Teaser Tuesday (153)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers



South of Rising Sun (Kindle 23%)
   - J.D. McCall

"You haven't exactly allayed my fears about the war," he said, "but you've at least given me some hope. For that I'm grateful."

The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy

Sir Richard Kenworthy has less than a month to find a bride. He knows he can't be too picky, but when he sees Iris Smythe-Smith hiding behind her cello at her family's infamous musicale, he thinks he might have struck gold. She's the type of girl you don't notice until the second—or third—look, but there's something about her, something simmering under the surface, and he knows she's the one.

Iris Smythe–Smith is used to being underestimated. With her pale hair and quiet, sly wit she tends to blend into the background, and she likes it that way. So when Richard Kenworthy demands an introduction, she is suspicious. He flirts, he charms, he gives every impression of a man falling in love, but she can't quite believe it's all true. When his proposal of marriage turns into a compromising position that forces the issue, she can't help thinking that he's hiding something . . . even as her heart tells her to say yes.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Julia Quinn's newest novel, The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy, continues the Smythe-Smith collection of love stories. With humor, mystery, and scandal, readers of Quinn will surely enjoy this latest installment. 

Iris Smythe-Smith and Richard Kenworthy are the main players in this theater of necessary marriage. Iris is a sarcastic, witty woman who has the highest regard for family. She's intelligent and quiet, loves reading and people watching. Readers will connect with her easily as they see her evolve from a shy girl hiding behind a cello to a wife who doesn't think twice about quipping with her new suitor. 

Richard Kenworthy is a baronet who must find a wife. Why? Well, I won't spoil the plot for you. Let's just say he does a have a secret and it's a big one. (Though not his alone...) Richard is also witty and up for playful banter when he isn't trying to charm his way toward a wife. He's a planner of the detailed sort, but quick to change tactics when the mood strikes him. Readers will enjoy his focused plan of making Iris his wife which provides laugh out loud humor and evokes understanding. The mystery of Richard Kenworthy is an intriguing aspect of the plot as readers will be uncertain how much they can trust him. But he is a good man, underneath the pile of evaded questions. 

The plot is a delicious tale of family and falling in love. As soon as Richard lays eyes on Iris Smythe-Smith at the horrid family musicale, he knows that she will be perfect for his plan. He begins to court her and not too soon after, the two are quickly married with a special license. Though Iris knows that Richard made sure they would be married posthaste, she has no idea why. Thus begins the fun of Richard trying not to seduce his new wife while also attempting to make her fall in love with him. Readers who have followed the Smythe-Smith series will not be disappointed in this fourth book. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

Photo Sharing Friday

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/229120699768515286/
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I need this. Pronto.

It's cute because it's true.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

*May Contain Spoilers*

It has been a while, a long while, since I read a book in one sitting. A novel needs a certain collection of attributes to affect readers in that way. To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han definitely has them. 

[x]Deep connection to the character -- check.

[x]Intriguing plot line that is unpredictable -- check. 

[x]Unique writing style that captivates -- check. 

Lara Jean is one of the Song sisters. One of three to be specific. She has two sisters, Margot and Kitty. Margot is older and leaving for college while Kitty is younger. Lara Jean is the middle sister, about to embark on her Junior year of high school. Lara Jean is a wonderful alignment of attributes. She's quirky, honest, uncertain, caring, naive, nervous, and even slightly sarcastic. Lara Jean is the girl in high school that goes unnoticed without good reason. Readers will connect with her through her experiences, words, and doubt as she tries to deal with her secrets being revealed. 

The plot is both lovely and highly entertaining. Right after Margot leaves for college, Lara Jean decides to write her sister's ex-boyfriend one more letter because she thinks she still has feelings for him. She presses between the pages of a book planning to finish it later on. The next day, Peter K walks up to her and asks her about the letter she sent him. The one about the STD's he doesn't have and how he always steals the last piece of pizza like a barbarian. Knowing that something very, very wrong happened, Lara Jean panics. The following events of the story are hilarious, embarassing, and completely understandable. Readers will laugh out loud and shake their heads with wisdom as they see that Lara Jean's solution is slowly spinning out of control. 

Rating: 4.5/5 Cups