Bookmarked for Love is Great End to a Delightful Series

 

After loving book two, Hearts in Circulation, I had high expectations for Bookmarked for Love. I shamelessly stalked my mailbox till I received my book and binged it in two days the second it was in my hands. I'm happy to say, Sarah Monzon totally delivered and then some. 

Little Creek Children's Librarian Martha Aldridge's position and programs are getting cut from the library.  

Julien King is under pressure to turn around the failing children's imprint at his father's publishing company in order to prove he's ready to take over as CEO. 

Martha and Julien's love story is so sweet. I liked how Martha describes falling in love with Julien like coming home. Who doesn't want this kind of love? 

If you love rom coms that are first crush, age-gap, middle-aged romance (it's me, I'm the one. Oh, wait I'm also middle aged.)  and Sabrina vibes you need to add Bookmarked for Love at the top of your precarious TBR pile. It was so great to see an older hero and heroine in a rom-com. I'd love to see more romances with older characters. 

One of my favorite surprises...no annoying third act break-up in Bookmarked for Love. It was nice to see a romance flourishing without unnecessary drama. 

If you've read An Overdue Match and Hearts in Circulation, I liked how the author brings in Evangeline and Hayley from the other books. It made you feel like it was a full circle moment. I wouldn't complain if Sarah wanted to revisit the delightful trio of librarians from Little Creek.

Martha is one of those heroines you find yourself rooting for. Her servant's heart for others especially children and her love of literature. I also liked that she's confident in who she is. I loved her sweet, genuine spirit.  Julien is equally compelling, balancing vulnerability with determination, and he delivers more than a few swoon-worthy lines that have been living rent-free in my head ever since I closed the book.

Because of this I'd probably rate Bookmarked for Love as a solid 4.5 out of 5 stars. It's a romance filled with bookish charm, loveable characters, and a satisfying happily ever after that I won't soon forget. 

In The Castle Library Series: Heartwarming Reads

 

Ann Swindell is a new-to-me author, and I may have been feeling a little Christmas in July when I listened to the audiobook versions of Christmas in the Castle Library and Love in the Castle Library.  I wanted to dive into these gorgeous covers before I even read the back.

The narrator does a fantastic job creating different inflections for characters making them distinguishable. 

If you love contemporary books that have mystery that delves into history, romance, and royalty this series is just the ticket. I liked how the author seamlessly wove characters in from the first book to the second giving the reader a more complete sense of the world she created.

Christmas in The Castle Library follows Grad student Ellie Sawyer who has been offered a three-week internship at the Castle Library in Lethersby (fictional European kingdom created by Ann Swindell) to study the disappearance of the country's beloved Queen Alma during WWI for her dissertation. 

In Love in the Castle Library, Castle Steward Delphine Duvant is sent to hire an English scholar from Oxford to further unravel the layers of mystery surrounding Queen Alma's vanishing.  

For me, I appreciated how realistic and relatable the strong spiritual threads were throughout both novels. It made me reflect on my own walk with the Lord and want to strive to draw closer. 

I'd rate Christmas in the Castle Library as 3.5 stars. My reason being at times heroine Ellie's pessimistic personality in the beginning drove me nuts. In the second, book, I liked Ellie's character more. I'd rate Love in the Castle Library as 4 stars. I enjoyed Delphine's character in the first book and was eager to read her story. 

I'm looking forward to reading book 3 (Secrets in the Castle Library) that releases on September 22nd.