Literary Criticism
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Review: The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse
Converted sanatorium urned into five star hotel—-stop right there while I clear my reading calendar! I was completely sold on this intense and atmospheric debut from the opening description. Then it was picked as a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick and that right there was enough to get me even more excited about this novel! It has been getting a ton of advanced praise and so much buzz on social media but when I started reading it, it was easy to see that all the buzz was absolutely worth it! I loved the atmosphere of this book and it was exactly what I was hoping that it would be, something…
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Re-Share Review: The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles
I read this one back in the spring of 2020 and it was a transporting read and just what I needed to read while I was stuck at home not able to go anywhere. I really enjoyed this book, I love historical fiction but this one had little library details that, as a reader, I simply loved and it made the story all the more enchanting. It is out now and I am so excited to re-share my original review with you all today! If you enjoy books with a duel timeline narrative and books about books and reading then this is one you need to check out! This one…
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Review: Home Before Dark by Riley Sager (Audible Edition)
This is my very first Riley Sager novel and I can’t believe it took me this long to read one of his books. I have seen a number of his books on my social media and I know that many of his books have book Book of the Month selections, but I have to be honest none of them really grabbed me. Until this one. I love haunted house stories. I binged The Haunting of Hill House and Haunting of Bly Manor on Netflix and have been looking for something to read that would be similar to those shows. I have of course read some haunted house novels but I…
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Reading and Ranking the Bridgerton Novels
Like most of the world, the Netflix series Bridgerton, dominated my TV during Christmas Day. I desperately wanted to watch it and asked if my husband wanted to watch with me. He wasn’t sure about it but I told him that he only had to watch one episode and if he didn’t like it then I would just watch it alone on another day. The next thing I know, it was 3 am and we had binged the entire series in one sitting! My husband loved it as much as I did and truly, it is a remarkable show so if you haven’t watched it yet please do so! That…
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Review: The Vanishing at Loxby Manor by Abigail Wilson
The very first novel that I remember loving was The Silk Vendetta by Victoria Holt. I was eleven or twelve and no doubt missed all the adult nuances of the story, but what I didn’t miss was the Gothic atmosphere of the novel. I went through a lengthy Victoria Holt period in my early teens and then again as an adult. I am always looking for books that capture what I loved about Victoria Holt…..creepy, atmospheric historical fiction with a romantic element. This book sounded like exactly that—and it was! I have never grown out of my Gothic Lit phase and reading books like this, I am reminded just how…
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Review: On the Way to the Wedding (Bridgertons #8) by Julia Quinn
Well folks here we have it—my final review of the last Bridgerton novel! I can’t believe I have finally reached the end of the series. I am so sad but yet at the same time so satisfied with how the series wrapped up. I was actually glad that we ended the series with Gregory’s story rather than Hyacinth’s, as I felt that Gregory’s story had a bit more action and romance to recommend itself. Gregory always seemed far removed from the other Bridgerton siblings. Not in the same way that Francesca was but having so many years between him and his other brothers left him adrift in a sea of…
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Re-share Review: The King’s Justice (Maggie Hope #9) by Susan Elia MacNeal
The King’s Justice is out in paperback now and I am celebrating the release of the paperback by re-sharing my original review with you guys! When I first stumbled on Maggie Hope, it was early 2012. I was one of the first people to read and review Mr Churchill’s Secretary and I fell head over heals for Maggie right then and there! I have adored many of the books in the series thus far and I can’t believe we are on the 9th book already! The 10th book is coming out in July 2021 and I cannot wait for that one to release to see what awaits Maggie across the pond as it were.…
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Review: The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner
Susan Meissner is an author who just keeps getting better and better with time. I have read many of her books and after finishing each one I think there is no way she could top this one—and then she does it again with her next book! This latest installment is truly a gem and I enjoyed savoring it in between my other books I was reading. I didn’t want to devour this one in one sitting, instead I wanted to spread it out and enjoy the characters and the plot throughly. There is a lot in this novel to unpack and I think readers would enjoy savoring it more than…
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Review: The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins (Audible Edition)
This book has been receiving a ton of hype. It was a Book of the Month pick, it’s been featured on countless ‘most anticipated release’ lists and the fire storm of praise on Instagram and other social media platforms made me so excited to read this one. It’s marketed as Jane Eyre for the modern woman. It’s a retelling of the Victorian classic Jane Eyre with an added Southern Gothic edge. Sounds irresistible right? Jane Eyre isn’t my favorite classic but I loved the idea of a modern retelling with the roles of Jane and others reversed or turned on their head and put into a thriller. I loved the…
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Review: It’s In His Kiss (Bridgertons #7) by Julia Quinn
After coming off of When He Was Wicked, which was my favorite Bridgerton book so far by the way, I was worried that Hyacinth’s story would fall flat. Hyacinth was probably my least favorite sibling in the books as a fringe character. She always came across as young and silly but with a shrewd eye for details. I wouldn’t say that I didn’t like her going into this one, but rather I just didn’t feel like I knew her as well as the other Bridgerton siblings thus far. However, it was clear from the beginning that Hyacinth’s story would most certainly contain much to love. It was at this book…