Quick Reviews

 Before I Do by Sophie Cousens (2022)

Audrey is just hours away from marrying Josh when Fred, Audrey's "one who got away," shows up as a guest at the wedding.  It puts Audrey in a tailspin, wondering if the universe is trying to tell her something, especially when everything else seems to be going wrong with her big day.  I've become a big fan of Cousens' novels - she takes such interesting scenarios and puts great spins on them.  In her newest book, as the chapters move back and forth in time, she explores how Audrey and Fred met and what happened between them, as well as how Audrey and Josh's relationship progressed.  But, it's so much more than that.  There's Audrey's complicated relationship with her mother and her mother's many husbands and boyfriends.  There are some twists that will really make you feel for Audrey and help you understand her a lot better.  At times, the present-day timeline seemed to drag - I just wanted to know what would happen on the wedding day!  However, hang in there because the way the story unfolds is really wonderful.  4 stars 

 

The Lady Tempts an Heir by Harper St. George (2022)

 

In this historical romance, Maxwell Crenshaw has been given an ultimatum by his father to settle down and start a family.  His acquaintance, Lady Helena March, is a widow trying to establish a home for "fallen" women and their children, but her unmarried status is causing donors to shy away.  The two decide to solve both their problems, at least for a little while, with a fake courtship, but their mutual attraction is making it difficult.  I've really been enjoying St. George's Gilded Age Heiresses series, and this was another fantastic addition.  Helena and Max have such great chemistry, and the fact that their lives are already intertwined because of his sisters adds a whole other layer to it.  Helena is definitely a woman ahead of her time, and I loved that Max appreciated this about her and didn't make her feel bad about it, like others in the novel.  Max, too, is a very open-minded and fair businessman, so he and Helena are perfect together.  Even with the strict morals of the time period, this book exudes plenty of steam for those who enjoy it.  I think the ending was perhaps a bit rushed and I wanted to know more about how the Crenshaw family felt about Helena's issues, but who doesn't love a happy ending?  4 stars

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