Book Critic
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Review: Mistress of Rome (The Empress of Rome #1) by Kate Quinn
Thea has known nothing but pain for most of her life. Sold as a slave from Judea, the young Jewish girl now lives in Rome and works in the house of a cruel mistress, Lepida. Lepida’s father is in charge of coordinating the gladiator games in Rome and often Lepida and Thea follow him to watch the carnage of the fighting pits. While watching a fight, the crowd is captivated by a fighter known only as the Barbarian. Women throw themselves at him and yet he refuses them. When Lepida sends Thea with a note to the Barbarian, Thea and the fearsome fighter begin a tedious friendship which gradually turns…
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Review: The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy #3) by Deborah Harkness
Diana and her vampire husband, Matthew, have returned from the 16th century and their home coming wasn’t necessarily the most joyous experience. After dealing with the loss of a close companion and friend, Diana and Matthew must face what the future holds and acquire the elusive book, Ashmole 782, also known as The Book of Life before it falls into the wrong hands. What they don’t expect is that one of Matthew’s homicidal vampire children,Benjamin, stands between them and the book. If Matthew and Diana hope to defeat Benjamin they must rely on their comrades and some past enemies to do it. They must stop Benjamin at all costs and sometimes…
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Review: Shadow of Night (All Souls Trilogy #2) by Deborah Harkness
The last time we saw Diana Bishop and Matthew Clairmont, they were time traveling back to the 16th century in search of a witch who could help Diana control her powers. As a historian, Diana is actually pretty excited about being a time traveler, but less excited when she arrives and discovers that she isn’t quite crazy about 16th century vampire Matthew. Matthew has been a collector of secrets his whole life. Having lives secrets and lies so long, he is not accustomed to sharing things with his wife, though he loves her unconditionally. Both Matthew and Diana think that once they arrive in Elizabethan England, they will quickly find a…
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Review: Successio (Roma Nova #3) by Alison Morton
As many of you are aware, I have been very impressed with this new series. This is the first and really, the only, alternative history book that I’ve come across in all my literary adventures. Successio is the third book in the series and I still stand by the ‘read the series in order’ theory. I’ve seen some people say that these books read easily as stand alone novels but I completely disagree. The world of Roma Nova is complex and the back story is very detailed so I would say if this novel looks at all eye catching to you, then start with the first book and fully immerse yourself in the rich…
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Review: The Seven Sisters: A Novel (The Seven Sisters #1) by Lucinda Riley
Lucinda Riley is an author who has long been on my radar to read. Her covers are always stunning and are always set in exotic locations. When this book came across my desk for review, I had to agree. Who could say no to that eye catching cover and a story set in Rio? Maia D’Apliese is the eldest of the six sisters and they all have been adopted by a wealthy billionaire. They grew up in their father’s home on the shores of Lake Geneva. But now that he has passed away, they are all following his dying wish….getting back to their own roots. Each of them is handed a tantalizing clue as…
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Review: A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy #1) by Deborah Harkness
Diana Bishop has been trying to keep magic out of her life since she parents died when she was a girl. She has thrown herself into her work as an alchemy historian and is presently in Oxford researching her next keynote speech. While at Oxford’s Bodleian Library, Diana calls for an ancient alchemy manuscript, not knowing that it is actually bewitched! Diana quickly returns the book once she jots down a couple of notes about the book. However, her discovery has drawn the attention of the supernatural world…..vampires, daemons, and other witches. Suddenly Diana is being stalked by a number of creatures and she can’t help but wonder if it has something…
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Review: Enchanted August by Brenda Bowen
Bring on the summer reading! For me, this was the perfect book to kick off summer reading with! Four ladies renting a cottage by the sea for the month of August…all hoping to find peace and escape from their daily lives. Lottie and Rose spot an add at their children’s preschool for a beach cottage rental off the coast of Maine. Neither of them can really afford a beach holiday but if they can find a couple other women to split the rent, then they can enjoy a holiday by the sea. Both of them need this vacation, Lottie’s husband is super over bearing and her sex life is basically…
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Review: The Saffron Crocus by Alison McMahan
In 1643 Venice, singing teacher Margherita introduces the young Isabella to the world of opera. Isabella has wanted to sing in Monteverdi’s Choir but it’s only for boys. But opera opens up all kinds of new doors for Isabella instead…..all thanks to Margherita. Just when things are going well for Isabella, she finds Margherita murdered. Isabella sets out to discover why…..but soon secrets start surfacing about Margherita’s past and her handsome son, Rafaele, might be the murderer’s next target. Isabella and Rafaele team up and try to solve the murder before it’s too late! But when an attempt is made on Rafaele’s life, she suddenly finds himself arrested for a crime he didn’t commit. Isabella must…
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Review: Alaina Claiborne (British Agent #1) by M.K. McClintock
As a young girl, Alaina Claiborne witnesses a the murder of her parents…..an event that she doesn’t fully understand. At ten years old, Alaina remains in her parents estate with her guardians, her aunt Charlotte and her uncle Sebastiaan. As she grows older, she only minutely remembers the murders and she only finds comfort when riding her horses. One afternoon she is out for a ride, she stops at her favorite spot on the lake by her property. There she runs into her new neighbor, Tristan Sheffield. She is frustrated that this man has intruded on her favorite spot but yet she is oddly intrigued by him. He is handsome to be sure,…
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Review: The Canterbury Sisters by Kim Wright
Che’s life is literally hitting rock bottom. Her mom just died and her long time boyfriend just dumped her via letter for another woman. Right now her life absolutely, positively, sucks. On the same day that she receives the break up letter, she also receives her mother’s ashes with a last request from her mom….take her ashes to Canterbury. Che had forgotten that she promised to take her mother to Canterbury, it was a trip they both planned to take together but never did. So now her mother’s last wish is that they take that trip together. Right now seems like as good of a time as any since se…