I always love mystery added to romance. Sigh! This one is great!
Christian just needs to find the fiancee of the Earl of Brundage. She's run away. Smart girl, but anyway... he encounters Aurelie, and our love story begins. Wonderful romance with a dash of action!

Hello

Apologies for the late notice, but I have decided not to review this title.

While I am certain it's obvious by now, I wanted to also clear this off NetGalley, so it's not showing as open for either of us.

I look forward to continuing to work with you in 2023 and beyond.

Laura

Christian is on the trail of the runaway fiancée of the Earl of Brundage in exchange for money. He knows the earl is a traitor to his country and plans to expose him. Aurelie is traveling under a different name to escape her past. Christian literally falls through a door, leading the two on a passionate, thrill ride of a story. The couple seem to have no future as they must deal with their pasts. Will the couple be together or torn apart?

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley.

This was a good mystery romance and I want to try out the rest of the series as well, I hope there are some related characters.

This was not my favorite in the series but still a lovely read. The exposition and build up felt a little too long and the resolution felt a little too rushed.

Hawkes and Aurelie's story was just okay for me. She is the runaway fiancé of a man who likely got Hawkes imprisoned, so that in and of itself is interesting, but Hawkes basically falls in love with her instantly upon meeting her (while he knows who she is and she has no idea who he is). It felt like there was not enough development between Hawkes and Aurelie to develop a true romance. And, it felt like it got going so late in the book that I was left wanting more content to let this develop before ending their story.

Note: I have not read the other books in the series and found I still enjoyed the book despite not knowing the background of the others at the Grand Palace on Thames.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This story had a lot of potential, but I think there was a lot of unnecessary detail that could have been cut. Like the previous books in the series, it has a lot of charming moments, but there is far too much happening here. There needed to be a substantial cut from the very beginning of the book.
I like that Hawkes has so much depth, Long does this well. Aurelie is also a winning heroine, and I like her a lot. They're both great, they have great chemistry together, and they are caught up in a plot with stolen jewelry and potential treason. Sounds great, right? Unfortunately, there are some issues here.

We spend wayyyy too many pages revisiting old friends. I get that the Palace is meant to be the meeting place for all of these events, but we do not need to be rehashing everything each time we see previous protagonists. I would prefer if each story was like a Holmes story- we see the proprietresses in the background, they provide some help to our heroes, and we get a little color commentary. We do not need whole passages from the points of view of other characters. It takes away from the love story and the rest of the plot, slowing the novel to a halt.

I also thought the plot was a bit convoluted. Obviously, a little intrigue was necessary, but I think Aurelie's flight to Sussex was entirely uncalled for. Once Hawkes had evidence of the treason, he should have laid his cards on the table and been honest, especially since he didn't like about all that much to start with. I just think that the plot kind of got away at a certain point, and needed to be reigned in.

I liked the characters together, but I wish we'd had more time to see them work as a team. It seemed like mostly one or the other were admiring each other, rather than putting their skills together. I am happy with the ending, and I will probably continue to read this series.

Trigger warning: sexual assault.

This book was really hard for me to read. I have enjoyed other books in the series, and Julie Anne Long is a wonderful writer. But this book centers around a heroine who is raped (not by the hero), and that event echoes throughout it, just like it does in real life. But it made it impossible to fully enjoy this book. I guess the description hinted at it, but I wouldn’t have chosen to read this book if I had known. I normally immediately stop reading romances that include rape, but I finished this one because I had it from NetGalley.

Long does write compelling characters and handle the topic well. If you aren’t triggered by rape, you will likely enjoy this book. It was nice to revisit the characters from earlier in the series. You don’t have to have read the previous books, but that does build on the experience.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher.

I love this series, and had intended to give belated feedback on this title over the holiday break (when I plan to hopefully catch up on as many as possible of the 2022 titles I wasn't able to get around to reviewing before publication this year!)--but now I'm just going to urge the publisher to give the HarperCollins union a contract instead. The workers who produce wonderful books like this one deserve a living wage, and I very much hope management comes to the table soon so I can get back to posting proper reviews.

Fun but not quite what I seek in a romance. I know a lot of readers love the playfulness of this series, but I like something a bit more weighty. I did enjoy the spy elements of the novel, though!

Julie Anne Long creates such beautiful relationships! You Were Made to Be Mine manages to overcome the class differences so believably. As these relationships bloom, the reader is right along with her. Christian and Aurelie allow each other to see their vulnerable sides, finding love in caring for each other. I recommend this book and look forward to the next book in this series, The Palace of Rogues.

I received an advance readers copy of this book and voluntarily provide my honest opinions.

You were made to be mine had a few interesting plots but it was not my cup of tea. I lost interest early on and didn't know it was book five of the series at first.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for allowing me the chance to read and review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: rape (past, recounted on page), death of loved ones (past), violence, stabbing, gender essentialism, sexism

This is the fifth book in the series but can be enjoyed as a standalone

This one is difficult for me to review. While I very much enjoyed the first half (only first 2/3), seeing the characters of the Palace, the found family elements. Being a refuge. This was very much a slooow burn in every sense but it was so lovely how Hawkes and Aurielle's lives were clearly bringing them together.

But what troubled me was the lack of CW and then how the rape was ultimately recounted from the other character's POV (in this case the MMC). While it did make it a step removed and maybe easier for the reader it centered everything around his experience, his feelings, and his desire to have her share it even though he knew what had likely happened.

This author is talented and this is incredibly readable, the last 1/3 and their relationship dynamics were something I couldn't get over.

Steam: 3

I've enjoyed all of these, but none so much as the first two until now! The return to rather more serious peril and trauma is a plus with this one, IMHO.

Tropes: Spy, Revenge, Secret Identity
⭐️⭐️⭐️ ½/🔥🔥


Her soul must have recognized him years ago, when she stood admiring him from the top of the stairs. She must have known he was hers.

If you haven’t been to The Grand Palace on the Thames…I strongly advise you pack your bags and take a visit. You Were Made to Be Mine is the fifth installment in the Palace of Rouges series and is an enjoyable albeit slow burn, low steam read.

Two broken people, both betrayed by someone they trusted, find redemption in each other. This tale of endurance focuses avenging the wrongs done to our MCs and is filled with danger, intrigue and love.

Christian Hawkes is a spy who has spent his life in service to the crown. After relinquishing his fortune and spending the past three years in a French prison, Christian is released. He’s convinced that his capture manipulated by the Earl of Brundage, the man who negotiated his release. So, when the Earl approaches him to find his missing fiancé, he agrees.

Lady Aurelie Capet has lived a quiet and sheltered life. Betrayed by someone she trusted, she’s on the run, hiding under an assumed name. When a handsome stranger drops at her feet, she helps nurse him back to health beginning a friendship that neither expected develops and an unexpected love grows.

Although not the best of the series, this book was enjoyable. At times it moved a bit slower than what I am used to with Julie’s writing. I think it’s because the story focused more on spying and less on a budding romance between the MC’s. Readers don’t see the two together until a large portion of the book has transpired. I would have much more preferred more romance and less who done it.

Although a stand-alone, I strongly advise reading the previous books in this series as the cast of supporting characters carry from one book to the next. Knowing their history will be helpful when reading this book as they occupy quite a bit of the first portion of this story.

I adored this book! I love Julie Anne Long and You Were Made to Be Mine does not disappoint. Usually I am a dialogue-happy reader, but with Julie Anne Long I really love the story. She really can weave a journey through her books. The story is so well put together, I just loved it!
It was fun to see past series characters make an appearance, and a reference to Pennyroyal Green! But you can read this as a standalone. Highly recommend this delightful tale!

I’ve loved this entire series, but this one might be my favorite.

I love love loved Aurelie and Christian. She’s a little naive, he’s a little hardened and together they just understand each other. I loved how each provided something to the other and how they were both basically smitten from the beginning. And it’s so much fun to see the previous characters.

Plot wise, it was good. It’s the slowest of slow burns and I really enjoyed it this time. I loved reading each of them analyze the situation and process their feelings. Of course, I wish we would have seen more of them properly together, even if it felt like they were.

Overall, this is a series I’ll always read because I love the characters so very much.

FYI: off the page rape. It’s hinted about in the beginning and then the character talks about it later

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

Not as good as others in the series, but still good. It is a quick fun easy read. Low angst, sweet love, fun side characters from previous books, a little action. Overall a decent read.
Thank you to the publisher and Julie Anne Long for the arc

You were made to Be Mine is book # 5 from author Julie Anne Long’s Palace of Rogues series and I must say that I feel like I had been waiting on pins and needles to read it. All the books in the series leave you with a bit of a cliffhanger that does more than wet the appetite for the next character’s story as you come to love them so much. As with all the books in the series, this one is a standalone read as well that revisits and gives small info on the secondary characters that reside at the Grand Palace on the Thames. In book 5 we meet Lady Aurelie Capet aka Mrs. Mary Gallagher who has come to seek a short stay at the Grand Palace while awaiting to depart for America to be with her brother. Soon after she appears, Christian Hawkes is found stabbed at the door of the Grand Palace and promptly taken in mistakenly for the awaited vicar, though Aurelie finds him rather overly manly for that as she nurses him back to health. Surprise, surprise they are when he wakes that he’s not a man of the cloth at all. When Christian awakes to inform all of his identity, while withholding a few pertinent details, we the readers already know him to be a talented spy who’s been paid to find Lady Aurelie by her fiancée the Earl of Brundage.

It’s a good thing then that Hawkes suspects Brundage is the traitor that caused him to land prisoner to the French because Lady Aurelie has very valid reason to be fleeing. Christian is brave as well as handsome and Aurelie soon finds herself wanting to confess her woes to her fellow housemate. This to me was the best of the lot so far as it had intrigue, passion, betrayal, family love and healing as well as lots of customary steaminess of Ms. Long! This installation comes complete with the rest of the Grand Palace on the Thames unforgettable characters such as the resident salesman Delacorte, Mrs. Pariseau, funny beyond belief Dot, the Duke of Valkirk is part of this intrigue, and of Tristan Hardy and Lord Bolt whose wives Delilah and Angelique are the co-proprietors of the Palace. This also is another worthy readers voyage and I cannot wait to see who is to appear at the door for Dot to learn new enticing vocabulary next! I received an ARC copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review.

Big thanks to Avon for the e-ARC of this book. This review is being given honestly and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

CW: date rape of heroine (not hero to heroine), torture, PTSD

This book was book was pretty solid for me but did fall a little short of my expectations.

I am obsessed with how obsessed these characters were with each other (not like super intense) because from the beginning they’re both like ‘shit this is the LOML but how will it work because I lied?’

I definitely love that the big truth reveal was not that big of a deal or super angsty because the characters were very sure of their feelings and why and how this came about.

I will say that there was a super triggering scene in the book that played a semi-big role in the book, meaning it is mentioned more than once and described in detail (not super detailed but not fun to read).

My biggest issue was the lack of relationship buildup/emotional build up. It was more insta-love without any emotional pay off, which I am a fan of but I think it might have been the fact this is a full length novel and we did not get a lot of work from the couple for the emotional pay off I like.

Still enjoyed this book but did not have as much with it as I usually do with this series. Definitely looking forward to the next book and loved seeing some of my faves mentioned in the background.