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

Review: Christmas in London by Anita Hughes

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Review: Christmas in London by Anita Hughes

I feel like I gained 10 pounds just reading this novel. This is a great foodie lover novel if you are into that sort of thing.

Foodie lit is a new phenomenon for me but one that my tastebuds love and my waistline doesn’t. I love how charming novels like this are and I am surprised how much I loved the food element….needless to say, I devoured a roll of Pillsbury cinnamon rolls while reading this book….#sorrynotsorry.

It’s a week before Christmas and Louisa Graham is working twelve hour shifts at a bakery on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

When a young cooking show assistant comes in from the rain and begs to buy all the cinnamon rolls on her tray, she doesn’t know what to do. Louisa is just the baker, and they aren’t hers to sell. But the show burned the rolls they were supposed to film that day, so she agrees. Continue reading “Review: Christmas in London by Anita Hughes” →

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Special Feature: BY LOVE DIVIDED by Elizabeth St. John

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature: BY LOVE DIVIDED by Elizabeth St. John

By Love Divided
by Elizabeth St. John

Publication Date: October 12, 2017
Falcon Historical
eBook & Paperback; 381 Pages

Series: The Lydiard Chronicles, Book Two
Genre: Historical Fiction

 

 

Royalist Sir Allen Apsley thinks his choice is clear, but when his mother embraces the Puritan cause, and his beloved sister Luce falls in love with John Hutchinson, a Roundhead soldier, his loyalties are tested. Is it family first? Is it country first? As England falls into bloody civil war, Allen must fight for king and country, while Luce embraces Parliament�s radical views and confronts the very core of the family�s beliefs. And when their influential Villiers cousins raise the stakes, Allen and Luce face a devastating challenge. Will war unite or divide them? In the dawn of rebellion, love is the final battleground.

Based on surviving memoirs, court papers and letters of Elizabeth St.John�s family, By Love Divided continues the story of Lucy St.John, The Lady of the Tower. This powerfully emotional novel tells of England�s great divide, and the heart-wrenching choices one family faces.

“I am completely blown away by Elizabeth St. John�s follow up novel, By Love Divided. The depth of her characterization, the elegance of her prose (and dialogue) and the masterful way in which she presents the realities of the English Civil War such that we�re bleeding for both sides is nothing short of brilliant. If you want a compelling, exquisitely written story to immerse you in the past, By Love Divided is a must read! I consider it one of my favourite historical reads and it’s earned a place on my keeper shelf! 5 plus stars!” -Cryssa Bazos, Author of The Traitor’s Knot

Available on Amazon

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

Review: The Ghost of Christmas Past (Molly Murphy #17) by Rhys Bowen

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Review: The Ghost of Christmas Past (Molly Murphy #17) by Rhys Bowen

This is one series that I really need to go back and enjoy from beginning to end! While most of the Molly Murphy books can be read as stand alone books, why deprive yourself of such fun reading?

I’ve only read one of the books in this series but I was very impressed with the quality of writing and mystery of that book and I was eager to read more by her. I’ve read one of her stand alone books and while good, I think her mystery books are better personally.

My mom keeps giving me a copy of popular series, HER ROYAL SPYNESS, I have like 4 copies now. So her books are clearly popular! So when this Christmas book in the Molly Murphy series came up, I was happy to jump back in and review another one of her novels!

Continue reading “Review: The Ghost of Christmas Past (Molly Murphy #17) by Rhys Bowen” →

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

Review: The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla (Pink Carnation #11) by Lauren Willig

by The Lit Bitch2 Comments on Review: The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla (Pink Carnation #11) by Lauren Willig

This was the book  I was least excited about reading in the series. It sounded completely out of Willig’s usual formula….like so far removed from her usual style that I just wasn’t thrilled about it.

Vampires? In this series. No, no, and just no.

Plus the heroine, Sally Fitzhugh, is not one that has even been on the fringes of the series up until like the last book and even then it was minimal.

However, as I have said before, I am continually impressed with her ability to hook me into a believable romance and prove all my misconceptions wrong. So I tried to keep an open mind when I started reading.

In October of 1806, the Little Season is in full swing, and Sally Fitzhugh has had enough of the endless parties and balls. With a rampant vampire craze sparked by the novel The Convent of Orsino, it seems no one can speak of anything else. But when Sally hears a rumor that the reclusive Duke of Belliston is an actual vampire, she cannot resist the challenge of proving such nonsense false. At a ball in Belliston Square, she ventures across the gardens and encounters the mysterious Duke.

Continue reading “Review: The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla (Pink Carnation #11) by Lauren Willig” →

Books, Reading

Special Feature: The Painter’s Apprentice by Laura Morelli

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Special Feature: The Painter’s Apprentice by Laura Morelli
The Painter’s Apprentice by Laura Morelli
Publication Date: November 15, 2017
The Scriptorium
eBook; 482 Pages
Series: The Gondola Maker, Book Two
Genre: Fiction/Historical

Star-crossed lovers with a costly secret. As the plague grips Venice, more than a quarantine divides them…

Venice, 1510. Maria Bartolini wants nothing more than to carry on her father’s legacy as a master gilder. Instead, her father has sent her away from the only home she’s ever known to train as an apprentice to Master Trevisan, a renowned painter.

Maria arranges to leave the painter’s workshop to return to her family workshop and to a secret lover waiting for her back home. But the encroaching Black Death foils her plans…

When the painter’s servants uncover the real reason why Maria has been sent away to train with Master Trevisan, they threaten to reveal a secret that could tear down her family and the future of their trade. She is forced to buy the servants’ silence, but as their greed steadily grows, Maria resorts to more desperate measures. She questions whether her heart’s desire is worth risking her family, her trade, and her future, but Maria’s sacrifices may amount to nothing if the plague arrives on her father’s doorstep and steals away everything she’s ever loved…

From the author of the award-winning The Gondola Maker comes a rich tale of Renaissance Venice, a heroine with a lust for life, and love against all odds.

Available at the following eRetailers:

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