Review: The Island Girls by Rachel Sweasey*

 *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 The Island Girls blog tour hosted by Rachel's Random Resources.

Title: The Island Girls
Author: Rachel Sweasey
Genre: Historical Fiction

Trigger warnings:  War, Bombs, Guns, Death Of A Spouse, Death Of A Child, References To Rape, References To Domestic Abuse/Violence, References To Cancer

Rating:  

1941: For the townspeople of Poole on the Dorset coast, the war feels like it's right on their doorstep. And with more and more men leaving to fight, one fisherman’s daughter is determined to do whatever she can to help. Peggy volunteers to use her skills on the water to work with the flying boats alongside the RAF based in the harbour. But when she is asked to undertake a special mission, she will have to make a terrible choice – between her duty to her country and her only chance of happiness.

1998: Rebekah has travelled halfway around the world to take up a role on Brownsea Island. This tiny island off the coast of England is a treasure trove of natural wonder, but it still carries the scars of fighting. And when Rebekah discovers a lost letter from the war, hidden all this time, she becomes determined to deliver it, fifty years later.

But the idyllic Dorset harbour hides many more secrets, and Rebekah’s search for the truth will change her life in ways she never imagined possible…

The Island Girls is the latest compelling historical fiction novel from author Rachel Sweasey. This is a beautiful story exploring themes of love, sacrifice, secrets and fresh starts, all set against the backdrop of Dorset in both wartime and the 1990s.

Our narrative is made up of multiple timelines sharing the stories of multiple people, all of which interweave. It was fun to try and piece the stories together gradually as the novel progresses, predicting how the different individuals we meet were connected. The story does primarily focus on two women: Peggy – in 1941 – and Rebekah – in 1998. They were brilliant strong female characters and both women have a romantic arc to their individual stories which was a really nice addition.  

This was my first time reading anything from Rachel Sweasey but her engaging writing style had me hooked from the prologue and now I’m looking forward to reading her other books. The narrative was well paced and the split between the different timelines was perfect. The history was all well-researched and provided a really interesting insight into the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and the work they did during the war.

The Island Girls does generally feel more light-hearted than other World War Two historical fiction works of a similar nature. Whilst there are still lots of gripping moments and touches of darker topics – outlined in the content warnings at the beginning of my review – the setting of the home front and multi-timeline aspect means that this is ideal for historical fiction readers who want a refreshing break from reading harder-hitting novels in the genre, whilst not sacrificing the compelling writing style and history-packed narrative we love the genre for.

Rachel Sweasey’s love for her hometown of Poole was clear through her vivid setting descriptions of the beautiful landscape of the Dorset coast, particularly around Brownsea Island.  Similarly to Dorset (where the majority of the narrative is set) the other settings we visit – Rotterdam and Brisbane respectively – were also described in a truly beautiful way which made each setting come alive on the page.

Overall, The Island Girls is a brilliant addition to the historical fiction genre. This beautiful story, spanning multiple decades and continents, is a must-read and one which will stay with readers for some time. 


Review: The One That Got Away by Olivia Spring*

*I received a copy of this book in eBook format 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 The One That Got Away blog tour hosted by Rachel's Random Resources.

Title: The One That Got Away
Author: Olivia Spring
Genre: Romance

Trigger warnings:  References to Death Of A Parent

Rating: 

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

What if the one who got away is really the one?

When Stella finds herself back home with a string of disastrous dates under her belt, she's certain she’s hit rock bottom. Until she discovers her mother has signed her up to The Love Hotel: a luxury matchmaking service where a perfect love match is guaranteed! Stella is adamant she'll have nothing to do with this nonsense! But then a match is found faster than she can say 'Not.A.Chance!' So, how bad can two weeks in the scorching Spanish sunshine be?

Very bad, actually. Because when Stella arrives, she’s mortified to learn her date is no perfect stranger. In fact she knows him a little too well. Because Max is the childhood sweetheart who broke her heart, who her heart remembers and who is more gorgeous than ever.

With no refunds, Stella reluctantly decides to stay and enjoy the holiday - all she has to do is keep Max at an arm’s length...right? Easier said than done when Max is impossible to ignore. And as the Love Hotel begins to work its matchmaking magic, Stella can't deny that the sparks still sizzle between them. And maybe, the experts were right afterall...

The One That Got Away is the latest romantic comedy from author Olivia Spring. Fans of a second chance romance this one is for you! Add in many of your other favourite romance tropes including forced proximity, only one bed (or villa in this case) and friends with benefits, all set in the beautiful Spanish sunshine and you have The One That Got Away: the perfect beach read.

I’ll admit that prior to reading The One That Got Away, second chance romance was one of my least favourite romance tropes but Olivia Spring has successfully convinced otherwise. I really enjoyed the concept of Stella and Max being each other’s first loves and (to quote the book’s title) the one that got away, who fate decides to reconnect several years down the line.

This story is told through a dual POV first person narrative and this worked absolutely beautifully. The chapters were short and snappy, with a single scene often taking place across multiple chapters which alternated between Stella and Max’s POVs. I loved getting to see both of their perspectives on a single moment, it suited the plot perfectly. This was a really quick read which I flew through in a single sitting, no doubt thanks to Oliva Spring’s engaging writing style and loveable characters.

Stella was an absolutely brilliant FMC and I warmed to her instantly, particularly when she shared her love of steamy romances. Max was the perfect MMC: gorgeous, charismatic, a gentleman and a total sweetheart. If you’re a sucker for a MMC who makes kind gestures – both smaller and grand gestures – you will adore him just as much as I did.

Stella and Max had fantastic chemistry and the flirting was off the charts. There was many a spicy scene, which were all excellent and I adored the fact that the dual POV narrative allowed us to see these scenes from both perspectives. The way Max talked about Stella in these moments – and throughout the entire novel to be honest – was truly beautiful. It was also brilliant to see aftercare represented following the spicier scenes rather than the chapter ending when the sex does.

The Love Hotel was a brilliant premise, perfect for fans of the First Dates Hotel TV show. The eccentric job titles for the staff working at the hotel had me giggling throughout, with a particular shoutout going to ‘suitcase superintendent’. I also really liked their ‘Love Alchemist’ (aka their own person cupid) Jasmine and the way she created opportunities for Stella and Max’s relationship to blossom.

Overall, The One That Got Away is absolutely perfect if you’re after an easy and quick read which is packed full of your favourite romance tropes and a whole lot of spice. It will make the perfect beach read so is a must-have in your next holiday suitcase.




Review: A Lady's Lesson in Scandal by Darcy McGuire*

*I received a copy of this book in eBook format 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 A Lady's Lesson In Scandal blog tour hosted by Rachel's Random Resources.

Title: A Lady's Lesson In Scandal
Author: Darcy McGuire
Genre: Historical Romance

Trigger warnings:  Sex Trafficking, Hanging Frequent References to Torture, Abuse By Parents,
Physical Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Homophobia, References To Death Of A Parent, Brief References To Death Of A Sibling, Implied Sexual Abuse By A Parent (of a side character)

Rating: 

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

Wallflower at risk of ruin…

Secret femme-fatale in training Millicent Whittenburg needs to escape her unpleasant betrothal. Taking matters into her own hands, she plans her eventual ruin! Then she can disappear from society to carry out the Queen’s deadly missions. Step 1: seduce the one man who despises marriage more than her!

However, she hugely underestimates her target. Major General Beaufort Drake. Fearsome private investigator, he’s notoriously cold and visibly battle scarred. But Millie’s scandalously public kiss awakens a deeply suppressed desire in Drake. Instead of allowing them both to succumb to shame he does the unthinkable, and offers for her hand in a convenient marriage.

Nothing prepares them for the fireworks when a fearless damsel collides with a dangerous Major General! And as their secret missions align they face their hardest test on the glittering battlefield – a week long wedding house party where there is nowhere to escape…only new and wicked lessons to be learnt!

A Lady's Lesson in Scandal is the latest historical romance from author Darcy McGuire and the second instalment of her series The Queen's Deadly Damsels. This novel is the perfect blend of the historical romance and crime thriller genres, set against the backdrop of Victorian England. Packed full of strong female characters and page-turning drama, in this beautiful age-gap romance we see a swoon-worthy ex-soldier, who bears both physical and mental battle scars, meet his match in an intelligent and witty wallflower who has her own secrets: she’s a secret femme-fatale in training for Queen Victoria herself.

This was my first time reading anything from Darcy McGuire and I was completely enthralled by her compelling writing style to the point that I could barely put the book down and read it in nearly a single sitting. Darcy McGuire has an incredible storytelling ability and her brilliant world building made the setting come alive on the page, remaining authentic to the time period in which the book is set. All of the beautifully written characters were so complex and I loved the choices to include little snippets of first-person writing throughout the narrative as insights into Millie and Beau’s internal dialogue amongst the rest of the third-person narrative, it really helped to make them really multidimensional characters we are readers could really connect with. The narrative was perfect-paced narrative which took so many unexpected twists and turns I really had no idea what would come next, particularly with regards to the crime element of the plot.

Millie was an absolutely brilliant protagonist and the definition of as strong female character. She was strong-willed, so intelligent and really fought against societal expectations of her because of her gender. I warmed to her instantly and it was brilliant to see her grow throughout the book. Our MMC is Major General Beaufort Drake, known to his friends as Beau. He was a beautifully written and very complex character I’d challenge any reader not to fall in love with immediately; I know I definitely did. He was the perfect match for Millie and I loved the many similarities we gradually began to see between the two of them, including their past traumas, and the way this formed the foundations for their relationship. They had brilliant banter, constantly verbally sparring throughout the book. If as a reader you love the trope of a MMC really looking after a FMC you will particularly adore Beau and this formed some of my favourite scenes in the entire book. This is a spicy romance and this aspect to the plot was beautifully written. I also loved how the characters navigated their different experiences levels when it came to intimacy and getting to see Beau introduce Millie to her own sexual pleasure.

Millie is just one of a whole host of strong female characters we see throughout A Lady's Lesson in Scandal and a particular shoutout must be given to Lady Philippa Winterbourne, Millie’s mentor and one of my favourite characters I’ve ever met in a book. I also particularly adored young Billy as a supporting character and he had me smiling every time he appeared in a scene. Darcy McGuire also writes antagonists incredibly well. Whilst I won’t go into detail about some of the antagonists and risk spoiling the whodunnit element, I will say that the character of Patricia was particularly vile. She is Millie’s cruel, heartless and abusive stepmother (please see the content warnings at the beginning of this review) who made me shudder every time she appeared on the page.

Although this is the second book in the The Queen's Deadly Damsels series, this was my introduction to it and to Darcy McGuire’s writing as a whole. It does still work fantastically as a standalone story but it has also made me really excited to read the first book ‘The Secret Life of a Lady’ to delve deeper into the romance of Lady Hannah Simmons and Duke Robert Killian, who both played supporting roles in the plot of this book. I am also now eagerly anticipating the release of the third book which is due to be published next year. I do already have my predictions for who this next book will feature as a protagonist and I’m very excited to see where Darcy McGuire takes the rest of the series.

Overall, A Lady's Lesson in Scandal is bar far the best historical romance we’ve seen this year and an absolute must-read for fans of the genre, especially those who are also partial to a crime thriller plotline that keeps you on your toes throughout.


Review: You Had Me at Chateau by Portia MacIntosh*

*I received a copy of this book in eBook format 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 You Had Me At Chateau blog tour hosted by Rachel's Random Resources.

Title: You Had Me At Chateau
Author: Portia MacIntosh
Genre: Romance

Trigger warnings:  Parent Divorce

Rating: 

Spice Level: ðŸŒ¶️🌶️ (Closed Door)

Romantic comedy writer Amber Page is stuck in a rut.

After her editor tells her she needs to "up the spice" in her books (literally Amber's worst nightmare...), she is at a crossroads of what to do with her career.

When the opportunity arises to go on a writer's retreat at an exclusive château in the beautiful French Alps, Amber reluctantly agrees, hoping a change of scenery will help with inspiration.

While she tries and fails to spice up her writing - with the unhelpful guidance of the eccentric romance writers at the château - she meets two leading men who cause her own real-life romantic comedy to unfold...

You Had Me at Chateau is the latest romantic comedy from bestselling author Portia MacIntosh. This is the perfect cosy wintery read packed full of all of your favourite romance tropes and a bookish theme.

This was my first time reading anything from Portia MacIntosh, despite many of her books being on my TBR, but I was instantly hooked by her engaging writing style. This novel is a really easy and quick read thanks to its perfectly paced narrative and really cosy feel.

The vivid setting descriptions made the beautiful settings of the French Alps ski resort and cosy château come alive on the page. I really felt like I was curled up in front of the roaring fire in Amber’s room with the beautiful snowy landscape just outside.

Portia MacIntosh has created a brilliant protagonist in Amber, who felt really real and relatable. The subplot with her family issues added a really interesting layer to her character which I wasn’t initially expecting but thought was really well written. Some of the situations she found herself in created perfect comedic moments which had me giggling away.

Amber finds herself in a love triangle with reality star turned influencer Caleb and the charming French Henri who works at the hotel. She had brilliant chemistry with both love interests and I loved the flirting and banter we saw in their interactions. Through these romantic plots we see many of the romance tropes Amber has previously written about in her books playing out in real life. This includes fake dating, only one bed, meet cutes, forced proximity, miscommunication and friends to lovers. Although the topic of spice in romance books is at the forefront of the plot, and there are regular references to things of this nature, this is a closed-door romance.

I often find myself torn between both MMCs in a love triangle scenario but in this case it was the swoon worthy Caleb who had my heart from his very first appearance. I loved that his character was really fleshed out beyond him being the stereotypical reality star turned influencer sort, giving him real substance. But similarly to him, all of the supporting characters were well written and added so much to the story.

Overall, You Had Me At Chateau is the perfect easy-read romantic comedy to cosy up with this winter.

Review: Sisters of the Resistance by Jina Bacarr*

 *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 Sisters Of The Resistance blog tour hosted by Rachel's Random Resources.

Title: Sisters Of The Resistance
Author: Jina Bacarr
Genre: Historical Fiction

Trigger warnings:  Rape, Sexual Assault, Sexual Violence, War, Antisemitism, The Holocaust, Guns, References To Suicide

Rating:    

Paris, 1942: Two sisters in Paris had their lives torn apart. Now they must choose – save themselves, or fight the Nazis to the very end…

I’d given up everything to fight for the Resistance. But nothing prepared me for discovering my sister was a traitor. Kept by a Nazi SS officer, outwardly she barely resembles my beloved Justine anymore.

But I guessed her secret. About her beautiful, fragile little child. The baby she’ll do anything to protect. And I believe that deep down she still knows what is right.

As the Nazis threaten everything we ever held dear, I know I have one chance. I must convince her to betray the evil she seems to have chosen. I need her to find her true self once more.

Because I need her to join the fight…

Could you choose your country – and what is right – over the person you once loved more than anyone in the world?

Unmissable, heartbreaking, gripping WW2 fiction, perfect for fans of Soraya M. Lane, Ellie Midwood and Jean Grainger.

Sisters of the Resistance is the latest novel from historical fiction author Jina Bacarr and the gripping finale to her Wartime Paris Sisters series. This is an incredibly powerful and hard-hitting story about sexual violence during the Second World War, set in Nazi-occupied Paris.

I had the privilege of taking part in the blog tour for the first book in the series Sisters At War back in 2023 (click here to read my review) and it was one of my standout reads from the year so I had high hopes for this second and final instalment and it certainly did not disappoint.

Although this is the second book in a duology, you don’t need to have read Sisters At War to be able to follow the story. Jina Bacarr has done a wonderful job of starting this book in a way which reintroduces the story to previous readers and brings new readers up to speed on the heartbreaking experiences of the Beaufort sisters. I’ve never before seen a sequel open in a way which recaps the earlier events in such a thorough yet captivating way, starting exactly where the previous story finished; it was a brilliant start to the book. Whilst this book can be read as a standalone, I would still highly highly recommend reading Sisters At War too to experience this heartbreaking story in it’s entirety.

Sisters of the Resistance is told through a dual POV narrative, sharing the perspectives of both Justine and Eve. The plot was perfectly paced and gripping from the very beginning. Jina Bacarr writes tension beautifully and takes the reader on an emotional journey through so many twists and turns. I read the majority of the book in a single sitting as I just couldn’t put it down.

Justine and Eve were fantastic strong female protagonists with so much depth to them. They both really mature over the course of the two books, but particularly within this one. It’s heartbreaking that they, like millions of other young adults impacted by the Second World War, were forced to grow up far too quickly due to their horrific wartime experiences. The sisters are both so courageous and I really enjoyed the historical romance plots they each hand.

As the focus of Sisters of the Resistance (and the earlier book Sisters At War) is the horrific experiences of sexual violence and rape that was the reality for so many women in Nazi-occupied countries, it is an incredibly hard-hitting story. It’s very clear throughout (and explored in the author’s afterword) that Jina Bacarr has drawn on her own traumatic experiences in writing Justine’s story and this has created a very raw and powerful narrative which brought tears to my eyes on several occasions. In Sisters of the Resistance we see Justine beginning to overcome the shame and fear she had experienced since she was first raped and this was particularly powerful, especially towards the end of the book when she begins to use her experiences to support other women.

Overall, Sisters of the Resistance is yet another really powerful story from Jina Bacarr and a brilliant ending to the gut-wrenching series. This is a truly must-read novel for Second World War historical fiction readers.

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