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Tuesday, June 29, 2021

Review: The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian


The Queer Principles of Kit Webb
Cat Sebastian
Release: June 8, 2021
Goodreads Amazon
Critically acclaimed author Cat Sebastian makes her trade paperback debut in a stunning historical romance about a reluctantly reformed highwayman and the aristocrat who threatens to steal his heart.

Kit Webb has left his stand-and-deliver days behind him. But dreary days at his coffee shop have begun to make him pine for the heady rush of thievery. When a handsome yet arrogant aristocrat storms into his shop, Kit quickly realizes he may be unable to deny whatever this highborn man desires.

In order to save himself and a beloved friend, Percy, Lord Holland must go against every gentlemanly behavior he holds dear to gain what he needs most: a book that once belonged to his mother, a book his father never lets out of his sight and could be Percy’s savior. More comfortable in silk-filled ballrooms than coffee shops frequented by criminals, his attempts to hire the roughly hewn highwayman, formerly known as Gladhand Jack, proves equal parts frustrating and electrifying.

Kit refuses to participate in the robbery but agrees to teach Percy how to do the deed. Percy knows he has little choice but to submit and as the lessons in thievery begin, he discovers thievery isn’t the only crime he’s desperate to commit with Kit.

But when their careful plan goes dangerously wrong and shocking revelations threaten to tear them apart, can these stolen hearts withstand the impediments in their path?

Review:
I've been trying to figure out how to review this book ever since I read it besides yelling at you all to go read it through the computer. One of my friends described this book as a historical coffee shop AU set in Georgian England and no truer words have been spoken. An even better description of this book came from the author who described it as "Be Gay, Do Crimes: Cozy Edition" and I'm 100% in agreement.

Like with every other Cat Sebastian book I've read, I completely and utterly adored this book! The story is about a retired highway man, Kit Webb formerly known as Gladhand Jack, who gets persuaded into helping an aristocrat, Edward Percy aka Lord Holland, with robbing their father. But instead of doing the robbery himself, Kit teaches Percy how to hold up a coach. They start to fall for each other as they plan and train Percy for the robbery. 

The whole premise of this novel was everything and I loved that Kit's coffee shop with its little lending library was the main setting of most of this novel. Both Kit and Percy are not what they seem and I loved how we discovered how soft each of them were under their tough exteriors as the story progressed. Also, I'm always game for the sunshine and the grump trope in romance and this was a master class study for it! I quickly fell in love with Kit and Percy from the start and I could barely stop reading it. I have never been so mad about one of my flights arriving on time than when I had to stop reading this book at the 85% mark. It also has a small hint of enemies-to-lovers which added some delightful tension. 

And oh the pining! The way the main characters pined for each other was everything! In my opinion, Cat Sebastian writes some of the best pining in the genre. Both Kit and Percy have to decide whether the robbery is the only crime they want to permit or if they wanted to commit the crime of pursuing a relationship with each other.

I loved everything about this book and I need you all to go read it and come squeal with me in the comments! I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel next year!

ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss


    
  5 / 5 Stars!

 
My reviews of other books by this author:
It Takes Two to Tumble (Seducing the Sedgewicks #1)

Monday, June 28, 2021

Review: Playing the Palace by Paul Rudnick


Playing the Palace
Paul Rudnick
Release: May 25, 2021
Goodreads Amazon
THEIR LOVE STORY CAPTIVATED THE WORLD…THE CROWN PRINCE AND THAT GUY FROM NEW YORK

When a lonely American event planner starts dating the gay Prince of Wales, a royal uproar ensues: is it true love or the ultimate meme? Find out in this hilarious romantic comedy.


After having his heart trampled on by his cheating ex, Carter Ogden is afraid love just isn’t in the cards for him. He still holds out hope in a tiny corner of his heart, but even in his wildest dreams he never thought he’d meet the Crown Prince of England, much less do a lot more with him. Yes, growing up he’d fantasized about the handsome, openly gay Prince Edgar, but who hadn’t? When they meet by chance at an event Carter’s boss is organizing, Carter’s sure he imagined all that sizzling chemistry. Or was it mutual?

This unlikely but meant-to-be romance sets off media fireworks on both sides of the Atlantic. With everyone having an opinion on their relationship and the intense pressure of being constantly in the spotlight, Carter finds ferocious obstacles to his Happily Ever After, including the tenacious disapproval of the Queen of England. Carter and Prince Edgar fight for a happy ending to equal their glorious international beginning. It’s a match made on Valentine’s Day and in tabloid heaven.
Review:
I'll be honest. Me reading this book is one of those times I was totally influenced by the cover to pick a book up. It caught my attention almost immediately when I was scrolling through Netgalley because it looked adorable. Then I read the synopsis and I was immediately intrigued. It kind of gave me Red, White and Royal Blue vibes, which you all know I adored, so I requested it. Although, I will say the closest it got to RWRB was the fact that one of the love interests was the Prince of England.
 
Y'all! I'm so glad I did! This book was such a fun read! It had me laughing and tearing up. It's kind of like like reading a gay version of My Big Fat Greek Wedding but with royalty and a large Jewish family instead. It also had 100% more Ruth Bader Ginsburg and I was here for it! I really enjoyed when Carter's friends and family were on the page as well as Edgar's security team and valet/minder. 
 
As much as I enjoyed it, the story had some pacing issues and was a bit all over the place and more than a bit over the top. I feel like if the author had added in another fifty or hundred pages that he could have slowed the pacing down and spent more time developing the plot so the book read as a continuous whole and not like a collection of moments that felt a bit disjointed at times.
 
The characters as fun as they were, felt a bit flat and not completely realized. The romance was cute but felt rushed and not as believable at it could have been. I kept wanting to knock some sense into each of the main characters. For all its faults, this book had me laughing and grinning ear to ear from the start and once I really got into the story I couldn’t stop reading until I had no pages left. It was truly a fun and fast read that would be perfect as a summer vacation or beach read.

ARC provided by the Publisher via Netgalley.

   
  4 / 5 Stars



Recommended for fans of:
Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Sunday, June 27, 2021

The Big Book Haul Post: April and May 2021


Whoops! The Weres got too busy reading and took an unexpected hiatus during most of April and May. Don't worry we didn't stop buying books over our break!
 
Here's what we added to our TBR piles over the last two months:

As always, keep in mind that books we got for free earlier in the month may not still be free, so look before you click.
 

Gretl

Physical Book Haul
Physical Book Haul To Come Soon

Added to My Kindle
ARCs
A Good Day For Chardonnay by Darynda Jones

Purchased 
Hard Ware by Misha Bell
The Roommate Risk by Talia Hibbert
 
Freebies
Hot Pursuit by Lynn Rae Harris
Apple of My Eye by Alyssa Day
Her Big City Neighbor by Jackie Lau
Mr. Big by Nana Malone
Dirty Player by Mira Lynn Kelly
Mr Klein is Fine by Meghan Quinn

Rose Red

Physical Book Haul

Added to My Kindle
ARCs
Paper & Blood (Ink & Sigil #2) by Kevin Hearne
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Yes, Daddy by Jonathan Parks-Ramage
All the Feels (Spoiler Alert #2) by Olivia Dade

Purchased
Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower by Tamsyn Muir
Haven (Fox Hollow Zodiac #3) by Morgan Brice
The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows (Feminine Pursuits #2) by Olivia Waite
 
If We Were Us by K.L. Walther
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within (Wayfarers #4) by Becky Chambers
A Heart of Blood and Ashes (A Gathering of Dragons #1) by Milla Vane
 
Tommy Cabot was Here (The Cabots #1) by Cat Sebastian
Fugitive Telemetry (The Murderbot Diaries #6) by Martha Wells
Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide, Vol. 1 by Mone Sorai
 
Served Hot (Portland Heat #1) by Annabeth Albert
The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho
The Empress of Salt and Fortune (The Singing Hills #1) by Nghi Vo
 
Ceremony in Death (In Death #5) by J.D. Robb
Well Played (Well Met #2) by Jen DeLuca
Remington (The Theriot Family #1) by Silvia Violet
 
Burning Roses by S.L. Huang
Shades of Magic, Vol. 1: The Steel Prince by V.E. Schwab
Wolf of the Northern Star (The Wolfkin Saga #2) by SJ Himes
 
 
The Afterward by E.K. Johnston
Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake (Winner Bakes All #1) by Alexis Hall 
Hell Breaks Loose (Hellhound Champions #4) by Macy Blake

Freebies
Heir to a Curse (Romancing a Curse #1) by Lissa Kasey
Too Wicked to Kiss (Gothic Love Stories #1) by Erica Ridley
 
What books did you get this month?
 
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