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

Review: The Storyteller’s Secret by Sejal Badani

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One of the things that caught my eye with this book was the beautiful cover. I love the white flower against the red backdrop and the little gold/yellow details and accents.

I also loved that this book was set in India. There is something about India that seems so beautiful and exotic and I just loved that this book was going to incorporate that rich culture.

The summary sounded interesting but it was really the promise of something new and different culturally, that drew me into this story.

Nothing prepares Jaya, a New York journalist, for the heartbreak of her third miscarriage and the slow unraveling of her marriage in its wake. Desperate to assuage her deep anguish, she decides to go to India to uncover answers to her family’s past. Continue reading “Review: The Storyteller’s Secret by Sejal Badani” →

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Special Feature: I Am Mrs. Jesse James by Pat Wahler

by The Lit Bitch2 Comments on Special Feature: I Am Mrs. Jesse James by Pat Wahler

I Am Mrs. Jesse James
by Pat Wahler

Publication Date: August 28, 2018
Blank Slate Press
Paperback & eBook; 316 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

 

 

A penny for a promise will change her life forever.

For Jesse James, the war will never be over. For Zee Mimms, the war is only the beginning.

The long, bloody Civil War is finally at an end when Zee Mimms, the dutiful daughter of a Missouri preacher, is tasked with nursing her cousin, Jesse James, back to health after he suffers a near-fatal wound. During Jesse’s long convalescence, the couple falls in love, but Jesse’s resentment against the Federals runs deep. He has scores to settle. For him, the war will never be over.

Zee is torn between deferring to her parents’ wishes and marrying for security or marrying for love and accepting the hard realities of life with an outlaw―living under an assumed name and forever on the run. For her, the choice she makes means the war is only beginning.

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

Review: Vox by Christina Dalcher

by The Lit Bitch4 Comments on Review: Vox by Christina Dalcher

This book came across my desk for review and I immediately knew that I wanted to read it. It’s been compared to The Handmaid’s Tale, which is a tall order, so I was eager to read this one and see what all the fuss was about.

I read The Handmaid’s Tale in college and wasn’t really a fan. I am not a huge Atwood fan and just didn’t love it in that way that I had hoped. Now flash forward a number of years and suddenly The Handmaid’s Tale has taken on an almost cult following.

The political climate and the Hulu adaptation of the book, have made it more popular than ever and I think more and more women are reading and enjoying The Handmaid’s Tale than ever before. I watched one episode of the show and was completely enthralled…..disturbed but enthralled. That said I haven’t finished watching it because it was almost too disturbing.

So when this one came up for review, I was so excited to read it and see how close it came to such an iconic book. Continue reading “Review: Vox by Christina Dalcher” →

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Special Feature: The Matrimonial Advertisement by Mimi Matthews

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Special Feature: The Matrimonial Advertisement by Mimi Matthews

The Matrimonial Advertisement
by Mimi Matthews

Publication Date: September 4, 2018
Perfectly Proper Press
Paperback & eBook; 317 Pages

Series: Parish Orphans of Devon, Book 1
Genre: Historical/Romance

 

 

She Wanted Sanctuary…

Helena Reynolds will do anything to escape her life in London, even if that means traveling to a remote cliffside estate on the North Devon coast and marrying a complete stranger. But Greyfriar’s Abbey isn’t the sort of refuge she imagined. And ex-army captain Justin Thornhill—though he may be tall, dark, and devastatingly handsome—is anything but a romantic hero.

He Needed Redemption…

Justin has spent the last two decades making his fortune, settling scores, and suffering a prolonged period of torture in an Indian prison. Now, he needs someone to smooth the way for him with the villagers. Someone to manage his household—and warm his bed on occasion. What he needs, in short, is a wife and a matrimonial advertisement seems the perfect way to acquire one.

Their marriage was meant to be a business arrangement and nothing more. A dispassionate union free from the entanglements of love and affection. But when Helena’s past threatens, will Justin’s burgeoning feelings for his new bride compel him to come to her rescue? Or will dark secrets of his own force him to let her go?

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Special Feature: Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris

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If you are looking for something new to read this coming fall, then look no further than this beautiful story about love and redemption. I am hoping to review this one later this fall but until then, take a look at this eye catching cover that promises a memorable and compelling story for readers!

From New York Times bestselling author Kristina McMorris comes another unforgettable novel inspired by a stunning piece of history.

2 CHILDREN FOR SALE

The sign is a last resort. It sits on a farmhouse porch in 1931, but could be found anywhere in an era of breadlines, bank runs, and broken dreams. It could have been written by any mother facing impossible choices.

For struggling reporter Ellis Reed, the gut-wrenching scene evokes memories of his family’s dark past. He snaps a photograph of the children, not meant for publication. But when it leads to his big break, the consequences are more devastating than he ever imagined.

At the paper, Lillian Palmer is haunted by her role in all that happened. She is far too familiar with the heartbreak of children deemed unwanted. As the bonds of motherhood are tested, she and Ellis must decide how much they are willing to risk to mend a fractured family.

Inspired by an actual newspaper photograph that stunned the nation, Sold on a Monday is a powerful novel of love, redemption, and the unexpected paths that bring us home.

About the Author

KRISTINA MCMORRIS is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Her novels have garnered more than two dozen literary awards and nominations, including the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, RWA’s RITA® Award, and a Goodreads Choice Award for Best Historical Fiction. Inspired by true personal and historical accounts, her works of fiction have been published by Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, and Kensington Books. Her forthcoming novel, Sold on a Monday (Sourcebooks Landmark, 8-28-18), follows her widely praised The Edge of Lost, The Pieces We Keep, Bridge of Scarlet Leaves, and Letters from Home. Additionally, her novellas are featured in the anthologies A Winter Wonderland and Grand Central. Prior to her writing career, Kristina hosted weekly TV shows since age nine, including an Emmy® Award-winning program, and has been named one of Portland’s “40 Under 40” by The Business Journal. She lives with her husband and two sons in the Pacific Northwest, where she is working on her next novel. For more, visit www.KristinaMcMorris.com