower was Won by Eva Leigh
How the Wallflower Was Won
Eva Leigh
Publisher: Avon Books
Publication Date: September 27, 2022
Series or Standalone: Last Chance Scoundrels #2
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads
Rating:2 Stars

MY REVIEW

CW: Sexism; ableism; misogyny

Oh boy – I struggled with this book. I had such high hopes for this as I adored Finn, but Tabitha ruined the whole thing for me in the end. I’m still angry at how this story played out. If I could, I would rate the beginning of this story 3 stars, but I’d give the ending zero stars.

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Review: A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera

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A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera
A Caribbean Heiress in Paris
Adriana Herrera
Publisher:HQN
Publication Date: May 31, 2022
Series or Standalone:Las Léonas #1
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads
Rating: 4 Stars

MY REVIEW

CW: physical abuse; emotional abuse; racism; misogyny; sexism; references to slavery

This book made me thirsty in more ways than one! All I wanted to do was pour a glass of whisky and find myself a hunky Scotsman after reading this. With a diverse cast of characters, a fantastic romance, and a compelling plot, A Caribbean Heiress in Paris was an engaging, fun read.

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Review: How the Marquess Was Won by Julie Anne Long

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How the Marquess Was Won by Julie Anne Long
How the Marquess Was Won
Julie Anne Long
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: December 27, 2011
Series or Standalone: Pennyroyal Green #6
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads
Rating: 5 Stars

MY REVIEW

CW: bullying; gun violence; sexual assault

This book. THIS BOOK! Unputdownable. Fan-freaking-tastic. This is my favorite thus far of the Pennyroyal Green series. I had actually read this book way back in 2016, but forgot I had read it before, so I loved rediscovering the story as bits and pieces came back to me as I started reading.

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Review: Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins

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Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins
Forbidden
Beverly Jenkins
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: January 26, 2016
Series or Standalone: Old West #1
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads
Rating: 4 Stars

MY REVIEW

CW: Slavery; racism; racial slurs; gun violence; death; reference to suicide, rape, war

Forbidden was my first Beverly Jenkins book, but it won’t be my last! I adored Jenkins’ writing style and how all her characters and settings are imbued with such life and personality that they jump off the page.

Forbidden is also my first adult Western romance, a subgenre I am now fully exploring with my reading as I’m fascinated by it, and it’s nice to escape from the ballrooms of Regency England for a change. However, Westerners can be very fraught given the legacy of slavery in this country. I know that not everyone is comfortable reading stories set in that era for that reason.

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Review: What I Did for a Duke by Julie Anne Long

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What I Did for a Duke by Julie Anne Long
What I Did for a Duke
Julie Anne Long
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: February 22, 2011
Series or Standalone: Pennyroyal Green #5
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads
Rating: 4.5 Stars

MY REVIEW

What I Did for a Duke is a delicious historical romance. I don’t think I’ve ever described a book as delicious before, but that’s the perfect word for this one. And with every book I read in the Pennyroyal Green series, the more I fall in love with the characters and series as a whole.

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Review: The Longing of Lone Wolves by Lana Pecherczyk

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The Longing of Lone Wolves by Lana Pecherczyk
The Longing of Lone Wolves
Lana Pecherczyk
Publisher: Lana Pecherczyk
Publication Date: June 8th 2021
Series or Standalone: Fae Guardians #1
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads
Rating: 3.5 Stars

MY REVIEW

CW: Sexual assault; physical assault; violence; torture; death of a pregnant woman

I was in a moody reading rut and decided to pick this up after seeing @bookdragontee binge-read it and rave about it. The Longing of Lone Wolves is an exciting start to the Fae Guardians series. The thing that sold me on the book by the end was the world, even if the world-building dominates this book a bit too much.

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Review: Shadow’s Claim by Kresley Cole

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Shadow's Claim by Kresley Cole
Shadow’s Claim
Kresley Cole
Publisher: Pocket Books
Publication Date: November 27, 2012
Series or Standalone: Immortals After Dark #12; The Dacians #1
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads
Rating: 4 Stars

MY REVIEW

CW: Violence; gore; PTSD/panic attacks; kidnapping

I read this book back in April 2022, but I am just reviewing it now so forgive me if this is more high-level of a review than normal as I didn’t take as in-depth notes as I normally do! 

Shadow’s Claim is book 12 in the Immortals After Dark series and also serves as book 1 in The Dacians series (a spinoff that is intertwined with IAD) and served as a nice change of pace to some of the really heavy storylines coming out of the Torture Island arc of IAD. 

This book surprised me as I wasn’t sure what to expect going into it! The plot, the world, the romance, everything was so good!  

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