Category: General Blog Posts

#BlogTour #BookReview The Lighthouse Sisters by Gill Thompson @wordkindling @Mobius_Books #TheLighthouseSisters #GillThompson #MobiusBooksUS

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#BlogTour #BookReview The Lighthouse Sisters by Gill Thompson @wordkindling @Mobius_Books #TheLighthouseSisters #GillThompson #MobiusBooksUS Title: The Lighthouse Sisters

Author: Gill Thompson

Published by: Headline Books on Oct. 11, 2022

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback

Source: Mobius Books US

Book Rating: 9/10

1996: The war may have ended decades earlier, but for the elegant woman sitting alone now, the images live on in her memory: her sister’s carefree laughter, the inky black of a German soldier’s boots, the little boats that never came back. And the one constant through it all: the lighthouse that always guided them back to the island.

1940: For sisters Alice and Jenny life is just beginning when the Nazis seize control of the island of Jersey, driving the girls down separate paths. While Alice is forced by the enemy to work in the German hospital, Jenny is attracted to the circle of islanders rising up to resist the occupiers. And as the war tightens its grip, it will cause each of the sisters to make an extraordinary choice, experience unimaginable heartbreak and emerge forever changed…

Review:

Absorbing, moving, and impactful!

The Lighthouse Sisters is a poignant, immersive tale predominantly set in Jersey that takes you into the lives of the Robinson family, especially two sisters, Alice, a young nurse working in the local hospital, and Jenny, a bright scholar destined for Cambridge, whose lives are unimaginably changed forever when their homeland is occupied by the Germans during WWII.

The prose is eloquent and expressive. The characters are brave, tenacious, and determined. And the plot is an exceptionally touching tale about life, loss, family, secrets, separation, desperation, forbidden love, tragedy, friendship, and the horrors of war.

Overall, The Lighthouse Sisters is a captivating, emotional, beautifully written tale by Thompson inspired by real-life events that reminds us that there’s always a light that guides us home, and survival of any kind often involves heartbreaking choices, moral dilemmas, action, spirit, and beyond all else, sacrifice and courage.

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

 

Thank you to Mobius Books US for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Gill Thompson

Gill Thompson is an English lecturer who completed an MA in Creative Writing at Chichester University. Her novels THE OCEANS BETWEEN US and THE CHILD ON PLATFORM ONE were both digital bestsellers and have been highly acclaimed. She lives with her family in West Sussex and teaches English to college students.

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#BookReview Long Shadows by David Baldacci @davidbaldacci @HBGCanada @GrandCentralPub #DavidBaldacci #LongShadows #AmosDecker #HBGCanada #GCPInsider

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#BookReview Long Shadows by David Baldacci @davidbaldacci @HBGCanada @GrandCentralPub #DavidBaldacci #LongShadows #AmosDecker #HBGCanada #GCPInsider Title: Long Shadows

Author: David Baldacci

Series: Amos Decker #7

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Oct. 11, 2022

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 448

Format: Hardcover

Source: HBG Canada

Book Rating: 9/10

From the author of The 6:20 Man, “Memory Man” Amos Decker—an FBI consultant with perfect recall—delves into a bewildering double homicide in this new thriller in David Baldacci’s #1 New York Times bestselling series.
 
When Amos Decker is called to South Florida to investigate a double homicide, the case appears straightforward: A federal judge and her bodyguard have been found dead, the judge’s face sporting a blindfold with two eye holes crudely cut out, a clear sign that she’d made one too many enemies over her years on the bench.
 
What at first seems cut and dry is anything but: Not only did the judge have more enemies than Decker can count—from violent gang members, drug dealers, and smugglers to a resentful ex-husband—but the bodyguard presents additional conundrums that muddy the waters even further. Who was the real target in this vicious attack?
 
Meanwhile, Decker must contend with a series of unsettling changes, including a new partner—Special Agent Frederica “Freddie” White—and a devastating event that brings Decker’s own tragic past back to the present . . . and forces him to reckon with his future. As potential witnesses start disappearing, Decker and White are inexorably pulled down a twisted tunnel of secrets, crimes, and scandal—at the end of which lies Decker’s deadliest threat yet.

Review:

Charged, tight, and propulsive!

In this seventh instalment in the Amos Decker series, Long Shadows, Baldacci has written an ominous, unpredictable thriller that sees FBI Consultant Amos Decker heading to Florida with his new partner, the reluctant Special Agent Frederica White, to investigate the complex murder of a federal judge and her bodyguard that may actually end up involving two different killers, a lot of blackmail, and a secret from the past that someone is willing to protect at all costs.

The writing is meticulous and crisp. The characters are multilayered, scarred, and reliable. And the plot is a sinister tale full of twists, turns, intrigue, action, greed, power, passion, corruption, obsession, duplicity, violence, and murder.

Overall, Long Shadows is another addictive, thrilling, gripping addition to one of my favourite series with its flawed, intriguing characters, dark, intricate storyline, and consistent sense of urgency that I can never get enough of.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or one of the following links.

                

 

 

Thank you to HBG Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About David Baldacci

David Baldacci is a global #1 bestselling author, and one of the world’s favorite storytellers. His books are published in over 45 languages and in more than 80 countries, with over 130 million worldwide sales. His works have been adapted for both feature film and television. David Baldacci is also the cofounder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across America. Still a resident of his native Virginia, he invites you to visit him at DavidBaldacci.com and his foundation at WishYouWellFoundation.org.

Photograph by Allen Jones.

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#BookReview Picture You Dead by Peter James @peterjamesuk @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #PeterJames #PictureYouDead #RoyGrace #PGCBooks

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#BookReview Picture You Dead by Peter James @peterjamesuk @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #PeterJames #PictureYouDead #RoyGrace #PGCBooks Title: Picture You Dead

Author: Peter James

Series: Roy Grace #18

Published by: Pan Macmillan on Sep. 28, 2022

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Police Procedural

Pages: 400

Format: Paperback

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Discover the darkness that lurks around every corner in the latest instalment of Peter James’s award-winning detective series, which is now a major ITV programme starring John Simm as Roy Grace.

Harry and Freya, an ordinary couple, dreamed for years of finding something priceless buried amongst the tat in a car boot sale.

It was a dream they knew in their hearts would never come true – until the day it did…

They buy the drab portrait for a few pounds, for its beautiful frame, planning to cut the painting out. Then studying it back at home there seems to be another picture beneath, of a stunning landscape. Could it be a long-lost masterpiece from 1770? If genuine, it could be worth millions.

One collector is certain it is genuine. Someone who uses any method he can to get want he wants and will stop at nothing.

Detective Superintendent Roy Grace finds himself plunged into an unfamiliar and rarefied world of fine art. Outwardly it appears respectable, gentlemanly, above reproach. But beneath the veneer, he rapidly finds that greed, deception and violence walk hand-in-hand. And Harry and Freya Kipling are about to discover that their dream is turning into their worst nightmare.

Review:

Intriguing, complex, and intense!

Picture You Dead is an unpredictable, sinister thrill ride that takes us back to Sussex, where Detective Superintendent Roy Grace and his team now find themselves investigating a case involving a rare, priceless piece of art and a ruthless collector who will do whatever it takes, even murder, to add it to his collection.

The writing is crisp and bold. The characters are intuitive, meticulous, and determined. And the plot, including all the subplots, unravel and intertwine seamlessly into a suspenseful tale full of twists, turns, secrets, surprises, manipulation, coercion, greed, deception, violence, and murder.

Overall, Picture You Dead is another intricate, engrossing, action-packed police procedural by James that has just the right amount of well-drawn characterization and fast-paced, tortuous storyline to make it a satisfying, highly entertaining read.

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

              

 

 

Thank you to PGC Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Peter James

Peter James is the international bestselling author of many award-winning novels. His Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series, set in Brighton, has been translated into thirty-seven languages with worldwide sales of over eighteen million copies, and has given him eleven consecutive Sunday Times number ones. In 2015 WHSmith customers publicly voted him the Greatest Crime Author of All Time and in 2016 he became the recipient of the coveted CWA Diamond Dagger lifetime achievement award for sustained excellence. Peter has also written a short story collection, A Twist of the Knife, and his standalone titles include Perfect People and The House on Cold Hill. He has also co-written a non-fiction account of Brighton’s toughest cases with former detective Graham Bartlett entitled Death Comes Knocking. The Perfect Murder, Dead Simple and Not Dead Enough have all been turned into smash-hit stage plays. All his novels reflect his deep interest in the world of the police. Three of his novels have been filmed and before becoming a full-time author he produced numerous films, including The Merchant of Venice, starring Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons. He divides his time between his homes in Notting Hill, London and near Brighton in Sussex.

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#BookReview The Revenge by Tijan @TijansBooks @smpromance @StMartinsPress #TheRevenge #Tijan #TheInsidersTrilogy #smpromance #smpinfluencers

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#BookReview The Revenge by Tijan @TijansBooks @smpromance @StMartinsPress #TheRevenge #Tijan #TheInsidersTrilogy #smpromance #smpinfluencers Title: The Revenge

Author: Tijan

Series: The Insiders #3

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Sep. 13, 2022

Genres: Romantic Suspense, Young Adult

Pages: 400

Format: ARC, eBook

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 9/10

The Revenge is the taut, edgy, sexy, explosive conclusion to The Insiders trilogy by New York Times and USA Today bestseller Tijan!

Bailey and Kash were used to living in the shadows. Now they are thrust into the public eye. Together, they can do anything, but undeniable danger and seemingly insurmountable challenges threaten the love and passion that binds them.

1. Bailey is reeling from the greatest loss she has ever suffered.

2. Enemies are closing in.

3. Even bigger secrets and twists are coming to light.

Win or lose, for Bailey and Kash, everything is on the line.

Review:

Charged, crafty, and alluring!

The Revenge is a captivating, action-packed tale that picks up right where The Damaged left off, with Bailey continuing to struggle with her grief over the sudden, tragic loss of her mother and Kash continuing his relentless pursuit of the one man consumed with taking him down, his cold, calculated maternal grandfather.

The writing is tight and intense. The characters are suffering, committed, and determined. And the plot is an enticing mix of friendship, family, danger, drama, heartbreak, revenge, support, desire, and love.

Overall, The Revenge is the third and final story in The Insiders Trilogy, and even though it’s a little bittersweet to say goodbye to the characters I’ve come to know and love over these past three novels, it is nevertheless a satisfying ending to an entertaining series that I highly recommend and will undoubtedly miss.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links. 

          

 

 

Thank you to SMP Romance – St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Tijan

Tijan is a New York Times bestselling author who writes suspenseful and unpredictable novels. Her characters are strong, intense, and gut-wrenchingly real with a little bit of sass on the side. Tijan began writing later in life and once she started, she was hooked. She's written multi-bestsellers including the Carter Reed Series, the Fallen Crest Series, and Ryan's Bed among others. She is currently writing to her heart's content in north Minnesota with an English Cocker Spaniel she adores.

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#BookReview The Invincible Miss Cust by Penny Haw @PennyHaw @Sourcebooks @sbkslandmark #TheInvincibleMissCust #PennyHaw #bookmarkedbylandmark

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#BookReview The Invincible Miss Cust by Penny Haw @PennyHaw @Sourcebooks @sbkslandmark #TheInvincibleMissCust #PennyHaw #bookmarkedbylandmark Title: The Invincible Miss Cust

Author: Penny Haw

Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark on Oct. 4, 2022

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 416

Format: Paperback

Source: Sourcebooks Landmark

Book Rating: 10/10

Must-read historical fiction for fans of Marie Benedict and Tracey Enerson Wood, based on the real life of Britain and Ireland’s first woman veterinary surgeon.

Aleen Cust has big dreams and no one―not her family, society, or the law―will stop her.

Born in Ireland in 1868 to an aristocratic English family, Aleen knows she is destined to work with animals, even if her family is appalled by the idea of a woman pursuing a veterinary career. Going against their wishes but with the encouragement of the guardian assigned to her upon her father’s death, Aleen attends the New Veterinary College in Edinburgh, enrolling as A. I. Custance to spare her family the humiliation they fear. At last, she is on her way to becoming a veterinary surgeon! Little does she know her biggest obstacles lie ahead.

The Invincible Miss Cust is based on the real life of Aleen Isabel Cust, who defied her family and society to become Britain and Ireland’s first woman veterinary surgeon. Through Penny Haw’s meticulous research, riveting storytelling, and elegant prose, Aleen’s story of ambition, determination, family, friendship, and passion comes to life. It is a story that, even today, women will recognize, of battling patriarchy and an unequal society to realize one’s dreams and pave the way for other women in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

Review:

Insightful, rich, and absorbing!

The Invincible Miss Cust is a beautifully written, fascinating interpretation that sweeps you away to England and Ireland between 1874 and 1922 and into the life of Aleen Isobel Cust from the loss of her father as a child and subsequent move from Ireland back to England, her struggle to be accepted and allowed to study at the New Veterinary College in Edinburgh, her enduring passion and love for the Emerald Isle and the animals that called its lush green fields home, and her final acceptance on the RCVS register in 1922.  

The prose is eloquent and expressive. The characters are diligent, brave, and independent. And the plot is an absorbing tale of life, loss, love, friendship, familial drama, support, passion, courage, and the ins and outs of veterinary medicine in the late 1800s. 

Some of my favourite books of all time are those that remind us of the things that daily we often take for granted and yet were forged by strong, courageous, determined women who came before us and The Invincible Miss Cust is one of those. It’s a vivid, immersive, intriguing novel by Haw that does an exceptional job of highlighting her considerable knowledge and impressive research into this renowned iconic figure whose grit, hard work and perseverance had a tremendous impact on the world of veterinary surgery.

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Penny Haw

Penny Haw worked as a journalist and columnist for more than three decades, writing for many leading South African newspapers and magazines before yielding to a lifelong yearning to create fiction. Her stories feature remarkable women, illustrate her love for nature, and explore the interconnectedness of all living things. The Invincible Miss Cust is Penny’s debut historical fiction. She lives near Cape Town with her husband and three dogs, all of whom are well-walked.

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#BookReview The Rising Tide by Ann Cleeves @AnnCleeves @PGCBooks #TheRisingTide #VeraStanhope #AnnCleeves #PGCBooks

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#BookReview The Rising Tide by Ann Cleeves @AnnCleeves @PGCBooks #TheRisingTide #VeraStanhope #AnnCleeves #PGCBooks Title: The Rising Tide

Author: Ann Cleeves

Series: Vera Stanhope #10

Published by: Pan Macmillan on Sep. 1, 2022

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Police Procedural

Pages: 384

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Fifty years ago, a group of teenagers spent a weekend on Holy Island, forging a bond that has lasted a lifetime. Now, they still return every five years to celebrate their friendship, and remember the friend they lost to the rising waters of the causeway at the first reunion.

Now, when one of them is found hanged, Vera is called in. Learning that the dead man had recently been fired after misconduct allegations, Vera knows she must discover what the friends are hiding, and whether the events of many years before could have led to murder then, and now . . .

But with the tide rising, secrets long-hidden are finding their way to the surface, and Vera and the team may find themselves in more danger than they could have believed possible . . .

Review:

Sharp, gripping, and wistful!

The Rising Tide is a well-paced, engrossing police procedural that sees Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope and her team investigating the death of a famous personality on Holy Island who, while on a quinquennial retreat with some childhood friends is found hanging in his room, but while it seems at first glance to be a simple case of suicide it quickly becomes apparent that something a lot more sinister is underway that has strong ties to the past and events that began fifty years ago.

The writing is compelling and tight. The characters are secretive, multilayered, and persistent. And the plot is an intense, mysterious tale filled with twists, turns, mayhem, deception, suspicious personalities, lies, secrets, murder, and tragic loss.

Overall, The Rising Tide is another intricate, nostalgic, atmospheric addition to the Vera Stanhope series by Cleeves that ultimately left me enthralled, surprised, and undoubtedly confident that this is still a must-read series for me.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

           

 

 

Thank you to PGC Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Ann Cleeves

Ann Cleeves is the author behind PBS’s Vera and BBC One’s Shetland. She has written over twenty-five novels, and is the creator of detectives Vera Stanhope and Jimmy Perez – characters loved both on screen and in print. Her books have now sold over 1 million copies worldwide.

Ann worked as a probation officer, bird observatory cook and auxiliary coastguard before becoming a crime writer. She is a member of ‘Murder Squad’, working with other British northern writers to promote crime fiction. In 2006 Ann was awarded the Duncan Lawrie Dagger (CWA Gold Dagger) for Best Crime Novel, for Raven Black, the first book in her Shetland series, and in 2012 she was inducted into the CWA Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame. Ann lives in North Tyneside, England.

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#BookReview Secrets of the Nile by Tasha Alexander @talexander @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress #SecretsoftheNile #TashaAlexander #LadyEmilyAshtonMysteries #MinotaurInfluencers #SMPInfluencers

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#BookReview Secrets of the Nile by Tasha Alexander @talexander @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress #SecretsoftheNile #TashaAlexander #LadyEmilyAshtonMysteries #MinotaurInfluencers #SMPInfluencers Title: Secrets of the Nile

Author: Tasha Alexander

Series: Lady Emily Ashton Mysteries #16

Published by: Minotaur Books on Oct. 4, 2022

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 320

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Minotaur Books

Book Rating: 8.5/10

In a brilliant homage to Agatha Christie, critically acclaimed author Tasha Alexander sends Lady Emily to Egypt during British colonial rule to investigate a crime that leads back to the era of the Pharaohs.

Lord Bertram Deeley, a renowned amateur British collector of antiquities is entertaining his closest friends at a lavish cruise up the Nile to his home at Luxor when he suddenly collapses after offering a welcome toast, a victim of the lethal poison cyanide. Who amongst this group of his nearest and dearest would want to kill their generous host: an archeologist whose dig Deeley was funding until he suddenly withdrew support? A powerful politician whose career Deeley had secretly destroyed? A dyspeptic aristocratic English spinster whose hired travelling companion seems determined to protect her employer? Or even the formidable Mrs. Hargreaves, Lady Emily’s mother-in-law, who may have spurned the advances of Lord Deeley when they were both younger? A key clue may lie with several ancient ushabtis, exquisite three-thousand-year-old sculptures that played a role in yet another murder in Ancient Egypt, a crime with a very real link to Lord Deeley’s death. Lady Emily and Colin gather their suspects together to reveal the identity of a killer whose motive is as shocking as it is brilliant.

Review:

Mysterious, atmospheric, and entertaining

In this latest novel by Alexander, Secrets of the Nile, we head to 1904, where at the invitation of antiquities collector Lord Deeley, Lady Emily, her husband, her mother-in-law, and her stepdaughter travel to Egypt to enjoy some culture and history only to find themselves immediately embroiled in a clue-like murder mystery when at the dinner on the first evening their host winds up dead, and all the friends and acquaintances surrounding him seem to have had more than one motive for murder.

The writing style is vivid and light. The characters, including the intelligent, independent heroine, are well-developed, complex, and intriguing. And the plot is a well-paced, engaging whodunit full of twists, turns, amateur sleuthing, red herrings, suspects, customs, tradition, deduction, and danger.

Overall, Secrets of the Nile is a cosy, enjoyable, satisfying tale by Alexander that I thoroughly enjoyed, and which is without a doubt another wonderful addition to the Lady Emily Ashton Mysteries.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Tasha Alexander

TASHA ALEXANDER is the author of the New York Times bestselling Lady Emily mystery series. The daughter of two philosophy professors, she studied English literature and medieval history at the University of Notre Dame. She and her husband, novelist Andrew Grant, live on a ranch in southeastern Wyoming.

Photo Credit: Charles Osgood

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#BookReview The Storyteller’s Death by Ann Dávila Cardinal @Sourcebooks @sbkslandmark #TheStorytellersDeath #AnnDavilaCardinal #bookmarkedbylandmark

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#BookReview The Storyteller’s Death by Ann Dávila Cardinal @Sourcebooks @sbkslandmark #TheStorytellersDeath #AnnDavilaCardinal #bookmarkedbylandmark Title: The Storyteller's Death

Author: Ann Dávila Cardinal

Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark on Oct. 4, 2022

Genres: Fantasy, Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 320

Format: Paperback

Source: Sourcebooks Landmark

Book Rating: 9/10

From International Latino Book Award-winning author Ann Dávila Cardinal comes a gorgeously written family saga about a Puerto Rican teenager who finds herself gifted (or cursed?) with a strange ability.

There was always an old woman dying in the back room of her family’s house when Isla was a child…

Isla Larsen Sanchez’s life begins to unravel when her father passes away. Instead of being comforted at home in New Jersey, her mother starts leaving her in Puerto Rico with her grandmother and great-aunt each summer like a piece of forgotten luggage.

When Isla turns eighteen, her grandmother, a great storyteller, dies. It is then that Isla discovers she has a gift passed down through her family’s cuentistas. The tales of dead family storytellers are brought back to life, replaying themselves over and over in front of her.

At first, Isla is enchanted by this connection to the Sanchez cuentistas. But when Isla has a vision of an old murder mystery, she realizes that if she can’t solve it to make the loop end, these seemingly harmless stories could cost Isla her life.

Review:

Nostalgic, memorable, and intriguing!

The Storyteller’s Death is a captivating, mysterious tale that takes you into the life of Isla Larsen Sanchez, a young eight-year-old girl who, after being sent by her mother to Puerto Rico for the summer while her father is terminally ill, continues to happily spend every summer there with her extended family until things take a little turn when at eighteen she begins to have visions of events that have happened to her deceased ancestors in the past, and when those stories begin to turn violent long-buried family secrets that some would prefer to stay hidden will finally need to be unearthed and confronted.

The prose is eloquent and expressive. The characters are multilayered, conflicted, and curious. And the plot is a compelling blend of life, loss, love, family, friendship, secrets, surprises, heartbreak, culture, community, magical realism, and resentments.

Overall, The Storyteller’s Death is a hopeful, immersive, multi-generational saga by Dávila Cardinal that reminds us that when it comes to family life is a combination of all the messy, challenging, heartbreaking, complicated moments, as well as all the lovely, wonderful, touching times that happen in-between.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

           

 

 

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Ann Dávila Cardinal

Ann Dávila Cardinal is a novelist and Director of Recruitment for Vermont College of Fine Arts where she also earned her MFA in Writing. She comes from a long line of Puerto Rican writers, including father and son poets Virgilio and José Antonio Dávila, and her cousin, award-winning fiction writer Tere Dávila. Ann’s first novel, Sister Chicas, was co-written with Jane Alberdeston Coralin and Lisa Alvarado, and was released from New American Library. Her next novel, a horror young adult work titled Five Midnights, was released by Tor Teen on June 4, 2019. The story continues in Category Five, also from Tor Teen, released on June 2, 2020. Ann lives in Vermont where she cycles, knits, and prepares for the zombie apocalypse.

Photo Credit: Carlos Cardinal

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#BookReview The Last Hours in Paris by Ruth Druart @grandcentralpub #RuthDruart #TheLastHoursinParis #GCPInsider

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#BookReview The Last Hours in Paris by Ruth Druart @grandcentralpub #RuthDruart #TheLastHoursinParis #GCPInsider Title: The Last Hours in Paris

Author: Ruth Druart

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Jul. 19, 2022

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 448

Format: Hardcover

Source: Grand Central Publishing

Book Rating: 10/10

“Words are power. They can bring you down, lift you up, make your heart soar, make you fall in love. Or make you hate.”

Paris 1944. Elise Chevalier knows what it is to love . . . and to hate. Her fiancé, a young French soldier, was killed by the German army at the Maginot Line. Living amongst the enemy, Elise must keep her rage buried deep within.

Sebastian Kleinhaus no longer recognizes himself. Forced to join the Third Reich and wear a uniform he despises, he longs for a way out. For someone, anyone, to be his salvation.

Brittany 1963. Reaching for the suitcase under her mother’s bed, eighteen-year-old Josephine Chevalier uncovers a secret that shakes her to the core. Determined to find the truth, she travels to Paris where she learns the story of a forbidden love as a city fought for its freedom. Of the last stolen hours before the first light of liberation. And of a betrayal so deep that it would irrevocably change the course of two young lives life forever.

Review:

Charged, poignant, and absorbing!

The Last Hours in Paris is a passionate, moving tale set in France during 1944, as well as 1963 that takes you into the lives of Elise Chevalier and Sebastian Kleinhaus, two people from different backgrounds whose forbidden love will risk their safety, freedom, and ultimately change their lives forever.

The prose is eloquent and polished. The characters are courageous, driven, and resilient. And the plot, including all the subplots, unravel and intertwine seamlessly into an alluring tale of life, loss, family, tragedy, desperation, secrets, danger, friendship, parenthood, separation, survival, war, and love.

Overall, The Last Hours in Paris is a rich, evocative, heart-wrenching novel by Druart that grabs you from the very first page and is sure to be a big hit with historical fiction lovers everywhere. It is undoubtedly one of my favourite novels of the year, and just like her previous novel, While Paris Slept, I highly recommend it.

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Ruth Druart

Ruth Druart grew up on the Isle of Wight, leaving at eighteen to study psychology. In 1993 she moved to Paris, the city that inspired her to write While Paris Slept. There she pursued a career in international education and raised three sons with her French husband. She recently left her teaching position, so she can write full time while running her writing group in Paris.

Photo courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

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#BookReview Hooked by Emily McIntire @authoremilym @Read_Bloom #ReadBloom #Hooked #NeverAfterSeries #SourcebooksCasa

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#BookReview Hooked by Emily McIntire @authoremilym @Read_Bloom #ReadBloom #Hooked #NeverAfterSeries #SourcebooksCasa Title: Hooked

Author: Emily McIntire

Series: Never After #1

Published by: Bloom Books on Sep. 20, 2022

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback

Source: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Book Rating: 8.5/10

He wants revenge, but he wants her more…

James has always had one agenda: destroy his enemy, Peter Michaels. When Peter’s twenty-year-old daughter Wendy shows up in James’s bar, he sees his way in. Seduce the girl and use her for his revenge. It’s the perfect plan, until things in James’s organization begin to crumble. Suddenly, he has to find the traitor in his midst, and his plan for revenge gets murkier as James starts to see Wendy as more than just a pawn in his game.

Wendy has been cloistered away most of her life by her wealthy cold father, but a spontaneous night out with friends turns into an intense and addictive love affair with the dark and brooding James. As much as she knows James is dangerous, Wendy can’t seem to shake her desire for him. But as their relationship grows more heated and she learns more about the world he moves in, she finds herself unsure if she’s falling for the man known as James or the monster known as Hook.

Review:

Gritty, spicy, and suspenseful!

Hooked is a twisty, fervid tale that takes you on a journey into the life of Wendy Michaels, a sweet young woman who finds her life turned upside down after she meets the intense and dangerous James, a nightclub owner and businessman who is not only broody and seductive but driven by an obsessive need for revenge, specifically against her father.

The writing is sultry and intense. The characters are secretive, consumed, and tormented. And the plot told from alternating POVs is an ominous, salacious mix of twists, turns, temptation, desire, deception, mystique, introspection, sizzling chemistry, palpable attraction, violence, depravity, love, and romance.

Overall, Hooked is a tension-filled, dramatic, darkly erotic thrill ride by McIntire that takes slivers of the classic Peter Pan and gives it a creative, sexy, contemporary spin that does a brilliant job of reminding you that sometimes the line between good and evil is often quite blurry and happy-ever-after endings are not always simple and sweet.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

Thank you to Bloom Books for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Emily McIntire

Emily McIntire is an international and Amazon top 15 best-selling author known for her Never After Series, where she gives our favorite villains their happily ever afters. With books that range from small town to dark romance, she doesn’t like to box herself into one type of story, but at the core of all her novels is soul deep love. When she’s not writing you can find her waiting on her long lost Hogwarts letter, enjoying her family, or lost between the pages of a good book. The author and her family live near Knoxville, TN.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

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