Category: Books

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

Review: The Woman with the Cure by Lynn Cullen

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Woman with the Cure by Lynn Cullen

Author Lynn Cullen has penned a number of historical fiction novels, but I think the one she is best known for is Mrs Poe. I love Poe so naturally I wanted to read Mrs Poe when it came out. I loved it and was so excited to see what other books Cullen put out. Since I read that book, she had come out with a number of other novels, but I think that Mrs Poe remains her most well known book.

I love how well researched Cullen’s novels are and she often takes the untold, behind the scenes stories of unknown figures in famous people’s lives and brings them out of the shadows and into the light. She has written books not only about Poe, but also about Mark Twain, Rembrandt, and Michelangelo all from the perspective of characters in their orbit. If you are a fan of historical fiction, there is no doubt Lynn Cullen is on your radar already but if for some reason you haven’t heard of her then you need to check out her books!

When this one came across my desk for review, I couldn’t pass on it. It just sounded too good! Plus while it might be a piece of historical fiction, it could also have modern relevance as this book features a pandemic. I mean how much more relatable can you get with that? I have never actually heard of Dorothy Horstmann, so I was eager to read more about this woman and see how she impacted the world with her knowledge and research.

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Books, Reading

Special Feature/Excerpt: The Maid of Ballymacool by Jennifer Deibel

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Who doesn’t love a historical fiction, Cinderella retelling set on the Emerald Isle?! I haven’t been reading a ton of historical fiction lately which makes me sad, but this book caught my eyer as an option! I love Cinderella and It thought the plot sounded really interesting as well as having a hint of romance which made me even more excited to check this one out. Plus the Emerald Isle? YES PLEASE! I need some escapism during these long cold winter months even if it’s equally as rainy and dreary there, I love dreaming about my next escape destination.

While I couldn’t fit this one on my review schedule for this month, I think this might be a good option if you are looking for a new spring read that had some sweet, clean romance, with the promise of a HEA. I know that a lot of people have been reading this one lately for the tour and really enjoying it so if you are thinking about picking this one up, be sure to check out the other stops on the tour to see what other readers are saying about it!

This book contains some Gaelic words which I think adds to the authenticity of the story, and it sounds like author Jennifer Deibel put a lot of historical research into the story. Early readers are saying the books has some great Gothic elements as well as interesting and smart characters which makes me even more excited to check this one out. If you are a fan off historical fiction, then you are not going to want to miss this one. Because to keep reading to find out what readers are saying and to see other stops on the tour!

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Cover Reveal: The Orchid Hour by Nancy Bilyeau

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The Orchid Hour by Nancy Bilyeau

Publication Date: August 10, 2023
Lume Books

Genre: Historical Thriller

There is a certain hour, in the dead of night, when the orchid’s scent can put you under a spell…

“Nancy Bilyeau has created a beautifully layered and utterly seductive tale… and, at its living, tender heart, a strong-willed and magnetic heroine.” – Emilya Naymark, author of Behind the Lie, finalist for the 2023 Sue Grafton Award

Nancy Bilyeau, author of The Crown and The Blue, returns with a tantalizing novel about one woman caught up in a secret nightclub that one can only reach through a certain florist on a cobblestone street.

New York City, 1923. Zia De Luca’s life is about to be shattered. Having lost her husband to The Great War, she lives with her son and in-laws in Little Italy and works at the public library. But when a quiet poetry lover is murdered outside the library, the police investigation focuses on Zia. After a second tragedy strikes even closer to home, Zia learns that both crimes are connected to a new speakeasy in Greenwich Village called The Orchid Hour.

When the police investigation stalls, Zia decides to find her own answers. A cousin with whom she has a special bond serves as a guide to the shadow realm of The Orchid Hour, a world filled with enticements Zia has shunned up to now. She must contend with a group of players determined to find wealth and power in New York on their own terms. In this heady atmosphere, Zia begins to wonder if she too could rewrite her life’s rules. As she’s pulled in deeper and deeper, will Zia be able to bring the killers to justice before they learn her secret?

To be published August 10, 2023, in the U.S., the UK, Canada, and Australia, in original paperback and ebook.

The pre-order is on a special discount for the ebook: geni.us/TOHPre-Order

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

Review: Stone Cold Fox by Rachel Koller Croft

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Stone Cold Fox by Rachel Koller Croft

Normally I don’t like reading books with swindler female leads. I read Pretty Things a few years ago and I didn’t love it. Since then I have been a little gun shy when it comes to books featuring female swindlers but something about this book just kept nudging me to pick it up. Maybe it was the cute title, maybe it was tiger sexy looking cover. Who knows by I finally decided to take a chance and read this one. After all, you can’t judge a book by it’s cover or by other books that might be entirely different than what the current book promises to be.

This is also a debut novel and sometimes those are the best. There are no other works to be compared to, no other expectations to maintain or hit. Just the single book to win readers over and for me there is a certain excitement in that and I was eager to see if Rachel Koller Croft would be a hit for me as a debut novel.

Honestly I wasn’t sure what I was in store for based on the summary. Would it be a murder mystery? A thriller? A psychological thriller? Women’s fiction? Suspense? The beautiful cover suggests a thriller but will it include a murder? I am already intrigued by this book and I have only read the summary and seen the cover—clearly my curiosity was peaked so naturally I had to add this one to my review calendar. I couldn’t wait to see what I uncovered in this one.

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Special Feature: Bright and Deadly Things by Lexie Elliott

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Murder in the French Alps? YES PLEASE! That was the first thing that caught my eye about this book. I didn’t need to read much more into the summary to know that this would be a book for my TBR list! This book is set in a remote area of the French Alps and I couldn’t think of a more tantalizing location to set a murder mystery. As we move into what I like to call the longest shortest month of the year (February), I think this is just the book that I need to read! February is always cold, dreary and depressing in the PacNW. It rains, it’s cold and we still have winter storms moving through with snow and ice. Which means we are usually curled up in front of a fireplace with a good book. For me that choice book is usually a murder mystery and this one sounds perfect!

After swooning over the summary, I realized I had read books by Lexie Elliott before! Two in fact and I really enjoyed them so naturally I found myself eager to see what this book was about. I couldn’t fit it in this month’s reading line up but I do have it for next month so I will be sure to share my thoughts with you guys once I am done. This book has been recommended to fans of Ruth Ware and I would say that’s a great author comparison. Elliott writes smart, thought out mysteries that will leave readers hungry for more.

If you love lock room mysteries this is going to be one you want on your radar for this late winter, early spring time. Like with many lock room mysteries, the setting and feel are key and having sampled Elliott’s writing style before, I can say with confidence that she will deliver on this aspect of the mystery. This one is out now and receiving positive reviews, so be sure to get this one on your TBR list and whisk yourself away to the French Alps for a bit of mystery and murder!

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