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: 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?

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: How to Be a Wallflower by Eloisa James

May 31, 2022May 30, 2022 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

How to Be a Wallflower
Eloisa James
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: March 29, 2022
Series or Standalone: Would-Be Wallflowers #1
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads
Rating:

MY REVIEW

I feel like I went into this book with high expectations, but unfortunately, this book felt a bit flat. I didn’t hate this book, but I also didn’t love it – I guess what I felt was vague indifference. It took what felt like a long time to get through this book as it didn’t engage me with the romance, and I struggled to connect and like Cleo.

Review: Untouchable by Kresley Cole

January 29, 2022January 29, 2022 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

Untouchable (Published in Deep Kiss of Winter)
Kresley Cole
Publisher: Pocket Books
Publication Date: October 13, 2009
Series or Standalone: Immortals After Dark #7
Links: Amazon -Barnes & Noble – Goodreads
Rating:

MY REVIEW

Untouchable, one of the stories in the Deep Kiss of Winter anthology, finishes up the stories focused on the Wroth brothers. Unfortunately, it was my least favorite of the bunch. This book was strange to me as I didn’t actively dislike it, but it also didn’t wow me. If anything, it was a bit…forgettable. I read it and then immediately moved on. It didn’t leave a lasting impression on me like Sebastian’s or Conrad’s tale.

Review: Dark Desires After Dusk by Kresley Cole

January 17, 2022January 16, 2022 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

Dark Desires After Dusk
Kresley Cole
Publisher: Pocket Books
Publication Date: March 20, 2008
Series or Standalone: Immortals After Dark #5
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads
Rating:

MY REVIEW

CW: Mental illness (OCD); pregnancy; non-consenual kissing; violence

I was looking forward to getting Cadeon’s story after being teased that he was in love with a human in Dark Needs at Night’s Edge. Unfortunately, I didn’t love this. Something about it failed to click with me, making reading it slow going. In many ways, this book reminded me of A Hunger Like No Other since we also get a road trip, but I found this a bit more enjoyable and less problematic.

Review: Morning Glory Milking Farm by C.M. Nascosta

November 10, 2021November 9, 2021 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

Morning Glory Milking Farm
C.M. Nascosta
Publisher: Meduas Editoriale
Publication Date: August 3, 2021
Series or Standalone: Cambric Creek: Sweet and Steamy Monster Romance #1
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads
Rating:

MY REVIEW

What did I just read? After seeing this book EVERYWHERE on Instagram, I decided to give it a go. Morning Glory Milking Farm is my first monster romance, and I’ve got to say, it managed to be exactly what I expected it to be, but also unexpected in how sweet the romance was. I don’t think I can ever look at a glass of milk the same ever again.

Review: A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole

October 26, 2021April 13, 2022 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

A Hunger Like No Other
Kresley Cole
Publisher: Pocket Books
Publication Date: March 28, 2006
Series or Standalone: Immortals After Dark #1
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads
Rating:

MY REVIEW

CW: Sexual assault, kidnapping, torture, violence

I’ve been hearing about the Immortals After Dark series for ages and I’ve finally started to dive into this massive series. I went into this book with a lot of background information which definitely shaped my reading experience. This book is definitely problematic and one that people sometimes skip over, but I’m someone who needs to read all the books in the series.

ARC Review: The Devil’s Own Duke by Lenora Bell

September 30, 2021September 29, 2021 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

The Devil’s Own Duke
By Lenora Bell
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: September 28, 2021
Series or Standalone: Wallflowers vs. Rogues
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads
Rating:

MY REVIEW

I’ve been waffling on how to rate this book since I finished reading it. I really wanted to like this as the premise sounded amazing, but unfortunately, a few things didn’t click for me. Much like Hetty’s wines, I felt like this book needed to sit and develop a bit more to deliver on the flavors I was looking for.

Review: How to Catch a Wild Viscount by Tessa Dare

September 10, 2021September 10, 2021 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

How to Catch a Wild Viscount
By Tessa Dare
Publisher: Self-published
Publication Date: May 12, 2009
Series or Standalone: Wanton Dairymaid #.5
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads
Rating:

MY REVIEW

Note: This novella was originally published under the title The Legend of the Werestag

I had not heard of How to Catch a Wild Viscount before participating in the But Do They Bang? readalong of Tessa Dare’s work. This was Dare’s first published work and one of her less well-known stories. It was different from any of her other works as it does have a bit of an air of supernatural to it, even though it is pure historical fiction.