Bought by A.L. Long

Stars: ★★★

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General info

A girl has been held captive and a sex slave for 15 years. Then a buyer comes in and her live turns for the better. 

Things I liked 

The book is quite good, it is an interesting story. As a novella it’s extremely quick to read 

Things I did not like

Even though the book and story are interesting, it somehow feels a bit unpolished. In a way it feels like it is a first draft and I would have liked it to have something more. Also, I’m not a big fan on cliffhanger books and this is exactly it.

Conclusion

All in all, this is an okay book. I like the story, but it is very simple and I would have like some more depth in the characters and the plot too. 

* Free copy received for review from BookSirens 

Teaching His Ward by Noël Cades

Stars: ★★★★★

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General info

This is a bit of a cliche regency romance novel. Jemima is a 17-year old orphan girl whose guardian is the Earl of Southwell, a man who she has never met but who is extremely strict. When he forbids Jemima from going to London to begin her introduction to society, the adventure starts.

Things I liked

I generally like these kind of historical novels because they are easy to read and the language isn't too heavy. The story was good, even if it is a bit cliche. It was still great to follow and to experience Jemima and Marcus' love story. I wish finding a longtime partner would be this easy nowadays as it seem to have been in the good-old-days.

Things I didn't like

Well, I think there's nothing that I didn't like. I don't mind the cliche or anything. It moved a little fast since the Lord of Southwell travels so much so some months are skipped in the book but I don't mind that either. The ending could have been a bit longer but I still like it a lot.

Conclusion

All in all, this is a very enjoyable book that brightens up your day. I personally could not stop reading this book and when I wasn't reading the book, I was thinking about it so I guess I was totally hooked until the very end. 

* Free copy of the book received from Book Sirens

The Frisky Witch’s Erotic Grimoire by California Dawes

Stars: ★★★★★

More info: here

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General info

This is a collection of short stories and novellas about encounters between humans and magical creatures alike with a sexy twist.

Things I like

I absolutely loved this book. All the stories are interesting and well written. The characters and the sexual scenes are brilliant and it was a great read. There was no chance to become bored since the stories are short and quick. To be honest, I would enjoy reading all stories as actual full-length novels. 

Things I do not like 

I loved this book and I would like to read more on all the short stories in the book. So, it’s a bit sad that all the stories ended when they did when they could be so much more to the stories and the characters. 

Conclusion 

In one sentence: this book was brilliant. I loved reading it from the start to the end. I really wish that I could read the full novel of each story in the book. Loved it, loved it, loved it. 

* Free copy received from Book Sirens for a review

Chosen by Shadows by Basia Pike

Stars: ★★★★★

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Hayley is a girl with a tough past and a tough present. When her best friend finds a mysterious artifact and is dragged into hell, Hayley has no other choise but to follow. There she meets fallen angels and demons who all more or less wants her dead. The king of Hell, Lucifer, however, is very protective over her. This leads to a wild adventure, especially when it turns out that God isn't at all good and wants her dead more than anything.

Things I liked

I like the whole consept of fallen angels and angels in general. Also, the idea that God might not be as saintly as people believe was a fresh perspective. I know that this might not sit well with a lot of people, but to me this consept works and the book is only fiction anyway. 
I also like the characters. I especially like Lucifer and Gabriel. They just work for me. They are interesting and I really want them to get their happy ending. 

Things I did not like 

The plot of the story is good, but sometimes it feels like it gets a bit stuck. I also would have liked a little bit more romance. 

Conclusion

Altogether, this book is great. I really, really enjoyed reading it. I cannot wait to read the next installment in the series and see what happens next. 

* ARC received through Book Sirens

Polite Society by Mahesh Rao

Stars: ★★★

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Book will be published on August, 20th, 2019

General info

A story about the lives of rich people in India. It is said to be a rerepresentation of Jane Austen's Emma. I have not yet finished Emma so I cannot confirm a hundread proecent. The story of Ania who tries to fiddle in the lovelives of everybody else and forgets her own. A story of love, despair and how money does not always make life easier or happier. You could almost say money does the opposite. 

Things I liked

I enjoyed that throughout the whole story, there is Ania, who playes a part in all the other characters' lives. And I liked that I got to follow the lives of so many interesting people. I also feel that it really portrays lives of reach people in a realistic way. There is events that could happen in reality and there are problems that people could actually face. I also think, and this may make me a horrible person, that it is very refreshing that not all the characters live happily ever after.

Things I did not like so much

To me, the story was interesting but it was still a bit boring. I also sometimes had a hard time following the plot. For me, although the book gets more interesting toward the end, the ending on its own is just plain weird and very sudden. There are things to be said in my opinion and not all characters get their ending. They simply just exists. 

Conclusion

All in all, it is a book that left me feeling conflicted. I both like it and dislike it if that is even possible. I guess I will have to finish Emma now to see if they really are similar. I would say you have to read the book to really know if it's worth reading.

* ARC received through the publisher via First to Read Scheme 

Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore

Stars: ★★★★★

More info from Goodreads

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Publishing date September, 3rd, 2019

General info 

Annabelle is a poor girl from the countryside who gets into the first female college at Oxford university. She’s actively trying to get government to give women the vote.
Then there is Duke of Montgomery. He’s all about duty and when he meets Annabelle, his life turns upside down. They go through ups and downs when they face the expectations of the society and other obstacles. This is a beautiful story about real love and soul mates. 

Things I liked

I have to say I really like the poor country girl and a rich duke set up a lot. It might be a bit cliche but not in a historical romance usually. I also really like the characters and especially Annabelle. She’s strong, inspiring and clever. And I appreciate Montgomery too. He’s brilliant and in the end he does the right thing. 

Things I didn’t like 

At least right now, there’s nothing I could say that I didn’t like. Well certain characters but I guess that’s a given with any book and that’s good thing really. 

Conclusion

All in all, this book is great. It has strong characters, a beautiful plot and it truly shows the type of life women had in the past. The happy ending truly was just the cherry on top. 

* ARC received from the publisher through First to Read scheme

The Second-Worst Restaurant in France by Alexander McCall Smith

Stars: ★★★★

More info here

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The book will be published July 16th, 2019

General info

Paul is a successful food writer who struggles with a little bit of a writer’s blog. Then cousin Chloe comes into the picture and offers him a chance to spend some time in the French countryside to try and get past the writer’s blog. This is the start of an interesting, a little bit funny and a very heartfelt story.

Things I liked

It was an interesting story as a whole but there are certain aspects that are especially to my liking. I especially like the people living in the village. I also really like Chloe’s character. She is a very interesting woman and she makes the story more interesting really.

Things I did not like

The beginning in my opinion is a bit slow and I was a bit doubtful if I would actually enjoy the book. It turns out it gets a lot better as the story goes on. Another part was the ending. To me it felt like it ended a little bit too soon but maybe there’s going to be another book soon that continues this book.

Conclusion

I really enjoyed this book. It is interesting an interesting story and it lifted my spirits whenever I was reading it. It has a happy ending and all in all it’s a very heartfelt story.

* ARC received from the publisher through First to Read