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OutsmartYourShelf
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Pickpick

1794 & the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel is being hampered in its mission. Lady Marguerite is under house arrest on charges of treason & espionage, whilst her husband (& leader of the League) Sir Percy Blakeney is having to keep away lest he is also imprisoned. It is left to Eleanor, former maid, & now a promising mage to assist in rescuing Lady Marguerite. (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf At every turn, they seem to be shadowed by a group of vampires led by Eleanor's former employer, Lady Sophie, & it soon becomes clear that they see the King's illness & the disarray of those in government as a chance for the vampires to plot a coup - the taking over of England itself.

This is an enjoyable final instalment of the trilogy featuring action, magic, intrigue, & just a little bit of romance.
13h
OutsmartYourShelf There's also the surprising return of a couple of characters from the previous books who are now working with the League, even if it is under sufferance. It has been a really good short series even if I feel that the vampire aspect is underused. 4🌟

My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Pan Macmillan/Tor UK, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7404600298
13h
DieAReader 🎉🎉🎉 10h
22 likes4 comments
review
Aconight
Princess of Blood | Sarah Hawley
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Pickpick

“Blood House had entered the game-and I was going to play by my rules” 5🩸

Not surprised I finished within a day. Hawley has multiple threads weaving through the novel. Then pair it with a vivid atmosphere, artistically well developed characters and unapologetic bloodthirsty. I couldn‘t put it down. #netgalley #ARC #romantasy

review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Pickpick

A look at the history & cultures which have developed by the side of three of Europe's greatest rivers: the Rhine, the Rhone & the Po. Following them from their sources in the mountains, we see the way these rivers have shaped the landscape & the lives of those who have lived near them.

I enjoyed this mix of history (I didn't know that Da Vinci was the one to pioneer the canal lock system of raising & lowering the waterline to transport boats),

OutsmartYourShelf cuisine, (there were times whilst reading when I found myself craving crusty bread with butter or a dish of risotto), & culture. It would make a cracking watch as a series of travel documentaries & I could imagine someone like Michael Portillo turning this book into a two or three series run. My only criticism is that for a book about rivers, it was more than a little ironic that, at times, it became a little dry to read in places 2d
OutsmartYourShelf but this is a minor quibble. 4🌟

My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Elliott & Thompson, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7691057725
Read 18th - 24th Aug 2025

#ReadAway2025 @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
2d
DieAReader 🎉🎉Sounds interesting! 2d
29 likes1 stack add3 comments
review
DGRachel
Here for a Good Time: A Novel | Pyae Moe Thet War
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Mehso-so

This was a disappointing friends-to-lovers adventure. It has a The Lost City vibe, with cinematic prose, but it was predictable (and not in a good way), filled with profanity that felt forced and awkward, with characters that made irrational decisions. The MMC was also a jerk, who belittled the FMC when she called him out, so she doubts herself and excuses his behavior. The book isn‘t terrible, but it didn‘t work for me. #netgalley

DGRachel For the record, I don‘t object to swearing. I object to bad dialogue made worse by frequent f-bombs that feel misplaced or thrown in to meet a word count. 2d
47 likes1 comment
review
julesG
The Night Shift | Nancy Peach
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Panpan

Violet is neurodivergent, extremely book smart, but inexperienced at interacting with people and charmingly blunt. She's a new doctor just out of university and doing her rotation in a hospital. She meets Gus, an anaesthesiologist, on her first nightshift. He's confident, likeable, easy on the eyes, and nice to Violet. Violet could fall for him instantly, but he's still hung up on his ex-fiancée.

⬇️

#NetGalley #ARC #MountARC

julesG Neurodivergent MC!! Set in the medical field! Written by an actual medical doctor!
BUT it read more like if "Emergency Room" fan-fic and the journal of a young doctor had a nerdy baby.
3d
CarolynM How disappointing ☹️ 1d
50 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
julesG
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Pickpick

I enjoyed spending time with the wonderfully strong women of this series, Taishi, Salminde and Qisami again. And yes, I also enjoyed seeing Jian, the chosen one, continue to struggle with the burden of being the chosen one.

The third book has all the same things I liked about the other instalments in the series: found family, banter, well-crafted fight scenes, and characters to root for.

And now I'll re-read the whole series.

#NetGalley #ARC

blurb
BoleyBooks
Forget Me Not: A Novel | Stacy Willingham
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review
sebrittainclark
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Pickpick

4/5

Javi knows things have gone very wrong, when Mari introduces him to her new fiance Alex, who Javi has never even met. Javi only has two months before the wedding to figure out what's wrong with Alex and why he doesn't belong with Mari, before everything changes.

I thought this was a great friends to lovers. I loved the jumps back in time to explain their friendship as well as where it all went wrong.

#netgalley

review
sebrittainclark
Well, Actually | Mazey Eddings
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Pickpick

4/5

Eva goes viral when she criticizes her social media famous ex on TikTok. She, and Riley Cooper, have to do damage control by working together by going on dates and discussing them on his podcast. But Riley doesn't seem to care how rude Eva is and something begins to grow between.

I loved the chemistry between Evan and Riley. I did think it took Eva way too long to figure out her job was terrible and using her.

#netgalley

52 likes2 stack adds
review
sebrittainclark
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Pickpick

4/5

The Demon King has risen must faster than expected, and Yui isn't content to wait seventy-seven more years for a Hero to be reborn to save the world. She finds ways to game the system, so she can defeat the Demon King.

The was a very entertaining read. I enjoyed all the references to rpg games in general, but specifically to The Legend of Zelda.

#netgalley

49 likes2 stack adds