Swoony Spotlights - April

Welcome to Swoony Worthy Spotlights, hosted by Bookworm Nation, Katie's Clean Book Collection and KJ's Book Nook! Swoon Worthy Spotlights features 1-3 of our favorite books that we have read during the month. We will share the cover(s), our review(s) and a link to each other's post so you can check out which books we have all chosen!

April has been full of regency reads for me, and it's been awesome. I love this genre, the time period and storylines are always so much fun. To be honest, it can be hard to find good regencies out there, but when you do find a good one...sigh, it's heaven. Here are a few that really stood out to me...

The Earl's Betrothal

by Karen Tuft

Traditional Regency Romance

This is not only a favorite for this month, but an overall favorite for me. This truly captured the regency feel, loved the characters and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it! A bit of a forbidden-love story, with charming characters.

A Lady of Esteem (Hawthorn House, Prequel) 

by Kristi Ann Hunter

Regency Romance

Adorable! I really enjoyed this lighthearted regency. Endearing characters and a fun plot. A great introduction to the series (which I read out of order). One of my favorite things in novels is a funny "meet cute" and this one was great!

An Elegant Façade (Hawthorn House, #2)

by Kristi Ann Hunter

Regency Romance

Great character development and an interesting story. I always enjoy the whole "enemies to lovers" plots and thought it was really well done in this one. Great read and a fun regency series overall.

Secrets of a Spinster (Arrangements, #3)

by Rebecca Connolly

Regency Romance

Friends to lovers trope, and my favorite of the Arrangement series, I loved the characters and story. I thought it was well written and kept me glued to the pages.  Looking forward to many more books by Ms. Connolly.

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And don't for get to check Kathy Jo's post here and Katie's post here!

Do you have a blog and want to join us for Swoon Worthy Spotlights? Then grab the picture and post with us! We will be posting on the last day of each month. Make sure you share your link with us so we can check out your favorite authors as well! If you don't have a blog, just leave a comment below. I'd love to hear which books we're your favorite for the month!

A Lady of Esteem by Kristi Ann Hunter

A Lady of Esteem by Kristi Ann Hunter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Charming!

I really enjoyed this one. I was hooked from the start, Amelia is such a fun heroine and finds herself in embarrassing situations and making endearing faux pas. The former Raeburn Rake, Lord Anthony is captivated by her, and their interactions are so fun. Amelia feels more comfortable with the servants than she does with the ton, and I enjoyed her relationship with them and thought they played a fun role in the story. Anthony was a likable character, I liked that his transformation from was refreshing. It seems so many times in regencies the guy only changes after meeting the heroine (and I have a hard time believing they've actually changed). I liked in this case, he had changed on his own and had been reformed for a few years.

This is a novella and pretty lighthearted, I felt the end wrapped up a tad quickly and would have liked another chapter or two to wrap things up. But overall, was very satisfied with the story and of course loved the characters. A fun regency and one I'd will definitely read again.

Content
Romance: Clean
Language: None
Violence: None
Religious: Mild
Series: Hawthorn House, Prequel book

Source: Purchased

View all my reviews

An Elegant Facade by Kristi Ann Hunter

An Elegant Façade by Kristi Ann Hunter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this one, I only wish I had read it right after finishing A Noble Masquerade. While this one could probably stand on its own, the story actually overlaps with the first book. The first half or so of An Elegant Façade actually takes place during Noble Masquerade, only told from the POV of Georgiana and Colin. It was definitely fun seeing things unfold from their points of view and was handled very well. It still felt like its own story entirely, but I would still suggest reading the books in order.

Georgiana was a very interesting character, I can see why she may rub some people the wrong way. She is very calculating and can come across cold. She is really just hiding being fear and insecurities and has convinced herself that she has to marry this season or her secret will come out. She's put an extreme amount of pressure on herself. She can only marry a titled gentleman who has good standing in society. Her brothers interfering friend, Colin McCrae, has no title and therefore no standing in society. But they are continually crossing paths and the more they are together the more Georgiana's façade starts to crumble.

I loved the character development of Georgiana. It's actually refreshing to read a regency heroine who isn't practically perfect in every way. She's pretty close on the outside, but struggles with real insecurities. Colin was a great hero, I loved his POV and how he treats Georgiana. He really stole the book and you'll want to keep reading for him, even if Georgiana rubs you the wrong way. Ha! I also enjoyed Colin's backstory and thought it added a lot to his character and the overall story. I especially love the times when their together, those are my favorite parts.

Overall, this was a charming regency. Really kept me engaged and wanting to see how things would unfold. I actually enjoyed how it overlapped with the first book, it was fun seeing those characters from a different perspective, but also loved when they faded and the book become more its own. I did wish to see the aftermath of when Georgiana reveals her secret to her family, we get to see some, but there was so much build up to it I would have loved to see more of how they handled everything. Anyway, I really enjoyed this and I'm looking forward to reading the next one! Great series.

Content
Romance: Clean
Language: None
Violence: None
Series: Hawthorne House, Book Two

Source: Review copy




View all my reviews

First Line Friday

Welcome to First Line Friday! This fun meme is easy to do, simply pick up the book you're currently reading and share the very first line! There are some really good first lines out there, they grab you and suck you right into the story. Make you want to keep reading. So, my selection for this week is:

A Noble Masquerade by Kristi Ann Hunter

Lady Miranda Hawthorne acts every inch the lady, but inside she longs to be bold and carefree. Entering her fourth Season and approaching spinsterhood in the eyes of society, she pours her innermost feelings out not in a diary but in letters to her brother's old school friend, a duke--with no intention of ever sending these private thoughts to a man she's heard stories about but never met. Meanwhile, she also finds herself intrigued by Marcus, her brother's new valet, and although she may wish to break free of the strictures that bind her, falling in love with a servant is more of a rebellion than she planned.

When Marcus accidentally discovers and mails one of the letters to her unwitting confidant, Miranda is beyond mortified. And even more shocked when the duke returns her note with one of his own that initiates a courtship-by-mail. Insecurity about her lack of suitors shifts into confusion at her growing feelings for two men--one she's never met but whose words deeply resonate with her heart, and one she has come to depend on but whose behavior is more and more suspicious. When it becomes apparent state secrets are at risk and Marcus is right in the thick of the conflict, one thing is certain: Miranda's heart is far from all that's at risk for the Hawthornes and those they love.

 

First Line:

 

"Lady Miranda Hawthorne would support her sister tonight, even if it killed her."

So, what's your pick for this week? If you want to participate grab the logo and post your own First Line Friday entry on your blog and then leave your link in the comments. If you don't have a blog, just leave the title, author and first line in the comment section below. Happy Reading!