Category: Literary Criticism

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Review: Mr Churchill’s Secretary (Maggie Hope #1) by Susan Elia MacNeal

by The Lit Bitch21 Comments on Review: Mr Churchill’s Secretary (Maggie Hope #1) by Susan Elia MacNeal

With flaming red hair to match the bombs bursting in air, Margaret Hope sits behind a typist desk in the Prime Minsters office at Number 10…waiting to be useful to someone….anyone.

Air raid sirens sound throughout London in 1940. Bombs drop from the air threatening to destroy the heart and soul of the British people.

In this dark time, Winston Churchill has been named PM and with any luck, he will keep the British spirit alive while war rages on….though he knowns a German invasion is eminent, all he needs is a little bit of hope to give the people.

As luck would have it, Churchill does have Hope in his office–Churchill has just hired Maggie Hope to be his typist.

In Susan Elia MacNeal’s debut novel, Mr Churchill’s Secretary, we meet a new contemporary and captivating heroine! Continue reading “Review: Mr Churchill’s Secretary (Maggie Hope #1) by Susan Elia MacNeal” →

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Review: The Journal of Countess Francoise Krasinska by Klementyna Tanska Hoffman

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Journal of Countess Francoise Krasinska by Klementyna Tanska Hoffman

Charming towering spires, castles, and palaces litter Poland in the 18th century which makes it the perfect backdrop for a fairytale romance. In The Journal of Countess Francoise Krasinska by Klementyna Tanska Hoffman we explore the true life fairytale romance of Francoise Krasinska and the Prince Royal, Charles Duke of Courland (Poland/Lithuanian region).

Klementyna Tanska Hoffman pens this historic account of the Countess Francoise courtship and hasty marriage to the Duke. Though it is a second-hand account of the events, they are historically accurate and offer a unique insight into the royal court during the Georgian era.

I am not familiar with Eastern European history….at all, so I was a little weary about reading this book when my friends over at Onesuch Press suggested I read it. However I knew it was a short read (about 120 pages) and since I love courtly history, I felt that by reading this, I might have the perfect excuse to build my historic base, and I was right!

I love reading primary sources and first hand accounts, especially of courtly life. I was surprised to see not much has changed in the world since 1759 (which is where the Journal opens). Girls still write in their diaries about boys they like, and they still hope upon hope that, that boy is looking at them….then the wish comes true! He returns said maidens affections and marries her, living happily ever after…..or so the story goes. Though that is not the case for the Countess. Continue reading “Review: The Journal of Countess Francoise Krasinska by Klementyna Tanska Hoffman” →

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Review: The Earthquake Machine by Mary Pauline Lowry

by The Lit Bitch2 Comments on Review: The Earthquake Machine by Mary Pauline Lowry

They say a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, in the case of Rhonda her single step leads here on a transcendental journey into Mexico.

Mary Pauline Lowry’s debut novel, The Earthquake Machine, tells the story of 14 year old Rhonda whose life has been turned upside down. Rhonda’s mother is the typical ‘desperate housewife’, in a loveless marriage more about convenience and comfort than love. Rhonda’s father (a pharmacist) supplies her unstable mother with prescription drugs to keep her in line while he is out having an affair.

They live in a ticky tacky house on the hillside where all the houses look just the same….but thanks to the family gardener Jesus, color and life continues to reside in the taupe colored, mundane suburban nightmare that Rhonda calls home. Continue reading “Review: The Earthquake Machine by Mary Pauline Lowry” →

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Review: The Bride of Lammermoor by Sir Walter Scott

by The Lit Bitch2 Comments on Review: The Bride of Lammermoor by Sir Walter Scott

Beware the Ravenswood!

Sir Walter Scott’s, The Bride of Lammermoor is a must read for fans of the genre….a classic gothic romance! This is your ultimate indulgence gothic romance fans…honest and truly.

This ridiculously over the top tale has it all…witches, women going mad, a family fallen from grace, degenerative castles, ruined fortunes, Byronic heros, star crossed lovers, a dark prophecy, ominous symbology….everything!  It is MacBeth, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Wuthering Heights all rolled into one.

The novel is introduced as a tale based on a true story, set in Scotland at the time of Queen Anne (early 1700’s). Lord Ravenswood is dead and all that remains of the Ravenswood family is Master Ravenswood (Edgar) and the ruin known as Wolf’s Carg castle.

The Ravenswood family blames their demise on Sir William Ashton who profited at the Ravenswood’s expense….the Ravenswoods have been stripped of their titles after the rebellion and have subsequently lost their estates/fortunes as a result of a legal scheme gone awry. Continue reading “Review: The Bride of Lammermoor by Sir Walter Scott” →

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Review: A Magnificent Obsession: Victoria, Albert, and the Death That Changed the British Monarchy by Helen Rappaport

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: A Magnificent Obsession: Victoria, Albert, and the Death That Changed the British Monarchy by Helen Rappaport

The romance between Prince Albert and Queen Victoria is legendary–a love that bordered on obsession. Helen Rappaport’s latest non-fiction book, A Magnificent Obsession: Victoria, Albert, and the Death That Changed the British Monarchy explores how a fairy tale romance turned into a dark melancholy that altered the course of the British monarchy.

I won an ARC of this book through Goodreads. Non-fiction is normally not my review genre….non-fiction is more The Lib Bitch’s area than mine :). But I love Queen Victoria and was thrilled when I won the giveaway.

I haven’t read a lot of books on Queen Victoria but I know the love story like I know any classic fairy tale. I love all things Victorian era and went to the Albert and Victoria exhibit in London a couple of summers ago….and I love the movie The Young Victoria also! So needless to say I was really excited to read this book. Continue reading “Review: A Magnificent Obsession: Victoria, Albert, and the Death That Changed the British Monarchy by Helen Rappaport” →