Books
-
Review: The Venetian Bargain by Marina Fiorato
When young Feyra wakes up late for her morning doctor ’rounds’ in the Sheikh’s harem she doesn’t realize that her tardiness will have dire consequences. As a female doctor to the Sheikh’s mother, Feyra is responsible for her health at all costs. When she arrives in the Sheikh’s mother’s chambers she finds her delirious and raving. As suddenly as she has taken ill, she is perfectly fine with little recollection of the terrifying delirium that over took her not moments before. Feyra immediately suspects a poison and quickly deduces which poison. Sadly there is no antidote for the poison and the Sheikh’s mother dies but not before revealing a tragic secret…
-
Giveaway: Steal the North by Heather Brittain Bergstrom
Emmy is a shy, sheltered sixteen-year-old when her mom, Kate, sends her to eastern Washington to an aunt and uncle she never knew she had. Fifteen years earlier, Kate had abandoned her sister, Beth, when she fled her painful past and their fundamentalist church. And now, Beth believes Emmy’s participation in a faith healing is her last hope for having a child. Emmy goes reluctantly, but before long she knows she has come home. She feels tied to the rugged landscape of coulees and scablands. And she meets Reuben, the Native American boy next door. Thanks to the publisher, I am ecstatic to be able to offer a copy of Steal the North…
-
Guest Post: Steal the North by Heather Brittain Bergstrom
Even though I couldn’t fit Steal the North by Heather Brittain Bergstrom into my review schedule this month, this book caught my eye for a couple of reasons. First, I liked the idea of a YA novel with a romance between a Native American boy Reuben and a white girl, Emmy. I thought this was something different and new in the YA market. Often the YA market is full of teenage love triangles and dystopian badass female heroines. Emmy sounded different than the ‘normal’ YA heroine and I thought that was a bold move and made me want to know more. The next reason I wanted to feature this book…
-
Review: Mistress of Mellyn by Victoria Holt
On the storm coastline of Cornwall lies Mount Mellyn, a magnificent old family home. The Mount is home to the TreMellyn family, Connan and his daughter Alvean. Connan is recently widowed and looking for a governess for Alvean, who seems to go through governess’ at an alarming rate. Martha Leigh has agreed to take the governess post at the house, and she is dreading it. Having had her season she has not obtained what every Victorian woman dreams of–a husband. So after a couple of unsuccessful seasons her only option is to find a position. When she arrives at Mount Mellyn the house is imposing, dark, and basically all around creepy! When…
-
Review: The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte by Ruth Hull Chatlien
If you have managed to make it through fifth grade world history, you probably have heard the name Bonaparte at least once. Most of us associate the Bonaparte name with the infamously small emperor with a big name: Napoleon Bonaparte. But what of Napoleon’s younger brother? Is his a name one you can recall with certainty? Unlikely. Jerome Bonaparte was supposed to make a diplomatic marriage according to Napoleon. But when the ambitious Elizabeth “Betsy ” Patterson puts her mind to something, little can dissuade her. Betsy was a prominent member of Baltimore society with ambitions and designs of her own. She dreamed that she would marry a man who would whisk…
-
Special Feature: Why You Should Indulge in Romantic Literature
For any true lover of literature, you know the effect that a good novel has on the reader. A quality literary masterpiece will challenge the way you think and leaves an impression that will last well after the final chapter is read. While romance is generally overlooked in most literary crowds, it’s just as significant as any other written word and can often be beneficial to the person or couple that reads these pieces. It can add passion and heat to an otherwise mundane sex life. For those who are single, erotica can provide some of the intimacy that comes with a relationship as well as the sexual stimulation that…
-
Announcement: Winner The Midnight Witch by Paula Brackston
And the winner of The Midnight Witch by Paula Brackston is…. Lisa (likes on Facebook) The winner will be notified via email. Thank you to everyone who entered and a huge thank you to the publisher for making this giveaway possible!
-
Announement: Winner The House at the End of Hope Street by Menna van Praag
And the winner of The House at the End of Hope Street by Menna van Praag is…. Zoe M (tweeted about the giveaway) The winner will be notified via email. Thank you to everyone who entered and a huge thank you to the publisher for making this giveaway possible!
-
Review: Bhalla Strand by Sarah Maine
On the scarcely populated islands of Scotland’s Outer Hebrides islands, lies the deserted remains of a once great house–Bhalla House. Hetty is grieving the loss of her parents as well as her grandmother and is toying with taking Bhalla House, which she just inherited, and turning it into a hotel. But before she can make any decisions, she travels to the remote island looking for something, though she doesn’t quite know what. Something right perhaps? When she arrives things are worse than she imagined. Hetty thought she would find an Edwardian era mansion that needed little more than some updating. What she found was a crumbling ruin that would cost millions to…
-
Announcement: The Chalice (The Crown #2) by Nancy Bilyeau
And the winner of The Chalice by Nancy Bilyeau is….. Kara (follows on Twitter @Shamstress) The winner will be notified via email. Thank you to everyone who entered and a huge thank you to the publisher for making this giveaway possible!