Audio: Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare

By: Tessa Dare

Narrated by: Carmen Rose

Series: Castles Ever After, Book 1

Length: 9 hrs

Release date: 01-28-14

Publisher: HarperAudio

Historical romance /Bookbeat.fi

Aww this one was sweet and fun! Isolde inherits a castle from her godfather. The only problem that someone lives in that castle, a grumpy handsome blind Duke. A Duke who says it is his castle.

Isolde has nothing, a few pennies at most. She needs this castle. Her father left her with nothing. Her fairytale writing famous father (men!!! think ahead please.) 

I liked the fairytale aspect of it all. People loved those tales, and are cosplaying as characters. Which was very cool for this age.

The Duke has issues of his own. His is blind. He has not learned to deal with it infront of other people He still dwells in his own sorrow.

And in comes Isolde like a quiet whirlwind. He is grumpy, she is just trying to get by.

I really liked these two together. Very sweet.

Great narration. Always superb, and with a good range of voices

As the daughter of a famed author, Isolde Ophelia Goodnight grew up on tales of brave knights and fair maidens. She never doubted romance would be in her future, too. The storybooks offered endless possibilities.

And as she grew older, Izzy crossed them off. One by one by one.

Ugly duckling turned swan?

Abducted by handsome highwayman?

Rescued from drudgery by charming prince?

No, no, and... Heh.

Now Izzy's given up yearning for romance. She’ll settle for a roof over her head. What fairy tales are left over for an impoverished twenty-six year-old woman who’s never even been kissed?

TMST

 

 

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

9/26/2023 Do you download freebies? Read free preview chapters?

I used to download a lot of ebooks, A LOT! Then one day I went crazy and just deleted a bunch. Cos honestly they just sit there, I will probably never read them. I have some good ones that I might read one day.

Audio freebies, well I have those too. And those are more likely to be tried

Preview chapters....never

10/3/2023 Do you enjoy multi-author anthologies?

10/10/2023 Zombie Apocalypse: What would you do?

10/17/2023 What is your favorite season? Why?

10/24/2023 What is your favorite supernatural creature?

10/31/2023 What is your favorite thing about Halloween?

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

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Carole´s Monday: Alice the dagger

Author: Ashley Mcleo

Title: Alice the Dagger

Series: The Wonderland Court #1

Genre: Fantasy, Retelling, Romance 

Format: ebook

Pages: 420

Published: September 1, 2022

Where I Got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

They call me the dagger.

I’m a famed assassin.

It's all I've ever known.

All that I can remember.

So when a white rabbit tells me that loved ones are waiting for me in the Wonderland Court of Faerie, it's surprising. And then, I learn something even more shocking.

The Red Queen stole the crown from my mother—who she murdered. The queen singlehandedly created my reality of death and blood and murder.

While that's devastating, I can handle it. As long as I get revenge.

What I don't know how to handle is Henri Hatter.

He’s a rebel leader loved by everyone. A man who sings in the streets because people ask for aether’s sake. A faerie who knows more about my past than anyone—including me.

A good man who could crush my heart if I let him in. Which I can't do.

Not if I want vengeance against the queen who ruined my life. Despite my claims that I work alone, Hatter and two nosey little pixies insist on sticking with me.

Only one thing is for sure, with them by my side assassinating the Red Queen will be unlike any other job I’ve ever tackled.

Review:

Randomly picked this up when going freebie crazy in Amazon. Wasn't even sure what this was about. The title and the cover drew me in and I threw it with the rest of the freebies. I didn't even read the summary when I started reading this. To my absolute surprise, it is a retelling of 'Alice in Wonderland'!

Here we follow Alice who was raised to be an assassin and a killer. She is only a few days shy of her 18th birthday and her contract is over so she can be free! That is until a white rabbit storms into her life. This white rabbit tells her that she has a family waiting for her in Wonderland, a land of Faes, and she is the only one who can save everyone from the Red Queen.

This was a lot of fun!! I was pleasantly surprised (as I mentioned earlier) that this is a retelling of the classic tale. When the white rabbit appeared...I was all WHAT? So I went and read the summary and realized the truth! How fun!

There is a sprinkle of romance *cough* lust *cough* but it doesn't take over the story. They have enough to deal with. I do hope they explore more in the next book but I'm glad we just saw glimmers here while they get the rebels and Alice ready to take on the Red Queen.

My only issue with this is the pace. The pace of the story felt super rushed in some areas and dragging in others. It was a little jarring. Moments that were building up would just happen and be done.

Other than that, I really did have fun with this. I love the world and the references, but this story is pretty fresh. 

In the end, I'll give this 4 stars. 

Audio: The Governess Game by Tessa Dare

 

By: Tessa Dare

Narrated by: Mary Jane Wells

Series: Girl Meets Duke, Book 2

Length: 7 hrs and 23 mins

Release date: 08-28-18

Publisher: HarperAudio

From: Bookbeat.fi /Historical romance

I really should have written this at once when I still had the feel of things.

I liked this one, it was sweeter somehow than the spindle cove books. Alexandra takes a job as a governess, Chase is a Duke to be with two unruly wards. She does things her way, he just wants to do his thing.

And they fall madly in love and lust. And live happily ever after.

Cute, fun. A really fast listen

Great narration. She does an amazing job

After her livelihood slips through her fingers, Alexandra Mountbatten takes on an impossible post: transforming a pair of wild orphans into proper young ladies. However, the girls don’t need discipline. They need a loving home. Try telling that to their guardian, Chase Reynaud: duke’s heir in the streets and devil in the sheets. The ladies of London have tried—and failed—to make him settle down. Somehow, Alexandra must reach his heart . . . without risking her own.

'

Like any self-respecting libertine, Chase lives by one rule: no attachments. When a stubborn little governess tries to reform him, he decides to give her an education—in pleasure. That should prove he can’t be tamed. But Alexandra is more than he bargained for: clever, perceptive, passionate. She refuses to see him as a lost cause. Soon the walls around Chase’s heart are crumbling . . . and he’s in danger of falling, hard.