Allison's bookshelf: read en-US Fri, 09 May 2025 17:51:34 -0700 60 Allison's bookshelf: read 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Lady Helena Investigates (Scott-De Quincy Mysteries, #1)]]> 38745126 A reluctant lady sleuth finds she’s investigating her own family.

Step into Lady Helena Whitcombe’s world with the first novel in a series that will blend family saga and mystery-driven action with a slow-burn romance in seven unputdownable investigations.

1881, Sussex. Lady Helena Scott-De Quincy’s marriage to Sir Justin Whitcombe, three years before, gave new purpose to a life almost destroyed by the death of Lady Helena’s first love. After all, shouldn’t the preoccupations of a wife and hostess be sufficient to fulfill any aristocratic female’s dreams? Such a shame their union wasn’t blessed by children . . . but Lady Helena is content with her quiet country life until Sir Justin is found dead in the river overlooked by their grand baroque mansion.

The intrusion of attractive, mysterious French physician Armand Fortier, with his meddling theory of murder, into Lady Helena’s first weeks of mourning is bad enough. But with her initial ineffective efforts at investigation and her attempts to revive her long-abandoned interest in herbalism comes the realization that she may have been mistaken about her own family’s past. Every family has its secrets—but as this absorbing series will reveal, the Scott-De Quincy family has more than most.

Can Lady Helena survive bereavement the second time around? Can she stand up to her six siblings� assumption of the right to control her new life as a widow? And what role will Fortier—who, as a physician, is a most unsuitable companion for an earl’s daughter—play in her investigations?

A new series by Jane Steen, author of the House of Closed Doors series that has delighted thousands of fans (over 300 5-star reviews on Amazon and over 700 5-star ratings on Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ.) If you’re looking for an unputdownable Victorian mystery saga, here’s where you start!]]>
377 Jane Steen Allison 4 4.14 2018 Lady Helena Investigates (Scott-De Quincy Mysteries, #1)
author: Jane Steen
name: Allison
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/09
date added: 2025/05/09
shelves: setting-1800s, setting-england, first-in-series, series-episodic, published-2010s, victorian, own-ebook, ebook-freebie, 2025-book-hoarder, historical-fiction, gothic, family, dark, romantic-elements
review:
This really wasn't a historical mystery, as I expected. No real investigations, no detectives, no amateur sleuthing. It was really more to do with a widow trying to find her purpose and uncovering family secrets along the way. It had some gothic historical fiction tones to it, Kate Morton-esque but set in Victorian times. I was actually fine with this. It was just a little darker than I usually enjoy, but hopeful enough to make me want to pick up the next book.
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<![CDATA[Lady Odelia's Secret (Scott-De Quincy Mysteries, #2)]]> 60434307 Do you ever really know your family?

In the 1880s a sixth daughter learns not to ask for much, even if she’s the daughter of an earl. Even if she married the richest man in her corner of Sussex. Even if she’s now a widow with a splendid Georgian mansion.

Lady Helena Whitcombe is still trying to adjust to widowhood and reconcile her family loyalties with her desires when her artist sister Odelia makes a startling suggestion. Why not make her mark on the house that’s now all hers, by commissioning a magnificent work of art from one of London’s most celebrated painters?

Lady Odelia invites Helena into the seductive world of medieval fantasies and fairy tales she has inhabited since Helena was a child. But when a shocking series of events exposes the destructive reality of a great artist’s unusual lifestyle, Helena and her lady’s maid Guttridge are called on to help—or is it to interfere?

Looming danger, the risk of scandal, and competing loyalties force Helena to re-evaluate her relationship with the sister she’s always loved the most.

What is Lady Odelia’s secret? Find out in this gripping continuation of the Scott-De Quincy Mysteries, a story that blends mystery and historical detail with Downton Abbey-style saga as the truths about Helena’s aristocratic family unfold. Read it now before the secret gets out!]]>
432 Jane Steen 1913810186 Allison 0 4.20 2022 Lady Odelia's Secret (Scott-De Quincy Mysteries, #2)
author: Jane Steen
name: Allison
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/09
shelves: to-read, own-unread, own-ebook, historical-mystery, setting-1800s, setting-england, victorian, published-2020s
review:

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<![CDATA[The Hollow Crown (Kingfountain, #4)]]> 32057598 Following the downfall of a tyrant, years have passed in prosperity for the kingdom of Ceredigion. Now, as the time comes to celebrate the new king’s nuptials, the specter of a new enemy emerges to destroy all that has been painstakingly built in those years.

Tryneowy Kiskaddon has grown up learning military and diplomatic strategy from her father, one of the king’s closest advisors. She feels her destiny lies in defending the kingdom as a knight, not as a Wizr as her parents have decided, though no lady of the realm has taken up the sword in a century. As she seeks to understand her own Fountain-blessed powers, she studies in the tradition of her mother while training in secret and closely following the realm’s politics, alarmed by her mother’s vision of an impending clash and a devastating future.

But the pieces on fate’s game board are in motion, and on the eve of battle, a threatening force irrevocably changes the future of the kingdom and her own. Does Trynne have what it takes to maneuver Ceredigion’s key players into position and outsmart the kingdom’s enemies—even those still concealed in shadow?

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304 Jeff Wheeler 1503998967 Allison 0 4.38 2017 The Hollow Crown (Kingfountain, #4)
author: Jeff Wheeler
name: Allison
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/08
shelves: kindle-unlimited, historical-fantasy, medieval, published-2010s, sequels-maybe, maybe
review:

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The Invisible College 205214091 A mortal sorcerer sets out to defy the dark magic of an ancient race awakening to wage war on mortals in an epic fantasy of adventure and love by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jeff Wheeler.

Millennia ago, a magical race called the Aesir found a new home on a distant world. Attracted to the cold during an ice age, they hibernated for hundreds of years at a time. With each awakening, however, they saw their world changed by ever-evolving mortals, encroaching on their territory and way of life. Two civilizations with opposing magic poised to clash, over and over. Now, the Aesir are awakening to wage a new war—this time to exterminate their enemy once and for all.

Robinson Hawksley is an elocutionist at the Invisible College who has perfected a way of teaching speech that relies on harnessing the intelligences that create magic to train the sorcerers. The world needs more sorcerers to protect against the looming Aesir threat, and Robinson’s newest charge is McKenna Foster, a barrister’s daughter rendered deaf after a bout with a plague unleashed by the Aesir. As progress develops between them and they grow ever closer, there also comes a strange connection to the Aesir—one that crosses the boundaries of time itself and the unfathomable mysteries of the Unseen Powers.

Emerging from their icy fortresses, the Aesir begin their bombardment. Can Robinson and McKenna, brought together by magic, stop an endless war with powers even they have yet to fully understand?]]>
377 Jeff Wheeler 1662521871 Allison 0 4.28 2024 The Invisible College
author: Jeff Wheeler
name: Allison
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/08
shelves: to-read, fantasy, first-in-series, series-ends-2025, kindle-unlimited-priority, kindle-unlimited, published-2020s, academics-scholars, disability
review:

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<![CDATA[The Ravenkeeper's Daughter: A Victorian Historical Murder Mystery (The Field & Greystone Series, #1)]]> 218276826
Scotland Yard Inspector Henry Field has few clues to follow but is determined to prove his quick rise through the ranks of the Metropolitan Police wasn’t simply because of his last name. Yet when the ravenkeeper’s daughter is found, the case becomes even more complicated.

Discovering the frightened, disheveled girl on her doorstep is a shocking start to widow Amelia Greystone’s day. So is the inspector assigned to the case—the same one who has yet to solve her husband’s murder.

Soon the investigation takes a dangerous turn that rouses fear of the legend surrounding the Tower’s ravens and threatens the Queen herself.

Can the unlikely pair protect the newly orphaned girl and halt the killer before he strikes again?

Fans of Irina Shapiro, Andrea Penrose, and Miss Scarlet and the Duke will enjoy this mystery series set on the dark streets of Victorian London.]]>
324 Lana Williams Allison 0 4.41 The Ravenkeeper's Daughter: A Victorian Historical Murder Mystery (The Field & Greystone Series, #1)
author: Lana Williams
name: Allison
average rating: 4.41
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/05
shelves: to-read, kindle-unlimited, kindle-unlimited-wait, first-in-series, series-episodic, historical-mystery, setting-1800s, setting-england, victorian, detectives-police
review:

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<![CDATA[No Stone Unturned (The Lucy Lawrence Mysteries, #1)]]> 46203408 A suspicious death, stolen gems and an unclaimed who will be the victor in a deadly game of cat and mouse?

London October 1886: Trapped in a troubled marriage, Lucy Lawrence is ripe for an adventure. But when she meets the enigmatic Phineas Stone, over the body of her husband in the mortuary, her world begins to fall apart.

When her late husband’s secrets spill from the grave, and her life is threatened by the leader of London’s most notorious gang, Lucy must find the strength to rise to the challenge. But who can she trust and how is she to stay out of the murderous clutches of London’s most dangerous criminal?]]>
332 Pam Lecky Allison 0 4.27 2019 No Stone Unturned (The Lucy Lawrence Mysteries, #1)
author: Pam Lecky
name: Allison
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/05
shelves: to-read, kindle-unlimited, kindle-unlimited-wait, historical-mystery, setting-1800s, setting-england, victorian, published-2010s, first-in-series, series-episodic
review:

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The Portrait 62624456 For fans of Kate Morton and Daphne Du Maurier comes the tale of a woman enchanted by the past until it threatens her future. The Portrait is a captivating debut filled with new love, old secrets, and a mysterious missing woman, all set against the vibrancy of 19th-century London and the construction of the Crystal Palace.


"Atmospheric and gripping, The Portrait deftly weaves Victorian details, Brontë-esque romance, and riveting suspense." -Emily Inouye Huey, author of Beneath the Wide Silk Sky


Every work of art tells a story. And every story has its secrets.


London, 1850. Iris Sheffield has plenty of people to worry about in her life: Hope, the ailing younger sister for whom Iris feels responsible. Winston, Iris's fiancé, who is consumed with his work. And James, the handsome but arrogant artist painting Iris’s portrait, with whom she is forced to spend countless, awkward hours.


But when Iris finds the diary and photograph of a mysterious young woman, she can’t stop wondering who the woman is and what has become of her. The more questions Iris asks, the more she suspects someone does not want her to discover the answers.


Exploring themes of sisterly bonds, familial obligations, and the lengths we go to for those we love, The Portrait illustrates the surprising and frightening ways a work of art can tell a story.

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308 Emilia Kelly Allison 0 4.08 The Portrait
author: Emilia Kelly
name: Allison
average rating: 4.08
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/05
shelves: to-read, gothic, historical-fiction, setting-1800s, setting-england, victorian, kindle-unlimited, kindle-unlimited-priority
review:

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<![CDATA[On Basilisk Station (Honor Harrington, #1)]]> 17162633 HONOR HARRINGTON

Having made him look a fool, she's been exiled to Basilisk Station in disgrace and set up for ruin by a superior who hates her.

Her demoralized crew blames her for their ship's humiliating posting to an out-of-the-way picket station.

The aborigines of the system's only habitable planet are smoking homicide-inducing hallucinogens.

Parliament isn't sure it wants to keep the place; the major local industry is smuggling; the merchant cartels want her head; the star-conquering, so-called "Republic" of Haven is Up To Something; and Honor Harrington has a single, over-age light cruiser with an armament that doesn't work to police the entire star system.

But the people out to get her have made one mistake. They've made her mad.

At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (DRM Rights Management).]]>
432 David Weber 1618241214 Allison 0 4.25 1993 On Basilisk Station (Honor Harrington, #1)
author: David Weber
name: Allison
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1993
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/05
shelves: to-read, dust-the-shelf, ebook-freebie, own-unread, own-ebook, space-opera, science-fiction, romance-little-to-none, first-in-series, series-complete, military, violent-brutal-gruesome
review:

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<![CDATA[The Secret of the India Orchid]]> 35506686 Anthony Blake, the Earl of Wilshire, is in love with his best friend’s sister, Sophia Elliot. But his plans to court her are put on hold when he is forced to resume his role as an undercover spy for the Crown. A secret document listing the names of the entire network of British spies—including his own—has been stolen. To protect Sophia, Anthony cuts off all ties to her and exchanges his life as an honorable earl for the facade of a flirtatious playboy.

Heartbroken and confused, Sophia travels to India, hoping to find healing in one of the most exotic regions of the British Empire. But the exotic land isn’t as restful as she had hoped. Instead, she finds herself embroiled in a mystery of a missing sea captain, a possible murder, and a plot that could involve the prince of India. And when Anthony appears at the British Residency, asking questions and keeping his distance from her, she is stunned.

She still loves him, and, in her heart, she knows he loves her too. But how can she rebuild her relationship with him if he won't confide in her? Does she dare offer her heart to him a second time, or will their love be lost under the India sun?

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320 Nancy Campbell Allen 1629735205 Allison 0 4.03 2017 The Secret of the India Orchid
author: Nancy Campbell Allen
name: Allison
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/05
shelves: to-read, author-previously-read, historical-romance, priority, romance-clean-sweet, published-2010s, setting-1800s, setting-british-empire, setting-asia
review:

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To Serve Them All My Days 19781357 605 R.F. Delderfield 1444719149 Allison 0 4.18 1972 To Serve Them All My Days
author: R.F. Delderfield
name: Allison
average rating: 4.18
book published: 1972
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/05
shelves: historical-fiction, setting-england, boarding-school, academics-scholars, setting-1900s, published-1970s, 2025-dust-the-shelf, currently-reading, world-war-i-era
review:

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My Fair Gentleman 28475230 256 Nancy Campbell Allen 1629734241 Allison 3 4.23 2016 My Fair Gentleman
author: Nancy Campbell Allen
name: Allison
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2025/05/04
date added: 2025/05/04
shelves: own-ebook, historical-romance, setting-1800s, setting-england, romance-clean-sweet, 2025-book-hoarder
review:

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<![CDATA[Dreams of Gods & Monsters (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, #3)]]> 18480329
When the brutal angel emperor brings his army to the human world, Karou and Akiva are finally reunited - not in love, but in a tentative alliance against their common enemy. It is a twisted version of their long-ago dream, and they begin to hope that it might forge a way forward for their people. And, perhaps, for themselves.

But with even bigger threats on the horizon, are Karou and Akiva strong enough to stand among the gods and monsters?

The New York Times bestselling Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy comes to a stunning conclusion as - from the streets of Rome to the caves of the Kirin and beyond - humans, chimaera, and seraphim strive, love, and die in an epic theater that transcends good and evil, right and wrong, friend and enemy.]]>
506 Laini Taylor 031628016X Allison 4 4.17 2014 Dreams of Gods & Monsters (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, #3)
author: Laini Taylor
name: Allison
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2015/07/24
date added: 2025/05/02
shelves: paranormal-romance, dark, romance, warfare, bleak-or-melancholy, violent-brutal-gruesome, warriors-fighters, end-of-series, published-2010s, fantasy-young-adult
review:

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<![CDATA[On Impulse (Reliance Sinclair Space Opera Book 1)]]> 124464894
When the Department trained me to catch criminals, I never dreamed I’d become one.

Agent. Suspect. Intergalactic fugitive.

I was one of them until I shot my partner in self-defense. Even though the Department cleared me of wrongdoing, my co-workers didn’t agree. They turned their backs on me, so I turned my back on them. My partner’s actions never made sense. After ignoring my gut for a year, I asked my tech-genius best friend to dig into it.
Now Jarrett’s gone dark, and I soon discover he’d been brutally murdered. An officer finds me standing over the body, blaster in hand. Even I admit it looks bad.
There’s no way I can trust the Department to investigate further—not if I'm already the prime suspect. My only option is to run. Is it impulsive? Sure. Will having law enforcement dog me across the galaxy make life difficult? Most certainly. I’ll have to stay one step ahead of them if I want to solve Jarrett’s murder and clear my name.
Doing that will require every trick the Department taught me—and a few I learned on my own.
Grab it now to find out what mystery Jarrett uncovered and to what extreme Reliance will go to in order to bring her friend’s killer to justice.]]>
387 Heather Texle Allison 0 4.39 2023 On Impulse (Reliance Sinclair Space Opera Book 1)
author: Heather Texle
name: Allison
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/02
shelves: to-read, sci-fi-mystery, first-in-series, kobo-plus-unread, kobo-plus, published-2020s, series-end-tbd
review:

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<![CDATA[The Borders of Infinity (Vorkosigan Saga, #5.3)]]> 5073782 [Publisher's Note: The Borders of Infinity was originally published as a stand-alone novella in the anthology Free Lancers in September 1987. It was then included in the novel Borders of Infinity (October 1989). For the novel, Ms. Bujold added a short "framing story" that tied the three novellas together by setting up each as a flashback that Miles experiences while recovering from bone-replacement surgery. Fictionwise is publishing these novellas separately, but we decided to leave in Ms. Bujold's short framing story for those who may also wish to read the other two novellas (he Mountains of Mourning and Labyrinth).]
Locus Poll Award Nominee]]>
84 Lois McMaster Bujold Allison 3 4.25 The Borders of Infinity (Vorkosigan Saga, #5.3)
author: Lois McMaster Bujold
name: Allison
average rating: 4.25
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2018/05/31
date added: 2025/05/01
shelves: science-fiction, published-1980s, prisoners, violent-brutal-gruesome, novella-short-story
review:

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<![CDATA[The Casting Call (The Ether Witch, #1)]]> 230283695
Will a new assistant, who has even more secrets than Tam himself, be able to help navigate Tam's endless responsibilities? Will all chaos break out thanks to the unstable kingdom of Zinfera? And lastly, can Tam handle everything without having to use his magical power, or will he be pushed to new limits as his fate rushes to meet him?

Find the answer to these questions and more in the new trilogy set in the same universe as The House Witch series, The Princess of Potential, and The Burning Witch series. There's no need to read the previous books to enjoy the new, fun adventure. Feel free to jump right in!]]>
482 Delemhach Allison 0 4.71 The Casting Call (The Ether Witch, #1)
author: Delemhach
name: Allison
average rating: 4.71
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/01
shelves: to-read, first-in-series, fantasy, series-wait, series-end-tbd, kindle-unlimited, kindle-unlimited-wait, published-2020s, spinoff, political-intrigue
review:

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<![CDATA[Wind and Truth (The Stormlight Archive, #5)]]> 203608754 The long-awaited explosive climax to the first arc of the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive.

Dalinar Kholin has challenged the evil god Odium to a contest of champions, and the Knights Radiant and the nations of Roshar have a mere 10 days to prepare for the worst. The fate of the entire world—and the Cosmere at large—hangs in the balance.]]>
1330 Brandon Sanderson 125031917X Allison 0 4.61 2024 Wind and Truth (The Stormlight Archive, #5)
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Allison
average rating: 4.61
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/01
shelves: epic-fantasy, end-of-series, published-2020s, currently-reading, 2025-series-progress
review:

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The Sunlit Man 68320219 From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson―creator of The Stormlight Archive, the Mistborn Saga, and countless bestselling works of science fiction and fantasy―comes this standalone novel showing a rare glimpse of a future Cosmere universe.

Running. Putting distance between himself and the relentless Night Brigade has been Nomad’s strategy for years. Staying one or two steps ahead of his pursuers by skipping through the Cosmere from one world to the next.

But now, his powers too depleted to escape, Nomad finds himself trapped on Canticle, a planet that will kill anyone who doesn’t keep moving. Fleeing the fires of a sunrise that melts the very stones, he is instantly caught up in the struggle between a heartless tyrant and the brave rebels who defy him.

Failure means a quick death, incinerated by the sun� or a lifetime as a mindless slave. Tormented by the consequences of his past, Nomad must fight not only for his survival―but also for his very soul.]]>
447 Brandon Sanderson 1938570413 Allison 4 4.49 2023 The Sunlit Man
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Allison
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/01
date added: 2025/05/01
shelves: epic-fantasy, published-2020s, science-fantasy, spinoff
review:

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The Hanging City 63127235 For a young woman who wields the power of fear, humanity’s greatest enemy is her only hope in a new fairy-tale adventure by Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg.

Seven years on the run from her abusive father, and with no hope of sanctuary among the dwindling pockets of human civilization, Lark is out of options. Her only leverage is a cursed power: she can thrust fear onto others, leaving all threats fleeing in terror. It’s a means of survival as she searches for a place to call home. If the campfire myths of her childhood are true, Lark’s sole chance for refuge could lie in Cagmar, the city of trolls—a brutal species and the sworn enemies of humanity.

Valuing combat prowess, the troll high council is intrigued. Lark could be much more useful than the low-caste humans who merely labor in Cagmar. Her gift makes her invaluable as a monster slayer to fight off the unspeakable creatures that torment the trolls� hanging city, suspended from a bridge over an endless dark canyon.

Lark will do anything to make Cagmar her home, but her new role comes with a caveat: use her power against a troll, and she’ll be killed. Her loyalty is quickly put to the test when she draws the hatred of a powerful troll who loathes humankind. Still, she finds unexpected friendship in the city and, even more surprisingly, love. But if everything else doesn’t undo her, being caught in the arms of a troll surely will. Now in the fight of her life, Lark has a lot to learn—about her past, about trust and hope when all seems lost, and above all, about the extraordinary power of fear itself.]]>
344 Charlie N. Holmberg 1662508719 Allison 3 3.96 2023 The Hanging City
author: Charlie N. Holmberg
name: Allison
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/30
date added: 2025/04/30
shelves: own-ebook, fantasy, trolls, ebook-freebie, published-2020s, kindle-unlimited, 2025-book-hoarder, romance-explicit
review:

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<![CDATA[Fool Moon (The Dresden Files, #2)]]> 6488124 “One of the most enjoyable marriages of the fantasy and mystery genres on the shelves,�(Cinescape) the Dresden Files have become synonymous with action-packed urban fantasy and nonstop fun. Fool Moon continues the adventures of Jim Butcher’s most famous—and infamous—reluctant hero�
Ěý
You’d think there’d be a little more action for the only professional wizard listed in the Chicago phone book. But lately, Harry Dresden hasn’t been able to dredge up any kind of magical, mundane, or menial.
Ěý
Just when it looks like he can’t afford his next meal, a murder comes along that requires his particular brand of supernatural expertise. There’s a brutally mutilated corpse, and monstrous animal markings at the scene. Not to mention that the killing took place on the night of a full moon. Harry knows exactly where this case is headed. Take three guesses—and the first two don’t count...]]>
432 Jim Butcher 1440631697 Allison 3 Fool Moon much more than the first book in the series, probably because I knew I'd have to be in the mood to read something full of constant catastrophes before I picked it up. I think you have to be prepared not to breathe much when reading a Dresden book. Once again it's nonstop action, and Harry always seems to be a step behind. I can't believe he's still alive at the end with all the injuries he accrues, let alone able to fight (or have an intimate moment mixed in with everything!).

I was annoyed with him at the beginning because of his 'chivalric' attitude towards Murphy, which he is bullheadedly proud of even when it causes huge problems. [spoilers removed]

What made me feel better about it as he's repeatedly bashed around over the next couple of days is that he's actually starting to realize what an idiot he can be. His moments of self-reflection helped me to relate to him better. I think there might be hope for him.

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4.10 2001 Fool Moon (The Dresden Files, #2)
author: Jim Butcher
name: Allison
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2001
rating: 3
read at: 2014/01/04
date added: 2025/04/28
shelves: urban-fantasy, romance-explicit, setting-america, mystery, adult-content, vampires, witches-wizards-mages, shifters, published-2000s, noir, paranormal-mystery
review:
I enjoyed Fool Moon much more than the first book in the series, probably because I knew I'd have to be in the mood to read something full of constant catastrophes before I picked it up. I think you have to be prepared not to breathe much when reading a Dresden book. Once again it's nonstop action, and Harry always seems to be a step behind. I can't believe he's still alive at the end with all the injuries he accrues, let alone able to fight (or have an intimate moment mixed in with everything!).

I was annoyed with him at the beginning because of his 'chivalric' attitude towards Murphy, which he is bullheadedly proud of even when it causes huge problems. [spoilers removed]

What made me feel better about it as he's repeatedly bashed around over the next couple of days is that he's actually starting to realize what an idiot he can be. His moments of self-reflection helped me to relate to him better. I think there might be hope for him.


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<![CDATA[The Chinese Shawl (Miss Silver, #5)]]> 12114099 In this classic British mystery starring a sleuth “who has her place in detective fiction as surely as Lord Peter Wimsey or Hercule Poirot,â€� Miss Silver investigates a murder that may have its roots in a new romance—or an old family feud (Manchester Evening News). Ěý An amateur who happened on a career in theater, Tanis Lyle has just finished filming her first motion picture. The young woman has electric charm, and seems to hypnotize all who meet her—including Laura Fane, a distant cousin who, because of a long-standing family feud, has never been allowed to meet her glamorous relative. But while all of London seems to love Tanis, her powerful effect on men causes some to despise her. And when the actress’s life is cut short by an unknown hand, investigator Miss Maud Silver will have to hunt for a killer. Ěý]]> 328 Patricia Wentworth Allison 0 4.24 1943 The Chinese Shawl (Miss Silver, #5)
author: Patricia Wentworth
name: Allison
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1943
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/27
shelves: published-1940s, setting-1900s, setting-england, suspense, mystery, kindle-unlimited, maybe, sequels-maybe
review:

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<![CDATA[Murder in Murray Hill (Gaslight Mystery, #16)]]> 19410580 When facing injustice, the residents of nineteenth-century New York City’s tenements turn to midwife Sarah Brandt and Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy to protect their rights. Now, as the Edgar® and Agatha Award–nominated series continues, the two must track down a cruel criminal preying on the hopes and dreams of innocent women�

A Gaslight Mystery

Frank Malloy has never known any life other than that of a cop, but his newfound inheritance threatens his position within his department. While trying to keep both his relationship with Sarah and his fortune under wraps, he’s assigned to a new case—finding a missing young woman for her worried father, Henry Livingston.

It seems the girl had been responding to “lonely hearts� ads in the paper for months before she disappeared. Her father thinks that she’s eloped with a deceptive stranger, but Malloy fears the worst, knowing that the grifters who place such ads often do much more than simply abscond with their victims. But as Sarah and Malloy delve deeper into a twisted plot targeting the city’s single women, it’s their partnership—both professional and private—that winds up in the greatest peril�
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306 Victoria Thompson 0698143027 Allison 0 4.30 2014 Murder in Murray Hill (Gaslight Mystery, #16)
author: Victoria Thompson
name: Allison
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/27
shelves: historical-mystery, setting-america, setting-1900s, published-2010s, sequels-maybe, maybe
review:

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<![CDATA[The Ladies of Ivy Cottage (Tales from Ivy Hill #2)]]> 35022291 New from the Top Author of Inspirational Regency Romance

Return to Ivy Hill in The Ladies of Ivy Cottage as friendships deepen, romances blossom, and mysteries unfold.

Living with the two Miss Groves in Ivy Cottage, impoverished gentlewoman Rachel Ashford is determined to earn her own livelihood . . . somehow. When the village women encourage her to open a subscription library with the many books she has inherited or acquired through donations, Rachel discovers two mysteries hidden among them. A man who once broke her heart helps her search for clues, but will both find more than they bargained for?

Rachel's friend and hostess, Mercy Grove, has given up thoughts of suitors and fills her days managing her girls' school. So when several men take an interest in Ivy Cottage, she assumes pretty Miss Ashford is the cause. Exactly what--or who--has captured each man's attention? The truth may surprise them all.

Meanwhile, life has improved at the coaching inn and Jane Bell is ready to put grief behind her. Now if only the man she misses would return--but where is he?

As the women of Ivy Hill search for answers about the past and hope for the future, might they find love along the way?]]>
505 Julie Klassen 149341190X Allison 0 4.41 2017 The Ladies of Ivy Cottage (Tales from Ivy Hill #2)
author: Julie Klassen
name: Allison
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/27
shelves: historical-fiction, christian-fiction, setting-1800s, setting-england, regency, published-2010s, christian-author, kindle-unlimited, at-library, sequels-maybe, maybe
review:

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<![CDATA[Silver Borne (Mercy Thompson, #5)]]> 7891248 351 Patricia Briggs 1101186119 Allison 0 4.44 2010 Silver Borne (Mercy Thompson, #5)
author: Patricia Briggs
name: Allison
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/27
shelves: urban-fantasy, fairie-fae, shifters, setting-america, setting-2000s, published-2010s, priority, sequels-maybe, maybe
review:

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<![CDATA[Rhythm of War (The Stormlight Archive, #4)]]> 62968587 The eagerly awaited sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling Oathbringer, from epic fantasy author Brandon Sanderson

After forming a coalition of human resistance against the enemy invasion, Dalinar Kholin and his Knights Radiant have spent a year fighting a protracted, brutal war. Neither side has gained an advantage, and the threat of a betrayal by Dalinar's crafty ally Taravangian looms over every strategic move.

Now, as new technological discoveries by Navani Kholin's scholars begin to change the face of the war, the enemy prepares a bold and dangerous operation. The arms race that follows will challenge the very core of the Radiant ideals, and potentially reveal the secrets of the ancient tower that was once the heart of their strength.

At the same time that Kaladin Stormblessed must come to grips with his changing role within the Knights Radiant, his Windrunners face their own problem: As more and more deadly enemy Fused awaken to wage war, no more honorspren are willing to bond with humans to increase the number of Radiants. Adolin and Shallan must lead the coalition’s envoy to the honorspren stronghold of Lasting Integrity and either convince the spren to join the cause against the evil god Odium, or personally face the storm of failure.]]>
1527 Brandon Sanderson Allison 4 4.37 2020 Rhythm of War (The Stormlight Archive, #4)
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Allison
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/26
date added: 2025/04/26
shelves: epic-fantasy, published-2020s, 2025-series-progress
review:
4.5 stars - the darkness of Kaladin's depression is hard to read. It also took about 500 pages before it felt like the intro was over and it started to pick up. Once it got going, it was really good, though. Lots of great things happened, worth the initial push to become invested.
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<![CDATA[Witch King (The Rising World, #1)]]> 57861689 From the breakout SFF superstar author of Murderbot comes a remarkable story of power and friendship, of trust and betrayal, and of the families we choose.

"I didn't know you were a... demon."
"You idiot. I'm the demon."
Kai's having a long day in Martha Wells' WITCH KING....

After being murdered, his consciousness dormant and unaware of the passing of time while confined in an elaborate water trap, Kai wakes to find a lesser mage attempting to harness Kai’s magic to his own advantage. That was never going to go well.

But why was Kai imprisoned in the first place? What has changed in the world since his assassination? And why does the Rising World Coalition appear to be growing in influence?

Kai will need to pull his allies close and draw on all his pain magic if he is to answer even the least of these questions.

He’s not going to like the answers.

WITCH KING is Martha Wells’s first new fantasy in over a decade, drawing together her signature ability to create characters we adore and identify with, alongside breathtaking action and adventure, and the wit and charm we’ve come to expect from one of the leading writers of her generation.]]>
424 Martha Wells Allison 0 4.00 2023 Witch King (The Rising World, #1)
author: Martha Wells
name: Allison
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/24
shelves: to-read, fantasy, first-in-series, published-2020s, series-wait, series-end-tbd
review:

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Still the Sun 202262337 An ancient machine holds the secrets of a distant world’s past for two intimate strangers in the latest romantic fantasy adventure by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg.

Pell is an engineer and digger by trade—unearthing and repairing the fascinating artifacts left behind by the mysterious Ancients who once inhabited the sunbaked planet of Tampere. She’ll do anything to help the people of her village survive and to better understand the secrets of what came before.

Heartwood and Moseus are keepers of a forbidding tower near the village of Emgarden. Inside are the remnants of complex machines the likes of which Pell has never seen. Considering her affinity for Ancient tech, the keepers know Pell is their only hope of putting the pieces of these metal puzzles together and getting them running. The tower’s other riddle is Heartwood himself. He is an enigma, distant yet protective, to whom Pell is inexplicably drawn.

Pell’s restoration of this broken behemoth soon brings disturbing visions—and the discovery that her relationship to it could finally reveal the origins of the towers� strange keepers and the unfathomable reason the truth has been hidden from her.]]>
299 Charlie N. Holmberg 1662516797 Allison 0 4.01 2024 Still the Sun
author: Charlie N. Holmberg
name: Allison
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: to-read, kindle-unlimited, kindle-unlimited-priority, published-2020s, science-fantasy, archaeology
review:

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<![CDATA[The Missing Sister (Seven Sisters, #7)]]> 55971758 580 Lucinda Riley 1952457211 Allison 0 4.44 2021 The Missing Sister (Seven Sisters, #7)
author: Lucinda Riley
name: Allison
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: at-library, historical-fiction, multiple-timelines, published-2020s, sequels-next, to-read, priority, author-previously-read, kobo-plus
review:

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<![CDATA[A Lady of Resources (Magnificent Devices, #5)]]> 17458339
You can choose your friends, but you cannot choose your family ... or can you?

Now sixteen, the twins Lizzie and Maggie are educated young ladies who have not been called “the Mopsies� in years � except by their guardian, Lady Claire Trevelyan. With the happy prospect of choosing their own future, the girls can leave their dodgy past behind, and Lizzie can bury her deepest childhood memories where they can do no harm. Upon her graduation from school, Lizzie is awarded an enormous honor—but can she pay the price? Is she ready to be separated from Maggie and become the woman she believes she was meant to be—or will old habits tempt her into defiance and plunge her into disaster?

On a dare, Lizzie picks the wrong man's pocket and nearly loses her life. But these frightening events bear unexpected The dream Lizzie holds closest to her heart comes true in a most unexpected way. But this dream, too, comes with a price. Lizzie must decide whether her true family is the one she was born to � or the one she chose that long-ago day when the Lady of Devices steamed into their lives …]]>
256 Shelley Adina 1939087058 Allison 3 A Lady of Resources, but I struggled a bit with Claire not being the main character anymore. Sure, I liked the Mopsies as side characters, but it was a lot different with them being center stage. Even though they had potential to be interesting as former thieves, they really weren't. Lizzie, the main POV in this one, was too focused on wanting to pretend to be a lady to allow time for antics. She was also kind of a brat. I think by the end I warmed up to the change, and to Lizzie, but it's a much more reluctant feeling than with the original story arc, which I simply inhaled.

Due to the passing of time and shift in POV, there was a lot of time spent on re-setting the stage. I found it a bit slow (again, unlike the original books). There was also less Steampunk engineering and less adventure, and I missed both. But since the action picked up towards the end, now I do find myself wanting to read the sequel. I'm hopeful that it will keep the pace now that we've been reintroduced to the characters.

So, I liked it well enough. It was a fast read, at least mildly entertaining most of the time. I'm just not as entranced as I was with the original series.

Merged review:

I liked A Lady of Resources, but I struggled a bit with Claire not being the main character anymore. Sure, I liked the Mopsies as side characters, but it was a lot different with them being center stage. Even though they had potential to be interesting as former thieves, they really weren't. Lizzie, the main POV in this one, was too focused on wanting to pretend to be a lady to allow time for antics. She was also kind of a brat. I think by the end I warmed up to the change, and to Lizzie, but it's a much more reluctant feeling than with the original story arc, which I simply inhaled.

Due to the passing of time and shift in POV, there was a lot of time spent on re-setting the stage. I found it a bit slow (again, unlike the original books). There was also less Steampunk engineering and less adventure, and I missed both. But since the action picked up towards the end, now I do find myself wanting to read the sequel. I'm hopeful that it will keep the pace now that we've been reintroduced to the characters.

So, I liked it well enough. It was a fast read, at least mildly entertaining most of the time. I'm just not as entranced as I was with the original series.]]>
3.99 2013 A Lady of Resources (Magnificent Devices, #5)
author: Shelley Adina
name: Allison
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2015/11/16
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: steampunk, own-ebook, thieves, alternate-history, first-in-series, spinoff, series-complete, published-2010s, indie-self-pub, victorian, series-finished-reading, kobo-plus
review:
I liked A Lady of Resources, but I struggled a bit with Claire not being the main character anymore. Sure, I liked the Mopsies as side characters, but it was a lot different with them being center stage. Even though they had potential to be interesting as former thieves, they really weren't. Lizzie, the main POV in this one, was too focused on wanting to pretend to be a lady to allow time for antics. She was also kind of a brat. I think by the end I warmed up to the change, and to Lizzie, but it's a much more reluctant feeling than with the original story arc, which I simply inhaled.

Due to the passing of time and shift in POV, there was a lot of time spent on re-setting the stage. I found it a bit slow (again, unlike the original books). There was also less Steampunk engineering and less adventure, and I missed both. But since the action picked up towards the end, now I do find myself wanting to read the sequel. I'm hopeful that it will keep the pace now that we've been reintroduced to the characters.

So, I liked it well enough. It was a fast read, at least mildly entertaining most of the time. I'm just not as entranced as I was with the original series.

Merged review:

I liked A Lady of Resources, but I struggled a bit with Claire not being the main character anymore. Sure, I liked the Mopsies as side characters, but it was a lot different with them being center stage. Even though they had potential to be interesting as former thieves, they really weren't. Lizzie, the main POV in this one, was too focused on wanting to pretend to be a lady to allow time for antics. She was also kind of a brat. I think by the end I warmed up to the change, and to Lizzie, but it's a much more reluctant feeling than with the original story arc, which I simply inhaled.

Due to the passing of time and shift in POV, there was a lot of time spent on re-setting the stage. I found it a bit slow (again, unlike the original books). There was also less Steampunk engineering and less adventure, and I missed both. But since the action picked up towards the end, now I do find myself wanting to read the sequel. I'm hopeful that it will keep the pace now that we've been reintroduced to the characters.

So, I liked it well enough. It was a fast read, at least mildly entertaining most of the time. I'm just not as entranced as I was with the original series.
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<![CDATA[The Automaton Empress: A historical cozy fantasy mystery (Lady Georgia Brunel Mysteries Book 2)]]> 202551454 The Empress of Prussia is quite beside herself �

When Lady Georgia Brunel and her Aunt Millie are summoned before the Empress of Prussia, the brilliant young woman does not seem herself. They soon discover the reason—she has been replaced by one of her own inventions, an automaton so lifelike that it seems even the Cabinet has not detected the switch. If the news gets out, there will be chaos in the Empire, and the heir to the throne will be all too happy to put off his next hunting trip to accept the crown prematurely.

If ever Georgia needed the help of her friend Dustin Seacombe, it is now. But he has gone back to the Fifteen Colonies, leaving her with nothing but memories � and unanswered questions. So it is up to her and Millie to quietly sift truth from lies in an effort to find the Empress—and bring the villains behind the plot to light. When they hear whispers about an underground group of rogue inventors, Georgia wonders whether the Empress has actually abdicated of her own free will � or if her life is about to end in the destruction of an empire.

The Automaton Empress is the second novel in the Lady Georgia Brunel Mysteries series set in the Magnificent Devices steampunk world. Though the books can be read as standalones, there are threads of love and family running through them all. No strong language, just a very proper kiss or two and a satisfying solution. Enjoy!]]>
256 Shelley Adina 1950854957 Allison 0 4.33 The Automaton Empress: A historical cozy fantasy mystery (Lady Georgia Brunel Mysteries Book 2)
author: Shelley Adina
name: Allison
average rating: 4.33
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: historical-mystery, alternate-history, steampunk, artificial-intelligence, setting-1800s, setting-europe, romance-clean-sweet, published-2020s, sequels-next, to-read, author-previously-read, kobo-plus, kobo-plus-unread
review:

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<![CDATA[The Emperor’s Aeronaut (The Regent's Devices, #1)]]> 59952611
In 1819, France is surrounded by armies. With Russia in the north, the Karlsruhe Confederacy in the east, and a pirate kingdom in the south, Napoleon cannot break out, nor can the English Navy seem to break in. Europe teeters on the edge of a sword. Whichever side rules the air will win.

Celeste Blanchard, daughter of the Emperor’s disgraced Air Minister, is running out of time to develop an air ship that can carry his armies to England and restore her mother to glory. But on a daring and desperate test flight, she is blown off course � and washes up, half drowned, on the shores of Cornwall, in the heart of enemy territory.

Loveday Penhale, cosseted daughter of gentry, has her own inventions to build, even as pressure mounts to behave like a proper young lady and seek a husband instead of a design for a high-pressure steam engine. But when Arthur Trevelyan, heir to the neighboring estate, Gwynn Place, asks for her help in rescuing an unconscious young woman on the beach, Loveday discovers an aeronaut and an inventor as skilled as she is. Between them, a friendship blossoms, and Loveday wonders if they might even pull off the impossible and invent an air ship that will catch the eye of the Tinkering Prince Regent, who has offered a prize to anyone who can help England break the impasse. Celeste’s loyalties are torn in two. If she is caught working secretly for France, she will lose her friend, the love of an honorable man—and her life. But if Napoleon learns she has betrayed him, she will be executed on sight.

Can friendship prevail in the face of war? Or is there a third solution—one where everything hinges on the bravery and daring of a Cornish debutante and the Emperor’s aeronaut?]]>
266 Shelley Adina 1950854396 Allison 4 4.15 2022 The Emperor’s Aeronaut (The Regent's Devices, #1)
author: Shelley Adina
name: Allison
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/08/12
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: napoleonic-era, steampunk, scientists, first-in-series, published-2020s, indie-self-pub, series-complete, own-ebook, book-hoarder-2023, romantic-elements, romance-clean-sweet, series-read-2023, series-finished-reading, kobo-plus
review:

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<![CDATA[The Lady’s Triumph (The Regent's Devices, #3)]]> 61759684
After their daring adventures behind enemy lines in France, Loveday Penhale and Celeste Blanchard cannot settle into everyday life at home. Has the Tinkering Prince forgotten them entirely? What of the prize he promised? Then, with the flourish of a royal messenger’s hand, their lives are changed. Not only have they won the prize, they are to join the Prince’s Own Engineers in London!

They must overcome many a stone in the path, however—leave all they love, find a suitable house, and worst of all, cope with a chaperone—before they can take their rightful places among the most intelligent and forward-thinking minds in the kingdom. Their goal? To develop an airborne fleet that will end Napoleon’s dreams of conquering England forever.

But the saboteur who has been plaguing their efforts for months has not yet been caught. And along with battling for acceptance among the engineers, tiptoeing closer to falling in love, and receiving invitations to Almack’s, they must discover the traitor’s identity � before the Prince Regent steps forward to command the fleet and finds himself playing right into Napoleon’s hands.]]>
320 Shelley Adina 1950854485 Allison 4 4.40 The Lady’s Triumph (The Regent's Devices, #3)
author: Shelley Adina
name: Allison
average rating: 4.40
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2023/09/03
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: own-ebook, book-hoarder-2023, end-of-series, regency, alternate-history, napoleonic-era, setting-1800s, setting-england, scientists, published-2020s, romance-clean-sweet, romantic-elements, series-read-2023, kobo-plus
review:

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<![CDATA[The Prince's Pilot (The Regent's Devices #2)]]> 61477316
It is 1819, and Cornwall is agog at the daring of the two young lady aeronauts who, earlier in the summer, flew nearly to France and back in their homemade air ship. Much more is riding on Loveday Penhale and Celeste Blanchard’s new and improved vessel—they plan to win the Tinkering Prince’s prize, offered to anyone who can help England win the war against Napoleon.

To their dismay, they must take two local gentlemen aloft to report on the ship’s capabilities. While Captain Trevelyan and Emory Thorndyke are welcome in drawing room and ballroom, their presence on the air ship proves disastrous. Wildly off course, Loveday barely manages to bring the vessel down safely—in France! Now it is up to the gentlemen to keep the newly designed ship hidden while Loveday and Celeste secure supplies for its repair from Celeste’s former home, l’Ecole des Aéronautes in far-off Paris.

But much has changed since Celeste left the capital, and enemies lurk in its very walls. With her famous aeronaut mother dead in suspicious circumstances, and the flight school closed, there is only one thing to do—make up a story about her absence and approach Napoleon himself. He promptly makes Celeste his Chief Air Minister, and commands her to plan the invasion of England by air. Can she and Loveday stay alive in this nest of vipers long enough to help their stranded friends? Before they are unmasked as spies—and before their beautiful air ship is captured and used to attack England?]]>
285 Shelley Adina 1950854442 Allison 4 4.34 2022 The Prince's Pilot  (The Regent's Devices #2)
author: Shelley Adina
name: Allison
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/08/31
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: steampunk, alternate-history, napoleonic-era, setting-1800s, regency, own-ebook, book-hoarder-2023, setting-europe, scientists, spies, romance-clean-sweet, romantic-elements, series-read-2023, kobo-plus
review:

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<![CDATA[The Clockwork City (Lady Georgia Brunel Mysteries #1)]]> 88564272 258 Shelley Adina 1950854663 Allison 4 4.41 2023 The Clockwork City (Lady Georgia Brunel Mysteries #1)
author: Shelley Adina
name: Allison
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/30
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: historical-mystery, setting-1800s, published-2020s, setting-europe, series-end-tbd, own-ebook, book-hoarder-2024, romantic-elements, first-in-series, kobo-plus
review:

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<![CDATA[The Pilot's Promise: A Regency-set steampunk adventure (The Regent's Devices Book 4)]]> 198428171
After sharing the Prince Regent’s victory at the Battle of Amiens, Diana Edwards must keep her pride in trim and remember she is still only a cadet in the fledgling Royal Aeronautic Corps. But with the new female flight director not yet arrived to take up her post, Diana and her cousin Emily are the only women at the flight school. They must not only battle contrary winds to prove they have promise, but also the contrary men who believe women have no place in the skies.

Captain Gordon Hollys has never met a woman as maddening as Cadet Edwards. She is as tall as he is, never lets an opinion go unexpressed, and seems to believe that flight is her calling, if not her right. But when a series of accidents make it clear that someone wants her and her cousin out of the way for good, Hollys cannot say no when Diana asks for help. And soon he begins to wonder whether a woman as clever and brave as she might be just what his heart desires � if he has the courage to make her a promise of his own.

The Pilot’s Promise is a short sequel novella immediately following events of the Regent’s Devices trilogy written by Shelley Adina and R.E. Scott and set in the Magnificent Devices steampunk world. It can be read as a standalone, and promises no strong language, the possibility of a very proper kiss, and a guaranteed happy ending. Enjoy!]]>
106 Shelley Adina 1950854892 Allison 4 4.56 The Pilot's Promise: A Regency-set steampunk adventure (The Regent's Devices Book 4)
author: Shelley Adina
name: Allison
average rating: 4.56
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/14
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: steampunk, napoleonic-era, novella-short-story, spinoff, regency, alternate-history, setting-1800s, setting-england, published-2020s, own-ebook, book-hoarder-2024, kobo-plus
review:

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<![CDATA[A Gentleman of Means (Magnificent Devices, #8)]]> 17611146 Will the bond of friendship that has brought Claire and the flock together be the very thing that separates them for good? Or will love tip the balance and prove that what really defines a gentleman of means is none other than a lady of resources?]]> 242 Shelley Adina 1939087287 Allison 4 4.20 A Gentleman of Means (Magnificent Devices, #8)
author: Shelley Adina
name: Allison
average rating: 4.20
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2016/09/12
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: own-ebook, steampunk, alternate-history, end-of-series, published-2010s, indie-self-pub, victorian, kobo-plus
review:

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<![CDATA[A Lady of Integrity (Magnificent Devices, #7)]]> 24055477
Will a daring rescue put a wedding and a future at risk?

Lady Claire Trevelyan and renowned scientist Andrew Malvern are looking forward to domestic felicity in London when they are surprised by an unexpected visitor. A desperate and fugitive Alice Chalmers seeks their help—her ship has been seized in the Duchy of Venice and worse, her navigator Jake has been thrown into the dreaded underwater prison from which no one ever escapes. Even the innocent.

Lady Claire is about to embark on her career in Munich at the Zeppelin Airship Works. The Mopsies are beginning their final year at school. Andrew Malvern begins to despair of his fiancée ever choosing a wedding gown � but when help is denied from official quarters, the close bonds of friendship and shared adventure trump all these considerations with an urgency that cannot be ignored.

But there is a brooding evil waiting for them in Venice � an evil that would just as soon put an end to the flock’s interference once and for all. With an innocent friend’s unexpected return and a pair of secret agents who would prefer that women not become involved � the situation clearly calls for the inner resources of a lady of integrity.

“An immensely fun series with some excellent anti-sexist messages, a wonderful main character (one of my favourites in the genre) and a great sense of Victorian style and language that’s both fun and beautiful to read.� —Fangs for the Fantasy: The latest in urban fantasy from a social justice perspective]]>
274 Shelley Adina 1939087201 Allison 4 4.33 2014 A Lady of Integrity (Magnificent Devices, #7)
author: Shelley Adina
name: Allison
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2016/09/11
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: steampunk, own-ebook, alternate-history, published-2010s, indie-self-pub, victorian, kobo-plus
review:

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<![CDATA[Devices Brightly Shining (Magnificent Devices, #9)]]> 26832003 Dreadful relations, high expectations,
And a sudden urge to pull up ropes and flee.

It is the event of the season—on Twelfth Night, the Dunsmuirs have invited the cream of London society to celebrate the marriage of Lady Claire and Andrew Malvern at a reception to which the Prince Consort himself is expected. Captain Ian Hollys brings his fiancée Alice Chalmers to London to attend and to meet his family—people who cannot see past her flight boots to the woman who stands by his side as an equal.

Now adjusting to life as a newlywed, seeing to her business affairs, and preparing the Mopsies to return to school in Munich, Lady Claire is settling into her new life with joy. When two young cousins of Gloria Meriwether-Astor arrive in London, the inhabitants of Carrick House are happy to welcome them. Sydney and Hugh Meriwether-Astor are completing a world tour, and the Dunsmuirs� ball is just the thing to cap it off in splendid fashion. But Maggie learns that Sydney has his own plans for the family business—and they don’t include cutting off the supply of arms to the Royal Kingdom of Spain and the Californias, as Gloria is determined to do.

It’s time for someone with a spine, an airship of her own, and reasons to put fields of air between herself and decisions about her future to pull up ropes and warn Gloria that betrayal is closer than she thinks �

“It’s another element I love about these books; from Claire to Gloria to Alice to Lizzie and Maggie to Lady Dunsmuir, the women in this series generally like and respect each other. Other women are not required to be lesser—weaker, more cowardly, less intelligent—in order for Claire to be awesome. She is not an exceptional woman, she is an awesome woman among awesome women.� —Fangs for the The latest in urban fantasy from a social justice perspective]]>
96 Shelley Adina 1939087368 Allison 0 4.08 2015 Devices Brightly Shining (Magnificent Devices, #9)
author: Shelley Adina
name: Allison
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at: 2018/12/08
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: steampunk, alternate-history, published-2010s, indie-self-pub, novella-short-story, holidays, own-ebook, victorian, kobo-plus
review:

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<![CDATA[Carrick House (Magnificent Devices, #14)]]> 40027870
Married eight months, Lady Claire Trevelyan and Dr. Andrew Malvern are blissfully working together on a new invention, and providing a home for a collection of street sparrows. Then Claire’s mother, the redoubtable Lady Jermyn, arrives with her family in tow and expects to stay indefinitely ... Peony Churchill turns up on the doorstep with valise in hand ... and raffish cousin Claude comes for a visit ...

While separately any of these would be most welcome, together they are overwhelming. Claire and Andrew flee to Athena for a bit of breathing room. But the last thing they expect is to have their airship hijacked ... with Claire’s little brother Nicholas still aboard ...

If you like old-fashioned adventure, brave women, clever children, and strong-willed chickens, you’ll love this short story set in the Magnificent Devices world. Fangs for the Fantasy says Claire is “a wonderful main character (one of my favourites in the genre)� and the series has “a great sense of Victorian style and language that’s both fun and beautiful to read.”]]>
99 Shelley Adina 1939087791 Allison 0 4.21 2018 Carrick House (Magnificent Devices, #14)
author: Shelley Adina
name: Allison
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at: 2018/12/08
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: steampunk, setting-1800s, setting-england, published-2010s, own-ebook, indie-self-pub, novella-short-story, victorian, kobo-plus
review:

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<![CDATA[Her Own Devices (Magnificent Devices, #2)]]> 13327471
Seventeen-year-old Lady Claire Trevelyan, left alone after the Arabian Bubble financial disaster claims home and family, now leads the cleverest gang in the London underworld. Between outwitting a rival gang, inventing a device that will net her and her scientist employer worldwide fame, and keeping her mother from marrying her off, she can almost forget that a powerful lord wants to get closer ... and if he succeeds, can destroy it all with a single word ...]]>
291 Shelley Adina Allison 4 4.05 2011 Her Own Devices (Magnificent Devices, #2)
author: Shelley Adina
name: Allison
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2014/10/22
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: steampunk, setting-england, own-ebook, romantic-elements, romance-clean-sweet, cliffhanger, setting-1800s, alternate-history, published-2010s, indie-self-pub, victorian, kobo-plus
review:
I'm having so much fun reading this series!
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<![CDATA[Magnificent Devices (Magnificent Devices, #3)]]> 13557624
With her orphaned charges, Lady Claire Trevelyan joins the Earl of Dunsmuir’s family on an airship voyage to the Americas. If she can stay out of Lord James Selwyn’s way until her eighteenth birthday, she will be of age and cannot be forced into marriage. What she doesn’t know is that Lord James is in the Americas, too, with Andrew Malvern closing in on him—and the wonderful device he stole. But when a storm cripples the airship and air pirates swoop in like carrion birds, Claire and the children must live by their wits to make their way across a harsh landscape. Will Andrew ever see her again and right the wrong he believes he has done? Will Lord James succeed in his monumental thievery? And how exactly does Rosie the chicken evade the soup pot?

Tighten your goggles, pull on your gloves, and prepare yourself for stratagems and strangeness in the third book in the series, Magnificent Devices!]]>
323 Shelley Adina 1939087015 Allison 3
The only thing is, I'm not sure what I think of the Texican Territories as the setting in this one. I think I ended up liking it OK, but I did miss London. And then the ending seemed a little too easy - dramatic, yes, but [spoilers removed]]]>
4.00 2012 Magnificent Devices (Magnificent Devices, #3)
author: Shelley Adina
name: Allison
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2014/10/25
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: steampunk, setting-america, own-ebook, cliffhanger, setting-1800s, alternate-history, published-2010s, indie-self-pub, victorian, kobo-plus
review:
Another great adventure, this time with a lot of airship time and a change of scenery to an alternate Old West. A supposedly simple trip to Canada went wrong in every possible way. What a ride!

The only thing is, I'm not sure what I think of the Texican Territories as the setting in this one. I think I ended up liking it OK, but I did miss London. And then the ending seemed a little too easy - dramatic, yes, but [spoilers removed]
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<![CDATA[Brilliant Devices (Magnificent Devices, #4)]]> 18899316 328 Shelley Adina 1939087031 Allison 4 4.15 2013 Brilliant Devices (Magnificent Devices, #4)
author: Shelley Adina
name: Allison
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2014/10/26
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: steampunk, setting-1800s, setting-canada, own-ebook, alternate-history, end-of-series, published-2010s, indie-self-pub, victorian, kobo-plus
review:

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<![CDATA[A Lady of Spirit (Magnificent Devices, #6)]]> 22081829
You can choose your friends, but you cannot choose your family � or can you?

Under normal circumstances, Maggie and Lizzie would be delighted to meet their long-lost relatives and be reunited with those who had believed them dead, but when are the Mopsies� circumstances ever to be considered normal? With her half-brother Claude Seacombe, Lizzie travels to Cornwall to meet her mother’s parents. Maggie goes along, too, since she is part of the family � or so one might assume. But the more time she spends in her grandparents� clifftop mansion, the more she realizes that something is not right, and the events surrounding her own mother’s death are more mysterious—and dangerous—than anyone alive suspects.

For an old nemesis is preying on the weak and proud, and no matter how well dressed or well educated a young lady might be, she cannot stand by and watch evil destroy a beloved cousin’s future. Maggie must straighten her spine and plunge into danger for Lizzie’s sake � and prove that no matter the name she bears, she is first and foremost what the Lady of Devices believes her to be � a lady of spirit.]]>
272 Shelley Adina Allison 3
There was so much setup to this one, much more to do with Maggie trying to fit into her determined place in society than anything else. With a couple of grandparents refusing to acknowledge her because she wasn't legitimate, this was a drag. There was also a distinct lack of adventure or steampunk until at least 60%. (Reference title.) Not cool. Luckily it did kick in, though, and when it did, it was fun, reminding me of why I am reading the series in the first place. It was enough to salvage a 3 star rating. Now if only it had started out that way.]]>
4.24 2014 A Lady of Spirit (Magnificent Devices, #6)
author: Shelley Adina
name: Allison
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2016/02/06
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: steampunk, young-adult, own-ebook, thieves, alternate-history, published-2010s, indie-self-pub, victorian, kobo-plus
review:
This is another installment that's missing the energy of the initial series with Claire as the main character. I honestly wish we just had more of Claire's adventures instead of jumping to Lizzie and Maggie. The portions that show her point of view are still my favorites, and there aren't enough of them.

There was so much setup to this one, much more to do with Maggie trying to fit into her determined place in society than anything else. With a couple of grandparents refusing to acknowledge her because she wasn't legitimate, this was a drag. There was also a distinct lack of adventure or steampunk until at least 60%. (Reference title.) Not cool. Luckily it did kick in, though, and when it did, it was fun, reminding me of why I am reading the series in the first place. It was enough to salvage a 3 star rating. Now if only it had started out that way.
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<![CDATA[Lady of Devices (Magnificent Devices, #1)]]> 11500552 259 Shelley Adina 1939087104 Allison 4 Lady of Devices is the first pure Steampunk I've ventured into. I've read some that were also historical fantasy or paranormal, but I was afraid I wouldn't like the scientific aspects of steam and gadgets on their own quite as much. But I'm really loving this series. It's a lot of fun, and the technology isn't dry at all. You mainly just have to be willing to suspend disbelief about this alternate Victorian world because Claire's escapades are so outlandish. She's a fantastic heroine, full of spunk and ingenuity, and unconventional ways out of complete disaster. I'm already half way through book three, I'm having such a blast reading these. The first book is free on Kindle, in case you want to give it a try.]]> 3.81 2011 Lady of Devices (Magnificent Devices, #1)
author: Shelley Adina
name: Allison
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2014/10/21
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: steampunk, setting-england, first-in-series, own-ebook, setting-1800s, thieves, clever-characters, alternate-history, coming-of-age, series-complete, scientists, published-2010s, indie-self-pub, ebook-freebie, victorian, series-finished-reading, following, kobo-plus
review:
Lady of Devices is the first pure Steampunk I've ventured into. I've read some that were also historical fantasy or paranormal, but I was afraid I wouldn't like the scientific aspects of steam and gadgets on their own quite as much. But I'm really loving this series. It's a lot of fun, and the technology isn't dry at all. You mainly just have to be willing to suspend disbelief about this alternate Victorian world because Claire's escapades are so outlandish. She's a fantastic heroine, full of spunk and ingenuity, and unconventional ways out of complete disaster. I'm already half way through book three, I'm having such a blast reading these. The first book is free on Kindle, in case you want to give it a try.
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Bounty War (Parse Galaxy #2) 61022189
Yes, she hired her last bounty target to work on her ship instead of turning him in. And yes, she supposes she can see why the Cosmic Trade Federation might take issue with that.

They don't have to shoot at her over it, though.

When Sloane's new client offers her a lead on her uncle's whereabouts in exchange for her help in tracking down an elusive pirate-type, Sloane figures she might finally be on the path to fixing this messed-up situation. She's always been overly optimistic that way.

But every step Sloane takes feels like the wrong one � and the Federation refuses to drop its grudge. If she doesn't take care, she's bound to stumble into a trap� and this time, she might just take the whole galaxy down with her…]]>
217 Kate Sheeran Swed Allison 0 4.31 Bounty War (Parse Galaxy #2)
author: Kate Sheeran Swed
name: Allison
average rating: 4.31
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: science-fiction, space-opera, published-2020s, sequels-next, to-read, author-previously-read, priority, kobo-plus, kobo-plus-unread
review:

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<![CDATA[All Rocs Wise & Wonderful (The Portal Storms Book 1)]]> 62691409
Now a wounded verdiran � from the only known sentient non-human species � arrives at Nessa’s veterinary practice. Intrigued by his questions, Nessa patches him up and gives him a place to stay.

But this verdiran may hold the key to understanding the increasingly unpredictable portals threatening her town.

Continue the wild science fantasy adventure started with the novella All Gremlins Great & Small. Download All Rocs Wise & Wonderful, book one of The Portal Storms, today!]]>
224 T.M. Baumgartner Allison 0 4.57 All Rocs Wise & Wonderful (The Portal Storms Book 1)
author: T.M. Baumgartner
name: Allison
average rating: 4.57
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: science-fiction, indie-self-pub, published-2020s, animals, healers, sequels-next, to-read, author-previously-read, priority, kobo-plus, kobo-plus-unread
review:

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<![CDATA[Condition of War (Central Corps: Dissolution, #1)]]> 230815105 Accused of destroying a Corps warship, the crew of the starship Galileo must prove sabotage—or face the wrath of what’s left of Central Gov.

When the Central Corps warship Capricorn—silent and unresponsive, light-years from her last reported position—threatens a civilian space station, the former Corps starship Galileo comes to the station’s aid. But Commander Elena Shaw’s attempt to disarm the warship culminates in its destruction, and despite evidence Capricorn was sabotaged, Central is happy to direct public ire at Galileo.

To vindicate their ship, the crew must reconstruct Capricorn’s final journey, seeking proof of what really destroyed her. But Elena finds an alarming pattern in the evidence they uncover. It seems Capricorn’s fate has roots not in sabotage, but in a weapon Central has been keeping secret—a weapon Elena has encountered before. A weapon whose origins may not be entirely human.

Turns out Galileo has a stowaway, hiding in plain sight. And that stowaway might link Elena to Capricorn’s destruction after all.
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441 Elizabeth Bonesteel 1737390965 Allison 0 0.0 Condition of War (Central Corps: Dissolution, #1)
author: Elizabeth Bonesteel
name: Allison
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: to-read, sequels-next, priority, releases-2025, forthcoming, science-fiction, space-opera, kobo-plus, kobo-plus-unread
review:

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<![CDATA[Hidden Current (The Dancing Realms, #1)]]> 49887729
Calara spent her life learning dance patterns and seeking to become the perfect servant to her people. When she discovers the work of the Order is built on lies, she flees with a rough-edged herder, Brantley of Windswell. Pursued by soldiers, her journey through the suffering villages of the rim leads her to a forgotten truth that sends ripples through her world-and through her soul.

Calara seeks clues to her forgotten family and discovers newfound courage in the face of danger, while her quest awakens a growing but forbidden affection for Brantley. Yet even his support can't fully be trusted, since he'd rather destroy the Order than bring reform.

She is a lone woman facing opposition from rim villages and treachery from the all-powerful Order. Can she restore the dance to its true purpose and bring freedom and hope to her people?]]>
280 Sharon Hinck 1621840999 Allison 0 4.27 Hidden Current (The Dancing Realms, #1)
author: Sharon Hinck
name: Allison
average rating: 4.27
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: to-read, christian-fantasy, first-in-series, published-2020s, series-complete, christian-author, series-wait, kobo-plus, kobo-plus-unread
review:

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<![CDATA[Tea and Sympathetic Magic (Teacup Magic, #1)]]> 54259972
Every unmarried young lady of the Teacup Isles wants to marry the Duke of Storm, except Miss Mnemosyne Seabourne, who is quite content on the shelf, thank you very much. All she wants is a quiet life and a good book.

At a house party full of ruthless debutantes willing to employ sneaky sympathetic magic to win a husband of quality, Mneme joins forces with an enigmatic spellcracker to rescue the duke from being married against his will, and to find out who is responsible for his abduction.

Can Mneme save the Duke of Storm without becoming his bride? Will this caper ruin her reputation forever? Can teacups and hedgehogs be used as projectile weapons in emergencies? Why are attractive men more devastating when they roll up their sleeves?

If you enjoy Regency house parties, witty romantic banter and high society sorcery, you'll adore this magical comedy of manners cozy mystery novella.]]>
72 Tansy Rayner Roberts 064876396X Allison 0 3.92 2018 Tea and Sympathetic Magic (Teacup Magic, #1)
author: Tansy Rayner Roberts
name: Allison
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: to-read, historical-fantasy, novella-short-story, indie-self-pub, published-2010s, first-in-series, series-companion-novels, series-wait, kobo-plus, kobo-plus-unread
review:

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<![CDATA[A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking]]> 54369251
But Mona’s life is turned upside down when she finds a dead body on the bakery floor. An assassin is stalking the streets of Mona’s city, preying on magic folk, and it appears that Mona is his next target. And in an embattled city suddenly bereft of wizards, the assassin may be the least of Mona’s worries…]]>
306 T. Kingfisher 1614505241 Allison 0 4.02 2020 A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking
author: T. Kingfisher
name: Allison
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: to-read, fantasy, culinary, published-2020s, at-library, cozy-fantasy, fantasy-mystery, author-previously-read, kobo-plus, kobo-plus-unread
review:

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<![CDATA[Oathbound (The Royal Rose Chronicles Book 1)]]> 59589025 Beware the waters. The dangerous deep brings ruin to all.Emme has spent her life avoiding anything to do with pirates. But the fates are cruel, and now a hidden sickness leads her to partner with pirates for the one thing that can save her—a cure on an island none are certain exists.The pirate captain’s secrets are darker than the deep and threaten to kill them all. His obligations are tinged with betrayal, for his oathbind must be fulfilled. To ignore it is to invite peril of unimaginable destruction.As the adventure unfolds, the sea takes more than she expects and the sea gives more than he wants.]]> 371 Victoria McCombs 1621842193 Allison 0 3.64 2022 Oathbound (The Royal Rose Chronicles Book 1)
author: Victoria McCombs
name: Allison
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: to-read, christian-author, christian-fantasy, first-in-series, pirates, published-2020s, series-complete, series-wait, kobo-plus, kobo-plus-unread
review:

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<![CDATA[The Parfit Knight (Rockliffe, #1)]]> 51169833 Alternate cover for ASIN# B008OKFFP8.

The Marquis of Amberley is rich, assured and thirty-four years old, with the reputation of being a law unto himself and a degree of charm which even his friends consider disastrous.

When his coach is waylaid by highwaymen and his coachman shot, he is forced to take shelter at the first house he finds and is subsequently trapped there for a week by a severe snow storm.

Oakleigh Manor is the home of beautiful, twenty-two year-old Rosalind Vernon who lives alone but for her devoted servants and an ill-natured parrot, cut off from the outside world by the tragic result of a childhood accident. But Rosalind is brave and bright and totally devoid of self-pity - and it is these qualities which, as the days pass and the snow continues to fall, cause Amberley to fall in love.

On his return to London, the Marquis persuades Rosalind's brother, Philip, to bring her to town for a taste of society - a move which, despite her handicap, Rosalind handles brilliantly.

But the course of Amberley's courtship is far from smooth for, due to a misapprehension, Philip Vernon actively dislikes him and Rosalind appears to be falling under the spell of the suavely elegant Duke of Rockliffe. Worse still, Amberley is haunted by a dark and terrible secret that, if revealed, may cause him to lose Rosalind forever.]]>
221 Stella Riley Allison 0 4.36 1986 The Parfit Knight (Rockliffe, #1)
author: Stella Riley
name: Allison
average rating: 4.36
book published: 1986
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: to-read, published-1980s, setting-england, setting-1700s, historical-romance, romance, disability, romance-clean-sweet, animals, kobo-plus, kobo-plus-unread
review:

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<![CDATA[Breach of Containment (Central Corps #3)]]> 34066587
When hostilities between factions threaten to explode into a shooting war on the moon of Yakutsk, the two major galactic military powers, Central Corps and PSI, send ships to defuse the situation. But when a strange artifact is discovered, events are set in motion that threaten the entire colonized galaxy—including former Central Corps Commander Elena Shaw.

Now an engineer on a commercial shipping vessel, Elena finds herself drawn into the conflict when she picks up the artifact on Yakutsk—and investigation of it uncovers ties to the massive, corrupt corporation Ellis Systems, whom she’s opposed before. Her safety is further compromised by her former ties to Central Corps—Elena can’t separate herself from her past life and her old ship, the CCSS Galileo.

Before Elena can pursue the artifact’s purpose further, disaster all communication with the First Sector—including Earth—is lost..The reason becomes apparent when news reaches Elena of a battle fleet, intent on destruction, rapidly approaching Earth. And with communications at sublight levels, there is no way to warn the planet in time.

Armed with crucial intel from a shadowy source and the strange artifact, Elena may be the only one who can stop the fleet, and Ellis, and save Earth. But for this mission there will be no second chances—and no return.]]>
512 Elizabeth Bonesteel 0062413708 Allison 5 4.07 2017 Breach of Containment (Central Corps #3)
author: Elizabeth Bonesteel
name: Allison
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/01
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: kindle-unlimited, science-fiction, space-opera, published-2010s, 5-stars, romance-explicit, 2025-series-progress, own-ebook, physical-shelf-wishlist, kobo-plus
review:

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<![CDATA[The Cold Between (Central Corps, #1)]]> 25743817
While retracing Danny’s last hours, they discover that his death may be tied to a mystery from the past: the destruction of a Central Corps starship at a wormhole near Volhynia. For twenty-five years, Central Gov has been lying about the tragedy, even willing to go to war with the outlaw tribe PSI to protect their secrets.

With the authorities closing in, Elena and Trey head to the wormhole, certain they’ll find answers on the other side. But the truth that awaits them is far more terrifying than they ever imagined—a conspiracy deep within Central Gov that threatens all of human civilization throughout the inhabited reaches of the galaxy . . . and beyond.]]>
528 Elizabeth Bonesteel 006241366X Allison 0 3.56 2016 The Cold Between (Central Corps, #1)
author: Elizabeth Bonesteel
name: Allison
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at: 2024/05/31
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: mystery, first-in-series, space-opera, published-2010s, at-library, sci-fi-mystery, dust-the-shelf-2024, kindle-unlimited, romance-explicit, sci-fi-romance, military, favorite-series, series-end-tbd, physical-shelf-wishlist, edwardian, kobo-plus
review:

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<![CDATA[Remnants of Trust (Central Corps, #2)]]> 29099274
Six weeks ago, Commander Elena Shaw and Captain Greg Foster were court-martialed for their role in an event Central Gov denies ever happened. Yet instead of a dishonorable discharge or time in a military prison, Shaw and Foster and are now back together on Galileo. As punishment, they’ve been assigned to patrol the nearly empty space of the Third Sector.

But their mundane mission quickly turns treacherous when the Galileo picks up a distress call: Exeter, a sister ship, is under attack from raiders. A PSI generation ship—the same one that recently broke off negotiations with Foster—is also in the sector and joins in the desperate battle that leaves ninety-seven of Exeter’s crew dead.

An investigation of the disaster points to sabotage. And Exeter is only the beginning. When the PSI ship and Galileo suffer their own “accidents,� it becomes clear that someone is willing to set off a war in the Third Sector to keep their secrets, and the clues point to the highest echelons of power . . . and deep into Shaw’s past.]]>
516 Elizabeth Bonesteel 0062413694 Allison 4 3.78 2016 Remnants of Trust (Central Corps, #2)
author: Elizabeth Bonesteel
name: Allison
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/29
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: science-fiction, space-opera, military, published-2010s, kindle-unlimited, 2025-series-progress, at-library, physical-shelf-wishlist, kobo-plus
review:

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<![CDATA[Brighton Honeymoon (Weaver #2)]]> 41707450 248 Sheri Cobb South Allison 0 4.12 2000 Brighton Honeymoon (Weaver #2)
author: Sheri Cobb South
name: Allison
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2000
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: historical-romance, setting-1800s, setting-england, by-the-sea, published-2000s, romance-clean-sweet, regency, maybe, sequels-maybe
review:

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The Story Keeper 35489857 Alternate cover edition of ASIN B072639GM7


From the author of The Unseeing comes a sizzling, period novel of folk tales, disappearances and injustice set on the island of Skye, sure to appeal to readers of Hannah Kent's Burial Rites.

'A wonderful combination of a thrilling mystery and a perfectly depicted period piece' Sunday Mirror

Audrey Hart is on the island of Skye to collect the word-of-mouth folk tales of the people and communities around her. It is 1857, the Highland Clearances have left devastation and poverty, and the crofters are suspicious and hostile, claiming they no longer know their stories. Then Audrey discovers the body of a young girl washed up on the beach and the crofters tell her that it is only a matter of weeks since another girl has disappeared. They believe the girls are the victims of the spirits of the unforgiven dead. Initially, Audrey is sure the girls are being abducted, but then she is reminded of her own mother, a Skye woman who disappeared in mysterious circumstances. It seems there is a link to be explored, and Audrey may uncover just what her family have been hiding from her all these years.]]>
384 Anna Mazzola Allison 0 3.95 2018 The Story Keeper
author: Anna Mazzola
name: Allison
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: gothic, setting-1800s, published-2010s, historical-mystery, victorian, setting-scotland, maybe
review:

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<![CDATA[Drumindor (The Riyria Chronicles, #5)]]> 208141987 HE PLANNED TO OBLITERATE AN ENTIRE CITY. HE THOUGHT NO ONE COULD STAND IN HIS WAY. BUT HE HADN'T HEARD OF RIYRIA.

When a master-craftsmen dwarf is fired, he threatens retaliation. The rogues-for-hire known as Riyria are commissioned to find and stop him. Traveling to the paradise resort of Tur Del Fur, the two are granted a lavish allowance that, along with the easy job, promises to turn the trip into a vacation. Everything would have been perfect except that the disgruntled employee’s last name is Berling and the target of his wrath is the legendary towers of Drumindor.

It's been more than five years since the last adventure with Royce Melborn (a cynical ex-assassin) and Hadrian Blackwater (an idealistic ex-mercenary), a pair whose bonds of friendship are bound with blood. This is the 20th novel based in the world of Elan, the 5th in the Riyria Chronicle series, and the eleventh starring Royce and Hadrian tale.]]>
528 Michael J. Sullivan 194336351X Allison 0 4.36 2024 Drumindor (The Riyria Chronicles, #5)
author: Michael J. Sullivan
name: Allison
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: fantasy, published-2020s, sequels-next, to-read, author-previously-read, at-library
review:

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<![CDATA[Nothing Ventured (William Warwick, #1)]]> 44104479 Nothing Ventured heralds the start of a brand new series in the style of Jeffrey Archer’s #1 New York Times bestselling Clifton Chronicles: introducing Detective William Warwick. But t his is not a detective story, this is a story about the making of a detective . . .

William Warwick has always wanted to be a detective, and decides, much to his father’s dismay, that rather than become a lawyer like his father, Sir Julian Warwick QC, and his sister Grace, he will join London’s Metropolitan Police Force.

After graduating from university, William begins a career that will define his life: from his early months on the beat under the watchful eye of his first mentor, Constable Fred Yates, to his first high-stakes case as a fledgling detective in Scotland Yard’s arts and antiquities squad. Investigating the theft of a priceless Rembrandt painting from the Fitzmolean Museum, he meets Beth Rainsford, a research assistant at the gallery who he falls hopelessly in love with, even as Beth guards a secret of her own that she’s terrified will come to light.

While William follows the trail of the missing masterpiece, he comes up against suave art collector Miles Faulkner and his brilliant lawyer, Booth Watson QC, who are willing to bend the law to breaking point to stay one step ahead of William. Meanwhile, Miles Faulkner’s wife, Christina, befriends William, but whose side is she really on?

This new series introduces William Warwick, a family man and a detective who will battle throughout his career against a powerful criminal nemesis. Through twists, triumph and tragedy, this series will show that William Warwick is destined to become one of Jeffrey Archer’s most enduring legacies.

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326 Jeffrey Archer 1250200776 Allison 0 4.24 2019 Nothing Ventured (William Warwick, #1)
author: Jeffrey Archer
name: Allison
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/16
shelves: to-read, kindle-unlimited, kindle-unlimited-priority, first-in-series, mystery, detectives-police, published-2010s, series-ends-2025, setting-england, setting-1900s
review:

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<![CDATA[Saint Peter's Fair (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, #4)]]> 39150304 In the twelfth century, merchants gather at a summertime fair—but when one of them is found dead in a river, a crime-solving monk must step in.

St. Peter’s Fair is a grand, festive event, attracting merchants from across England and beyond. There is a pause in the civil war racking the country in the summer of 1139, and the fair promises to bring some much-needed gaiety to the town of Shrewsbury—until the body of a wealthy merchant is found murdered in the river Severn. Was Thomas of Bristol the victim of murderous thieves? And, if so, why were his valuables abandoned nearby?
Ěý
Brother Cadfael, that shrewd but kindly monk, offers to help the merchant’s lovely niece Emma. But while he is searching for the killer, Thomas of Bristol’s wares are ransacked and two more men are murdered. Emma almost certainly knows more than she is telling—as others will soon realize. Cadfael desperately races to save the young girl, knowing that in a country at war with itself, betrayal can come from any direction, and even good intentions can kill.Ěý]]>
272 Ellis Peters 1497671167 Allison 3 4.20 1981 Saint Peter's Fair (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, #4)
author: Ellis Peters
name: Allison
average rating: 4.20
book published: 1981
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/06
date added: 2025/04/06
shelves: historical-mystery, setting-0400s-1300s, monastics, setting-wales, at-library, medieval, kindle-unlimited
review:

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<![CDATA[Stalks of Gold (Bewitching Fairy Tales, #1)]]> 56863232
If Aurelia comes across magic, she’s supposed to run in the other direction. Life is no longer so simple. If the tower door opens, and she doesn’t have any gold, her life will be forfeit.

No one is going to help her, not even her closest friend. No one, except for the mysterious stranger who appeared on her doorstep and in her tower room. If she takes the deal, she might live, but what will she sacrifice in order to do it?

Sandor’s worlds collided when Aurelia was brought before King Eadric. Is he truly so desperate to get out of debt, he’s willing to believe such nonsense as a girl who can spin straw into gold? She’s Sandor’s closest friend. If Aurelia were a witch, he would know it. It’s impossible, or so he thought.

Nothing makes sense anymore, but Sandor’s determined to figure it out and save Aurelia from the king. The more he learns, the more he wonders, is the king the real threat, or is there something more dangerous lurking in the shadows?]]>
398 Celeste Baxendell Allison 0 3.91 Stalks of Gold (Bewitching Fairy Tales, #1)
author: Celeste Baxendell
name: Allison
average rating: 3.91
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read, fantasy-fairytale, fantasy-romance, retelling, romance-clean-sweet, first-in-series, series-companion-novels, kindle-unlimited, kindle-unlimited-wait, published-2020s
review:

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<![CDATA[Traitor's Masque (Andari Chronicles #1)]]> 28193548
She has one job—attend a masqued ball and dance with a handsome prince.
What could possibly go wrong?


Everything, that’s what.

After years of submitting to her stepmother’s unreasonable demands, Trystan finally has a chance to be free. The promise of a new life, in exchange for her help. Simple, right? After all, the old woman has only asked for one night. One night, one beautiful gown, one dance� and one message to be delivered to a mysterious recipient.

It should be easy. Maybe even fun. Especially when she can slip away into the night after the dance, leaving no clue as to her identity.

But before she can escape the ball, Trystan makes a shocking discovery that leaves all her hopes in ruins. She will be forced to confront two very different princes—and choose whether to betray her kingdom� or her heart.

If she’s lucky, maybe she’ll even survive to tell about it later.

A thrilling, suspenseful retelling of Cinderella, Traitor’s Masque is the first book of the Andari Chronicles, a series of interconnected but stand-alone fairy tale retellings that feature strong heroines, romance, mystery, and deeply satisfying happily ever afters.]]>
410 Kenley Davidson Allison 0 4.10 2015 Traitor's Masque (Andari Chronicles #1)
author: Kenley Davidson
name: Allison
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read, kindle-unlimited, ebook-freebie, own-ebook, retelling, fairytale, fantasy-romance, cinderella, published-2010s, first-in-series, series-companion-novels, fantasy-fairytale, author-previously-read, kindle-unlimited-wait, own-unread-wait
review:

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<![CDATA[Murder at the Mayfair Hotel (Cleopatra Fox, #1)]]> 54595827 It was the most fashionable place to stay in London, until murder made a reservation. Solve the puzzle in this new cozy historical mystery from USA Today bestselling author of the Glass and Steele series. December 1899. After the death of her beloved grandmother, Cleopatra Fox moves into the luxury hotel owned by her estranged uncle in the hopes of putting hardship and loneliness behind her. But the poisoning of a guest on Christmas Eve throws her new life, and the hotel, into chaos.Cleo quickly realizes no one can be trusted, not Scotland Yard and especially not the hotel’s charming assistant manager. With the New Year’s Eve ball approaching fast and the hotel’s reputation hanging by a thread, Cleo must find the killer before the ball, and the hotel itself, are ruined. But catching a murderer proves just as difficult as navigating the hotel’s hierarchy and the peculiarities of her family.Can Cleo find the killer before the new century begins? Or will someone get away with murder?]]> 395 C.J. Archer Allison 0 3.87 2020 Murder at the Mayfair Hotel (Cleopatra Fox, #1)
author: C.J. Archer
name: Allison
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read, own-ebook, ebook-freebie, first-in-series, historical-mystery, setting-1800s, setting-england, victorian, indie-self-pub, published-2020s, series-wait, author-previously-read, own-unread-wait
review:

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<![CDATA[The Beast's Magician (Regency Magic Faerie Tales #2)]]> 122859407
Thomas Hughes, the reclusive Duke of Harborough, has an ulterior motive for hiring his beautiful new magician. To break the Faerie curse that stole his own magic and hideously transformed him, he needs to fall in love. But with claws and fangs, he can hardly look for a wife in a London ballroom.

Can Isabelle see past the fur and the fangs to save the man beneath? Is the monstrous duke even worth saving?

Enjoy this YA retelling of “Beauty and the Beast," set in a Regency England where Faeries are real and magic is an acceptable accomplishment for young ladies.]]>
232 Eliza Prokopovits Allison 0 4.43 The Beast's Magician (Regency Magic Faerie Tales #2)
author: Eliza Prokopovits
name: Allison
average rating: 4.43
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read, own-unread-wait, ebook-freebie, regency, fantasy-fairytale, historical-fantasy, historical-romance, romance-clean-sweet, retelling, published-2020s, beauty-and-the-beast, own-ebook
review:

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A Sharpened Axe 43238534 A cursed nation. An unlikely heroine. Deadly stakes. This love could kill...

A jaded fae princess and a few words whispered in the dark...that’s all it took for the prosperous country of Leiria to fall under a curse. Disease, famine and calamity followed. Fifteen years later, Samiris is one of the Chosen, a group of young women brought to the palace to try and break the curse. But if they fail, one of them will die.

Unlike the rest of the girls, who see living in the palace with the Crown Prince as an exciting privilege, Samiris is indifferent to the social whirl and offended by the sumptuous wealth present in the capital. She just wants to go home to take care of her sick father and younger sister.

Can Samiris survive the social intrigue at court, deadly plots against the Chosen, a seemingly unloveable Crown Prince, and a stubborn adversary to break the curse?

A Sharpened Axe is a stand-alone, young adult fairy tale retelling with intrigue and romance, for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Holly Black, and Brigid Kemmerer. If you like a strong female lead, fast paced action, and slow burn romance, then you’ll love this exciting book!]]>
530 Jill M. Beene Allison 0 4.54 2018 A Sharpened Axe
author: Jill M. Beene
name: Allison
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read, kindle-unlimited, fantasy-romance, games-competitions, cursed, fairytale, romance-clean-sweet, published-2010s, fantasy-fairytale, own-unread, own-ebook, ebook-freebie
review:

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<![CDATA[A Lady Most Fitting: A Grimm Regency Tale]]> 218025802 If the shoe fits, then...

Charlotte Linfield wants nothing more than to please her exacting father and prepare for a perfect London season. Getting tangled up with the teasing young gentleman from the local shoe shop is the last thing on her mind.

Philip Notley is just after a bit of fun when he begins leaving secret gifts for the new girl in town. What starts as a prank soon proves something far deeper, but will it be enough to bring two mismatched halves into a perfect pair?

A Lady Most Fitting is a sweet, wholesome romance filled with plenty of heart and humor, inspired by the fairy tale The Elves and the Shoemaker.

This series reimagines classic Brothers Grimm fairy tales as unique Regency romances. Sit back, pour a cup of tea, and let these sweet, captivating romances transport you to a world of charm, adventure, and happily ever afters.

A Grimm Regency Tale series

A Lady Most Engaged by Audrey Glenn

A Lady Most Fitting by Sienna Peake

A Lady Most Untamed by Amanda Panhorst

A Lady Most Intrigued by Jenni Ward

A Lady Most Entangled by Mary-Celeste Ricks

A Lady Most Isolated by Heloise C. Kensington

A Lady Most Alluring by Amy Newbold]]>
130 Sienna Peake 1778122965 Allison 0 4.52 A Lady Most Fitting: A Grimm Regency Tale
author: Sienna Peake
name: Allison
average rating: 4.52
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read, retelling, regency, fairytale, own-unread, own-ebook, historical-romance, setting-1800s, setting-england, published-2020s, romance-clean-sweet, ebook-freebie
review:

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<![CDATA[The Rumpled Gentleman: A Victorian Fairy Tale Retold]]> 228102166 A Romantic Rumplestiltskin Retelling Full of Magic, Mystery, and a Deal That Changes EverythingElara Millstone never wanted a life of impossible bargains. But when her father, once a respected alchemist, claims he can change straw into gold, they find themselves trapped in a dangerous game with the powerful Duke of Sutton. If her father fails to deliver on his promise, imprisonment would be the least of their worries.

Desperate to save them, Elara makes a deal of her own with a mysterious masked gentleman who seems to hold the key to their survival. But magic and alchemy are not the only forces at play—secrets, deception, and an unexpected attraction makes things more precarious. As Elara works to outwit the ruthless duke, she begins to has she struck a bargain with a savior or merely exchanged one cage for another?

Set in a Victorian-inspired world where magic is real and power is the ruling currency, The Rumpled Gentleman is a romantic, historical fantasy retelling of Rumplestiltskin filled with intrigue, romance, and a heroine who refuses to be anyone’s pawn.

Perfect for fans of fairy tale retellings, historical fantasy, and stories where wit and courage are the strongest magic of all.

Originally included in the anthology Magic and Miracles.]]>
108 Sally Britton 1685270611 Allison 0 4.04 The Rumpled Gentleman: A Victorian Fairy Tale Retold
author: Sally Britton
name: Allison
average rating: 4.04
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read, historical-fantasy, fantasy-romance, fairytale, retelling, victorian, setting-1800s, setting-england, ebook-freebie, own-unread, own-ebook, novella-short-story, kindle-unlimited
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<![CDATA[Tested: A Princess and the Pea Retelling (Enchanted Tales of Tír, #1)]]> 208985547 Her only chance at escape is to win the hand of the prince�but her loathsome suitor will do whatever it takes to see her fail.

Aine harbors a fervent desire: to shield the land and its inhabitants from the negligence of her father. However, her aspirations are threatened when her parents scheme to barter her off to a neighboring lord. The Queen's invitation to compete in a contest to determine the prince's bride arrives just in time.

Prince Rian, ensnared by a curse demanding he win the affection of the "perfect princess" before his twenty-first birthday, grapples with dwindling prospects and fading optimism. With scant months remaining, his ambitions have dwindled to a single to enact even the slightest improvement on the world—or at least his country—before his death.

As Aine faces the queen's tests, fate entwines her destiny with Rian's. Unfortunately, the determined Lord Cleirigh will stop at nothing to thwart her ascent.



Tested is a sweet, clean retelling of The Princess and the Pea. While it can be read alone, the books of The Enchanted Tales of TĂ­r are best enjoyed in order. The Enchanted Tales of TĂ­r reading A Retelling of the Princess and the Pea (Book 1) A Retelling of The Wild Swans (Book 2)A Gentle A Beauty and the Beast Retelling (Book 2.5) - Part of the Hope Ever After series]]>
Sarah Carlisle Allison 0 4.48 Tested: A Princess and the Pea Retelling (Enchanted Tales of TĂ­r, #1)
author: Sarah Carlisle
name: Allison
average rating: 4.48
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read, kindle-unlimited, kindle-unlimited-wait, fantasy-fairytale, fantasy-romance, retelling, published-2020s, romance-clean-sweet
review:

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<![CDATA[The Shifter and the Mage: Retelling King Thrushbeard and Little Wildrose (The Intertwined Tales)]]> 214573933 A mage with a temper. A shapeshifter with a secret. A fake marriage that starts to feel real.

Shyla Merrigan wants to become a King's Mage, but after graduating from the Academy she is told she will not be starting an apprenticeship as she'd thought. If that wasn't bad enough, she is invited to attend a party hosted by Alarick of the Wolves, the brother-in-law she despises.

When she hears that Alarick is planning to marry her off, she lashes out in a rage and storms away from the banquet. On encountering Adriel, a young man with the ability to turn into a thrush, she discovers there is a lindenworm troubling his home. If Shyla kills the lindenworm, she may have a chance of becoming a King's Mage after all.

Adriel offers to be her guide. He also suggests they pretend to be married to protect her reputation.

Shyla agrees without hesitation, but as they travel together she begins to suspect Adriel is not who she thinks he is. Worse, she might be starting to develop feelings for him. She must decide which is more fighting a monster, or losing her heart to someone who could destroy it.

The Intertwined Tales is a multi-author series of clean fairy tale retellings. Each novella entwines a famous fairy tale with a lesser-known story to create one happily ever after. These standalone stories can be enjoyed in any order. ]]>
120 Lucy Winton Allison 0 4.10 The Shifter and the Mage: Retelling King Thrushbeard and Little Wildrose (The Intertwined Tales)
author: Lucy Winton
name: Allison
average rating: 4.10
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read, kindle-unlimited, kindle-unlimited-wait, novella-short-story, fantasy-fairytale, fantasy-romance, retelling, first-in-series, series-companion-novels, published-2020s, romance-clean-sweet
review:

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Hooked (Tales of Winberg #1) 60370478 But what if she’s ready to fall for him instead?

Cecily doesn’t want to grow up—not if growing up means marrying. After escaping a life of abandonment and mistreatment, she refuses to put her life in the hands of a man ever again. She’s happily settled into her life as lady’s maid to Princess Marilee, and that’s where she intends to stay. But when the princess’s personal guard, Falstone, starts to show an interest in her, she’s tempted to believe that an attachment might not be a bad thing after all.

His kind heart and playful nature pull her in, but while she would trust him with her life, she can’t seem to trust him with her heart. Not only that, but Falstone himself is hesitant to bring a wife into his precarious world when he’s pledged to give his life for the protection of another. Though they both want to give their budding feelings a chance, that choice is taken out of their hands by the appearance of Captain Huckley, the man she ran from years ago, who insists he has a claim on Cecily and her future.

With Cecily’s past rearing up and Captain Huckley determined to drag her away from all she cherishes, can she find the courage to escape him again and find her way to real love? Or will the captain force her into a life that’s not only miserable, but destined to end too soon?

A story about bravery and vulnerability, this reimagined version of Peter Pan will carry you on an adventure that brings romance to the forefront of a beloved tale.]]>
255 Annette K. Larsen Allison 0 4.35 2022 Hooked (Tales of Winberg #1)
author: Annette K. Larsen
name: Allison
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read, retelling, fairytale, romance-clean-sweet, published-2020s, first-in-series, series-companion-novels, kindle-unlimited, kindle-unlimited-wait
review:

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The Unlucky Prince 147374057 *See all of the books in the Once Upon a Prince Series HERE.*

A sacrifice to duty. Magic gone awry. And a prince with the worst luck on the continent.

Prince Ari has always struggled to find his place in his own kingdom…maybe because he spent half his childhood trapped in a swan’s body. His mother thinks he should find a wife and settle down, but far from being subdued by his past brush with magic, he’s convinced life has more adventure for him yet. That belief takes him to the neighboring kingdom—their former enemies who are now their allies.

Princess Violet expects nothing from the foreign prince’s visit, except maybe a last chance for some lighthearted fun. After all, she still has a few days before carrying out her secret plan to sacrifice her heart for the sake of the kingdom. Prince Ari will be leaving soon, so where’s the harm in a bit of flirtation?

Except neither of them have any idea of the forces working against their plans, both from inside the castle and from within their own hearts. And that’s before Ari falls afoul of the worst luck imaginable. As it turns out, being cursed to be a frog is even worse than being a swan.

Ari’s apparent absence only clears the way for darker plots, but fortunately amphibians see things humans don’t. It will take both a determined princess and a more-than-usually resourceful frog to uncover what’s really going on before it’s too late—both for Violet’s heart and the future of the kingdom.

The Unlucky Prince, a retelling of The Frog Prince, is book 1 of Once Upon A Prince, a multi-author series of clean fairy tale retellings. Each standalone novella features a swoony prince and his flaws, growth, and happily ever after.

This novella is set in the world of The Kingdom Tales, a completed series of six clean fairy tale retellings by Deborah Grace White. The Unlucky Prince takes place four years after the end of the series, but can be enjoyed without any prior reading.]]>
190 Deborah Grace White 1925898784 Allison 0 4.21 The Unlucky Prince
author: Deborah Grace White
name: Allison
average rating: 4.21
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read, first-in-series, series-companion-novels, fantasy-fairytale, fantasy-romance, retelling, published-2020s, kindle-unlimited, kindle-unlimited-wait, romance-clean-sweet
review:

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<![CDATA[Crimson Claws (The Ruby Realm #1)]]> 62862620 A Retelling of Little Red Riding Hood.

Roisen Karro and her grandmother run the most beloved bakery in the province of Omaira. Ever since her father disappeared seven years ago, Ro has decided there is no place for a man in her heart, especially an obnoxiously flirty woodcutter. Unfortunately, her granny has no issue encouraging the young man’s advances toward her.
At the far end of Omaira, a strange foreigner washes up on the shores and finds himself amongst the ranks of a nefarious group of beasts. With no knowledge of the Ruby Realm or even a grasp on their language, the foreigner agrees to do their dirty work until he gets back on his feet. All they asked him to do was kidnap some girl from a bakery, anyway...
As Ro discovers there is more behind her father’s disappearance than she knew, she finds herself entangled in the schemes of a sly new foe. With only the clothes on her back and a pack of wolves on her heels, Ro must find her way back to her granny before it’s too late for them both. Will Ro be able to survive the hunt? Or will the beasts swallow her family whole...?

The Ruby Realm is a collection of clean, intercepting stories, inspired by classic fairy tales.]]>
238 Abigail Manning Allison 0 4.26 Crimson Claws (The Ruby Realm #1)
author: Abigail Manning
name: Allison
average rating: 4.26
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read, fantasy-fairytale, fantasy-romance, retelling, first-in-series, published-2020s, kindle-unlimited, kindle-unlimited-wait, romance-clean-sweet
review:

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<![CDATA[Her Fae Secret (Regency Magic Faerie Tales #1)]]> 96148592
Due to the restoration of peace, James Weston has returned to England after seven years of service as a magician in the Royal Navy. He isn't looking for a wife; he's looking for a new career path. But he can't deny that Eleanor is everything he's ever wanted and more.

Can their love survive her family's secret?

Enjoy this YA retelling of Grimm's "Twelve Dancing Princesses," set in a Regency London where Faeries are real and magic is an acceptable accomplishment for young ladies.]]>
222 Eliza Prokopovits Allison 0 4.09 Her Fae Secret (Regency Magic Faerie Tales #1)
author: Eliza Prokopovits
name: Allison
average rating: 4.09
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read, historical-fantasy, fantasy-romance, fantasy-fairytale, first-in-series, published-2020s, priority, at-library, regency, setting-1800s, setting-england, romance-clean-sweet
review:

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<![CDATA[The Spy Master's Scheme (Glass and Steele #12)]]> 58353161
But it’s wise to be wary of the attention.

When the wool magician who helped India create a flying carpet spell disappears, his wife is worried for his life. India and Matt are worried for the country. If the person who stole the spell also kidnapped the wool magician, they could use flying carpets as vehicles of war. The closer they get to finding him, the more they realize they can’t trust anyone, not even the government. When it’s revealed that England’s spy master has plans for India’s talents, she refuses to cooperate.

But Matt knows it’s not as simple as refusing. Every decision has a repercussion.

And repercussions can be deadly.]]>
276 C.J. Archer Allison 0 3.50 2021 The Spy Master's Scheme (Glass and Steele #12)
author: C.J. Archer
name: Allison
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves: to-read, sequels-next, historical-fantasy, setting-1800s, setting-england, published-2020s
review:

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<![CDATA[The Toymaker's Curse (Glass and Steele #11)]]> 55870272
After a toymaker magician gives a lecture at a collector’s club soiree, an important spell is stolen and a man is found strangled. The investigation into his murder leads India and Matt to the colorful and dangerous world of the Romany gypsy where curses are used as weapons against their enemies.

But nobody seems to know if curses are real or not.

As Matt and India close in on the killer, old foes bring trouble into their lives. With the threat of exposure hanging over London’s magicians, disaster is never far away. Then one fateful day, catastrophe strikes the Park Street household.]]>
C.J. Archer Allison 3 3.60 2021 The Toymaker's Curse (Glass and Steele #11)
author: C.J. Archer
name: Allison
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/01
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves: historical-fantasy, setting-1800s, setting-england
review:

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The Eterna Files 22724457
Their first mission: find the Eterna Compound, which grants immortality. Catastrophe destroyed the hidden laboratory in New York City where Eterna was developed, but the Queen is convinced someone escaped—and has a sample of Eterna.

Also searching for Eterna is an American, Clara Templeton, who helped start the project after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln nearly destroyed her nation. Haunted by the ghost of her beloved, she is determined that the Eterna Compound—and the immortality it will convey—will be controlled by the United States, not Great Britain.]]>
320 Leanna Renee Hieber Allison 3 3.29 2015 The Eterna Files
author: Leanna Renee Hieber
name: Allison
average rating: 3.29
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/31
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: first-in-series, cliffhanger, historical-fantasy, setting-england, setting-america, setting-1800s, series-complete, published-2010s, victorian, own-ebook, 2025-book-hoarder, 2025-dust-the-shelf, ghosts, paranormal
review:

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<![CDATA[Pawn of Prophecy (The Belgariad, #1)]]> 16281322 BOOK 1 OF THE BELGARIAD, the worldwide bestselling fantasy series by master storyteller David Eddings. Discover the epic story that inspired thousands - from Raymond Feist's The Riftwar Cycle series to George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones.

A battle is coming...

...And in that battle shall be decided

the fate of the world


Myths tell of the ancient wars of Gods and men, and a powerful object - the Orb - that ended the bloodshed. As long as it was held by the line of Riva, it would assure the peace.

But a dark force has stolen the Orb, and the prophecies tell of war.

Young farm boy Garion knows nothing of myth or fate. But then the mysterious Old Storyteller visits his aunt, and they embark on a sudden journey. Pursued by evil forces, with only a small band of companions they can trust, Garion begins to doubt all he thought he knew...]]>
236 David Eddings 1407058711 Allison 0 3.94 1982 Pawn of Prophecy (The Belgariad, #1)
author: David Eddings
name: Allison
average rating: 3.94
book published: 1982
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: first-in-series, series-complete, nephew-try, witches-wizards-mages, published-1980s, at-library, epic-fantasy, to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[Marque and Reprisal (Vatta's War, #2)]]> 6425722
The exciting military career she hoped for never got off the ground-but Ky Vatta ended up seeing plenty of combat when she took the helm of one of the commercial transport vessels in her family's fleet . . . and steered it into a full-blown war. Now the lessons she learned in that trial by fire are about to pay because this time, the war has come to her. To be exact, someone unknown has launched a full-throttle offensive against Vatta Transport Ltd., Ky's father's interstellar shipping empire. In short order, most of Ky's family is killed, and subsequent attacks sever vital lines of communication, leaving Ky fighting, in every sense, to survive.

Determined to identify the ruthless mystery enemy and avenge her family's name, Ky needs not only firepower but information. And she gets both in spades-from the band of stranded mercenaries she hooks up with, from her black-sheep cousin, Stella, who's been leading a secret life, and from Stella's roguish ex-lover, Rafe. Together they struggle to penetrate the tangled web of political intrigue that's wreaking havoc within InterStellar Communications, whose effective operation their own livelihoods-and perhaps lives-depend on.

But the infighting proves to be infectious, and it isn't long before Ky's hired military muscle are turning their suspicions on the enigmatic Rafe, whose wealth of knowledge about ISC's clashing factions and startling new technologies has begun to make him smell like a rat . . . or a mole. With swift, violent destruction a very real possibility, the last thing Ky needs is a crew divided against itself-and she's prepared to take whatever measures are necessary to ensure that Vatta stays in business, as well as in one piece.

What she's not prepared for is the shocking truth behind the terror- and a confrontation with murderous treachery from a source as unexpected as it is unrelenting.]]>
314 Elizabeth Moon 0345480511 Allison 0 3.98 2004 Marque and Reprisal (Vatta's War, #2)
author: Elizabeth Moon
name: Allison
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2004
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, sequels-next, science-fiction, space-opera, published-2000s, priority
review:

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<![CDATA[Pandora's Star (Commonwealth Saga #1)]]> 6136470
The year is 2380. The Intersolar Commonwealth, a sphere of stars some four hundred light-years in diameter, contains more than six hundred worlds, interconnected by a web of transport "tunnels" known as wormholes. At the farthest edge of the Commonwealth, astronomer Dudley Bose observes the Over one thousand light-years away, a star... vanishes. It does not go supernova. It does not collapse into a black hole. It simply disappears. Since the location is too distant to reach by wormhole, a faster-than-light starship, the Second Chance, is dispatched to learn what has occurred and whether it represents a threat. In command is Wilson Kime, a five-time rejuvenated ex-NASA pilot whose glory days are centuries behind him.

Opposed to the mission are the Guardians of Selfhood, a cult that believes the human race is being manipulated by an alien entity they call the Starflyer. Bradley Johansson, leader of the Guardians, warns of sabotage, fearing the Starflyer means to use the starship's mission for its own ends.

Pursued by a Commonwealth special agent convinced the Guardians are crazy but dangerous, Johansson flees. But the danger is not averted. Aboard the Second Chance, Kime wonders if his crew has been infiltrated. Soon enough, he will have other worries. A thousand light-years away, something truly incredible is a deadly discovery whose unleashing will threaten to destroy the Commonwealth... and humanity itself.

Could it be that Johansson was right?]]>
992 Peter F. Hamilton 0345472195 Allison 0 4.22 2004 Pandora's Star (Commonwealth Saga #1)
author: Peter F. Hamilton
name: Allison
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2004
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, science-fiction, space-opera, first-in-series, cliffhanger, series-complete, published-2000s, epic, series-wait
review:

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<![CDATA[Splendor's Orbit (The MacLee Chronicles #1)]]> 199288904 Now, presumed dead, she prefers to keep a low profile. Working as a pilot on a freighter ship, she occasionally accepts the odd refugee passenger to appease her humanitarian conscience. But things go downhill when her cargo turns out to be none other than the princess of an alien race and her two bodyguards.
Embroiled in a galaxy-wide conspiracy, Captain Colderaro finds herself dodging the Confederacy Task Force, fighting space pirates, and evading mercenaries intent on capturing the princess.
Can she make it to the alien planet without losing or damaging her cargo while still keeping her real identity a secret?]]>
234 Jina S. Bazzar Allison 0 4.14 2023 Splendor's Orbit (The MacLee Chronicles #1)
author: Jina S. Bazzar
name: Allison
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, first-in-series, series-complete, space-opera, science-fiction, tck-author, published-2020s, indie-self-pub, kindle-unlimited, kindle-unlimited-wait, series-wait
review:

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<![CDATA[Full Speed to a Crash Landing (Chaotic Orbits #1)]]> 204269569
But Ada doesn’t care—all that matters to her is enjoying their fine food and sweet, sweet oxygen—until Rian White, the government agent in charge, starts to suspect that there’s more to Ada than meets the eye. He’s not wrong—but he’s so pretty that Ada is perfectly happy to keep him paying attention to her—at least until she can complete the job she was sent to pull off. But as quick as Ada is, Rian might be quicker—and she may not be entirely sure who’s manipulating who until it’s too late�

A phenomenally fun novella that kicks off a trilogy of sexy space heists and romantic tension, Full Speed to a Crash Landing is packed with great characters and full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end.]]>
192 Beth Revis 0756419476 Allison 0 4.05 2024 Full Speed to a Crash Landing (Chaotic Orbits #1)
author: Beth Revis
name: Allison
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, space-opera, sci-fi-romance, first-in-series, series-ends-2025, published-2020s, at-library, science-fiction
review:

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<![CDATA[Star Nomad (Fallen Empire, #1)]]> 30268506
But she has a plan.

Steal a dilapidated and malfunctioning freighter from a junkyard full of lawless savages. Slightly suicidal, but she believes she can do it. Her plan, however, does not account for the elite cyborg soldier squatting in the freighter, intending to use it for his own purposes. As an imperial soldier, he has no love for Alliance pilots. In fact, he's quite fond of killing them.

Alisa has more problems than she can count, but she can't let cyborgs, savages, or ancient malfunctioning ships stand in her way. If she does, she’ll never see her daughter again.

Fans of Firefly and Star Wars should enjoy this fun, fast-paced new series from USA Today best-selling author, Lindsay Buroker.]]>
229 Lindsay Buroker Allison 0 4.12 2016 Star Nomad (Fallen Empire, #1)
author: Lindsay Buroker
name: Allison
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, own-ebook, ebook-freebie, first-in-series, science-fiction, space-opera, romance-little-to-none, published-2010s, series-complete, series-wait, own-unread-wait, author-previously-read
review:

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<![CDATA[The Empress Capsule (Audacity Saga, #1)]]> 38214057
At 22, Commander Ellen Ryu is a little young to be "retired." Yet she’s planned—and bled in—more battles than veterans twice her age. And, well, she didn’t exactly retire so much as desert. Betrayed by her superiors, turned into a science experiment, and nearly driven insane, Ellen seized the chance for freedom when a shadowy organization offered her a ship of her own and an elite, all-female crew. She's got a new mission now: get revenge on the scientist who almost destroyed her. Nobody is going to get in her way this time. Especially not the merc who's just shown up at her cargo hatch, looking to hitch a ride.

MERCENARY. CONVICT. RENEGADE.

In the middle of an op gone wrong, cyborg mercenary Kael Sidassian gets stuck with a mission he can't refuse: carry a capsule to safety, the contents of which would bring the galaxy down on his head if anyone knew what was inside. But he’s also got damaged hardware inside his head and a plan to escape from the merc company that forcibly conscripted him over ten years ago. So when a humanitarian ship grants him passage, he thanks his lucky stars for a job that'll solve all his problems at once. That is, if the attachment he’s forming to the ship’s commander—one that goes way beyond duty and loyalty—doesn’t get in the way.

As a new threat rises, the prodigy and the screw-up discover far more in common than they ever thought possible. Now both their missions will have to wait, because if they aren't audacious enough to work together, they'll never survive what's coming for them. For lovers of romantic space opera, Lois McMaster Bujold, and David Weber, THE EMPRESS CAPSULE is the first volume in the Audacity series.]]>
330 R.K. Thorne Allison 0 4.23 2018 The Empress Capsule (Audacity Saga, #1)
author: R.K. Thorne
name: Allison
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, kindle-unlimited, space-opera, sci-fi-romance, first-in-series, published-2010s, series-complete, series-wait, kindle-unlimited-wait, science-fiction
review:

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<![CDATA[Chilling Effect (Chilling Effect, #1)]]> 42442350
Captain Eva Innocente and the crew of La Sirena Negra cruise the galaxy delivering small cargo for even smaller profits. When her sister Mari is kidnapped by The Fridge, a shadowy syndicate that holds people hostage in cryostasis, Eva must undergo a series of unpleasant, dangerous missions to pay the ransom.

But Eva may lose her mind before she can raise the money. The ship’s hold is full of psychic cats, an amorous fish-faced emperor wants her dead after she rejects his advances, and her sweet engineer is giving her a pesky case of feelings. The worse things get, the more she lies, raising suspicions and testing her loyalty to her found family.

To free her sister, Eva will risk everything: her crew, her ship, and the life she’s built on the ashes of her past misdeeds. But when the dominoes start to fall and she finds the real threat is greater than she imagined, she must decide whether to play it cool or burn it all down.]]>
448 Valerie Valdes 0062877240 Allison 0 3.69 2019 Chilling Effect (Chilling Effect, #1)
author: Valerie Valdes
name: Allison
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, science-fiction, space-opera, published-2010s, first-in-series, series-complete, at-library, series-wait
review:

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<![CDATA[Lightwave: Clocker (Folding Space #1)]]> 40196465
A secret that allows safe travel between star systems.

Saree’s the only human Clocker � she tunes space-fold clocks. But�

If anyone knew, she would be betrayed � forced to blockade and blackmail systems for evil crime lords or corporations.

With a bounty hunter on her heels, Saree jumps on Lightwave Fold Transport, the safest option. But will Lightwave’s crew protect her? Do they suspect who she’s become? Can Saree keep her secret safe?]]>
370 A.M. Scott Allison 0 4.10 2018 Lightwave: Clocker (Folding Space #1)
author: A.M. Scott
name: Allison
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, space-opera, science-fiction, first-in-series, ebook-freebie, own-ebook, indie-self-pub, series-complete, own-unread
review:

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Komarr (Vorkosigan Saga, #11) 22752871
Komarr could be a garden-with a thousand more years work. or an uninhabitable wasteland, if the terraforming fails. Now the solar mirror vital to the terraforming of the conquered planet has been shattered by a ship hurtling off course. The Emperor of Barrayar sends his newest Imperial Auditor, Lord Miles Vorkosigan, to find out why.

The choice is not a popular one on Komarr, where a betrayal a generation before drenched the name of Vorkosigan in blood. In the political and physical claustrophobia of the domed cities, are the Komarrans surrounding Miles loyal subjects, potential hostages, innocent victims, or rebels bidding for revenge

Lies within lies, treachery within treachery-Miles is caught in a race against time to stop a plot that could exile him from Barrayar forever. His burning hope lies in an unexpected ally, one with wounds as deep and honor as beleaguered as his own.]]>
Lois McMaster Bujold Allison 0 3.92 1998 Komarr (Vorkosigan Saga, #11)
author: Lois McMaster Bujold
name: Allison
average rating: 3.92
book published: 1998
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: science-fiction, space-opera, published-1990s, at-library, sequels-next, to-read, priority, author-previously-read
review:

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<![CDATA[The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers, #1)]]> 25201920
Rosemary Harper doesn’t expect much when she joins the crew of the aging Wayfarer. While the patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers her a bed, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy, and most importantly, some distance from her past. An introspective young woman who learned early to keep to herself, she’s never met anyone remotely like the ship’s diverse crew, including Sissix, the exotic reptilian pilot, chatty engineers Kizzy and Jenks who keep the ship running, and Ashby, their noble captain.

Life aboard the Wayfarer is chaotic and crazy—exactly what Rosemary wants. It’s also about to get extremely dangerous when the crew is offered the job of a lifetime. Tunneling wormholes through space to a distant planet is definitely lucrative and will keep them comfortable for years. But risking her life wasn’t part of the plan. In the far reaches of deep space, the tiny Wayfarer crew will confront a host of unexpected mishaps and thrilling adventures that force them to depend on each other. To survive, Rosemary’s got to learn how to rely on this assortment of oddballs—an experience that teaches her about love and trust, and that having a family isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the universe.]]>
519 Becky Chambers Allison 0 4.19 2014 The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers, #1)
author: Becky Chambers
name: Allison
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, kindle-unlimited, science-fiction, space-opera, published-2010s, first-in-series, series-complete, at-library
review:

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Linesman (Linesman, #1) 25709214 First in a brand new thought-provoking science fiction series.

The lines. No ship can traverse the void without them. Only linesmen can work with them. But only Ean Lambert hears their song. And everyone thinks he’s crazy�

Most slum kids never go far, certainly not becoming a level-ten linesman like Ean. Even if he’s part of a small, and unethical, cartel, and the other linesmen disdain his self-taught methods, he’s certified and working.

Then a mysterious alien ship is discovered at the edges of the galaxy. Each of the major galactic powers is desperate to be the first to uncover the ship’s secrets, but all they’ve learned is that it has the familiar lines of energy—and a defense system that, once triggered, annihilates everything in a 200 kilometer radius.

The vessel threatens any linesman who dares to approach it, except Ean. His unique talents may be the key to understanding this alarming new force—and reconfiguring the relationship between humans and the ships that serve them, forever.]]>
373 S.K. Dunstall 0698187660 Allison 0 4.15 2015 Linesman (Linesman, #1)
author: S.K. Dunstall
name: Allison
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: science-fiction, first-in-series, series-complete, space-opera, published-2010s, to-read, at-library, series-wait, dust-the-shelf
review:

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Space Opera (Space Opera, #1) 36136118
Once every cycle, the civilizations gather for the Metagalactic Grand Prix—part gladiatorial contest, part beauty pageant, part concert extravaganza, and part continuation of the wars of the past. Instead of competing in orbital combat, the powerful species that survived face off in a competition of song, dance, or whatever can be physically performed in an intergalactic talent show. The stakes are high for this new game, and everyone is forced to compete.

This year, though, humankind has discovered the enormous universe. And while they expected to discover a grand drama of diplomacy, gunships, wormholes, and stoic councils of aliens, they have instead found glitter, lipstick, and electric guitars. Mankind will not get to fight for its destiny—they must sing.

A band of human musicians, dancers, and roadies have been chosen to represent Earth on the greatest stage in the galaxy. And the fate of their species lies in their ability to rock.]]>
301 Catherynne M. Valente 1481497510 Allison 0 3.61 2018 Space Opera (Space Opera, #1)
author: Catherynne M. Valente
name: Allison
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, games-competitions, science-fiction, space-opera, published-2010s, at-library, weird, author-previously-read
review:

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<![CDATA[How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse (The Thorne Chronicles, #1)]]> 45154546
Princess Rory Thorne must use the fairy blessings gifted to her at birth to change the multiverse—or possibly destroy it.

Rory Thorne is a princess with 13 fairy blessings, the most important of which is to see through flattery and platitudes. As the eldest daughter, she always imagined she’d inherit her father’s throne and govern the interplanetary Thorne Consortium.

Then her father is assassinated, her mother gives birth to a son, and Rory is betrothed to the prince of a distant world.

When Rory arrives in her new home, she uncovers a treacherous plot to unseat her newly betrothed and usurp his throne. An unscrupulous minister has conspired to name himself Regent to the minor (and somewhat foolish) prince. With only her wits and a small team of allies, Rory must outmaneuver the Regent and rescue the prince.

How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse is a feminist reimagining of familiar fairy tale tropes and a story of resistance and self-determination—how small acts of rebellion can lead a princess to not just save herself, but change the course of history.]]>
416 K. Eason 0756415306 Allison 0 3.83 2019 How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse (The Thorne Chronicles, #1)
author: K. Eason
name: Allison
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: fairytale, space-opera, first-in-series, duology, published-2010s, series-complete, to-read, at-library, series-wait, science-fantasy, science-fiction
review:

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Stardoc (Stardoc, #1) 8264725 404 S.L. Viehl 1101119284 Allison 0 4.09 2000 Stardoc (Stardoc, #1)
author: S.L. Viehl
name: Allison
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2000
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: series-complete, romantic-elements, first-in-series, science-fiction, space-opera, healers, published-2000s, to-read, not-at-library, dust-the-shelf, priority
review:

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<![CDATA[Local Custom (Liaden Universe, #5)]]> 288757 320 Sharon Lee 0441009115 Allison 0 4.26 2002 Local Custom (Liaden Universe, #5)
author: Sharon Lee
name: Allison
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2002
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, at-library, sci-fi-romance, published-2000s, author-previously-read, sequels-next, science-fiction
review:

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<![CDATA[Heart of Iron (Heart of Iron, #1)]]> 35422236 An action-packed tale full of romance, royalty, and adventure, inspired by the story of Anastasia. Perfect for fans of Six of Crows, Cinder, and the cult classic television show Firefly.

Seventeen-year-old Ana is a scoundrel by nurture and an outlaw by nature. Found as a child drifting through space with a sentient android called D09, Ana was saved by a fearsome space captain and the grizzled crew she now calls family. But D09—one of the last remaining illegal Metals—has been glitching, and Ana will stop at nothing to find a way to fix him.

Ana’s desperate effort to save D09 leads her on a quest to steal the coordinates to a lost ship that could offer all the answers. But at the last moment, a spoiled Ironblood boy beats Ana to her prize. He has his own reasons for taking the coordinates, and he doesn’t care what he’ll sacrifice to keep them.

When everything goes wrong, she and the Ironblood end up as fugitives on the run. Now their entire kingdom is after them—and the coordinates—and not everyone wants them captured alive.

What they find in a lost corner of the universe will change all their lives—and unearth dangerous secrets. But when a darkness from Ana’s past returns, she must face an impossible choice: does she protect a kingdom that wants her dead or save the Metal boy she loves?]]>
480 Ashley Poston 0062652877 Allison 0 3.80 2018 Heart of Iron (Heart of Iron, #1)
author: Ashley Poston
name: Allison
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: sci-fi-romance, science-fiction, young-adult, first-in-series, published-2010s, duology, series-complete, to-read, at-library, series-wait
review:

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<![CDATA[Rules of Redemption (The Firebird Chronicles, #1)]]> 43954881 The war everyone thought was over is just beginning.

Kira Forrest is a survivor. She’s risen above the pain of her beginnings to become a war hero only to leave it all behind in the pursuit of a simple life. Now a salvager, she makes a living sifting through the wreckage of dead alien ships from a war that nearly brought humanity to its knees.

After her ship takes damage, she’s forced to re-route to a space station where her past and present collide with dangerous consequences.

Kira’s existence holds the key to a faltering peace treaty with the Tuann—a technologically advanced alien race who dislikes and distrusts all humans. Winning her freedom should be easy, but a powerful and relentless Tuann warrior stands in her way. Deceiving him seems impossible, especially when he strays dangerously close to secrets she struggles to hide.

Can Kira reconcile the pain of her past with the possibilities of her future? The fate of two races depends on her success.]]>
420 T.A. White Allison 0 4.35 2019 Rules of Redemption (The Firebird Chronicles, #1)
author: T.A. White
name: Allison
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: sci-fi-romance, first-in-series, published-2010s, to-read, at-library, series-wait, science-fiction
review:

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<![CDATA[Brand of Light (The Droseran Saga Book 1)]]> 50924480 There's a price on her head, and it has everything to do with the brand on her arm.

Tertian Space Coalition has blessed every planet in the quadrants with high technology, save one: Drosero. But in spite of their tenuous treaty with the ruling clans, TSC has plans for the backward planet. And they're not alone.

After a catastrophic explosion, Kersei Dragoumis awakens in a derelict shuttle, alone, injured, and ignorant of the forbidden technology that has swept her into a nightmare. The brand she's borne since childhood burns mysteriously, but the pain is nothing to that when she learns her family is dead and she is accused of their murders.

Across the quadrants, Marco Dusan responds to the call of a holy order—not to join them, but to seek a bounty. Gifted—or cursed—with abilities that mark him a Kynigos, a tracker sworn to bring interplanetary fugitives to justice, Marco discovers this particular bounty has nothing to do with justice and everything to do with prophecy. One that involves the hunter as much as the hunted.

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467 Ronie Kendig 1621840948 Allison 0 4.55 2019 Brand of Light (The Droseran Saga Book 1)
author: Ronie Kendig
name: Allison
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, sci-fi-romance, christian-author, tck-author, published-2010s, first-in-series, at-library, series-complete, series-wait, science-fiction
review:

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<![CDATA[Doctor Galaxy (Pax Galactica #1)]]> 61289404
Being pursued by camera drones and starring in her very own Welcome-to-the-Universe documentary was never on Alexi's to do list. She's positive the show will flop. After all, Alexi is boring. That's why her boyfriend left her for her stepsister.

But as trillions of aliens tune in to watch Alexi discover the universe in Doctor Galaxy, what she discovers is the existential threat facing humanity.

Major Soren Agha already knows about the danger. He's currently playing peacekeeper for the Eripi of the Pariah Sector whose tragic fate could be humanity's: conquered, exploited, lost.

Can one dedicated doctor save humanity? Can she, as Soren believes, also save the Eripi? And would anyone really notice if she sabotaged a couple of pesky camera drones?

***
Doctor Galaxy is a medical romantic comedy and a space opera. Reality TV has never been so alien!]]>
231 Jenny Schwartz Allison 0 4.25 2022 Doctor Galaxy (Pax Galactica #1)
author: Jenny Schwartz
name: Allison
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: sci-fi-romance, kindle-unlimited, healers, published-2020s, indie-self-pub, cross-cultural-experience, to-read, series-companion-novels, first-in-series, series-wait, science-fiction
review:

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<![CDATA[The Matrimonial Advertisement (Parish Orphans of Devon, #1)]]> 40494228 She Wanted Sanctuary...

Helena Reynolds will do anything to escape her life in London, even if that means traveling to a remote cliffside estate on the North Devon coast and marrying a complete stranger. But Greyfriar's Abbey isn't the sort of refuge she imagined. And ex-army captain Justin Thornhill--though he may be tall, dark, and devastatingly handsome--is anything but a romantic hero.

He Needed Redemption...

Justin has spent the last two decades making his fortune, settling scores, and suffering a prolonged period of torture in an Indian prison. Now, he needs someone to smooth the way for him with the villagers. Someone to manage his household--and warm his bed on occasion. What he needs, in short, is a wife and a matrimonial advertisement seems the perfect way to acquire one.

Their marriage was meant to be a business arrangement and nothing more. A dispassionate union free from the entanglements of love and affection. But when Helena's past threatens, will Justin's burgeoning feelings for his new bride compel him to come to her rescue? Or will dark secrets of his own force him to let her go?]]>
348 Mimi Matthews 0999036440 Allison 3 4.07 2018 The Matrimonial Advertisement (Parish Orphans of Devon, #1)
author: Mimi Matthews
name: Allison
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2020/06/10
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: indie-self-pub, romance, gothic, by-the-sea, published-2010s, historical-romance, setting-1800s, setting-england, old-manor-castle-house, series-companion-novels, first-in-series, romance-closed-door, victorian, series-finished-reading, following, mom-try
review:

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<![CDATA[The Ace of Hearts (Larkhall Letters #1)]]> 50667196 A secret venture, a regrettable love letter, and a heart he can't afford to lose.

Faced with her stepbrother’s betrayal and an unwanted marriage, Alice Rosemeyer accepts an invitation to the estate of Larkhall. Determined to earn her future security without a husband, she begins operating as the anonymous Ace of Hearts, writing love letters on behalf of the men eager to secure a match at the close of the London season. If she can manage to keep her identity secret, her reputation intact, and avoid the arrogant house guest, Mr. Thomas Herring, she might just call herself successful.

When Thomas Herring's sister marries an indebted man because of a love letter, he has no choice but to marry into money himself. Invited to stay at Larkhall, he sets his sights on the wealthy sister of his host. When she appears indifferent, he stumbles upon an advertisement: a gentleman offering assistance in matters of the heart. An ace, so he is called. But when he turns out to be she, and also a guest at the same house, his task is further complicated—especially as Alice proves herself to be as captivating as she is clever.

With reputations, secrets, and more than one heart at risk, Alice and Thomas become trapped in a game with no rules, a game neither intended to play. Had they been wrong to play love for a fool?

The Ace of Hearts is a sweet regency romance novel, book one in the Larkhall Letters series by Ashtyn Newbold.]]>
296 Ashtyn Newbold Allison 4 4.10 2020 The Ace of Hearts  (Larkhall Letters #1)
author: Ashtyn Newbold
name: Allison
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2023/01/18
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: kindle-unlimited, regency, historical-romance, setting-1800s, setting-england, published-2020s, indie-self-pub, romance-clean-sweet, series-read-2023, following, mom-try
review:

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<![CDATA[Lady Ludmilla's Accidental Letter (Merry Spinsters, Charming Rogues #1)]]> 60391368
Adrian St. Addington, hellrake extraordinaire, has a problem. He is developing a marked tendre for a spinster, and that cannot be. The problem? He suspects she is taking him for someone he is not. Or is it that she knows precisely who he is? Either possibility he finds profoundly disturbing. For he has a role to uphold, cost what may. And a depraved heart like his surely cannot fall in love…least of all with a plain, outspoken spinster.

Determined to discover the truth behind the man she loves, Lu does what she does best: she sits down and writes a letter�


Escape into the world of the Regency ton with Sofi Laporte's new series, where spinsters are merry, rakes are charming, and no one is who they seem.]]>
266 Sofi Laporte Allison 4 4.12 2022 Lady Ludmilla's Accidental Letter (Merry Spinsters, Charming Rogues #1)
author: Sofi Laporte
name: Allison
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/06/08
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: kindle-unlimited, historical-romance, regency, setting-1800s, setting-england, indie-self-pub, tck-author, romance-clean-sweet, series-read-2023, following, mom-try
review:

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The Bards of Bone Plain 10228522 The latest "rich, resonant" (Publishers Weekly) fantasy from the World Fantasy Award-winning author of The Bell at Sealey Head.

Eager to graduate from the school on the hill, Phelan Cle chose Bone Plain for his final paper because he thought it would be an easy topic. Immortalized by poets and debated by scholars, it was commonly accepted-even at a school steeped in bardic tradition-that Bone Plain, with its three trials, three terrors, and three treasures, was nothing more than a legend, a metaphor. But as his research leads him to the life of Nairn, the Wandering Bard, the Unforgiven, Phelan starts to wonder if there are any easy answers...]]>
336 Patricia A. McKillip 1101445815 Allison 4 4.25 2010 The Bards of Bone Plain
author: Patricia A. McKillip
name: Allison
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2023/09/07
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: fantasy, archaeology, published-2010s, at-library, dust-the-shelf-2023, multiple-timelines, artistic-characters, celtic, romance-closed-door, following, mom-try
review:
I enjoyed this overall, but the ending was a little confusing. I'll be puzzling it out for a couple days, I think.
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<![CDATA[A School for Unusual Girls (Stranje House #1)]]> 24422345 A School for Unusual Girls is the first installment in the Stranje House series for young adults by award-winning author Kathleen Baldwin.

It’s 1814. Napoleon is exiled on Elba. Europe is in shambles. Britain is at war on four fronts. And Stranje House,Ěýa School for Unusual Girls, has become one of Regency England’s dark little secrets. The daughters of theĚýbeau mondeĚýwho don’t fit high society’s constrictive mold are banished to Stranje House to be reformed into marriageable young ladies. Or so their parents think. In truth, Headmistress Emma Stranje, the original unusual girl, has plans for the young ladies—plans that entangle the girls in the dangerous world of spies, diplomacy, and war.

After accidentally setting her father’s stables on fire whileĚýperforming aĚýscientific experiment, Miss Georgiana Fitzwilliam is sentĚýto Stranje House. But Georgie has no intention of being turned into a simpering, pudding-headed, marriageable miss. She plans to escape as soon as possible—until she meets Lord Sebastian Wyatt. Thrust together in a desperate mission to invent a new invisible ink for the English war effort, Georgie and Sebastian must find a way to work together without losing their heads—or their hearts . . .]]>
353 Kathleen Baldwin 1466849274 Allison 4 3.98 2015 A School for Unusual Girls (Stranje House #1)
author: Kathleen Baldwin
name: Allison
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2019/03/04
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: young-adult, paranormal, first-in-series, setting-1800s, setting-england, boarding-school, fantasy-of-manners, gothic, series-companion-novels, spies, napoleonic-era, scientists, assassins, published-2010s, romance-clean-sweet, romance, regency, seers, own-physical-shelf, favorite-series, favorites, historical-fantasy, series-complete, following, series-finished-reading, mom-try
review:

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