The Unmatchmakers by Jackie Lau

I unfortunately read this one after another Lau book which I thoroughly enjoyed and this one suffered in comparison. I'm not sure if it's because it took so long for the romance to really begin or because we never really got to know the main character because she spent so much time describing other people but I didn't really click with this book. 

Leora grew up with a number of aunties. Women who, like her mother, were disappointed by love. Now they are all gathering for a summer vacation together again but as adults. And Leora is discovering that Neil grew up to be a fine man indeed. All might be peachy except that both her mother and Neil's are actively working to keep them apart.

Three stars

This book come out June 28, 2022

ARC kindly provided by Kobo Originals and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Go Hex Yourself by Jessica Clare

Applying to work at the company that makes her favorite card game is Reggie Johnson's dream. She is startled to learn that the ad was not actually for her card game, it is to be an actual familiar for a practicing witch. In fact, she doesn't believe that is what is happening at all. Because magic isn't real. Is it? Either way, she's got a place to live an a salary is beyond any expectation she thought she could ever have. 

Ben Magnus knows magic is real. He's been practicing it for almost 500 years after all. And he's seen so many familiars come and go in his aunt's life; Reggie is just... ugh. Why is she even here if she doesn't believe in magic? 

When Ben's aunt is put under a hex, Reggie will have to figure out whether or not she's ready to step into an alternate world and broaden her own horizons, which is something she's found hard in the past. Though it is made a little easier by the fact that Ben is sure easy on the eyes..

This was a really cute start to a series. There were some info dumps but they were woven into the story well. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. 

Four stars

This book came out April 19, 2022

Followed by What the Hex

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

A Duke for Diana by Sabrina Jeffries

Lady Diana Harper has been left in a hard place. Yes, she's the daughter of an earl but her mother has very publicly run away with another man and her father divorced her. She and her sisters are now highly suspect. Luckily, her oldest sister is married but her younger sister's fiance has unceremoniously cut ties. Their father doesn't seem to care about them at all. It seems it will be up to her sisters to figure out how to save themselves. And an idea, given by a mysterious lady at a ball, has them creating Elegant Occasions, a company that will help usher young debutantes through their season. 

It is that business that brings the Duke of Grenwood, Geoffrey Brookhouse, into her sphere. He has only recently discovered that he is a duke. He really is not happy about it; he has trained to be a civil engineer and that is what he wants to do. But he has a younger sister that he loves and he wants her to be happy. So Elegant Occasions and the infuriating Diana it is. 

The two are immediately at loggerheads but their attraction soon overcomes it. There are a couple more bumps but they most find their way to true love.

This was an okay book but felt sort of shallow, especially in comparison to other Jeffries novels. I suspect it is because there was so much set up with this being the first book of the series.

Three stars

This book came out May 24, 2022

Followed by What Happens in the Ballroom

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty

I heard about this book on the Book Riot podcast and thought the premise was intriguing. Six clones wake up in space. All of their previous bodies are either dead or close to it. Now they have to find out what happened.
The narrator is third person omniscient and hops around from character to character though we mostly hang out with Maria Arena. As the clones recover their memories, the reader gets to learn more about their lives. 
A back and forth between past and present isn't my favorite narrative device and I thought the ended wrapped up a bit too tightly but I highly enjoyed the book

Four and a half stars

This book came out January 31, 2017

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

A Most Unusual Duke by Susanna Allen

Beatrice, Marchioness of Castleton, was married to a very old man at a young age. What made the marriage even worse? The dude was a shifter and scared the ever loving stockings right off of her. But he's dead now and she's free to do whatever she wants. Well, sort of. She's just been informed by the Prince Regent that she must marry again and to another shifter. 

Arthur Humphries, Duke of Osborn, isn't any happier about the marriage than Beatrice is. In fact, he's down right grumpy about it. Beatrice just doesn't smell like anything. How is he supposed to accept her as his true mate?

His staff, on the other hand, is happy to help. Even though he hasn't been there in years, after the death of his father, they are happy to see him, even if they are all a lot older. 

Still as zany as the first book and I flew through it as well. The zany worked a little less well in this second book but I'm still enjoying the series.

Three and a half stars

This book came out December 28, 2021

Follows A Wolf in Duke's Clothing

Followed by A Duke at the Door

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall

Rosaline Palmer applies many labels to herself: mother, bisexual, disappointment to her parents, bakery worker. She's on her way to applying one more, contestant on Bake Expectations. She considers herself very lucky and even more so when she meets a fellow contestant on her way up to the first weekend. Yes, their train is cancelled causing both to be late and, yes, Rosaline tells Alain an outrageous lie because she is flustered and attracted to him. But that is quickly cleared up and Rosaline is on her way to making friends and winning hearts. Well, sort of. She still has to juggle her precocious eight-year-old, her day-to-day job, and her parents who are not only disappointed in her life choices, they let her know with every conversation.

Like most of Hall's books, the characters come alive, even the side characters who are not even on that many pages. I got a little bogged down in the middle but only a little. Hall is an amazing writer and I have so far enjoyed everything I've read. Can't wait for the next book in this series.

Four stars

This book came out May 18, 2021

Followed by Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Tinkering With Love by Aliyah Burke

In a switch-up, we have a grumpy-sunshine book where the female is the grumpy one. And Dawson Shay sure has reason to be grumpy. She grew up in foster homes though her bio mom has recently contacted her and she's... not a good person. Also, after being dumped by her boyfriend, Dawson moved a good distance because she was promised a job which was then yanked away from her after she arrived in town. Sure, they owner of the place gave her another job (which she is, by the way, rocking). But now she has to go on a corporate retreat with none other than the man who stole her job.

Tully Faulkner isn't sure why the new employee in town doesn't like him but he sure likes her. In fact, he makes it his mission to make sure that she's going to like him. Which would usually be somewhat gross but he does actually make sure that she is allowed to shut him down and (it's implied) that he would walk away. 

The two get close during the retreat (with an interesting scavenger hunt) and even closer afterward. This is a nice start to a series but so much relies on the characters not actually talking to each other. Even after SO many of the side characters tell them to.

Three stars

This book comes out June 20, 2022

ARC kindly provided by Entangled Publishing, LLC and NetGalley

Opinions are my own