Books
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Review: From the Corner of the Oval by Beck Dorey-Stein
This is not your grandma’s White House biography. Non fiction is not a genre that I read a whole lot of. Non fiction—especially biographies etc—aren’t not my thing, but ever once in a while a non fiction book comes up that captures my eye and this was one of those books. The summary promised the most random story—a woman lands a job at the White House via Craig’s List. Yes you read that right. Craig’s List. The White House. Stenographer for the President. Yes—THE POTUS. What the actual *&%????? Sold. I was absolutely onboard with this book! In 2012, Beck Dorey-Stein was just scraping by in DC when a posting…
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GIVEAWAY: How to Find Love in a Book Shop by Veronica Henry
It was a four star book for me and I think it will appeal to a lot of you book lovers out there….I know it did for me! If you’ve ever found yourself spellbound by the magic of your local bookstore, losing track of time among imaginary worlds and compelling ideas, this is your perfect summer read. Nightingale Books is a dream come true for book lovers. Nestled on the main street of an idyllic village, it’s a cozy haven for the literary-minded locals—whose stories are just as interesting as anything on the shelves of their favorite store. But Emilia Nightingale is struggling to keep the shop open after her…
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Review: The Rain Watcher by Tatiana de Rosnay
Tatiana de Rosnay writes beautiful novels, usually set in Paris, that capture the hearts and minds of readers. I read Sarah’s Kay back in 2011 and wasn’t terribly as impressed as I had hoped. I find that I am in the minority when it comes to this opinion. But since then I’ve seen a number of her books climbing the bestseller lists with speed—though I haven’t read any others. Could it have been the mood I was in at the time that made me not love her book? Sure. So while I kept an open mind about her other books, I wasn’t moved enough by their descriptions to pick any…
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Review: Eagle & Crane by Suzanne Rindell
This was a book that I wasn’t really that excited to read when it initially came up for review. In my mind all I kept thinking was….ugh another WWII book. Don’t get me wrong, WWII is one of my favorite periods to read about, but lately I’ve read a lot of WWII books and I just wasn’t in the mood for another when it was time to review this one. But this one set itself apart with the Japanese interment camps angle. Everyone is so focused on the holocaust that they forget that Japanese interment camps were yet another unfortunate by product of a very ugly war. My brother in…
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Review: The Gilded Shroud (A Lady Fan Mystery #1) by Elizabeth Bailey
I fell in love with the cover of this new mystery series. I love the stunning house and the richness of the scene. Without so much as a backward glance I eagerly agreed to review it. Plus it is the first in a new series and I love getting in on the ground levels when it comes to new detective series. 1789, London When Emily Fanshawe, Marchioness of Polbrook, is found strangled in her bedchamber, suspicion immediately falls on those residing in the grand house in Hanover Square. Emily’s husband – Randal Fanshawe, Lord Polbrook – fled in the night and is chief suspect – much to the dismay of…
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Special Feature: Conan Doyle for the Defense: The True Story of a Sensational British Murder, a Quest for Justice, and the World’s Most Famous Detective Writer by Margalit Fox
I think it’s safe to say that most of us have heard of Sherlock Holmes and his famous creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. So what do we know about Conan Doyle beyond his famous detective? For me—nothing. Conan Doyle was clearly a crime buff and had a unique mind for solving mysteries but I didn’t know that he actually helped solve a real life murder! When this book came up for review, I was so bummed that I couldn’t fit it into my summer reading—fortunately I am going to review it in October for my mystery month so be watching for that. I couldn’t let the summer go by and…
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Special Feature: The King’s Justice by E.M Powell
The King’s Justice by E.M Powell Publication Date: June 1, 2018 Thomas & Mercer Paperback & eBook; 288 Pages ISBN-978-1542046015 Series: Stanton and Barling #1 Genre: Historical Mystery A murder that defies logic—and a killer on the loose. England, 1176. Aelred Barling, esteemed clerk to the justices of King Henry II, is dispatched from the royal court with his young assistant, Hugo Stanton, to investigate a brutal murder in a village outside York. The case appears straightforward. A suspect is under lock and key in the local prison, and the angry villagers are demanding swift justice. But when more bodies are discovered, certainty turns to doubt—and amid the…
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Review: Chasing the Wind by C.C. Humphreys
This book is recommended to fans of Kate Morton and Jacqueline Whinspear and has been highly praised by on of my favorite authors, Diana Gabaldon. I could gush over Diana Gabaldon for days so seeing her endorsement of this book was all that I needed to agree to review it! Not to mention, the heroine sounded pretty bad ass and different so I was in, end of story! Smuggler. Smoker. Aviatrix. Thief. The dynamic Roxy Loewen is all these things and more, in this riveting and gorgeous historical fiction novel for readers of Paula McLain, Roberta Rich, Kate Morton and Jacqueline Winspear. You should never fall in love with a…
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Review: The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
Like millions of people, I got royal wedding fever so bad about 3 days before Prince Harry and Megan Markel wed. Not personally I prefer Kate Middleton over Megan but who doesn’t love a royal wedding?! The glitz and glamour and all the pomp is just too much for me to resist. After the wedding was over I was desperate for something to read that would be similar to the real life fairy tale. I wasn’t entirely sure that I wanted to read a biography on Megan or Kate or Diana or the royal family, but I was sure that I wanted to read something in that vein. That’s when…
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Review: Murder at the Mansion (Victorian Village Mysteries #1) by Sheila Connolly
This is a new series but definitely not a debut novel for Sheila Connolly (she is already a nest selling author). I personally haven’t read any of Connolly’s books but I was intrigued by the summary of this one and the fact that it was a brand new series. Not going to lie the fact that it said ‘Victorian’ in the series title also was a contributing factor. I love all things Victorian and when I saw it in the title I was immediately saying ‘sold’ loudly in my head. Katherine Hamilton’s goal in high school was to escape from her dead-end hometown of Asheford, Maryland. Fifteen years later she’s got…