Blog Tour Review: Daughters of Tuscany by Siobhan Daiko*

*I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity. This review is being posted as part of the Daughters Of Tuscany blog tour hosted by Rachel's Random Resources.

Title: Daughters Of Tuscany
Author: Siobhan Daiko
Genre: Historical Fiction

Trigger warnings:  War, Bombs, Guns, Violence, Executions (Hanging and Firing Squad), References To Rape, References To The Holocaust

Rating:  

Two women, one community, everyone’s war…

With the arrival of English prisoners of war on Marchese Ginori’s farmhouse estate, Rosa is immediately wary. Her husband was killed by the Allies and she will not trust any inglesi around her daughter.

The marchese’s daughter, Emma, is thankful for the extra help. Especially when Italian soldiers are forced into hiding, fleeing the Nazis. Emma vows to protect her childhood best friend, Marco, at any cost.

It’s a dangerous time to be harbouring fugitives, and as the POWs prove their allegiance in helping the Italian men, Rosa begins to become close to one in particular – an alluring Scotsman named Tom.

Both women will do what it takes to protect their loved ones, but daring to hope for a better future in wartime is a dangerous dream. And what starts as a quest to keep their men safe soon turns into a mission to save their whole community…

Daughters of Tuscany is the latest compelling novel from historical fiction author Siobhan Daiko. Exploring themes of love, loss, community and hope, this captivating story is set against the backdrop of the war-torn yet still beautiful valleys of Tuscany and is a must-read for fans of historical fiction.

Siobhan Daiko is undoubtedly one of the standout authors of World War Two fiction whose passion for Italy and telling Italian wartime stories is evident in all of her books. It is actually reading Siobhan’s books that has fuelled a real interest in the fascinating and complex history of Italy in the Second World War for me and she is one of my must-read historical fiction authors so I was very excited to be able to take part in the blog tour for Daughters of Tuscany. I have previously reviewed two of her previous novels here on Yours, Chloe - The Tuscan Orphan and The Girl From Venice – and I will link them at the end of the post.

The tone of the book did feel generally less hard-hitting than other novels we’ve seen from Siobhan Daiko but this actually worked really well. It was brilliant to be able to enjoy her compelling writing in a book which was an overall easier and more light-hearted read, perfect for any time you would like a refreshing break from reading harder-hitting novels, whilst still being able to have the historical theme you’re seeking from this genre. This doesn’t by any means mean that Daughters of Tuscany doesn’t feature some brilliant tension and exploration of darker topics because it definitely does, but these are less frequent than you might expect having read her previous novels.

On a similar note, something I really liked about for Daughters of Tuscany was its focus on how life just had to carry on for those living and working in these remote parts of Italy, despite the war. Their responsibility to farm the land and produce food for their wider communities continued despite the German occupation, their land facing bombardments and seeing their sons, husbands and brothers risking their lives to fight as part of partisan brigades, and this was really well-portrayed. There was a brilliant sense of community in the book with the different families and villages banding together to support one another during the challenges of the German occupation.

Siobhan Daiko’s captivating storytelling made the Tuscan valley setting truly come alive on the page. I was fascinated reading about how they farmed the land and created the produce Italy is known for, with the vivid descriptions of them making olive oil particularly awakening all of my senses. As we’ve come to expect from Siobhan Daiko, her incredible historical subject knowledge is evident throughout the story which has clearly been meticulously researched as history just seeped through the pages.

Something Siobhan Daiko writes exceptionally well is strong female characters, and Emma and Rosa in Daughters of Tuscany are certainly no exception. I liked the choice to write the protagonists as two young women from different backgrounds – with Rosa coming from a farming family who live and work on the estate owned by Emma’s wealthier family – as it showed how the war affected different groups of people in Italy. Emma was particularly courageous throughout the novel, volunteering to walk straight into the lion’s den and engage with one of the German officers to try and protect her community. Both women are able to find unexpected love and these stories were beautifully written. I particularly loved Rosa and Tom’s story, as the portrayal of Rosa gradually opening herself up to love again after the recent death of her husband was particularly powerful and it was beautiful to see Tom gradually became a father figure for Rosa’s daughter.

I potentially would have liked to have seen rough dates included at the beginning of chapters to help us as readers to be able to track the narrative against the timeline of the war, particularly with the story being set around the Liberation of Italy by the Allies, but that’s a minor detail to satisfy my inner history geek.

Overall, Daughters Of Tuscany is a captivating and easy read for fans of World War Two historical fiction. It has further cemented Siobhan Daiko's place as a real must-read author for me within the genre and I already have 'The Girl From Bologna' lined up as one of my next reads.



Review: Regally Binding by Rebecca Chase*

*I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity.

Title: Regally Binding
Author: Rebecca Chase
Genre: Romance

Trigger warnings:  Bomb Threats, Death Threats, Cancer, Death Of A Parent, Drugging, References To Bullying, References To Being Kicked Out By Parents As A Teenager

Rating: 

Spice Level: ðŸŒ¶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (Explicit Open Door)

Liss is an average twenty-something woman with a regular job working in a bar...until the day she learns during a televised broadcast that her grandma had an affair with the king decades ago and she might be his granddaughter.

The dying king's announcement throws Liss into a world of paparazzi, royal parties, and death threats. But it also gives her hope that she could finally be part of a family, something she's wanted her whole life and especially after her mum died when Liss was nineteen. Now she has to decide if she's ready to give up her privacy, safety, and independence to be a princess.

To protect Liss in all this danger and stress is her swoonworthy new bodyguard, Bear. He’s cheeky, grumpy, and has secret tattoos beneath his suits. He’s also stubborn and bossy and clashes with Liss constantly. But Bear has a soft side too. He sits with Liss when she sleeps to make sure she doesn’t have nightmares and buys her stunning ballgowns to make her happy.

It's not long before all the bickering and tension morphs into sizzling hot chemistry. Both Liss and Bear know that giving into their attraction is a terrible idea...but it's getting harder and harder to fight their feelings for each other.

Will Bear keep Liss alive long enough for her to decide her future? And what if the one person keeping her safe is the same person she can’t live without?

Regally Binding is the latest romance novel from author Rebecca Chase, and the first in her new Closest Protection series. Fans of forbidden love, enemies to lovers, forced proximity and a good bodyguard romance, this is the book for you! Add in a found family, a fantastic ‘fuck it’ moment, a protective swoon-worthy ‘touch her and you die’ MMC and lots of banter and you have Regally Binding, a new spicy British romance, perfect for fans of The Princess Diaries and The Bodyguard.

The narrative is very well paced and I easily read the majority of the book in a single sitting. The plot of this book is very well crafted and more complex than your average romance, with Liss not only having to navigate suddenly becoming part of the royal family and her evolving relationship with her bodyguard but also becoming victim to death threats. There’s a mystery element with them trying to work out the identity of the person harassing Liss and also navigating concerns about the health of the king. Rebecca Chase found the perfect balance between these aspects to the plot and the romance, making for a really compelling story. I also loved how very British the story was!

Liss was an excellent protagonist who I really wanted to be friends with! I loved how normal she was, which made the plot of her suddenly being thrust into the royal family and the limelight even more compelling. This book explores grief through Liss having lost her mother – who was a single parent – to cancer. There is also fantastic anxiety and panic attacks representation through Liss and this was one of my favourite things about the book. As a someone who has had both for 15+ years, this representation felt really authentic so it was really powerful.

Bear was a swoon-worthy MMC to say the least. I very quickly fell head over heels in love with him but can you blame me? I particularly loved that he was such a complex character rather than just being the sexy love interest with surface-level characterisation you can often see in romance books, particularly spicy ones. Bear has a really great dynamic with Strike and the exploration of Bear’s backstory and how he found a family with Strike and his parents was really emotive.

Liss and Bear were a brilliant match and the banter between the two of them had me giggling throughout. Their romance builds at a good pace, with lots of sexual tension before the much-anticipated ‘fuck it’ moment. Their chemistry was electric and the spicy scenes were some of the best I’d read in a long while. Dirty talk fans, you’ll eat this up!

You will love Regally Binding if you fancy a read which is the perfect combo of sweet and spicy, especially for those who loved The Princess Diaries as a teenager but now fancy something with (A LOT) more spice!

Review: You or Someone Like You by Winter Renshaw*

*I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity.

Title: You Or Someone Like You
Author: Winter Renshaw
Genre: Romance

Trigger warnings:  Death Of A Spouse, References To A Hit And Run

Rating: 

Spice Level: ðŸŒ¶️🌶️🌶️ (Open Door)   

Being an identical twin has its perks, but when my sister asked me to sub in for a date with Roman Bellisario, I wasn’t exactly thrilled. Sure, he’s sinfully handsome and successful, but he also got me fired from my dream job three years ago.

This time, my sister’s promotion is riding on this date, so I have to say yes. And as it turns out, we’re strangely perfect for each other. I sell art. He collects it. We’re both obsessed with the same obscure, mysterious artist that most people don’t even know exists.

Roman is guarded, though, and I can understand why. He’s a widowed single dad. But as one date leads to another, he starts to let me in, and I can’t help but fall for him.

The problem is Roman still thinks I’m my sister. Is our twin swap going to be the best thing that ever happened to me and Roman—or the lie that tears us apart?

You Or Someone Like You is a contemporary romance from bestselling author Winter Renshaw. This was my first time reading anything from this author and this book had been on my TBR for a long time but I was very quickly captivated by her writing and the story which ultimately ended up being one of my favourite reads of the year so far. The narrative was well-paced and so compelling that I read it in a single sitting.

Sloane was a fantastic protagonist with a big heart and kind soul. How she was so patient with her sister I’ll never know, her calm temperament was admirable. Roman was a fantastic MMC who I quickly fell in love with. His character had so many layers to it which were gradually revealed over the course of the book, as he starts off really grumpy and gradually starts to soften as he falls first and harder for Sloane. He’s a devoted single dad to two daughters (who doesn’t love a girl dad?!) and his love for both them and his late wife shines through his character and everything he does in the book which was a truly beautiful read. The most powerful aspect of the book was Roman navigating trying to make sense of the fact he is developing romantic feelings for someone for the first time since the passing of his late wife. He gradually allows himself to love again and that was beautiful. Reading the author’s afterword brought tears to my eyes as she explains the message behind the book. She wanted anyone who has ever loved and lost – but particularly her own brother – to know that “loving someone new doesn’t mean you love the one you lost any less”.

Their relationship was built at a really good pace, with their connection growing stronger and stronger over the course of the story and them bonding over a shared passion for art. One of my favourite aspects to the story was how mature both Roman and Sloane were, which was a breath of fresh air to see from characters in a romance book. Roman’s eventual realisation about the reality of the fake identity plot was mature and it made the (spoiler alert) third act breakup bearable, even to someone who hates third act breakups with a sweet passion. The eventual spicy scenes were well written and felt realistic.

In terms of supporting characters, Margaux (the real one) was grating to say the least but her selfishness was really well written.

Overall, You Or Someone Like You is a compelling, powerful and heartwarming romance novel exploring learning to love again after loss and finding connections in the most surprising places. It is the first romance in a while which has really hit me right in the feels and is going to stay with me for some time.

Review: The Only Light in London by Lily Graham*

*I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity.

Title: The Only Light In London
Author: Lily Graham
Genre: Historical Fiction

Trigger warnings:  War, Bombs, Antisemitism, References To The Holocaust

Rating: 

She took him in when no one else would. She didn’t expect to fall in love…

London, 1939. When Finley offers her spare room to refugee Sebastien, she sees relief in his haunted eyes. Forced to flee the hatred in Germany, Sebastien has been desperately lonely in his adopted country. Finley lost her father in the last war and feels a stab of empathy for the pain of this thin stranger, separated from his loved ones, far away from home.

At first, Finley and Sebastien are like ships in the night, exchanging bashful goodnights in the corridor. But Finley quickly realises that Sebastien is too terrified to sleep, plagued by thoughts of his smiling little sister being snatched by soldiers. As the London sky darkens with enemy planes, he slowly opens up to her over cups of cocoa in the kitchen.

Every time Sebastien speaks to Finley, she finds herself inching closer to him, and soon love begins to grow. But when he tells her he wants to join the English army, to fight the people who have forced his family to face such horror, she must work hard to crush the devastation in her heart. She knows if she were in his shoes, she would do the same thing, and she must be brave too. She will stay in London, waiting for Sebastien, and helping other refugees like him.

As the bombs rain down, and the London streets empty, she knows she faces grave dangers. But she can’t hide away while the man she loves risks his life. She needs to do anything she can to defeat the enemy they all share. But the last war cost Finley so much. What will this one take?

The Only Light In London is the latest novel from historical fiction author Lily Graham. This was my first time reading anything from this author – despite a number of her other books being on my TBR list – but I was instantly hooked by her compelling storytelling. This is a heartwarming and moving story of community, friendship, found family and finding love in unexpected circumstances.

The narrative is structured really well and is well-paced, making it a really easy read. It was a really interesting choice to feature a prologue which is set around halfway through the timeline of the novel and then jump back in time to start chapter one but it worked really well (although I will flag that October 1940 to March 1939 is a jump of eighteen months, not eight as stated in the book). I enjoyed seeing the build up of the plot to the point featured in the prologue – which is an air raid in October 1940 – knowing what is to come, and the events of the prologue then feature again within the main body of the narrative but in further detail.

The Only Light In London does generally feel more light-hearted than other World War Two historical fiction works of a similar nature. But this did mean it was quite a refreshing break from reading harder-hitting novels, whilst still being able to have the historical aspect. It’s great to see novels which focus more on the mundane lives of ordinary Londoners during wartime but at the same time the story also features key events of the war such as the Kindertransport and the introduction of Britain’s policy of the internment of foreign nationals during the war.

Finley was a brilliant protagonist. She had my heart the second the novel opened with “The bombs were making it impossible to read”! Sebastien was another fantastic character who I warmed to very quickly and I particularly enjoyed exploring his backstory through the occasional flashbacks to his life before he left Germany. There’s a beautiful historical romance within the story between the two of them and this was generally well written. It’s a real slow burn friends to lovers romance, so fans of those tropes will enjoy this. I didn’t always believe their chemistry as much as I wanted to but did enjoy the few romantic tender moments we could to witness the two of them share.

The supporting cast of the other amateur performers, Sebastien’s family and Finley’s mother was brilliant and they were all really interesting characters in themselves who were a real asset to the story. It was amazing to see the drama group members all growing in confidence over the course of the story. I love a found family story and this was a particularly beautiful one, both through the family Sebastien and his sister Katrin find in England and the family the Finley Players find in each other despite being people who probably wouldn’t have crossed paths otherwise.

I would say that the epilogue didn’t necessarily feel like it fit with the rest of the book. Whilst the content was fitting and it was nice to check in with all of the characters and see what had happened to them following the end of the book, the section didn’t flow well. It was very ‘and x did this… and x ended up here…’, which felt out of place with the rest of the novel. I would have preferred an epilogue which covered this content but was more in the style of the rest of the book, perhaps exploring character stories through a conversation between Finley and Sebastien.

Overall, The Only Light In London is a heartwarming and easy read for fans of historical fiction. The moving story of community, friendship, found family and finding love in unexpected circumstances will stay with me for some time.


Review: What’s Her Name: A History of the World in 70 Lost Women by Olivia Meikle and Katie Nelson*

*I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity.

Title: What's Her Name: A History Of The World In 70 Lost Women
Author: Olivia Meikle and Katie Nelson
Genre: Historical Non-Fiction

Trigger warnings:  References To Sexual Assault, War, Execution By Hanging

Rating: 

Journey through thousands of years of human history (now with the women put back in).

From the earliest human civilizations through to the present day, the stories of countless influential women – leaders, artists, warriors, scientists and more – have been ignored, forgotten, or actively suppressed. You may not have encountered the likes of Fatima al-Fihri (an Islamic World visionary who founded the world's first university), Ching Shih (the most successful pirate in history), or Huda Sha'arawi (a pioneering Egyptian feminist leader, suffragist, nationalist, and founder of the Egyptian Feminist Union), but that's about to change.

In What’s Her Name: A History of the World in 80 Lost Women, authors – and sisters – Olivia Meikle and Katie Nelson weave together the captivating stories of these fascinating figures to tell an alternative, enthralling and deeply researched historical narrative. A truly global history, What’s Her Name features biographies of incredible women spanning six continents and thousands of years, from Ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire to imperial China, the Americas and post-war Europe. Drawing on years of study and interviews with dozens of experts, this is an entertaining, thought-provoking look at the trailblazing women you may not have heard of (but should have).

What’s Her Name: A History Of The World In 70 Lost Women is a new history book from the hosts of the What’s Her Name history podcast Katie Nelson and Olivia Meikle.

Starting from the Stone Age and taking us on a historical journey right through to modern day, there’s something for everyone. With the role of women consistently underrepresented in history books, it was great to be introduced to eighty women who have played significant roles in historical events and time periods yet have been largely forgotten by time. I’d only actually heard of two of the eighty women prior to reading so was fascinated by their stories and it was great to see women from all walks of life represented. There is also fantastic imagery to illustrate the points.

I was more engaged with the second half of the book than the first but that’s purely personal preference as my interest generally lies more with modern history than ancient history. It was an easy book to dip in and out of over the course of a few weeks and it did prompt me to enter an internet research hole looking deeper into the stories of some of the women. I would have perhaps liked the further reading lists to have been longer, and shared at the end of each specific section rather than just in a full bibliography at the end.

Unfortunately, there were times when it felt like the information was being dumbed down and explained through pop culture references (such as likening a grand ancient debate to a Facebook fight), as surely that’s the only way the average female brain could understand more complex historical concepts. Whilst on one hand I could understand this as an attempt to make history accessible to a wider range of women, it generally just felt like an insult to female intelligence in what should have been an empowering book written by female historians.

The general tone of the book is very chatty, I’m assuming in an attempt to keep in the tone of the podcast, and this didn’t always work unfortunately. I also didn’t like the use of frequent “what if” and “what do you think happened?” sections. Although a bit of speculation is always good and part of the course with a history book as we don’t know the answer to everything, this took it a bit too far.

I would particularly recommend this book to YA readers interested in history or anyone who wants a non-fiction history book which is easy to dip in and out of.

Review: The Love Algorithm by Camilla Isley*

*I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity.

Title: The Love Algorithm
Author: Camilla Isley
Genre: Romance

Trigger warnings:  Absent Parents

Rating: 

Spice Level: ðŸŒ¶️🌶️ (Closed Door) 

At 28, with a Ph.D under her belt and a meteoric rise to head of Research and Development at Mercer Robotics, Reese feels her decision to put her career first has worked out pretty well for her. Sure, she doesn’t have many personal relationships to speak of, but she does love her team and they like her too.

So when she’s called to the Big Boss’s office and told she will be looking after his son while he does a rotation in her lab, she’s not thrilled that her hard work and achievements have boiled down to being a glorified babysitter – especially to a billionaire playboy with zero experience of mechanical engineering.

But then tall, blond Thomas walks into her office, and Reese realizes this assignment is going to be even harder than she thought. Because the CEO’s son is not only extraordinarily gorgeous, chiseled, and charming… he’s also on course to become her new boss one day, and so extraordinarily out of bounds. As the pair get to know each other, can Reese hold her nerve and her beliefs, or will she fall victim to the billionaire charm?

The Love Algorithm is the latest romantic comedy novel from author Camilla Isley. This is the third instalment of her True Love Series and although it was my first time reading anything from the author I was instantly hooked by her engaging writing style. Fans of enemies to lovers, forced proximity and workplace romances this is the book for you! Add in a woman in STEM protagonist, only one bed, lots of geeky references and a witty robot and you have The Love Algorithm.

Our story is told through a perfectly-paced dual POV narrative which worked really well as we got to experience the yearning from both Reese and Thomas’ perspectives. Thomas falls first and harder in the story and this was wonderful to read. Although this is part of a series, and features characters introduced in earlier books, it works well as a standalone too.

Reese was a fantastic FMC. She was so intelligent – we love to see a woman in STEM! – and feisty. I also loved Thomas as a MMC. He was so respectful and charming and the flirting through handwritten notes hidden around Reese’s office was EVERYTHING. I will say though that I did roll my eyes towards the end of the book when his response to being called a man child was to throw a tantrum, aka the most man child thing to do, but I’ll forgive him for being so dreamy for the rest of the book.

Reese and Thomas had electric chemistry from their first meeting. The sexual tension between the two of them was very well written, especially in the hotel scenes. They had brilliant banter (the Star Wars jokes had me giggling throughout!) and I was rooting for them from the beginning. I will say though that given how significant the sex tape was to the plot I would have liked to have seen a bit of spice, rather than it being closed-door but that’s just personal preference.

As much as I loved Reese and Thomas though, it was Reese’s robot K-2P who was my favourite character and he played a great role in their matchmaking. Reese’s colleagues at Mercer Robotics were brilliant supporting characters, as were Thomas’ family who I look forward to reading more about in the other books in the series.

Overall, The Love Algorithm is perfect if you’re after an easy feel-good romance which is packed full of your favourite tropes and lots of geeky elements.

Review: Lavash At First Sight by Taleen Voskuni*

*I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity.

Title: Lavash At First Sight
Author: Taleen Voskuni
Genre: LGBTQIA+ Romance

Trigger warnings:  Toxic Work Environment, Difficult Family Relationships

Rating: 

Spice Level: ðŸŒ¶️🌶️ (Closed Door)  

Twenty-seven year old Nazeli ‘Ellie’ Gregorian likes the prestige of her tech marketing job but hates the condescending Patagonia-clad tech bros, her micromanaging boss, and, now, her ex-boyfriend. Who dumped her. At work.

So when Ellie's lovingly overbearing parents send her to attend a conference in Chicago, she's eager for the distraction. While she's there, she just has to help their company, Hagop's Fine Armenian Foods, win a huge award and get a free Superbowl ad. No big deal.

Within minutes at the conference, she meets witty, devil-may-care Vanya Simonian. The sparks fly as they get to know each other – both Armenian! From the Bay Area! Whose families are into food! But their meet-cute is cut short when Ellie’s parents recognize Vanya as the daughter of their greatest rivals – the Simonian family whose mission (according to Ellie's mother) is to whitewash and repackage Armenian food for the American health-food crowd.

Sworn as enemies, Ellie and Vanya must play to win the award by the week’s end – while keeping their feelings secret . . .

Lavash At First Sight is the latest romance novel from author Taleen Voskuni. After reading and loving her first novel Sorry, Bro last year (click here to read my review) I was highly anticipating the release of Lavash At First Sight but unfortunately it missed the mark for me.

To start by discussing the aspects of the story I did like, as with Sorry, Bro I enjoyed the bisexual rep and the exploration of both Ellie and Vanya’s parent’s attitudes to them being queer. It was also nice to see the celebration of Armenian culture that's briefly sprinkled throughout the story but I really wanted more of this as it was the thing which would really set this book apart from others.

Unfortunately, that is where my praise for the book ends. The plot primarily takes place over the course of a weekend but it was very slow paced and I felt like I was crawling through it by the end. Although the book is marketed as a romance novel it really actually lacked any proper romance plot. The plot was primarily just about Ellie attending a food packaging conference with her parents, taking part in a competition to win a free Superbowl ad and then gradually realising she wanted to leave her corporate job and join the family business. Any romantic aspect was quite flat and felt like an after-thought by the author. This was ultimately really disappointing as I loved the romance story in Sorry, Bro so had high hopes for this book too. I did also get quite tired of the conference setting very quickly. The competition element added a bit more excitement but it felt very repetitive in the end.

Ellie was a fundamentally unlikeable protagonist. She had no likeable qualities, little personality outside of her corporate job and very little character development over the course of the story. Vanya also felt like quite a two-dimensional character whose only discernible personality trait was being sexually attractive to our protagonist.

I didn’t find myself rooting for Ellie and Vanya at all, they really lacked chemistry and we didn’t get much relationship building. The fact that their relationship was forbidden due to their parents being enemies added a bit of an interesting element but it wasn’t enough to stop the romance feeling quite flat. This is a closed-door romance which meant that the author almost needed to work harder to write relationship building scenes which have us buy into the chemistry but this wasn’t achieved at all.

Unfortunately Lavash At First Sight was a disappointing read for me.

Review: Romancing the Drylander by Remy Sinclair*

*I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity.

Title: Romancing The Drylander
Author: Remy Sinclair
Genre: Romance

Trigger warnings:  Death Of A Spouse, References To Cancer

Rating: 

Spice Level: ðŸŒ¶️ (Only Kisses) 

Can Love Bloom in the Dusty Trails of Drylanders' Hope?

Isabelle "Izzy" Montgomery has achieved everything she dreamed of - a high-powered career, big-city penthouse, and financial success. But when she's sent to tiny Drylanders' Hope, Texas to restructure a failing cattle ranch, her perfectly cultivated world turns upside down.

Ethan Walker, a ruggedly handsome widowed cowboy, is convinced this corporate city-slicker has come to destroy the community's beloved ranch and their entire way of life. He's prepared to fight for the traditions and faith that sustained his family for generations.

From their very first encounter, the spark between Izzy and Ethan cannot be denied. But it will take insurmountable courage to bridge the vast divide between their clashing worlds. As Izzy adapts to life on the ranch, an unexpected romance blossoms, challenging her to rethink her priorities.

Ethan is drawn to Izzy's tenacious spirit, but he refuses to risk his heart again. When corporate greed threatens to shatter their budding relationship and tear the community apart, Izzy and Ethan must confront their pasts and take a leap of faith. In a race against time, they'll need to rally the townsfolk and fight for not just their love, but the very future of Drylanders' Hope itself.

Romancing The Drylander is the latest romance novella from author Remy Sinclair. It’s a clean cowboy romance perfect for anyone wanting a short and sweet romantic read.

Remy Sinclair has a really descriptive writing style and her vivid descriptions made the Texan setting come alive on the page.  Our story is told through a third person dual POV narrative and it was nice to see both Izzy and Ethan’s stories explored. Ethan’s story was particularly interesting as we explore his grief after being widowed at a young age when his high school sweetheart lost her life following a cancer battle. I quickly warmed to Ethan’s character and it was great to see him grow over the course of the book from grumpy cowboy to someone open to love again. Izzy was another brilliant character and I enjoyed the exploration of her reconnecting with her roots and finding a true home in Drylanders' Hope. There is also a fantastic cast of supporting characters in the Drylanders' Hope community, all of whom were really interesting to read about.

As you can expect with a romance novella, this is a very fast-burn story and Izzy and Ethan’s relationship progresses very quickly over the course of a few weeks. We do still get a good amount of relationship building scenes though which was nice to see. I perhaps would have liked even more, just to get us really rooting for their relationship, and it would have been nice to also have an epilogue exploring their relationship later down the line.

There is a heavy Christian element to the story which I wasn’t expecting. Although as someone who isn’t particularly religious I clearly wasn’t the target audience, I’m sure this will appeal to anyone who likes to read clean romances with Christian messaging. This is a clean romance with nothing more than kisses.

Overall, Romancing The Drylander is a quick and easy read, perfect for anyone who wants a cowboy romance without any spice. 

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