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 to do with the book. Diana has actually stumbled upon a long lost book of coveted treasure….and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

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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 non existent, and Rose whose life basically stopped when she had twins both need some time away…..they decide to book the cottage and figure out the financial details later.

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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 solve the mystery before Rafaele is wrongfully executed!

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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, and arrogant but friendly enough. Suddenly he starts turning up at at her house and spending a great deal of time with her. What Alaina doesn’t know is her life is in serious danger.

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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 can’t stand the thought of facing her now ex when he comes to clean out their apartment so she boards the first flight to England. Instead of taking a train directly to Canterbury from London, Che’s mom wanted them to do a pilgrimage and follow the Canterbury trail which is a 60 mile walk from London.

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