Our Rating:

Library Formats:

Book

Age Group:

Adults

Genre:

Fiction, Romance

Set against the picturesque backdrop of Bath, “Is She Really Going Out With Him?” is a bright, bubbly modern romance story. Based in Bath, it’s lovely for local residents to spot some of the iconic places such as the Roman Baths, The Guildhall and The Jane Austen Centre. Very topical this year given that it is Jane Austen’s 250th birthday, the book offers lots of links to the annual Austen Festival and Ball hosted in Bath. In fact, the ending of the story all concludes whilst dressed in Regency finery in the ballroom of the Guildhall.

Anna, a relatable divorcee and columnist, finds herself navigating her single life with her two children and family cat! Anna works for a local Bath Magazine and is told that she needs to find a new and improved direction for her back cover column. Enter her office nemesis Will, who seems quick to suggest a joint enterprise. Is he trying to push her out of the business with his dapper clothes, charming, good looks, and enviable swagger?

Anna’s journey of rediscovery is filled with humour, heartache, and hope as she navigates single life with her two children and family cat. In a fun twist, Anna’s children pick seven possible suitors for her to go on dates with, all in the name of research for her new column. Will these dates be enough to save her career? Could she possibly find love in amongst an eclectic mix of single men?

With the backdrop of Jane Austen’s 250th birthday celebrations and the annual Austen Festival in Bath, this light-hearted read is perfect for Austen fans and anyone who loves a happy ending. Slightly predictable in places and some of the characters feel a bit done for this type of book, but still enjoyable, nonetheless.

The post Is She Really Going Out With Him? by Sophie Cousens appeared first on BaNES Virtual Library.

Our Rating:

Library Formats:

eAudiobook, Audiobook, Large Print

Age Group:

Adults

Genre:

Romance, Historical Fiction

Emily Goes To Exeter is the first in the series of the travelling matchmaker series by M.C. Beaton. I listened to this on audiobook through BorrowBox. There was a good narrator, and it was a nice short story – ideal for car journeys and walks.

I wasn’t sure what the story was about, having never read anything by this author before, but was pleasantly surprised and found it to be an enjoyable listen.

Ms Hannah Pym inherits some money from her dead employer, which allows her to resign from housekeeping. She decides she wants to travel the country by stagecoach (the original version of the Megabus, but in the 1800s). On her journey she meets a variety of passengers and find herself in a small adventure. All the while she and finds herself doing a spot of matchmaking between the unsuspecting passengers.

It’s a fun and fast paced tale, with a happy ending. Each title in the series follows Hannah on a stagecoach journey to a different city, the second being Belinda Goes to Bath. I’ve already reserved this one and look forward to reading it.

The post Emily Goes To Exeter by M. C. Beaton appeared first on BaNES Virtual Library.

Our Rating:

Library Formats:

Book, eAudiobook, eBook

Age Group:

Young Adults, Adults

Genre:

Fantasy, Romance

I was gripped with this book from the first few pages, which I don’t find happens that often. At its core this is an enemies-to-lover romance fantasy, but I think that doesn’t do the book justice. The story is about two young rival journalists who find love through a magical connection. Iris and Roman, the main characters, form an unlikely connection and we follow their story and find out if their love can triumph in a war among gods.

I like that the story is told from both viewpoints, as I think it gives a more rounded story. Letters are also used throughout the book to tell the story from a different perspective.

I think this book is very original and holds appeal for both young adults and adults alike. I’m pleased that it’s a duology, and am very keen to read the second book, Ruthless Vows.

To find more books written by Rebecca Ross visit her website https://rebeccarossauthor.com/

The post Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross appeared first on BaNES Virtual Library.

Our Rating:

Library Formats:

Book

Age Group:

Adults

Genre:

Family Saga, Romance

This Danielle Steel book is all about three sisters! Separated as kids by a difficult family situation, they grow up in totally different worlds. The story jumps back and forth in time, showing how this childhood trauma affects them all.

It’s a classic Steel tearjerker, spiced up with a little romance. Paris during wartime where two people fall in love, and the characters are interesting, even if they fall into some familiar traps.

If you like happy endings with a side of drama, this is a good choice. It’s a quick read that’ll keep you guessing until the sisters reunite. Just be prepared for some heart-wrenching moments.

The post Kaleidoscope by Danielle Steel appeared first on BaNES Virtual Library.

Our Rating:

Library Formats:

Book, eBook, eAudiobook

Age Group:

Young Adult

Genre:

Drama, Romance

Heart Bones is a story about two young adults, Beyah and Samson, from completely different backgrounds who meet on summer break and embark on a tentative romance. Don’t be put off by the age of the main characters, this isn’t your typical young adult book, it’s much grittier and more suited to an adult audience.

The book is quite fast paced and hooks you from the start. For a lot of the book there’s no big drama happening, but I still found myself drawn in following Beyah as she adjusts to living with her father and his family by the beach. Then, there’s a really good twist that I definitely didn’t see coming, though the story does build you up to knowing there is going to be a big reveal.

I really enjoyed this book, and it has made me want to investigate other titles written by Colleen Hoover. I know the book she’s best known for is It Ends With Us so I’ll probably start there, but you can find a full list of her titles here https://www.colleenhoover.com/.

The post Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover appeared first on BaNES Virtual Library.

Our Rating:

Library Formats:

eAudiobook

Age Group:

Young Adult

Genre:

Romance

This book follows Saine Sinclair as she tries to make a documentary to get into University. She is forced to take the grudging help of her former best friend, now enemy, and gets carried away with the quality of the film, ignoring the quality of her friendships.

Whilst I would love to take part in the competition in the book (recreating classic video games!), I found the main character so unlikeable and selfish I struggled to finish the book.

As I was listening to this book I felt like ticking the cliché’s off on my fingers:

• Enemies-to-lovers
• Mutual pining
• Highschool drama
• Complete inability to communicate
• Sad backstories
• Cheerleaders

Saine really got on my nerves with her habit of putting her camera in other peoples faces constantly and she has the ultimate Main Character Syndrome.

That said, it’s an easy read and I found the audiobook acceptable company when walking my dog, so if you’re after something light that requires little attention give it a go!

The post A Disaster in Three Acts by Kelsey Rodkey appeared first on BaNES Virtual Library.

Our Rating:

Library Formats:

Book, eAudiobook

Age Group:

Older Young Adults

Genre:

Fantasy, Romance

At first this book felt like it was a bit of a cliché; the protagonist Grace is at a school of supernatural beings, and she has no idea she’s surround by dragons, witches, and vampires. Grace then immediately falls for the brooding, “bad guy” vampire called Jaxon. After initial misgivings though, I was drawn into the story and pleased that the plot didn’t quite progress as I had assumed it would. It’s a pretty fast paced book as the story unravels at a good speed which I think it what kept me hooked to find out what’s going to happen next.

If you love books with drama, vampires, and romance along with some strong female characters, then I’d recommend Crave.

It does end of a cliff hanger, which I don’t love, but it’s a part of a 5 books series so if you loved it then there’s plenty more to immerse yourself in.

The post Crave by Tracy Wolff appeared first on BaNES Virtual Library.

Our Rating:

Library Formats:

Book

Age Group:

Adults

Genre:

Historical Fiction, Romance, Adventure

This book has a wonderful cover which first attracted me to the story, and it has proved a lovely read. Translated from the French, this is the story of two men looking for the plant Venus in the sky but in fact ending up finding something entirely different. In 1760, Guillaume Le Gentil, a real-life astronomer, has been instructed by King Louis V to set out into the Indian Ocean to document the transit of Venus – one of the rarest astronomical phenomena – occurring every 121 years with an eight-year gap then occurring next in 105 years. The journey is full of adventure with new discoveries both on land and in the sky.

In parallel, 250 years later, Xavier Lemercier, a Parisian estate agent, chances upon an old telescope in a property he has sold. He brings it home hoping it help him bond with his son and as he looks out across the rooftops of Paris, he discovers a fascinating woman with a zebra in her apartment! Then she walks into his office, and everything changes.

Part adventure story, part modern-day love story, this is a lovely, enchanting book – witty and heart-warming.

The post An Astronomer In Love by Antoine Laurain appeared first on BaNES Virtual Library.

Our Rating:

Library Formats:

Book, eAudiobook

Age Group:

Young Adults

Genre:

Fantasy, Romance

Dance of Thieves is a fun young adult fantasy book, set in the same universe as Mary E. Pearson’s Remnant Chronicles. The main character is Kazi, a legendary street thief. Kazi is a strong female character, I found myself warming quickly to. Kazi has been sent to a neighbouring empire by her Queen, on a secret mission. This empire is run by the outlaw family the Ballengers, newly led by Jase one of family’s teenage sons.

Jase and Kazi are thrown together in unexpected circumstances and so the story continues with cat and mouse tactics from both to achieve their own agendas. There are a lot of secrets held by both, which are revealed as the book goes on. I really liked this as it kept me intrigued throughout.

Each chapter is from different viewpoints (Kazi and Jase) which I feel made the story more rounded and meant I liked both main characters equally, as I got to know them both.

The story was quick paced, and a real page turner. I was please to find at the end of the book that it is part of a duology. Though there was no real cliffhanger, and the book could be read as a standalone, I’ll be reading part two.

Though it is young adult book, and the main character is 18, I think that the book can be enjoyed by both younger and older readers.

The post Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson appeared first on BaNES Virtual Library.

Our Rating:

Library Formats:

Book, eBook

Age Group:

Older Young Adults

Genre:

Fantasy, Romance

This is the first in a trilogy by bestselling fantasy author Sarah J Maas. The book has a real fairytale feel to it, with nods to Beauty and the Beast and East of the Sun, West of the Moon. Though, it is not a true retelling of either.

The story follows Feyre after she is brought to the faerie lands of Prythian for killing a faerie disguised as a wolf. As a reader you are immediately swept into the world of the Fae, with vivid descriptions by Maas that make you feel you are in the book. The story continues as Feyre learns to live with faeries in the Spring Court, with her captors the high lord Tamlin and his best friend Lucien. The people of the Spring Court have a secret though, there is a shadow growing over the faerie world and Feyre must find a way to stop it in time.

This is an enchanting love story set in a magical world with characters to easily fall in love with.

If you love this book, then I really recommend continuing the series. Or try Maas’s first series a Throne of Glass. To see all her books, visit https://sarahjmaas.com.

The post A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas appeared first on BaNES Virtual Library.