Category: Literary Criticism

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: Ramon and Juileta by Alana Quintana Albertson

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on 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 a classic tale and made it not only relevant but feel like something entirely new all at the same time. Needless to say that’s a tall order. This author has written a few other contemporary romance novels, none of which I have read, but this book seems to take on an entirely different tone than some of her other books that she has written previously.

This author has won quite a few awards and currently serves as the president for a couple of respected romance writer guilds. So in my mind that translates into solid writing and storytelling. With some successful romances under her belt and experience, I figured that she this would put her in a solid position to write a retelling of a popular classic and help it to find relevance in the modern age. I wasn’t wrong and I really enjoyed this colorful novel.

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Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The Next Ship Home: A Novel of Ellis Island by Heather Webb

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on 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 home. I think I watched the film Fievel Goes West a million times as a kid and as I got older, other films like Far and Away, Titanic and The Godfather II because I was so interested in this time period and immigration. Even as an adult, I focused a large part of my masters degree to western migration and the Oregon Trail during the mid to late 1800s with Ellis Island being a key part of my research.

Obviously this book is HIGH up on my TBR list and I couldn’t wait to dive in and start reading but I held off so that I could savor it and enjoy it rather than burn through it too quick. I easily could have read this one in one sitting but I did draw it out so that I could savor it because it was just a great read and I love Webb’s prose!

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Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The Night Train to Berlin by Melanie Hudson

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on 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 a bestseller and secured many new fans for her work. I haven’t read her debut novel but it sounded like a bit hit! So when this one came up for review, I didn’t hesitate to review it knowing how popular her first book was even if I hadn’t read it.

This book is certainly for fans of Kate Quinn as well as Pam Jenoff, this book has so many great things, history, war, emotion, love, loss, and all the feels. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to more books from Hudson! As a relatively new voice in historical fiction, it is exciting to see how strong this novel was!

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Review: How to Love Your Neighbor by Sophie Sullivan

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on 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 favorite romantic comedy troupe (enemies to lovers). When this book came up for review that was what steered me in this direction. I love enemies to lovers because I think it sparks electric chemistry between the characters, so it’s always a hard troupe for me to pass on.

This one had the extra element of house fixer-upper added to the mix and of course I love home improvement shows so this book hit a couple of high notes for me just based on the description. I also know that this is Sophie Sullivan’s sophomore novel, while I haven’t read her first book I know a lot of others who did and all raved about her wit and storytelling so I jumped at the chance to read this one!

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Review: The Siren of Sussex (Belles of London #1) by Mimi Matthews

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on 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 cannot wait for the masses to read this book. No secret, I adored it and read it in one sitting (which is often the case for all her books!).

If you are looking for a book to fill the Bridgerton sized hole in your life, then you need to pick this one up. I am also thrilled to see this one is the first in a new series for Matthews so I can come back and revisit this charming world and characters she has created. If you love historical romances and well drawn characters you need to read this book! Plus THAT COVER!!! I am in love with the cover, it adds such pizzaz and would make me snatch it right off the shelf!

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