Category: Book Review

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

Review: The Hunting Wives by May Cobb

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When I first saw this one as a Book of the Month pick….I couldn’t click the ‘make my book of the month’ button fast enough. Not only is the cover eye catching and memorable, but the description sounded tantalizing. I have been on the look out for a really good domestic thriller lately, something in the vein of Samantha Downing and this one sounded perfect!

I am sure many of you have seen this book on a number of ‘hot releases’ or ‘most anticipated’ lists this spring and all the buzz made me equally excited and wary. I mean clearly I bought into the hype since I couldn’t get my hands on this one fast enough, however there was part of me that worried that I wouldn’t love it.

The last domestic thriller I read that was getting all the buzz I did not like at all so there was part of me that tried not to hype this one too much in my mind because if I didn’t like it, I didn’t want to feel fully let down. I would say this book fell firmly in the good category for me. I mean I didn’t love it in the way that I hoped but I was content with the book and how things played out.

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

Review: The Missing Sister (The Seven Sisters #7) by Lucinda Riley

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Missing Sister (The Seven Sisters #7) by Lucinda Riley

It’s finally here…..the last book in one of my favorite book series, The Seven Sisters. I have adored my time with the D’Aplièse sisters and their respective romances and stories. Some of the books I liked better than others but overall this series is rock solid with rich characters and stories. I love the alternating time lines and how epic and sweeping the stories always feel.

These books have so much content for readers to sink their teeth into in both the main modern story and the historic one. Personally I always enjoy the historical side better but the D’Aplièse sisters and the mystery of Pa Salt kept me engaged and curious throughout the series. Through the other six books I often wondered if there was truly going to be a 7th book. It was noted so many times in the series there there was a missing sister and honestly I wondered if there would only be six books.

However the sixth book, The Sun Sister, left zero room to doubt that a 7th book would be forthcoming and I couldn’t have been more excited. I hoped that all the lingering questions from the other books would be cleared up in this one…..but it didn’t. If anything it left me with more questions then answers.

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Review: The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon (Audible Edition)

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon (Audible Edition)

I read my first Jennifer McMahon book when I was on vacation a few years ago. The Winter People was so good and I immediately went out and bought more of her books! She has such a unique voice and I love the gothic/creepy vibe so much and I love that she is from Vermont and sets all of her books there. I can feel her pride and love for Vermont in all the books I have read by her.

When I saw this book was coming out, I couldn’t wait. It sounded eerie and I loved that mysterious cover so much. I haven’t listened to any of her books before so I thought this would be a great book to start with. My book club even picked it as our May read and we were all super excited to read and discuss it.

For me personally, I don’t think this book was as strong as some of her others but overall it was a haunting ghost story with a creepy connection to the past. I also loved the narrators. The historic narrator wasn’t my favorite at first (she was really wispy) but within a few chapters I started to really enjoy her soothing voice, but the modern narrator was great!

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Review: Beth and Amy by Virginia Kantra

by The Lit Bitch2 Comments on Review: Beth and Amy by Virginia Kantra

Little Women was the first time I saw myself in a book character. Jo March was me idol as a child. I especially loved the Winona Ryder film version of this classic and always felt like Jo March was so me and whenever I envision Jo March, I think of Winona Ryder. Jo March will forever be one of my favorite classic characters and one I strongly identify with where as Amy will forever be the girl who stole Laurie from her! Amy is my least favorite March sister.

I haven’t read Virginia Kantra’s modern reimagined book Meg and Jo yet but it was high up on my TBR list. When this next book on Beth and Amy came up for review, I had to jump at it even if Amy isn’t my favorite. I was eager to see a modern take on such a classic story and see how those timeless characters were portrayed in a modern setting.

For me, books like this can go either way. Classic characters in a modern setting don’t always work for some reason. I think a lot of readers have nostalgia connected to those characters and seeing them in a world that isn’t their norm, makes it hard to connect with them. But I was open to trying this one and seeing where it took me.

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Review: A Betting Woman: A Novel of Madame Moustache by Jenni L. Walsh

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Review: A Betting Woman: A Novel of Madame Moustache by Jenni L. Walsh

Over the years I have started to work with more exclusively with larger publishing houses but I still have a special spot in my heart for smaller publishers and their great authors who maybe don’t get the same recognition that some of the larger houses do. When I can, I do try to read books from smaller publishers especially when they look really good!

When I was approached to review A Betting Woman, I liked the premise of the book. I love that it was based on a real person and that it focused on the life of a women who was making her own way in the gambling world during the gold rush. I wrote a paper in college on the gold rush and how it brought settlers west and created a lot of boom towns so it’s a time period that is interesting to me and often not explored in traditional historical fiction.

If you are a historical fiction fan but are looking for something a little off the beaten path then I think this would be a good option for you. This one has a distinct American West vibe that is fun and fresh so if it sounds like something you are craving then you need to snag yourself a copy!

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