Historical mysteries (with romance) are one of my favorite genres because there are so many series within it that I obsessively follow. This is one of them. The writing and dialogue are both so intelligent and witty – and the characters always lovable. Plus, you can always trust Lauren Willig to be as historically accurate as possible.

We have quite the pair to be matched up in The Garden Intrigue. Augustus, a spy pretending to be a horrible poet and Emma, an American widow living in Paris. They team up to write a play and sparks fly. Will Augustus be able to help foil Napoleon’s newest plans?

Augustus has made plenty of appearances in previous books – and I must admit that he has always annoyed me. When we get to know him better in The Garden Intrigue, I like him much better. He has so much more depth to him than we’ve seen previously. He actually winds up being the darker of the two. Emma is so bubbly and…well…American! I love how she was put in place as the perfect foil to Augustus. The way they played off of each other was absolutely fabulous.

And now, we can talk about one of my favorite things about the series. Eloise and Colin, the modern-day couple. They get a few chapters weaved into every installment of the Pink Carnation series and I can never get enough of them. (It is one of my greatest hopes that they’ll get a book of their own one of these days. Maybe I’ll get a chance to interview Lauren Willig someday and bug her about it.) Anyway…

Eloise and Colin in The Garden Intrigue were fabulous. One of my favorite additions to their story line. Complications have definitely been building with them for a while, and they’re finally starting to come to a head. I won’t spoil it for anyone, but man. Loved loved loved it.

So! If you’re a fan of historical fiction, romance or mysteries – Lauren Willig has created a series that you absolutely must check out. Love, intrigue, spies, sexytimes – what are you waiting for?

Check out The Garden Intrigue by Lauren Willig on Goodreads / Amazon

The Allure of Books. The Garden Intrigue by Lauren Willig

My take on what you should be listening to while reading your favorite dystopian novel…

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – If I Die Young by The Band Perry. Because survival is unlikely.

2. Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer – Chicken Fried by Zac Brown Band. Because they were hungry and would probably gladly have killed you for some chicken fry.

3. Partials by Dan Wells – Monsters by Matchbook Romance. Because humans are skeert of those evil virus-toting Partials.

4. Variant by Robison Wells -Graduation (Friends Forever) by Vitamin C. Because there is nothing like school spirit and nostalgia for the good ole days.

5. Matched by Ally Condie – So In Love With Two by Mikaila. Because even the matchmakers can’t choose just one.

6. Delirium by Lauren Oliver – All By Myself by Celine Dion. Because love is totally overrated.

7. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld – Only Prettier by Miranda Lambert. Because all the older people are hotter than you.

8. Divergent by Veronica Roth – Gantstas’ Paradise by Coolio. Because it’s all about life in the gangs factions.

9. Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick – Video Killed the Radio Star by Buggles. Because sometimes depending too much on technology is a bad idea.

10. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi – Mother Nature’s Son by The Beatles. Because the Dwellers need to get out more.

The Allure of Books. Dystopian Theme Songs 101

Maggie has been home schooled by her mother her entire life, but now her mother has left and she is about to start her first day of high school. To say she is nervous would be a bit of an understatement. She doesn’t have much experience with friends – just three older brothers. The oldest is a great mentor to her throughout the book, he was always there when she need to talk. I thought that was awesome!

So, as she is making friends, she also starts interacting with a ghost in the neighborhood graveyard. The paranormal element in Friends with Boys is pretty light – most of the book focuses on Maggie and her new high school experience. So, if you’re normally not a fan of the whole ghost thing – you should definitely still give Friends with Boys a try.

For the record: there isn’t really a romance element to the story, but she has a new friend with a mohawk who is totally cute – if there was a sequel I bet they’d definitely date.

So many things that Faith Erin Hicks included in the story are excellent. For instance: a school play about zombies who eat brains. Also, two of Maggie’s older brothers are twins that are trying to figure out how to have identities apart from each other. I could not get enough of the amazing character interaction found throughout Friends with Boys.

Even if you’re fairly new to the world of graphic novels – I think Friends with Boys is a great place to start. Maggie is a character who is easy to care about, and you’ll totally fall in love with her family and new friends as well.

Check out Friends with Boys by Faith Erin Hicks on Goodreads / Amazon

The Allure of Books. Friends with Boys by Faith Erin Hicks

Library Haul:

The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis
Life: An Exploded Diagram by Mal Peet
Jefferson’s Sons by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine (already read and definitely recommend!)
Castle Waiting by Linda Medley (recommended by Misty at The Book Rat)

The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder
The Irish Princess by Karen Harper (for a Goodreads book club)
The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye

Nerd Time, y’all! Two reference books about the Medieval Period…

Life in a Medieval Village by Frances & Joseph Gies
A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara W.  Tuchman

The Allure of Books. In My Mailbox

The writing style of Storm Front fit my personality so well, you guys. It was so dry and witty. I found so many things absolutely hilarious. Here are a couple of my favorite (shorter) quotes:

Paranoid? Probably. But just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean there isn’t an invisible demon about to eat your face.

Have you ever been approached by a grim-looking man, carrying a naked sword with a blade about ten miles long in his hand, in the middle of the night, beneath the stars on the shores of Lake Michigan? If you have, seek professional help. If you have not, then believe you me, it can scare the bejeezus out of you.

I want to meet Jim Butcher now! I bet he is something else. Why did I wait so long to start this series again?

So anyway, Harry Dresden is a wizard. Really – you can look him up in the phone book. When Storm Front begins, he is broke. When the police call for his help on a sensitive case, he is thrilled. Maybe he’ll be able to pay his rent. He also gets called by a woman hoping he can help find her husband. He is less thrilled with this case, but hey. A man’s gotta eat, right?

So, Storm Front follows Harry as he noses around, trying to find information on both these cases. Things heat up pretty quickly though, you definitely get to see what he is like under pressure!

You also get to see really awesome stuff like Bob (the horny spirit trapped in a skull)  helping him make a love potion, with ingredients such as a torn up $50 bill. (What did I say? Jim Butcher is definitely the man.)

The only bummer I found in Storm Front was that the plot was pitifully see-through. You can see the big twist coming about 10 miles away. But, I loved everything else so much that I don’t even care. I’ve heard the later books in the series are much better in this regard. I’ll look forward to those – because I definitely need more Harry Dresden in my life!

Check out Storm Front by Jim Butcher on Goodreads / Amazon

The Allure of Books. Storm Front by Jim Butcher

Ten years ago, some bad stuff went down and the young Marquess of Bourne got a crap deal (literally). He dedicated his life to revenge and his chance has finally come. It means taking advantage of (and ruining the life of) childhood friend Penelope Marbury. Too bad Bourne isn’t too concerned with feelings, or he might care. At least that is what he thinks…

The plot synopsis of A Rogue By Any Other Name had me a little wary. I don’t like jerks, and I don’t like reading books about jerks. No matter how great Penelope Marbury turned out to be, could I handle a book – even one written by Sarah MacLean – that features an unlikable hero?

Then I started the book and just had to laugh at myself. Unlikable? Hardly. I never once stopped rooting for the Marquess of Bourne! His back story was excellent and it was fairly easy to excuse all of his craptastic behavior. Insert sigh of relief here.

Seriously – so many times, the reasons behind rakes and rogues acting like fools are ridiculous. They have wussy, weak and poor back stories that barely make sense. Sarah MacLean doesn’t have this difficulty!

Everything about A Rogue By Any Other Name is excellent, including the side characters. I am already dying to see where the series goes next! I absolutely can’t wait to pick up the next book. Sarah MacLean has me hooked. And while Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake is still easily my favorite of her books, I won’t be doubting her mad skills again.

Check out A Rogue By Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean on Goodreads / Amazon

The Allure of Books. A Rogue By Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean

So, most of humanity has been wiped out by a horrible virus. (Love this concept! In fact, the awesome synopsis is what gave me my ballooned expectations.) The virus is blamed on the Partials, engineered organic humanish beings. They were in the middle of a war, but things pretty much ended once the virus showed up. Mainly because the Partials were immune.

So  now, humankind is stuck. They can’t figure out how to successfully have more children that aren’t almost immediately killed by the virus. How will they survive?

Sixteen year old Kira is hoping she might have some new ideas about how to solve these problems. Unfortunately – she can’t get anyone that matters to listen to her. How far will she go?

The science in Partials is definitely fascinating. I wouldn’t have been able to finish the book if I hadn’t been caught up in the virus and how the Partials immunity might work and so on. I’m pretty science ignorant in real life, but science fiction draws me in every time.

Unfortunately, my interest in the world Dan Wells created pretty much begins and ends there. The characters? I could take or leave all of them. Samm, the only Partial we really get to know, is the only person I was interested in. As noble as Kira’s goals were, I didn’t feel like I got to know her (or anyone else).

I definitely think this is where Partials lost me. Since I didn’t care about the characters, I likewise didn’t really care about their world or what might ultimately happen to them.

So, unfortunately, Partials failed to really capture my interest. Agree or disagree? I’d love to discuss!

Check out Partials by Dan Wells on Goodreads / Amazon

The Allure of Books. Partials by Dan Wells

Now, as long time fans know, these books are oftentimes pretty much the same. I obviously don’t mean that as an insult – I just mean that we basically know what to expect by now. J.D. Robb definitely gave me a few things I wasn’t expecting this time around though.

One of my favorite things about Celebrity in Death is that it seemed to be funnier than previous installments. There were more laugh-out-loud moments with all the characters. I definitely loved having the humor ramped up.

Also, there was an adorable scene from Peabody’s point of view while home with McNab. Oh man, so cute you guys. You will melt. We don’t get enough from her eyes!

The mystery/suspense was strong in Celebrity in Death as well. Figuring out the who this time around wasn’t nearly as fun as figuring out the how and why. Eve has to dig pretty deep to come up with her case this time and I thought it was crazy fascinating! Lots of curve balls.

Seeing our beloved characters surrounded by the movie stars playing  them in the Icove Agenda movie was super fun as well. Especially Eve, since she spurns all the attention. Seeing Roarke’s counterpart cracked me up since he was in no way close to being as swoonworthy as the real thing.

The one bummer for me in Celebrity in Death was a lack of Whitney (Eve’s boss, the police Commander). He didn’t even get to dress anybody down, y’all! I love it when that man yells at people.

Anyway…I loved this installment to the In Death series! J.D. Robb better keep cranking these books out to fill my never-satisfied craving for more Eve and Roarke!

Check out Celebrity in Death by J.D. Robb on Goodreads / Amazon

(And if you’re new to the series, do yourself a favor and pick up Naked in Death – the first book!)

The Allure of Books. Celebrity in Death by J.D. Robb

Laura has spent the last few years in a convent. When she is suddenly sent for at home, she can’t wait to get there! She is thrilled at the chance to spend time with her sister, Beatrice. Unfortunately, she has been sent for because Beatrice drowned in the Venice canals. Now Laura is expected to take her place and marry nasty old dude. When she finds a way to get out of it – she takes it without fully weighing the cost. The secrets she is about to uncover make her wonder if it was worth it…

Y’all, the plot twists that Sasha Gould weaved into Cross My Heart are truly awesome. This novel kept me engaged from start to finish, I couldn’t get enough of Laura and the people in her life! Who was really on her side? Who wasn’t? All the questions I had kept the pages turning.

The setting was brilliant as well – Venice is so gorgeous and lush and exotic throughout the story. I love the life that Sasha Gould breathed into it.

And, to keep the praise coming: Laura was a great character as well. I thought she was developed well – her thoughts and actions stayed consistent to who she was. Considering how plot-driven this novel is, I was thrilled that the characterization didn’t suffer. Well, mostly…

Freaking insta-love. No matter how much I loved all the characters, not having enough relationship interaction and development is a big no-no. In fact, I’d say that this one thing is keeping Cross My Heart off my list of favorites. I was rooting for Laura to get her man, of course. But I was extremely let down by how quickly they fell for each other.

So, other than the one (albeit big) misstep, I fell for Cross My Heart. The writing was gorgeous and the plot wonderful. I definitely recommend this one to historical and mystery fans!

Check out Cross My Heart by Sasha Gould on Goodreads / Amazon

The Allure of Books. Cross My Heart by Sasha Gould

Harriet Grey is a little tired of drama. After all – she lives with it daily. Her best friend, Sally, is also a new mom. She adores the baby, but she is a little over Sally’s Debbie Downer attitude. When she runs into John Mackenzie, he seems like the perfect man. Except…isn’t he dating Harriet’s arch nemesis? Well, whether he is or not they seem to keep running into each other. Then they end up spending Christmas together as well. So, is he the man for Harriet or not? Heck – is he even available at all?

Fair Game has one of those comedy of errors plots. Constant misunderstandings and incorrect assumptions keep our characters from being together. This goes for Harriet and John AND for Sally and her love interest (another thing I’ve noticed about British rom coms is that they put more emphasis on side characters). Liz Young definitely knows how to keep her readers guessing.

Now, admittedly – the misunderstanding  thing can get a little old. Harriet’s bullheadedness took on Mount Everest sized proportions. I wanted to hit her. I wanted to yank out her hair. I wanted her to just plant one on John Mackenzie already. But, sigh. If she’d done that she wouldn’t be Harriet. Even when I was frustrated, I loved the characters in Fair Game.

There are definitely some hot sexy moments, even among all the unneeded drama. All the tension just made it better. Liz Young knows what she is doing, y’all!

By the end of Fair Game, I was really invested in the characters. I was thrilled to see how things turned out in the end! I definitely think this one is worth reading if you’re a fan of contemporary romance. Especially if you’re intrigued by reading one set in England!

Check out Fair Game by Liz Young on Goodreads / Amazon

The Allure of Books. Fair Game by Liz Young