Ballet

Review: The Brightest Star in Paris by Diana Biller

06:22

Title: The Brightest Star in Paris 
Author: Diana Biller
Genre: Historical romance, Paris, Ballet
Release date: 12 Oct 2021

Author Links: Website / Twitter / Goodreads



Blurb

Amelie St. James, prima ballerina of the Paris Opera Ballet and the people's saint, has spent seven years pretending. In the devastating aftermath of the Siege of Paris, she made a decision to protect her sister: she became the bland, sweet, pious “St. Amie” the ballet needed to restore its scandalous reputation. But when her first love reappears, and the ghosts of her past come back to haunt her, all her hard-fought safety is threatened.

Dr. Benedict Moore has never forgotten the girl who helped him embrace life again after he almost lost his. Now, he's back in Paris after twelve years for a conference. His goals are to recruit promising new scientists, and, maybe, to see Amelie again. When he discovers she's in trouble, he's desperate to help her—after all, he owes her.

When she finally agrees to let him help, they disguise their time together with a fake courtship. But reigniting old feelings is dangerous, especially when their lives are an ocean apart. Will they be able to make it out with their hearts intact?

Review

Wow, I loved this romance so, so much. I was late reading Diana Biller's debut historical romance, The Widow of Rose House, and I thoroughly enjoyed. I was so excited for the next book in the series and was not disappointed. It it unlike anything I have ever read or expected it to be and it's stunning.

This is a historical romance set in 1870/80s Paris, a time period and place that are noш a very common romance setting and one that I am not very familiar with. The historical details were strongly present in this book, creating an engaging background without taking the focus away from the main story/romance.

It's very much a grief book, the war trauma, the survival trauma, the loss are palpable on every page. It made tough reading at times but it was mostly balanced out by the geeky, fun Moore family and the intense romance.

I loved the heroine, she is amazing. I want to cuddle her and shake her and take care of her and let her figure out her dreams and follow them. This is what the hero tried to do throughout the book though naturally he messed up a time or two. And she is not perfect either. She has her own demons to fight. And I liked how they both felt, two messed up people dealing with life in the best way they could.

I appreciate the glimpse we get of the ballet world of the time behind the fame and glamour. It's beautiful and terrifying, we see supportive and caring fans but also predatory men who abuse the vulnerability of young girls and a world that enables them to do it.

And on top of this realism, we get ghosts. The heroine is haunted not by one but by three of them. I often struggle to reconcile the realism in a story with its paranormal elements but I had no issues with it here. Somehow the ghosts' presence made sense to me, I felt that they fit into the story seamlessly.

There are flashbacks that also worked naturally. And teenage sisters who were not annoying but brought
pure joy on page. And there was positive message re sex work that I didn't expect but that also made sense in the story for me. Put out like that it may appear there are too many things happening but in reality they were well balanced and the author managed to create a rich, life-like world where a touching romance develops.

In short, I absolutely loved that book and can't recommend it high enough!

CWs: loss, grief, war trauma, murder, abuse, slow, painful death of a loved one (in flashback), dance injuries

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Paranormal Romance

Review: Pretty Little Lion by Suleikha Snyder

02:30

Title: Pretty Little Lion (Third Shift #2)
Author: Suleikha Snyder
Genre /Tropes: PNR, politics, mafia
Release Date: 26 Oct 2021

Author's links:

My rating: 3 Stars


Blurb 

Never fall for your mark. It's rule no. 1 of undercover work...and the rule Third Shift co-founder Elijah Richter breaks the moment he sees Meghna Saxena-Saunders across the room at an arms dealer's VIP party.

Lion shifter and Third Shift operative Elijah Richter has an easy but vital mission: seduce arms dealer Emeric Aston's gorgeous girlfriend, use her as an entry point to the organization, and find out what the global terrorist is planning.

Unfortunately, he doesn't know that Meghna Saxena-Saunders is no ordinary celebrity influencer. She's trained as an assassin and spy, and she has her own reasons for cozying up to Aston. She immediately clocks the mysterious stranger watching her at a VIP party and the two fall into their lusty bed of lies. When their morning-after is interrupted by one of Aston's goons, both of their missions are thrown into jeopardy. Now Meghna must team with Third Shift to cover her tracks and discover the truth before it's too late.

Review 

This is the second book in a paranormal shifter romance series. The first book was just OK for me but it prepared me for the tone/style of the series. I liked this one better since I already knew the world building and I could ignore the things that annoyed me in the first book. 

The suspense is intense, and I like the MCs, we get to see more of the abilities of the supernatural beings (I still don't like the abbreviation sup used in the book). Everything was on high level here - high stakes chase, high heat and chemistry. The romance itself was great. It started with intense chemistry between two supernatural beings with unique abilities and gradually grew into honest intimacy and care for one another. 

I liked getting to know better the rest of the Third Shift crew. We get a side romance between Finn, Grace and Nate and liked seeing the complexities of that budding relationship. I wish they had gotten a book of their own though.

On the plus side, this story has a more developed paranormal aspect, dives deeper into this new dystopian world, gives us a better look into the maze of relationships in the 3S team. The juxtaposition of messed up vs loving supporting family dynamics was another in this story that I enjoyed. 

On the negative side, I have the same complaints as with the first book in the series - too many news quotes and current (US) media discord. For me this series reads more like romantic suspense/mafia romance with very in-your-face political messages rather than an escapist shifter romance. 

It is a solid action packed, high heat, diverse romance but it is not my favourite shifter romance I have read. 

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