Carole's Monday: A Lady of Large Fortune

 

Author: Tiffany Thomas

Title: A Lady of Large Fortune

Genre: Historical Romance, What If, Variation

Format: Ebook

Pages: 498

Published: July 22, 2026

Where I got It: Kindle Unlimited

Summary: 

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman of large fortune may fall in love at her leisure and choose her own fate.

Elizabeth Bennet has spent years quietly holding her family together. With Longbourn entailed away and her father content to leave its management in her hands, Elizabeth has learned to be practical, capable, and useful. Then a flood in London takes the lives of her aunt and uncle Gardiner, leaving three young children in need of protection—and Elizabeth with more responsibility than ever.

But beneath the damaged house in Gracechurch Street lies a secret no one could have imagined: a Roman treasure, hidden for centuries, that changes the course of her life—in more ways than one.

Rewarded by the Crown for her discovery, Elizabeth becomes exactly what society values most: a lady of large fortune. But she chooses to keeps her good fortune a secret from everyone, determined to keep her family safe from gossip, greed, and imprudent schemes.

Retired militia colonel Fitzwilliam Darcy knows too well what a fortune can cost. His father’s extravagance left Pemberley wounded, his sister vulnerable, and Darcy sacrifices everything, including his hopes for a love match, to prudence and rebuilding. Yet when he comes to Hertfordshire, he does not expect to meet again the muddy, courageous young woman who once rose from a hidden cellar with a Roman coin in her hand.

But wealth does not solve every difficulty, and the past has a way of reaching for what it was never owed. Darcy and Elizabeth must work together to restore their happiness and protect the future of those they love.

Review:

I was itching for some P&P variations, and I stumbled upon this in Kindle Unlimited, so why not? 

Here we are with Darcy and Elizabeth. Tale as old as time, but a little different. What if Darcy's father was a spendthrift who ran Pemberley to the ground and left it to Darcy to fix? What if Elizabeth found a way to have riches and save her family? 

I had fun with this one! It was pretty sad at some points. Poor Darcy...Poor Lizzie.

There was a LOT of changes to the story, but it was still the same at its core. I enjoyed watching our characters interact and find their ends. Some happy, some not. Especially Wickham. His ending was def well-deserved. 

It was weird not seeing more of the Gardiner children, minus a cameo in London and then quickly mentioned in the epilogue. This was a big deal and a huge change in the story, but we didn't really get to see them. 

But yes, I enjoyed the changes made. They were refreshing and new. Super sad, though. I wish we would've seen more of the aftermath of the Gardiner children having to move in with them. Maybe a scene or two with Elizabeth with the kiddos. But the ending was nice and fitting. I liked this overall! It was good. 4 stars from me. 

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

Series: The Princesses of Westfalin Trilogy (#1)

Format: 304 pages, Paperback

Published: May 1, 2010 by Bloomsbury USA Children

Fantasy/own

Sure, I know the story, but it feels like I read exactly this one and forgot to log it...oops. See I found some older books( not that old, just not in the right place.)

Rose is one of 12 princesses forced to dance all night with the sons of wicked king. They can not tell what they do but people do start to wonder when their shoes are broken. But they never seem to leave their bedrooms? And then princes who come to court them end up dead. Fishy indeed.

In comes a young soldier returned from the war, and he starts working for his uncle in the gardens. Can he solve the mystery of the dancing princesses, or will this whole country fall apart?

And since is is a fairytale it will all work out and there will be a hea. Yay. I enjoyed it, it was a light and short read. A good story.

Rose is the eldest of twelve princesses forced to dance through the night in an underground palace. Galen is the soldier turned gardener who falls for her. The key to breaking the spell lies in magic knitting needles, an invisibility cloak, and-of course-true love. Inspired by "The Twelve Dancing Princesses,"

The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding

Series: The Darkwater Legacy (#2)

Format: 848 pages, Paperback

Published: February 16, 2023 by Gollancz

Fantasy/own

Oh it is a trilogy? I actually did not know. This one actually had an ending, and I thought ok it is good for now, but like yeah more can come and I guess it will.

It takes place 3 years after book 1. Aren and his people have been trying to sow the seeds of revolution for all that time, and it does not go well.

They must defeat the evil invaders, but for that they need people and everyone is scared, or hanging on to the power they have.

It is about a quest, a coming revolution (or not), trying to find allies, and mostly hiding from the bad guys.

I liked it. very old school

A BAND OF REBELS.

A TRAITOR IN THEIR MIDST.

A REVOLUTION ABOUT TO BEGIN.

It's been three years since Aren seized the Ember Blade. Three years since they struck the spark they hoped would ignite the revolution. But the flame has failed to catch. The Krodans have crushed Ossia in an iron grip of terror. The revolution seems further away than ever.

Far in the north, the Dawnwardens seek to unite the fractious clans of the Fell Folk and create a stronghold from which to retake their land. But even if they can overcome the danger of treachery from within, they still have to contend with the dreadknights. Only the druidess Vika can resist these near-unstoppable foes, and there's only one of her.

But what if there was a weapon that could destroy the dreadknights? A weapon of such power it could turn the tide? A weapon that, if it fell into the wrong hands, might mean the end of all hope?

The Shadow Casket has returned from out of the past, and it will save or damn them all.

Audio: This Inevitable Ruin by Matt Dinniman

By: Matt Dinniman

Narrated by: Jeff Hays, Travis Baldree

Series: Dungeon Crawler Carl, Book 7

Length: 28 hrs and 40 mins

Release date: 02-11-25

Publisher: Audible Studios

Lit rpg/Own

Book 7 and it is getting hard to review without spoiling.

So 9th floor, that means War. Different factions fighting, everything at stake. The AI being all crazy and keeping everyone in the system.

Carl being all Carl, intense, shoeless, still in his underwear. Poor man is never getting shoes or pants.

Donut becoming a warlord, poor Donut. But she is awesome.

Gods and Goddesses running around.

Intense, crazy and just amazing in audio.

They call it Faction Wars. The ninth floor.

Nine armies, each led by rich and powerful aliens from across the galaxy. Each team has one objective: to capture and hold the castle at the very center of the battlefield. Strategy, alliances, pitched battles, and, of course, betrayal... It all makes for great fun and even greater television.

After all, none of these powerful aliens really die when they’re playing war.

Except this time. This time, winner takes all. Those who fall, stay in the ground.

As the AI continues its rapid decline, Carl and company take advantage of the chaos. For the first time ever, the crawlers are fighting back. They are now one of the nine teams. And this season, there’s a tenth army on the playing field. The NPCs, who are normally used as nothing but cannon fodder, have become fully self-aware and formed a team of their own.

For Donut and Katia, the stakes are even higher. Only one of them will be allowed to leave this level.

If they all want to survive, they’re going to need a little help from a veteran or two.

This is it.

This is what they’ve been fighting toward.

This is war.

This inevitable ruin.

Audio: All the time in the world

By: Cara Bastone

Narrated by: Emily Bader, Lewis Pullman, Josh Hurley, James Lurie, Merissa Czyz, Marc Vietor, L.J. Ganser

Length: 4 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher: Audible Originals

Contemporary romance/from audible 

This was fun! I read one of hers which has worm holes, and this is actually set in the same universe! It takes place 5 years later and most worm holes have been closed except for 3.

Celeste and Everett is going to an island (separately) to jump into wormholes. A thing you should not do, but they have things they want to see, do.

So they hike this island, meet each other, and yes it is a romance, so friendship and that HEA is promised. Though it is more friendship to be honest, until they realise that they could be great.

I liked it! Short and fun. And omg the sound effects had me freaking when I was walking and heard wolves.

very good narration too

Celeste Varick has a simple find one of the last wormholes on earth and walk right in. The catch? She has no idea where she'll land, or that she's about to fall for the one stranger chasing the same impossible leap.

Everett Ludlow booked the same charter to the same island to find the same wormholes at the same exact moment. A kindhearted skeptic, he doesn't believe in fate but is desperate enough to leap into the future to save someone he loves.

Forced together in the wilderness, two lost souls start tempting fate, and each other. Neither came here looking for a partner; they came to fix the pasts and futures haunting them. But the longer they brave the wild together, the more the present starts to feel like the one timeline worth fighting for. And as the wormholes draw closer, the scariest leap isn't through time at it's taking a chance on happiness together, right here, right now.

Carole´s Movie review: Pressure

 

Title: Pressure

Length: 1h 40 m

Released: 2026

Genre: Drama, Docudrama
Rating: PG-13
Where I Got It: Peacock

SUMMARY:

In the tense 72 hours before D-Day, General Dwight D. Eisenhower and Captain James Stagg face an impossible choice--launch the most dangerous seaborne invasion in history or risk losing the war altogether.

Trailer

REVIEW:

I had heard that Brendan Fraser was playing good ol' Ike Eisenhower. Love this actor, and I am addicted to WWII. So when this popped up on Peacock, I had to check it out. 

It is 72 hours before D-Day. Captain Stagg and General Eisenhower will face an impossible choice....when to launch the most dangerous seaborne invasion in history.

Being a nerd, I knew why D-Day was delayed, and it is just facts. I never really knew the behind-the-scenes of this decision. I loved that they showed this part of the war. Not all heroes wave a gun around or are the face of an Army. Some heroes are nerds who are meteorologists. 

I'm glad we didn't get stuck on the details of the science. I wouldn't know anything, and I feel like if it was too science-y, you would lose some of the viewers. We want the drama. The decisions. The war. 

I liked the cast overall. They fit, and they all did well. I did have issues with Fraser acting "angry". It just didn't land quite right for me. Maybe it is because he just has such a kind face. LOL. Other than that, I think he did an excellent job as the man who is larger than life. Eisenhower was brilliant, but he knew he didn't know everything. That is why he was such a great leader. Leaders don't know everything. They rely on their team to help. Beautifully done.

Honestly, I would watch this again. This was really good. 

If you like WWII films, you'll like this. This is just another story and another POV that helped with the war efforts. 

I would say 4.5, but I rounded up because I'm a sucker for WWII and Fraser. 5 stars. 

The witching hour by Syd Moore

Format: 368 pages, Paperback

Published: September 1, 2024 by Avon

Paranormal/borrowed

This one was a light...horror? mystery. Sarah is a widow with a young son. Then she starts seeing things, and there is the whole thing that she has the same name and last name as the famous town witch.

Something spooky is a afoot, and it seems that the only way she can be free again is to find out what actually happened to Sarah Grey, and how she died. Just, it was quite some time ago.

No actual spooky horror, just some good old digging into the past. Trying to solve a 150 year old murder. She does get some help too, but I will not say anything.

It will also get dangerous...

I enjoyed it, light and easy

Relocated to a coastal town with her young son Alfie, widowed teacher Sarah Grey is slowly rebuilding her life. But following a séance one drunken night, she begins to be plagued by horrific visions. Her attempts to explain them away are dashed when Alfie starts to see them too, and soon it seems that they are targets of a terrifying haunting.

Convinced that the ghost is that of a 19th century local witch and her own namesake, Sarah delves into local folklore and learns that the witch was thought to have been evil incarnate. When a series of old letters surface, Sarah discovers that nothing and no one is as it seems, not even the ghost of Sarah Grey…

The Watchers by A.M.Shine

Series: The Watchers (#1)

Format: 310 pages, Hardcover

Published : October 14, 2021 by Head of Zeus

Horror/borrowed

Ohh I liked this one, this one had the horror that I like. No blood or guts. Just eerie, creepy and like how the f will she survive?!

Mina´s car breaks down and she tries to find help. And so the nightmare begins. She does reach a "house", and if she stays there during the night she will survive. All while beings move outside screaming. And you can not leave the woods, others have tried. But they get you as night falls.

What are those things? How on earth can she survive?

Creepy. I am glad I read it during summer. And the end, omg, the end!!!! EEEEEK. There is a book 2, now that is evil and I need that book.

This forest isn't charted on any map. Every car breaks down at its treeline. Mina's is no different. Left stranded, she is forced into the dark woodland only to find a woman shouting, urging Mina to run to a concrete bunker. As the door slams behind her, the building is besieged by screams.

Mina finds herself in a room with a wall of glass, and an electric light that activates at nightfall, when the Watchers come above ground. These creatures emerge to observe their captive humans—and terrible things happen to anyone who doesn't reach the bunker in time.

Afraid and trapped among strangers, Mina is desperate for answers. Who are the Watchers? Why are these creatures keeping them imprisoned? And, most importantly, how can she escape?

The Life Impossible by Matt Haig

Format: 384 pages, Paperback

Published: September 2, 2025 by Penguin Books

Magical realism/library

I have never read Haig before so I did not know what to expect and magical realism was not that.

Grace is a 72 year old widow, and she inherits a house on Ibiza. So she goes there and tries to figure out why her friend from long ago died.

But there is something strange going on in the waters outside of Ibiza. Maybe there is something magical with those lights in the water.

I honestly can not say more so not to spoil it, but it sure took me on a journey I did not expect and I enjoyed it

“What looks like magic is simply a part of life we don’t understand yet…”

When retired math teacher Grace Winters is left a run-down house on a Mediterranean island by a long-lost friend, curiosity gets the better of her. She arrives in Ibiza with a one-way ticket, no guidebook and no plan.

Among the rugged hills and golden beaches of the island, Grace searches for answers about her friend’s life, and how it ended. What she uncovers is stranger than she could have dreamed. But to dive into this impossible truth, Grace must first come to terms with her past.

Filled with wonder and wild adventure, thisis a story of hope and the life-changing power of a new beginning.

If I have to be haunted by Miranda Sun

Format: 368 pages, Paperback

Published: October 4, 2023 by Magpie Books GB

Ya paranormal/borrowed

I was unsure at first, but it picked up.

Cara can see ghosts but she pretends not too. Her gran was a ghost talker, her mother says she has to be normal. But then she finds her "enemy" dead in the woods, and damn, fine, she will talk to his ghost and try to see what she can do. There is this whole other thing about a snake and maybe that she can save his life. I do wonder though, shouldn´t he be rotting?

Most of the book takes place on this other plane as they are racing against time to find an antidote. Dangers, and perhaps a budding romance ;)

I did enjoy it in the end because it was light and easy

Cara’s just trying to stay on top of all her classes, excel at her extracurriculars, and prepare for college – which means not speaking to the dead, an ability she inherited from her grandmother. Ghosts are trouble, and Cara doesn’t need to add their problems to her own.

But then she stumbles upon the body of Zach – the super popular but very newly dead high school golden boy – in the woods, and guess what? He wants her to resurrect him.

Cue trouble.

Carole´s Monday. The Pemberley Picnic

Author: Melanie Rachel

Title: The Pemberley Picnic - A Pride and Prejudice Variation

Genre: Historical Romance, What If, Novella

Format: ebook

Pages: 160

Published: July 16, 2026

Where I got It: Kindle Unlimited

Summary: 

Fitzwilliam Darcy never expected Elizabeth Bennet to come to Pemberley—least of all after the proposal she so decisively refused. Yet here she is, seeing him not in a ballroom or a drawing room, but on his own ground, where he might be able to prove to her that he has changed.

But he has only days before she returns home.

So he does something entirely unlike himself: Darcy announces a picnic. There is only one difficulty. He has not planned a picnic.

Still, he is certain everything will go well. It must.

But Darcy soon discovers that even the simplest picnic can go astray—especially when the wind, the weather, and Miss Bingley all seem determined to keep him from the guest he most wishes to please. As old misunderstandings soften and new feelings bloom, Elizabeth and Darcy must decide whether pride, prejudice, and past mistakes can give way to something far sweeter.

Review:

I'm in a JA mood, I guess! 

Here we have a P&P variation. Darcy never expected to see Elizabeth again after she declined his proposal. Well...here she is....in his home.....this is his chance to show her he has changed. He decides that there will be a picnic on the grounds! What could go wrong? Everything. 

I'm going to be chill again and divide and conquer this review. It's been a long week. 

The Good

- LOVE a P&P and Austen variation. It's just so fuuuuun. 

- Awww loved seeing Darcy do something so out of character. 

- Fitzwilliam was a gem. So witty. So funny. 

- This was very sweet and adorable

The Bad and the Ugly

- Some phrases and words didn't seem to vibe with the time period and characters. It just didn't hit the ears (well...I did the ebook...would it be eyes?) right. 

Conclusion

I enjoyed this little gem. It was very sweet, and I liked this cute twist. Imagine if Darcy got an extra day with Lizzie. So very sweeeeet. 

4 stars. 

Everyone wants to rule the world except me by Django Wexler

Series: Dark Lord Davi (#2)

Format: 384 pages, Paperback

Published: May 27, 2025 by Orbit

Fantasy/own

Duology! Yes!

Davi has been living for a 1000 years and dying, and dying. Horrible deaths. All cos this old wizard said she was the chosen one. So in the last book she said EFF this and decided to become the dark lord instead. She has won the title, gathered a horde, has a smexy Orc lady to bed and now...wait now what? I mean she does not want to go and kill all humans.

And that is where we are, what now? She has made friends, and enemies. She still does not understand this world, since she is from earth. And how can she get out of this time loop?

I liked Davi, she was snarky, and hey I would have lost my mind long ago. She has tried everything through out the years.

I liked it, and even more I liked that it was a duology

Davi has done this all before. She's tried to be the hero and take down the all-powerful Dark Lord. A hundred times she's rallied humanity and made the final charge. But the time loop always gets her in the end. Sometimes she's killed quickly. Sometimes it takes a while. But she's been defeated every time.

This time? She's done being the hero and done being stuck in this endless time loop. If the Dark Lord always wins, then maybe that's who she needs to be. It's Davi's turn to play on the winning side.

The Missing girl by Jenny Quintana

Format: 336 pages, Paperback

Published: September 20, 2018 by Pan Books

Thriller Mystery/borrowed

I expected it to be more thrilling, or dangerous. But it was pretty lowkey

It takes place in 1982 and then 30 years later. In 1982 Anna´s sister Gabriella goes missing and they can´t find her. What happened?

30 years later Anna comes back to deal with her mother´s death estate and she starts looking for clues again. There were suspects and she learns new things, and yes she will learn what happened. Totally sad, but I did expect some danger. But it is just her looking for clues, finding the truth and having closure. Which is good, but yes you know what to expect then.

I did want to know what happened to Gabriella. I hoped she was fine, and for some reason had not talked to the family she loved for 30 years...

When Anna Flores' adored older sister goes missing as a teenager, Anna copes by disappearing too, just as soon as she can: running as far away from her family as possible, and eventually building a life for herself abroad. Thirty years later, the death of her mother finally forces Anna to return home. Tasked with sorting through her mother's possessions, she begins to confront not just her mother's death, but also the huge hole Gabriella's disappearance left in her life – and finds herself asking a question she's not allowed herself to ask for years: what really happened to her sister? With that question comes the revelation that her biggest fear isn't discovering the worst; it's never knowing the answer. But is it too late for Anna to uncover the truth about Gabriella's disappearance?

A marriage of Lions by Elizabeth Chadwick

Format: 512 pages, Paperback

Published: April 14, 2022 by Sphere

Historical fiction/own

I like Chadwick´s historical books. They always makes me go down rabbit holes. Following entire lines of people and yes Joanna is a direct ancestor of the royal house still today.

Joanna was a granddaughter of William Marshall, but she was not an heiress. Still she got a position as a lady in waiting when she was 8. Also was the Marshall men cursed to not have kids? It is weird. Anyway, suddenly Joanne was an heiress and is married of to Henry IIIs brother William de Valence.

At this time Simon de Montfort is gaining power and is using the message England for the English and not foreigners, oh I guess it is nothing new then. He gets some barons on his side. Joannas husband who is from France is one reason they are angry. Also since she was an heiress and did not even marry someone from England. Also he was a total dick, de Montfort that is.

It is about her upbringing, marriage, kids and just life that is. All while tension is brewing through out the country.

I enjoyed it, and it is always fun with books that makes you want to google

England, 1238

Raised at the court of King Henry III as a chamber lady to the queen, young Joanna of Swanscombe's life changes forever when she comes into an inheritance far above all expectations, including her own.

Now a wealthy heiress, Joanna's arranged marriage to the King's charming, tournament-loving half-brother William de Valence immediately stokes the flames of political unrest as more established courtiers object to the privileges bestowed on newcomers.

As Joanna and William strive to build a life together, England descends into a bitter civil war. In mortal danger, William is forced to run for his life, and Joanna is left with only her wit and courage to outfox their enemies and prevent them from destroying her husband, her family, and their fortunes.

Flawless by Elsie Silver

Series: Chestnut Springs (#1)

Format: 378 pages, Paperback

Published: August 29, 2023 by Bloom Books

Contemporary romance/own

Cowboy romance, hey I love it. But it also got me thinking, I have seen people lately complain about 3rd person, and this was 1st person and well I prefer 3rd, it makes me one step away. Which is good when it gets really down and dirty.

Rhett is a bullrider who gets in trouble as he says bad things about his sponsor. So he gets a babysitter named Summer, who is also the daughter of his PR agent. Don't get to close!

But ovbi they get really close. First they dislike each other, but then feelings grow and maybe this could work after all. Insert drama!

I enjoyed it. I will read more

The rules were simple: keep his hands off his agent's daughter and stay out of trouble. But now he's stuck with her. There's only one bed. And well, rules are made to be broken.

Rhett Eaton is the face of professional bull riding. The golden boy. Or at least he was until it all blew up in his face after a public brawl. Now his agent says he has to clean up his image, and sticks Rhett with his ball-busting daughter for the rest of the season as "full-time supervision."

But Rhett doesn't need a goddamn babysitter--especially one with skin-tight jeans, a sexy smirk, and a mouth she can't stop running.

And he quickly learns that Summer Hamilton isn't just another conquest. She sees the man behind the mask, and she doesn't run--she pulls him closer, even when she shouldn't.

She says this means nothing. Rhett says this means everything.

She says there are boundaries they shouldn't cross. That Rhett's reputation can't take any more hits...and neither can her damaged heart.

Rhett says he's going to steal it anyway.

Carole Monday: The spider silk scarf

 

Author: Ana Reyes

Title: The Spider Silk Scarf

Genre: Fantasy, Short Story, Thriller, Horror

Format: ebook

Pages: 32

Expected publication September 1, 2026

Where I got It: My Shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

Nora has always gotten a thrill from stealing things—from shoplifting nail polish as a young teenager to now, in her twenties, reaching higher than a receptionist’s salary allows. Her handyman fiancé, Ben, doesn’t ask questions when she shows up with a new necklace or cracks open a bottle of high-end cognac that they clearly can’t afford.

When Ben comes home from a repair job for a notoriously reclusive neighbor, he passes along rumors of an extraordinary object hidden away in her gloomy old house. A scarf, woven from the silk of black widow spiders. It’s priceless, not only because it’s completely unique, but also because, as legend has it, it took twelve weavers seven years to create. Only eleven survived.

As obsession takes hold, Nora finds herself breaking into her neighbor’s home. But what happens next defies explanation. One glimpse into the world of a witch could change Nora’s life forever—if she makes it out.

Review:

Weeeee Amazon first read! A friend and I both picked this to check out. How could you not? That title....that cover....that summary???? So enticing!

In this story, we follow Nora. Nora has always gotten a thrill from stealing. Ben, her future husband, never bats an eye when Nora shows up with things that are way out of their price range. After doing a job for a reclusive neighbor, he passes along a rumor of an extraordinary object in the neighbor's house. It's a priceless scarf, and Nora wants it. It's a scarf that is woven from the silk of black widow spiders. However, there is a legend attached to it....there were twelve weavers, but only eleven survived. After breaking into the neighbor's house to steal the scarf, Nora will come face-to-face with the unexplainable. 

Oh Nora....you have a problem. And if Ben doesn't know...he's dumb. All the signs are there. I guess love is blind? SMH. 

It's hard to feel for our main here, but I still enjoyed the story. There is a lesson mixed in with the story. Maybe multiple lessons, to be fair. 

This would be a lovely short to read during Halloween. Maybe I'll read it again in a couple of years! It has some spooky elements for sure. 

The ending was good. A nice twist. 

Overall, this was a quick read but a nice read. It was just enough. The characters are hard to feel bad for, but not all stories have characters that are likeable!

4 stars. 

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Her Majesty´s royal coven by Juno Dawson

Series: Her Majesty's Royal Coven (#1)

Format: 452 pages, Paperback

Published: August 3, 2022 by Harper Voyager

Paranormal/borrowed

First I was disappointed at once cos I stupidly believed it would take place in the 1800s...oops, ok that one is on me. It was modern time.

And it was sort of ok, but sigh. I thought this would be fun, it was not. I thought it would be friendship and women, no. The whole book was about women in different covens arguing.

There had been a war between warlocks and witches. One would think that would be in issue...nope.

Satan was coming through and all witches are going to die said an oracle, one would think that would be an issue..sort of, but still let's just argue instead.

So women being bitches to each other instead of witches. YAWN

If you look hard enough at old photographs, we’re there in the background: healers in the trenches; Suffragettes; Bletchley Park oracles; land girls and resistance fighters. Why is it we help in times of crisis? We have a gift. We are stronger than Mundanes, plain and simple.

At the dawn of their adolescence, on the eve of the summer solstice, four young girls--Helena, Leonie, Niamh and Elle--took the oath to join Her Majesty's Royal Coven, established by Queen Elizabeth I as a covert government department. Now, decades later, the witch community is still reeling from a civil war and Helena is now the reigning High Priestess of the organization. Yet Helena is the only one of her friend group still enmeshed in the stale bureaucracy of HMRC. Elle is trying to pretend she's a normal housewife, and Niamh has become a country vet, using her powers to heal sick animals. In what Helena perceives as the deepest betrayal, Leonie has defected to start her own more inclusive and intersectional coven, Diaspora. And now Helena has a bigger problem. A young warlock of extraordinary capabilities has been captured by authorities and seems to threaten the very existence of HMRC. With conflicting beliefs over the best course of action, the four friends must decide where their loyalties lie: with preserving tradition, or doing what is right.

Juno Dawson explores gender and the corrupting nature of power in a delightful and provocative story of magic and matriarchy, friendship and feminism. Dealing with all the aspects of contemporary womanhood, as well as being phenomenally powerful witches, Niamh, Helena, Leonie and Elle may have grown apart but they will always be bound by the sisterhood of the coven.

Audio: A Lady´s reputation by Amy DOrazio

By: Amy D'Orazio

Narrated by: Lillian Rachel

Series: The Engaged to Mr Darcy Series

Length: 13 hrs and 58 mins

Release date: 10-11-19

Publisher: Quills & Quartos Publishing

Pride and prejudice variation/from audible

I am appalled, appalled I say! Mr Bingley, you are not a gentleman!

In this one, Darcy is an idiot in love and goes and blabs to everyone that he and Lizzy is engaged, sigh. Well, see he has not actually asked her yet and the gossip is soon everywhere. If she "ends" it it will seems she jilted him and her reputation will suffer. MEN! But he invites her to Pemberley, and the Gardiners so they can get to know each other and maybe work it out.

And then there is Bingley who becomes more and more of a spineless toad. And when I thought he could not sunk any farther, he does! Where is my glove?! I will slap him and call him out.

Darcy and Lizzy will eventually fall in love, and then there is some drama that made me maaaad! You are dead to me Bingley!

All in all, everyone lives happily ever after, except those who deserves no happy endings.

I liked it

“Mr Darcy, I am eager to hear your explanation for the fact that quite a few people believe we are engaged.”

It starts with a bit of well-meant advice. Colonel Fitzwilliam suggests to his cousin Darcy that, before he proposes to Elizabeth Bennet in Kent, perhaps he ought to discuss his plans with their families first.

What neither man could have predicted however was that Lord Matlock would write the news to his sister, or that Viscount Saye would overhear and tell his friends, or that his friends might slip a little and let their friends know as well. The news spreads just as quickly through Hertfordshire once Mrs Bennet opens the express Mr Bennet receives from Mr Darcy, and in a matter of days, it seems like everyone knows that Mr Darcy has proposed marriage to Elizabeth Bennet.

Everyone, that is, except Elizabeth herself.

Her refusal is quick and definite - until matters of reputation, hers as well as Jane’s, are considered. Then Mr Darcy makes another summer at Pemberley so that Jane can be reunited with Mr Bingley and so that he can prove to Elizabeth he is not what she thinks of him. Falling in love with him is naturally impossible...but once she knows the man he truly is, will she be able to help herself?

Audio: An ordinary sort of evil by Kelley Armstrong

Narrated by: Kate Handford

Series: A Rip Through Time, Book 5

Length: 12 hrs and 52 mins

Release date: 05-19-26

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Historical mystery/own

A new adventure, and finally! Mallory and Grey will get a bit closer. I get why nothing has happened before, but these two would be so perfect together.

But first there is a mystery, a psychic claims that Lady Adler´s maid is dead and Grey and Mallory is called in. There is no body, just a girl who seems to have quit her job.

A missing maid. More mysteries. How does the psychic know?

Though I must say, Mallory sure is sceptic of ghosts considering she time travelled from modern time to 1860s.

I enjoyed this one. Especially since these two clearly has something going on between them.

Modern-day homicide detective Mallory Mitchell has grown accustomed to life in Victorian Scotland after travelling 150 years into the past into the body of a housemaid. She’s built a new life for herself. Even though she works as an assistant to forensic-science pioneer Dr. Duncan Gray and Detective Hugh McCreadie, she considers them true friends. And with Gray in particular, perhaps, someday, something more.

Late one night, Gray and Mallory are summoned urgently to the home of Lady Adler, a patron of Gray’s undertaking business, and they assume there's been a death in the household. But instead, they arrive in the midst of a séance with a ghost demanding Gray's presence. The ghost is Lady Adler's former maid, who had gone missing but now requests that Gray investigate her murder. Although Gray and Mallory are skeptical, they agree to look into the matter, whether she's dead or alive. But unsure if there's been a murder or not, unable to call out the medium as a fraud, and concerned for the fate of the young maid, Gray and Mallory are once again drawn into a mystery much more puzzling—and more dangerous—than it first seems

The Belle of Belgrave square by Mimi Matthews

Series: Belles of London (#2)

Format: 432 pages, Paperback

Published: October 11, 2022 by Berkley

Historical romance/own

Julia loves reading, she hates parties and gatherings. Her parents are hypochondriacs, and she does pretend to be ill at times so she does not have to attend balls.

Jasper is called the hero of Crimea, but at the same time people gossip about how sadistic he was and about his brood of bastards. Also he needs a rich wife since his estate needs repairs. And he has his eye on Julia.

Of course it will happen, and sure he wants her money but he is falling. And she really needs to get out of her house, her parents are horrible.

I liked it, they fit well together. At first I was a bit worried about those kids, I hate when a stepmum comes in and the kids are just mean beyond words. But it all works out.

A London heiress rides out to the wilds of the English countryside to honor a marriage of convenience with a mysterious and reclusive stranger. Tall, dark, and dour, the notorious Captain Jasper Blunt was once hailed a military hero, but tales abound of his bastard children and his haunted estate in Yorkshire. What he requires now is a rich wife to ornament his isolated ruin, and he has his sights set on the enchanting Julia Wychwood. For Julia, an incurable romantic cursed with a crippling social anxiety, navigating a London ballroom is absolute torture. The only time Julia feels any degree of confidence is when she’s on her horse. Unfortunately, a young lady can’t spend the whole of her life in the saddle, so Julia makes an impetuous decision to take her future by the reins—she proposes to Captain Blunt. In exchange for her dowry and her hand, Jasper must promise to grant her freedom to do as she pleases. To ride—and to read—as much as she likes without masculine interference. He readily agrees to her conditions, with one provision of his own: Julia is forbidden from going into the tower rooms of his estate and snooping around his affairs. But the more she learns of the beastly former hero, the more intrigued she becomes…

Carole's Monday

 

Author: Martha Wells

Title: Compulsory

Series: The Murderbot Diaries #0.5

Genre: SciFi, Humor, Short Story

Format: ebook

Pages: 8

Published: December 17, 2018

Where I got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

Murderbot—the sardonic, almost-homicidal, media-loving android created by Martha Wells—has proven to be one of the most popular characters in 21 st century science fiction. Everything that makes this protagonist (it would be wrong to call Murderbot a hero) beloved of fans is on display in Compulsory.

While trying to watch episode 44 of The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon, Murderbot is—again, what is it with humans?—distracted by something that is technically outside its purview. A miner is suddenly in danger following a pointless (to Murderbot’s way of thinking) argument, and the choice is to risk discovery and leap into action, which would require hitting the pause button during a very exciting part of SanctuaryMoon, or to follow orders and stay still.

This is a tougher choice than it seems. But then, when has Murderbot ever been faced with an easy choice?

Review:

I'm finally going back and reading the short stories. Not sure why I skipped them. Maybe because my library didn't have them? Perhaps, per maybe. 

But yes. For this guy, we are at the very beginning. Back to when it all started. 

Murderbot faces a tough decision... follow orders and do nothing, or do something. This decision will change his future forever.

Quick story but a big one. I liked it. It was weird going back, but it was nice seeing the difference of the Murderbot he has become vs when he was just following orders and just a bot. 

Def worth it. Honestly....I say wait to read this until after a couple of the books. The difference was fun to see. Love a good origin story. 

This could've been a hair longer methinks. I would've liked to see more of the origin. 

4 stars. 

Author: Martha Wells

Title: Rapport

Series: The Murderbot Diaries #2.5

Genre: SciFi, Humor, Short Story

Format: ebook

Pages: 34

Published: July 11, 2025

Where I got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

Perihelion and its crew embark on a dangerous new mission at a corporate-controlled station in the throes of a hostile takeover...

Review:

This was an interesting one. I wasn't sure I really wanted to read this one, but I'm in it to win it with these shorts!

So we are with Perihelion and its crew. We get to see a whole new POV. We get further insight into the Corporates from Iris' perspective.

I was a little nervous because we are not in the mind of Murderbot. I was scared, but I was pleasantly surprised. I did enjoy this lil guy. 

Def read book 1 and book 2 before diving into this one. 

But yes, short and entertaining. I'm glad I didn't skip it. 

4 stars. Not the same without our main ;) 

Author: Martha Wells

Title: Home

Series: The Murderbot Diaries #4.5

Genre: SciFi, Humor, Short Story

Format: ebook

Pages: 19

Published: May 5, 2020

Where I got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

This short story is told from the point of view of Dr. Mensah and follows the events in Exit Strategy.

The story picks up with Mensah returning to Preservation Station. While she deals with the bureaucratic and political aftermath, Murderbot is physically recovering and emotionally distancing itself — a typical defense mechanism for it.

Review:

Another short where we get to see from someone else's POV. Again...I nearly wanted to skip it but it didn't feel right. 

Here we follow Menash who is returning to the Preservation Station. While she is dealing with the aftermath, Murderbot is physically recovering and emotionally distancing....typical. 

I really enjoyed this one. I actually went back and re-read it. It was entertaining for sure! I like Mensah. 

You need to read the others before this one. There are some references and things you won't understand esp about Murderbot. 

This was my favorite of the shorts. I really liked it. 

5 stars. 

Reading Challenges

- Library Love #19