My kids go back to school in less than TWO weeks! I think it's the earliest they've ever gone back, but they finished just before Memorial Day so it's time. In total, they will have had 11 weeks off which I know is much longer than some areas/countries.
With the move, we haven't done a whole lot this summer, but we were able to go to one of our favorite places for a week with my family (my parents, siblings, and their kids).
We spent a lot of time at the beach (lake, not ocean) and the pool.
It was so nice because I was able to forget about my stresses and relax for several days.
I also read THREE books! Which is nuts because I've been in a reading slump for most of the year. All three are regency romances by Sally Britton:
Maybe I just needed a break from fantasy for a minute. I loved all three of them! Click the pictures or the links in my short reviews to see them on Amazon!
The Social Tutor is about Christine who is getting ready for her first season in Bath. She speaks her mind too much and needs to learn how to act socially acceptable, so she enlists a neighbor, Thomas, to teach her. In return, she will give him stud rights to her stallions so he can start a horse farm.
What I loved about this book is how forward Christine is in her genuine questioning and how it makes Thomas feel so awkward. But she legitimately wants to learn about what she's doing wrong in society so she can be better and have a successful season to snatch a husband. She even asks him to teach her how to flirt. It's such a fun book!
The Gentleman Physician is about Julia who travels to her cousin to help take care of her house and children while her cousin's husband is dying of consumption. It feels a lot like Jane Austen's Persuasion because we quickly learn that the doctor of Julia's cousin-in-law is the man she rejected many years prior (because of family issues, not because she didn't love him).
What I loved about this book was how the romance unfolded during this very difficult time of losing a family member to a horrible sickness. It's not convenient or even socially acceptable for a romance, so the two deny their feelings for much of the book as they are thrown together taking care of this grieving family.
His Bluestocking Bride is about Ellen, a spinster (who is only 26, c'mon!), who is asked to marry Marcus (the second son of an Earl) in order for Marcus to have access to his inheritance. Ellen and Marcus have known each other since childhood and Ellen has always loved Marcus. So she says yes, even though he makes it clear that it's a practical match, not a love match.
There's nothing specific that I loved about this book, other than I just loved it. The characters are great and I just love reading romances about marriages of convenience.
