
perdueentreleslignes TBR'd a book
3d

Unraveled (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #9.5)
Shannon Messenger
Book 9.5 in the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling Keeper of the Lost Cities series follows fan-favorite Keefe on his adventures in the human world during the events of Stellarlune. While his friends faced their own challenges in Stellarlune, Keefe was in the human world. Where did he go, who did he see…and what shocking secrets were revealed to him? This can’t-miss installment of the series is told entirely from Keefe’s POV and contains crucial clues about truths buried deep in the elvin world.

perdueentreleslignes started reading...
3d

The Games Lovers Play (Cynster Next Generation, #9)
Stephanie Laurens
#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens returns to the Cynsters’ next generation with an evocative tale of two people striving to overcome unusual hurdles in order to claim true love. A nobleman wedded to the lady he loves strives to overwrite five years of masterful pretence and open his wife’s eyes to the fact that he loves her as much as she loves him. Lord Devlin Cader, Earl of Alverton, married Therese Cynster five years ago. What he didn’t tell her then and has assiduously hidden ever since—for what seemed excellent reasons at the time—is that he loves her every bit as much as she loves him. For her own misguided reasons, Therese had decided that the adage that Cynsters always marry for love did not necessarily mean said Cynsters were loved in return. She accepted that was usually so, but being universally viewed by gentlemen as too managing, bossy, and opinionated, she believed she would never be loved for herself. Consequently, after falling irrevocably in love with Devlin, when he made it plain he didn’t love her yet wanted her to wife, she accepted the half love-match he offered, and once they were wed, set about organizing to make their marriage the very best it could be. Now, five years later, they are an established couple within the haut ton, have three young children, and Devlin is making a name for himself in business and political circles. There’s only one problem. Having attended numerous Cynster weddings and family gatherings and spent time with Therese’s increasingly married cousins, who with their spouses all embrace the Cynster ideal of marriage based on mutually acknowledged love, Devlin is no longer content with the half love-match he himself engineered. No fool, he sees and comprehends what the craven act of denying his love is costing both him and Therese and feels compelled to rectify his fault. He wants for them what all Therese’s married cousins enjoy—the rich and myriad benefits of marriages based on acknowledged mutual love. Love, he’s discovered, is too powerful a force to deny, leaving him wrestling with the conundrum of finding a way to convincingly reveal to Therese that he loves her without wrecking everything—especially the mutual trust—they’ve built over the past five years. A classic historical romance set amid the glittering world of the London haut ton. A Cynster Next Generation novel—a full-length historical romance of 110,000 words.

The writing was pretty good and the banter between the characters flowed nicely, the fact that the main character stayed on her ground for such a long time was appreciated but completely ruined by the last twenty pages.
The story by itself was relatively well done if not for the fact that the husband does not possessed a single ounce of empathy and understanding for his woman, I don’t particularly care for mistress in historical romance however the concept of him not acknowledging, even in the slightest, that he was the one causing all the crisis in this mariage is behind my comprehension.

perdueentreleslignes finished a book
1w

The Marriage Bed (Guilty, #3)
Laura Lee Guhrke
Everyone in society knows that the marriage of Lord and Lady Hammond is an unhappy one. Everyone knows they have barely spoken to one another in over nine years. But what no-one in society knows are the reasons why ... Lady Viola Courtland was a romantic and impulsive young girl when she fell instantly in love with the handsome and dashing Viscount Hammond. Unbeknownst to Viola, John Hammond had already given his heart to the only woman he would ever love—his cousin's wife—but he was in dire financial straits and desperately needed to marry a wealthy heiress. In Viola, he thought he had found the perfect woman—beautiful and rich with a sweet nature. But Viola was neither practical nor sensible when it came to marriage, for she fully expected her husband to love her and was determined to settle for nothing less. Soon, however, John's secret was unwittingly revealed, but by then they were married and it was too late. Until one day, John finally came to his senses and prayed it wasn't too late to win back the love of his very own wife.

perdueentreleslignes started reading...
1w

The Lovers
Yumna Kassab
What happens when we become used to each other, when we become bored, when we anticipate each other’s moods like the seasons cycled in a day? What happens when you are tired of me and I tire of you? Every couple has a story. How they met, how they fell in love – their ups, their downs. What made them want to be in each other's arms day and night. The struggle of family expectations. The need to please each other, the desire to go their separate ways. It is about the private universe between two people as they try to hold to each other despite the barriers of geography, culture and class. Every couple has a beginning, a middle, and maybe an end. The Lovers is an enchanting fable that explores the light and dark of a relationship – a love distilled down to its barest form. You might think you know this story. Maybe you do.

It was pretty lovely and didn’t try to be more than that which is very enjoyable. The writing was impeccable and well fitting and thankfully the story didn’t feel dragged, we could however have done without the unnecessary event of the last chapter which seems more like a way for the writer to quickly conclude the conflict…
I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of drama (up until the last two chapters… again unnecessary) and grateful to not have to fall once again in the rake MMC and shy virgin FMC cliché, I do not care that historically men could go and do whatever they please and I ’m always happy to face a decent man even though historical accuracy is thrown at the window (looking at you Bridgetown).
However I must say that some element of this book did bothered me, I would have love to have more banter especially in the transition of their relationship, it doesn’t seem that the MMC change as much as the FMC and here actually lie my biggest complaint on this (after the whole fire bullshit) : Katherine is completely replaced by Kate, and by itself it’s not an issue but the quickness of the action makes the whole situation feels a bit rushed and it would probably have been a bit better had the nickname stayed between the two.

perdueentreleslignes finished a book
3w

Married to the Marquess (Arrangements, #2)
Rebecca Connolly
To hate and to scold...Derek Chambers, Marquess of Whitlock, has a problem: his wife. She is the single most horrifying aspect of his life, and the only thing he has ever enjoyed about her are their truly spectacular fights. As such, he prefers having as little to do with her as possible. So when she unexpectedly summons him to London, he surprises himself by going, and finds his life turned upside down in ways he never thought possible.To loathe and to perish...Katherine despises her worthless and irritating husband, and nothing bothers her more than the fact that he actually came to London when she sent for him. Worst of all, now that he has come, she needs him to stay. With her. And with his every smile making her heart race, she begins to wonder if there could be more to him than meets the eye.

perdueentreleslignes started reading...
3w

Married to the Marquess (Arrangements, #2)
Rebecca Connolly
To hate and to scold...Derek Chambers, Marquess of Whitlock, has a problem: his wife. She is the single most horrifying aspect of his life, and the only thing he has ever enjoyed about her are their truly spectacular fights. As such, he prefers having as little to do with her as possible. So when she unexpectedly summons him to London, he surprises himself by going, and finds his life turned upside down in ways he never thought possible.To loathe and to perish...Katherine despises her worthless and irritating husband, and nothing bothers her more than the fact that he actually came to London when she sent for him. Worst of all, now that he has come, she needs him to stay. With her. And with his every smile making her heart race, she begins to wonder if there could be more to him than meets the eye.

Terribly conflicted about this one, I wanted to love it so bad but reading it felt dreadful….
Despite the writing, the characters and the plot all being interesting the storytelling fail to be captivating or at least to captivate me and they all end up feeling repetitive or disappointing. Often I felt a bit lost, from my understanding Parker-Chan purposefully describe action through their characters emotions and as result gives less dialogue or general explanations which makes it harder to follow especially if you’re not familiar with costums from 1400 China.
However the story was captivating and intriguing, just difficult too digest for me, but I’ll give it to the author this genuinely felt like an historical Chinese drama : too many characters for my liking and so many political intrigues that I fail to follow what’s really happening.

perdueentreleslignes finished a book
4w

She Who Became the Sun
Shelley Parker-Chan
In a famine-stricken village on a dusty yellow plain, two children are given two fates. A boy, greatness. A girl, nothingness… In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule. For the starving peasants of the Central Plains, greatness is something found only in stories. When the Zhu family’s eighth-born son, Zhu Chongba, is given a fate of greatness, everyone is mystified as to how it will come to pass. The fate of nothingness received by the family’s clever and capable second daughter, on the other hand, is only as expected. When a bandit attack orphans the two children, though, it is Zhu Chongba who succumbs to despair and dies. Desperate to escape her own fated death, the girl uses her brother's identity to enter a monastery as a young male novice. There, propelled by her burning desire to survive, Zhu learns she is capable of doing whatever it takes, no matter how callous, to stay hidden from her fate. After her sanctuary is destroyed for supporting the rebellion against Mongol rule, Zhu uses the chance to claim another future altogether: her brother's abandoned greatness. Mulan meets The Song of Achilles; an accomplished, poetic debut of war and destiny, sweeping across an epic alternate China.

perdueentreleslignes started reading...
4w

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels
India Holton
A prim and proper lady thief must save her aunt from a crazed pirate and his dangerously charming henchman in this fantastical historical romance. Cecilia Bassingwaite is the ideal Victorian lady. She's also a thief. Like the other members of the Wisteria Society crime sorority, she flies around England drinking tea, blackmailing friends, and acquiring treasure by interesting means. Sure, she has a dark and traumatic past and an overbearing aunt, but all things considered, it's a pleasant existence. Until the men show up. Ned Lightbourne is a sometimes assassin who is smitten with Cecilia from the moment they meet. Unfortunately, that happens to be while he's under direct orders to kill her. His employer, Captain Morvath, who possesses a gothic abbey bristling with cannons and an unbridled hate for the world, intends to rid England of all its presumptuous women, starting with the Wisteria Society. Ned has plans of his own. But both men have made one grave mistake. Never underestimate a woman. When Morvath imperils the Wisteria Society, Cecilia is forced to team up with her handsome would-be assassin to save the women who raised her--hopefully proving, once and for all, that she's as much of a scoundrel as the rest of them.

perdueentreleslignes started reading...
4w

She Who Became the Sun
Shelley Parker-Chan
In a famine-stricken village on a dusty yellow plain, two children are given two fates. A boy, greatness. A girl, nothingness… In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule. For the starving peasants of the Central Plains, greatness is something found only in stories. When the Zhu family’s eighth-born son, Zhu Chongba, is given a fate of greatness, everyone is mystified as to how it will come to pass. The fate of nothingness received by the family’s clever and capable second daughter, on the other hand, is only as expected. When a bandit attack orphans the two children, though, it is Zhu Chongba who succumbs to despair and dies. Desperate to escape her own fated death, the girl uses her brother's identity to enter a monastery as a young male novice. There, propelled by her burning desire to survive, Zhu learns she is capable of doing whatever it takes, no matter how callous, to stay hidden from her fate. After her sanctuary is destroyed for supporting the rebellion against Mongol rule, Zhu uses the chance to claim another future altogether: her brother's abandoned greatness. Mulan meets The Song of Achilles; an accomplished, poetic debut of war and destiny, sweeping across an epic alternate China.

perdueentreleslignes TBR'd a book
5w

The Poppy War
R.F. Kuang
When Rin aced the Keju — the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies — it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard — the most elite military school in Nikan — was even more surprising. But surprises aren’t always good. Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal, unearthly power — an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive — and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school. For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away. Rin’s shamanic powers may be the only way to save her people. But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity ... and that it may already be too late.

I’ll admit I was sometimes a bit bored or lost (especially when they start to travel everywhere really quickly or when too many characters are introduced only three chapters in)… However I’m utterly in love with India Holton writing not only because it’s pretty to read but because it’s so smartly done. All of her books feel like a breath of fresh air especially in a romance industry that feels oversaturated with stereotypical characters, tropes and dynamics ; not only does she mocks those overly done tools but she plays with them to create new and interesting stories !
(+ i’m always up for a good mariage in crisis romance)

perdueentreleslignes finished a book
5w

The Geographer's Map to Romance
India Holton
Geography professors in a failed marriage of convenience inconveniently reconnect for an emergency mission in this swoony historical-fantasy rom-com. Professor Elodie Tarrant is an expert in magic disasters. Nothing fazes her--except her own personal disaster, that is: Professor Gabriel Tarrant, the grumpy, unfriendly man she married for convenience a year ago, whom she secretly loves. Gabriel is also an expert in magic disasters. And nothing fazes him either--except the walking, talking tornado that is his wife. They've been estranged since shortly after their wedding day, but that hasn't stopped him from stoically pining for her. When magic erupts in a small Welsh village, threatening catastrophe for the rest of England, Elodie and Gabriel are accidentally both assigned to the case. With the fate of the country in their hands, they must come together as a team in the face of perilous conditions like explosions, domesticated goats, and only one bed. But this is easier said than done. After all, there's no navigational guide for the geography of the heart.

perdueentreleslignes is interested in reading...
6w

The Geographer's Map to Romance
India Holton
Geography professors in a failed marriage of convenience inconveniently reconnect for an emergency mission in this swoony historical-fantasy rom-com. Professor Elodie Tarrant is an expert in magic disasters. Nothing fazes her--except her own personal disaster, that is: Professor Gabriel Tarrant, the grumpy, unfriendly man she married for convenience a year ago, whom she secretly loves. Gabriel is also an expert in magic disasters. And nothing fazes him either--except the walking, talking tornado that is his wife. They've been estranged since shortly after their wedding day, but that hasn't stopped him from stoically pining for her. When magic erupts in a small Welsh village, threatening catastrophe for the rest of England, Elodie and Gabriel are accidentally both assigned to the case. With the fate of the country in their hands, they must come together as a team in the face of perilous conditions like explosions, domesticated goats, and only one bed. But this is easier said than done. After all, there's no navigational guide for the geography of the heart.

perdueentreleslignes is interested in reading...
6w

Unraveled (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #9.5)
Shannon Messenger
Book 9.5 in the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling Keeper of the Lost Cities series follows fan-favorite Keefe on his adventures in the human world during the events of Stellarlune. While his friends faced their own challenges in Stellarlune, Keefe was in the human world. Where did he go, who did he see…and what shocking secrets were revealed to him? This can’t-miss installment of the series is told entirely from Keefe’s POV and contains crucial clues about truths buried deep in the elvin world.

I’m getting tired of reading about a bunch of characters who are unable to listen to one another, do you know how many pages the whole group spend arguing over Glimmer ? 50 !!!! FIFTY PAGES !!!
I think one of my biggest problems with those books in general is that the author doesn’t seem to really know how everything is supposed to end. Every books a new big thing is created and therefore every little details prior to this one is thrown away : we are constantly hinted that Mr.Forkle has much more identities but we haven’t learn one more since the fourth book, same goes with Sophie’s powers/memories….. That goes without mentioning my biggest pet peeve which is the amount of characters constantly introduced or re-introduced for seemingly no reason up until omg surprise actually the plot of this book revolves around them !
Truthfully I do really like those books and I know that I’m not the ideal audience (my 12 years old self would have loved this one) and I’ll admit that reading the 9 back to back will make you more aware of Messenger’s formula and plot holes (which wouldn’t happen if I had years between each read). Moreover the author generally gives me what I want (big revelation, declaration and shit) but it always feels like crumbs and that what pissed me off the most with this book : you’ll spend pages, chapters even, reading about the characters not listening and arguing about useless things, complain that nothing happen, but when you finally reach the interesting point (Sophie and Fitz trust exercises, looking for keefe, the whole biological parents fiasco, Kenric cache,…) it often feels empty and brushed away, yes maybe I don’t want five chapters about Fitz and Sophie discussing his anger issues but I don’t think one paragraph is enough when we’ve been told it was a big deal and that it would be interesting on a character building point of view.
All in all I’m a bit confused by this book, I was definitely moved by it but I can’t help but be frustrated at the amount of pages spend in useless stuff when I was begging for interesting discussions (I’m tired of being told by the characters that another is an asshole without having the material to form my opinion, cause most times I’ll argue they’re just adult facing angry teenagers…….) and I thought I’d be more hooked by its end but I don’t really think much of it, everything was very much so predictable and I can already picture the first chapters of the next book twisting every conclusion around to shape the plot in a different way.
On a side note : I fucking love how Sophie treats Keefe and I don’t get why everybody accepts to bear the presence of Stina when she arguably more annoying than Lord Cassius.

perdueentreleslignes finished a book
6w

Stellarlune (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #9)
Shannon Messenger
In this stunning ninth book in the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling Keeper of the Lost Cities series, Sophie and her friends discover the true meaning of power—and evil. Sophie Foster changed the game. Now she’s facing impossible choices: When to act. When to trust. When to let go. Her friends are divided and scattered, and the Black Swan wants Sophie to focus on their projects. But her instincts are leading her somewhere else. Stellarlune—and the mysterious Elysian—might be the key to everything. But finding truth in the Lost Cities always requires sacrifice. And as the Neverseen’s plans sharpen into terrifying focus, it appears that everyone has miscalculated. The Lost Cities’ greatest lie could destroy everything. And in the battle that follows, only one thing is certain: nothing will ever be the same.