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

Review: The Hollywood Spy (Maggie Hope #10) by Susan Elia MacNeal

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on 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 relatable. You don’t have to love her choices or agree with them but you learn to live with them in the same way that her character must.

I was a little nervous going into this book though because we see the reappearance of one time beau, John Sterling. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. In the previous books I felt like John was charming and wonderful—-up until he wasn’t. Then I was like ‘Maggie girl kick his ass to the curb!’ and now suddenly he’s making a reappearance in her life and I hoped that he had undergone some changes between the books.

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Books, Reading

Special Feature: The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature: The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline

New York Times best selling author, Christina Baker Kline is back with a hot new novel called The Exiles! After her success with The Orphan Train as well as a number of other historical fiction novels, this one promises the same well researched and moving plot that she is known for. As an Australian author, many of her books feature her beloved country as their setting and The Exiles is no different.

That is one of the reasons this book appeals to me! There are so many historical fiction books that are set in England or Europe, but having this book be set in Australia and describe how the characters all end up there, makes it rather compelling. I don’t really know too much about Australian history or how and why many English people ended up there so books like this help fill in those untold stories in history.

Kline is a well known author and with her practiced hand, this book no doubt will be instantly loved by fans of historical fiction. It was published last year in other countries but only now in the US. Many fans have been raving about this book with many five star reviews. I am so excited to share a bit about this one with you guys today! If you love historical fiction and are eager to hear some untold stories in history, this is going to be a great option for you!

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

Special Feature: Have We Met? by Camille Baker

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature: Have We Met? by Camille Baker

This hot new release was featured last month on Amazon’s First Reads program and so many readers fell in love with Camille Baker’s writing style! This is Baker’s debut novel and it promises to be a good one sure to draw fans who enjoy women’s fiction as well as romance. I am so excited to read this one later on this summer but right now I want to share about this one and I also have a giveaway happening over on my IG where you can win a copy of this book!

This debut promises heart, romance, social relevance, as well as humor and that sounds like an incredible mash up to me! While it has a serious component (the main character loses her best friend to cancer) there is also a focus on friendships as well as some comedy to break things up and keep it light enough for readers to sit back and relax with.

If you have been looking for a novel with current relevance with a fresh voice, then this is the book for you. I know a lot of readers have loved this one and are eager for more novels by this hot new author and I am pleased to read that from other reviewers that this book set the stage for follow up books so if you read this one and enjoy it then you can rest assured that more books will be coming! Now hop on over to my IG and enter the giveaway!

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

Review: Incense and Sensibility (The Rajes #3) by Sonali Dev

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Incense and Sensibility (The Rajes #3) by Sonali Dev

Sonali Dev clearly has a love for Jane Austen! I have had the pleasure of reading the Rajes books that each feature their own unique Austen novel retelling. Naturally, when I saw this one coming out I jumped on it. While Persuasion is my favorite Austen novel, Sense and Sensibility boasts my favorite heroines. I love the contrast between the two Dashwood sisters and I was eager to see how that plays out in the Rajes family in this book.

Dev adds so much spice, flair, and uniqueness to her novels that will leave readers desperate for more. When I first saw that Dev was working her way through the Austen classics and writing modern Indian retellings I was skeptical. Austen books are notoriously hard to do retellings (especially modern ones). People have high expectations and often the things that make the Austen novels ‘classics’ are the same things that make it hard to do retellings.

For example, women needing to find a marriage of means, that’s not really relevant for the modern woman but it would have been during the time of Austen. But when it comes to Dev’s Austen retellings she doesn’t go all in for the typical retelling but instead leaves enough of the recognizable Austen characters and themes but adds her own unique spicy flair to the story and I am so so so here for that!

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Special Feature: Murder at Sunrise Lake by Christine Feehan

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Special Feature: Murder at Sunrise Lake by Christine Feehan

Romance and paranormal fans will no doubt recognize Christine Feehan’s name. Feehan is an established author who has penned a number of beloved novels and series (roughly 80 books) and she is also a #1 New York Times bestselling author multiple times over. This highly anticipated standalone novel, boasts murder, suspense, and a bit of romance.

By all accounts, this new novel will take some of Feehan’s fan by surprise as it’s a little different from her usual genre but knowing that she has written a number of successful books and series should put readers fears at ease. I have actually not read anything by Feehan before but this one caught my eye because I do know her name and I love romantic suspense books. I am excited to check this one out a little later this summer, with an author as prolific as Feehan it’s hard to go wrong!

Her latest novel, Murder at Sunrise Lake, was already being met with a lot of advanced praise and it out now so fans don’t have to wait months to enjoy this one! If you love romantic suspense, it’s hard to go wrong with this one. This book promises a complex murder mystery with a bit of the paranormal (visions) and of course romance. It sounds like the perfect read for your summer beach bag! I am so excited to check it out!

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