Category: Books

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

Review: Take the Lead (Dance Off #1) by Alexis Daria

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Take the Lead (Dance Off #1) by Alexis Daria

I first discovered Alexis Daria when I snagged a copy of You Had Me At Hola. I loved the premise of the book and the representation of so many Latinx characters and the whole Spanish soap opera angle really hooked me. I thought the stories were good and I loved the romances that bloomed off the pages. So naturally when I saw this new series come up for review, I was all about it! I also liked that this book featured a biracial romance. Overall it wasn’t a hard sell for me to pick this one up! And since today is Valentines Day I think this is an appropriate time to put out my review!

There was only one thing I was a little hesitant with this one. While I liked the idea of an on screen romance in You Had Me At Hola, I was less convinced about the on screen romance of a reality show. I think that is such a hard sell and for me it was a gamble. Daria does write solid romances so I decided not to over think it too much and just see how it played out but I did have some reservations about that part.

Alexis Daria RITA award for her debut novel (You Had Me At Hola) and since then she has written additional installments to that series as well as starting this new one, all of which have rapidly gained a devoted fan following. If you are looking for a hot and upcoming romance writer, then you came to the right place! Alexis Daria has crafted some great reads, that includes this book. The more books I read by Daria, the more excited I am for her to put out the next one! I am so happy to see this is part of a new series, while I was for the next Primas of Power book!

Continue reading “Review: Take the Lead (Dance Off #1) by Alexis Daria” →
Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: Ninth House (Alex Stern #1) by Leigh Bardugo

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Ninth House (Alex Stern #1) by Leigh Bardugo

When this book came out, I jumped at it! I have read the Grisha books, specifically the Shadow and Bone trilogy, and while I didn’t love every book, I remember feeling like they had a lot of imagination with ambitious characters and for a YA series, there was a lot to enjoy. But I never really read anything else from Leigh Bardugo after that trilogy. But naturally her books are quite popular and can be found on many shelves around the blog-o-sphere.

When I saw this one was coming out, I wasn’t exactly ready to buy it or even put it on my TBR—-until I started seeing all these posts and reviews about how good it was—-THEN I was jumping to get my hands on it. I even got an autographed copy that’s how excited I was for this one. Then it came and I read the opening prologue and decided it wasn’t for ‘right now’. Keep in mind it came out Oct 2019, so it SHOULD have been a ‘right now’ book for me based on the creepy content, but I had finished reading some other heavy horror books at the time and I just wasn’t up for it. So I put it on my bookshelf. Then COVID hit and I just wanted to read something happy. So there it sat for the next few years.

Until, Hell Bent was released a few weeks ago. I had a renewed interest in The Ninth House, since I ordered Hell Bent. I had no idea this was even meant to be a series, but evidently it is. And it’s an adult series, not YA—though the characters are more ‘new adult’ it’s definitely not YA, it’s geared toward the older reader. So I decided it was time to dust off my copy of The Ninth House and read it so I could read Hell Bent!

Continue reading “Review: Ninth House (Alex Stern #1) by Leigh Bardugo” →
Books, Reading

Special Feature: The Chemistry of Love by Sariah Wilson

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature: The Chemistry of Love by Sariah Wilson

This hot new romance was selected as an Amazon First Reads book for January which means Prime members were able to read this one early since it’s not out until February 1st. A TON of people took advantage of it and also shared their reviews online, which put this book #1 on the charts for contempo romances! I cannot WAIT to read this one, I am taking it with me when I go on vacation to Ohio in a couple of weeks. I love love and this book has a Valentines Day read written all over it! So if you are looking for something romantic to read for Valentines Day, this book needs to be at the top of your list!

So what caught my eye about this one? I loved the promise of a workplace romance that had a little bit of a fake dating angle. I also loved the premise of it being set at a makeup/cosmetic company with the main character being a bit of a nerd. I thought it sounded like an intriguing combo and was super excited to check it out. The author, Sariah Wilson, is a new to me author but I do know that Wilson has written several other well received romances.

Many readers call Wilson’s books ‘binge-able’ and I think this would be one that I could read quickly and in one sitting. Not to mention fell happy and content when it’s over. I love romances because they always end with a happily ever after and this book promises just that. I cannot wait to read it and see hot Anna and Marco come together and how the fake dating plot line goes. If you are a fan of contempo romances this is a hot new release that you should definitely get behind!

Continue reading “Special Feature: The Chemistry of Love by Sariah Wilson” →
Books, Reading

Review: The Devil You Know (Detective Margaret Nolan #3) by P. J. Tracy

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Devil You Know (Detective Margaret Nolan #3) by P. J. Tracy

A couple of years ago, I picked up one of P. J. Nolan’s books that was part of the Monkeewrench series which I thought was pretty good. I liked Nolan’s writing style and thought the series was fast paced with a to to enjoy. I hadn’t read any of the other books in the series before and I felt mostly orientated in the series and that it could have been read as a standalone novel without issue. P. J. Nolan is a pseudonym for a mother-daughter writing duo and while sometimes it can be hard with two writers, writing one book, I think in this case it was seamless.

Nolan has been an established author with a large fan base, especially surrounding the Monkeewrench series which is ten books in. I love that they have branched out into a new series featuring Margaret Nolan. While this book is part of a series, I think that Nolan does a great job orientating readers within the story and from the early reviews, most feel that this can also be read as a standalone.

For me the thing that grabbed me about this one was the mix of grit (murder) and glamour (Los Angeles). For me I get a very noir feeling from this book summary. LA has long been associated with glitz and glamour, and this book features the murder of a celebrity. When that world of glitz and glamour comes together to meet with a disturbing homicide, I think it gives the reader a sense of unease which is ripe for a thriller. I love when I am caught off guard and hooked on a story that has this contrasting image of glamour and murder. I think a lot of readers and fans of thrillers/mysteries will find a lot to enjoy in this one, especially under the pen of two talented and proven authors!

Continue reading “Review: The Devil You Know (Detective Margaret Nolan #3) by P. J. Tracy” →
Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes

When I was first pitched this book, one thing stood out that made me not pass on it—-Guatemala. My husband is Guatemalan and there really aren’t books out there that feature his culture. Trust me I am always on the look out too! So when I saw that this book would have a Central American theme in it, I was totally on board to not only feature it but also review it!

I have been really loving thrillers and mysteries lately, and I have a special place in my heart for psychological thrillers with unreliable narrators. I featured this one back in early January and couldn’t wait to start reading it. In fact I rearranged some of my review calendar for this book so that should tell you how excited I was for this one. I wasn’t sure how much the Guatemalan angle would play in the story but just seeing it in the summary was enough to make me jump for this one!

This book was also selected as Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club pick for January so clearly it must be worth reading! Reese’s Book Club usually has some great reads. I know I have found quite a few thrillers thanks to her book club that I wouldn’t normally pick up to read. Since this book made her book club, a lot of readers have been hailing it as the thriller to set the tone for the new year. Obviously a lot of hype around this book though for me it was less about the hype and more about what the book promised to deliver—-and did it?

Continue reading “Review: The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes” →