Month: April 2018

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The New Neighbors by Simon Lelic

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Review: The New Neighbors by Simon Lelic

I am a total true crime junkie. Whenever I am home sick or just wanting to waste a day watching mindless TV, my go to station is ID Discovery. I absolutely love watching true crime. My favorites though are always the ones about seemingly normal families and people.

I think I watched Nightmare Next Door like every day that I was pregnant and home on bed rest…..by the end of three months I was certain that my neighbors were all serial killers. So it’s safe to say that I love the whole suburban killer next door idea so when this book made it’s way into my mailbox, I was totally intrigued!

The Girl Before meets The Couple Next Door in a Hitchcockian thriller about a couple who moves into their dream neighborhood only to discover nothing is as it seems…

The perfect couple. The perfect house. The perfect crime. Continue reading “Review: The New Neighbors by Simon Lelic” →

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The Family Gathering (Sullivan’s Crossing #3) by Robyn Carr

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Review: The Family Gathering (Sullivan’s Crossing #3) by Robyn Carr

This year I have tried to read a little more fluffy contempo romances. I’ve sometimes felt that I get pigeon holed into reviewing just historical fiction—don’t get me wrong, historical fiction is my jam but sometimes I need a break and could go for something a little more modern and different just to keep things interesting.

Romances never seem to get old for me and I think a lot of women would agree. It doesn’t matter how cliche or repetitive the romance might seem–theres just something about love and having everything turn out in the end that just makes me happy and gives me hope that romance is still alive n the digital age!

Enter books like The Family Gathering. Sure I feel like I’ve read similar stories before but I enjoy love in all it’s shapes and forms and I never get tired of seeing how individual romances unfold.  Continue reading “Review: The Family Gathering (Sullivan’s Crossing #3) by Robyn Carr” →

Books, Reading

Special Feature: Madam of My Heart by Gini Grossenbacher

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature: Madam of My Heart by Gini Grossenbacher

Madam of My Heart
by Gini Grossenbacher

Publication Date: February 6, 2017
eBook & Paperback; 476 Pages
ISBN-13: 978-0998380605

Series: American Madams, #1
Genre: Historical Fiction/Victorian

 

 

Baltimore, 1849. During a scandalous crisis, the young Irish Brianna Baird flees her home at Fells Point. With little cash and only a seamstress’s trade, she braves the hypnotic streets of New Orleans. The tantalizing Madam DeSalle lures her to her brothel, then sells her to the dashing but questionable gambler, Edward Spina, who falls in love with her. In a tawdry alliance with these two profiteers, Brianna embarks on a journey through the French Quarter’s debauched and glittering Voodoo world. Facing the horrors of slavery, she triumphs by gaining freedom papers for her maid Emma’s enslaved husband and son. Brianna and Edward escape with them to San Francisco. There she becomes one of the most sought after madams in the gold rush parlor house trade. But will her fame and pluck be enough to save Edward from the Vigilante noose? This is the first book in the American Madams series.

“A debut historical novel that chronicles the struggles, loves, and joys of an exceptional madam in 19th-century America. Grossenbacher’s book, the first in a planned series, dramatizes the early life and busy career of a woman named Brianna Baird. Grossenbacher’s prose is both graceful and inventive. She absorbingly limns the various cities Brianna inhabits, from New Orleans and its ‘web of Creole cottages, chaotic marketplaces, and secretive balconies, simmering outside her window, ‘ to the rowdy atmosphere of frontier-era San Francisco. The occasional marvelous metaphor will surprise readers, as when ‘the truth hit Brianna like a badly aimed bowling pin.’ This isn’t just a novel for lovers of history’s more prurient corners; it’s for everyone who likes well-deployed language and intense stories. A seamier side of American history, engagingly told through one woman’s unexpected adventures.” -Kirkus Reviews, A Recommended Review

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound

Continue reading “Special Feature: Madam of My Heart by Gini Grossenbacher” →

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The Elizas by Sara Shepard

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Review: The Elizas by Sara Shepard

If I’m being perfectly honest, I don’t really know what grabbed me about this book but something just did. When the pitch came through I wasn’t entirely sure this was something that I was interested in reading.

Maybe it was the colorful cover or maybe it was the idea of a false memory. I don’t know but something made me think this was something that I would be interested in.

Sara Shepard wrote the wildly popular Pretty Little Liars series so maybe that was what made me excited. I mean her books are popular right? She must be doing something right, so I agreed to read.

This is Shepard’s first adult novel so obviously the stakes are high when you come from writing YA and try to break into adult literature. I was curious to see how that played out for Shepard so here we are.  Continue reading “Review: The Elizas by Sara Shepard” →

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: Come From Away by Genevieve Graham

by The Lit Bitch8 Comments on Review: Come From Away by Genevieve Graham

I love when new authors find me and think that I will like their books. I am always intrigued because with the internet it’s hard to get a feel for people sometimes so when an author asks me if I would like to review their book or they think it’s something I will like—it always makes me pause.

I can honestly say that I give every single book that comes across my desk for review, my full and complete consideration for this reason. Authors, publishers, friends on social media…..I read all the pitches. Now that doesn’t mean that I review them all, but if it truly is something I’m interested in reading and I have time then I’m usually in.

That’s how I stumbled on to Genevieve Graham. She found me and asked it I would review her book, TIDES OF HONOUR, back in 2015.  I was blown away by the subject matter, characters, and the historical period as well as the added Canadian perspective in WWI.

I was thrilled when she asked if I would be interested in reading her latest novel, COME FROM AWAY, and I didn’t even hesitate….absolutely! Continue reading “Review: Come From Away by Genevieve Graham” →