Love is a Rogue by Lenora Bell
Wallflowers vs. Rogues #1
Historical Romance
October 27, 2020, by Avon
ARC
I simply adored this author’s last release and was very excited to get an early copy of this first book in her newest series. Wallflowers vs. Rogues has many of the same characters as her School for Dukes series but seems to be introducing a fresh, new group of Wallflowers/women who want something different for their lives other than balls and shopping and letting men control them. Love is a Rogue turned out to be a sweet, not overly angst-filled romance.
The heroine, Beatrice, is a young woman who has a slight palsy and has dealt with it by falling into books and forming true friendships with other women who want a life not normally acceptable of the times for women. Her hero is Ford, a carpenter on her brother’s estate. I liked that this book featured an everyday working man rather than a duke or earl or another member of the aristocracy. Ford is a steady, capable man whose own mother fell in love with a carpenter and was disowned by her family. He knows what a relationship with Beatrice would mean for her, but nevertheless falls for her anyway.
You would think there would be A LOT of angst and drama in this story, but there really isn’t. There is a villain, and a mama who is overly ambitious for her daughter, but neither is really terrible and the ‘big misunderstanding’ lasts about two pages. The conflict is wrapped up nice and neat with a bow… almost a little too easily. But I liked the romance and am really looking forward to seeing more of the secondary characters in the rest of the series.
Final grade- C+/B-
Crazy, Stupid Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams
Bromance Book Club #3
Contemporary Romance
October 27, 2020, by Berkley
ARC
I’m pretty sure this series gets better with each new release. You would think by looking at the cover and discovering that the main premise is a group of guys getting together for a romance book club in order to help them with their love lives that this would be cheesy rom-com goodness… AND IT IS. But, every story has also had that emotional punch that’s kind of taken me by surprise.
Crazy, Stupid Bromance features the friends to lovers trope and it’s done so well. If you’ve read the previous installment in the series, Undercover Bromance, then you have met Liv’s best friend Alexis. She is a sexual assault survivor and when she’s not running her cat-friendly coffee shop, she’s a welcoming safe place for other survivors. Her other BFF is Noah, a former hacker who runs a security company. Their relationship is natural and easy and open and I loved it. They met right in the middle of Alexis’s trauma with her ex-boss and what she needed at the time was a friend and so that’s who Noah is content to be for her. FOR NOW ANYWAY.
Y’all they are both dealing with so many issues. SO MANY. I’m not even going to get into them all. You would think this book would be weighted down by the serious themes, but the sweet and funny and romantic parts balance everything out nicely. Also, the first sex scene is uh… Wowza.
I will say that the entire concept of the Bromance Book Club is amusing and I really do enjoy all these guys and watching them find love. They are like a big, supportive found family and that’s one of my favorite things in a romance.
This was an excellent addition to the series and I predict will be a huge success. I can’t wait to see what’s next, hopefully, we’ll get to the Russian and find out what’s going on with him and his wife.
Final grade- B+
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