Literary Criticism
-
Review: Recipe for Persuasion (The Rajes #2) by Sonali Dev
Sonali Dev was a new to my author when I read her Pride and Prejudice retelling, Pride Prejudice and Other Flavors, last year. I was thrilled to see that she would continue the story of the Rajes family and do a retelling of my favorite Austen novel, Persuasion. Dev has a great sense of humor and a way of capturing difficult family issues and difficult sibling relationships but yet keeps her focus on the romance at hand. So basically, I couldn’t wait to reacquaint myself with the Rajes and start this one. One of the things that makes Persuasion so great for me is that it’s a second chance romance…
-
Review: The Sun Sister (The Seven Sisters #6) by Lucinda Riley
This series is one of my absolute favorites. I adore the Seven Sisters and with each book I am always won over by the sister being featured. Some of the stories are better than others but it’s still an impressive series and never disappoints. When this book arrived, it was massive. The ARC came in at just under 900 pages so easily the longest Seven Sisters book by far and since this is Electra’s story, I didn’t find it surprising at all. I decided to start reading this one early to give myself a lot of time to finish it, but it turns out I only really needed about 6…
-
Review: Beach Read by Emily Henry
Before this book was everywhere, it was in my inbox. five months ago no one had been buzzing about this book when the pitch email came in, but it sounded cute and my spring calendar was open so I decided to give this one a go. Flash forward to April and suddenly everyone and suddenly everyone is dying to read this book and people who have read it are raving about it! Suddenly it became imperative for me to read this one as soon as possible! I picked it up one sunny afternoon in April and two days later at 6 am I was done reading it.
-
Review: Happy and You Know It by Laura Hankin
This book has been on my radar for months and it’s also been all over my social media and of course it was a Book of the Month selection which made it all the more buzzy! I really liked the premise of this one, especially as a stay at home mom myself, I thought there would be a lot to enjoy and relate to in this one even if it sounded a little on the darker side. But the fact that it was getting so much hype kind of worried me, sometimes the hype is real and sometimes it’s just not, but either way I was definitely on board with…
-
Review: Rakes and Roses (Mayfield Family #3) by Josi S. Kilpack
I have recently read two wonderful proper romances by this particular publisher and I was eager to read another. The cover is beautiful and I thought the premise sounded interesting. I haven’t read the other books in the series but from what other reviewers had said, they could each be read as standalone books and I would agree. I didn’t feel lost or anything picking up the third book. To say that I was looking forward to this one is an understatement, I love sweet or clean romances and have had a run of good luck lately.
-
First Impression Review: Dali Summer by T.J. Brown
About Dali Summer • Paperback: 344 pages • Publisher: Tule Publishing Group, LLC (May 5, 2020) Her wild and vivid visions inspire an icon… Nothing is more important to prim, colorblind Dolors Posa than family and living down the shame of her illegitimate birth, but when the sudden onset of fantastical visions threaten her sterling reputation, she must search for answers before the inhabitants of the tiny village of Cadaqués brand her as demente– crazy like her mother. In a quest to stop her hallucinations, she befriends a beautiful, intoxicating fortune teller and her handsome anarchist brother, as well as becoming a reluctant muse for thirteen-year-old Salvador Dali. In a summer that…
-
Review: The Bright Side of Going Dark by Kelly Harms
Last year I read The Overdue Life of Amy Byler and absolutely loved it! I recommended it to every one I know—especially moms because it really hit the nail on the head when it comes to how all consuming parenting is. I was over joyed to see what Kelly Harms was coming out with another novel and was eager to start reading it even if it did sound a bit different than her previous book. The Overdue Life of Amy Byler brought a lot of heart and realism to the story and I was impressed by how emotional it was. I think a lot of readers write women’s fiction off…
-
Review: Hex by Rebecca Dinerstein Knight
When this book first popped up on my radar I was screaming inside YES! I was drawn in by the cover and description and when I started reading it, I felt like it was going to be a solid and different writing style. I love science and botany and this book promised that as well as some dark academia which I thought sounded like a unique mix so obviously I went into this book with some pretty high expectations. While I don’t know that I loved this one, I did enjoy some aspects and would gladly read something else by the author in the future and let me tell you…
-
Re-Share Review: Someone We Know by Shari Lapena
Last year I read Someone We Know when it first came out and today it’s out in paperback! So to celebrate, I am re-sharing my review today! If you love suspense and thriller novels, Lapena is a great choice. I have only read a couple of her books but I have enjoyed each of them. I am looking forward to her upcoming novels as well! Be sure to pop pick up a copy of the paperback release today and see what I thought of this book when I originally read it! It held my interest and kept me guessing for sure!
-
Review: The Library of Legends by Janie Chang
This book was on my radar well before it was a Book of the Month pick for April. In fact I have been looking forward to reading this book for months! This cover is absolutely stunning and this book sounded like a new and exciting piece of a little known time in history. I haven’t read a lot of Asian historical fiction beyond some of the more well known titles like Memoirs of Geisha and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. Memoirs of a Geisha was one of my favorite reads when I read it years ago and for a while I bought a ton of historical fiction set in…