To Sir Phillip, With Love by Julia Quinn

 

Title: To Sir Phillip, With Love

Author: Julia Quinn

Genre: Historical Romance

Other books I've read by this author: The Duke and I, The Viscount Who Loved Me, An Offer From a Gentleman, Romancing Mister Bridgerton

Synopsis: Sir Phillip knew that Eloise Bridgerton was a spinster, and so he’d proposed, figuring that she’d be homely and unassuming, and more than a little desperate for an offer of marriage. Except . . . she wasn’t. The beautiful woman on his doorstep was anything but quiet, and when she stopped talking long enough to close her mouth, all he wanted to do was kiss her . . . and more.
Did he think she was mad? Eloise Bridgerton couldn’t marry a man she had never met! But then she started thinking . . . and wondering . . . and before she knew it, she was in a hired carriage in the middle of the night, on her way to meet the man she hoped might be her perfect match. Except . . . he wasn’t. Her perfect husband wouldn’t be so moody and ill-mannered, and while Phillip was certainly handsome, he was a large brute of a man, rough and rugged, and totally unlike the London gentlemen vying for her hand. But when he smiled . . . and when he kissed her . . . the rest of the world simply fell away, and she couldn’t help but wonder . . . could this imperfect man be perfect for her?

My Thoughts

I have enjoyed all of Julia Quinn's Bridgerton novels, but this one is just a little different. For the most part, it takes place away from London and society and the reader gets to know Eloise and Sir Phillip independently from the Bridgerton family. I love that Eloise decides to marry not because she feels she has to, but rather because she wants to; she always does things on her own terms. 

I also like their love story, it is different than all of Eloise's siblings, and while it isn't without drama, it is less overtly dramatic.

Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!

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The Dime by Kathleen Kent

 

Title: The Dime

Author: Kathleen Kent

Genre: Fiction, Mystery

Other books I've read by this author: The Heretic's Daughter

Synopsis: Dallas, Texas is not for the faint of heart. Good thing for Betty Rhyzyk she's from a family of take-no-prisoners Brooklyn police detectives. But her Big Apple wisdom will only get her so far when she relocates to The Big D, where Mexican drug cartels and cult leaders, deadbeat skells and society wives all battle for sunbaked turf.

Betty is as tough as the best of them, but she's deeply shaken when her first investigation goes sideways. Battling a group of unruly subordinates, a persistent stalker, a formidable criminal organization, and an unsupportive girlfriend, the unbreakable Detective Betty Rhyzyk may be reaching her limit. - Back Cover

My Thoughts

I was at the library walking through the fiction section on the second floor and stopped because I saw the name of an author I'd read before. I pulled this one off the shelf and read the blurb inside the jacket cover. It is set in the early 2000s, about a female police officer. Not my usual go-to read. The last book I had read by Kathleen Kent was about the Salem Witch Trials, so I was surprised to see this. I put it back on the shelf. I started to walk away and pulled it back off the shelf again, deciding to read the first page and see if maybe I should branch out. 

I flipped a few pages and found the epigraph:

"A patient woman can roast an ox with a lantern" - Chinese Proverb

I laughed aloud. It was exactly what I needed to hear that day. Even if the book turned out to be a dud, it was worth checking it out for just that quote. 

Luckily it was not a dud. In fact, it was an enjoyable read, though the end felt a little rushed to me. There is a second in the series and I look forward to reading it!

Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!

To buy this book from Amazon now, click on the image at the top of the post.

                                To see more from the author, visit the website linked above