Book Review: The Winged Tiara by J'nell Ciesielski

 


The Winged Tiara by J'nell Ciesielski - 4 Stars 

This was giving all things Mr. and Mrs. Smith for me! Jewel thieves, high stakes, banter!! Really enjoyed it. This was a really unique storyline.

It's important to note, this is a secular historical romance. Some have stated in their reviews they thought this was Christian Fiction. Thomas Nelson doesn't just publish Christian Fiction, they publish secular clean fiction as well, so that is what I consider this book after reading it.

We start the book off with Jasper and Esme celebrating the end of WWI. They got married after knowing each other for 1 day in the celebration and too much champagne. She wakes up the next day and realizes her mistake and leaves her new husband behind....cut to 4 years later when they meet back up and they are now both jewel thieves after the same tiara and we see a wild race to get this well sought after item. 

I laughed so many times in this book, we saw some great banter and the situations they got themselves into reminded me of the movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith because they were always trying to outdo each other and you find yourself laughing at their tries to top the next thing with each other.

They have such a great chemistry together. They were kind of enemies to lovers, very unlikely couple that grew to care for one another in the crazy situations they got themselves into. We have so much glamour too from the 1920s shown here, it really felt like a fun time as you followed their hunt for this famous tiara. I have seen some reviews talk about the content here and while I would have liked Esme to not leave him all the time (LOL), for a secular book, it wasn't anything crazy in regards to content. Many times it was very situational.

Some parts did drag a smidge, but overall I really enjoyed this one. 

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of the audiobook to honestly listen to and review. The narration was really good too! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Content: Closed door/fade to black sexual scenes, drinking in celebration (situationally and time period appropriate), small bits of language.

Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/560303
Amazon: https://amzn.to/46KECWx

*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Book Rec Post: Southern Charm Readathon

Image
  Hey Ya'll! The Southern Charm Readathon was announced this week over on my YouTube channel! Here is the Announcement video in case you haven't seen it:  We are so excited about the readathon this year in May 2024, with some lovely co-hosts helping me this year! Scroll down to see the details for the readathon AND book recommendation links for all the prompts! 📣 Rules: - Readathon happens the entire month of May 2024! - If you read 1 book, you have participated! Don’t feel like you have to fill the entire bingo board, it’s low pressure- just have fun y’all! - You can double up or ”multiple up” prompts if you want! Use 1 book for as many prompts as you want to! - No genre rules, feel free to use Secular or Christian books for your picks! Just fit the prompts the best you can! 💗 COHOSTS : Taylor : YouTube Channel: @talesandtreatswithtay Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talesandtreatswithtay Skye : YouTube Channel: @Read4theSkye Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rea...
Read more

Book Review: Lending a Paw by Laurie Cass

Image
  Lending a Paw by Laurie Cass - 4 Stars  Book 1 in A Bookmobile Cat Mystery Series This was a fun introduction to a new cozy mystery series with a cute cat sleuth helping along the way! With the help of her rescue cat, Eddie, librarian Minnie Hamilton is driving a bookmobile in the resort town of Chilson, Michigan. Things happen she least expects when Eddie runs off and finds the body of a local man in town..... Minnie is ready to let the police solve the case but Eddie seems to smell a rat! Together they work to find the killer.  This was a really fun one to read while I was recovering from having surgery this last week! :) As a gift from my friend Tammy, I am so glad I read it! (And that I had my kitty Simba right there with me while I read it was a cute bonus!) Eddie is a stubborn kitty and I LOVED THAT! He kept on pushing the limits to help Minnie out. :)  A bookmobile is also a unique thing to find in books that I absolutely loved. I am looking forward to more ...
Read more

Book Review: All My Secrets by Lynn Austin

Image
  All My Secrets - Lynn Austin - 5 Stars All My Secrets by Lynn Austin is a multigenerational story of 3 women that explores first loves, grief, high society lifestyle, history, the Christian faith and the essence of what matters most in life. I highly recommend this book as I was fully immersed in the story and characters.  Set during the Gilded Age in New York, we see the strength of the Stanhope women following the passing of Arthur Stanhope. Left uncertain of their future paths, Junietta, Sylvia, and Adelaide grapple with the ramifications of Arthur's will and the looming uncertainty surrounding their family's estate. As they navigate through the aftermath, family secrets begin to unravel, shedding light on their intertwined history. I absolutely loved this story. I was very invested in the audiobook narration and learning about Sylvia and Junietta's past. We see the beauty of the Gospel in this story several times as our characters grapple with their past decisions, mi...
Read more