Literary Criticism
-
Review: Ramon and Juileta by Alana Quintana Albertson
Am I Hispanic? No. But do I love Hispanic culture and traditions YES! My husband is Hispanic and I love combining our traditions and making something uniquely us so when I saw this retelling of Romeo and Juliet but with tacos, I was absolutely dying to read it! As a teenager, I loved Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet plus the Leonardo DiCaprio film was THE movie of my youth. As an adult, Romeo and Juliet is probably the least favorite of the Shakespeare plays (still love the DiCaprio film though!) but when I saw this book I couldn’t pass on it! I was so eager to see how this author spun…
-
Review: The Next Ship Home: A Novel of Ellis Island by Heather Webb
Heather Webb is such an incredibly gifted writer. I have read and loved many of her novels, she has written independent novels and cowritten novels with Hazel Gaynor. All of them have been wonderful reads and I always look forward to her upcoming novels. This book was obviously no different. I had this one on my radar for months! When I was a little girl I was fascinated by Ellis Island. I recall learning about is in 5th grade and really romanticizing the idea of coming to a completely new country and having to navigate a new culture, in many cases a new language, and to try and make a…
-
Review: The Night Train to Berlin by Melanie Hudson
Ya’ll know how much of a sucker I am for WWII romances and historical fiction (which generally includes some kind of romantic element). I just can’t say no and that lovely cover just drew me in. Lately I’ve been reading some easy romances and a couple of solid thrillers so I haven’t really been in the mood to snag a more emotional war time novel but this one just stood out and I knew it was something that I would most likely love. I also love the Cornish coast so any book set there is a win-win for me. Author Melanie Hudson’s debut novel, The Last Letter from Juliet, was…
-
Review: How to Love Your Neighbor by Sophie Sullivan
You all know how much I love a great rom-com right?! Whether it’s a movie, tv show, or book, I am always down for romantic comedies. If you are a fan of the genre, you will also know that the market is full of great rom-coms and I feel like there is always a hot new release just begging for me to read it. It is always so hard for me to pick which ones I want to read first. So how do I decide which ones to pick? Sometimes it’s by feel and if I have openings on my calendar, other times I have to choose based on my…
-
Review: The Siren of Sussex (Belles of London #1) by Mimi Matthews
Mimi Matthews has been a long time auto-buy author for me. I’ve read all her books and have loved each and every one of them. Watching her author journey from early on has been so exciting and rewarding but in some ways sad. For me she was my best kept secret in the historical fiction genre and now the secret is out about how amazing she is with this big publishing house release! Matthews is a master at creating realistic female characters with charming heroes that come together with electric chemistry. I have raved about her books to friends, family, and all over my social media! She’s amazing and I…
-
Review: Tough: Building True Mental, Physical and Emotional Toughness for Success and Fulfillment by Greg Everett
If you have been following my blog for any length of time you will know one thing—I do not review and/or read self improvement books. I have nothing against self improvement or motivational books I just simply don’t read them. They aren’t really my thing…..if they are yours, that’s awesome. They just aren’t typically for me. I like reading for escape and distraction not necessarily for self betterment if that makes sense. So why this book and why start now? Many of you know that I also do competitive weightlifting. The last couple of years I have invested a lot more time, resources, and intension into the sport. It is…
-
Review: Well Matched (Well Met #3) by Jen DeLuca
Of all the books, I couldn’t wait to read April’s story! I think mostly because she and I are basically the same age and while I loved the other books I felt like this one was going to be the book I related to the most because of that reason. April is a single mom and divorcee who is a little antisocial and is counting down the days until her daughter graduates and she can start living her own life again. While I am NOT a single mom, I felt this connection to April early on in the books. I am also a little reserved and struggle to fit into…
-
Review: Well Played (Well Met #2) by Jen DeLuca
I picked up the first book in this series on a whim. I had seen the third book around the social media world and thought it sounded cute but wanted to start with the first book in the series (which I loved by the way!). Naturally I moved on to this second book with a ton of enthusiasm! I downloaded the audiobook for this one as well as the first book. The narrator is the same and I enjoyed her quite a bit. Plus, I can listen at work which is a huge bonus for me! I have really enjoyed this quirky series. I mean it’s not every day that…
-
Review: Under the Golden Sun by Jenny Ashcroft
I was first introduced the Jenny Ashcroft’s wonderful writing ability in her novel Meet Me in Bombay last year and I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t read anything by her before. So when I saw she had another historical fiction novel coming out this year I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. It’s now a foregone conclusion, I need all of her books. I love that she writes historical fiction novels that are set in exotic locations—Egypt, Singapore, Bombay and now Australia. This book is set in WWII (her other books also have a war backdrop) and I think this is such a wonderful pairing because so many…
-
Review: Shadows of Swanford Abbey by Julie Klassen
I read one of Julie Klassen’s books a few years ago and absolutely loved it. She reminds me of a modern Victoria Holt and by modern I don’t mean her stories, as they are all historical fiction, but modern in that Klassen is a modern woman and she writes strong, vibrant heroines! I was super excited to check out this latest novel from Klassen so when it came up for review, naturally it was a no brainer as a YES! In the historical fiction world, there are a ton of Victoria Holt and Mary Stewart fans and for good reason. Their novels really took the small ‘Gothic romance’ genre and…