Review: How We Disappeared by Jing-Jing Lee

I haven’t read a ton of Asian literature but I was eager to read this one because of one thing—the time period. My venture into Asian literature has come down to two books, Memoirs of a Geisha and Snowflower and the Secret Fan…..that is it. So when I agreed to read this book, I had no idea what I was going to get.

I remember reading Memoirs of a Geisha and Snowflower and the Secret Fan and loving both of those. Especially Memoirs of a Geisha, mostly because it was set during WWII and the occupation of allied troops post war was very interesting to me.

When this book came up for review, I was hoping it would be something similar to Memoirs of a Geisha, as it is set in the same time period, but this book promised to be a lot more interesting, as it talks about the Japanese occupying Singapore during the war instead of a pots war world.

Plus that cover is to die for and I couldn’t pass on such a visually stunning cover! Continue reading “Review: How We Disappeared by Jing-Jing Lee”

REVIEW: Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors (The Rajes #1) by Sonali Dev

This is an author that I have been really really looking forward to reading. She’s written a number of ‘Bollywood’ books and while I am not Indian, I think their culture is exotic, colorful, and interesting.

This book is the first installment in a new series about the Rajes family and I was thrilled that I got to read this one, especially since there is a Pride and Prejudice element to the story. I would definitely put this book in the retelling category, but it was so much more than just another P & P retelling.

With it’s cultural aspect, this book adds a lot of uniqueness and color to a timeless tale while continuing to maintain the integrity of the classic romance. Also this book has a food element so foodies everywhere rejoice and be prepared to crave curry or unique dishes after this book! Continue reading “REVIEW: Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors (The Rajes #1) by Sonali Dev”

REVIEW: The Royal Secret by Lucinda Riley

I have been a long time fan of Lucinda Riley and am making my way through the Seven Sister’s books again, this time on audiobook.

I absolutely love her writing and count her as one of my favorite authors. When I saw that she had a new book coming out in the US (it was already published in the UK I believe), I was thrilled and eager to read it.

Her books tend to be on the longish side, but I was happy to adjust my schedule and work this book in because I know the kind of books she writes and I was sure to not be disappointed.

Though I did have to aggressively read some of the other books that I have on my schedule, I was happy to do so, so that I could fit this one in! Continue reading “REVIEW: The Royal Secret by Lucinda Riley”

Review: Mistress of the Ritz by Melanie Benjamin

I recently read one of Melanie Benjamin’s books and was really taken by her research and writing abilities. When I saw that she had another book coming out so soon, I was eager to jump on board and see how this one compared.

To be honest, I was way more excited about this book than the original book I read, The Girls in the Picture. This one sounded a little more like something I would be into. While I loved the ‘old Hollywood’ vibe in The Girls in the Picture, WWII is more my time period.

As with the first book I read by this author, I love the cover art and found my eye being drawn to the cover again and again. It promised the elegance and romantic vibe of the city of Paris, but also indicated something a little more tragic on the horizon. Continue reading “Review: Mistress of the Ritz by Melanie Benjamin”

Review: A Murderous Malady (Florence Nightingale Mystery #2) by Christine Trent

Christine Trent is an author I have had on my radar forever it seems like. When her Lady of Ashes series first came out, I tried to win a copy for months to no avail.

Then as always seems to happen….I was on to another book. But I did continue to see her Lady of Ashes series pop up all over the place….my library, bookstores, social media. But then the timing just never seemed right.

Now she has a new series out, The Florence Nightingale Mysteries, and I was eager to try and work this latest book into my review schedule. It is the second book in a series, but I wasn’t too worried about being ‘lost’ because the series basically just started so how much could I really be missing by picking up book 2?

So I decided to give it a shot and see if this new series would appeal to me! Continue reading “Review: A Murderous Malady (Florence Nightingale Mystery #2) by Christine Trent”