Simple! I was reading Murder because I was writing Romance and there was no way I wanted to inadvertently plagiarise or copy someone else.
The only exception was a Regency romance I had read in December but was unable to comment on until its March release. I figured that by this time those words were out of my system as I had read and written the review back then.
Once Upon A Murder by Samantha Larsen.
A Lady Librarian Mystery
Miss Tiffany Woodall must sleuth the slaying of a footman to clear her beloved’s name in the second Lady Librarian mystery, in the vein of Deanna Raybourn and perfect for fans of Bridgerton.
1784 England. Officially hired as the librarian for the Duchess of Beaufort, Miss Tiffany Woodall is through with masquerades and murders for good. That is, until she stumbles upon the frozen dead body of former footman Mr. Bernard Coram. The speed with which her peaceful new life is upended is one for the record the justice of the peace immediately declares her the primary suspect in the murder.
As Tiffany hunts for the truth to clear her name, she learns that Bernard got into a fight over a woman at the local pub the night of his death–but he was also overheard blackmailing Samir. The justice of the peace arrests Samir, and Tiffany realizes that her life may have more in common with a tragic play than a light-hearted romance.
With her love locked up in jail and her own reputation on the line, Tiffany must attempt to solve the murder before the book closes on her or Samir’s life.
My Review.
This is the second in a series and unfortunately, I had not read the first book. This left me at a bit of a disadvantage, but I assumed I’d pick the nuances of the story up. Sadly, it didn’t hold my attention which could be that I hadn’t a connection to the characters. If you are planning to read this series, I suggest you read it in order.
A Death in Diamonds by S.J Bennett.
The royally brilliant fourth book in the Her Majesty the Queen Investigates mystery series!
1957 – A young woman is found dead in a mews house a mile from Buckingham Palace, wearing only silk underwear and a a diamond tiara. An older man is discovered nearby, garrotted and pierced through the eye with a long, sharp implement.
According to the police, a high society card game was going on downstairs that night. One of the players surely committed the murders, but each of them can give the others an alibi.
When someone very close to her is implicated, the young Queen is drawn in to the investigation…
288 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2024.
My Review,
I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and the journey back in time to 1957 is well-researched and conveyed. High society London had its own rules and caveats. The police are investigating , hampered at every turn by M16, HM the Queen for reasons of her own wants to know about the investigation too. A fun bit of nostalgia and a puzzling mystery.
What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama, Alison Watts (Translator)
For fans of The Midnight Library and Before the Coffee Gets Cold, this charming Japanese novel shows how the perfect book recommendation can change a reader’s life.
What are you looking for?
This is the famous question routinely asked by Tokyo’s most enigmatic librarian, Sayuri Komachi. Like most librarians, Komachi has read every book lining her shelves—but she also has the unique ability to read the souls of her library guests. For anyone who walks through her door, Komachi can sense exactly what they’re looking for in life and provide just the book recommendation they never knew they needed to help them find it.
Each visitor comes to her library from a different juncture in their careers and dreams, from the restless sales attendant who feels stuck at her job to the struggling working mother who longs to be a magazine editor. The conversation that they have with Sayuri Komachi—and the surprise book she lends each of them—will have life-altering consequences.
With heartwarming charm and wisdom, What You Are Looking For Is in the Library is a paean to the magic of libraries, friendship and community, perfect for anyone who has ever found themselves at an impasse in their life and in need of a little inspiration.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published November 9, 2020
My Review.
I loved this book! Everything about it appealed to me from the delightful cover design to the way the story evolved. Kudos to Alison Watts for such a great translation. A gentle story, which had an almost dreamlike effect. Thoroughly recommended.
Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo- Reum,Shanna Tan (Translator.)
The Korean smash hit available for the first time in English, a slice-of-life novel for readers of Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library and Gabrielle Zevin’s The Storied Life of AJ Fikry.
Yeongju is burned out. With her high-flying career, demanding marriage, and busy life in Seoul, she knows she should feel successful, but all she feels is drained. Yet an abandoned dream nags at her, and in a leap of faith, she leaves her old life behind. Quitting her job and divorcing her husband, Yeongju moves to a small residential neighborhood outside the city, where she opens the Hyunam-dong Bookshop.
For the first few months, all Yeongju does is cry, deterring visitors. But the long hours in the shop give her time to mull over what makes a good bookseller and store, and as she starts to read hungrily, host author events, and develop her own bookselling philosophy, she begins to ease into her new setting. Surrounded by friends, writers, and the books that connect them all, she finds her new story as the Hyunam-dong Bookshop transforms into an inviting space for lost souls to rest, heal, and remember that it’s never too late to scrap the plot and start again.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 17, 2022.
My Review.
By some weird coincidence, I read this just after What You Are Looking For is In the Library. It might have been better if I had read another book in between these two.The tone of this book is far more serious as it interrogates topics such as work-life balance, and whether your career always takes precedence. What if you fall out of love? Do you need to be married to be happy?
Charlotte’s Control by Maggie Sims
A young rake soon to inherit an impoverished estate…a lonely widow unable to produce an heir…a love they must renounce.
Widowed at thirty, Charlotte, Dowager Countess of Peterborough, finds herself on the lonely edge of Society, caught between the young chits vying for a husband and older matrons. In a moment of vulnerability, she meets a young rake who tempts her to forget propriety and reclaim her feminine powers of seduction…for a while. Their affair can only last until he marries a wealthy debutante who can give him what Charlotte cannot. An heir.
In his final year at Oxford, William Stanton, heir to the Earl of Harrington, is forced to manage the earldom for his drunken father and provide for his family. With the prospect of an advantageous marriage looming in his future, he yearns for the frivolity of his peers. But when he encounters a lovely widow, he’s drawn to her keen mind as much as he is to her beauty. She believes they are destined to part. To keep her, he must battle Fate, time, and the rules of Society that conspire against them.
311 pages, Kindle Edition Published March 19, 2024
My Review.
He falls first and hard, and Charlotte enjoys educating him.
Fans of the genre won’t be disappointed by this spirited tale of femdom.
This is an age-gap romance between an older woman younger man.
Charlotte is a young widow who doesn’t want to give up on life or love.
William, her younger lover grows and matures throughout the book.
There is lots of sexual tension, sexual chemistry, and some bondage and orgasm control. I received a special copy from the author, and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
It’s been a busy month for me as I have been writing the latest novella for The Regent’s Menagerie Anthology, which releases in June but is up for pre-order now at a special introductory price. My story features Badala a baby elephant, what could be cuter than that?
There are two volumes. One is sweeter and the other is spicier to suit all tastes.
You can pre-order your copy now!
I’m back to reading romance this month, but I have another exciting project on the horizon.Until next time , happy reading!