The Thorns Remain - JJA Harwood

The Thorns Remain is set in Scotland, in the wake of the First World War and in the midst of the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1919. In a rural Scottish village, Moira Jean is celebrating with her friends, a last hurrah before they go on their separate ways to make their lives their own. 

But the evening takes a turn when a beautiful stranger comes upon them. Awaking from a daze filled with dancing and strange music, Moira Jean finds herself alone. Her friends have disappeared and it's down to her to find them again. Making bargains with Fae is exactly what she's been told not to do, but how else will she get her friends back?

The story was brilliantly written and Moira Jean's character was fantastic - absolutely fearless and possibly even reckless but very likeable. Her determination and almost cavalier behaviour made my inner feminist squeal with joy. 

The only thing I wish for - MORE OF THE DREAMER. I would have loved to see more of a relationship between him and Moira, there were a few scenes that could have been developed on so much more but the final scenes really made it for me.

Comments

The Shadows Between Us - Tricia Levenseller

This was such a fun book. It's very suitable for the YA (Young Adult) market though it could easily - and gratefully may I add - be adapted into a saucy romance if the writer wanted to. The story focuses on Alessandra, an ambitious and power hungry young women that sets her sights on the Shadow King. But he keeps her at arms length, instead, proposing a mutual agreement that gives them both what they want. The book had some serious and well thought out feminist undertones, with both Alessandras encouragement of her friends, the Kings desire to change the way social norms are expected as well as Alessandra's own exploits in knowing her own mind and body. the only thing that threw me off was the time period - though the story is clearly fantasy (you'll be able to tell this early on), the presence of electricity threw me off, combined with the clothing which is described at length, and then the social boundaries and class standings. Overall, I enjoyed it and would ...

A Merry Little Meet Cute - Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone

What a bloody lovely Christmas beaut this was! If you're venturing into spicy romance books and have been on Instagram or TikTok recently, it's likely that you would have seen this little gem doing the rounds. Bee is a content creator for ClosedDoor (think.. OnlyFans) and Nolan is an ex-boyband bad boy that are both cast in a Hope Channel (think... Hallmark) Christmas movie, Duke The Halls. Nolan is reinventing his career and trying to rid himself of the bad boy image whereas Bee is brought in last minute because the Lead Actress has been taken ill. The best part? Bee was a massive fan of Nolan in her teenage years and Nolan has been following Bee on social media for a while. And they're getting paid to get to know each other. I adored this book. It was everything I wanted it to be and is perfect for those of us who love a Hallmark Christmas movie but wished there was a bit heat in the romances. the positive message around Bee's work is brilliantly handled, not to me...

This Time Next Year - Sophie Cousens

I wanted a wholesome New Years based read to finish 2022 with, and This Time Next Year delivered! I originally added this to my list back at the beginning of 2021 and I found it on Apple Books for just £3.99 so decided to go all in. Minnie and Quinn were both born on the 1st January 1990. Born in the same hospital, to strangers, they meet again on the morning of their 30th birthday after an eventful New Years Eve. This book reminded me a lot of One Day - the way the story is laid out - flashbacks to New Years Eves of years gone by, showed where each of the characters were at the varying points of their lives. With interwoven stories throughout the years, the two begin a friendship that neither of them quite have the time or inclination for. This was the perfect cosy read for the end of the year and I sped through it in one evening.

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