Review: Castle of Refuge

Castle of Refuge by Melanie Dickerson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Publishers and NetGalley for the advanced copy I received. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

Castle of Refuge is a retelling of "The Ugly Duckling"... sort of. I'm not sure I really see it, but that's what the publishers and author claim.

Book Summary:
Audrey, daughter of a viscount born in late fourteenth-century England, was hurt and irreparably scarred by her sister four years ago... damaging her marriage prospects. When her father announces his plans to marry off his damaged daughter to a man much older, Audrey decides to flee in search of her true destiny. She soon finds herself attacked, sick, and in desperate need of help. She is taken in at Dericott Castle to be nursed back to health. While there, she decides to keep her identity a secret and work as a servant in the castle. But she doesn’t count on falling in love with the young and handsome Lord Dericott, who lost his arm several months earlier and bears scars of his own. Meanwhile, Edwin—Lord Dericott—is curious about the new, well-educated servant’s identity. All he knows is that he's quickly becoming smitten with her. When the man Audrey’s father wanted her to marry comes looking for her, she and Edwin must make life-changing decisions about what to believe and whether or not love is truly worth trusting.

Review:
I really enjoyed the book and read it quite quickly. I did have to wonder about some of the likelihood of some things happening based on when it was set in history. The story line and characters made me curious enough that I will go back and read the other books in the series. Audrey and Edwin were likeable characters, and you couldn't help but appropriately like or hate some of the others. Yes, the story line is completely predictable in that we all know there's a happy ending, BUT there were enough twists to keep my interest.

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Review: Meet You in the Middle

Meet You in the Middle by Devon Daniels
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for this Advanced Readers Copy.

This is the story of Ben and Kate, Senate staffers from opposite sides of the aisle. When they get off to a really rocky start, it turns into an office war of mail pranks and verbal jabs. The line between animosity and attraction becomes blurred and questions start to arise about how a politically opposite relationship could work.

I read this over the weekend as a way to escape the world for a few hours. It was light-hearted and fun, with minimal politics all things considered. The story line may have been inspired by the 2016 election, but little is actually discussed about the details of politics going on in the country currently. I enjoyed watching 2 characters with opposing views overcome the stereotypes and see past the labels to figure out how they could come together for a successful relationship.

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