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Simply Irresistible Reads

No blog post about books last weekend did not equal a suspension of acquiring more books.😏 
[front cover of a paperback copy of Ne'er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti; a man and a woman in 19th-c. garb as they balance precariously in a wooden row boat with a little dog in a city lake setting] 

Ne'er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti 
historical romance 
St. Martin's Griffin, July 2024 

Selina and Peter's love story is a tenderhearted farce of a romp grounded in emotional substance about honoring commitments with love and compassion toward family, friends, and fellow human beings. Mix in precocious children, tenacious animals, and well-intentioned meddlers for a satisfying read filled with lots of grit, affection, and humor along with deeper historical context that's often ignored. 

books borrowed two weeks ago

[a horizontal book stack from top to bottom: The Diamond and the Duke, Counting on the Cowboy, Body Check, Daydream, Better Left Unsent, Alternate Endings, Struck Dead] 

books borrowed this week 
[a horizontal book stack from top to bottom: Fall, Fall for Him, Worst in Show, The Enemy, The Match, Golden Lord] 

Multiple project deadlines mean more pictures of books than reviews of them from me, probably until the end of this year.  

Happy reading, writing, creating, surviving & thriving! 


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