Someone to Wed, by Mary Balogh

Back in 2018, I glommed the first three novels in this series. Now that I seem cursed to re-reading more than reading new stuff (often because the writing voice is comforting, or because, even with the HEA promise of genre romance, I don’t have the emotional spoons to brave the relationship journey with an author I don’t yet know), I re-read them, and, I hope, finally learned my lesson: I cannot enjoy Ms Balogh’s newer work.

Someone to Hold, by Mary Balogh

This novel, set just a few months after the end of Someone to Love, tells the story of the second daughter of the late Earl of Riverdale. I first read the first three books in what is now ::checks:: a nine book series just over four years ago, while struggling with the neverending reading slump from hell. As I’m still struggling with that, because ::gestures widely at the world::, I’ve re-read them recently. And, as I need blog fodder, here’s my review.

Content note: I curse a fair bit, because the whole “blood is thicker than water” schtick so many genre romance authors cleave to gets on my ultimate nerve. (see footnote 1)

Strange Love, by Ann Aguirre

It’s been a minute since I last reviewed any of Ann Aguirre’s books ¹ , but I remain very much a fan of her work, both writing voice and worldbuilding.

This novel, the first in what is now the Galactic Love trilogy, is an absolute and utter delight.

Marrying Winterborne, by Lisa Kleypas

A coupe of months ago, I finally read Cold-Hearted Rake, the first title in the Ravenels series of historical romances set in the mid- to late 1870s, and enjoyed it enough to dive into the rest of the series, which I pretty much devoured.

As I’m still struggling to read new-to-me stories, I dived into the series again, and well, here we are.