Review: The Scandalous, Dissolute, No-Good Mr. Wright by Tessa Dare

April 27, 2023April 26, 2023 Dani @ Overflowing Shelf1 Comment

The Scandalous, Dissolute, No-Good Mr. Wright
Tessa Dare
Publisher: Avon Impluse
Publication Date: December 11, 2012
Series or Standalone: Standalone
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads – StoryGraph
Rating:

MY REVEIW

CW: death; grief

I adore Tessa Dare, and seeing as I’ve read all her full-length novels, all that’s left for me to read are the novellas she’s written! I’m a bit hit or miss with her novellas (it’s more of a me problem as I struggle with historical romance novellas), but this one was a short and super cute historical romance story that managed to pack quite a bit into it. Also, I highly recommend listening to it as an audiobook if you’re in the mood for something you can quickly get through – it’s very listenable and quick if you listen to things at 2.5x speed.

Review: In Which Matilda Halifax Learns the Value of Restraint by Alexandra Vasti

April 11, 2023April 12, 2023 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

In Which Matilda Halifax Learns the Value of Restraint
Alexandra Vasti
Publisher: Self published
Publication Date: January 23, 2023
Series or Standalone: Halifax Hellions #2
Links: Goodreads – StoryGraph – Alexandra Vasti’s Website
Rating:

MY REVIEW

CW: BDSM elements (spanking/restraints); references to sexual assault; infidelity; death of a spouse

If there were a perfect novella, In Which Matilda Halifax Learns the Value of Restraint would be it (and I am tough on novellas, so that is high praise!). I loved this one so much as everything from the romance to the characters captured my heart. I could seriously read a whole book about Christian and Matilda. I loved them so much!

Review: Texas Legacy by Lorraine Heath

March 30, 2023March 29, 2023 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

Texas Legacy
Lorraine Heath
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: January 15, 2019
Series or Standalone: Texas Trilogy #3.5
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads – StoryGraph
Rating:

MY REVIEW

CW: Rape; sexual assault; gun violence; abuse

It feels fitting that I’m revisiting the Texas Trilogy after many months because that is EXACTLY what Lorraine Heath did as she published this novella nearly 20 years after the publication of Texas Splendor.

Texas Legacy is the perfect novella to wrap up the series as we see the second generation of the Leigh family – particularly Dallas’ kids. This is basically one long Lorraine Heath epilogue, and I LOVE her epilogues as they always make me emotional. And boy, did this novella make me feel ALL the things. It’s truly amazing that Heath managed to cram in so much heartache and emotion in so few pages.

Review: Merry Inkmas by Talia Hibbert

January 25, 2023January 25, 2023 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

Merry Inkmas
Talia Hibbert
Publisher: Nixon House
Publication Date: December 1, 2017
Series or Standalone: Standalone
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads – StoryGraph
Rating:

MY REVIEW

CW: domestic abuse; homelessness; intrusive thoughts; reference to parental death from cancer

Merry Inkmas is not your traditional holiday romance novella. If you’re looking for a light-hearted holiday romance, this is not the story for you. Now, I don’t think that should put you off the story though.

However, and I’m being honest, this is a bit of a hard novella for me to review. After reading it almost a month ago, I feel a bit indifferent toward it. Don’t get me wrong, I liked it, but it didn’t leave as much of a lingering impression on me as I thought it would. It was fine?

Review: Once Upon a Winter’s Eve by Tessa Dare

January 13, 2023January 13, 2023 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

Once Upon a Winter’s Eve
Tessa Dare
Publisher: Samhaim Publishing
Publication Date: November 15, 2011
Series or Standalone: Spinde Cove #1.5
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads – StoryGraph
Rating:

MY REVIEW

CW: Violence; sexual harassment

I somehow skipped this novella when I did my last reread of the Spindle Cove series. Now, normally I adore Tessa Dare’s work – she writes some of the funniest, smartest, and sexiest historical romance novels out there. But this novella was not it. I think I actually hated it? And that pains me to say. Violet should have stayed FAR away from Christian as that man is a walking red flag.

Review: A Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews

January 11, 2023January 11, 2023 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

A Holiday by Gaslight
Mimi Matthews
Publisher: Perfectly Proper Press
Publication Date: November 13, 2018
Series or Standalone: Standalone
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads – StoryGraph
Rating:

MY REVIEW

Did I read this book after Christmas? Yes. I don’t know why, but I always want to read holiday novels AFTER the holidays.

A Holiday by Gaslight was a super cute, light and fun holiday romance novel! Novellas can be very hit or miss for me as it’s hard to balance the plot, characters, and romance in such a small amount of space, but Mimi Matthews had no problems with that!

Review: In Which Margo Halifax Earns Her Shocking Reputation by Alexandra Vasti

November 28, 2022April 2, 2023 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

In Which Margo Halifax Earns Her Shocking Reputation
Alexandra Vasti
Publisher: Self-published
Publication Date: Septmeber 19, 2022
Series or Standalone: Halifax Hellions #1
Links: Goodreads – StoryGraph – Alexandra Vasti’s website
Rating:

MY REVIEW

In Which Margo Halifax Earns Her Shocking Reputation was such a cute and spicy little novella that managed to cram a great romance in a short amount of pages! I’m not usually a big reader of novellas, but I saw everyone raving about this on Instagram, so I had to pick it up!

Review: Diamond Fire by Ilona Andrews

August 10, 2022August 9, 2022 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

Diamond Fire
Ilona Andrews
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Publication Date: November 6, 2018
Series or Standalone: Hidden Legacy #3.5
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads
Rating:

MY REVIEW

If you are the type of person who skips novellas (which I normally am), please don’t skip out on Diamond Fire. This novella, though short, plays a critical role in passing the baton for the Hidden Legacy series from Nevada to Catalina.

Review: A Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas

January 5, 2022January 5, 2022 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

A Wallflower Christmas
Lisa Kleypas
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: October 14, 2008
Series or Standalone: The Wallflowers #4.5
Links:Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads
Rating:

MY REVIEW

Yes, I know it’s no longer Christmastime, but I ended up reading A Wallflower Christmas a few days after Christmas, so my first review of the year is a Christmas book. I love the Wallflowers series and was greatly looking forward to this novella. However, I did not like this book. I was disappointed with the romance and some secondary storylines involving the OG Wallflowers.

Review: Beauty and the Blacksmith by Tessa Dare

August 27, 2021August 26, 2021 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

Beauty and the Blacksmith
By Tessa Dare
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Publication Date: April 28, 2013
Series or Standalone: Spindle Cove 3.5
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads
Rating:

MY REVIEW

I’ve read the Spindle Cove series multiple times but always skipped over the novellas. There isn’t anything wrong with novellas, but I’m not the biggest fan of them. As part of the But Do They Bang? Readalong, we picked a few of Tessa Dare’s novellas to read and I’m so glad we did as it gave me an excuse to read the stories I always skipped over.