What I’m Reading (9.3.24)

An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera (★★★☆☆)

E-Book • Library • Historical Romance • 2023

Short synopsis: Facing a loveless marriage, Manuela del Carmen Caceres Galvan seizes her last summer of freedom in Paris before exhibiting her paintings at the 1889 Exposition Universelle. When ruthless Duchess Cora Kempf Bristol sees an opportunity, they strike a life-changing bargain—Manuela’s land for a summer with the duchess, leading to a passionate and scandalous affair.

One of the things I appreciate about Adriana Herrera’s historical romances is how she introduces me to a new aspect of history that I had no idea about. In this book, she taught me about the lesbian societies that were prevalent in places like Paris in the 19th century—including the women who lived together as romantic partners and were accepted into an underground society of other women “like them.” We’ve always been here, you know? While this book was a little lackluster when it came to the relationship (I never really felt the chemistry between Manuela and Cora, and don’t think Herrera properly showed us why they were meant to be together), there were other aspects of this novel that I really loved, like all the queerness in Paris society and the way Cora was such a badass businesswoman thanks to her deceased husband’s influence. Read this one more for the historical tidbits, less for the relationship.

His & Hers by Alice Feeney (★★★★☆)

Audiobook • Library • Thriller • 2020

Short synopsis: When a woman is murdered in Blackdown, a quintessentially British village, newsreader Anna Andrews is reluctant to cover the case. Detective Jack Harper is suspicious of her involvement until he becomes a suspect in his own murder investigation. 

This was a hard book for me to rate. On the one hand, it was a very good thriller that had tons of twists and turns and an ending I did not see coming! On the other hand, it made me feel very icky because there was a lot of horrible stuff: toxic female friendship, graphic violence, on-page sexual assault, on-page rape, and animal abuse. I wish the author told the story without all of this stuff. I mean, it was a huge part of the story and I think the author wanted me to feel icky, so mission accomplished. But it was hard to listen to! I considered abandoning the book because of all of that. But I persevered and was rewarded with a really satisfying ending. This is more of a 3.5-star book for me and it’s a thriller I would be hesitant to recommend to anyone.

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue (★★★★☆)

E-Book • Library • Fiction • 2023

Short synopsis: Rachel is a student in Cork whose life takes unexpected turns after meeting James, a charismatic friend with whom she navigates the bohemian lifestyle amidst the looming financial crisis. Their bond deepens as Rachel falls for her married professor, leading to a series of secrets and compromises that entangle their lives with those of the professor and his glamorous wife.

I’m not sure what I expected from this book, but it was a pleasant surprise to enjoy it as much as I did! This book is mostly a character study, following two people during a year of their life and all of the joys and mistakes they make along the way. I loved Rachel and James and the way they became almost instantaneous best friends. Their friendship was truly the highlight of this book; I loved the way they fought and loved and were always there for one another. They could both be selfish and childish at times, but they were also 20 years old and that’s to be expected. I loved how this story was told, of Rachel looking back on this year that impacted her and was the catalyst for so much that happened in the future. It’s the way we sometimes look back on our past mistakes when we have the hindsight of being older and wiser. It can be cringey to remember what we did and the people we hurt, but it’s also how we grow. Anyway, I really enjoyed this book!

What are you reading?