Blog - Romantic Parvenu

My First Official Jenkins! | Indigo by Beverly Jenkins

March 15, 2018

In sum: Indigo is a very strong novel, but its plot suffers from a lack of direction in the second half. Because of this, it wasn’t my favorite thing ever—the novel can almost be split into two distinct stories, which is confusing—but boy if I ...

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Book Review: A Lady Awakened by Cecilia Grant

January 13, 2018

I lost all interest in A Lady Awakened right when the male lead started having sex with female protagonist in her sleep, honestly, but pressed on with the book in order to see what happened. Not that it really matters, because RAPE. Rape in a ...

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Book Review: Night in Eden by Candice Proctor

January 12, 2018

There is not a particularly dedicated outflow of historical romance about 19th century Australian penal colonies, and after reading Night in Eden, I really must wonder why the hell not? In this book, Candice Proctor delivers a sensual tale of ...

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Book Review: As I Descended by Robin Talley

January 10, 2018

As I Descended pays only the scantest homage to Shakespeare’s drama, and in its writing, storytelling, and characterization, never scratches below the surface. It’s a bad book dressed up in a Shakespearean costume. But, nevertheless, it’s still ...

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Book Review: Slightly Tempted by Mary Balogh

December 9, 2017

In general, I just love Mary Balogh. Her books examine the human experience with nuance and deep insight. Sure, this is a book about two people falling in love. It’s also a book about war, and grief, and revenge and forgiveness. I’ve literally ...

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Book Review: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

December 7, 2017

Celeste Ng’s debut, Everything I Never Told You was a soft, contemplative novel about families and parenting, not an enjoyable read, but an insightful one. Now here’s Little Fires Everywhere, another novel about families and parenting, but one ...

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