Author: The Lit Bitch

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

Review: A Most Extraordinary Pursuit (Emmeline Truelove #1) by Juliana Gray

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About three chapters into A STRANGE SCOTTISH SHORE, I knew that I needed to read the first book in this series.

For one, I thought it would help me figure out some of the little nuances in the book that I was missing, as well as the backstory for many of the characters and their relationships.

So confession….I put down A STRANGE SCOTTISH SHORE about five chapters in and started reading this one instead. I just felt like there were so many little things that I was missing and I felt like I was cheating myself by skipping the first book.

As the personal secretary of the recently departed Duke of Olympia—and a woman of good character—Miss Emmeline Rose Truelove never expected to be steaming through the Mediterranean on a luxuriously appointed yacht under the watchful and jovial eye of one Lord Silverton. But here they are, as improper as it is, on a quest to find the duke’s heir, whereabouts unknown. Continue reading “Review: A Most Extraordinary Pursuit (Emmeline Truelove #1) by Juliana Gray” →

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

Review: The Essence of Malice (Amory Ames #4) by Ashley Weaver

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Here I am, yet another late comer to a new mystery series and I find myself wondering how in fact I missed this series in the first place!

Picking up a book mid series is always a risk, but I have found that more often than not, the author tries to fill in the missing links for new readers so they don’t feel like they need to start at the beginning. However sometimes it’s just not possible to go back and try to recap everything that a new reader might have missed.

While this book was well written and fun to read, I did feel like I needed the other books to stay up to par with everything that was going on.

1930s England.

When Milo Ames receives a troubling letter from his childhood nanny, Madame Nanette, he and Amory travel to Paris where they are soon embroiled in a mystery surrounding the death of a famous parfumier. Helios Belanger died suddenly, shortly before the release of his newest, highly-anticipated perfume, and Madame Nanette, who works for the family, is convinced that her employer’s death was not due to natural causes. Continue reading “Review: The Essence of Malice (Amory Ames #4) by Ashley Weaver” →

Books, Reading

Cover Reveal: THE SECRET TO SOUTHERN CHARM (Peachtree Bluff #2) by Kristy Woodson Harvey

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I have been a huge fan of Kristy Woodson Harvey for the last few years. I love her Southern charm and effortless ability to spin a tale. I love her novels and am anxiously awaiting the release of her next book, THE SECRET TO SOUTHERN CHARM.
Today the cover for THE SECRET TO SOUTHERN CHARM is being revealed and nothing could make me more excited for this one! As in Woodson Harvey’s signature style, the cover says ‘beach’. I can’t wait to take this one with me on vacation in the spring! It makes me sad that it’s almost winter and I have to wait until April for this one!
Also put your copy on pre order on  Amazon today! Amazon Link: http://rstyle.me/n/cr8t6ayki6

Summary

Continue reading “Cover Reveal: THE SECRET TO SOUTHERN CHARM (Peachtree Bluff #2) by Kristy Woodson Harvey” →

Books, Reading

Special Feature: A COLUMN OF FIRE (Kingsbridge #3) by Ken Follett

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature: A COLUMN OF FIRE (Kingsbridge #3) by Ken Follett

There is a reason that Ken Follett is a #1 best selling author–his novels are fantastic.

I read his book THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH while I was visiting London in 2009 and never looked back. His writing was unparalleled and I loved that book with all my heart. I couldn’t put it down the entire vacation and I happened to be cathedral hopping in England so it was a fitting read to be sure.

I didn’t continue on with the Kingsbridge series though, only because I felt like the way Pillars ended, it was enough. I was happy with where it ended and where all the characters were in their lives. I didn’t want to sully the wonder of the first book with an unsatisfying second book, if that’s what it turned out to be—I don’t know if it was that or not but I haven’t yet read WORLD WITHOUT END.

So here we are, another Kingsbridge book is coming out and the summary sounds so promising. I was intrigued enough to consider reading it and continuing with the series. I decided to read A COLUMN OF FIRE later this fall so I will be posting a review in Nov, but until then I wanted to let readers in on a little Q & A with the author and a summary of what sounds like a fantastic book.

Continue reading “Special Feature: A COLUMN OF FIRE (Kingsbridge #3) by Ken Follett” →

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

Review: A Strange Scottish Shore (Emmeline Truelove #2) by Juliana Gray

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Sometimes you pick up a book in a series and immediately know you are going to love it. That’s what happened with this one.

Just the cover and title alone was enough to entice me to read this one and next thing I know, within a couple of pages, I already know I desperately need the first book in the series.

For a number of reasons though, not just because I liked Emmeline Truelove and wanted more, but mostly because I felt like I needed to know more about what was going on with the characters and the over all story.

Scotland, 1906. A mysterious object discovered inside an ancient castle calls Maximilian Haywood, the new Duke of Olympia, and his fellow researcher Emmeline Truelove, north to the remote Orkney Islands.

No stranger to the study of anachronisms in archeological digs, Haywood is nevertheless puzzled by the artifact: a suit of clothing, which, according to family legend, once belonged to a selkie who rose from the sea in ancient times and married the castle’s first laird. Continue reading “Review: A Strange Scottish Shore (Emmeline Truelove #2) by Juliana Gray” →