When I am reading a Book, my number one requirement is to feel something – whether it is for a romance, excitement for the plot or a sense of place. I need to get some kind of emotion for what I am reading. It is why I love young adult books so much. However, as you may know, there’s lots of feels to be found in the pages of fiction aimed at adults and somehow I have a talent for sussing this out. I liked the 9 books below well enough and thankfully they all made me feel SOMETHING.

I received this book for free from Library, Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A Spear of Summer Grass by Deanna Raybourn
Also by this author: Silent In The Grave, Silent In The Sanctuary, Silent on the Moor, Dark Road to Darjeeling, City of Jasmine, Night of a Thousand Stars, A Curious Beginning, A Perilous Undertaking, A Treacherous Curse
Published by MIRA on July 17, 2017
Genres: Fiction, Romance, Historical, 20th Century
Pages: 376
Format: Paperback, eARC
Source: Library, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
ISBN: 9781488032967
Goodreads

Paris, 1923

The daughter of a scandalous mother, Delilah Drummond is already notorious, even among Paris society. But her latest scandal is big enough to make even her oft-married mother blanch. Delilah is exiled to Kenya and her favorite stepfather's savanna manor house until gossip subsides.

Fairlight is the crumbling, sun-bleached skeleton of a faded African dream, a world where dissolute expats are bolstered by gin and jazz records, cigarettes and safaris. As mistress of this wasted estate, Delilah falls into the decadent pleasures of society.

Against the frivolity of her peers, Ryder White stands in sharp contrast. As foreign to Delilah as Africa, Ryder becomes her guide to the complex beauty of this unknown world. Giraffes, buffalo, lions and elephants roam the shores of Lake Wanyama amid swirls of red dust. Here, life is lush and teeming—yet fleeting and often cheap.

Amidst the wonders—and dangers—of Africa, Delilah awakes to a land out of all proportion: extremes of heat, darkness, beauty and joy that cut to her very heart. Only when this sacred place is profaned by bloodshed does Delilah discover what is truly worth fighting for—and what she can no longer live without.

A Spear Of Summer Grass by Deanna Raybourn is honestly probably my least favorite of her books. I guess reading a 2013 release with a 2019 mindset will lead to that sort of feeling sometimes. You might be wondering why I read such a backlist book — it is because I have this summer mission to read and review 30 outstanding Netgalley queue books. So, I borrowed this one from the library with the expectation that I would love it. After all, I had yet to meet a Raybourn book that I did not love.

Set in 1923 Colonial Kenya, A Spear Of Summer Grass details the story of Delilah Drummond who is exiled to Africa after scandal involving one of her marriages erupts. Delilah is not prim. She’s not proper. In fact, she really has some loose morals. At heart, she’s a good person though. Anyways, while in Africa with her cousin Dodo, she meets other local white people as well as Africans and there’s some drama including murder. I would say that it was really hard to turn off my 2019 mindset and outlook.

Delilah is a white savior character. And like, it kind of seems like all of the Black characters are simple people and not complex. It’s like they are painted with a paternalistic paint brush. I don’t know if that’s on purpose because the book is from the point of view of a white colonist. It just feels weird and uncomfortable to read in 2019, is all.

The romance and chemistry between Delilah and Ryder are excellent though. I liked that they’re both a little bit wild and unconventional. It’s blatantly obvious that they’re going to hook up. No taming involved though, which is different but a good thing. Also, some vulnerability between the two which was great to read.

It should probably also be noted that there’s lots of hook ups among the white colonists and it is super casual. I did find myself wondering how no one got pregnant. Also at one point is a weird sort of “party” and some use of IV drugs. I was not at all expecting or prepared for that. So yeah, this book really gets scandalous.

Aside from all this, Raybourn really makes Kenya sound absolutely breathtaking. I appreciated her skill in describing setting and scenery. There’s a true sense of place in A Spear Of Summer Grass. However, despite these strengths, there’s just too much re: interactions between the colonists and how they’re paternalistic for me to say THIS IS A MUST READ. It’s hit or miss, I think.

I received this book for free from Library, Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A Dangerous Collaboration by Deanna Raybourn
Also by this author: Silent In The Grave, Silent In The Sanctuary, Silent on the Moor, Dark Road to Darjeeling, City of Jasmine, Night of a Thousand Stars, A Curious Beginning, A Perilous Undertaking, A Treacherous Curse
Published by Penguin on March 12, 2019
Genres: Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Historical, Women Sleuths, Romance, Victorian
Pages: 336
Format: Hardcover, eARC
Source: Library, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
ISBN: 9780451490735
Goodreads

A bride mysteriously disappears on her wedding day in the newest Veronica Speedwell adventure by the New York Times bestselling author of the Lady Julia Grey series.Lured by the promise of a rare and elusive butterfly, the intrepid Veronica Speedwell is persuaded by Lord Templeton-Vane, the brother of her colleague Stoker, to pose as his fiancée at a house party on a Cornish isle owned by his oldest friend, Malcolm Romilly.

But Veronica soon learns that one question hangs over the party: What happened to Rosamund? Three years ago, Malcolm Romilly’s bride vanished on their wedding day, and no trace of her has ever been found. Now those who were closest to her have gathered, each a possible suspect in her disappearance. 

From the poison garden kept by Malcolm’s sister to the high towers of the family castle, the island’s atmosphere is full of shadows, and danger lurks around every corner. 

Determined to discover Rosamund’s fate, Veronica and Stoker match wits with a murderer who has already struck once and will not hesitate to kill again.…

The Veronica Speedwell series is SO much fun to read. It’s got one of the slowest burns and some interesting mysteries that don’t exactly take up all of the story. A Dangerous Collaboration is the fourth book in Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell series and definitely nudges the needle a little bit more in the direction of the Stoker-Veronica ship. Honestly, this was quite an enjoyable read. I am finding that I am really starting to enjoy the Speedwell books almost as much as the Lady Julia books.

In A Dangerous Collaboration Veronica joins Stoker’s brother on a trip to an island in hopes of catching the Glasswing Butterfly and bringing it back for the Vivarium. However, in order to look legit and to get the invite to stay with the Romillys, Veronica has to pose as Tiberius (Stoker’s brother)’s fiance. Naturally, Stoker ends up going on the trip too. While there, Veronica and Stoker get drawn into solving the mystery of a bride who went missing years ago and the outcome of her fate. At the same time though, they’re in this weird holding pattern with their feelings.

Naturally, I ate this book up. I love love love a good slow burn. And well, we’ve yet to get very far with the main ship in this book. But ya’ll the progress made towards the end is perfect. Actually, the ending of this book was perfect. There’s a satisfying resolution. We get the door opened enough that we know the focus of the next book. AND THERE’S SOME ACTION IN THE FEELINGS DEPARTMENT. I’d say go for this series if you like intrepid heroines and historical mysteries.

I received this book for free from Library, Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Shape of My Heart by Ann Aguirre
Also by this author: Enclave, Horde, Mortal Danger, I Want It That Way, As Long As You Love Me, Vanguard
Published by Harlequin on November 25, 2014
Genres: Fiction, Romance, New Adult, Coming of Age, Contemporary
Pages: 384
Format: Paperback, eARC
Source: Library, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
ISBN: 9781460343425
Goodreads

Some people wait decades to meet their soul mate. Courtney Kaufman suspects she met hers in high school—only to lose him at seventeen. Since then, Courtney's social life has been a series of meaningless encounters, though she's made a few close friends along the way. Especially her roommate, Max Cooper, who oozes damaged bad-boy vibes from every pore.

Max knows about feeling lost—he's been on his own since he was sixteen. Now it's time to find out if he can ever go home again, and Courtney's the only one he trusts to go with him. But the trip to Providence could change everything….

It started out so simple. One misfit helping another. Now Max will do anything to show Courtney that for every heart that's ever been broken, there's another that can make it complete.

At this point, I think I just really need to read up the rest of the Ann Aguirre books on my shelf. I know that no matter what genre she’s writing, I am going to enjoy reading. The Shape Of My Heart is a New Adult contemporary book that is the last of the 2B trilogy. However, you do not need to read the other books in the trilogy to appreciate your time with this. In fact, it has been like 5 years since I read the other two books in the trilogy and felt just fine. Granted, I remembered basically nothing about the other two books.

The Shape Of My Heart is the story of Courtney and Max. It opens with Courtney accompanying Max to his grandfather’s funeral back home on Rhode Island, I think it was. The trip is tough for Max because he became estranged from his family at 16 after an accident that left his little brother in a wheelchair. Anyways, Courtney serves as emotional support and good friend. She also realizes that maybe she has feelings for Max. The two kind of fight their feelings on the trip and then go back to being apartment mates. Eventually, they can’t fight the feelings anymore and end up together.

Both have a history. Courtney dated this guy who died when she was 17. She has a hard time letting people get close to her. Max is estranged from his family, as I already mentioned. His father is an alcoholic and his mom died when giving birth to his little brother. So, yeah, lots of history on both ends to overcome. And so, this is a story about building trust and communication. But also, about breaking down the barriers to love.

It is a somewhat quick read. Although, I did not really inhale this one like I did the other two 2B books. I still appreciate the time I spent with it. This book provided me with a nice distraction, a cute relationship and some entertainment during a very stressful week. So, I am grateful for The Shape Of My Heart.

I received this book for free from Library, Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Flight Season by Marie Marquardt
Published by St. Martin's Press on February 20, 2018
Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Coming of Age, Romance, Contemporary, People & Places, United States, Hispanic & Latino
Pages: 352
Format: Hardcover, eARC
Source: Library, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
ISBN: 9781250107022
Goodreads

From Marie Marquardt, the author of Dream Things True and The Radius of Us, comes a story of two teenagers learning what to hold on to, what to let go of, and that sometimes love gets in the way of our plans.

Back when they were still strangers, TJ Carvalho witnessed the only moment in Vivi Flannigan’s life when she lost control entirely. Now, TJ can’t seem to erase that moment from his mind, no matter how hard he tries. Vivi doesn’t remember any of it, but she’s determined to leave it far behind. And she will.

But when Vivi returns home from her first year away at college, her big plans and TJ’s ambition to become a nurse land them both on the heart ward of a university hospital, facing them with a long and painful summer together – three months of glorified babysitting for Ángel, the problem patient on the hall. Sure, Ángel may be suffering from a life-threatening heart infection, but that doesn’t make him any less of a pain.

As it turns out, though, Ángel Solís has a thing or two to teach them about all those big plans, and the incredible moments when love gets in their way.

Written in alternating first person from the perspectives of all three characters, Flight Season is a story about discovering what’s really worth holding onto, learning how to let go of the rest, and that one crazy summer that changes your life forever.

Flight Season by Marie Marquadt kind of wowed me out of left field. So, first things first, I would totally classify this book as New Adult as all the main characters except for Angel are college aged. This book is a spectacular quiet little read about grief, life, and moving forward. I really, truly enjoyed my time with it and am a little surprised to see how under the radar it is.

Flight Season has three main point of view characters. There is Vivi who is a student at Yale. She is doing a summer internship in the cardiology ICU ward at the hospital and must get a good mark on her internship or will end up failing out. Also, Vivi’s father died kind of recently which is the cause behind her not so great grades.

TJ is a nursing assistant in the same department as Vivi. He works at a Brazilian steakhouse owned by his family and is hoping to finish up a nursing degree. He saw Vivi on her worst night and so carries a bad impression of her. Then there’s Angel who is an undocumented immigrant experiencing heart issues in the ICU. He’s basically the problem patient. So it becomes part of Vivi and TJ’s job to hone in on his care. He really bonds with and likes Vivi though.

So, okay, this book has these different interwoven threads that are fantastic. And also, Vivi’s chapters all start with birds that she has observed and it is beautiful — especially the bird illustrations. But yeah, how everything connects and comes together and how it resolves is heartbreaking and beautiful and well, timely. Timely in the theme of undocumented refugees that is. If you have the chance, check this book out. It’s well written and so moving. I highly recommend Flight Season.

I received this book for free from Library, Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Yankee Widow by Linda Lael Miller
Published by MIRA on May 7, 2019
Genres: Fiction, Historical, Sagas, Romance, American
Pages: 384
Format: Hardcover, eARC
Source: Library, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
ISBN: 9781488078675
Goodreads

“Moving and memorable, this novel reveals the impossible choices women face in wartime.” —James Patterson

A richly layered, emotional novel about one woman’s courage and the choices she must make in the face of a dangerous war.

Caroline is the young wife of Jacob, who together live on a farm raising their daughter just outside of Gettysburg. When Jacob joins the Northern army, no one anticipates he will not return. Then Caroline gets word that her husband is wounded, and she must find her way alone to Washington City and search among the thousands of casualties to find him.

When Jacob succumbs to his injuries, she brings his body home on the eve of the deadliest battle of the war. With troops and looters roaming the countryside, it is impossible to know who is friend and who is foe. Caroline fights to protect those she holds most dear while remaining compassionate to the neediest around her, including two strangers from opposite sides of the fight. Each is wounded… Each is drawn to her beauty, her kindness. Both offer comfort, but only one secretly captures her heart. Still, she must resist exposing her vulnerability in these uncertain times when so much is at risk.

In The Yankee Widow, gifted storyteller Linda Lael Miller explores the complexities and heartbreak that women experienced as their men took up arms to preserve the nation and defend their way of life.

The Yankee Widow by Linda Lael Miller is a sweeping historical book set during the Battle of Gettysburg in the Civil War. I had craving for historical fiction and this book totally delivered. While it was a little bit slower than I would have hoped, it met basically all my needs at the time I read it. This is the kind of book you pick up when you have a stretch of time to really absorb the words and the setting.

Miller’s The Yankee Window is about a young woman named Caroline who lives on a farm in Gettysburg with her daughter Rachel as well as their hired man, Enoch. Her husband Jacob is fighting for the Union. Unfortunately, he is gravely wounded at Chancellorsville and so, Caroline goes to him and brings his body back which sort of kicks off a chain of events culminating in the battle of Gettysburg and then a Confederate soldier, Bridger Winslow, recovering at her home as a favor to Union Captain Rogan McBride. The two men, FYI, are interested in marrying Caroline. Meanwhile, there’s also a pregnant runaway slave named Jubie who is hiding out on Caroline’s farm as well.

While there are two love stories in The Yankee Widow, what is best is the relationships between all the different characters – romantic and non-romantic. I thought that Caroline was an excellent mother. I also loved how feminist her grandmother is (she helps with nursing the different soldiers). In addition, there’s the friendship between Enoch and Caroline which is sweet. Enoch’s character is very three dimensional and just, interesting. I thought he was written with a lot of respect in mind. Also, the way this book ends is perfect and just wraps everything up so well. I’d certainly say give this book a read and be transported to an important time in American history.

I received this book for free from Library, Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Taste of Darkness by Maria V. Snyder
Also by this author: Inside Out, Outside In, Fire Study, Shadow Study
Published by MIRA on May 14, 2018
Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Epic, Romance, Romantic
Pages: 462
Format: Paperback, eARC
Source: Library, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
ISBN: 9781488099700
Goodreads

Dive into the compelling mystical world of the Healer series by New York Times bestselling author Maria V. Snyder.

She’s fought death and won. But how can she fight her fears?

Avry knows hardship and trouble. She fought the plague and survived. She took on King Tohon and defeated him. But now her heart-mate, Kerrick, is missing, and Avry fears he’s gone forever.

But there’s a more immediate threat. The Skeleton King plots to claim the Fifteen Realms for his own. With armies in disarray and the dead not staying down, Avry’s healing powers are needed now more than ever.

Torn between love and loyalty, Avry must choose her path carefully. For the future of her world depends on her decision…

Originally published in 2014

Taste Of Darkness by Maria V. Snyder is the conclusion to Snyder’s Healer trilogy and friends, I think maybe I might have had a different experience with this book had I chosen to read it closer to the previous two books in this trilogy. This book follows what happens when Avry and Kerrick are separated as well as all the different factions getting ready for the final battle. As it has been about six years since I read the second book in the series, I had no idea what was going on for the most part. I figured out somethings from context clues, but my advice to you all is to read this trilogy closer together to enhance your level of appreciation.

While I can’t really speak to character growth from book to book because I don’t have much of a recollection of the two previous books, I can certainly speak for plotting, pacing, and world building. I kind of felt like this book was a little bit slow paced and it seemed like there was a lot of waiting around for something to happen. I mean, first Kerrick up and leaves and we’re waiting to find out his fate. Then we’re waiting around to figure out what to do about Cellina and Tohon and the Skeleton King, but also Estrid. For me, the plot just didn’t feel all that cohesive. I am sure loose threads were wrapped up, but I can’t even remember most of the threads to begin with.

That being said, a Maria V. Snyder book where I felt a little lost as a reader is still better than NO Maria V. Snyder books. I enjoyed the interaction between all the characters. The friendships were fun to read about — especially the “monkeys.” I also liked Avry’s mentorship of Flea and the ongoing joke of “Thank the Flea.”Also, there’s a lot of adult situations which Avry and Kerrick, so don’t confuse this for a YA book, I’d probably put this in NA/adult fiction. On the whole, I did really like reading this book but definitely wish I had taken the time to re-read or at least refresh myself before diving in to finish up Taste Of Darkness and the Healer trilogy.

I received this book for free from Library, Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Most Beautiful Woman in Florence by Alyssa Palombo
Also by this author: The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel
Published by St. Martin's Publishing Group on April 25, 2017
Genres: Fiction, Historical, Renaissance, Romance
Pages: 320
Format: Paperback, eARC
Source: Library, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
ISBN: 9781466882645
Goodreads

"In the tradition of Tracy Chevalier’s Girl with a Pearl Earring, Palombo has married fine art with romantic historical fiction in this lush and sensual interpretation of Medici Florence, artist Sandro Botticelli, and the muse that inspired them all." - Booklist

A girl as beautiful as Simonetta Cattaneo never wants for marriage proposals in 15th Century Italy, but she jumps at the chance to marry Marco Vespucci. Marco is young, handsome and well-educated. Not to mention he is one of the powerful Medici family’s favored circle.

Even before her marriage with Marco is set, Simonetta is swept up into Lorenzo and Giuliano de’ Medici’s glittering circle of politicians, poets, artists, and philosophers. The men of Florence—most notably the rakish Giuliano de’ Medici—become enthralled with her beauty. That she is educated and an ardent reader of poetry makes her more desirable and fashionable still. But it is her acquaintance with a young painter, Sandro Botticelli, which strikes her heart most. Botticelli immediately invites Simonetta, newly proclaimed the most beautiful woman in Florence, to pose for him. As Simonetta learns to navigate her marriage, her place in Florentine society, and the politics of beauty and desire, she and Botticelli develop a passionate intimacy, one that leads to her immortalization in his masterpiece, The Birth of Venus.Alyssa Palombo’s The Most Beautiful Woman in Florence vividly captures the dangerous allure of the artist and muse bond with candor and unforgettable passion.

The Most Beautiful Woman In Florence by Alyssa Palombo certainly does scratch that historical fiction itch. Fans of The Girl With The Pearl Earring will definitely enjoy sinking right into this book. I appreciated how it brought the Medicis as well as Botticelli to life for me.

The Most Beautiful Woman In Florence is set during the Renaissance, of course. It is about Simonetta Vespuci – the young woman who was the muse for Botticelli’s The Birth Of Venus. The book starts out with Simonetta in Genoa with her family, then she marries Marco Vespucci in Florence. There, she charms her way into the social circle of the Medicis. She’s at this dinner where she meets Sandro Botticelli and he decides he wants to paint her. And well, that’s really the gist of how Simonetta becomes a muse.

What happens next is a lot of posing and the building of this rather intense attraction between Simonetta and Botticelli (which although these are both real people, it’s hard to know for certain if this actually happened in history. Based upon the author’s note at the end, I think Palombo makes a good argument for it.

Read this book for a tale of forbidden romance set against the Renaissance and a look into a woman who might as well be a historical footnote.

I received this book for free from Library, Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Harp of Kings by Juliet Marillier
Series: Warrior Bards #1
Published by Penguin on 2019
Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Epic, Historical, Romantic
Pages: 464
Format: Paperback, eARC
Source: Library, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
ISBN: 9780451492784
Goodreads

A young woman is both a bard--and a warrior--in this thrilling historical fantasy from the author of the Sevenwaters novels.
Eighteen-year-old Liobhan is a powerful singer and an expert whistle player. Her brother has a voice to melt the hardest heart, and is a rare talent on the harp. But Liobhan's burning ambition is to join the elite warrior band on Swan Island. She and her brother train there to compete for places, and find themselves joining a mission while still candidates. Their unusual blend of skills makes them ideal for this particular job, which requires going undercover as traveling minstrels. For Swan Island trains both warriors and spies.
Their mission: to find and retrieve a precious harp, an ancient symbol of kingship, which has gone missing. If the instrument is not played at the upcoming coronation, the candidate will not be accepted and the kingdom will be thrown into disarray. Faced with plotting courtiers and tight-lipped druids, an insightful storyteller, and a boorish Crown Prince, Liobhan soon realizes an Otherworld power may be meddling in the affairs of the kingdom. When ambition clashes with conscience, Liobhan must make a bold decision--and the consequences may break her heart.

I have been a long time Juliet Marillier fan – as in I can remember picking up Daughter Of The Forest my junior year of high school 16 years ago and just falling head over heels with it and devouring several more of her books. So as you can probably guess I was SO excited to get my hands on Harp Of Kings. This book is the first in her new Warrior Bards series.

The Harp Of Kings follows three point of view characters – Liobhan and Brocc who are sister and brother and another character, Dau. Liobhan and Brocc are exceptional musicians and are fighting to win a place among the Swan Island elite warriors. Dau is also fighting to gain a place among these warriors. The three are called into a mission while training. They must help find what is called the Harp Of Kings prior to Midsummer where it is ritual that the new king will have coronation. The harp which is otherworldly will be played and so that’s how the people accept their new king.

There is a bit of fairy involvement. Dau acts as a person who is mute. Liobhan an