Books
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Review: The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
I have had this book on my TBR for years. Like years. Every Halloween season, I tell myself that I am going to pick this one up. It’s on all the ‘most scary’ book lists and I have heard such great things about Sarah Waters. Not to mention this book features all the creepy things that I love best in the gothic—a family fallen from grace, a crumbling old mansion, a haunted house. I mean all the things that make the gothic what it is can be found in this book or at least promise to be! Well this year was finally they year for me to read this one.…
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Review: Parting the Veil by Paulette Kennedy
This book had me written all over it. Gothic romance—check. Brooding hero—check. Crumbling old creepy house on the moors—triple check. I needed this book so bad this Halloween season and I couldn’t wait to read it because it clearly had all the hallmarks of a quick read for me not to mention one that I would absolutely love for the ambiance. It literally took zero convincing for me to agree to read this book simply for all the atmosphere it promised. I think this book will delight readers who love Gothic romances (like me!) as well as historical fiction that is both familiar and yet different. This book has a…
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Special Feature: The Attic on Queen Street (Tadd Street #7) by Karen White
If this cover doesn’t speak to mystery fans then I don’t know what does. This lovely Victorian house promises to be full of mystery not to mention a bit of the paranormal. This book strikes me as the kind perfect for people who aren’t ready for Halloween to be over! I mean, I am fully ready for all the holiday reading but I am still feeling the lingering draw to Halloween reads so this book really appeals to me in that regard. Not to mention Karen White is an outstanding writer! She has written a number of stand alone historical fiction novels plus collaborated on a few books with other…
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Review: Miss Moriarty, I Presume? (Lady Sherlock #6) by Sherry Thomas
This was one of the few series that I have started and didn’t care for but actually decided to go back and give another chance to because everything about this book series promised to be right up my alley! I was so glad that I decided to give it another go because I have fallen in love with the characters (especially Lord Ingram) and I have loved all the books so far! Obviously when this one came up, I couldn’t WAIT to see what some of my favorite characters had been up to since the last book plus things are really heating up when it comes to the Sherlock Holmes…
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Special Feature: The Unheard by Nicci French
Author Nicci French is actually a nom de plume for a husband and wife writing team that have written a number of wonderful mystery novels as well as a successful series, The Freida Klein series, of which I have read a few of. While the series is great, I really enjoy their standalone mystery novels the best. With that in mind, when this book came up for review, my calendar was already full for reviews but I couldn’t resist featuring this one since the French writing duo have written some pretty solid and interesting books and quality mysteries are always on my radar any time of year. I am planning…
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Special Feature: Christmas in Peachtree Bluff by Kristy Woodson Harvey
To say that I adore Kristy Woodson Harvey is the biggest understatement of the year! I basically fan girl her so hard, I love her Peachtree Bluff series and was so sad when it came to an inevitable end—–or so I thought. I was over the moon when I saw we were getting a Christmas book to follow up to the Peachtree Bluff series! I cannot wait to start this book next month. I don’t really do much holiday reading until November after all the spooky books, and I am so looking forward to this book being my first big holiday book next month! So be watching for my review…
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Review: Heavy Metal Symphony by Alyssa Palombo
I have read all of Alyssa Palombo’s novels so when this one came up for review, it was a no brainer. Although that’s not to say that I had reservations. Palombo generally writes historical fiction and this one was clearly not. I mean the title alone says it all right there and then I read the description—metal band romance. I literally wasn’t sure about this one. I am not a fan of metal bands or even rock bands. Music isn’t really in my blood in the way that it is for a lot of other people. It’s something that I enjoy but not something essential. For example I can workout…
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Special Feature/Excerpt: Sisters of the Great War by Suzanne Feldman
You all should know by now that I am a sucker for a novel set during WWI. It’s my favorite historical era and military history is kind of my thing. There is something about the Great War that just speaks to a massive shift in tradition and truly takes the world into the modern era in a way that no other time period has really experienced. Any time I see a new Great War novel I can hardly pass it up but I can’t always review every single novel that comes across my desk and it’s always hard to choose which ones to review. This one is a book that…
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Special Feature: The Last Checkmate by Gabriella Saab
Last Christmas season I became obsessed with the Queen’s Gambit on Netflix! I think there were many many many in the same boat. The show was amazing and I of course instantly downloaded the book and bought a chess board. Now have I read said book and played said chess board—-no but I still loved the movie and am slowly trying to learn how to play chess. That is why this book caught my eye—it is another historical fiction chess book! I am so excited to read this one, I couldn’t fit it on my October review calendar but I couldn’t pass up a chance to share a bit about…
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Special Feature: Sophie Valroux’s Paris Stars by Samantha Verant
Something about a book set in Paris just makes it all the more romantic and interesting for me. I have been to France twice and while it hasn’t been may favorite city in Europe, there is no doubt it has a distinct romantic feel to it and the food—oh the food! While I am far from a foodie, there is no doubt Paris is home to some delicious pastries and savory dishes. One of the things that interested me in this book was not just the setting but that the main character, Sophie, is a chef who loses her sense of small. At first glance I thought it was metaphorical…