Category: Book Critic

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

Review: Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner

The Jane Austen Society was high up on my TBR list last year and I enjoyed it, but when I saw Natalie Jenner was publishing this book, I was thrilled! The Jane Austen Society was just ok for me, I liked it but there were a few bumps that I felt needed to be ironed out, however I liked it well enough to be eager for Jenner’s next novel!

The Bloomsbury Girls is set in post WWII London which is such an interesting period to me. The world just came out of this massive war and they were still feeling to effects of rationing and economic instability but yet were rapidly bouncing back from a dark period in history. So the 1950s always seem like a very exciting period in modern history which is one of the main reasons this novel really made me pause and take note. Then I saw this book featured books, bookstores, and rare books—I mean come on could this one be calling my name any harder?!

If you love books and historical fiction this is going to be a easy book to pick up and enjoy. I am pleased to report that I liked this one a lot more than The Jane Austen Society, this book really drew me in and reminded me how much I love reading some of these post war era authors like Daphne Du Maurier and why I love reading and bookstores in the first place! This was a wonderful read and I certainly recommend it to book lovers!

Continue reading “Review: Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner” →
Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Gen Lit, Reading

Review: Our Last Days in Barcelona by Chanel Cleeton

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Our Last Days in Barcelona by Chanel Cleeton

I have been a HUGE fan of Chanel Cleeton over the years. I have loved all of her novels in different ways and for different reasons. Each. time I crack open one of her books I am guaranteed to be transported to an exotic location with a thrilling family. I have read some of her books twice just because I love them and also to refresh where we are at in the Perez family story. I have certainly read the books out of order so don’t feel like you need to go back and read the others first before this one, but it certainly helps gain a full understanding of the family history and politics.

I love the Perez girls, especially Beatriz so seeing that she would be part of this latest novel made me really excited to read it! While maybe not the central focus of the novel, she at the very least puts in an appearance so fans of previous books will enjoy that. Cleeton has earned a spot on my auto buy list and I am always eager for the spring to come to see what sort of exciting novel that Cleeton has come up with!

Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres to read and Cleeton’s books always stand out head and shoulders above many of the books in the genre. They are fresh, full of rich history, and so well written and researched. If you have not read these books yet you are absolutely missing out and should stop what you’re doing and read any of the books in this series (including this one!) it’s so good and I can’t sing the praises of the books enough. They are all amazing and for different reasons.

Continue reading “Review: Our Last Days in Barcelona by Chanel Cleeton” →
Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: Starry-Eyed Love (Spark House #2) by Helena Hunting

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Starry-Eyed Love (Spark House #2) by Helena Hunting

Last year I read Helena Hunting’s first book in the Spark House series, When Sparks Fly. It was ok (came in at 3 stars for me) and while I didn’t LOVE it in the way that I had hoped, I was invested enough in the story and characters that I felt excited to try another book by Hunting. I liked the sound of this one as it sounded like a cross between a missed connection and workplace romance. Overall I thought it sounded cute and just a nice breezy read going into the spring.

So I said yes (obviously!) to reviewing this one and I was glad I did. While this book is part of a series, I would not have been lost in the story if I skipped over the first one. This book has new characters and storylines, the connecting part centers around Spark House and that’s about it—save for the occasional character cross over etc. So if you are worried about reading this one out of order, I would not worry you will be absolutely fine jumping in this series with this one instead of the first book.

If you love more contempo romances, Hunting has quite a few romances under her belt and this book will leave your romance reader heart feeling full! I am glad I decided to give another book by Hunting a go, I did find that I liked this one better than the first book I read by her. I love when that happens!

Continue reading “Review: Starry-Eyed Love (Spark House #2) by Helena Hunting” →
Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The Hacienda by Isabel Canas

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Hacienda by Isabel Canas

THIS BOOK! This book was at the top of my TBR list for months. The second I read the description, I KNEW this book would be right up my alley! It’s been described as a cross between Rebecca and Mexican Gothic, both of which I loved for different reasons and I think this is absolutely an accurate description of the story. I would also recommend it to anyone who loves Simone St James—-if you love her ghost stories, you will love this book!

I wanted to bust into this book the second it came in the mail, but I held off until it was a little closer to the release day. And let me just tell you that was so hard! I loved the book so much, that I also downloaded the Audible version so I could compare how reading the story was different from listening to it. Personally I liked the Audible version better but reading it was just as exciting.

This book has been on many many top recommended lists and also was featured on Book of the Month. I can say with absolute conviction that this book was absolutely worth all the hype. I loved how rich it was with folklore, religion, and socioeconomics of the time period. This is much more than just a ghost story or a horror story—it had a lot of topics that I think would also work for book clubs. This is the rare book that really works for a lot of people even if you are not a fan of horror or ghost stories.

Continue reading “Review: The Hacienda by Isabel Canas” →
Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: West Side Love Story by Priscilla Oliveras

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: West Side Love Story by Priscilla Oliveras

The second I saw this cover for the cover reveal, I nearly swooned! It’s so pretty and I absolutely love the colors—plus the pose was absolutely eye catching. I couldn’t WAIT to start reading it! I was never a fan of West Side Story, I think I watched the film once in high school and just never felt invested in the story, even though it was a Romeo and Juliet retelling.

However, I could totally get excited for this book even if it was a retelling of Romeo and Juliet/West Side Story. I couldn’t wait to see the story come to life in the pages of this book. Plus mariachi and margaritas? It’s literally the perfect book to read this spring on a beach somewhere! I am so excited to finally share a bit about this book with you guys and of course share my thoughts.

This is my first book by Priscilla Oliveras but it won’t be my last! I have seen a number of other books by Oliveras pop up on my radar off and on over the years but it was this book that finally made me want to read her books! I am so thrilled to discover this amazing new to me author! I loved this book and I cannot wait for the next one! Also today is Cinco de Mayo so I thought this would be the perfect book to review in celebration of Latinx heritage!

Continue reading “Review: West Side Love Story by Priscilla Oliveras” →