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

Review: Happy Place by Emily Henry

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Happy Place by Emily Henry

I absolutely loved Emily Henry’s debut novel Beach Read. But you know, sometimes those amazing debut novels don’t always mean the author will be able to replicate that magic in follow up books. Before I decided to make Emily Henry an auto buy author, I decided to give check out her second book, People We Meet on Vacation, a try and see how the sophomore novel went. It was a great second novel and enough to confirm me as a big fan. But it was truly her novel Book Lovers that made Emily Henry an auto buy author for me!

Seeing her latest novel Happy Place was coming out this spring, it was simply a no brainer that I would read it. She is now a confirmed favorite author of mine and I was looking forward to this book so much. Henry has a wonderful voice that is funny, poignant, relatable, and charming. Readers won’t be able to get enough of Henry once they get their hands on any one of her books. Henry’s books have a way of making modern readers feel seen and understood as the characters try to navigate their lives and their romances which are clearly two very different things in Henry’s books.

These books aren’t chick lit or women’s fiction but they have more substance than some traditional romances. They have this great mix of all these genres that could almost make a whole new genre. I love how much there is in each book to sink your teeth into and this book was just another excellent book in a series of excellent books by this author! This will no doubt be THE READ for the summer so make sure you secure a copy for yourself today!

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Special Feature: Murder on Bedford Street (Gaslight Mystery #26) by Victoria Thompson

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If you are a cozy mystery fan then you not doubt have seen Victoria Thompson and her Gaslight Mystery series SOMEWHERE! Her series is incredibly popular with historical cozy fans and with good reason! I have read a few throughout the series over the years and they are always a well constructed mystery with likable characters and tons of Victorian charm! Thompson has branched out to other book series as well but this one remains her most popular, as we are on book number 26 in the series.

I have been able to jump around in the series for the most part but like with any well established series, there are characters and relationships that are established throughout the books. I don’t know that I would say reading the books in order is an absolute must, but obviously helpful to understand the more broad themes of the books, plot and characters. For those of you who do not want to go back and read 25 books before this one, I think that the author generally does a good job focusing on the mystery and explaining important parts of character relationships and how they connect to the larger storylines. So not required but encouraged to read the series as a whole.

For this particular book I wasn’t able to fit it into my review schedule but I can say that early readers are loving this one! Many are noting that the book has lots of twists and turns that will keep readers engaged and entertained. I know that Thompson does spin a great mystery and no doubt this one delivers on the well crafted mystery part! If you are a cozy fan, this book series needs to be on your radar. This latest installment is out now so be sure to pop by and take a look!

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Special Feature: Bear With Me Now by Katie Shepard

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I am always on the look out for new up and coming authors and this debut novel by Katie Shepard caught my eye for a couple of reasons. One I love that it takes place in the Montana wilderness and two, I love how traditional gender roles in romantic comedies are going to get flipped! In most romance books or romantic comedies, it’s almost ALWAYS the woman who is saved by a man, but in this book Teagan is going to be saved quite literally by Darcy and I am so excited to read something like. this!

In this book, Teagan seems like he is going to be the more emotionally vulnerable one this books and I am SO EXCITED for that! I am also looking forward to the mental health angle in this book. A lot of books tend to shy away from some of those harder topics but in this book it sounds like the author is going to meet things head on and address some of those topics like addiction, trauma, and anxiety. I am really excited to see how this one unfolds and see how the author balances the book with romance and come comic relief.

While looking at books for your spring and summer reading, I think readers will want to keep this one in mind. It addresses some big issues not normally seen in the romance genre and it also takes traditional roles of characters in the genre and flips the script making the woman the savior of the man and I am so here for that! If you are looking for a brand new author with a bold story telling style, then I think this book is going to be for you and I am super excited to read it a little later on this spring!

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

Review: The Countess of the Revolution by Lana Kortchik

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Russia and Eastern Europe have been rife with conflict for years. There have been regimes and empires that have risen and fallen throughout history and it is an area in history that I have such limited knowledge and understanding. Whenever I see historical fiction books set in Russia or Eastern Europe, regardless of the time period, I am usually really interested in. I know that I will learn something new and explore unknown to me history. When this one came up for review, naturally I was intrigued.

Lana Kortchik is not stranger to historical fiction, she has written two other books that are set in WWII, both of which are focused on the Eastern European experience (Ukrainian region) during the war. That is one of the things that makes this book stand out for me. There are so many books set in WWII that focus on the occupations of France and Belgium, as well as the experiences of England, America, and France. Right away I could tell this book was different just based on the description and I was eager to see what sorts of historical tidbits I could glean from this one.

This book is actually set earlier the WWII so it will be a new time period for this author, and a favorite time period of mine! I couldn’t wait to start reading this one and am so excited to bring a review to you guys today! This book is out now so do not miss it especially if you are a historical fiction fan looking for something a little off the beaten path historically.

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Special Feature: The Secret Service of Tea and Treason (Dangerous Damsels #3) by India Holton

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India Holton burst onto the historical romance scene a couple of years ago with her quirky series about pirates, damsels in distress, and tea. I read the first book in the series and thought is was charming, if a bit confusing at first, but overall I thought it was a refreshing new read with interesting content! I missed the second book as I wasn’t able to fit it into my review schedule but when I saw this one was coming out, I decided to download the second book on Audible to listen to it so I could read this one when it comes out!

The series is funny, adventurous, charming, and romantic and I am eager to check this book out as but all accounts it has been labeled one of the funniest books in the series thus far. I love how unique this series is and how much humor goes into the plots. Theres magic, romance, history, and so much humor and charm that they make for great reads.

While this book is part of a series, I think the books can be read independently of each other. Some of the other nuances of the larger narrative would be helpful to have from the other books, I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary. Listening to the second book now, the author does a great job explaining the world and how things work etc so if I were a new reader jumping in with book two, I would be able to understand the world and characters etc. I cannot wait to read this one a little later this spring but for now it’s out and available to purchase now so if you love dashing hero and a unique story reminnsisat of the Princess Bride, this is a great series for you!

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