Some Historical Romance To Kick Off The Weekend!

 If you follow my blog, you've likely noticed that I don't read much historical romance.  At the same time, if you follow my blog, you know I really enjoy Alyssa Cole's writing.  So it was only a matter of time before I started reading her historical romance.  This book takes place during the Civil War, and is the story of Elle Burns who is a former slave and is now a spy for the Loyalty League. Yes, this is fiction, but there were people who were freed people who went back into slavery to spy for the Union.  The bravery is astounding.

Here is a bit about the book from the back cover:

"Elle Burns is a former slave with a passion for justice and an eidetic memory. Trading in her life of freedom in Massachusetts, she returns to the indignity of slavery in the South--to spy for the Union Army. 

Malcolm McCall is a detective for Pinkerton's Secret Service. Subterfuge is his calling, but he's facing his deadliest mission yet--risking his life to infiltrate a Rebel enclave in Virginia." 

The stakes in this forbidden romance are so high, every time they are in the same room, they are at risk of being exposed as spies, then you add in their unavoidable attraction to each other- dangerous passion!  In addition to the spying and the fear of being caught, what kept me reading long past my bedtime was wanting to know how Alyssa Cole was going to give this couple a happy ending.  Interracial marriages were not even legal during far too much of our American History.

Speaking of history, Alyssa Cole includes a selected biography of resources she used when writing this book.  One of the books, A Secret Society History of the Civil War by Mark A. Lause, has piqued my interest and is now on my library hold list. 

5 Stars for An Extraordinary Union! 

Boy Am I Going To Miss The Reluctant Royals! #SeriesinaMonthChallenge And Avocado Toast Disappointment

 I would like to move to the alternative universe of Alyssa Cole's Reluctant Royals series.  Too bad you can't do a Go Fund Me to raise funds to buy a magical ticket into the fictional realm.  At least I had the #SeriesinaMonth Challenge.  This series was a wonderful escape during the last few weeks of winter.

What a great-looking cover, right?  I like the bold colors and the dresses each of our heroines has worn on the series covers and this dress is no exception.  Beautiful! This book is featured in the book so it's nice to see a representation of Nya in it. 

I am pretty bummed that this is the last book in the series and that I have already read the first book in the spin-off series, How to Catch A Queen.  At least I can look forward to reading the second book n the spin-off series (Runaway Royals) this summer. 

I loved A Prince on Paper, a 5-star review for me. Picture me ticking these features off on my hand  1. It has the wonderful Nya, cousin to Naledi,  who is inexperienced, but not naive and sensitive in the best ways rake, Johan.  2. There is a tiny fake kingdom  3. there is an exploration of life for someone who has experienced Munchhausen by Proxy. 4. There is a fantastic, fantastic subplot about gender identity and Number five, but really first in my heart... A fake engagement!  I love a good fake engagement. Alyssa Cole is on the top of her game in this book, it's so good and why isn't it a Netflix limited series already. C'mon now! 

Alyssa Cole's writing contains just the right amount of humor! 

Do yourself a favor and get this book, get the whole series but esp get my two favorites, A Prince on Paper and Can't Escape Love! 

*******

Welp, this whole growing avocado tree from a pit is not panning out so well.  Dare I say, it's the pits? Yes, I do dare to make that pun! 

At least I have spring in the great outdoors to look forward to and on that note; time for a couple of springtime photos: 

I see this bird's nest on my walks and runs, so far no eggs. If that changes y'all will be the first to know--well besides the birds! 

Look!! You can see the first hints of green!!

#ASeriesInAMonth Two Novellas and An Update on Future Avocado Toast!

 

Reluctant Royals Novella Book  2.5

When I read romance series, I don't check to see what side characters in the first book get to star in future books.  I like to be pleasantly surprised, and honestly, I didn't think Likotsi would get a book because she's a lesbian, and well, most mainstream romance is man/woman. So I was very happy to see this novella and have the chance to read about the romance Likotsi was having during her time in New York while Thabiso was pretending to be Jamal. This story is told in two timelines so you get the original romance when Likotsi first meets Fabiola and then the second timeline when they happen to meet up months after Fabiola broke things off with Likotsi. If you like a second-chance romance, you'll love this.  It's a modern fairy tale in which Likotsi is the kind and generous prince to Fabiola's fairly jaded princess.  

4 Stars! 

I listened to the audiobook and as I have said before Karen Chilton is an amazing reader. One of the best. 

Reluctant Royals Novella Book 2.6

Honestly, my only complaint about the story of Reggie and Gus is, I want more!  I definitely would have enjoyed a full novel of them falling in love. The majority of mainstream romance stories take place with attractive thin women with decent-sized boobs that are typically athletic or clumsy.  The men are brawny but smart. Also typically if you have an interracial couple one half of the couple is white.  I appreciated that Alyssa Cole gives us a different story.  Reggie is a smart confident Black woman who uses a wheelchair and runs a super-inclusive website for people who love 'geek' culture.  Gus is Vietnamese and is not neurotypical.  

This novella is nestled in the Reluctant Royals timeline taking place while Portia is an apprentice for Tavis in Duke By Default. As someone who watches live streams and uses apps to fall asleep, I related to Reggie using a soothing voice on a stream to fall asleep.  I know I'm not alone in this given how many ASMR videos there are online. 

One of the characteristics of Alyssa Cole's writing that I appreciate is how she talks about social/environmental issues in an organic way:

“Most of her daily grind took place at home, where her office was tailored to her needs and she didn’t have to worry about accessibility, or spilling iced coffee on her laptop because straws were easier to ban than the plastics that actually destroyed the environment”
― Alyssa Cole, Can't Escape Love

5 starts to Can't Escape Love from Alyssa Cole 

I listened to these books via Audible and Chirp for the #SeriesinaMonth Challenge and for the #2021AudiobooksChallenge. 

Future Avocado Toast Update: 

After several weeks and some pep talks from me, this pit remained a pit.  I decided it was time to let it go to the compost bin.  If an avocado tree sprouts in my compost, I'll let you know! 

Now for an update on my second pit. I thought by this time I would be able to tell if it is spreading new roots, but I can't tell yet. Stay tuned and maybe next week we will be able to tell!

#TheSundayPost #ShamrockShuffle Who's Ready for Spring?

 

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.  See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

Books I'll be posting about this week:

Spring has Sprung!  Happy Spring! This weekend was the virtual running of the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle.   Usually the shuffle is the unofficial start of the running season in Chicago and involved about 40,000 runners in green stomping through the streets of downtown Chicago. It's an 8K so just under 5 miles long and usually, the crowd really gets you running.  

This year it was virtual.  On the plus side, this meant I could sleep in and not have to downtown to run by 8:00AM. This also meant I could walk straight from the finish line back into my house and take a shower; unlike the time a few years ago where I was changing very carefully in a Port-A-Potty and a guy opened the door (which I had apparently not fully locked) while I was putting on my shirt --causing me to accidentally flash him! 

The weather was in the low 50s, with sunny skies and just a little breeze from the South.  A perfect day for running!  I hope this is a harbinger of a wonderful spring.  We all deserve it! 

How was your first day of Spring? Share Below!

Me right before I went out to run 

Epsom & Pink Himalayan Salt w/ Essential Oils for my post-run relaxation! (A DIY craft from my local library!) 

This Weeks #SeriesinaMonth Challenge Post! A Duke By Default #romance

A Duke by Default by Alyssa Cole is the second book in her Reluctant Royals series, this time around I was able to borrow an e-book version from my local public library to read. 

This book is the story of Portia, Naledi's best friend in book one.  I was so excited that she was getting her own book!  Portia's story hits home for many readers. Portia has spent her life feeling she was the bad twin. She's been told she is flighty, lazy, unable to commit, unable to finish anything, and worst of all selfish. The self-loathing she has felt for years, especially when compared negatively by her parents to her twin sister Reggie, has led to self-destructive behaviors on her part, especially drinking.  

She is on the cusp of 30 and has decided it's time for a new Portia. This Portia gets an apprenticeship at an Armory in Scotland. New Portia is abstaining from men and booze. Avoiding alcohol proves much easier than avoid men altogether when she meets Tavis McKenzie, her very handsome gruff Scottish Master Swordsman. 

Watching Portia discovering that her behaviors were rooted in undiagnosed ADHD and seeing how she learned coping mechanisms and slowly began to believe in herself was as enjoyable as the slow burn of the romance. You can't have a HEA before you love yourself. 

Alyssa Cole offers another contemporary romance that has heat, deals with social issues, and solid humor. The series doesn't have to be read in order, but I have to say that reading in order is enhancing my enjoyment of the books. 

4 stars to A Duke By Default! 

Quote from the Book:

“Excuse me?”
The librarian looked up again.
“I need help now. I need to print this article and . . . do you have any books about dukes?”
The librarian’s eyes went wide and she rubbed her hands together with glee. “We have a fantastic romance section,” she said. “Do you need recommendations? How do you like your dukes? Grumpy? Tortured? Alpha, beta, or alpha in the streets, beta in the sheets?”
“Actually, I meant nonfiction,” Portia said glumly.
The librarian sighed. “Aye. Just a warning, love—the non-fic dukes are not nearly as fun.” 

Avocado Pit Update- 

Here we have my original pit, as you can see, not much is happening.

I am coming to the conclusion that my first attempt at growing an avocado tree isn't going well. I decided to try another pit and see if that one might grow.  I think that it is starting to grow roots, but it's too soon to tell. We should know by next week for sure, fingers crossed!

Next Wednesday I will be reviewing the two novellas in the series. Once Ghosted, Twice Shy and Can't Escape Love! 

#SeriesinaMonthChallenge A Princess in Theory and An Avocado Tree (in theory)

The hubs and my dear daughter eat avocados all the time, so I thought, why not try to grow a tree from one of the pits that usually goes into the compost bin.  Hope springs eternal as they say.

Here is a link to the handy Good Housekeeping Article on how you can grow an avocado tree from a pit. 

I have a planter all ready to pot an avocado tree provided that my pit decided to make roots. 

I'll keep you all updated on the pit situation moving forward, you shall be the first to know if we get growth!

And now on to the first book in my #SeriesInAMonthChallenge!  A Princess, in Theory,  the first book in the Reluctant Royals series by Alyssa Cole. I was able to borrow the audiobook from my library so I listened to the book at 1.5 speed via the Libby App. 

The audiobook is read by Karen Chilton who is incredibly good.  She gives each character their own voices with just the right accents.  If you are deciding between reading the book and listening to the audio, in this case, do yourself a favor and listen to this book.  

Reading this book, I'm amazing at how Alyssa Cole is so skilled at taking the tropes of fairy tales and regency romance and updating it so that it is grounded in the 21st century.  This book starts off with Naledi Smith getting emails she thinks are spam telling her she is supposed to marry an African Prince!  It's like someone said to Alyssa Cole, I bet you couldn't write a story based on an email scam and she said, watch me! 

In this story, we have Naledi Smith who was raised in the foster care system and doesn't know her roots. She is studying epidemiology as a graduate student.  Along comes Prince Thabiso who plans to swoop in and tell Naledi he is her Prince, and that they have been betrothed since they were practically babies. But then there is a misunderstanding and now the Prince is some guy named Jamal who is a server.  Sparks begin to fly, Prince Thabiso has to keep up his pretense and we know the stage is set for a great romance with comical elements and smart, smart people. 

It's so delightful and I am glad that I decided to read this series in a month!  Alyssa Cole writes intelligent,  environmentally-responsible characters who fall into steamy romances and she doesn't forget to add some humor along the way.  Go ahead and read this one and next week I'll be reviewing A Duke By Default the second book in the series featuring Naledi's BFF!

4.5 Stars to A Princess in Theory! 

Can Netflix Make This Book into A Movie? #RomanceReview #HowToCatchaQueen 4.5 Stars

 

I decided to read this book because I enjoyed Alyssa Cole's mystery thriller When No One is Watching. As you can probably tell from the cover this book is a romance.  This is the first book in a new series by Alyssa Cole called Runaway Royals. 

While this book is contemporary, the book takes place in a country where there is an absolute monarchy, so you have some elements that are usually found in a Historical Romance.  The couple in the book Shanti and Sanyu are in an arranged marriage that includes a four-month trial.  King Sanyu is contending with grief over the loss of his father as well as crippling anxiety.  Shanti has focused her whole life on becoming a Queen in order to live a life of service and King Sanyu has spent his whole life trying to avoid the crown. 

This book is a slow burn, but also has the added tension of the marriage trial period.  In addition to reading to find out how and when they will fall in love and make a commitment, we also read to see how this couple will be able to pull the Kingdom out of its downward spiral and bring it into the global community.  I enjoyed the political discussions in the book as well as learning about the mythology of the Kingdom.  Alyssa Cole does an excellent job of discussing mental health as we see Shanti teach Sanyu coping mechanisms, and also as King Sanyu realizes there is no shame in therapy.   

Throughout the book Alyssa Cole puts in some laugh-out-loud lines which are so fun to read, and also there are some quiet lines that really resonate with the reader, such as the one below:

This is a smart romance and interwoven with romance and great sex, we see characters learning their worth and respecting the worth of others.   4.5 stars! 

If you read this book, let me know what you think!

Today is National Carrot Cake Day- I like to eat Carrot Cake, but I can't say I've ever made it!  If you'd like to give it a go today here is a recipe: Carrot Cake Recipe With Video

Happy Wednesday!