Hello friends!

Hope you are doing well and getting in your fall groove. I feel like we are so very close to our fall groove and it’s starting to feel more stable. So glad!

Today, I am sharing a review of a recent read of mine that I ADORED! Love Practically by Nichole Van started me on a life-changing reading journey. I fell in love with this whole series! This is the first book in the Penn-Leiths of Thistle Muir series and it is absolutely incredible! I loved every book and added all of Nichole’s other books to my TBR. Definitely a favorite series of this year and beyond!

What a beautiful, heartrending, exquisite novel! This is my first book by Nichole Van and it has quickly made me want to read more of her work!

Book Summary: “As a young woman, Leah Penn-Leith fell hopelessly in love with Captain Fox Carnegie—the only irrational mark on her decidedly sensible life. Fox, unfortunately, did not return her regard. Their story should have ended there. After all, Fox left for India. And Leah returned home to Scotland to rear her much younger brothers.

But twenty years later, Fox appears on Leah’s doorstep—older, scarred, and world-weary—proposing a marriage of convenience between them. He needs a mother for his young ward, and Leah, with her capable good sense, comes highly recommended. What woman could say No to such a proposal? Not Leah. Fox has always wreaked havoc on her ability to think rationally.

But after their marriage, Leah confronts the chaotic reality of Fox’s life. His castle, ten miles up a rugged Highland glen, is shambolic. His ward, Madeline, is a precocious handful. Fox’s time in India is shrouded in rumor and mystery. Worst of all, Fox himself is distant and broken, his personality as altered as his scarred body.

Throughout it all, Leah is left with two questions: What happens to a woman after her most-cherished fantasy comes true? And can a marriage, begun in practicality, transform into something deeper? Something like . . . love.”

Nichole’s writing is absolutely exquisite. The way she turns a phrase, describes a scene, creates a character, and builds a love story were all beautiful. I feel like it’s hard to do her writing justice in a review. It is achingly raw, lovely, and powerful. I was transported to the Highlands of Scotland and felt I was truly experiencing this time and place along with her characters. She paints the setting, stories, and characters of her stories with incredible detail and gorgeous language. At times, I was simply in awe of her vision and skill.

I was easily rooting for Leah from the first pages of this novel and to see her find her place in the world was so beautiful. We get so much of her history and I was so impressed by her strength, dedication to her family, and willingness to step into the unknown. While she agrees to marry Fox both to establish her own home and to ignite the crush she harbored for him as a young woman, their relationship becomes so much more than that. It is a long journey to true love, but that journey is worth every second to see what they are able to attain.

Fox was an intriguing and complex character that had a truly satisfying journey. He has seen and experienced so much hardship — betrayal, addiction, fear, and loss. When we first meet him, he is drowning in those emotions, barely able to live let alone thrive. But then he marries Leah. And that marriage, that relationship becomes the central foundation of his world. And he changes. I loved seeing that change and appreciate it for its ups and downs through the story. As he realizes how much he loves Leah, Fox becomes the man of her dreams. It’s so beautiful!

Their marriage of convenience turned love match is a surprising journey made all the sweeter for the experiences they share. Not everything is smooth. They disagree. They don’t communicate as they should. They have fears and reservations and hardships. But somehow, they carry on and find each other again. I loved seeing Leah and Fox open up to each other and build a beautiful relationship and life together.

I am officially a Nichole Van fan girl! Can’t wait to share my reviews of this full series and read more of her books. Highly recommend this one and the rest in this series!!

What are your favorite historical romance series?
What about your favorite historical settings?