Category: General Blog Posts

#BookReview #Audiobook The Perks of Loving a Wallflower by Erica Ridley @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub @HachetteAudio #ReadForever #Forever2021 #ThePerksofLovingaWallflower #EricaRidley #TheWildWynchesters #HachetteAudio

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#BookReview #Audiobook The Perks of Loving a Wallflower by Erica Ridley @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub @HachetteAudio #ReadForever #Forever2021 #ThePerksofLovingaWallflower #EricaRidley #TheWildWynchesters #HachetteAudio Title: The Perks of Loving a Wallflower

Author: Erica Ridley

Narrator: Moira Quirk

Series: The Wild Wynchesters #2

Published by: Forever, Hachette Audio on Oct. 26, 2021

Genres: Historical Romance, LGBTQIA

Pages: 346

Length: 10 hrs 27 mins

Format: Audiobook, Paperback

Source: Forever, Hachette Audio

Book Rating: 9/10

Fans of Bridgerton will love this Regency romp in which a proper Society miss recruits a very improper lady grifter in a quest for vengeance, only to find love instead.

As a master of disguise, Thomasina Wynchester can be a polite young lady—or a bawdy old man. Anything to solve the case. Her latest assignment unveils a top-secret military cipher covering up an enigma that goes back centuries. But when Tommy’s beautiful new client turns out to be the highborn lady she’s secretly smitten with, more than her mission is at stake . . .

Bluestocking Miss Philippa York doesn’t believe in love. Her cold heart didn’t pitter-patter when she was betrothed to a duke, nor did it break when he married someone else. All Philippa desires is to rescue her priceless manuscript and decode its clues to unmask a villain. She hates that she needs a man’s help—so she’s delighted to discover the clever, charming baron at her side is in fact a woman. Her cold heart . . . did it just pitter-patter?

Review:

Captivating, mysterious, and seductive!

The Perks of Loving a Wallflower is an enticing, passionate tale that takes you back to London during 1817 and into the life of Thomasina Wynchester, a young lady with many faces who is bound and determined while helping her family solve the mystery involving the wartime cipher to finally introduce her true self to the bluestocking she yearns for, the lovely Miss Philippa York.

The prose is witty and sweet. The characters are strong-willed, determined, and resourceful. And the plot is an arousing combination of friendship, family, secrets, determination, action, adventure, societal expectations, desire, acceptance, tender moments, and unconditional love.

Overall, The Perks of Loving a Wallflower is a charming, seductive, heartwarming romp by Ridley that does a fabulous job of taking the historical romance genre and spicing it up with a little gender-bending, some sapphic love, a touch of mystery, and such a unique and intriguing cast you can’t help but cheer them on. I was once again lucky enough to not only read this novel but also listen to the audio, and I have to say if you get a chance, give this one a listen as Moira Quirk, the narrator, does an incredible job of bringing not only this story but these characters to life.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from the following link.

               

 

 

Thank you to Forever, Grand Central Publishing, and Hachette Audio for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Erica Ridley

Erica Ridley is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical romance novels. When not reading or writing romances, Erica can be found riding camels in Africa, zip-lining through rain forests in Costa Rica, or getting hopelessly lost in the middle of Budapest.

Photo courtesy of Forever website.

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#BookReview Pippo and Clara by Diana Rosie @Diwrite @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #PippoandClara #DianaRosie

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#BookReview Pippo and Clara by Diana Rosie @Diwrite @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #PippoandClara #DianaRosie Title: Pippo and Clara

Author: Diana Rosie

Published by: Pan Macmillan on Oct. 19, 2021

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 336

Format: Hardcover

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

A story about family and fate – and how so much of our lives hinges on chance.

A country torn apart by war. Two siblings divided by fate.

Italy, 1938. Mussolini is in power and war is not far away . . .

Clara and Pippo are just children: quiet, thoughtful Clara is the older sister, Pippo the younger brother is forever chatting. The family has only recently arrived in the city carrying their few possessions.

When Mamma goes missing early one morning, both Clara and Pippo go in search of her. Clara turns right; Pippo, left.

As a result of the choices they make that morning, their lives will be changed forever.

Diana Rosie’s Pippo and Clara tells the story of a family and a country divided. But will Clara and Pippo – and their mother – find each other again?

Review:

Moving, tragic, and absorbing!

Pippo and Clara is a bittersweet, family saga that sweeps you away to Italy in the late 1930s when Italy was full of unrest and upheaval not only due to the war being waged on the fields of Europe and getting closer to its borders by the day under Mussolini rule, but in their own countryside where simmering anger, questions of patriotism, and ongoing tension between supporters of communism and fascism was quickly coming to a head.

The prose is rich and smooth. The two main characters Clara and Pippo are lost, strong, and resilient. And the plot told from alternating points of view is an engaging tale filled with life, loss, friendship, familial drama, tragedy, heartbreak, separation, war, survival, and political unrest.

Overall, Pippo and Clara is a thought-provoking, informative, gripping story by Rosie that reminds us that often the choices we make have far-reaching consequences and has just the right amount of intrigue, colourful history, and heart-tugging emotion to be exceptionally pleasing to lovers, like myself, of historical fiction.

 

This novel is available now.

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

               

 

 

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

 

About Diana Rosie

Diana Rosie has been a tour guide in South America, a designer in Hong Kong, an Olympics volunteer in London and an advertising copywriter all over the place.
Diana now writes books in a country cottage where she lives with a husband, two children and a big dog.
She is thinking of buying some noise cancelling
headphones.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

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#BookReview Meant to Be My Cowboy by R.C. Ryan @ReadForeverPub @GrandCentralPub #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2021 #RCRyan #MeanttoBeMyCowboy #WranglersofWyoming

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#BookReview Meant to Be My Cowboy by R.C. Ryan @ReadForeverPub @GrandCentralPub #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2021 #RCRyan #MeanttoBeMyCowboy #WranglersofWyoming Title: Meant to Be My Cowboy

Author: R.C. Ryan

Series: Wranglers of Wyoming #3

Published by: Forever on Aug. 24, 2021

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 329

Format: Paperback

Source: Forever

Book Rating: 8.5/10

A woman on the run must trust her family’s sworn enemy in this thrilling tale by one of the best in cowboy romance.

The cowboy she can’t have . . . is the one she can’t resist.

Annie Dempsey has two rules for her new life in Devil’s Door, Wyoming: no romance and no drama. Fresh off a bad breakup, she’s already avoiding love. And as long as she steers clear of the Merrick clan—her family’s sworn enemies—avoiding drama won’t be a problem. But when a charming stranger steps in to protect Annie from a sudden threat, both her rules fly out the door. Because Annie’s mystery hero . . . is a Merrick.

Jonah Merrick won’t allow anyone—even a Dempsey—to be harmed on his watch. It doesn’t hurt that sweet, gorgeous Annie makes his heart beat like never before. Against his family’s objections, Jonah insists Annie hide out with him at his ranch while they try to outwit a dangerous pursuer. But as the days turn into weeks, Jonah realizes he’ll stop anyone who tries to harm Annie . . . or the loving future they’re building together.

Review:

Suspenseful, appealing, and sweet!

Meant to Be My Cowboy is a warm, lighthearted tale that takes you back to Devil’s Door, Wyoming, and into the lives of Annie Dempsey, a young woman on the run from her dangerous ex who isn’t content to just let her flee with all his secrets, and the reliable, attentive, Jonah Merrick who’s willing to do whatever it takes to protect this newcomer who has stolen his heart even if she is a member of the detested Dempsey family.

The prose is crisp and tight. The characters are intriguing, multilayered, and persistent. And the plot is an enticing mix of family, friendship, danger, drama, instant attraction, sizzling chemistry, smouldering tension, and delicious heat.

Overall, Meant to Be My Cowboy is a passionate, sinister, entertaining tale by Ryan that has all the elements you look for in a western, romantic suspense novel, and even though it’s the third book in the Wranglers of Wyoming series, it is more than enjoyable as a standalone novel.

 

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

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

 

About R.C. Ryan

New York Times bestselling author R.C. Ryan has written more than a hundred novels, both contemporary and historical. Quite an accomplishment for someone who, after her fifth child started school, gave herself the gift of an hour a day to follow her dream to become a writer.

In a career spanning more than thirty years, Ms. Ryan has given hundreds of radio, television, and print interviews across the country and Canada and has been quoted in such diverse publications as the Wall Street Journal and Cosmopolitan. She has also appeared on CNN News and Good Morning America.

R.C. Ryan is a pseudonym of New York Times bestselling author Ruth Ryan Langan.

Photograph by Jennifer Berry/Studio 16.

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#BookReview Mistletoe Season by Michelle Major @michelle_major1 @KayePublicity @HarlequinBooks #MistletoeSeason #MichelleMajor #CarolinaGirls

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#BookReview Mistletoe Season by Michelle Major @michelle_major1 @KayePublicity @HarlequinBooks #MistletoeSeason #MichelleMajor #CarolinaGirls Title: Mistletoe Season

Author: Michelle Major

Series: Carolina Girls #2

Published by: HQN Books on Oct. 26, 2021

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 288

Format: Paperback

Source: Kaye Publicity

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Spend the holidays in Magnolia, North Carolina, where two lonely hearts find exactly what they need for Christmas.

Anji Guilardi needs a man for Christmas—at least, according to her mother. What she really needs is to grow her fledgling catering business. Partnering with Magnolia’s Wildflower Inn holds promise, but when her mother falls ill, Anji’s drawn back to the responsibility of the family restaurant. Balancing work and her eight-year-old son, she has no time for romance…until Anji runs into Gabriel Carlyle.

Temporarily helping at his grandmother’s flower shop, Gabriel doesn’t plan to stick around, especially after he bumps into Anji, one of his childhood bullies. Sure, she’s all grown up and gorgeous now, and when they find themselves under the mistletoe, their chemistry is undeniable. But it’ll take more than a Christmas miracle for Anji to break through the defenses of Gabriel’s well-guarded heart and find a love built to last.

Review:

Stirring, compassionate, and charming!

Mistletoe Season is a heartfelt, magical tale that takes you to Magnolia, North Carolina and into the life of the overwhelmed, single parent Angi Guilardi as she juggles the family restaurant, her mother’s recuperation, a catering career she is truly passionate about, a son who seems to be the target of some nasty bullying, and an unexpected attraction to the man she turned her back on all those years ago, Gabriel Carlyle.

The prose is smooth and sweet. The characters are anxious, hardworking, and tentative. And the plot is a delightful tale of life, loss, love, drama, family, friendship, community, self-discovery, parenthood, strength, acceptance, undeniable chemistry, happiness, and moving on.

Overall, Mistletoe Season is another winsome, uplifting, cosy tale by Major that’s a lovely addition to the Carolina Girls series with its endearing characters, heartening storyline, and festive cheer.

 

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

Thank you to Kaye Publicity for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Michelle Major

Michelle Major grew up in Ohio but dreamed of living in the mountains. Soon after graduating with a degree in Journalism, she pointed her car west and settled in Colorado. Her life and house are filled with one great husband, two beautiful kids, a few furry pets and several well-behaved reptiles. She’s grateful to have found her passion writing stories with happy endings.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

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#BookReview Christmas in Peachtree Bluff by Kristy Woodson Harvey @kristywharvey @uplitreads #christmasinpeachtreebluff #kristywoodsonharvey

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#BookReview Christmas in Peachtree Bluff by Kristy Woodson Harvey @kristywharvey @uplitreads #christmasinpeachtreebluff #kristywoodsonharvey Title: Christmas at Peachtree Bluff

Author: Kristy Woodson Harvey

Series: Peachtree Bluff #4

Published by: Gallery Books on Oct. 26, 2021

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 368

Format: Paperback

Source: Uplit Reads

Book Rating: 9/10

“When the Murphy women are in trouble, they always know they can turn to their mother Ansley. So when eldest daughter Caroline and her husband James announce that they are divorcing—and fifteen-year-old daughter Vivi acts out in response—Caroline, at her wits end, can’t think of anything to do besides leave her with Ansley in Peachtree Bluff for the holidays. After all, how much trouble can one teenager get into on a tiny island?

Quite a lot, as it turns out.

When the “storm of the century” heads toward Peachtree Bluff, Vivi’s recklessness forces her, along with Ansley and her husband Jack, to shelter in place during the worst hurricane Peachtree has ever seen. With no power, no provisions, and the water rising, the circumstances in Peachtree Bluff become dire very quickly…and the Murphy sisters soon realize it’s up to them to conduct a rescue mission.

With Caroline’s boat the Starlite Sisters in tow, Sloane and Emerson set sail loaded with supplies. When they arrive, they find not only their family in need, but also an entire community desperate for help. Putting aside their own plans for December, they decide to stay in Peachtree, rebuilding their beloved town—as well as their family—just in time for the yuletide season.

In “pitch perfect tones” (Publishers Weekly) and written with her signature Southern charm, Kristy Woodson Harvey explores the magic of Christmas, the power of forgiveness, and the importance of family in a tale that reminds us that, no matter the circumstances, home is always where we belong—especially during the holidays.”

Review:

Quaint, heartfelt, and evocative!

Christmas in Peachtree Bluff is a delightfully amusing, festive tale that sweeps you away to Peach Tree Bluff, Georgia and immerses you into the lives of the Murphy family, especially four strong women, as they gather to celebrate, support, interrogate, heal, grow, communicate, close doors, open new ones, take chances, and survive mother nature.

The prose is vivid and expressive. The characters are genuine, compassionate, and reliable. And the plot, including all the subplots, intertwine and unravel effortlessly into a bewitching tale of life, love, friendship, family, self-reflection, determination, community, happiness, holiday traditions, romantic moments, blossoming relationships, stormy weather, and the special bonds between sisters.

Christmas in Peachtree Bluff is another absorbing, uplifting, magical tale by Harvey that does a brilliant job of highlighting her exceptional ability to create relatable characters, idyllic places, and memorable storylines that thoroughly enchant from start to finish.

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

 

Thank you to Uplit Reads for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Kristy Woodson Harvey

Kristy Woodson Harvey is the USA TODAY bestselling author of six novels, including Feels Like Falling, The Peachtree Bluff series, and Under the Southern Sky. A Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s school of journalism, her writing has appeared in numerous online and print publications including Southern Living, Traditional Home, USA TODAY, Domino, and O. Henry. Kristy is the winner of the Lucy Bramlette Patterson Award for Excellence in Creative Writing and a finalist for the Southern Book Prize. Her work has been optioned for film and television, and her books have received numerous accolades including Southern Living’s Most Anticipated Beach Reads, Parade’s Big Fiction Reads, and Entertainment Weekly’s Spring Reading Picks. Kristy is the co-creator and co-host of the weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction. She blogs with her mom Beth Woodson on Design Chic, and loves connecting with fans on KristyWoodsonHarvey.com. She lives on the North Carolina coast with her husband and son where she is (always!) working on her next novel.

Photo by Jay Ackerman.

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#BookReview Murder at Mallowan Hall by Colleen Cambridge @colleengleason @KensingtonBooks #MurderatMallowanHall #ColleenCambridge

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#BookReview Murder at Mallowan Hall by Colleen Cambridge @colleengleason @KensingtonBooks #MurderatMallowanHall #ColleenCambridge Title: Murder at Mallowan Hall

Author: Colleen Cambridge

Series: Phyllida Bright Mystery #1

Published by: Kensington Books on Oct. 26, 2021

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 304

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Kensington Books

Book Rating: 8.5/10

The first in an exciting new historical mystery series set in the home of Agatha Christie!

Colleen Cambridge’s charming and inventive new historical series introduces an unforgettable heroine in Phyllida Bright, fictional housekeeper for none other than famed mystery novelist Agatha Christie. When a dead body is found during a house party at the home of Agatha Christie and her husband Max Mallowan, it’s up to famous author’s head of household, Phyllida Bright, to investigate…

Tucked away among Devon’s rolling green hills, Mallowan Hall combines the best of English tradition with the modern conveniences of 1930. Housekeeper Phyllida Bright, as efficient as she is personable, manages the large household with an iron fist in her very elegant glove. In one respect, however, Mallowan Hall stands far apart from other picturesque country houses…

The manor is home to archaeologist Max Mallowan and his famous wife, Agatha Christie. Phyllida is both loyal to and protective of the crime writer, who is as much friend as employer. An aficionado of detective fiction, Phyllida has yet to find a gentleman in real life half as fascinating as Mrs. Agatha’s Belgian hero, Hercule Poirot. But though accustomed to murder and its methods as frequent topics of conversation, Phyllida is unprepared for the sight of a very real, very dead body on the library floor…

A former Army nurse, Phyllida reacts with practical common sense–and a great deal of curiosity. It soon becomes clear that the victim arrived at Mallowan Hall under false pretenses during a weekend party. Now, Phyllida not only has a houseful of demanding guests on her hands–along with a distracted, anxious staff–but hordes of reporters camping outside. When another dead body is discovered–this time, one of her housemaids–Phyllida decides to follow in M. Poirot’s footsteps to determine which of the Mallowans’ guests is the killer. With help from the village’s handsome physician, Dr. Bhatt, Mr. Dobble, the butler, along with other household staff, Phyllida assembles the clues. Yet, she is all too aware that the killer must still be close at hand and poised to strike again. And only Phyllida’s wits will prevent her own story from coming to an abrupt end…

Review:

Mysterious, atmospheric, and delightfully entertaining!

Murder at Mallowan Hall is a clue-like murder mystery set in England at the home of Max Mallowan and Agatha Christie during the 1930s that features Phyllida Bright, a housekeeper extraordinaire who, after stumbling upon the body of a last-minute, previously uninvited guest to the manor, and with a lack of confidence in the local Constable and Scotland Yard inspector sent to investigate the case, endeavours to solve not just one, but ultimately two murders by using her knowledge and love of Hercule Poirot and a little extra help from some of the other members of staff.

The prose is descriptive and light. The characters, including the intelligent, independent heroine, are multi-layered, intriguing, and well-developed. And the plot is a well-paced whodunit full of red herrings, suspects, amateur sleuthing, deduction, attraction, and of course, a touch of the unexpected.

Murder at Mallowan Hall is the first book in the Phyllida Bright Mystery series, and if you love historical mysteries, this one won’t disappoint. It’s an entertaining, cosy, satisfying debut by Cambridge, and I can guarantee I will definitely be keeping my eye out for book number two.

 

This novel is available now.

Preorder now from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links!

            

 

 

 

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

 

About Colleen Cambridge

Colleen Cambridge is a pseudonym for a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author whose books have been translated into more than eight languages. She lives in the Midwest and is hard at work on her next novel.

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#BookReview Meghan and the Unmasking of the Monarchy by Andrew Morton @andrewmortonuk @GrandCentralPub #MeghanandtheUnmaskingoftheMonarchy #AndrewMorton #GrandCentralPub

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#BookReview Meghan and the Unmasking of the Monarchy by Andrew Morton @andrewmortonuk @GrandCentralPub #MeghanandtheUnmaskingoftheMonarchy #AndrewMorton #GrandCentralPub Title: Meghan and the Unmasking of the Monarchy

Author: Andrew Morton

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Oct. 19, 2021

Genres: Nonfiction

Pages: 336

Format: Paperback

Source: Grand Central Publishing

Book Rating: 8/10

The New York Times bestselling biography of Meghan Markle, the American actress who won Prince Harry’s heart.

Women who smash the royal mold have always fascinated the public, from Grace Kelly to Princess Diana. Now acclaimed royal biographer Andrew Morton, the New York Timesbestselling author of Diana: Her True Story, brings us a revealing, juicy, and inspiring look at Meghan Markle, the confident and charismatic duchess whose warm and affectionate engagement interview won the hearts of the world.

When Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were set up by a mutual friend on a blind date in July 2016, little did they know that the resulting whirlwind romance would lead to their engagement in November 2017 and marriage in May 2018.

Morton goes back to Meghan’s roots to uncover the story of her childhood growing up in The Valley in Los Angeles, her studies at an all-girls Catholic school, and her fraught family life-a painful experience mirrored by Harry’s own background. Morton also delves into her previous marriage and divorce in 2013, her struggles in Hollywood as her mixed heritage was used against her, her big break in the hit TV show Suits, and her work for a humanitarian ambassador-the latter so reminiscent of Princess Diana’s passions. Finally, we see how the royal romance played out across two continents but was kept fiercely secret, before the news finally broke and Meghan was thrust into the global media’s spotlight.

Drawing on exclusive interviews with her family members and closest friends, and including never-before-seen photographs, Morton introduces us to the real Meghan as he reflects on the impact that she has already had on the rigid traditions of the House of Windsor, as well as what the future might hold.

Review:

Informative, intriguing, and perspicuous!

Meghan and the Unmasking of the Monarchy is the interesting, candid biography of Rachel Meghan Markle, a divorced, mixed heritage, American actress who grew up in a somewhat dysfunctional family, although supported and loved, before appearing in a successful tv series, and then ultimately capturing the heart of a British prince.

The writing is crisp and clear. The characters are influential, hardworking, and driven. And the novel is a compelling tale of one woman’s life, from a young girl in Hollywood to a grown woman with her very own real-life prince.

Overall, Meghan and the Unmasking of the Monarchy, especially this new updated novel, which includes even the most recent events involving the Monarchy in early 2021, is an insightful look into a strong, independent woman and her struggles to retain a modicum of independence, privacy, and freedom after marrying into an institution ruled by tradition, image, and responsibility.

 

This book is available now.

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

                

 

 

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

 

About Andrew Morton

Andrew Morton studied history at the University of Sussex, England, with a focus on aristocracy and the 1930s. Morton has written biographies featuring the British Royal Family as well as celebrities, including Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie, and Madonna. His bestselling biography of Princess Diana, Diana: Her True Story, met with international acclaim as “the closest we will ever come to her autobiography.”

Photograph courtesy of GCP Website.

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#BookReview Sisters of the Great War by Suzanne Feldman @suzanne21702 @HarlequinBooks #SistersoftheGreatWar #SuzanneFeldman #MiraBooks #HTPBooks

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#BookReview Sisters of the Great War by Suzanne Feldman @suzanne21702 @HarlequinBooks #SistersoftheGreatWar #SuzanneFeldman #MiraBooks #HTPBooks Title: Sisters of the Great War

Author: Suzanne Feldman

Published by: MIRA on Oct. 26, 2021

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 400

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Harlequin Trade Publishing

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Inspired by real women, this powerful novel tells the story of two unconventional American sisters who volunteer at the front during World War I

August 1914. While Europe enters a brutal conflict unlike any waged before, the Duncan household in Baltimore, Maryland, is the setting for a different struggle. Ruth and Elise Duncan long to escape the roles that society, and their controlling father, demand they play. Together, the sisters volunteer for the war effort–Ruth as a nurse, Elise as a driver.

Stationed at a makeshift hospital in Ypres, Belgium, Ruth soon confronts war’s harshest lesson: not everyone can be saved. Rising above the appalling conditions, she seizes an opportunity to realize her dream to practice medicine as a doctor. Elise, an accomplished mechanic, finds purpose and an unexpected kinship within the all-female Ambulance Corps. Through bombings, heartache and loss, Ruth and Elise cherish an independence rarely granted to women, unaware that their greatest challenges are still to come.

Illuminating the critical role women played in the Great War, this is a remarkable story of resilience, sacrifice and the bonds that can never be vanquished.

Review:

Immersive, evocative, and affecting!

Sisters of the Great War is an alluring tale set in German-Occupied Belgium and France during WWI that follows two American sisters, Ruth, a nurse who yearns to be a surgeon, and Elise, a mechanic with unprecedented skills with an engine, as they head to the front lines to help transport, heal, and save as many lives as possible in a landscape littered with blood, tears, ashes, ruins, and lost men.

The prose is vivid and smooth. The characters are dependable, courageous, and resilient. And the plot is a moving tale of life, loss, self-discovery, heartbreak, determination, hope, loyalty, tragedy, survival, friendship, love, and wartime medicine.

Overall, Sisters of the Great War is an emotive, rich, absorbing tale by Feldman that transports you to another time and place and immerses you so thoroughly into the feelings, lives, and personalities of the characters you can’t help but be enthralled and fully invested from start to finish.

 

This novel is available on October 26, 2021.

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

            

 

 

Thank you to Suzanne Feldman for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Suzanne Feldman

Suzanne Feldman, a recipient of the Missouri Review Editors' Prize and a finalist for the Bakeless Prize in fiction, holds an MA in fiction from Johns Hopkins University and a BFA in art from the Maryland Institute College of Art. Her short fiction has appeared in Narrative, The Missouri Review, Gargoyle, and other literary journals. She lives in Frederick, Maryland.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

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#BookReview Not Your Average Hot Guy by Gwenda Bond @smpromance @StMartinsPress #NotYourAverageHotGuy #GwendaBond #smpromance #smpinfluencers

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#BookReview Not Your Average Hot Guy by Gwenda Bond @smpromance @StMartinsPress #NotYourAverageHotGuy #GwendaBond #smpromance #smpinfluencers Title: Not Your Average Hot Guy

Author: Gwenda Bond

Series: Not Your Average Hot Guy #1

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Oct. 5, 2021

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Paranormal Romance

Pages: 320

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 7/10

A paranormal romantic comedy at the (possible) end of the world.

All Callie wanted was a quiet weekend with her best friend. She promised her mom she could handle running her family’s escape room business while her mom is out of town. Instead a Satanic cult shows up, claiming that the prop spell book in one of the rooms is the real deal, and they need it to summon the right hand of the devil. Naturally they take Callie and her friend, Mag, along with them. But when the summoning reveals a handsome demon in a leather jacket named Luke who offers to help Callie stop the cult from destroying the world, her night goes from weird to completely strange.

As the group tries to stay one step ahead of the cult, Callie finds herself drawn to the annoying (and annoyingly handsome) Luke. But what Callie doesn’t know is that Luke is none other than Luke Morningstar, Prince of Hell and son of the Devil himself. Callie never had time for love, and with the apocalypse coming closer, is there room for romance when all hell’s about to break loose?

From New York Times bestselling author Gwenda Bond, Not Your Average Hot Guy is a hilarious romantic comedy about two people falling in love, while the fate of the world rests on their shoulders.

Review:

Unique, comical, and cute!

Not Your Average Hot Guy is a sweet, funny, action-packed romance that takes you into the life of Callie, a kindhearted bookworm who finds herself inadvertently attracted to and in need of help from the sexy Luke Morningstar, the prince of Hell himself, when a satanic cult, led by the devious Solomon Elerion, visits her family’s escape room business to steal a book of spells that can help them summon a powerful demon, potentially acquire the Holy Lance, and ultimately trigger the apocalypse they’ve always been hoping for.

The writing is playful and light. The characters are feisty, impulsive, and amusing. And the plot is an adventure-filled tale of temptation, mystique, chemistry, attraction, witty banter, humorous mishaps, supernatural characters, and of course, a little fire and brimstone.

Overall, Not Your Average Hot Guy is a charming, humorous, quirky tale by Bond, and even though I felt it might be a little more suitable for a YA or New Adult audience rather than the adult readers it’s geared towards, it is still nevertheless an easy, entertaining read.

 

This novel 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 gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Gwenda Bond

Gwenda Bond is the New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the Lois Lane and Cirque American trilogies. She wrote the first official Stranger Things novel, Suspicious Minds. She also created Dead Air, a serialized mystery and scripted podcast written with Carrie Ryan and Rachel Caine. Not Your Average Hot Guy is her first romantic comedy for adults.

Her nonfiction writing has appeared in Publishers Weekly, Locus Magazine, Salon, the Los Angeles Times, and many other publications. She has an MFA in writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She lives in a hundred-year-old house in Lexington, Kentucky, with her husband and their unruly pets. She believes she may have escaped from a 1940s screwball comedy. She writes a monthlyish letter you can sign up for at her website, and you can also follow her on Twitter.

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#BookReview A Corruption of Blood by Ambrose Parry @ambroseparry @canongatebooks @PGCBooks #ACorruptionofBlood #RavenFisherSimpsonSeries #AmbroseParry

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#BookReview A Corruption of Blood by Ambrose Parry @ambroseparry @canongatebooks @PGCBooks #ACorruptionofBlood #RavenFisherSimpsonSeries #AmbroseParry Title: A Corruption of Blood

Author: Ambrose Parry

Series: Raven Fisher and Simpson #3

Published by: Canongate Books Ltd on Oct. 19, 2021

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 416

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 9/10

Edinburgh. This city will bleed you dry.

Dr Will Raven is a man seldom shocked by human remains, but even he is disturbed by the contents of a package washed up at the Port of Leith. Stranger still, a man Raven has long detested is pleading for his help to escape the hangman.

Back in the townhouse of Dr James Simpson, Sarah Fisher has set her sights on learning to practise medicine. Almost everyone seems intent on dissuading her from this ambition, but when word reaches her that a woman has recently obtained a medical degree despite her gender, Sarah decides to seek her out.

Raven’s efforts to prove his former adversary’s innocence are failing and he desperately needs Sarah’s help. Putting their feelings for one another aside, their investigations take them to both extremes of Edinburgh’s social divide, where they discover that wealth and status cannot alter a fate written in the blood.

Review:

Menacing, gripping, and addictive!

A Corruption of Blood is a vivid, unsettling tale that takes us back to Edinburgh and into the lives of Dr Will Raven and Sarah Fisher as they find themselves wrapped up in not only the suspicious death of one of the wealthiest men in the Scottish Lowlands, Sir Ainsley Douglas but also the case of a murdered infant that may, in fact, only be the start of a bigger more heinous murder spree than anyone could have imagined.

The prose is descriptive and tense. The characters are intelligent, curious, and committed. And the plot is a compelling tale of life, loss, secrets, friendship, courtship, abuse, revenge, manipulation, deception, greed, violence, early medicine, and murder.

Overall, A Corruption of Blood is another atmospheric, gritty, intricate novel by Parry that is a fantastic addition to the Raven, Fisher, Simpson series, and I can’t wait to read whatever this dynamic writing duo manages to come up with next.

 

 

This novel 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 Ambrose Parry

Ambrose Parry is a pseudonym for a collaboration between Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman. The couple are married and live in Scotland. Chris Brookmyre is the international bestselling and multi-award-winning author of over twenty novels. Dr Marisa Haetzman is a consultant anaesthetist of twenty years' experience, whose research for her Master's degree in the History of Medicine uncovered the material upon which this series, which begun with The Way of All Flesh, is based. The Way of all Flesh was longlisted for both the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award and the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year.

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