Category: Literary Criticism

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Review: A Dreadful Splendor by B.R. Myers

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: A Dreadful Splendor by B.R. Myers

This book has been on my radar for months and I was so excited to start reading it. I planned to read it when I had COVID but I couldn’t focus on anything and I ended up setting it aside and then I sort of forgot about it. Then when I was on my way to Cabo I thought this would be a great book to read on the plane so I picked it up on my way to the airport and was so glad I had it in my bag! I was hooked from the very beginning!

I love gothic tales and ghost stories and this book promised both as well as a little romance. Check, check and check! B. R. Myers is a new to my author but I saw she had written a few other YA books that have received some acclaim for and this book appeared to be her first more adult foray. She tends to write more spooky books from what I could tell when I was researching her and I love spooky reads!

This would probably have been a really good book to read during October, when it’s starting to turn colder and the storms are coming more often but it was still a great read sitting on a beach in Mexico in the 100+ degree weather. I found that it was spooky without being terrifying and I loved all the gothic elements and I certainly hope that Myers continues to write more and more books like this because I would absolutely read them! If you are a fan of gothic lit, you will want this one on your nightstand this fall!

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Review: Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood

When I was asked to review this book, I was beyond excited! I haven’t read anything by Ali Hazelwood before but I was well aware of her STEM romance bestseller, The Love Hypothesis. I have The Love Hypothesis on audiobook as well as a hard copy and have been meaning to read it. Then I saw this one was coming out and I instantly added it to my review calendar because I just KNEW I would love this book!

I love that the author features women in academia and STEM, I mean there really isn’t anything out there like that and when you throw in a hot romance with book and science nerds I think you really have something that stands out. The Love Hypothesis has gotten a TON of hype over the last year and why not? It’s hot new and sexy. Hazelwood has really found a niche genre here and I was so excited to check out this latest book so I could experience the craze for myself.

I also saw that so many early reviews just loved this book. I read some of the early reviews on Goodreads and the closer I got to summer the more excited I was to read this one. I love romance novels in the summer and with the smart and STEM-y-ness of this book, it was sure to be a quick read for me and one that I would enjoy while I was on vacation in Arizona. I mean all of those early reviews couldn’t be wrong right?

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Review: The Codebreaker’s Secret by Sara Ackerman

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Codebreaker’s Secret by Sara Ackerman

I have adored Sara Ackerman’s books over the years. She writes such interesting novels about WWII that are set in Hawaii. Her passion for the island and its history really shine under her pen plus there is always a little bit of romance to entertain readers. I really enjoyed reading all of her books and find that each has been between a 4 and 5 star rating for me.

When I saw this one was coming up, I made room on my review calendar for it. I hadn’t actually planned on reading it as soon as I did but I knew I would read it before the summer was out. I had an excerpt on my blog and once I read the excerpt I found that I simply needed to just read the rest of the book so I picked it up much earlier than I anticipated.

Ackerman’s book offer readers escapism and untold stories. If you love WWII novels but find the genre saturated with similar stories over and over again, Ackerman’s books are a fantastic option! This book itself offers a bit about female codebreakers during the war (a top topic in WWII era historical fiction) but in this book, the codebreaker isn’t in some London bunker trying to break German codes, she is on an exotic island trying to break Japanese codes while trying to grieve the loss of her brother.

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Review: The Lost Summers of Newport by Beatriz Williams, Karen White, and Lauren Willig

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Lost Summers of Newport by Beatriz Williams, Karen White, and Lauren Willig

I have read all of Lauren Willig’s book and many by both Beatriz Williams and Karen White. All of their books have been some of my most favorite reads. Then they started to team up and write collective books together and I devoured those books so incredibly fast! I love how well written each book is and not just independently but as a writing team. When I saw this book was coming out, I knew I had to read it. I love how in all of their collective books, there are characters that make appearances in other collective books. For example in this book we meet Prunella who has been in some of the other books by this writing team.

These three authors are some of the best in the historical fiction genre and I never feel disappointed in any of their independent books or their collective books. I debated about reading this one of listening to it on audiobook. I actually downloaded it in both formats but ended up reading it instead of listening to it. With the books written by the ‘Three W’s’ as I call them, I find that the audiobook is sometimes preferable as each chapter is based on a different character and written by different authors. So the audiobook usually gives readers more of an experience with the narration changes etc.

If you are looking for a powerhouse historical fiction book, anything by these three women will surely hit the mark whether it’s collective like this book or their own independent books. You simply cannot go wrong with these writers when it comes to historical fiction. While this book had some issues for me, overall it was enjoyable and I would absolutely read it again and anything by them! They are easily autobuy authors for me and I am looking forward to their next collaboration.

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Review: The Forgotten Cottage by Courtney Ellis

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Forgotten Cottage by Courtney Ellis

I read Courtney Ellis’s debut novel last summer, At Summer’s End, and good lord was it ever good! I devoured it and it was one of my favorite reads last year. So naturally when I saw this one coming up for review I was thrilled! This one has a great dual timeline aspect which I know is often overdone in historical fiction, but for me it never gets old! I love readling dual timeline books!

This book promises long buried family secrets and complex characters rich in historical detail. And it certainly had all of those things! Ellis write beautiful historical fiction with lots of historical details and heart and this second book was not a disappointment in that regard. I know that fans of the historical fiction genre will not have missed Ellis’s first novel (not with that stunning cover that’s for sure!) but this book doesn’t quite have the ‘curb appeal’ that the first book did. The cover was more simple and not nearly as eye catching as her first book but it was still a wonderful read so don’t let the basic cover fool you!

If you are a fan of historical fiction this book and author should be on your TBR list. Ellis is clearly one to watch in the genre and I for one am going to be eagerly awaiting the next book she writes! This book had a lot to recommend itself based on my expectations from the first book, but at first I did have my doubts that I would love this book though that was quickly dispelled.

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