Abbreviations #78 | The Autumn Bride, The Chase + One Day in December

It’s been a while since I’ve read a historical romance that tickled my fancy, so I’m glad that my friend Hannah of So Obsessed With recently reminded me that I still need to read the Chance Sisters series. With a premise and characters reminiscent of two of my all-time favorite historical romance series - the Wallflowers series by Lisa Kleypas and the Bridgertons series by Julia Quinn - it’s really not surprising that I adored The Autumn Bride. It does have a bit of a rough start, but that smooths out once it hits its stride. The entire premise revolves around a found family of female friends (try saying that three times fast!) who have called themselves the Chance family - two sisters Abigail and Jane, and their friends Damaris and Daisy. They’re down on their luck at the beginning, but find their fortune in befriending the elderly Lady Beatrice Davenham, whose servants have been taking advantage of her and leaving her neglected and bedridden. But things change when Lady Beatrice’s nephew returns from business overseas and finds these four strangers living in his house… Oh man, The Autumn Bride is a delight to read. I’ve seen some people comment that it read like a historical romantic comedy, and I’m inclined to agree with that assessment. The biggest draw of the novel is the four girls; their friendship and rapport is so delightful, as is their fierce love and protectiveness over one another. That’s not to say that I didn’t think the main plot was engaging (if a touch over the top and slightly lacking in the development of the main romance), or that I didn’t enjoy the other characters (particularly their adopted aunt), or that I didn’t get any of the feels as I read, because I did. It’s a really enjoyable tale, and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series! 

The Autumn Bride by Anne Gracie | Series: Chance Sisters #1 | Publisher: Berkley Sensation | Publication Date: February 5, 2013 | Source: Bought the Kindle book

On the surface, Summer Di Laurentis and Colin Fitzgerald are complete opposites. She loves parties, shopping and isn’t quite sure what she wants to do with her life; Colin loves hockey, video games and wants to design them for a living. This doesn’t stop them from developing crushes on each other… though the fact that he’s friends with her old brother, his best friend has a crush on her and she just moved into their house might prove to be a deterrent. Oh, and there’s also the fact that Colin has made it clear he’s not interested, even though there are definite sparks between them… I’m so gosh darn happy that Elle Kennedy has decided to write a spin-off series inspired by the Off-Campus series (which I’m obsessed with). I loved the characters and the world in the first four books, so it’s no surprise that I also enjoyed The Chase. I enjoyed Summer and Colin as individuals (and I could definitely see myself being really good friends with Colin), and watching their relationship develop was a delightful experience (even though I also spent many pages wanting to smack them both upside the head). While it didn’t quite have the magic that the other four books have, I still thought it was fun, entertaining and downright swoony too.

The Chase by Elle Kennedy | Series: Briar U #1 | Publisher: Self-published | Publication Date: August 4, 2018 | Source: Purchased the Kindle book

I wanted to read One Day in December after seeing it pop up all over my social media feeds and after learning what the premise entailed. Laurie and a mysterious man lock eyes one night as she’s on a bus heading home from work and it is love interest at first sight, but they don’t get the chance to meet. It’s nearly a year later when their paths cross again… only bus boy, AKA Jack, is in a relationship with her best friend/roomie. As ten years go by, readers will follow Laurie and Jack through the ups and downs and complications that they encounter as their lives go on. I really wanted to love this novel, but I feel indifferent overall (though there are plenty of people who do love it!) Let me start by telling you the two things I did like: 1) Laurie, who felt like a real person that I might meet in real life with her narrative and 2) the shift in characters and relationships over the course of ten years. But outside of these aspects, the book was middling for me. The pacing felt disjointed, which I suppose is to be expected considering it covers a decade and jumps from event to event that occurs within the years. The tropes feel typical of a contemporary fiction story, which isn’t necessarily a “problem”, but it just meant that nothing felt too fresh or standout to me. The romance itself wasn’t one I was invested in (I was more interested in the friendship) which is something that really affected my overall feelings about the story. I genuinely am disappointed that I didn’t like this one more!

One Day in December by Josie Silver | Publisher: Broadway Books | Publication Date: October 16, 2018 | Source: Purchased the paperback