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yolandekleinn- — - — - — - — -
A Shore Thing by Joanna Lowell
Former painter and unreformed rake Kit Griffith is forging a new life in Cornwall, choosing freedom over an identity that didn’t fit. He knew that leaving his Sisterhood of women artists might mean forfeiting artistic community forever. He didn’t realize he would lose his ability to paint altogether. Luckily, he has other talents. Why not devote himself to selling bicycles and trysting with the holidaymakers?
Enter Muriel Pendrake, the feisty New-York-bound botanist who has come to St. Ives to commission Kit for illustrations of British seaweeds. Kit shouldn’t accept Muriel’s offer, but he must enlist her help to prove to an all-male cycling club that women can ride as well as men. And she won’t agree unless he gives her what she wants. Maybe that’s exactly the challenge he needs.
As Kit and Muriel spend their days cycling together, their desire begins to burn with the heat of the summer sun. But are they pedaling toward something impossible? The past is bound to catch up to them, and at the season’s end, their paths will diverge. With only their hearts as guides, Kit and Muriel must decide if they’re willing to race into the unknown for the adventure of a lifetime.
Why you should read it: This was a DELIGHTFUL read! The romance is so sweet, while also navigating incredibly complicated questions of trust and intimacy. Kit and Muriel are both lovely characters, carrying emotional scars that make the terrain unsteady, but they are also deeply good and kind. I loved Kit's POV as a trans man in this historical era, building a life and family that lets him stay true to himself. I loved Muriel's stubbornness and passion for her calling. I loved them both together SO MUCH. I was also enthralled by the bicycle tour that makes up the wider plot. The historical details about different kinds of bicycles—and how they were perceived in this era—never once felt pedantic or dull, maybe because the characters were so passionate about the subject. A beautiful book full of heart.
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The Earl Who Isn't by Courtney Milan
Nobody knows that Andrew Uchida is the rightful heir of an earl. Not his friends, not his neighbors, not even the yard-long beans growing in his experimental garden. If the truth of his existence became public, the blue-blooded side of his family would stop at nothing to make him (and anyone connected with him) disappear. He shared one passionate night with the woman he loved…and allowed himself that only because she was leaving for Hong Kong the next morning.
Then Lily Bei returns, armed with a printing press, her irrepressible spirit, and a sheaf of inconvenient documents that prove the very thing Andrew wants concealed: that he is actually the legitimate, first born son of the Earl of Arsell.
What’s Andrew to do, when the woman he’s always desired promises him everything he’s never wanted? Andrew’s track record of saying no to Lily is nonexistent. The only way he can avert impending disaster is by stealing the evidence… while trying desperately not to fall in love (again) with the woman he shouldn’t let into his life.
Why you should read it: A charming and compelling historical romp, I absolutely loved this. One of my favorite things about reading a book by Courtney Milan is the fact that I always come away learning about some hyper-specific craft or industry, in extremely thorough detail and yet without ever getting bored. In this case, it's gardening and soil, and I enjoyed every minute of Andrew's carefully studied and cherished knowledge (and his quest for long beans.) I adored Lily too, with her earnestness and her intense sense of justice and her irresistible candor. A lovely book all around.
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You're The Problem, It's You by Emma R. Alban
Bobby Mason is sick of being second best: born the spare, never trusted with family responsibility, never expected to amount to much. He’s hungry to contribute something that matters, while all around him his peers are squandering their political and financial power, coasting through life. Which is exactly why he can’t stand the new Viscount Demeroven.
James Demeroven, just come of age and into the Viscountcy, knows that he’s a disappointment. Keeping his head down and never raising anyone’s expectations is how he’s survived life with his stepfather. To quiet, careful James, Bobby Mason is a blazing comet in his endless night, even more alive than he was at Oxford when James crushed on him from afar. But Mason is also brash and recklessly unapologetic, destined to shatter the fragile safety of James’s world. Worst of all, he keeps rubbing James’s failures in his face.
They can barely get through a single conversation without tensions boiling over. Neither Bobby nor James has ever met a more intriguing, infuriating, infatuating man.
If only they could avoid each other entirely. Bad enough their (wonderful but determined) cousins Beth and Gwen keep conveniently setting up group outings. But when an extortionist starts targeting their families, threatening their reputations, Bobby and James must find a way to work together, without pushing each other’s buttons (or tearing them off) in the process...
Why you should read it: A fantastic continuation of the story and characters from Don't Want You Like a Best Friend. This book was incredibly sweet and satisfying, and I really adored Bobby and James. My one caveat is that I would not recommend reading this book as a standalone. While the romance is its own separate story arc, the overall plot really feels like the conclusion to the HEA from book one rather than a standalone. But since I've already wholeheartedly recommended the first book in this duology, I stand by this second recommendation just as fiercely. Read both books. They're lovely.
A Shore Thing by Joanna Lowell
Former painter and unreformed rake Kit Griffith is forging a new life in Cornwall, choosing freedom over an identity that didn’t fit. He knew that leaving his Sisterhood of women artists might mean forfeiting artistic community forever. He didn’t realize he would lose his ability to paint altogether. Luckily, he has other talents. Why not devote himself to selling bicycles and trysting with the holidaymakers?
Enter Muriel Pendrake, the feisty New-York-bound botanist who has come to St. Ives to commission Kit for illustrations of British seaweeds. Kit shouldn’t accept Muriel’s offer, but he must enlist her help to prove to an all-male cycling club that women can ride as well as men. And she won’t agree unless he gives her what she wants. Maybe that’s exactly the challenge he needs.
As Kit and Muriel spend their days cycling together, their desire begins to burn with the heat of the summer sun. But are they pedaling toward something impossible? The past is bound to catch up to them, and at the season’s end, their paths will diverge. With only their hearts as guides, Kit and Muriel must decide if they’re willing to race into the unknown for the adventure of a lifetime.
Why you should read it: This was a DELIGHTFUL read! The romance is so sweet, while also navigating incredibly complicated questions of trust and intimacy. Kit and Muriel are both lovely characters, carrying emotional scars that make the terrain unsteady, but they are also deeply good and kind. I loved Kit's POV as a trans man in this historical era, building a life and family that lets him stay true to himself. I loved Muriel's stubbornness and passion for her calling. I loved them both together SO MUCH. I was also enthralled by the bicycle tour that makes up the wider plot. The historical details about different kinds of bicycles—and how they were perceived in this era—never once felt pedantic or dull, maybe because the characters were so passionate about the subject. A beautiful book full of heart.
- — - — - — - — -
The Earl Who Isn't by Courtney Milan
Nobody knows that Andrew Uchida is the rightful heir of an earl. Not his friends, not his neighbors, not even the yard-long beans growing in his experimental garden. If the truth of his existence became public, the blue-blooded side of his family would stop at nothing to make him (and anyone connected with him) disappear. He shared one passionate night with the woman he loved…and allowed himself that only because she was leaving for Hong Kong the next morning.
Then Lily Bei returns, armed with a printing press, her irrepressible spirit, and a sheaf of inconvenient documents that prove the very thing Andrew wants concealed: that he is actually the legitimate, first born son of the Earl of Arsell.
What’s Andrew to do, when the woman he’s always desired promises him everything he’s never wanted? Andrew’s track record of saying no to Lily is nonexistent. The only way he can avert impending disaster is by stealing the evidence… while trying desperately not to fall in love (again) with the woman he shouldn’t let into his life.
Why you should read it: A charming and compelling historical romp, I absolutely loved this. One of my favorite things about reading a book by Courtney Milan is the fact that I always come away learning about some hyper-specific craft or industry, in extremely thorough detail and yet without ever getting bored. In this case, it's gardening and soil, and I enjoyed every minute of Andrew's carefully studied and cherished knowledge (and his quest for long beans.) I adored Lily too, with her earnestness and her intense sense of justice and her irresistible candor. A lovely book all around.
- — - — - — - — -
You're The Problem, It's You by Emma R. Alban
Bobby Mason is sick of being second best: born the spare, never trusted with family responsibility, never expected to amount to much. He’s hungry to contribute something that matters, while all around him his peers are squandering their political and financial power, coasting through life. Which is exactly why he can’t stand the new Viscount Demeroven.
James Demeroven, just come of age and into the Viscountcy, knows that he’s a disappointment. Keeping his head down and never raising anyone’s expectations is how he’s survived life with his stepfather. To quiet, careful James, Bobby Mason is a blazing comet in his endless night, even more alive than he was at Oxford when James crushed on him from afar. But Mason is also brash and recklessly unapologetic, destined to shatter the fragile safety of James’s world. Worst of all, he keeps rubbing James’s failures in his face.
They can barely get through a single conversation without tensions boiling over. Neither Bobby nor James has ever met a more intriguing, infuriating, infatuating man.
If only they could avoid each other entirely. Bad enough their (wonderful but determined) cousins Beth and Gwen keep conveniently setting up group outings. But when an extortionist starts targeting their families, threatening their reputations, Bobby and James must find a way to work together, without pushing each other’s buttons (or tearing them off) in the process...
Why you should read it: A fantastic continuation of the story and characters from Don't Want You Like a Best Friend. This book was incredibly sweet and satisfying, and I really adored Bobby and James. My one caveat is that I would not recommend reading this book as a standalone. While the romance is its own separate story arc, the overall plot really feels like the conclusion to the HEA from book one rather than a standalone. But since I've already wholeheartedly recommended the first book in this duology, I stand by this second recommendation just as fiercely. Read both books. They're lovely.
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