[Livro] The Girl With The Make Believe Husband, de Julia Quinn

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Título em Português:--
Série: Rokesbys #2
Autor(a): Julia Quinn
Editora: Piatkus
Páginas: 352
Data de Publicação: 30 de Maio de 2017

Sinopse:

While you were sleeping...
With her brother Thomas injured on the battlefront in the Colonies, orphaned Cecilia Harcourt has two unbearable choices: move in with a maiden aunt or marry a scheming cousin. Instead, she chooses option three and travels across the Atlantic, determined to nurse her brother back to health. But after a week of searching, she finds not her brother but his best friend, the handsome officer Edward Rokesby. He's unconscious and in desperate need of her care, and Cecilia vows that she will save this soldier's life, even if staying by his side means telling one little lie...

I told everyone I was your wife
When Edward comes to, he's more than a little confused. The blow to his head knocked out six months of his memory, but surely he would recall getting married. He knows who Cecilia Harcourt is—even if he does not recall her face—and with everyone calling her his wife, he decides it must be true, even though he'd always assumed he'd marry his neighbor back in England.

If only it were true...
Cecilia risks her entire future by giving herself—completely—to the man she loves. But when the truth comes out, Edward may have a few surprises of his own for the new Mrs. Rokesby.

Opinião:
Depois de ler o primeiro livro da prequela, não aguentei e fui logo comprar o segundo. Porém, este ficou claramente atrás do primeiro livro da série.

Sou sincera, não gosto de um romance baseado em mentiras. É verdade que foi em parte por uma boa razão, mas não caiu desde logo muito bem.

Celia é uma personagem que ainda não sei muito bem se gosto dela ou não – estou mais inclinada para a negativa. Edward sim, agora Celia… Teve tantas oportunidades para dizer a verdade e no fim foge?!?!? Não, acho que posso dizer claramente que não gostei dela.

Não me ri com este livro, tirando um sorriso vago com uma ou outra piada que Edward tentava dizer.

Foi uma pena que o tenha lido logo a seguir a um livro que achei tão bom. Este nem lhe chega aos calcanhares. Não é mau, mas quase nem parece escrito pela mesma autora. Acabou por ser uma desilusão.

Title: The Girl With The Make-Believe Husband
Serie: Rokesbys #2
Author: Julia Quinn
Publisher: Piatkus
Pages: 352
Publication date: May 30th 2017

Synopsis:

While you were sleeping...
With her brother Thomas injured on the battlefront in the Colonies, orphaned Cecilia Harcourt has two unbearable choices: move in with a maiden aunt or marry a scheming cousin. Instead, she chooses option three and travels across the Atlantic, determined to nurse her brother back to health. But after a week of searching, she finds not her brother but his best friend, the handsome officer Edward Rokesby. He's unconscious and in desperate need of her care, and Cecilia vows that she will save this soldier's life, even if staying by his side means telling one little lie...

I told everyone I was your wife
When Edward comes to, he's more than a little confused. The blow to his head knocked out six months of his memory, but surely he would recall getting married. He knows who Cecilia Harcourt is—even if he does not recall her face—and with everyone calling her his wife, he decides it must be true, even though he'd always assumed he'd marry his neighbor back in England.

If only it were true...
Cecilia risks her entire future by giving herself—completely—to the man she loves. But when the truth comes out, Edward may have a few surprises of his own for the new Mrs. Rokesby.

Review:
After reading the first book of the Bridgerton’s prequel, I couldn’t wait to go and buy the second one. But this one was, clearly (and sadly), behind it.

I’m going to be honest with you, I don’t like romances based on lies. It’s true that this one had a real valid reason for its lies, but it didn’t start very well for me.

Celia is a character that I’m not sure I like…. I’m more inclined for the negative. Edward, yes, Celia… She had so many opportunities to tell the truth and in the end she runs away?!?! No, I think I can clearly say I don’t like her.

I didn’t laugh with this book, I didn’t have fun with it… I might have had a smile or two for Edward’s jokes, but that was it.

It was just bad luck that I read it right after such a good book like Because of Miss Bridgerton. This one doesn’t even come close to it. It’s not bad, it just didn’t seem written by the same author and the story didn’t do it for me.

It ended up being a disappointment.

[Livro] Because of Miss Bridgerton, de Julia Quinn

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Título em Português:--
Série: Rokesbys #1
Autor(a): Julia Quinn
Editora: Piatkus
Páginas: 352
Data de Publicação: 29 de Março de 2016

Sinopse:

Sometimes you find love in the most unexpected of places...
This is not one of those times.
Everyone expects Billie Bridgerton to marry one of the Rokesby brothers. The two families have been neighbours for centuries, and as a child the tomboyish Billie ran wild with Edward and Andrew. Either one would make a perfect husband... someday.
Sometimes you fall in love with exactly the person you think you should...
Or not.
There is only one Rokesby Billie absolutely cannot tolerate, and that is George. He may be the eldest and heir to the earldom, but he's arrogant, annoying, and she's absolutely certain he detests her. Which is perfectly convenient, as she can't stand the sight of him, either.
But sometimes fate has a wicked sense of humor...
Because when Billie and George are quite literally thrown together, a whole new sort of sparks begins to fly. And when these lifelong adversaries finally kiss, they just might discover that the one person they can't abide is the one person they can't live without...

Opinião:
Because of Miss Bridgerton era um livro que eu já tinha debaixo de olho há algum mas que estava a tentar não comprar a pensar na edição portuguesa, mas depois de alguns livros que não me estavam a agradar e começar a sentir o início de uma reading slump achei que estava na altura de comprar o livro – e que bem que soube!!!!

Tenho de admitir desde já que sou uma gigantesca fã da família Bridgerton e por isso poder ler um pouco sobre esta família (ainda que na forma de uma prequela) dá-me a sensação de estar a voltar a casa.

E que bom que foi com a Billie Bridgerton! Acho que há muito tempo que não me divertia tanto com um livro. Tivemos o jogo do palamalho (o malho da morte!!! <3) e tantas aventuras divertidas, com as mães das nossas personagens principais a interferirem para juntar Billie e George, que tanto me lembram o Anthony e a Kate (Peripécias do Coração).

Billie é divertida, forte e destemida, enquanto que George sempre sentiu uma distância entre ele, os seus irmãos e os vizinhos Bridgerton , porque sabia que tinha de aprender tudo sobre a propriedade e como geri-la, etc.. E , de alguma maneira, inveja a liberdade deles mas também estava contente com a sua posição pois sabia que seria bom e feliz a cumpri-la. E quando ele e Billie finalmente se aproximam (com a ajuda de um gato arisco!) tudo começa a mudar. Para melhor, claro.

Talvez para algumas pessoas este livro e o Peripécias do Coração sejam demasiado semelhantes, mas para mim são praticamente perfeitos, não mudava nada.

Foi um livro que me fez rir e sorrir (o que me ganhou alguns olhares estranhos no café da livraria onde o estava a ler) – enfim , o livro ideal com um final perfeito.

Title: Because of Miss Bridgerton
Serie: Rokesbys #1
Author: Julia Quinn
Publisher: Piatkus
Pages: 352
Publication date: March 29th 2016

Synopsis:

Sometimes you find love in the most unexpected of places...
This is not one of those times.
Everyone expects Billie Bridgerton to marry one of the Rokesby brothers. The two families have been neighbors for centuries, and as a child the tomboyish Billie ran wild with Edward and Andrew. Either one would make a perfect husband... someday.
Sometimes you fall in love with exactly the person you think you should...
Or not.
There is only one Rokesby Billie absolutely cannot tolerate, and that is George. He may be the eldest and heir to the earldom, but he's arrogant, annoying, and she's absolutely certain he detests her. Which is perfectly convenient, as she can't stand the sight of him, either.
But sometimes fate has a wicked sense of humor...
Because when Billie and George are quite literally thrown together, a whole new sort of sparks begins to fly. And when these lifelong adversaries finally kiss, they just might discover that the one person they can't abide is the one person they can't live without...

Review:
Because of Miss Bridgerton is a book that I had in mind to buy for a while now, but was hoping to stay strong until the Portuguese version came up, however, after a few less entertaining books and starting to feel like I was in the beginning of a reading slump, I thought it was time to buy it – and it felt so good to do it!

I must admit I’m a huge fan of the Bridgertons so anything that involves this family (even as a prequel) gives me this feeling of coming back home.

And how good it was to start doing it with Billie Bridgerton! I have to say I hadn’t had such fun reading a book in a long time. We had the mallet of death (<3) and so many fun adventures, with the mums of our main characters interfering to try and get Billie and George together – and they remind me so much of Anthony and Kate (The Viscount Who Loved Me).

Billie is so funny, strong and fearless, whereas George always felt a distance between himself, his brothers and his neighbours, the Bridgertons, because he knew he had to learn everything about his dad’s estate and couldn’t afford to “loose” time playing around. In a way, he envied them, but he was also happy with his position because it made him happy to do his job and he was good at it. And when he and Billie become closer (with the help of a cat!), everything starts to change. For the best, of course.

Maybe for some people this book and The Viscount Who Loved Me are too similar but for me they are practically perfect, I wouldn’t change a thing.

A book that made me laugh (really laugh, getting me some strange looks at the bookshop’s café where I was reading it) – well the perfect book with a perfect ending.

[Livro] Blood Magick, de Nora Roberts

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Título em Português:--
Série: Os Primos O’Dwyer #3
Autor(a): Nora Roberts
Editora: --
Páginas: --
Data de Publicação: --

Sinopse:

Branna O'Dwyer has a rich and remarkable life. Her little shop in County Mayo is thriving and her close circle of friends and family have found love and happiness. But Branna's own heart remains closed - to protect herself and the man she loves from a terrible threat. She reached out once to Finbar Burke - and it almost destroyed them both. Fin and Branna have both inherited a gift for magic, but Fin shares his blood with an old and terrible enemy. And so the two friends have kept their distance, both secretly yearning for the impossible. That distance has kept them safe - and unhappy. But as a final battle draws close, Branna and Fin are brought irresistibly together. And while they succumb to the heat between them, there can be no promises for tomorrow…

Opinião:
Blood Magick é o último livro da trilogia dos Primos O’Dwyer e traz-nos a história de Branna e Fin, que em jovens tiveram uma curta relação até que ela descobriu que Fin era descendente do homem que era a causa de todos os seus problemas, um feiticeiro malvado que tentou seduzir Sorcha, de quem Branna, Connor e Iona são descentes.

Mas o que Branna não sabe é que Fin (que sempre lutou pelo lado da luz), não tem só sangue deste feiticeiro. Mas dizer mais seria um spoiler. É interessante ver o arrependimento de Sorcha pela maldição que criou, a luta de toda a família para terminar todo o processo para matar de uma vez por todas este homem/criatura que era um monstro.

É um livro que mostra a luta interior de várias personagens pela sua felicidade como indivíduos e como grupo, toda uma evolução que culmina com um final feliz. Um final apropriado para a série, com muita magia, sedução e romance, amizade e uma nova etapa que começa. Vão deixar saudades.

Title: Blood Magick
Serie: The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy #3
Author: Nora Roberts
Publisher: Piatkus
Pages: 336
Publication date: October 30th 2014

Synopsis:

Branna O'Dwyer has a rich and remarkable life. Her little shop in County Mayo is thriving and her close circle of friends and family have found love and happiness. But Branna's own heart remains closed - to protect herself and the man she loves from a terrible threat. She reached out once to Finbar Burke - and it almost destroyed them both. Fin and Branna have both inherited a gift for magic, but Fin shares his blood with an old and terrible enemy. And so the two friends have kept their distance, both secretly yearning for the impossible. That distance has kept them safe - and unhappy. But as a final battle draws close, Branna and Fin are brought irresistibly together. And while they succumb to the heat between them, there can be no promises for tomorrow…

Review:
Blood Magick is the last book of the Cousins O’Dwyer trilogy and it brings us the story of Branna and Fin, whom as young people had had a romance until she discovered that Fin bared the mark of the man she was doomed to fight, and the cause of all their problems: the evil witch that had tried to seduce Sorcha, from whom Branna, Connor and Iona descended. He was the person that had made them all come together to fight him and at the same time kept them apart.

But what Branna doesn’t know is that Fin (who has always fought on the side of light) doesn’t only carried this sorcerer’s blood – but telling you who he is also a descendant from would be a spoiler. It’s interesting to see Sorcha’s regret for her curse, the fight (both inner and exterior) that this family and friends have to do to end once and for all the malevolent man/creature that was this monstrous wizard.

It’s a book that shows how hard it is to let go of some ideas, and how hard you have to fight for happiness as an individual, but also as a group part of a family, with an evolution that culminates in a happy ending. An appropriate ending, with lots of magic, seduction and romance, friendship and new beginnings. I’ll miss them.

[Livro] Sword of Darkness, de Sherrilyn Kenyon como Kinley MacGregor

Título Original: Sword of Darkness
Título em Português: --
Série: Lords of Avalon #1
Autor(a): Sherrilyn Kenyon como Kinley MacGregor
Editora: Avon
Páginas: 320
Data de Publicação: 28 de Março de 2006

Sinopse:

The new king of Camelot wears no shining armor: Arthur and his knights have fallen and a new king rules.

In the darkest forest...
A scared, forsaken youth has become the most powerful –– and feared –– man in the world. Ruthless and unrestrained, Kerrigan has long ceased to be human.

In the heart of London...
A spirited peasant mired in drudgery, Seren dreams of becoming her own woman, but never expects that by fleeing her fate, she will meet her destiny.

Their worlds are forever changed...
Kerrigan's goal is simple: barter or kill Seren to claim Arthur's Round Table. Yet she is the one person who holds no fear of him. More than that, her nobility sparks something foreign inside him. In his nether realm, kindness is weakness and a king who harbors any sort of compassion loses his throne. For countless centuries, Kerrigan has lived alone in the shadows. Now Seren's courage has forced him into the light that will bring either salvation to both of them...or death.

Opinião:
Desde que a Carla me apresentou à colecção dos Dark Hunters da Sherrilyn Kenyon que eu decidi que não ia perder esta autora de vista.

Andei a ver pelo Goodreads e descobri esta colecção, que nos leva a Camelot – mas é um Camelot diferente daquele que vocês podem conhecer.

Talvez ainda não tenham percebido mas eu sou o género de rapariga que quer um bad boy que é bom apenas para mim e por mim (não viram a tag Viciadas em Séries? Eu não disse que queria o pirata que era mau mas por causa da Emma virou bom?).

E foi isso que encontrei neste livro – mas dentro de uma realidade que faz sentido, isto é, não foi o Kerrigan conhecer a Seren e nesse dia torna-se um raio de luz. Nunca poderia ser.

Kerrigan é a nossa personagem masculina principal, e é ele o dono da espada Caliburn, a “gémea malvada” de Excalibur – é ele que carrega a “sword of darkness”. Para quem não sabe, estas duas espadas foram criadas pela Dama do Lago, para que houvesse um equilíbrio no mundo, assim como um Merlin de Luz e um Merlin da Escuridão – Kerrigan.

Neste livro Merlin não é exactamente o Merlin que nós conhecemos – aquele velhinho de barbas brancas com infinita sabedoria? Não é bem assim…não é velho, não tem barbas brancas, não tem infinita sabedoria…e não é um homem. Uma das coisas que mais gostei no livro foi de ela se por no lugar do Kerrigan e admitir, que na idade dele e com o que ele tinha passado, a maneira como tinha sido abordado por Morgen (a má da fita) e alguns dos cavaleiros da Távola Redonda, provavelmente até a actual Merlin da luz teria escolhido a escuridão.

O livro tem um passo rápido, é interessante e ao mesmo tempo romântico e aventureiro. Sem dúvida vou continuar a ler esta série, gosto das histórias passadas em Camelot, gosto da escrita da autora e das histórias que cria. Deixou-me com um sorriso nos lábios quando o acabei de ler e a querer saber mais das outras personagens.