Category: Books

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

Review: A Noble Scheme (The Imposters #2) by Rosanna M White

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: A Noble Scheme (The Imposters #2) by Rosanna M White

This author is a new to me author but I am already looking into the other books in this series! From the review pitch, I could see this was part of a series but that it could be read as a standalone which I completely agree with—it can easily be a standalone. But it was so fun and I quickly got sucked in and started looking into the series as a whole! While I know this book is only the second one, I see a third book is planned for November which I am excited to check out!

While this is a new to my author, I could see that she has written a number of successful historical fiction novels, and I really liked the sound of this book. I liked the time period the book was set in and I loved the idea of a second chance romance with the catalyst for the romance being a kidnapping. It suggested a little mystery and intrigue to go hand-in-hand with the romance parts. And let’s just take a minute to appreciate the cover of this novel! Outstanding cover design and it accomplished its task and made me want to read it!

Beautiful cover, interesting storyline, proven author—all the boxes were ticked for me when I decided to read it. I am so glad I said yes to this one, it was just the book I needed right now! Something light but not frivolous (this book had substance but wasn’t overly heavy IMO) and a book that held my interest that got me excited to pickup a new series! I cannot wait to read the first book in preparation for the upcoming third release in November!

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

Review: Murder Road by Simone St James

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Murder Road by Simone St James

Simone St James is an auto buy author for me. I have read all her books, some multiple times and she is one of my most recommended authors when people are looking for a thriller. Even if you aren’t a fan of ghost stories, her books have a strong thriller/murder mystery component that generally off set the paranormal in the book. This book has been on pre-order for me for MONTHS and I couldn’t wait to read this book. I did read it in one day which is pretty standard for me with her books.

This book had a lot of 1990s nostalgia which was a big draw for me. Being set in 1995, I was excited to time travel in a way back to my teen years and a time when things were simpler. I think the lack of technology in a book and murder mystery like this really added to the sense of ‘unknown’ for me. It wasn’t entirely unheard of for teens to hitchhike still back then, and of course there was no ‘grid’ for them to fall off of so all of this added to the undercurrent of unknown in this book.

If you love thrillers and solid mysteries, and maybe you want to dabble in some supernatural elements or perhaps you are a die hard paranormal fan, wither way there is something for readers to love in this book. I highly recommend any of St James’s books. I never feel disappointed or underwhelmed when I pick up one of her books. Naturally there are books by her that I like more than others but overall I never feel like ‘darn I wasted my time with that one’ I always feel like I read a good story and was fully entertained beginning to end!

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

Review: A Grave Robbery (Veronica Speedwell #9) by Deanna Raybourn

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: A Grave Robbery (Veronica Speedwell #9) by Deanna Raybourn

I discovered author Deanna Raybourn many years ago. I love all her books. She has written some wonderful historical mystery series that I will forever cherish, this series being at the top of that list. Veronica is such a wonderful character and I have loved watching her and Stoker grow together as a couple and in their friendship throughout the course of the series.

Naturally this was on the TOP of my TBR list for this year. There have been times though where I have felt like maybe this series could have wrapped up but it is hard to say good bye to characters that you have become attached to. I do think that once a series goes past about 5-6 books it gets to be a little much—not always but occasionally. I definitely felt that way when I read book 8 in this series. But I love the characters so much that I felt compelled to come back to this series for another installment.

If you are finding this series for the first time with this book, I HIGHLY suggest going back to read the books from beginning to end as this book especially would be a challenge to jump into as there are other threads from previous books in this one. I am excited that this isn’t the last book in the series yet, I think there is still more to be had in the narratives—-plus I love this series and even if I feel like it could wrap up, that doesn’t mean I want it to!

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Books, Reading

Special Feature/Excerpt: Finding Jane Fairfax by Robbin J Peterson

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature/Excerpt: Finding Jane Fairfax by Robbin J Peterson

If you have been around my blog for a while, you will know that I am a big Jane Austen fan. I love reading books that are ‘Austen Spin-offs’ if you will. Not necessarily retellings, but books that take characters from her beloved books and give them either an entirely new story or in some cases an actual story. In this case, Jane Fairfax is a character we meet in Emma and she’s mostly a blip in the larger story and the audience rarely thinks of her again. However, author Robbin Peterson gives us something to think about when it comes to Jane Fairfax in her latest book!

I haven’t read anything from this author before, but I was excited to see how she would portray Jane Fairfax and after reading the excerpt I have here to share today, I admit I am intrigued to see how this book shapes up. In the classic Emma, Frank Churchill is sort of this villain of the story where he leads on our beloved Emma but then dumps her in favor of Jane Fairfax so I am curious to see how Frank goes from being the villain to now the hero and love interest in this retelling!

I am bummed I couldn’t find room in my calendar for this particular book to review but I am super excited to be sharing an excerpt with you all today! If you are a Jane Austen fan, then I think you will enjoy this novel! You do not have to read all of Austen’s books or even Emma to enjoy a book like this. There is still plenty for readers to enjoy who have never read the original. In my experience I feel like authors do a good job giving a nod to classic novels and their characters while also being approachable for new readers or readers who have no interest in classics and based on the excerpt I feel like new readers will be totally fine exploring Austen characters without having to read the original text!

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

Review: A Haunting in the Arctic by C.J. Cooke

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: A Haunting in the Arctic by C.J. Cooke

I randomly watched a show on National Geographic about Sir John Franklin’s lost Arctic expedition days before I was pitched this book. I was fascinated by the lost expedition and when this book made it onto my desk for review immediately following the show, I was super intrigued and couldn’t WAIT to read this one! I was so excited to read a new ghost story and one that featured shipwrecks, questions, and a rugged landscape that takes on a life of its own within the story.

I have really been on an Arctic kick lately, the Franklin expedition show was just the start, I got hooked on more series featuring Arctic climbing in Greenland and other extreme mountain sports shows on National Geographic. From the time I was a kid, I have been fascinated by Iceland and Greenland, these locations hold a certain amount of mystery simply for their remote locations and I am so here for it—it appeals to the adventurer in me! There aren’t many books that feature this kind of unfamiliar setting so when I saw this one I jumped to review it and the location did not disappoint!

This book is definitely more of a horror book than historical fiction, though there are elements of historical fiction and the Gothic but I felt like it was more horror in nature but because it included elements from other genres, I think it will appeal to more readers but just know when you pick this one up you are picking up more of a ghost story/horror novel than historical fiction! Side note, this book did make me go down a complete rabbit hole about whaling and Arctic exploration which both were fascinating to research!

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