3.5 Stars Archives - Angel Reads

Book Review: His Disinclined Bride by Jennie Goutet

Oct 31, 2020

His Disinclined Bride (Seasons of Change #7) by Jennie Goutet

Pages: 270
Publish date: October 28th 2020
Publisher: –
ASIN: B086RVTN5H
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

She agreed to marry on impulse; he agreed for money.

Kitty Stokes never imagined she’d be so weak as to sacrifice herself on the altar of family obligations, but when her brother impresses upon her that her only alternative to marriage with Phineas Hayworth is to play nursemaid to his own children, Kitty agrees against her better judgment. On her wedding day, the certainty she has made a grave error is only outweighed by the realization that it’s too late to back out now.

Phineas Hayworth refrained from setting eyes on his new bride before their wedding day. It was the price he forced himself to pay for being so mercenary as to contract a marriage with a wealthy merchant’s sister to save his estate from foreclosure. Her beauty, therefore, comes as a shock, as does her icy treatment, which he cannot but secretly feel he deserves. He swears an oath he will not approach her for an heir unless the invitation comes from her.

As Phineas sets out to repair the estate, dismiss lazy servants, and bring Kitty to Bath to present her to local Society, he finds his wife to be more enchanting than he could have hoped for, even in a love match. Kitty continues to hold him at arm’s length, although he suspects her feelings for him run just as deep. As Phineas’s love and desire for his wife grows, the oath he swore her begins to suffocate, and it soon becomes clear he must win her over completely or spend the rest of his life in a loveless marriage.

His Disinclined Bride:

I received an earc of His Disinclined Bride by Jennie Goutet for free in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I didn’t know what to expect going into His Disinclined Bride by Jennie Goutet. I hadn’t heard about it before, I hadn’t heard about the author before. But when I checked out the synopsis, it caught my eye right away. It sounded intriguing, and I’m always up for new historical romances.

His Disinclined Bride follows Kitty Stokes as she is about to marry the man that her brother has arranged. She never thought that this would happen, but she takes it in her stride. But she has never met the man that she is about to marry and doesn’t until they are at the altar. Phineas Hayworth didn’t expect to be taken aback by his new wife beauty, but when he sees her on their wedding he is blown away. Now married Kitty and Phineas need to not only get to know one another but find a balance in their new lives. Nothing ever comes easy, and the more time that they spend together, the more they get to know one another.

Photo by Danny Gallegos on Unsplash

Kitty was such a pleasure of a character. She was engaging, smart and loving. As His Disinclined Bride went on the reader can see Kitty not only find herself but those around her. I thought that her characterisation was fantastic and well thought out. At first, we can see her anger and hesitation. But as she gets to know Phineas more and the life that they build together, she finds herself. I adore her caring nature, it was so nice to see and she melted my heart so many times. I do wish that she stood up for herself a little more especially regarding Phineas’ parents, there were hints of this. But I wanted more.

Phineas was an interesting protagonist. It did take me a little while to warm up to him, but as Kitty can break down his walls, it was easier to know him. It took him a little while to warm up to Kitty as while and their new life, but once that happens everything seems to flow so much better. I liked seeing him grow throughout the novel. At the start, he is very closed off and holds back, but as the novel goes on he starts to let go. And when he does that, he becomes a better person.

The romance in His Disinclined Bride had a tiny rough start to me. The reader can see that they both find each other attractive, but they don’t connect right away. They come from different lives and with that, they see things differently. But I adored that Phineas didn’t push Kitty for anything. That was one of my favourite things about the book. It made me so happy and excited. They had a lot of ups and downs, they fought, but they also didn’t know what to do with each other at times. However, when they let go, they came together and it was great.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Overall I enjoyed reading His Disinclined Bride by Jennie Goutet. It was intriguing and the romance and the characters were fantastic. I had such a good time exploring Kitty and Phineas and watch them not only fall in love but create a family. It was an engaging historical romance that didn’t disappoint. It’s also a great one to start with as it’s easy to read and follow. If you want a fresh new historical romance this is a great place to start.

About the Author

Jennie Goutet is an American-born Anglophile, who lives with her French husband and their three children in a small town outside Paris. Her imagination resides in Regency England, where her historical romances are set. Jennie is also the author of the award-winning memoir, Stars Upside Down, and the modern romances, A Sweetheart in Paris and A Noble Affair. A Christian, a cook, and an inveterate klutz, Jennie writes about faith, food, and life—even the clumsy moments—on her blog, aladyinfrance.com. You can learn more about Jennie and her books on her author website, jenniegoutet.com.

Book Review: A King so Cold by Ella Fields

Sep 21, 2020

A King so Cold by Ella Fields

Pages: 431
Publish date: May 6th 2020
Publisher: –
ASIN: B084LG4PH9
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

When marrying your enemy is only the beginning…

Once upon a time, there lived a princess so cruel that even her husband tried to destroy her.

The results left her without a father, her husband without a memory, and herself as queen to a kingdom on the cusp of war.

Even so, after learning of her treasonous husband’s upcoming nuptials, she set out to find him and locked him in her dungeon. There, and only there, would she unveil a time when she once allowed herself to be vulnerable. A past detailing how her heart was coaxed to beat outside her chest, only to have it crushed by the cold hands of betrayal.

But true vengeance will need to wait. War is coming, and with it, decisions and danger masked in treacherous beauty.

All too soon, the young queen will learn that time could be the most dangerous foe of all.
For it is time that would reveal all the ways a dead heart can beat anew.

A King So Cold:

I didn’t know too much about this book before I picked it up, but it sounded interesting and that cover is just stunning. It’s been a little since I finished reading A King So Cold by Ella Fields and I’m still not sure how I feel about it.

Content Warning: Dark Themes, Sexual Assult, Age Gap, Torture, Death.

A King So Cold by Ella Fields follows Princess turned Queen Audra as she tries to lead her kingdom to victory. But her past is not far behind her. And when she finds out that her husband King Raiden is about to marry another – it’s something that she cannot have. When Raiden betrayed Audra, she let her cold nature drive her to want more. And now she wants revenge. But doesn’t need love from him anymore. She has herself. And Lord Zad. But war is on the horizon and now it’s more than her heart that she has to think about.

I haven’t read much in the high fantasy romance genre. I’ve read a fair few supernatural and paranormal, but haven’t delved into the fantasy world yet. So I didn’t know what to expect when I jumped into this one. And while I still have thoughts about the book, overall I was splendidly surprised with A King So Cold and can’t wait to read more fantasy romance.

Photo by Cederic Vandenberghe on Unsplash

Audra is cold and calculated. She isn’t a character that you warm up to right away or even like. Audra is manipulative, complicated and broken. Audra hasn’t had the best life growing up. Her mother died when she was young and her father was a pretty horrible leader and father. She always knew that she would become Queen, but not the way she did. And then when Audra did let her walls down she was berayed. And that messed with her a lot. Audra is a compelling character but isn’t someone that I would want to meet.

Throughout A King So Cold, the reader can see Audra grow, change and make some hard decisions. Because in the end, she is a leader of her country in the middle of a war. And when she finds out the person that betrayed her is about to marry another – well she cannot have that. It was interesting to read a female protagonist who isn’t clean cut and nice. That can make a bad decision. That can make horrible decisions. And I found that fascinating.

Lord Zadicus was such an interesting character. I think Zad has to be one of my favourite characters in the book. And like Audra, he isn’t perfect. He makes mistakes. Some big mistakes. But he is also sweet in a way. And I felt for him.

Raiden is another complicated characters. You can’t like him or even feel for him. But I liked getting to know his story. Through flashbacks, the reader gets to see the soft side of Raiden. But he is just as callous as Audra. Raiden is wicked, smart, but also a dickhead.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

A lot is going on throughout A King So Cold. And a lot of my problems or issues with this book come from the plot. I felt that this was too long. When I thought that things were going to be over, something else happened. And everything began again. There was just so much going on that at times it took me a while to understand what was happening. But this also didn’t stop me from reading. There is major tension throughout this book and this drives the plot even more. And even though a lot is going on, plot-wise. I felt that A King So Cold is very character-driven. Which I love.

The romance in A King So Cold is sexy and forbidden. Audra and Lord Zad know that starting something more than what they have is going to cause trouble. But they can’t keep their hands off one another. The romance is angsty, complicated and sometimes very frustrating. But I also enjoyed it a lot. I’m not usually a fan of messy romance. I just get angry. But I think that it did work out fantastic here. There is a ton of chemistry between the two and it gets steamy at times. In saying this, there were times when things did get a little too complicated.

A King So Cold has such a good array of characters. From our leading protagonist and love interest to Ardra’s close court members. I loved the contrast of characters. From those that lead to those that follow or fight. I liked that the reader can get to know them all, even if it’s just a little bit.

Photo by photo-nic.co.uk nic on Unsplash

Overall, A King So Cold by Ella Fields is a dark, haunting and sexy adult romance. This isn’t an easy read. At times I needed to put the book down for a little bit. But it kept pulling me in. It’s magical and whimsy but also filled with vengeance and blood. There are unreliable characters and a protagonist that isn’t one for everybody. A King So Cold explores the notion of betrayal, revenge, but also love and lost. This book is not for everyone, but if you are looking for something that is dark, dangerous and a little different than this for you.

Have you read any adult fantasy romances? What did you think of them? Have you picked up A King So Cold by Ella Fields? Let’s Chat!

Book Review: The Wedding Date Disaster by Avery Flynn

Aug 21, 2020

The Wedding Date Disaster by Avery Flynn

Pages: 330
Publish date: August 25th 2020
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
ISBN: 9781640639126
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU –

Hadley Donavan can’t believe she has to go home to Nebraska for her sister’s wedding. She’s gonna need a wingman and a whole lot of vodka for this level of family interaction. At least her bestie agreed he’d man up and help. But then instead of her best friend, his evil twin strolls out of the airport.

If you looked up doesn’t-deserve-to-be-that-confident, way-too-hot-for-his-own-good billionaire in the dictionary, you’d find a picture of Will Holt. He’s awful. Horrible. The worst―even if his butt looks phenomenal in those jeans.

Ten times worse? Hadley’s buffer was supposed to be there to keep her away from the million and one family events. But Satan’s spawn just grins and signs them up for every. Single. Thing.

Fine. “Cutthroat” Scrabble? She’s in. She can’t wait to take this guy down a notch. But somewhere between Pictionary and the teasing glint in his eyes, their bickering starts to feel like more than just a game…

The Wedding Date Disaster:

I received an earc of The Wedding Date Disaster by Avery Flynn from Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I’ve read a few Avery Flynn books before and enjoyed them quite a bit. They were fun and entering. So when I was asked if I wanted to review her newest release, I said yes. The Wedding Date Disaster was a fun read. I enjoyed the characters and the story – however, I did feel that it was missing a few things.

The Wedding Date Disaster follows Hadley Donavan as she makes her way back to her home town for her sister’s wedding. She planned to bring her best friend as a decoy boyfriend, so she can survive her family. But things are flipped on its head when he sends his ‘evil’ twin brother instead. Hadley and Will Holt can’t stand each other – or they think they can’t. Will is only going on this trip to stop Hadley in her tracks. He doesn’t like her and he will do anything to get on her nerves. But being stuck together in a rural town isn’t always going to go to plan. For both of them.

Photo by Frances Gunn on Unsplash

Hadley was an interesting protagonist. I didn’t hate her, but I could love her. I liked getting to know her throughout the story, but I was waiting for something more. Hadley was easy to get along with and there wasn’t anything in particular that I didn’t like about her. One of my favourite things about her though is her passion. Even though she has just lost her job and is feeling pretty crap, she tries to find the good in it all. And that made the reading experience way more positive.

Will was not an easy protagonist to get along with in The Wedding Date Disaster. For most of the novel I didn’t like him at all. I thought he was an asshole for most of the book. I hate how he treated Hadley for so much of the book. And when I thought that he was going in the right direction, he does a full 360. I couldn’t click with him from the start. He just read as an entitled character – which he was – but I made reading about him flat.

I felt that both of Avery Flynn’s protagonists here weren’t fully fleshed out. They were almost there, but just never made it over the last few hurdles. Even at the end of the novel, it took a lot for Will to understand the way that he was thinking was wrong. I didn’t see much character growth and I wish it did have more because I enjoyed reading the novel.

Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash

While I didn’t love Hadley and Will as characters, the romance was adorable and swoon-worthy. The Wedding Date Disaster is very much a hate-to-love romance. From the start, the reader can see all the angst and hate between the pair. It’s full-on at the start. They both have their reasons for not liking each other but they also can’t help but like each other as well. there was a lot of back and forth between the two. Along with the hate to love romance, this was also a fake romance. I loved this aspect of romance. It made for some great laughs, awkward moments and lots and lots of angst.

As soon as I read the synopsis of The Wedding Date Disaster I knew that it was going to be a fun read. And it was. There were some really good moments, especially with Hadley’s family. I love the relationship that they had with one another. It’s great seeing fantastic family dynamics in romances.

In saying that I do wish that we got to see more of Hadley’s relationship with her best friend Web. I felt that their relationship was non-existence. I know that most of the book was set in the country. But I don’t know, I wanted to see and know more about it.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

Overall I had a fun time reading The Wedding Date Disaster by Avery Flynn. It was a quick romance novel that was swoon-worthy and full of laughs. The Wedding Date Disaster explores family and believing in yourself. Hadley was a great protagonist and I did enjoy the romance. Will isn’t my favourite love interest out there, but his sweetness made up for it. If you are looking for a quick ‘summer’ read kind of romance, then this one is for you.

Have you read The Wedding Date Disaster by Avery Flynn yet? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? Let’s Chat!