Welcome to Litsy!

Found a Japanese edition of Sarah MacLean‘s Wicked the Wallflower in Tokyo. Blacked out a bit in the translated romance section (and had friends waiting) and forgot to look for Bridgerton but loved seeing multiple historical romances represented—and it was of course the Harlequins that caught my eye to know what I was looking at in the first place

Wrapup for #WickedWords for August. I'm eight for eight on this 2024 challenge!

Appropriately completed this month with Wicked and the Wallflower. Pick of the month: A Psalm for the Wild-Built.

@AsYouWish

Last one for the month! #revenge

#WickedWords @AsYouWish

@Jas16 thank you so much my friend! I totally read regency. Funny thing- my mom highly regulated tv but in late elementary/early middle when I surpassed reading levels she handed me sex on the page regency 😂🤦‍♀️

Felicity Faircloth is my favorite MacLean heroine of all time. I love her lockpicking ways and refusal to take no for an answer. Devil really got more than he bargained for here! #historicalromance

#winterreadathon book 7 finished

I am a Sarah MacLean fan in general but this was not my favorite by her so giving it a so-so. The story and writing felt overwrought to me. This seemed to be an issue in a way it hadn‘t been in her earlier books, so curious if this is a theme in her more recent works. I haven‘t read a lot of those. We‘ll see! #romantsy

 @Andrew65 @GHABI4ROSES @DieAReader

This sounded like a run of the mill regency romance in which there's a wallflower spinster who happens upon a mysterious man with a past but the blurb never once mentioned that A) the heroine is a lock pick 2) the dialogue between the couple is just delicious, like the darkest of chocolates 3) Felicity Faircloth is not a wallflower spinster she is so much more and once Devil sees her for who she is...well no wonder bargains are made 😉

With the tagged title I completed my #doublespin (library book) & yearly goal of 100 books on The StoryGraph & Goodreads. 🎉 Everything else is just bonus now.

Tagged book was good, not great. Started out pretty slow. I didn‘t really get into the story until past the halfway mark. I‘m hoping the other character‘s books in this series will be better because we already know them a bit. So far I definitely prefer MacLean‘s Rule of Scoundrels series.

Book #1 of the #BastardsBeforeBelles reread is done. I 💖 Felicity and Devil so much. It‘s hard not to love a high society heroine whose greatest skill is picking locks. 🤣

Someone on Twitter said they were having a Bastards Before Belles reread this month in anticipation of Sarah MacLean‘s new release, Bombshell, out 8/24. I thought that was inspired, so I‘m beginning my own #BastardsBeforeBelles reread and ignoring my original August TBR. Drama Llama says #sorrynotsorry

Trying and struggling with this one 😪. Not sure why. I love Sarah Maclean, but this one is tough.

A ton of fun! I love a tough heroine who knows what she wants. I‘ve already dived into the second book in the series and I can‘t wait to see how the hero of the 3rd book is redeemed.

More #bookhaul! I was sure the tagged book was paperback, because I never buy romances in hardcover (don‘t fit on my dedicated bookcase), but 🤷🏻‍♀️. Lots of dragons here, a couple #blameitonLitsy and a rec from a favorite author.
4/5

So good!I‘m obviously waiting for all three books before I started this book.I like to binge.I love MacLean characters.in this book the heroine saves the day which I appreciate.Felicity is a bit scandalous, she‘s caught in places she shouldn‘t be in and knows that she wants to open all those locked doors in life.Devil is the son of a duke and now a smuggler.He sets Felicity up for revenge against another man,but will he fall for her himself?

Two wonderful romance podcasts are coming together for a live virtual event. Over Zoom! I registered. #romantsy

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/learning-the-tropes-fated-mates-live-tickets-109688...

I love Sarah‘s books but her Bareknuckle Bastards series is just a cut above the rest! If you love awesome ladies in pre-Victorian London and their criminal with a heart of gold lovers this one is for you.

The plot was a little contrived, but I still loved it. The hero and heroine were delightful together. And I really want to read Whit and Ewan‘s stories now! #romantsy

Four more books I‘ve finished so far this month.

+4 for non-theme reads

#TeamSlaughter #Scarathlon

3⭐
This book is fun for the witty dialogue between the 2 mains. I dropped a star for the redundant declarations of love. Yes, I'll say it, the "cheesy" stuff. It is a "typical romance" but I enjoyed the dynamic between the 2 enough that I'll read the second. The base story that ties this series together is definitely intriguing.

Delightful! Another great romp from Sarah Maclean! Her heroines are smart, unique, and true to themselves and Felicity is no different. A lock picker, a thief, and a complicated family? Sign me up! #greattravelread

This was an accidental DNF, cause I just kind of forgot about it and it was a library #audiobook and it automatically returned itself. I guess it's telling that I'm not invested enough to put myself on the hold list again to keep reading. Oh well! Alas the hot cover model could only hold my attention so far. #Romantsy

#libraryhaul Loading up for the holiday weekend! Now I‘ll try to squeeze them all in!

All I have to say so far about this #romance #audiobook is that i find the cover model very attractive and reminiscent of Lizzy Caplan. Swoon. #Romantsy

What a week! My first last day of school as a middle school librarian. I saw Florence + the Machine (on a school night!). We got our house ready to list. Today, I started week six of #ZR5K training. It was a good (but busy) week! #BFC #BookFitnessChallenge

Loved this one!! Sarah Mac is one of my absolute favorites and this is a wonderful start for the new series!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hehe on a roll tonight with my reading!! Two books in one night! 🤓📚♥️

Book: Tagged - because Devil is the main character and he is 😍🥰😍🥰
Movie: The Devil Wears Prada
Song: Devil went down to Georgia 🎻

It‘s been a while since I‘ve done a Manic Monday. I find deciding with emojis so difficult!

#manicmonday

Finally starting this one. I‘ve been trying to read it since it came out

I started this one as an audiobook and was loving the story and the narrator. However, it‘s a 13 hour audiobook and I ran out of time before my loan ended and I couldn‘t renew since other people had it on hold. I just had to finish it, so I picked up the hardcopy at my library. So glad I did. This was a great romance with everything you want in this genre. Thanks for giving me so many good reads @Laughterhp #newyearwhodis #litsyatoz #w

My favorite type of romance is when I know a HEA is inevitable, but the circumstances are so unusual that I cant predict how they‘ll get there. The plot wasn‘t perfect, but Felicity and Devil were great fun. I can‘t wait for the rest of the series.

My much slower commute due to snow is more enjoyable thanks to this book. I‘m so intrigued and I‘m only 1.5 hours in!
#newyearwhodis

Tis the season for gowns! #BooksWithGowns! This love story features a spinster, a thief, lockpicking and enthusiastic consent. One of the best historical romances I've read!

Book: Tagged (I actually had a lot to choose from this letter)
Author: Sarah Waters
Movie: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
TV Show: White Collar
Food: watermelon 🍉

#manicmonday #letterw

📚Wicked and the Wallflower- one of my favs of the year
👩🏾‍💻Alice Walker
🎬Wallace & Gromit
🍉Watermelon
#manicmonday #letterw @JoScho

I have been BLOWN AWAY by #litsylove today! First the awesome swap package (see earlier post), and then as I stepped out to go to the library, I found a SURPRISE package on my doorstep from @robinb !!! Thank you so much for the lovely holiday surprise! I'm so excited to read the MacLean book 😍😍 Thank you Robin and I hope you have a Merry Christmas! Thanks for your generosity!
Littens, I adore you all 🤩
#litsygoespostal #holidaysurprise

Felicity is a heroine I can get behind. She may be a wallflower but when Devil comes crashing into her life, she gets a taste of a different life. One where her skills are nothing to be ashamed of. One where she finds a life so different from what she knows. I love how smart Felicity is and how she is able to keep up with Dev and get deeper into his world. #romantsy

Hot tip! Get this book guys it‘s super good! 🤗

Lots of romances on sale today! https://smile.amazon.com/b?node=7533915011&ref_=pe_170810_370784550

So, okay, whenever I put this book down and told myself about it, I liked it. Whenever I picked it back up, I liked the IDEA of it but couldn't commit to reading it for more than ten minutes straight. Max.

I hit the halfway point. Then I admitted it was time to bail.

Part of it was definitely MacLean's prose style, which didn't jive with my brain. The rest of it... I dunno, y'all. Like I said: it worked for me in theory, not in practice.

I stopped off for a processed pie product, a free cappuccino, and another chapter of WICKED AND THE WALLFLOWER.

I'm kinda ambivalent about this one, y'all. I like the banter between the leads, but I find it really easy to put the book down in the middle of a scene and I don't feel a huge desire to pick it up again. Fingers crossed I click with it soon.

This is my "thank goodness it's stopped rain-snowing and all yesterday's rain-snow washed away overnight" breakfast, with bonus #blameitonLitsy book.

NB: my coffee cup lies. That ain't decaf.

It‘s like Andrew Lloyd Weber was commissioned to present “Rumplestiltskin” in the West End: Fun, with dramatic flair, some cheesiness and humor, but you definitely have to be in the right mind set for it!

“Devil” is a criminal overlord in Conventry Square who decides to use Lady Felicity Faircloth as a pawn in his plot against his brother. The Lady herself is a ruined spinster who would like to return to the *ton*...

#romantsy #RegencyRomance

I can't even with life this week, so I'm sinking into something I know I'll love. And nothing beats the ambience of reading in bed by the glow of a salt lamp ❤

Second book finished during the hurricane. Not my typical book but I‘m glad I gave it a try. Not sure if I finished this book in a day because there was no power and nothing else to do or because I liked it so much. I loved Felicity and Devil‘s relationship and can‘t wait for Book #2 in the series.

This is a phenomenal book. I adored Devil and Felicity, and the way their relationship grew. MacLean knows how to capture your interest and keep it until the last page. My favorite part was the prologue. I‘m so ready for book two in this series!

Today‘s #bookhaul from spending time with my sister and niece.

A recent read from favorite genre of mine would be Wicked and the Wallflower. Romance is one of my favorite genres, along with literary, sci-fi, and fantasy, and Wicked was great! One scene particularly gave me chills it was so awesome. ❤️
Really though, all three of these books are great!

#SeptInBooks18 #Romantsy
@bookisglee

I went to the thrift store for $3 trousers and came away with books as well: two Australian titles the library doesn't have, a YA horror novel I loved and want to give to someone, a Legion of Super-Heroes retrospective because they were Teenage Me's fave, and a brand new historical romance that's totally #blameitonLitsy.

1. Have a bachelorette party and then hoping to relax the rest of the weekend.
2. Tagged 💕
3. Most veggies and chicken pot pie (I hate gravy)
4. Field hockey 🏑 (I play every Wednesday in an adult league)
5. Enjoy your weekend! 😊

#friyayintro

Amazing. The hero is very like Tom Hardy, and the wallflower heroine finds true love by leaving the ton and embracing the underbelly of Covent Garden. Empowering, emotional, and all around enjoyable.