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.

ARC Review: Lady Meets Earl by Christy Carlyle

February 27, 2023February 26, 2023 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

Lady Meets Earl
Christy Carlyle
Publisher: Avon Books
Publication Date: November 29, 2022
Series or Standalone: Love on Holiday #2
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads – StoryGraph
Rating:

MY REVIEW

CW: sexual assault; death of parents; anxiety; violence

Lady Meets Earl was a delightful second installment in Christy Carlyle’s Love on Holiday series. Despite being love at first sight, the romance was charming, with fantastic banter between James and Lucy. I enjoyed these characters and loved the journey the book takes you on.

This was also the perfect book to read as I was about to head out on my trip to the Scottish Highlands and Edinburgh last November. While I was there, I got to visit some of the exact sites that James and Lucy went to, which made it extra special!

ARC Review: The Counterfeit Scoundrel by Lorraine Heath

February 20, 2023February 20, 2023 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

The Counterfeit Scoundrel
Lorraine Heath
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: February 21, 2023
Series or Standalone: The Chessmen: Masters of Seduction #1
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads – StoryGraph
Rating:

MY REVIEW

CW: Domestic abuse; death of a parent; references to child abuse & infidielity; drug use & addiction (off-page)

If you know me, then you know that The Duchess Hunt is my all-time favorite historical romance novel, and Lorraine Heath is one of my favorite authors. So it should come as no surprise that The Counterfeit Scoundrel was my most anticipated read of 2023.

Unfortunately, I didn’t love this one, and it fell short of my expectations. This book leaned way more into detective fiction than I expected, which meant the romance took a back seat. I wanted more swoon-worthy feelings that I know Heath can deliver.

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: The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton

December 20, 2022December 21, 2022 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels
India Holton
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: June 15, 2021
Series or Standalone: Dangerous Damsels #1
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads – StoryGraph
Rating:

MY REVIEW

CW: Gun violence; murder; death of parent; sexism

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels is unlike any book I’ve ever read. It’s absurd and over the top, yet I loved every second of reading it! This book combines a fantastic romance with an incredibly unique premise, badass female characters, and razor-sharp wit. I don’t think I’ve had this much fun reading a book in ages!

Review: A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall

December 16, 2022December 15, 2022 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

A Lady for a Duke
Alexis Hall
Publisher: Forever
Publication Date: May 24, 2022
Series or Standalone: Standalone
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads – StoryGraph
Rating:

MY REVIEW

CW: deadnaming; misgendering; ableist language; suicidal ideation; drug/alchol use; PTSD

A Lady for A Duke has a beautiful love story at its center, and I would love to read more historical romances with trans characters as protagonists. And as much as I thought I would be giving this 5 stars at the start, the story did drag toward the end, which knocked my rating down a bit.

Audiobook Review: The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews

December 5, 2022December 4, 2022 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

The Siren of Sussex
Mimi Matthews
Narrators: Vidish Athavale & Lydia Hanman
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: January 11, 2022
Series or Standalone: Belles of London
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads – StoryGraph
Overall Rating:

Performance Rating:

Story Rating:

MY REVIEW

CW: Racism/racial slurs; misogyny/sexism; sexual harrasment; colonization; death of parent; references to suicide, pregnancy, abandonment

The Siren of Sussex was not as tempting as I hoped it would be. First, it should be said that while this is marketed as a romance, it is a closed-door romance. Second, it felt much more like historical fiction than historical romance. And third, listening to this as an audiobook was not the right move.

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

November 28, 2022November 27, 2022 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: Standalone
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: Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase

November 7, 2022November 6, 2022 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

Lord of Scoundrels
Loretta Chase
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: January 1995
Series or Standalone: Scoundrels #3
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads – StoryGraph
Rating:

MY REVIEW

CW: Bullying; racism; abandonment; gun violence; body shaming

“A monster he may be, but he was her monster.”

I have heard so many people rave about Lord of Scoundrels that I was hesitant to start it. There is no way this book could live up to the hype, I thought. But I was wrong. So so wrong. This book deserves all the hype, love and praise. I still cannot wrap my head around the fact this book published in 1995. It feels so modern in its tone, character and stories – it’s like something you’d find in a Sarah MacLean or Tessa Dare novel publishing today. Loretta Chase was so far ahead of her time.