Angel Reads

01 Dec

Books That I Would Love To Read Again

Posted by angelreads Top Ten Tuesday 6 Comments

This week I’m sharing the books that I would love to read again. Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and Bookish and is hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl.

I’m a massive re-reader. I love doing it. Sometimes I don’t even read the whole book again, but certain scenes that I love. So today I thought I would share some of the books that I would love to re-read but haven’t yet. There is a mix of YA, and romance here like normal. And like always these are in no order.

The Guinevere Deception (Camelot Rising #1) by Kiersten White: I think I’m going to read this one again soon. The second book just came out and I think I want to be fresh reading it. I adore this book so much and It’s such an interesting retelling.

Check, Please! Book 1: # Hockey (Check, Please! #1-2) by Ngozi Ukazu: I absolutely adore both part one and two of this series and I would re-read them again in an instant. The romance is adorable, the illustrations are perfect and it just made me feel so happy. And I also feel that with graphic novels, manga etc you always pick up something new each time.

Slave to Sensation (Psy-Changeling #1) by Nalini Singh: I only started this series a few months ago, but there is no doubt that I will be reading it again soon. I have seriously fallen in love with the characters, and the story and everything else in between. I’m about to start book 7 and I can’t wait.

The Belles (The Belles #1) by Dhonielle Clayton: It’s been a few years since I read this and I really want to re-read it before I continue with the series. I remember really enjoying it and excited to see where the story is taken.

The Duke and I (Bridgertons #1) by Julia Quinn: This is another series that I have started this year and I will be re-reading again soon. This has to be one of my favourite historical romances and that just makes me so excited. It has everything that I look for in an HR and more.

Chain of Gold (The Last Hours #1) by Cassandra Clare: I always love re-reading Cassandra Clare and I will most likely read this one again before Chain of Iron comes out next year. Just to give myself a refresher. But honestly, I adored the characters, the world and the writing and I can’t wait for more.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune: Do I honestly need to say much about this one. You should all know by now that is one of the best books I have ever read and I will re-read it at any time. This book just makes me so happy. So it will be a fantastic pick me up.

And I Darken (The Conqueror’s Saga #1) by Kiersten White: This has to be the start of one of my favourite series of all time and I think it’s about time that I do a re-read. It’s such a fantastic series, it’s intense, the stakes are always high and I love it.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller: This book is just fantastic and it’s one that I would read again in a heartbeat. The writing is incredible, the romance hits me hard and I cry like a baby throughout. It’s one of those books that just blows me away.

Disruption (Disruption #1) by Jessica Shirvington: This is one that I have already re-read, but I would do it again. It’s been a few years since I’ve read this series, but it’s such a fascinating dystopian duology and I feel like it’s time for a re-read

And those are the books that I hope I can read again soon. Do you like re-reading? What are some of the books that you want to? Let’s Chat!

28 Nov

Historical Romances That I Want To Read | TBR

Posted by angelreads TBR 1 Comment

Today I thought I would share some of the historical romances that are currently on my tbr. I’ve been reading more and more historical romances in this and there are so many more that I want to read. So today I wanted to share some of those that are on my list.

There are books on this list that I own and some that I have on my wish list. There are some books on this list from authors that I haven’t tried yet, and some from those that I love. Some of these books have been published. And some and set to come out next year. So let’s get into it. Like always these are in order.

The Wallflower Wager (Girl Meets Duke #3) by Tessa Dare: I just finished the second book in this series and I cannot wait to read this one. Penelope just sounds so damn interesting and this new love interest – yes, please. I also can’t wait for the 4th book in this series either – which is meant to be out in 2021.

Never Seduce a Scoundrel (School For Heiresses #1) by Sabrina Jeffries: I recently finished another one of Sabrina’s series this month and I’m so excited to start this one. I have heard some really great things about it – and it sounds like it’s going to fun, that is for sure.

The Duke (Knight Miscellany #1) by Gaelen Foley: I picked this one up earlier this year on a whim. I didn’t know too much about the author or the book. But Ely recently enjoyed reading it and that is a massive plus for me. It sounds intriguing and different from other historical romances that I’ve read before and that makes me excited.

The Viscount Who Loved Me (Bridgertons #2) by Julia Quinn: And the rest of this series. I adored The Duke and I so much, that I already bought the rest of this series. And I can’t wait to read them all. I feel in love with the characters, the plot, the writing. Everything and anything and I can’t wait to read more.

The Perfect Rake (The Merridew Sisters #1) by Anne Gracie: I bought this one I think last year, and I just haven’t picked it up yet. But I really want to in the next couple of months. It sounds like something that I will enjoy.

A Rogue by Any Other Name (The Rules of Scoundrels #1) by Sarah MacLean: Like Sabrina Jeffries, I just finished a series from Sarah MacLean and I’m excited to start another one. I picked this one up after loving the books that I had already read and I’m excited to try something a little then her current series.

Someone to Watch Over Me (Bow Street Runners #1) by Lisa Kleypas: You should all know by now how much I love Lisa Kleypas and I can’t wait to start a new series. This one sounds really interesting and not something that I have read before. And that makes me intrigued and excited.

An Earl, the Girl, and a Toddler (Rogues and Remarkable Women #2) by Vanessa Riley: While I didn’t love the first book in this series, I do want to continue with it. Especially because this one sounds so interesting. I love historical romances where there are children like this. It just makes it much more interesting.

The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie (Mackenzies & McBrides #1) by Jennifer Ashley: This book jumped on my radar only recently. And it caught me right away. I’m always looking for books, especially historical romances with disabilities and I can’t wait to read it.

The Heiress Hunt (The Fifth Avenue Rebels #1) by Joanna Shupe: This just sounds like it’s going to be fun. I love friends to lovers kind of romance. And if this goes the way I think it might that makes me want it evermore. This is also a new to me author and that makes me super excited.

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And that is it for today! Those are only some of the historical romances that I can’t wait to dig into soon. There are just so many that I want to read and I cannot wait.

26 Nov

Author Interview: Hannah Murray | Romance Thursdays

Posted by angelreads Author Interviews, Romance Thursdays No Comments

This week on Romance Thursdays, I interview Hannah Murray. You can also check out last weeks interview with Rilzy Adams as we talk about writing standalone romances, her favourite authors and more.

Romance Thursdays is a feature that spotlights romance authors to highlight how amazing the romance writing community is. Each week I’m will be interviewing a different romance author from across subgenres as well as both traditionally and self-published. I want to share their experience writing romance and why they love it so much. While also focusing on their writing and books.

This week I had a lovely time interviewing Hannah Murray. Hannah is the author of the Jane and Lacey duology, Honey and the Hitman, Their Perfect Fit and more. You can check out Hannah’s backlist now.

Hi Hannah, and welcome to Angel Reads. For those that haven’t read anything by you yet. Tell us a little about yourself and your books?

Hi, Angel – and hello readers! I’m so happy to be here.

Okay, a little about myself. Well, I’m an American author of mostly contemporary romances. I live in the Pacific Northwest with my family, which includes a husband, a kid, a dog, and a best friend. I love pizza and candy, I bake when I’m bored, and I will do just about anything to avoid doing the dishes.

Why did you start writing romance novels? Is there anything in particular that drew you to it over other genres?

I’ve been a romance reader for YEARS—I think I was 12 (maybe even younger) the first time I picked up a category romance—and I just fell in love with the genre. I did a lot of creative writing in school, lots of different kinds of stories, but none of them really held my interest. Then, when I was 16, I spent a year in Brazil as an exchange student, and I just didn’t have access to books the way I did at home. I tried reading a romance in Portuguese, but while I was conversationally fluent, I could only read about every third word. With nothing to fill the space books normally took up, I started daydreaming about all the stories I wished to read. I drafted my first romance on the aeroplane home from Brazil, and while that book went nowhere, it planted the seed.

You normally write more on the side of contemporary romance, but you have dabbled into the paranormal side. Why do you like writing contemporary romances? Is there any other romance sub-genres that you would like to try?

Contemporaries just seem to be my sweet spot. It’s what I most love to read, and it seems to be where my talents lie. When I wrote my one and only paranormal, a vampire story called Tooth and Nailed, I was so uncomfortable, and not in a good, stretching-my-writing-muscles kind of way. It’s a much darker book than I usually write, with far less humour, and while I think it’s a good book, it just didn’t feel like me. I’m glad I did it because I absolutely think there’s value in pushing outside your comfort zone, but I probably won’t go that far again. I do have some ideas for stories with paranormal elements, though, so never say never.

I also write BDSM romance, but that also falls under contemporary, as do the LGBTQ+ and polyamorous romances I’m also writing now. I’d love to be able to write historical romance, but I have zero patience for the research. It would be the worst historical ever, but I have GREAT ideas.

What is your favourite thing about romance as a genre? Why do you like reading and writing it?

My absolute favourite thing about romance is the guaranteed Happily Ever After. I love that. I want that. And I don’t want to read, or write, a book without it. There’s so much uncertainty in the world right now, and so much pain, and when I sit down to read I want to forget about that for a few hours. While I do enjoy non-fiction—the messier the better!—for fiction, I’m a romance only girl. I need that happily ever after joy.

What are some of your favourite tropes that you like reading and writing in the romance genre?

I love the Brother’s Best Friend trope, and Teach Me Sex—those are probably my top two. Friends to Lovers, Only One Bed, Fake Relationships, Second Chance Romance…the list goes on. One that I’m not especially keen on is Enemies to Lovers because it can really give me anxiety if the hostility is too heavy or the thing that made them enemies is too big—I just can’t seem to settle into believing a person can love someone who purposely ruined their family business, or killed their brother, or something else equally awful. But I also find myself writing an Enemies to Lovers at the moment, so maybe that’s growing on me a bit.

Who are some of your favourite romance authors? Who inspired you to write?

So many! I cut my teeth on Nora Roberts, of course, and my historical go-to back in the way back was Julie Garwood—I still have all those old paperbacks, and I re-read them a lot. Right now I’m obsessed with Talia Hibbert and Naima Simone, and Julie Kriss is also a personal fav. For hysterical, laugh out loud funny romances I adore Pippa Grant, and whenever I want to feel like my heart is being ripped out of my chest I go for Sarah MacLean. And there are so many more—I could fill pages with my favourite reads.

As for who inspired me, that’s impossible to pinpoint. I think every romance I ever read has inspired me in some way. I just wanted to be a part of this wonderful, amazing world.

What are some of the ways that you think we can start overcoming the stigma of romance novels?

Wow, that’s a tough one. That stigma is so pervasive, and it can feel so heavy. I think social media has gone a long way in a very short time at minimizing some of that. Romance Twitter especially can be fantastic. There are so many smart readers and writers talking about the genre there every day, and doing so unapologetically. When someone says romance novels aren’t ‘real books’ or are somehow valueless, there is a veritable tsunami of people willing to call bullshit. Romance writers are smart, and so are romance readers, and as time goes on we’re less and less willing to accept someone shaking a finger in our faces over it. I believe one of the best ways to dispel the shame is to stop hiding our love of the genre, and while everyone has to do what feels right for themselves and their situation, more and more people are able to write and read romance proudly. It’s lovely to see.

Do you currently have any books in the works? Is there anything that you are looking forward to writing, but haven’t started yet? Is there something different that you want to try writing?

I do! I have a short novel coming from Totally Bound called Santa Daddy. It’s part of their Naughty or Nice holiday collection and is the first of five planned books in my Perfect Taboo series. They’re all BDSM romances, and each will explore a different taboo kink. That’ll be available via the Totally Bound website Amazon, and other e-retailers on December 15. And of course, you can find information and links to all of my books on my website.

I have so many other stories in the works, it’s not even funny. My To Be Written list has at least a dozen things on it. Mostly contemporary, but I do have a couple of wild cards. I recently dug up a manuscript that I wrote years ago about a reluctant witch, and I have some ideas on how to revamp that. I’m looking at co-writing a time travel romance with a friend of mine as well. It will feature contemporary characters (my strength) stuck in the past (her strength). It’ll have two romances, one an MF and the other an MM, each with their own HEA. I don’t know when we’ll get to it, but we’re having a lot of fun plotting it out, and I think it’s going to be hilarious. So definitely new and interesting stuff on the way.

Thank you so much for coming by Angel Reads. It was lovely having you here. And I can’t wait to read more of your books!

Thank you for having me – happy reading, everyone!

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And that is it for this weeks interview. Did you enjoy getting to know Hannah Murray more? I had a blast with this interview.

If there is an author that you would like to see featured here, please do let me know and I will try my best. If you are a romance author and would like to be apart of Romance Thursdays, don’t hesitate to message me.

Have you read any books from Hannah Murray before? Are you excited for more Romance Thursday posts? Let’s Chat!

About the Author

Hannah has been reading romance novels since she was young enough to have to hide them from her mother. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband—former Special Forces and an OR nurse who writes sci-fi fantasy and acts as In-House Expert on matters pertaining to weapons, tactics, the military, medical conditions and How Dudes Think—and their daughter, who takes after her father.

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