Category: Book Review

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Reading

Review: The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox

by The Lit Bitch5 Comments on Review: The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox

This book has been all over my social media this October. With the word ‘witch’ in the title, its hardly a surprise that it would be trending throughout the most ‘haunted’ month of the year.

Sometimes with books that receive so much hype, it’s hard to decide if it’s worth the read or not. I was intrigued by the combination of historical fiction and fantasy/paranormal.

The early nineteenth century isn’t really my favorite period, but I was interested enough in the mixture of genres that I was eager to read this one and find out of the hype was indeed worth it.

New Oldbury, 1821

In the wake of a scandal, the Montrose family and their three daughters—Catherine, Lydia, and Emeline—flee Boston for their new country home, Willow Hall. The estate seems sleepy and idyllic. But a subtle menace creeps into the atmosphere, remnants of a dark history that call to Lydia, and to the youngest, Emeline. Continue reading “Review: The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox” →

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

Review: Lady of a Thousand Treasures (The Victorian Ladies #1) by Sandra Byrd

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Review: Lady of a Thousand Treasures (The Victorian Ladies #1) by Sandra Byrd

I’ve read Sandra Byrd before and have loved her, she’s written a couple of different series all with a Christian base. I’ve always enjoyed her stories as they have a little romance and mystery mixed together with a sprinkling of Christian ideology.

This book has been one that I have been looking forward to reading since I heard about it. I love the Victorian era and Byrd’s stories are always well written and interesting. I was asked t review this book by two different tour groups and was excited to start it as soon as I got the copy!

Miss Eleanor Sheffield is a talented evaluator of antiquities, trained to know the difference between a genuine artifact and a fraud. But with her father’s passing and her uncle’s decline into dementia, the family business is at risk. In the Victorian era, unmarried Eleanor cannot run Sheffield Brothers alone.

The death of a longtime client, Baron Lydney, offers an unexpected complication when Eleanor is appointed the temporary trustee of the baron’s legendary collection. She must choose whether to donate the priceless treasures to a museum or allow them to pass to the baron’s only living son, Harry—the man who broke Eleanor’s heart. Continue reading “Review: Lady of a Thousand Treasures (The Victorian Ladies #1) by Sandra Byrd” →

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

Review: Dear Santa by Nancy Naigle

by The Lit Bitch3 Comments on Review: Dear Santa by Nancy Naigle

It’s November first and I am in full holiday mode. I’m on of those obnoxious people that starts decorating and shopping for Christmas immediately following Halloween.

I started my holiday reading a little early this year (normally I wait until after Halloween) since there were a lot of holiday books coming out. This is one that I had my eye on, mostly because it sounded like it was going to be an epistolary novel. 

Angela Carson wants nothing more than to be the third-generation to run her family’s holiday store, Heart of Christmas, successfully. They’ve weathered over sixty tourist seasons, major hurricanes, and urban sprawl, in their old decommissioned lighthouse. But the national chain that set up shop in their small North Carolina town of Pleasant Sands may be more than Heart of Christmas can survive. Continue reading “Review: Dear Santa by Nancy Naigle” →

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

Review: The Alienist (Dr. Laszlo Kreizler #1) by Caleb Carr

by The Lit Bitch5 Comments on Review: The Alienist (Dr. Laszlo Kreizler #1) by Caleb Carr

This book was super popular when it came out in the 1990’s and since TNT has made it into a mini series, the book is getting a lot of attention again. Back in February I picked up a copy of this book from the library and just couldn’t get into it.

But for Halloween I really wanted to try it again so I found a copy at the library and started reading. What drew me in was the time period. I am fascinated by this time period and having a historical thriller set in New York’s late 19th century streets sounded exceptional.

The year is 1896. The city is New York. Newspaper reporter John Schuyler Moore is summoned by his friend Dr. Laszlo Kreizler—a psychologist, or “alienist”—to view the horribly mutilated body of an adolescent boy abandoned on the unfinished Williamsburg Bridge. Continue reading “Review: The Alienist (Dr. Laszlo Kreizler #1) by Caleb Carr” →

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

Review: The Girl They Left Behind by Roxanne Veletzos

by The Lit Bitch2 Comments on Review: The Girl They Left Behind by Roxanne Veletzos

This book is marketed to fans of Sarah’s Key and The Lilac Girls as well as fans of WWII family sagas. I was intrigued by the subject matter as well as the time period. As many of you know, I love war time books—mysteries, romances, family dramas etc—-so this book, historically fit right in.

But what stood out for me was the plot for two main characters—–Natalia and Victor split apart by time and war. I loved the idea of seeing two characters from the same region having to pick sides during a war time occupation.

I was interested to see how that scenario would pan out, so that’s how this book ended up on my review schedule for October. Continue reading “Review: The Girl They Left Behind by Roxanne Veletzos” →