Category Archives: Fiction – Light

March 16, 2023 · 2:32 pm

A Perfect Equation – Elizabeth Everett

A Perfect Equation – Elizabeth Everett

We had a long weekend (Labour Day?) and I wanted something fun to read. A Love by Design was recommended, but that hasn’t been released in Australia yet, so I went with this, the second novel of The Secret Scientists of London series (having not read the first one, but that didn’t matter).

Here’s the blurb …

How do you solve the Perfect Equation? Add one sharp-tongued mathematician to an aloof, handsome nobleman. Divide by conflicting loyalties and multiply by a daring group of women hell-bent on conducting their scientific experiments. The solution is a romance that will break every rule.

Six years ago, Miss Letitia Fenley made a mistake, and she’s lived with the consequences ever since. Readying herself to compete for the prestigious Rosewood Prize for Mathematics, she is suddenly asked to take on another responsibility—managing Athena’s Retreat, a secret haven for England’s women scientists. Having spent the last six years on her own, Letty doesn’t want the offers of friendship from other club members and certainly doesn’t need any help from the insufferably attractive Lord Greycliff.

Lord William Hughes, the Viscount Greycliff cannot afford to make any mistakes. His lifelong dream of becoming the director of a powerful clandestine agency is within his grasp. Tasked with helping Letty safeguard Athena’s Retreat, Grey is positive that he can control the antics of the various scientists as well as manage the tiny mathematician—despite their historic animosity and simmering tension.

As Grey and Letty are forced to work together, their mutual dislike turns to admiration and eventually to something… magnetic. When faced with the possibility that Athena’s Retreat will close forever, they must make a choice. Will Grey turn down a chance to change history, or can Letty get to the root of the problem and prove that love is the ultimate answer?

This was great; witty, well-written, obviously well-researched. I’m looking forward to the next one.

A review

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February 20, 2023 · 3:15 pm

The Nonesuch – Georgette Heyer

The Nonesuch – Georgette Heyer

I do like a good regency romance and no one does it better than Georgette Heyer. A friend mentioned that had recently read this one, and I thought I must re-read it.

Here’s the blurb …

At the age of five-and-thirty, Sir Waldo Hawkridge, wealthy, handsome, eligible, illustrious, and known as the nonesuch for his athletic prowess, and when he comes north to inspect his unusual inheritance at Broom hall in the West Riding, his arrival leads to the most entertaining of ramifications. When they learned that Sir Waldo was coming, the village gentry were thrown into a flurry. The famed sportsman himself! Heir to an uncounted fortune, and a leader of London society! The local youths idolized “the Nonesuch”; the fathers disapproved; and the mothers and daughters saw him as the most eligible–and elusive–man in the kingdom.

While there, he meets Tiffany Wield, a positively dazzling young heiress who is entirely selfish and possessed of a frightful temper, as well as her far more elegant companion-governess. Twenty-eight year old Ancilla Trent had put away any and all thoughts of romance when she became a governess, and at first she could only be amused at the fuss over Sir Waldo. Can Sir Waldo convince the practical Miss Trent that it is not above her station as a governess to fall in love with him?

This is one of her novels where the heroine is a bit older (26 as opposed to 18) and sensible, which I prefer to the young flighty heroines. It has all the things that makes a Heyer novel so good; regency slang, beautiful heiresses, worried mothers, and beautiful manners.

A review

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December 28, 2022 · 5:37 pm

A Duke in Shining Armour – Loretta Chase

A Duke in Shining Armor – Loretta Chase

I got this one from the library. I have already read Ten Things I Hate about the Duke, which I enjoyed. This one was lots of fun too.

Here’s the blurb…

Not all dukes are created equal. Most are upstanding members of Society. And then there’s the trio known as Their Dis-Graces.

Hugh Philemon Ancaster, seventh Duke of Ripley, will never win prizes for virtue. But even he draws the line at running off with his best friend’s bride. All he’s trying to do is recapture the slightly inebriated Lady Olympia Hightower and return her to her intended bridegroom.

For reasons that elude her, bookish, bespectacled Olympia is supposed to marry a gorgeous rake of a duke. The ton is flabbergasted. Her family’s ecstatic. And Olympia? She’s climbing out of a window, bent on a getaway. But tall, dark, and exasperating Ripley is hot on her trail, determined to bring her back to his friend. For once, the world-famous hellion is trying to do the honorable thing.

So why does Olympia have to make it so deliciously difficult for him . . . ?

It’s witty, fun and well-researched. Imagine a sexy Georgette Heyer novel.

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November 24, 2022 · 8:46 pm

Going Rogue – Janet Evanovich

Going Rogue – Janet Evanovich

This is the twenty ninth book in the Stephanie Plum series, an amazing achievement.

Here’s the blurb …

Monday mornings aren’t supposed to be fun, but they should be predictable. However, on this particular Monday, Stephanie Plum knows that something is amiss when she turns up for work at Vinnie’s Bail Bonds to find that longtime office manager Connie Rosolli, who is as reliable as the tides in Atlantic City, hasn’t shown up.

Stephanie’s worst fears are confirmed when she gets a call from Connie’s abductor. He says he will only release her in exchange for a mysterious coin that a recently murdered man left as collateral for his bail. Unfortunately, this coin, which should be in the office—just like Connie—is nowhere to be found.

The quest to discover the coin, learn its value, and save Connie will require the help of Stephanie’s Grandma Mazur, her best pal Lula, her boyfriend Morelli, and hunky security expert Ranger. As they get closer to unraveling the reasons behind Connie’s kidnapping, Connie’s captor grows more threatening and soon Stephanie has no choice but to throw caution to the wind, follow her instincts, and go rogue.

If you have read any of these novels, then you know what to expect. They’re racy and pacy, with laugh out loud moments. Very fun and quick to read.

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June 6, 2022 · 1:59 pm

Fromage – Sally Scott

Fromage – Sally Scott

A friend dropped this on my doorstep. I thought she thought I would like to read it, but she thought I had lent it to her and she was returning it to me. Anyway, we tracked down who it actually belonged to and all agreed that I should read it.

Here’s the blurb …

Journalist Alex Grant is enjoying the last days of her summer holiday in Croatia when she is accosted by an old school friend, Marie Puharich, and her odious brother, Brian, both there to attend the funeral of their fearsome grandfather’s two loyal retainers. The only upside of the whole sorry business is meeting Marco, the family’s resident adonis. An incorrigible foodie, Alex is unable to resist Brian’s invitation to visit the family creamery in Australia’s south-west to snoop around for stories and eat her body weight in brie. But trouble has a way of finding Alex, not least because her curiosity is the size of a giant gouda wheel. What begins as a country jaunt in search of a juicy story will end in death, disaster and the destruction of multiple pairs of shoes.

This was a fun read, with a lot of cheese and shoes. It’s always fun to read about places you know – Margaret River, Grace Town, etc. I look forward to the next Alex Grant mystery.

Here’s a review from the Westerly Magazine

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April 22, 2022 · 1:37 pm

The Year I Met You – Cecelia Ahern

The Year Met You – Cecelia Ahern

I bought this novel from Kmart – it was in the $5 section. I expected a light, easy to read, romance, but it wasn’t that. There was a bit of romance, but it’s mostly about friendship and finding your way when things are tough. I found it compelling, I kept finding opportunities to read it. ‘Yes, you go snorkeling and I will sit on the beach and watch’.

Here’s the blurb …

A thoughtful, captivating and ultimately uplifting novel from this uniquely talented author

Jasmine know two things: one, she loves her vulnerable sister unconditionally, and will fight to the death to protect her from anyone who upsets her. Two, she’s only ever been good at one thing – her job helping business start-ups.

So when she’s sacked and put on gardening leave, Jasmine realises that she has nothing else to fill her life. Insomnia keeps her staring out of her bedroom window, and she finds herself watching the antics of her neighbour, shock jock Matt, with more than a casual eye. Matt is also taking a forced leave of absence from work, after one of his controversial chat shows went too far…

Jasmine has every reason to dislike Matt, and the feeling appears to be mutual. But not everything is as it seems, and soon Jasmine and Matt are forced to think again… 

As I said above, I enjoyed this novel. It was warm and witty.

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March 1, 2022 · 2:54 pm

A Wedding in Provence – Katie Fforde

A Wedding in Provence – Katie Fforde

I have read all of Katie Fforde’s novels. My favourite is still The Rose Revived, but they are all worth reading if you like romance novels.

Here’s the blurb …

Late summer, 1963

Fresh from London and a recent cookery course, Alexandra has always loved a challenge.

Which is why she now finds herself standing outside an imposing chateau in Provence.

Waiting for her inside is three silent, rather hostile children who are to be her charges for the next month.

They will soon be more friendly, she tells herself. All they need is some fun, good food and an English education.

Far more of a challenge though is their father – an impossibly good looking French count with whom she is rapidly falling in love . . 

It was light, fun and easy to read. There is always a lot of food prep in the novels (makes me hungry).

A review

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January 23, 2022 · 5:54 pm

The Kiss Quotient – Helen Hoang

The Kiss Quotient – Helen Hoang

A friend recommended this one, so I reserved it at the library.

Here’s the blurb …

A heartwarming and refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there’s not enough data in the world to predict what will make your heart tick.

Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases–a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.

It doesn’t help that Stella has Asperger’s and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice–with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can’t afford to turn down Stella’s offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan–from foreplay to more-than-missionary position…

Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but crave all of the other things he’s making her feel. Their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic…

This was a really fun read and I particularly appreciated the autistic heroine – we need to see more autism (so long as it’s positive) in popular culture.

A review.

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December 23, 2021 · 8:39 pm

Black Sheep – Georgette Heyer

Black Sheep – Georgette Heyer

This is another of my Rottnest reads. I like Georgette Heyer and I thought I had read all of her regency romances, but I hadn’t read this one. I found it for $5 at Target (about the cost of a coffee).

Here’s the blurb

With her high-spirited intelligence and good looks, Abigail Wendover was a most sought-after young woman. But of all her high-placed suitors, there was none Abigail could love. Abigail was kept busy when her pretty and naive niece Fanny falls head over heels in love with Stacy Calverleigh, a good-looking town-beau of shocking reputation and an acknowledged seductor. She was determined to prevent her high-spirited niece from becoming involved with the handsome fortune-hunter. The arrival to Bath of Stacy’s uncle seemed to indicate an ally, but Miles Calverleigh is the black sheep of the family.

Miles Calverleigh had no regard for the polite conventions of Regency society. His cynicism, his morals, his manners appalled Abigail. He also turned out to be the most provoking creature Abigail had ever met – with a disconcerting ability to throw her into giggles at quite the wrong moment. Will Abigail overcome Mile’s indifference towards his nephew and help Abigail foil Stacy’s plans?

This is fun, all set in Bath, lots of talk of clothes (or at least the fabric to make clothes) and Bath society (going to the Pump Room, excursions to Wells Cathedral, concerts, etc.)

Another review

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December 19, 2021 · 1:35 pm

When he was Wicked – Julia Quinn

When He Was Wicked – Julia Quinn

I went to Rottnest Island for a few days and took this as my light, beach reading – and it didn’t disappoint.

Here’s the blurb …

In every life there is a turning point.

A moment so tremendous, so sharp and breathtaking, that one knows one’s life will never be the same. For Michael Stirling, London’s most infamous rake, that moment came the first time he laid eyes on Francesca Bridgerton.

After a lifetime of chasing women, of smiling slyly as they chased him, of allowing himself to be caught but never permitting his heart to become engaged, he took one look at Francesca Bridgerton and fell so fast and hard into love it was a wonder he managed to remain standing. Unfortunately for Michael, however, Francesca’s surname was to remain Bridgerton for only a mere thirty-six hours longer — the occasion of their meeting was, lamentably, a supper celebrating her imminent wedding to his cousin.But that was then . . . Now Michael is the earl and Francesca is free, but still she thinks of him as nothing other than her dear friend and confidant. Michael dares not speak to her of his love . . . until one dangerous night, when she steps innocently into his arms, and passion proves stronger than even the most wicked of secrets . . .

These books are all very similar, but what they do well is centre female pleasure and female experiences.

Another review

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