One Night on the Island by Josie Silver - closed door romance set in a fictional place in Ireland
Warning: This book is going to make you want to book a trip to Ireland ASAP.
One Night on the Island mood board. Image credit may be found on my Pinterest board.
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Historical, open door, friends to lovers romance
Lorraine Heath is one of my favorite historical writers, and When The Duke Was Wicked is book 1 in her Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James series.
Lady Grace is the future heir of an ample inheritance, and is on the hunt for a husband. However she’s trying to make sure that she picks someone who loves her for her, not her money. She turns to her childhood friend, The Duke of Lovingdon for help. Lovingdon is a widower who has played recluse from English society since the death of his wife and child, but decides to emerge from the shadows to help Grace.
This is a very sexy friends to lovers romance. I listened to this as an audiobook, and my biggest issue with this book was how many times the word “love” was in this book. Look, I get this is a very niche complaint, but it was overused!
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If you like English regency romances, this one set in Vienna around the same time period is right up your alley. Why? Because frankly the Viennese were more fun than the English - their societal rules weren’t quite as rigid and this book makes it sound like everyone was down for a good time. This book is set at a hotel in Vienna, featuring the proprietress of the hotel and an American who is in Vienna to investigate the leaking of top secret codes. It’s got intrigue, found family, actual family, a big ball, oh and a little espionage and mystery. Very much open door, and in this scenario our central lead Maria is the “rake”.
Release date 3/28/2023
Image credits may be found on my Pinterest board
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This is a historical romance between Hazel Lively, a headmistress of a school for women in an English beach town, and the Earl of Bladenton (Blade) who needs a school for his orphaned, estranged niece. This one is a class-difference romance, which is a new subgenre for me. Overall this was fine, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I’ve enjoyed some other historical romances. I listened to this as an audiobook - it’s part of a series, but I’m not compelled to continue.
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Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor: a fast-paced expansive story set in Delhi, India
If you enjoy big saga-type books, you’re definitely going to want to pick up Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor. The book is set in India - up in the mountains in Northern India, Delhi, and Goa. It’s told from the points of view of three people: Ajay, a young, poor boy who is dragged away from his family after his father dies; Sunny Wadia, son of a corrupt developer and mafia family, current social prince of Delhi; and Neda, Sunny’s secret journalist girlfriend.
The book is absolutely non-stop action, and while it may seem too far-fetched to be true, the reality is that the book is very loosely based on several disparate real stories. Meaning, most of these things have really happened in India. For example, the book starts with 5 people being run over while they sleep on a sidewalk - this happened and involved one of Bollywood’s most famous actors. The book is absolutely riveting.
I listened to this as an audiobook, and the narrator, Vidish Athavale, does an incredible job. Highly recommend considering the audiobook route. If you watched The White Tiger on Netflix, parts of this book will feel familiar.
Age of Vice was released January 3, 2023, is part of a series, and has already been optioned by FX. I can’t wait to see who is cast in this, and to watch this come to cinematic life!
Overall grade: 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor mood board. All images tagged on my Pinterest Board
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