New This Week

 

An Unfamiliar Duke
Georgian Gentlemen #4
By Sian Ann Bessey
Publisher: Covenant Communications (May 16, 2022)
Paperback: 240 pages
ISBN-10: 1524419915
ISBN-13: 978-1524419912
 
Publisher’s Blurb:

At eleven years of age, Rosalind Ainsworth was convinced that Sebastian Lumley, the future Duke of Kelbrook, was the most odious young man she’d ever met. And ten years later, after having had no contact with the nobleman in the intervening time, her opinion of him has not changed. Unfortunately, neither has the marriage contract their fathers signed soon after her birth.

 

As Rosalind’s twenty-first birthday and the appointed wedding day approaches, Sebastian makes a rare appearance in London. His first meeting with Rosalind since childhood goes less than perfectly, but Sebastian has a compelling reason for honoring their marriage contract―a reason outlined in a document kept behind his workshop’s locked door. 

 

After a quick wedding, the new couple relocates to Finley Park, where their acquaintanceship slowly blossoms into affection. But when Sebastian’s secretive work threatens their fledgling relationship and Rosalind’s life is placed in jeopardy, Sebastian finds himself forced to choose between the man he has pledged to help and the woman he has come to love.

 My Thoughts:

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read!

 Rosalind, our protagonist, has never gotten over Sebastian’s rudeness to her in childhood, when she was the tagalong little sister of his friend. An only child, he was awkward and didn’t really know how to communicate with her. But she’s never forgiven him for banning her from his treehouse. She’s definitely not a fan of the whole arranged marriage thing, although it is a relief not to have to take any of her suitors at balls too seriously. She loves math, and hates having to hide her interest. Still, it hurts that Sebastian has made no contact until shortly before her 21^st birthday and their impending marriage.

 Sebastian, while a nobleman, is also somewhat of an engineer. He has worked with some of the great inventors of his day, and wants to make life better for the tenants on his land. He is not particularly social, but wants to honor the arrangement their fathers made. It doesn’t hurt a bit that Rosalind is attractive and intelligent.

 Of course, there are hurt feelings as they learn to communicate with each other. He won’t let Rosalind in his workshop, and she finds that insulting. But he isn’t put off by her love of numbers—in fact, he offers to teach her.

 Of course, there’s a disappointed man who wanted to get his hands on Rosalind’s money. And of course, he ends up making trouble for Sebastian.

 This was a very quick read, and I found the character development overall to be quite good. Our villain was a bit of a cardboard cutout, but he served his purpose well. It wasn’t too hard to predict what Rosalind’s role would be in Sebastian solving an engineering problem. Even though I saw it coming, the actual event came about naturally.

 Possible Objectionable Material:

Some people get injured when a clearing a tree from a cottage roof. A little bit of peril. Some kissing.

 Who Might Like This Book:

Fans of regency romance, especially when aspects of real history are included. As with other romances from this author and publisher, it is squeaky clean.

 Thank you to NetGalley and Covenant Communications for providing an ARC in exchange for my opinion.

Once Upon a K-Prom
By Kat Cho
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion (May 17, 2022)
Hardcover: 336 pages
ISBN-10: 1368064647
ISBN-13: 978-1368064644
Reading age: 12 - 18 years
Grade level: 7 - 12
 
Publisher’s Blurb:

Elena Soo has always felt overshadowed. Whether by her more successful older sisters, her more popular twin brother, or her more outgoing best friend, everyone except Elena seems to know exactly who they are and what they want. But she is certain about one thing - she has no interest in going to prom. While the rest of the school is giddy over corsages and dresses, Elena would rather spend her time working to save the local community center, the one place that's always made her feel like she belonged.

So when international K-pop superstar Robbie Choi shows up at her house to ask her to prom, Elena is more confused than ever. Because the one person who always accepted Elena as she is? Her childhood best friend, Robbie Choi. And the one thing she maybe, possibly, secretly wants more than anything? For the two of them to keep the promise they made each other as kids: to go to prom together. But that was seven years ago, and with this new K-pop persona, pink hair, and stylish clothes, Robbie is nothing like the sweet, goofy boy she remembers. The boy she shared all her secrets with. The boy she used to love.

Besides, prom with a guy who comes with hordes of screaming fans, online haters, and relentless paparazzi is the last thing Elena wants - even if she can't stop thinking about Robbie's smile...right?

 My Thoughts:

What would you do if one of your childhood best friends moved away and then became super famous? You sure wouldn’t expect them to come back to town and take you to prom, right?

 That’s the situation Elena is in. The youngest (along with her minutes-older twin brother and only son of the family) of a large Korean-American family, she is used to being the one no one pays attention to. But she is passionate about saving the local community center. She tries to convince her fellow students to save some of the money they’d have spent on prom and donate it to the community center, but everyone thinks she just hates prom because no one will ask her to go with them.

 Enter Robbie, childhood BFF and singer in one of the hottest K-pop bands. Seven years ago, he had promised to take her to prom, and he’s back to fulfill his promise.

 Of course, asking her while his manager films the whole thing doesn’t go over well. Neither does a majorly overproduced promposal later. But they do manage to rekindle their friendship, and Elena eventually agrees to let Robbie take her to prom. As friends. Even though she’s seriously crushing on him.

 Of course, there are complications. Lots of them. And Robbie’s motives aren’t entirely selfless.

 We get the fun of watching both of them find their voice and stand up for themselves.

 Possible Objectionable Material:

Teenage drama. Some kissing. Very mild cursing. A little bit of sneaking around. A same-sex couple.

 Who Might Like This Book:

I’m not really into K-pop, but I did just have a journalism student write articles about four different K-pop bands. It’s quite an industry! K-Pop fans should definitely enjoy this book. Anyone who enjoys watching a high school student find their voice and passion (it’s what I do for a living, after all) would probably like this.

 Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

 

Bloomsbury Girls
By Natalie Jenner
Publisher: St. Martin's Press (May 17, 2022)
Hardcover: 368 pages
ISBN-10: 1250276691
ISBN-13: 978-1250276698
 
Publisher’s Blurb:

Bloomsbury Books is an old-fashioned new and rare book store that has persisted and resisted change for a hundred years, run by men and guided by the general manager's unbreakable fifty-one rules. But in 1950, the world is changing, especially the world of books and publishing, and at Bloomsbury Books, the girls in the shop have plans:

Vivien Lowry: Single since her aristocratic fiance was killed in action during World War II, the brilliant and stylish Vivien has a long list of grievances--most of them well justified and the biggest of which is Alec McDonough, the Head of Fiction.

Grace Perkins: Married with two sons, she's been working to support the family following her husband's breakdown in the aftermath of the war. Torn between duty to her family and dreams of her own.

Evie Stone: In the first class of female students from Cambridge permitted to earn a degree, Evie was denied an academic position in favor of her less accomplished male rival. Now she's working at Bloomsbury Books while she plans to remake her own future.

As they interact with various literary figures of the time--Daphne Du Maurier, Ellen Doubleday, Sonia Blair (widow of George Orwell), Samuel Beckett, Peggy Guggenheim, and others--these three women with their complex web of relationships, goals and dreams are all working to plot out a future that is richer and more rewarding than anything society will allow.

 My Thoughts:

I’m not really sure why nothing mentions that this is a direct sequel to The Jane Austen Society, a book I have not yet read but want to. There are many references to events of that book, but this book is totally understandable without having read its predecessor.

 Set in post-WWII London, this book deals with issues that many women faced in that time. Having become accustomed to working while the men were away at war, many women found themselves at loose ends when the men came home and expected the women to return to domestic duties. Worse still, many men didn’t come home, leaving women without husbands and fiances. And those women who did venture into academia or professional life were often constrained by what was considered “appropriate” for them to do.

 This sets the scene for us as we watch the women of Bloomsbury Books, a hundred-year-old London bookstore. Its owner is an occasionally hands-on lord. Its manager is exceedingly attached to his 51 rules, but when he has to take a medical leave, the women of the shop get to stretch their wings a little.

 While there is a great deal of social commentary, there’s also a bit of mystery, as Evie searches for a “lost” volume of one of the first-ever science fiction books, which predated Frankenstein and was written by a 17-year-old girl.

 All three of our women undergo a great deal of growth, with the help of each other and a cast of historical characters. Watching them learn to mold their lives into what they want, rather than what society tries to push onto them, is very satisfying.

 It’s difficult to believe this book was nearly 400 pages—I read it in a day.

 Possible Objectionable Material:

Homosexuality. Mild cursing. Unmarried people have sex—offscreen. Domestic abuse. Racism.

 Who Might Like This Book:

If you love literature, this is for you. There are so many works of literature name-dropped. If you like to see strong women find their way, try this book. If you like well-researched historical fiction that includes lots of people who really lived, this will satisfy.

 Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my opinion.

 

Marquess of Magic
Sisterhood of Secrets #3
By Jennifer Monroe
Publisher: WOLF Publishing (May 9, 2022)
Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 3985360634
ISBN-13: 978-3985360635
 
Publisher’s Blurb:

Spellbound by a glamorous man…

 Miss Diana Kendricks is the rarest of young women: She is actually looking forward to becoming a lifelong spinster!

 Disillusioned by what she has seen of married life, she eagerly awaits the day when she is considered securely "on the shelf." However, Diana fails to take into account the most treacherous twist—her own traitorous heart, which finds itself skipping a beat when she meets Lord James Barrington, mysteriously labeled as the Marquess of Magic.

 Love is the greatest enchantment of all…

 Lord Barrington has always loved magic. Since childhood, he has found it thrilling to perform illusions and conjurations, to shock an audience, and leave them breathless. But in ordinary life, no magic can vanish away the dangerous secret he hides. James should not even be considering marriage. But when he chances upon Diana, she seems like his perfect match—beautiful, witty, with similar interests to his own. He cannot risk losing her to another suitor, and soon James has hopelessly ensnared both their hearts.

 But James's secret will not stay hidden in the shadows. When it comes to love, the truth may be the greatest magic trick of all—and James must soon reveal it, lest he lose his one true love forever...

 My Thoughts:

This book, while part of a series, can be read without having read any of its predecessors, although I will likely go back and find the two books that came before.

 Diana is young and beautiful, and her parents’ unhappy marriage has made her certain that all men are jerks and she never wants to marry. But she is fascinated by a local nobleman, dubbed the “Marquess of Magic” and all the rumors about him.

 They meet cute, and he’s impressed by the fact that she outwits him. But he’s got a secret to protect, and isn’t interested in romance just now.

 Best laid plans and all that.

 Of course, he starts courting her. Of course there is another man interested in her, a man who we, the readers, know is Not Nice and is Only After Her Money. But Diana doesn’t know that, and thinks he’s sweet, even though she doesn’t feel anything for him past friendship.

 Lord Barrington’s secret is a doozy, and of course, it causes problems and misunderstandings, which our villain is only too happy to capitalize on. Diana’s got a big chip on her shoulder about her father’s neglect of her, and how he buys her presents to appease her every time he fails to visit, and this, too, creates obstacles.

 I felt like Diana was able to be in Barrington’s company a lot, with only another teenage girl as chaperone. I’m not sure that would have been enough for the propriety of the day. Barrington reveals some secrets far too easily to a couple of schoolgirls.

 I did not understand why his mother gossiped so much about the headmistress of the girls’ school, given the revelation which came later about her.

 In all, this was a quick read, not demanding, with an interesting premise.

 Possible Objectionable Material:

An unwed pregnancy. Deception. Infidelity. Flirting. Kissing. There might have been some mild cursing. A little bit of violence.

 Who Might Like This Book:

Those who like clean regency romance, feisty heroines, and a little bit of drama.

 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my opinion.