Reading
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Special Feature: The Second Life of Mirielle West by Amanda Skenandore
Publication Date: July 27, 2021Kensington PublishingeBook & Paperback; 304 pages Genre: Historical Fiction In this thought-provoking and sensitive novel, inspired by the true story of a Louisiana leprosy hospital where patients were forcibly quarantined, acclaimed author Amanda Skenandore tells an extraordinarily timely tale of resilience, hope–and the last woman who expected to find herself in such a place… 1920s Los Angeles: Socialite Mirielle West’s days are crowded with shopping, luncheons, and prepping for the myriad glittering parties she attends with her actor husband, Charlie. She’s been too busy to even notice the small patch of pale skin on the back of her hand. Other than an occasional over-indulgence in gin…
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Review: The Devil and the Heiress (The Gilded Age Heiresses #2) by Harper St. George
After reading The Heiress Gets a Duke earlier this year, Harper St George was on my ‘one to watch’ list. I immediately preordered this book and was eager to find out what happened to the more reserved Crenshaw sister, Violet. In the first book, August was more headstrong and a little more bold than her sister so I was eager to see how Violet’s character was explored in this one. Not only do St George’s novels boast fantastic covers but they boast non conventional heroines and dashing heroes with an edge. If you love historical romances I would highly recommend checking this new series out. I found that this book…
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Review: John Eyre: A Tale of Darkness and Shadow by Mimi Matthews
Mimi Matthews is an auto buy author for me. I love all of her books and always make room for them on my calendar. She never disappoints and when I saw she was going to write a novel that was a little darker and more gothic than her standard feel good historical romances made me elated! I couldn’t say yes fast enough to this one! I know that some times when an author branches out of their typical genre to try something new, there is always hesitation that it won’t be well received, but she is such a talented writer that I knew this was going to be another outstanding…
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Special Feature: A Duke in Time (The Widow Rules #1) by Janna MacGregor
A Duke in Time by Janna MacGregor Katherine Vareck is in for the shock of her life when she learns upon her husband Meri’s accidental death that he had married two other women. Her entire business, along with a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be a royal supplier, is everything she’s been working for and now could be destroyed if word leaks about the three wives. Meri’s far more upstanding brother, Christian, Duke of Randford has no earthly clue how to be of assistance. He spent the better part of his adult years avoiding Meri and the rest of his good-for-nothing family, so to be dragged back into the fold is…problematic. Even…
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Review: The Stranger Behind You by Carol Goodman
Carol Goodman is an author after my Gothic heart. I haven’t read any of her other books before this one, but when this one came up for review I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it because it had this decidedly Gothic feel. Not to mention a lot of fans have called her the modern day Daphne du Maurier. I love books with a Gothic feel, especially murder mysteries so I was super excited to read this one. Goodman has written other novels that by all accounts are atmospheric and moody so I was really looking forward to this one. I also loved that it had a modern component…
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Special Feature: The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
I used to consider horror as ‘not for me’ books. I was never really into scary movies and horror was just a genre that I never really considered picking up. Until I started exploring the book community a little more. Then I realized that I have actually been a fan of horror in one way or another for quite a while. When I think of horror, I think of the classic slasher films from the 1980s—-the Halloween movies and the like. Come to find out horror can be lots of things……ghost stories, haunted houses, vampires not just slasher books or films. Well I have been reading horror for a long…
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Review: The Girls from the Beach by Andie Newton
I have read all of Andie Newton’s books so far and not once have I been disappointed! She is an amazingly talented writer and her historical research and detail is always spot on. Plus she has a wonderful prose and creates interesting characters. So when this one came up for review there was zero question if I would read it or not! Not only is the cover to DIE for but I loved the sound of this plot…..American nurses tasked with a secret mission go missing and infiltrate the Nazi regime. It couldn’t sound more compelling if it tried! Spies and Nazis are a hot ticket right now. There are…
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Review: The Ice Swan by J’nell Ciesielski
I have read three of J’nell Ciesielski’s novels and each one has been absolutely fantastic! I love how well she writes romance as well as historical fiction and I always seem to breeze through her books because I am so captivated. When I saw this one was coming out, I knew it was going to be an easy ‘yes’ for me. I mean—take one look at that cover and tell me you would pass? No. The author as well as this cover are truly sunning! This one is set in Russia which I thought brought some variance to the historical fiction genre. The last novel I read by Ciesielski was…
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Special Feature: Between Two Kings: A Sequel to The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas , Lawrence Ellsworth
The Three Musketeers is arguably Alexandre Dumas’s most popular novel. Growing up, I love the mid 90’s Chris O’Donnell (I know I know I know, cheesy) film version of the Three Musketeers and while I have not read the Dumas classic, I know he writes wonderful adventure stories for the ages. I read his other well known novel The Count of Monte Cristo which also has swashbuckling adventure so naturally I would assume that The Three Musketeers has the same. The Count of Monte Cristo wrapped up rather nicely, but from what I understand, The Three Musketeers leaves a few optional stories untold making way for an exciting follow up…
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Review: The Hollywood Spy (Maggie Hope #10) by Susan Elia MacNeal
I fell in love with Maggie Hope long ago and watching her journey through these last 10 books has been so fun as a reader. We have seen her go from nervous secretary, to spy, through PTSD, and heartache. As we enter the 10th book in the series ,she is in many ways unrecognizable from the first book. As a reader you really get a sense of how the war changed her character and I think that’s what really makes this series shine. I haven’t always loved the direction that Maggie’s character has taken or choices that she has made but for me that’s what makes her so real and…