Category: Book Review

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

Review: A Tempest at Sea (Lady Sherlock #7) by Sherry Thomas

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: A Tempest at Sea (Lady Sherlock #7) by Sherry Thomas

This series started out as a DNF for me. I couldn’t get into the first book when I picked it up the first time so I put it down as a DNF and almost wrote the series off all together. But it bugged me so bad that I didn’t like this series! So many of my friends around the blog-o-sphere loved it and honestly it SHOULD be a series that I love. So after some consideration, I picked up the first book and decided to try again. I am so glad I did because I loved it and binge read all the books that had some out at that point so I could be ready for more in the series!

Sometimes that happens with readers—it’s like the right book and the wrong time and it can be so hard to decide if it was that I wasn’t in the mood for that book or if I really just didn’t care for it. Some books I can absolutely tell that I just don’t like it but with others it could be that I am just not in the right headspace for a particular book, which is why this series needled me so bad! I am glad I decided to give it another go as it has been a very enjoyable series and this book was another great installment.

If you haven’t checked this series out yet it’s great for fans of Sherlock Holmes but with a feminine twist! Author, Sherry Thomas, does a great job staying true to the character of Sherlock Holmes but with a gender bender, but the methods and problem solving that Holmes is known for is seen reflected in these charming characters. If you love historical mysteries this is a great place to start! Both familiar but new!

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

Review: The Paris Notebook by Tessa Harris

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Paris Notebook by Tessa Harris

I absolutely adore Tessa Harris! I have read some of her books over the years and I have yet to read a book by her that I haven’t enjoyed! Harris is probably best known for her mystery series, Dr Thomas Silkstone and Constance Piper series respectively. But the book that stands out most for me was her standalone historical fiction, Beneath a Starless Sky. I recall loving how well researched this particular book was, and how much I enjoyed getting to know the characters and exploring their forbidden love story.

So naturally when this new historical fiction novel came out but Harris, I was totally on board with reading it. I thought the plot sounded compelling as it features a new angle, on a report surfacing that Hitler was deemed mentally unfit for office. I thought this sounded so good. I know that Harris really researches her historical fiction books so I knew that I would not be disappointed in the historical details and content. For me that is half the battle, some authors focus more on the characters than historical details but as a historian I personally really respect the historical details and the pains and author goes through to get things ‘just right’.

If you are a fan of historical fiction, I am sure you have seen Tessa Harris’s books around the blog-o-spear. It’s a rare treat to have an author who writes both historical mysteries AND historical fiction. When I picked this one up I had no doubt I would find something special inside and I couldn’t wait to start reading. If you love historical fiction, this book and author are certainly one to watch! Be sure to add to your TBR list immediately!

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Book Critic, Book Review, Books

Review: Girl with the Dragonfruit Tattoo (Trouble in Paradise #3) by Carrie Doyle

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Girl with the Dragonfruit Tattoo (Trouble in Paradise #3) by Carrie Doyle

Right about now is the time where I start getting really tired of the Oregon rain and cold weather. I start to randomly look for tropical vacations that are anywhere with sun and warmth. Sadly, my budget doesn’t allow for tropical travel every year so I have to make do with what I have on hand which is usually a book set in a sunny location. Sometimes tropical book setting can be hard to find, but when I do find one, I am usually game to check them out.

When I saw this book come up for review, I was like HECK YES, tropical cozy murder mystery sounds like just the ticket to cure the winter blues. So I decided to give this one a shot, plus I love the cover. It is super cute. I haven’t read anything by Carrie Doyle before and actually I hadn’t even heard of any of her books but once this one came into my orbit, I was curious to see what other books she has put out. This one here is third in a series so obviously there are other books before it as well as another series that Doyle has written.

She seems to have a flair for cozy mysteries and this particular series is set in a tropical destination which to me is rare. Tropical destinations always feel transient. Like people weren’t meant to be there for any length of time. But I love that this book series make a home of the tropical island Paraiso. It gives readers roots to a location that often just feels like a short escape but readers of the series will feel like they are coming home to the island of Paraiso.

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

Review: The Woman with the Cure by Lynn Cullen

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Author Lynn Cullen has penned a number of historical fiction novels, but I think the one she is best known for is Mrs Poe. I love Poe so naturally I wanted to read Mrs Poe when it came out. I loved it and was so excited to see what other books Cullen put out. Since I read that book, she had come out with a number of other novels, but I think that Mrs Poe remains her most well known book.

I love how well researched Cullen’s novels are and she often takes the untold, behind the scenes stories of unknown figures in famous people’s lives and brings them out of the shadows and into the light. She has written books not only about Poe, but also about Mark Twain, Rembrandt, and Michelangelo all from the perspective of characters in their orbit. If you are a fan of historical fiction, there is no doubt Lynn Cullen is on your radar already but if for some reason you haven’t heard of her then you need to check out her books!

When this one came across my desk for review, I couldn’t pass on it. It just sounded too good! Plus while it might be a piece of historical fiction, it could also have modern relevance as this book features a pandemic. I mean how much more relatable can you get with that? I have never actually heard of Dorothy Horstmann, so I was eager to read more about this woman and see how she impacted the world with her knowledge and research.

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

Review: Stone Cold Fox by Rachel Koller Croft

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Stone Cold Fox by Rachel Koller Croft

Normally I don’t like reading books with swindler female leads. I read Pretty Things a few years ago and I didn’t love it. Since then I have been a little gun shy when it comes to books featuring female swindlers but something about this book just kept nudging me to pick it up. Maybe it was the cute title, maybe it was tiger sexy looking cover. Who knows by I finally decided to take a chance and read this one. After all, you can’t judge a book by it’s cover or by other books that might be entirely different than what the current book promises to be.

This is also a debut novel and sometimes those are the best. There are no other works to be compared to, no other expectations to maintain or hit. Just the single book to win readers over and for me there is a certain excitement in that and I was eager to see if Rachel Koller Croft would be a hit for me as a debut novel.

Honestly I wasn’t sure what I was in store for based on the summary. Would it be a murder mystery? A thriller? A psychological thriller? Women’s fiction? Suspense? The beautiful cover suggests a thriller but will it include a murder? I am already intrigued by this book and I have only read the summary and seen the cover—clearly my curiosity was peaked so naturally I had to add this one to my review calendar. I couldn’t wait to see what I uncovered in this one.

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