Format: Paperback, ARC

#BookReview The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave @SimonSchusterCA #TheLastThingHeToldMe #LauraDave

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#BookReview The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave @SimonSchusterCA #TheLastThingHeToldMe #LauraDave Title: The Last Thing He Told Me

Author: Laura Dave

Published by: Simon & Schuster on May 4, 2021

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 320

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

We all have stories we never tell.
Before Owen Michaels disappears, he manages to smuggle a note to his beloved wife of one year: Protect her.

Despite her confusion and fear, Hannah Hall knows exactly to whom the note refers: Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. Bailey, who wants absolutely nothing to do with her new stepmother.

As Hannah’s increasingly desperate calls to Owen go unanswered; as the FBI arrests Owen’s boss; as a US Marshal and FBI agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn’t who he said he was. And that Bailey just may hold the key to figuring out Owen’s true identity—and why he really disappeared.

Hannah and Bailey set out to discover the truth, together. But as they start putting together the pieces of Owen’s past, they soon realize they are also building a new future. One neither Hannah nor Bailey could have anticipated.

Review:

Sinister, sharp, and engrossing!

The Last Thing He Told Me transports you into the life of Hannah Hall, whose world gets turned upside down when her husband suddenly disappears one day, and she reluctantly must delve into his past that seems to be a lot more complex and contain more long-buried secrets than she ever could have imagined.

The writing is tight and intense. The characters are mysterious, troubled, and multilayered. And the plot intertwines and unravels quickly into a suspenseful, intricate tale of lies, secrets, manipulation, parenthood, familial drama, unexpected twists, heart-wrenching motivations, violence, and deception.

Overall, The Last Thing He Told Me is a tortuous, clever, heartbreaking page-turner by Dave that keeps you guessing from the very first page and, ultimately, leaves you shocked, surprised, and thoroughly entertained.

 

This novel is available now.

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

              

 

 

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

 

About Laura Dave

Laura Dave is the international bestselling author of several novels including The Last Thing He Told Me and Eight Hundred Grapes. Dave’s fiction and essays have been published in The New York Times, ESPN, Redbook, Glamour and Ladies Home Journal.

Dubbed “a wry observer of modern love” (USA Today), Dave has appeared on CBS’s The Early Show, Fox News Channel’s Fox & Friends and NPR’s All Things Considered. Cosmopolitan Magazine named her a “Fun and Fearless Phenom of the Year.”

Several of her novels have been optioned for film and television with Dave adapting The Last Thing He Told Me for Hello Sunshine and Apple.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

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#BookReview Leaving Coy’s Hill by Katherine A. Sherbrooke @Kazzese @Pegasus_Books #LeavingCoysHill #KatherineASherbrooke

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#BookReview Leaving Coy’s Hill by Katherine A. Sherbrooke @Kazzese @Pegasus_Books #LeavingCoysHill #KatherineASherbrooke Title: Leaving Coy's Hill

Author: Katherine A. Sherbrooke

Published by: Pegasus Books on May 4, 2021

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Katherine A. Sherbrooke, Pegasus Books

Book Rating: 10/10

An unforgettable story about the triumphs and travails of a woman unwilling to play by the rules, based on the the remarkable life of pioneering feminist and abolitionist Lucy Stone. 

Born on a farm in 1818, Lucy Stone dreamt of extraordinary things for a girl of her time, like continuing her education beyond the eighth grade and working for the abolitionist cause, and of ordinary things, such as raising a family of her own. But when she learns that the Constitution affords no rights to married women, she declares that she will never marry and dedicates her life to fighting for change.

At a time when it is considered promiscuous for women to speak in public, Lucy risks everything for the anti-slavery movement, her powerful oratory mesmerizing even her most ardent detractors as she rapidly becomes a household name. And when she begins to lecture on the “woman question,” she inspires a young Susan B. Anthony to join the movement. But life as a crusader is a lonely one. 

When Henry Blackwell, a dashing and forward-thinking man, proposes a marriage of equals, Lucy must reconcile her desire for love and children with her public persona and the legal perils of marriage she has long railed against. And when a wrenching controversy pits Stone and Anthony against each other, Lucy makes a decision that will impact her legacy forever.

Based on true events, Leaving Coy’s Hill is a timeless story of women’s quest for personal and professional fulfillment within society’s stubborn constraints. And as an abolitionist and women’s rights activist fighting for the future of a deeply divided country, Lucy Stone’s quest to live a life on her own terms is as relevant as ever. In this “propulsive,” “astonishing,” and “powerful” story, Katherine Sherbrooke brings to life a true American heroine for a new generation.

Review:

Immersive, insightful, and exceptionally inspiring!

Leaving Coy’s Hill is a powerful, alluring, enlightening interpretation that sweeps you away to the American East in the mid-1800s and into the life of Lucy Stone, an independent, intelligent woman ahead of her time who after becoming the first woman from Massachusetts to earn a college degree spent the rest of her life dedicated to organizing, promoting, and advocating for both the anti-slavery and suffragist movements.

The prose is eloquent and expressive. The characters are strong, passionate, and determined. And the plot, using a story within a story, is a fascinating tale of life, love, bravery, strength, loss, loyalty, friendship, motivation, politics, and the early battle for equality and justice in the U.S.

I have to admit that I had never heard of Lucy Stone before I started Leaving Coy’s Hill, but Sherbrooke did such a beautiful job of blending historical facts with captivating, alluring fiction that I was left incredibly intrigued and motivated to learn even more about this iconic woman’s tireless efforts, influence and legacy on abolitionism and women’s rights.

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

 

Thank you to Katherine A. Sherbrooke and Pegasus Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Katherine A. Sherbrooke

Katherine Sherbrooke is the author of Leaving Coy's Hill (May, 2021) Fill the Sky and a family memoir, Finding Home (2011). An alumna of Dartmouth College and Stanford Business School, she wanted to be an author from the time she opened her first book, and lived on books like food and water for a long time. Somewhere along the line, though, she caught the start-up bug and co-founded a Boston based company called Circles. After that wonderful 15 year+ entrepreneurial adventure, she "remembered" her original dream and finally sat down to write. She lives outside Boston with her family.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

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#BookReview I Thought You Said This Would Work by Ann Garvin @LUAuthors @AmazonPub @OverTheRiverPR #IThoughtYouSaidThisWouldWork #AnnGarvin #LakeUnion #OTRPR

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#BookReview I Thought You Said This Would Work by Ann Garvin @LUAuthors @AmazonPub @OverTheRiverPR #IThoughtYouSaidThisWouldWork #AnnGarvin #LakeUnion #OTRPR Title: I Thought You Said This Would Work

Author: Ann Garvin

Published by: Lake Union Publishing on May 1, 2021

Genres: General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 302

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: OTRPR, Amazon Publishing

Book Rating: 8/10

A road trip can drive anyone over the edge—especially two former best friends—in bestselling author Ann Garvin’s funny and poignant novel about broken bonds, messy histories, and the power of forgiveness.

Widowed Samantha Arias hasn’t spoken to Holly Dunfee in forever. It’s for the best. Samantha prefers to avoid conflict. The blisteringly honest Holly craves it. What they still have in common puts them both back on speed dial: a mutual love for Katie, their best friend of twenty-five years, now hospitalized with cancer and needing one little errand from her old college roomies.

It’s simple: travel cross-country together, steal her loathsome ex-husband’s VW camper, find Katie’s diabetic Great Pyrenees at a Utah rescue, and drive him back home to Wisconsin. If it’ll make Katie happy, no favor is too big (one hundred pounds), too daunting (two thousand miles), or too illegal (ish), even when a boho D-list celebrity hitches a ride and drives the road trip in fresh directions.

Samantha and Holly are following every new turn—toward second chances, unexpected romance, and self-discovery—and finally blowing the dust off the secret that broke their friendship. On the open road, they’ll try to put it back together—for themselves, and especially for the love of Katie.

Review:

Humorous, heartwarming, and sweet!

I Thought You Said This Would Work is an optimistic, touching story that takes you into the lives of three old friends and one unexpectedly new one as they embark on a journey to steal a camper, rescue a dog, confront grievances from the past, meet new people, welcome new additions, and prepare for a heart-wrenching goodbye.

The writing style is sensitive and light. The characters are quirky, multilayered, and endearing. And the plot is a heartfelt, lovely mix of friendship, family, introspection, parenthood, support, forgiveness, love, loss, drama, taking chances, and moving on.

Overall, I Thought You Said This Would Work is a pensive, witty, heartfelt tale by Garvin that reminds us to always live life to the fullest and highlights the importance and power of female friendships.

 

This book is available now.

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

         

 

 

Thank you to OTRPR and Amazon Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Ann Garvin

Ann Garvin, Ph.D. is the USA Today Bestselling author of I Like You Just Fine When You’re Not Around, The Dog Year, and On Maggie’s Watch. She teaches writing at the University of Wisconsin Continuing Education and Drexel University Masters of Fine Arts program and has held positions at Miami University and Southern New Hampshire in their Masters of Fine Arts program.
Ann is the founder of the Tall Poppy Writers where she is committed to helping women writers succeed. She is a sought-after speaker on writing, leadership and health and has taught extensively in NY, San Francisco, LA, Boston, and at festivals across the country.

Photo courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

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#BookReview Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter @LAPainter @simonkids @SimonSchusterCA #BetterThantheMovies #LynnPainter

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#BookReview Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter @LAPainter @simonkids @SimonSchusterCA #BetterThantheMovies #LynnPainter Title: Better Than the Movies

Author: Lynn Painter

Published by: Simon & Schuster BFYR on May 4, 2021

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Young Adult

Pages: 368

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

Book Rating: 9/10

In this rom-com about rom-coms, in the spirit of Kasie West and Jenn Bennett, a hopeless romantic teen attempts to secure a happily-ever-after moment with her forever crush, but finds herself reluctantly drawn to the boy next door.

Perpetual daydreamer Liz Buxbaum gave her heart to Michael a long time ago. But her cool, aloof forever crush never really saw her before he moved away. Now that he’s back in town, Liz will do whatever it takes to get on his radar—and maybe snag him as a prom date—even befriend Wes Bennet.

The annoyingly attractive next-door neighbor might seem like a prime candidate for romantic comedy fantasies, but Wes has only been a pain in Liz’s butt since they were kids. Pranks involving frogs and decapitated lawn gnomes do not a potential boyfriend make. Yet, somehow, Wes and Michael are hitting it off, which means Wes is Liz’s in.

But as Liz and Wes scheme to get Liz noticed by Michael so she can have her magical prom moment, she’s shocked to discover that she likes being around Wes. And as they continue to grow closer, she must reexamine everything she thought she knew about love—and rethink her own ideas of what Happily Ever After should look like.

Review:

Cute, quirky, and absolutely adorable!

Better Than the Movies is a lighthearted, comical tale that takes you into the life of teenager Liz Buxbaum as she navigates a senior year full of emotional, momentous occasions, her childhood crush returning to town from Texas, and some dating help from her irritating, yet annoyingly sexy neighbour, Wes.

The writing is fluid and smooth. The characters are friendly, lovable, and sweet. And the plot is an entertaining, enjoyable mix of familial drama, teenage angst, hard work, awkward situations, embarrassing moments, goals, dreams, friendship, and first love.

Overall, Better Than the Movies is a humorous, charming, swoony read by Painter that pays homage to all the greatest romcoms, gave me a new book boyfriend in Wes, and reminded me as a tween in the 80s just how much I really wanted Jake Ryan to pick me up in his Porsche and ask me to make a wish over a birthday cake while If You Were Here by the Thompson Twins played in the background.

 

This book is available on May 4, 2021.

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

         

 

 

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

 

About Lynn Painter

Lynn Painter lives in Omaha, Nebraska, with her husband and pack of wild children. She’s a biweekly contributor to the Omaha World-Herald’s parenting section, even though she is the polar-opposite of a Pinterest mom. When she isn’t chasing kids, she can be found reading, writing, and shot-gunning Red Bulls.

Photo by Jackson Okun.

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#BookReview Letters Across the Sea by Genevieve Graham @GenGrahamAuthor @SimonSchusterCA #LettersAcrosstheSea #GenevieveGraham #CanadianHistory #BattleofHongKong

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#BookReview Letters Across the Sea by Genevieve Graham @GenGrahamAuthor @SimonSchusterCA #LettersAcrosstheSea #GenevieveGraham #CanadianHistory #BattleofHongKong Title: Letters Across the Sea

Author: Genevieve Graham

Published by: Simon & Schuster Canada on Apr. 27, 2021

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

Book Rating: 10/10

Inspired by a little-known chapter of World War II history, a young Protestant girl and her Jewish neighbour are caught up in the terrible wave of hate sweeping the globe on the eve of war in this powerful love story that’s perfect for fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

If you’re reading this letter, that means I’m dead. I had obviously hoped to see you again, to explain in person, but fate had other plans.

1933

At eighteen years old, Molly Ryan dreams of becoming a journalist, but instead she spends her days working any job she can to help her family through the Depression crippling her city. The one bright spot in her life is watching baseball with her best friend, Hannah Dreyfus, and sneaking glances at Hannah’s handsome older brother, Max.

But as the summer unfolds, more and more of Hitler’s hateful ideas cross the sea and “Swastika Clubs” and “No Jews Allowed” signs spring up around Toronto, a city already simmering with mass unemployment, protests, and unrest. When tensions between the Irish and Jewish communities erupt in a riot one smouldering day in August, Molly and Max are caught in the middle, with devastating consequences for both their families.

1939

Six years later, the Depression has eased and Molly is a reporter at her local paper. But a new war is on the horizon, putting everyone she cares about most in peril. As letters trickle in from overseas, Molly is forced to confront what happened all those years ago, but is it too late to make things right?

From the desperate streets of Toronto to the embattled shores of Hong Kong, Letters Across the Sea is a poignant novel about the enduring power of love to cross dangerous divides even in the darkest of times—from the #1 bestselling author of The Forgotten Home Child.

Review:

Powerful, immersive, and unforgettable!

Letters Across the Sea is a pensive, enlightening tale that sweeps you away to Toronto during the 1930s and into the lives of the Irish Ryan family and the Jewish Dreyfus family as they navigate relationships strained by the Great Depression, religious differences, hatred, loss, misunderstandings, forbidden love, tragedy, and the sacrifices and inherent consequences of war.

The prose is evocative and rich. The characters are genuine, kindhearted, and courageous. And the plot, including all the subplots, unravel and intertwine seamlessly into an alluring tale of life, loss, love, family, devastation, hardship, hope, friendship, self-discovery, and ultimately survival.

When it comes to novels involving Canadian history, nobody writes stories like Genevieve Graham. She takes little known or forgotten historical facts, infuses them with humanity, and then edges them all with a love story that is hard to put down, and Letters Across the Sea is no exception. It’s beautifully written, exceptionally memorable, and in parts devastatingly heart-wrenching, and in case it wasn’t obvious already, I absolutely loved it.

This novel is available now.

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

                

 

 

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada & Genevieve Graham for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Genevieve Graham

Genevieve Graham is the #1 bestselling author of The Forgotten Home Child, Tides of Honour, Promises to Keep, Come from Away, and At the Mountain’s Edge. She is passionate about breathing life back into Canadian history through tales of love and adventure. She lives near Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Photo by Bryghton Towns.

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#BookReview The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth @SallyHepworth @StMartinsPress #TheGoodSister #SallyHepworth #StMartinsPress

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#BookReview The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth @SallyHepworth @StMartinsPress #TheGoodSister #SallyHepworth #StMartinsPress Title: The Good Sister

Author: Sally Hepworth

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Apr. 13, 2021

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 320

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 9/10

From the outside, everyone might think Fern and Rose are as close as twin sisters can be: Rose is the responsible one and Fern is the quirky one. But the sisters are devoted to one another and Rose has always been Fern’s protector from the time they were small.

Fern needed protecting because their mother was a true sociopath who hid her true nature from the world, and only Rose could see it. Fern always saw the good in everyone. Years ago, Fern did something very, very bad. And Rose has never told a soul. When Fern decides to help her sister achieve her heart’s desire of having a baby, Rose realizes with growing horror that Fern might make choices that can only have a terrible outcome. What Rose doesn’t realize is that Fern is growing more and more aware of the secrets Rose, herself, is keeping. And that their mother might have the last word after all.

Review:

Simmering, pacey, and brilliantly clever!

The Good Sister is an intricate, character-driven, domestic thriller that takes you into the lives of two sisters, Rose, a hardworking wife who longs for a child, and Fern a quirky, librarian who struggles daily to navigate a world bursting with sensory overload.

The prose is crisp and intense. The characters are devious, cunning, and scarred. And the plot told from differing perspectives unfolds rapidly into an exhilarating tale full of twists, turns, surprises, familial drama, tragedy, greed, lies, and deception.

Overall, The Good Sister is another gripping, twisty, suspenseful tale by Hepworth that does a wonderful job of delving into all the complex, dysfunctional dynamics that can exist between family members and reminds us just how parasitic and toxic some of those relationships can truly be.

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 for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Sally Hepworth

Sally Hepworth has lived around the world, spending extended periods in Singapore, the United Kingdom and Canada. She is the author of The Secrets of Midwives, The Things We Keep, The Mother's Promise, The Family Next Door and The Mother-in-Law. Sally now lives in Melbourne with her husband, three children, and one adorable dog.

Photo by Mrs. Smart Photography.

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#BookReview The Murder Game by Carrie Doyle @SourcebooksFire @RaincoastBooks #TheMurderGame #CarrieDoyle

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#BookReview The Murder Game by Carrie Doyle @SourcebooksFire @RaincoastBooks #TheMurderGame #CarrieDoyle Title: The Murder Game

Author: Carrie Doyle

Published by: Sourcebooks Fire on Apr. 6, 2021

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Raincoast Books

Book Rating: 7/10

What if your best friend and roommate killed a teacher at your prep school? Or what if he didn’t do it, but he’s being framed, and you’re the only person who can save him?

Luke Chase didn’t mean to get caught up solving the mystery of Mrs. Heckler’s murder. He just wanted to spend alone time with the new British girl at their boarding school.

But little did he know someone would end up dead right next to their rendezvous spot in the woods, and his best friend and roommate Oscar Weymouth would be the one to take the blame. With suspects aplenty and a past that’s anything but innocent, Luke Chase reluctantly calls on his famous survival skills to solve the mystery and find the true killer.

Review:

Mysterious, twisty, and well-paced!

The Murder Game is an intriguing murder mystery that transports you to St. Benedict’s boarding school in eastern Connecticut and into the life of Luke Chase, a teenage student who, after a faculty member is found murdered and his roommate becomes the prime suspect, decides to conduct his own investigation to discover the real culprit and to prove his friend’s innocence once and for all.

The writing is light and smooth. The characters are intelligent, resourceful, and impulsive. And the plot is a creative whodunit full of amateur sleuthing, dangerous situations, suspects, deduction, friendship, secrets, and murder.

Overall, The Murder Game is a quick, engaging, sinister YA thriller by Doyle that is satisfying and entertaining as long as you’re able to suspend disbelief for a little while.

 

This book is available now.

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

          

 

 

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

 

About Carrie Doyle

Carrie Doyle is the best selling author of multiple novels and screenplays that span many genres, ranging from cozy mysteries to chick lit to comedies to Young Adult.

A born and bred New Yorker, Carrie has spent most of her life in Manhattan, with the exception of a six-year stint in Europe (Russia; France; England) and five years in Los Angeles. A former Editor-in-Chief of the Russian edition of Marie Claire, Carrie has written dozens of articles for various magazines, including countless celebrity profiles. She is also a screenwriter, and her movie Intern (co-written with Jill Kargman) premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

Carrie has three books that will be published in 2021: Death on Bull Path (the fourth book of the Hamptons Murder Mystery Series); The Murder Game; and It Takes Two to Mango (the first book of the Trouble in Paradise Series.)

Carrie currently splits her time between New York and Long Island, with her husband and two teenage sons.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

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#BookReview The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon @ScoutPressBooks @SimonSchusterCA #TheDrowningKind #JenniferMcMahon

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#BookReview The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon @ScoutPressBooks @SimonSchusterCA #TheDrowningKind #JenniferMcMahon Title: The Drowning Kind

Author: Jennifer McMahon

Published by: Scout Press on Apr. 6, 2021

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 336

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Be careful what you wish for.

When social worker Jax receives nine missed calls from her older sister, Lexie, she assumes that it’s just another one of her sister’s episodes. Manic and increasingly out of touch with reality, Lexie has pushed Jax away for over a year. But the next day, Lexie is dead: drowned in the pool at their grandmother’s estate. When Jax arrives at the house to go through her sister’s things, she learns that Lexie was researching the history of their family and the property. And as she dives deeper into the research herself, she discovers that the land holds a far darker past than she could have ever imagined.

In 1929, thirty-seven-year-old newlywed Ethel Monroe hopes desperately for a baby. In an effort to distract her, her husband whisks her away on a trip to Vermont, where a natural spring is showcased by the newest and most modern hotel in the Northeast. Once there, Ethel learns that the water is rumored to grant wishes, never suspecting that the spring takes in equal measure to what it gives.

Review:

Intricate, haunting, and imaginative!

In this latest novel by McMahon, The Drowning Kind, she transports us to Bradenburg, Vermont during 1929, as well as present-day, and into the family estate, Sparrow Crest, where emotions run high, tragedy seems to strike, tales are told, secrets are kept, skeletons are long buried, and the spring-fed pool provides hope and healing but only at a very steep price.

The prose is dark and tight. The characters are damaged, unsettled, and vulnerable. And the plot told from alternating timelines is a suspenseful tale of tension, desperation, loss, familial drama, tortured spirits, dark magic, supernatural phenomenon, and the dynamic relationship between sisters.

Overall, The Drowning Kind is a tragic, engrossing, mystical tale by McMahon that does a beautiful job of reminding us that often the choices we make have far-reaching consequences.

 

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

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

 

About Jennifer McMahon

Jennifer McMahon is the author of nine novels, including the New York Times bestsellers Promise Not to Tell and The Winter People. She lives in Vermont with her partner, Drea, and their daughter, Zella.

Photograph by Zella McMahon.

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#BookReview To Love and to Loathe (The Regency Vows #2) by Martha Waters @AtriaBooks @SimonSchusterCA #ToLoveandtoLoathe #MarthaWaters #TheRegencyVows

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#BookReview To Love and to Loathe (The Regency Vows #2) by Martha Waters @AtriaBooks @SimonSchusterCA #ToLoveandtoLoathe #MarthaWaters #TheRegencyVows Title: To Love and to Loathe

Author: Martha Waters

Series: The Regency Vows #2

Published by: Atria Books on Apr. 6, 2021

Genres: Historical Romance

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

The widowed Diana, Lady Templeton and Jeremy, Marquess of Willingham are infamous among English high society as much for their sharp-tongued bickering as their flirtation. One evening, an argument at a ball turns into a serious wager: Jeremy will marry within the year or Diana will forfeit one hundred pounds. So shortly after, just before a fortnight-long house party at Elderwild, Jeremy’s country estate, Diana is shocked when Jeremy appears at her home with a very different kind of proposition.

After his latest mistress unfavorably criticized his skills in the bedroom, Jeremy is looking for reassurance, so he has gone to the only woman he trusts to be totally truthful. He suggests that they embark on a brief affair while at the house party—Jeremy can receive an honest critique of his bedroom skills and widowed Diana can use the gossip to signal to other gentlemen that she is interested in taking a lover.

Diana thinks taking him up on his counter-proposal can only help her win her wager. With her in the bedroom and Jeremy’s marriage-minded grandmother, the formidable Dowager Marchioness of Willingham, helping to find suitable matches among the eligible ladies at Elderwild, Diana is confident her victory is assured. But while they’re focused on winning wagers, they stand to lose their own hearts.

Review:

Captivating, light, and entertaining!

To Love and to Loathe is an enemies-to-lovers romance set in England during 1817 that features the flirty Marquess of Willingham, Jeremy Overington and the feisty, widowed Lady Diana Templeton as they navigate a stay in the countryside, a meddling grandmother, an attraction that’s hard to deny, and wagers involving both marriage and the bedroom they’re both confident they’ll win.

The prose is authentic and cheeky. The characters are charismatic, passionate, and endearing. And the plot is an engaging mix of familial responsibility, tender moments, humourous mishaps, witty banter, goals, expectations, friendship, chemistry, and love.

Overall, To Love and to Loathe is an easy, fast-paced, highly amusing read by Waters that is the second novel in The Regency Vows series, that in my opinion, shouldn’t be missed.

 

This novel is available now.

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

                 

 

 

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

 

About Martha Waters

Martha Waters was born and raised in sunny South Florida, where she spent her childhood reading lots of British children’s books and scribbling away in notebooks. Wishing for the novelty of seasons, she headed north (relatively speaking) and studied history and international studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she also obtained her master’s degree in library science. She is the author of the historical rom-coms To Have and to Hoax, To Love and to Loathe, and To Marry and to Meddle (scheduled for publication in 2022). By day, she works as a children’s librarian, and loves sundresses, gin cocktails, and traveling.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

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#BookReview The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin @MadelineMMartin @HTPBooks @Bookclubbish #HTPBooks #TheLastBookshopinLondon #MadelineMartin #Bookclubbish

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#BookReview The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin @MadelineMMartin @HTPBooks @Bookclubbish #HTPBooks #TheLastBookshopinLondon #MadelineMartin #Bookclubbish Title: The Last Bookshop in London

Author: Madeline Martin

Published by: Hanover Square Press on Apr. 6, 2021

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 320

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Harlequin Trade Publishing

Book Rating: 10/10

Inspired by the true World War II history of the few bookshops to survive the Blitz, The Last Bookshop in London is a timeless story of wartime loss, love and the enduring power of literature.

August 1939: London prepares for war as Hitler’s forces sweep across Europe. Grace Bennett has always dreamed of moving to the city, but the bunkers and blackout curtains that she finds on her arrival were not what she expected. And she certainly never imagined she’d wind up working at Primrose Hill, a dusty old bookshop nestled in the heart of London.

Through blackouts and air raids as the Blitz intensifies, Grace discovers the power of storytelling to unite her community in ways she never dreamed—a force that triumphs over even the darkest nights of the war.

Review:

Poignant, affecting, and beautifully written!

The Last Bookshop in London is an engaging, moving tale set during WWII that follows Grace Bennett, a young woman who heads to London in the fall of 1939 in the hopes of a better life and a glamourous career only to find herself employed in a dusty bookshop and war being declared.

The writing is seamless and smooth. The characters are brave, resilient, and supportive. And the plot is an absorbing tale of life, loss, family, heartbreak, friendship, self-discovery, community, determination, tragedy, survival, and love.

As some of you may already know, I’m originally from Coventry, a city heavily bombed during the war. And as my dad was born in 1937, I grew up hearing how a bomb exploded in his backyard 30 ft from the house, leaving a crater two garden widths wide, and how he would count the number of new houses missing each morning on his way to school. But as that generation ages and memories start to fade, these stories are so important in reminding us how much novels helped and continue to help people cope with devastating circumstances and unimaginable losses, as well as how the strength, courage, selflessness, and sacrifices of that generation enabled us the lives we lead today. I loved The Last Bookshop in London, and I hope everyone who enjoys historical fiction picks this one up.

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

Thank you to Madeline Martin & HTP Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Madeline Martin

Madeline Martin is a USA Today bestselling author of historical romance and historical fiction novels with strong heroines and tons of high-action plot twists! Her books have finaled in the Holt Medallion award and National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award.

She lives in sunny Florida with Mr. Awesome (a man who truly deserves such a great name) and two wonderfully magical girls, known collectively as “the minions.”

She enjoys working out (really to support my love of Nutella and wine), travelling and doing fun kid-like things with the minions.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

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