Category: Book Review

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

Review: The Phantom’s Apprentice by Heather Webb

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Review: The Phantom’s Apprentice by Heather Webb

This book has been on my radar since I finished Webb’s cowritten novel, THE LAST CHRISTMAS IN PARIS. I loved that book and was eager to read more by her. Plus throw in that Phantom of the Opera is indeed one of my favorite films/operas and you have a reader who was EXTRA eager to read this book.

This book is told from Christine’s perspective which intrigued me. I have never read the original Phantom of the Opera novel by Gaston Leroux, but I’m curious about how much of the original influenced this retelling.

Christine Daaé sings with her violinist father in salons all over Paris, but she longs to practice her favorite pastime—illusions. When her beloved Papa dies during a conjurer’s show, she abandons her magic and surrenders to grief and guilt. Life as a female illusionist seems too dangerous, and she must honor her father’s memory. Continue reading “Review: The Phantom’s Apprentice by Heather Webb” →

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

Review: Still Me (Me Before You #3) by Jojo Moyes

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Still Me (Me Before You #3) by Jojo Moyes

As many of you know, I have been a huge fan of Jojo Moyes novels for quite some time. I loved the first book in this series, Me Before You, and many of her other books have indeed been my guilty pleasure over the years.

So for me, Me Before You did not need a sequel or to be made into a series. For me it ended on a high note and I didn’t think that it needed to be followed up by any more books which is why I didn’t really want to read After You. In fact I didn’t read the second book in this series.

Which begs the question, why did I pick this one up. Honest answer, I haven’t read a Jojo Moyes novel in a while and I was in the mood to linger over the writing style and romances. I felt starved for a Moyes novel and jumped at this one.

Louisa Clark arrives in New York ready to start a new life, confident that she can embrace this new adventure and keep her relationship with Ambulance Sam alive across several thousand miles. She is thrown into the world of the superrich Gopniks: Leonard and his much younger second wife, Agnes, and a never-ending array of household staff and hangers-on. Lou is determined to get the most out of the experience and throws herself into her job and New York life within this privileged world.

Before she knows what’s happening, Lou is mixing in New York high society, where she meets Joshua Ryan, a man who brings with him a whisper of her past. In Still Me, as Lou tries to keep the two sides of her world together, she finds herself carrying secrets–not all her own–that cause a catastrophic change in her circumstances. And when matters come to a head, she has to ask herself Who is Louisa Clark? And how do you reconcile a heart that lives in two places? (summary from Goodreads).  Continue reading “Review: Still Me (Me Before You #3) by Jojo Moyes” →

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

Review: Killer Choice by Tom Hunt

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Killer Choice by Tom Hunt

The first thing that caught my eye about this book was the description. I liked the premise and thought it sounded different and unique.

I wasn’t prepared for how quickly I would read it nor how much I would get hooked on the plot after only a few pages.

His wife is sick.
He needs $200,000 to save her.
A mysterious man offers to give him the money with just one catch: He has to murder someone to get it.

Gary Foster’s life is finally heading in the right direction. After years of trying, his wife, Beth, is pregnant, and he recently opened a business with his brother. But one phone call changes everything….

After collapsing suddenly, Beth has been rushed to the hospital. Tests reveal a devastating diagnosis: an inoperable brain tumor. Their only hope is an expensive experimental treatment available abroad, with a cost that’s out of their reach. And Beth’s time is running out….

Then a strange man approaches Gary and offers the money he needs, on one condition: that he kill someone, no questions asked. End one life to save another.

In this nail-biting debut novel of domestic suspense, one man makes a choice that forces him to confront the darkest reaches of his soul and betray those closest to him. As he’s swept up in a nightmare of escalating violence, he must question his own morality—and determine just how far he’s willing to go to save the woman he loves (summary from Goodreads).  Continue reading “Review: Killer Choice by Tom Hunt” →

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

Review: Another One Bites the Crust (A Bakeshop Mystery #7) by Ellie Alexander

by The Lit Bitch4 Comments on Review: Another One Bites the Crust (A Bakeshop Mystery #7) by Ellie Alexander

I recently reviewed one of Ellie Alexander’s novels and I loved how she incorporated unique locations in her book. One of her books was based in Leavenworth Washington which is basically the Christmas town of the Pacific Northwest.

That was the reason I agreed to review this one….this time Alexander has us in Ashland Oregon. I live in Oregon (in Salem, the capital) which is about 5 hours north of Ashland but I have been to Ashland many times and I loved the charming town.

They host a yearly Shakespearean festival there which I have attended before and the quality of acting is superior to man festivals. Plus the theater is outdoors and reminiscent of the famous Globe theater. So I thought this book offered a unique setting for a murder.

It’s the role of a lifetime for Jules. The Shakespeare Festival has returned to Ashland, Oregon, for the season and Torte has been cast as the supplier of Elizabethan-era treats for the main event.

Continue reading “Review: Another One Bites the Crust (A Bakeshop Mystery #7) by Ellie Alexander” →

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

Review: The Pearl Sister (The Seven Sisters #4) by Lucinda Riley

by The Lit Bitch5 Comments on Review: The Pearl Sister (The Seven Sisters #4) by Lucinda Riley

I have been a huge fan of Lucina Riley’s novels for quite some time, although I think I missed one back in 2016, THE SHADOW SISTER, which makes me sad because I love her books. I simply must go back and read that one before the year is out and the next book comes out!

That said, I don’t feel like I missed a whole lot by skipping around within the series. Every story is unique and independent of the series as a whole, but that said they are all connected by central characters and other plot points, but again it’s not necessary to read them in order but it does help!

When this one came up I was so excited, though disappointed that I missed one in the series, I was still super excited to jump back into the story of the seven sisters and find out what romance lay ahead.

Continue reading “Review: The Pearl Sister (The Seven Sisters #4) by Lucinda Riley” →