The Literary Puff

I really enjoyed Colin and Penelope’s story, much more than I was expecting to. I found it so easy to read and I simply adore Penelope even more than I did at the beginning. She is a character that is just full of goodness, kindness and empathy as we see throughout this story. But she’s also brave and talented and so overlooked by most people it drives me crazy. I enjoyed seeing more of Colin too and even though he frustrated me at times, I liked that he could be vulnerable and honest with Pen. I loved reading him realising he felt much more for her than he thought he did, I adored reading him falling in love with her and I loved how protective of her he was. I loved how Colin’s love and desire for Pen allowed her to feel sexy and desired and wanted, After all isn’t that what every female wants? And who knew a mirror could be very erotic? Colin Bridgeton apparently. Another easy, cute and simple read but one I enjoyed very much. I’m excited to see what they do with their series even mo...

I really, really wanted to love this book as I adore Benedict in the Netflix show, but for me, it was just okay. There didn’t seem to be massive amounts of depth to his character. Gone was the arty Benedict who pushed societies boundaries and who didn’t want to step into the normal role of a member of the ton. He didn’t seem to have a sense of humour and he was really not easy to like in various points in the story. He seems, to date, to be the Bridgerton who is the most entitled and arrogant and not in a good way. I liked Sophie in lots of ways but she frustrated me so much too. There were so many times I wanted to shake her about the head. She was so feisty except when she needed to be and I feel like she could have been so much more. There were parts I really liked and there were parts I really didn’t like but overall it was okay, nothing groundbreaking but not awful either and I’ll be honest, I’m left feeling a little disappointed and that’s okay, I didn’t expect to love all the ...

And the world of Matthew and Diana continues to grip my whole being firmly in its hands. Shadow of Night was equally as fantastic as A Discovery of Witches. In this incredible instalment of the All Souls series, history meets one of the best stories I have ever read—and I do not say that lightly. Deborah Harkness writes with such knowledge and intelligence and weaves a story so rich in detail with twists and turns you don’t expect. Her characters pull you in and wring every emotion known to man from you. She writes such a believable story that you can’t help but hang on every word. Diana and Matthew share some truly beautiful moments in this instalment and we meet characters I didn’t think we would ever get a chance to. and As the story unfolds you’ll find that there are many moments where you’ll feel every emotion they do—I know I did. By the end of the book, you’ll have a sense of foreboding in your stomach about what exactly is about to unfold in book three and I cannot wait to ge...

I really enjoyed this book. I loved Anthony and Kate in the TV series on Netflix (I mean, who couldn’t love them? Their chemistry was insane.) so I hoped I would enjoy the book too. There were a lot of changes to the TV show from the book which I didn’t realise and I’ll be completely honest and say I liked some of the changes that were made and I disliked others. I actually think the TV show made Anthony a lot more likeable and the reasons for his behaviour and choices more believable. There were moments in the book that even I found a little ridiculous and I can take ridiculous in books perfectly well. I enjoyed Kate in the book too, she was still outspoken and funny and gave as good as she got which Is what I adored from the show. I loved Anthony and Kate’s banter a lot and often found myself smiling as I was reading. I think it helps that, in my head, I’m picturing the leads from the show which adds a lot to the overall telling of this particular story for me personally. All in all,...

My first dive into Matthew and Diana’s world came through the TV show, but after watching the first episode, I decided I needed to read the book first. From the first chapter I was absolutely sucked in. Diana and Matthew are wonderfully real and relatable even though they’re a witch and a vampire. They’re both complex and both characters come with an abundance of issues they both have to navigate their way through together. Their love story is one of the most beautiful and profound I’ve ever read and it’s intensity is breathtaking. The story and the world Harkness has created is multi-layered, very real and incredibly believable. I devoured this book in mere days—quite a feat given it’s size—and in the rare moments I wasn’t thinking about it, I was sleeping. It was just one of those books that has you saying, “at the end of this chapter I’ll go to bed” only to realise you have read another four and it’s the early hours of the morning—not that I regret a thing! Now I’ve come to the en...

I think everyone has heard of Bridgerton thanks to Netflix , right? On a recent holiday to Europe, I decided to finally dive head-first into these books. I wanted something light, something easy and something sweet and this book certainly delivered that. I think I’m in the minority that didn’t fall for Regè-Jean’s portrayal of Simon, so I’m really glad that this book has me warming to the Duke much, much more. There was a little more depth to all the characters and because you’re reading from their POV, you’re able to understand them all a little more, something that didn’t come across as well in the series for me. You understand Simon’s motives a lot more and for the most part, you can understand why he feels the way he does. He’s still charming and devilish in equal amounts of course and he has moments that made me laugh and swoon—perfect.  I much prefer Daphne’s character in the book to on screen. She’s more feisty and doesn’t allow her brothers to push her around half as much ...

“I'm no optimist. I'm just a realist who smiles too much.” Everyone has books that when they’re struggling they can go back to and just opening the book feels like a hug from someone you love. This book series is that for me. It’s incredible really, that I dive head-first into this series when I’m struggling with life since it always leaves me feeling raw and emotional after I read it — but perhaps that’s what I need at these moments. To feel, to be reminded that to feel is to live. The Siren is without a doubt one of the best opening books in a series I have ever found. Rarely do characters live and breathe from the pages like these characters do from the very first page. It’s a complicated story to try to summarise, it’s difficult to try and explain what this book is and do it justice. But all I can say is, even after so many rereads, even after so many years, these characters and this world still has the ability to leave me breathless and with tears flowing down my cheeks. ...