romance novels – Maps and Meanderings

Hello Friends, and welcome back! It has been awhile. When last we spoke, it was the middle of July and I was bringing you my June reading wrap up. And here we are in the middle of September and, though I’m back with another reading wrap up, it’s now for the entire rest of the summer.

I took a bit of an unplanned writing hiatus this summer. Between the stresses of figuring out whether or not we were still going to Newfoundland this year, and a number of big family things that happened between the end of July and the end of August, writing just didn’t happen. My one week break turned into two, and then next thing I knew, it was the middle of September, and it had been two months without a single post.

With previous blogs and writing projects, this break would have been enough to make me quit the project all together. But I’m trying really hard not to do that this time. 2020 has been such a crazy year that I’m trying to give myself a good measure of grace when things don’t go the way that I’ve planned. Sometimes life demands that you take a break from your projects, and that is okay.

So I’m going to pick myself up, dust of my keyboard, and get back to it. And this month you’re going to get a wrap up that covers two months instead of one.

Speaking of the wrap up… since this post covers two months, and quite a few books, I’m only going to comment on a few of the books individually, and I’m going to try to keep those comments short and sweet. I’m also not going to stay strictly chronological to allow me to group books together to talk about them. Sound good? Okay, let’s get to it.

Book on a blanket in summer. Image by Innviertlerin from Pixabay

July

I had a rocking reading month in July. I read a total of 12 books, 2 of which were audiobooks. I started off the month continuing the paranormal mystery series by Dionne Lister that I started in June. Because these books are like candy, and are fairly short, quick reads, they gave me a significant amount of reading momentum to carry through the rest of the month. I also got on a bit of a romance kick this month, which kept me moving through books at a quick pace.

I read 4 more books from the Dionne Lister series I started in June. I enjoyed some more than others, but overall I cannot get enough of this series. I actually had to force myself to pause my reading of this series, because I didn’t want to devour them too quickly. (That reminds me, I think it’s time to pick up the next book…) I won’t go into each book, but if you enjoy cozy mysteries and also enjoy stories that have a paranormal aspect, I would highly recommend you look into this series.

1. Witchslapped in Westerham by Dionne Lister

2. Witch Silenced in Westerham by Dionne Lister

3. Witch Haunted in Westerham by Dionne Lister

4. Killer Witch in Westerham by Dionne Lister

I read quite of bit of romance this summer and, though they were a mixed bag in terms of quality and enjoyability, for the most part I enjoyed them all. I also think that some of my complaints were less about the books themselves and more about my personal preference when it comes to romance (in particular steaminess level). Of the books listed below, my favourite was without doubt “The Governess Game.”

5. Against Her Rules by Victoria Barbour
You might recognize this title from my post about books set in Newfoundland. If I manage to read a few more from that list, I’ll do a bit of a wrap up, but for now I’ll just say that this one was enjoyable, but the style wasn’t my favourite. If you don’t enjoy “insta-love,” maybe pass this one by. For me, it depends on how it’s done and this one fell just short of the mark.

6. Swipe Right for a Cowboy by Karen Foley

7. Falling for the Highlander by Emma Prince

8. The Governess Game by Tessa Dare
This series is is pretty much everything I want in a romance series. There is plenty of steaminess, and romance (of course), but Dare also incorporates humour, and brings a depth to her characters that is sometimes absent from others in this genre. I cannot wait to pick up book 3.

These last few books from July include a little bit of mystery and a little bit of fantasy (okay a lot of fantasy) and, all but the Agatha Christie book, include a combination of both. I have touched on the Jim Butcher series before, and I will again most likely in an upcoming post, so I’ll just tell you a bit about the last book for now.

9. The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

10. Summer Knight by Jim Butcher

11. Phantom Evil by Heather Graham

12. My Calamity Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodie Meadows
This series (each of which can be read as standalones), is a perfect combination of historical fiction, fantasy and humour. I would highly recommend the audiobooks, because the narration adds an amazing aspect to the story, especially as the narrators often provide commentary on the story. Even if historical fiction is not your thing, if you enjoy fantasy with a good dose of humour, I would highly recommend you give this series a try.

August

My reading slowed down quite a bit in August. This was partially because work was so busy that I just didn’t feel drawn to reading in the evenings, and partially because I started working on some art/craft projects more regularly. This list is also a bit skewed because I read a very long book at the end of August that I didn’t finish until the beginning of September. In total I read 5 books in August, 2 of which were audiobooks.

1. Lucky in Love by Carolyn Brown

2. Sweet Nothings by Kim Law

3. The Cat Came Back by Louise Clark
This is the first book in a series that, oddly enough, I forgot I started. This gap in memory is not a comment on the book so much as it is a comment on the craziness that was August. This is another new cozy mystery series that includes a good dash of the fantastic and paranormal. This was a solid first entry, and I will definitely be picking up the next book in the series. (A tip to draw you in… there is a talking cat and he is amazing).

4. Would Like to Meet by Rachel Winters
I had a lot of fun with this rom-com style book. It was funny, and cute, and I thought the relationships were well developed. I did guess the twist, but despite that the ending was completely worth it and it was just different enough from how I guessed to keep my interest to the very end. If you enjoy fun romances with quirky characters and plenty of movie references, then I would highly recommend you pick this one up.

5. Death Masks by Jim Butcher

Altogether this summer I read 17 books, and I would say that is quite the accomplishment. I enjoyed most of the books I read, and I found a couple new series and new authors that I am excited to continue with. How did your summer reading go? Did you read as many books as you were expecting? What was the best book you picked up this summer?

Until Next Time,

In my May wrap up, I said that I thought my reading slump was over. It turns out that was a little bit right and a little bit wrong. I did have a pretty good reading month in June, and I managed to complete 9 books. But I read the majority of those books in the last part of the month. I finished two books by June 7th and then I didn’t pick up another book until the 18th. 7 of the 9 books I read were completed between the 18th and the 30th.

Now that we’re halfway into July, I think I can confidently say the reading slump is over. It helped that I figured out the type of book I was in the mood for and that I picked up some shorter books. When you’re having a difficult time with reading motivation, it can be helpful to pick up shorter books.

When you finish books that are short and quick to read, the sense of accomplishment can spur you to pick up another book right away. I love reading long books, but it can be hard to pick up a 600 page book when you can’t even bring yourself to read for 5 minutes before bed.

Okay, enough rambling, and on to the books I read in June.

1. Grave Peril by Jim Butcher (4 Stars, Audiobook)

This is book 3 in The Dresden Files series. I am really enjoying this series. I’ve been listening to the audiobooks from Overdrive, and there’s always been at least a few weeks of hold time between each book, so I’ve been going through the series at a nice, leisurely pace so far. This one was overall enjoyable, though not my favourite so far. In this instalment, we’re starting to get into the bigger story of the series, and the stakes for Dresden are high throughout the book.

2. Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore (3.5 Stars, E-Book)

This is the first in a new historical romance series. It is also the first book in a series of me going on a fairly significant historical romance and romance reading kick. Set in 1879, this book follows a young woman determined to get her degree at Oxford University. As part of her scholarship, she has to participate in a suffragist group, where she is tasked with getting the Duke of Montgomery onto their side. As you can imagine, sparks fly. Overall this was a very fun read, and I look forward to reading the next book when it comes out this fall.

3. Reborn Yesterday by Tessa Bailey (3.5 Stars, E-Book)

There are two things you should know going into this book. First it is a Vampire book, and second it is a steamy romance. If you don’t like either of those things then I would suggest you steer clear. I enjoyed the vampire aspect of the story, though it was more steamy than I prefer, so I found myself skimming over parts. The main character is part owner of a funeral home, she designs and makes dresses, and her sense of humour is terrific. I look forward to picking up Book 2 in the very near future.

4. The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare (4 Stars, E-Book)

This is the first book in the Girl Meets Duke historical romance series and I had an absolute blast reading it. When I think about this type of romance, for some reason I never expect them to be funny, but this book was at times laugh out loud funny. The characters were great, and I genuinely enjoyed the story. This is a steamy romance, so that is something to be aware of if you pick it up. I will definitely be reading more – and book 2 is sitting on top of my TBR pile as we speak.

5. Damaged by Pamela Callow (3.5 Stars, E-Book)

This is the first in a mystery/suspense series set in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The series follows Kate, a lawyer who has recently started a new job at a high-powered law firm after breaking off her engagement. While a serial killer is stalking the streets of Halifax, Kate is pulled into a tangled legal conspiracy that puts her right into the crosshairs of that same killer. This book was engaging and suspenseful, and I look forward to picking up book 2.

6. Destiny’s a Witch by Lucy May (2.5 Stars, E-Book)

I would like to give this book 3 stars, because even though there were aspects of it that I enjoyed, but overall it fell flat for me. My biggest complaint is that the mystery could have been better developed. The mystery felt like a side plot throughout the story. There wasn’t enough time dedicated to it, and it wrapped up too quickly. I may give this series another try, because I am always on the lookout for new cozy mystery series with a witchy or paranormal twist, but this first book was, unfortunately, lacking for me.

7. Witchnapped in Westerham by Dionne Lister (4 Stars, E-Book)

I found this series through an e-book deals email, and I am so glad I gave it a chance, because I am hooked! This is a cozy mystery series with a witchy twist, and it did not disappoint. The mystery and the magic are well balanced and the world building and magic system have clearly been well thought out and developed. I would tell you that I look forward to reading more, but as you will see in the next two entries, that has already happened!

8. Witch Swindled in Westerham by Dionne Lister (5 Stars, E-Book)

This is book 2 in the Paranormal Investigation Bureau series, and I enjoyed this one even more than the first book. These are fairly short, quick reads, and every time I finish one I want to immediately pick up the next book. In this book, we get to know all of our main characters a bit more, and our main character Lily starts to get more familiar with the Witch world as she learns how she can use her magical talent to help solve a case where someone is using magic to swindle millions out of unsuspecting retirees.

9. Witch Under cover in Westerham by Dionne Lister (5 Stars, E-Book)

This is Book 3 in the Paranormal Investigation Bureau Series and it has quickly become one of my favourite cozy mystery series. Lily is a great main character, and I love how Lister develops her character and shows us more about her in each book, while she also gradually develops and gives us more information about the witch world. In this instalment, Lily helps the PIB in the hunt for a murderer with a possible link to art fraud. And could there be a romance in Lily’s future? Only time will tell.

Those are the books that I read in June. It was definitely a whirlwind at the end, but I can confidently say that I came out of June on a reading roll. I hope to get to some of the bigger books on my TBR over the next few months, but I’m also not fighting the reading whims. If I want to read nothing but romance and witchy cozy mysteries for the next two months, that’s what I’ll do.

What have you been reading lately? Do you find that you are reading more now that it’s summer? Have you read any of the books on this list, and if so, what were your thoughts?

Until Next Time,

Tag: romance novels

Summer Reading Wrap Up

July

August

June Reading Wrap Up