Friends with ARCs | Song of the Crimson Flower + The Bromance Book Club

Song of the Crimson Flower by Julie C. Dao

pub 11/5/19 by Philomel
Young Adult - Fantasy
Received e-ARC from pub for review

If you love fairytales and are in the mood for a light fantasy with lovable characters and a sweet romance, Song of the Crimson Flower is for you. It's a companion novel to the Rise of the Empress series and in my opinion, shouldn't be read without knowing what's in the first two books. (Although I guess you could if you really wanted to!) It tells the tale of Bao, a poor physician's apprentice, who's in love with Lan, a wealthy nobleman's daughter and both have known each other since they were kids. When he unexpectedly declares his love for her, she rejects him cruelly in her shock. He leaves only to be cursed by an evil witch that traps his soul to his flute and the only way to it is by someone he loves declaring their own feelings back within two weeks. Of course he ends up right back with Lan who is determined to help him break free of the spell and show her remorse. It takes them on a journey that reveals a lot about their kingdom, magic, Bao's heritage and most of all, their relationship. Even though the story is a bit fantasy light and focuses more on alchemy and war, I didn't mind it. It was perfect for my mood and honestly, it was the romance between Bao and Lan that had me smiling the most. The author has really done a great job of expanding this world and if she decided to do another companion novel, I would definitely read it.

Is there an instrument you wish you knew how to play? | I grew up taking piano lessons and that was the first instrument I ever gravitated towards. But I've always wanted to play the guitar!

The Bromance Book Club (Bromance Book Club, #1) by Lyssa Kay Adams

pub 11/5/19 by Berkley
Fiction - Romance
Received ARC from pub for review

The Bromance Book Club is such a fun read and a great way to kick off what I think will be a thoroughly entertaining series. Gavin Scott's career as a baseball player for the Nashville Legends has never been better but his marriage? Not so much. After discovering his wife Thea has been faking things in bed, his pride gets the better of him and they have a huge fallout, which is why they're no on the brink of divorce. But Gavin doesn't want to give up and that's when his teammates induct him into their secret Bromance Book Club. With the help of romance novels and the guys' advice, Gavin starts to woo his wife and it is such a delight. For all of Gavin's good intentions, he truly is clueless and I enjoyed seeing him try to win his wife over through genuinely sweet, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny and heartwarming ways. And I think the reasons for why their marriage started falling apart and particularly Thea's feelings on the matter are extremely relatable. I admit there are moments that get a bit over-the-top, but if you want to read something that'll make you feel good by the end, this is it.

Which historical romance we'd recommend to the book club? | The Secret by Julie Garwood! I was a bit late to the historical romance genre but I 100% fell in love with this. Ian Maitland is so swoonworthy.

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Collaborative feature with Alexa. We read ARCs together and post our reviews on the same date.