What a week! Last week was such a whirlwind. First off, my boyfriend Julien passed his driver’s licence which was massive news for all of us and we couldn’t wait to celebrate. That same day, we set off for a Disneyland Paris trip for our three-year anniversary. We were there for two days (we had a room booked at the Newport) and it was magical but on Thursday, the snow was relentless – gorgeous but we were absolutely freezing, most rides shut down, we had to retreat back to our hotel to watch Disney films and wait for the snow storm to calm down a bit. Friday was much better and we had an absolutely perfect day and enjoyed so many great treats in the parks, it was wonderful to create so many everlasting memories with my angel. We came back home Friday night and I spent Saturday in bed exhausted binge watching Virgin River. I was mostly myself on Sunday and I’m working from home today (Monday) and the state of my inbox, after five days off, is chaotic at best. Posting this now is a bit of a miracle! Here’s what I loved this week –
Historical romance books
Again the Magic (Wallflower #0) by Lisa Kleypas. This was a reread for me, I love the Wallflower series, it was my gateway into historical romance back in 2018. This is a prequel to the main series and you can read it on its own. Lady Aline and McKenna are childhood sweethearts but she’s expected to marry into money whereas he’s a stable boy. Forced to be separated, they spend their adult lives apart until McKenna comes back, having made a name and a fortune for himself in America and determined to take his revenge.
That was so powerful. Both stories – Aline’s and Livia’s (her sister’s) – grabbed me and would not let go (the quote in the title of this post is from this book!). This book consumed me, I thought about it when I wasn’t reading it. There’s something about a revenge plot that just has such a chokehold on me. McKenna and Aline are SO HOT and this was Passion with a capital P. Wow. WOW.
This is one of the best books in the Wallflowers series, and that’s saying something. I’ve always loved the ‘second chance’ trope in romance (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, think Persuasion) and this was no exception. There are two stories going on here – Livia’s and Aline’s and both have their set of challenges (alcoholism, misconceptions and revenge) but they’re beautifully written and jump off the page. The sexy scenes have never been sexier than in this, and the secondary characters are unforgettable (I want a whole book about Adam, a closeted gay man who’s a wonderful friend to Aline and a whole book about Mrs Faircloth, the wonderful housekeeper). A great, great book. Very unusual plot for this series but so rewarding.
Historical mystery books
We Three Queens (Her Royal Spyness #18) by Rhys Bowen. Read this in one seating, I love these books!!!
This series is so easy to read with just the right blend of history, humour and mystery to keep you entertained.
Edward VIII will do anything to marry Wallis Simpson – even if it means abdication. Desperate to keep their relationship out of the press until the time is right, he begs Darcy and Georgiana to keep her hidden at their manor, but Georgiana has her hands full with baby Janes and a film crew who’s just invaded her house, determined to use a real English country house for their film on Henry VIII. When both Wallis and a young film star disappear, Georgiana has no choice but to investigate.
The inner workings of the monarchy are absolutely fascinating – I love that I was very familiar with everything going on. I really enjoyed the characters too – Sir Hubert, Georgiana’s mum, even her sister-in-law. I figured out a lot of the mystery pretty early on but thus was so fun and made for very compelling reading!
Hallmark films
Curious Caterer : Dying for Chocolate (Hallmark) – I love cosy mysteries and I love that my favourite channel – Hallmark, has a steady supply of cosy mystery adaptations. This is exactly what I’m looking for after a long day at work. Goldy is a caterer and divorced mother and one of her friends, a Professor, is killed when her car jumps off a cliff. The police suspect foul play and Goldy investigates. I love Goldy and her teenage daughter Olive is so sweet, the food shots are yummy. The two leads have good chemistry which I think will improve with each installment. I really enjoyed this as a TV cosy mystery.
Princesses
The Little Mermaid (1989) – my goodness what a masterpiece. This is part of my Disney animated classics project, which has turned into a Disney Princess project (watch all the Disney Princess films, sequels and shows in order). I loved Sleeping Beauty but what a jump it is from Sleeping Beauty to the Little Mermaid. The Broadway-worthy score, how epic the film is, the scale, the romance, Ariel’s personality, the underwater scenes. As usual, I have so much to say and I know I’ll need to make separate posts about each of these films. Suffice it to say, The Little Mermaid is incredible. Ariel is the best and I ADORE her.
I hope your week is soothing and everything you wish for. I love you, I love you, I love you! ˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧˚.🎀༘⋆
Magical Emma Rose 