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

Review: The Haunting of Alejandra by V Castro

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Haunting of Alejandra by V Castro

I had never heard of La Llorna until I got married. My husband who is Hispanic of course knew all about La Llorna and I absolutely fell in love with the Mexican ghost story. If you aren’t Hispanic you will likely be unfamiliar with the legend but you might be more familiar with the song La Llorna from the movie Coco! I am a big fan of horror and ghost stories and the folklore story really intrigued me so when this book came up for review, I had little hesitation before I screamed YES.

The horror or paranormal genre might not be for everyone and that’s ok. I know that I love a good ghost story and for me personally, I would rather read it in the fall when it’s the ‘spooky’ time of year, but I am usually up for a good ghost story any time truth be told! I read The Hacienda last year and absolutely loved it, after reading that book, the legend go La Llorna was the first thing on my mind. La Llorna isn’t a well known tale but it sure is creepy and I thought it would make for a great mainstream-ish story if executed properly.

Author V Castro has written other horror stories seeped in Mexican history and culture. If there was anyone who could make this story come alive, it’s Castro. I haven’t read any other books by her but I have seen Queen of the Cicadas around the blog-o-sphere and know that she has an established fan base. Needless to say I was thrilled to be asked to review this one and check out Castro’s storytelling style for myself!

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Book Critic, Book Review, Books

Review: A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3) by Sarah J Maas (Audible Edition)

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3) by Sarah J Maas (Audible Edition)

After reading the second book in this series, I was in full on binge reading mode and ready to see what happens in this exciting series. This series currently has five books in it and the second book in this series really set things up nicely for this book and upcoming books in the series. If you haven’t yet read this series, it’s definitely worth checking out! Though you must absolutely read these books in order as a lot happens in this book that is a carry over from previous books.

This series has been basically everywhere around the blog-o-sphere over the last few years so if you haven’t heard of it, I would be shocked! I was super excited to read this series when it first came out, but I had a lot of other books on my TBR and sadly didn’t make it around to reading this one until now but I did have multiple copies of the book on my shelf and I knew it would be one that I enjoyed. If you like new or young adult fantasy books with some romance (and in this case a lot more sex) then this is going to be a must read for you!

If you do not want any spoilers then I recommend stop reading my review after this paragraph. I try to always keep my reviews as spoiler free as possible but at the same time, this series references things from previous books and it is difficult to review the book without having some spoilers from previous books. But I always do my best! So reader be warned there might be spoilers after this point!

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Special Feature: Ana Maria and the Fox (The Luna Sisters #1) by Liana De la Rosa

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature: Ana Maria and the Fox (The Luna Sisters #1) by Liana De la Rosa

I love historical romances just as much as the next person. But admittedly, I get tired of reading about London heiresses who are skinny, virginal, white girls who meet equally rich, handsome, rogue-ish dukes and fall in love. I often find myself wondering where are all the people of color in all of these narratives? Did they not ever find love too? That’s what made me super excited for this book. Today I am only featuring this book but I did rearrange my reading schedule to read this book. I am starting it at the end of this month and I cannot WAIT. I am so excited for this book.

This book was recently added as a Book of the Month book so if you have book credits to use, this might be a good option for you! The first thing that stood out to me about this book beyond just the diversity of the characters, but the global feel of this book. There is the familiar landscape of London and the London season mixed with the Mexico connection with the heiress and the French occupation of Mexico at this time. I think this books is going to have a lot for readers to enjoy and unpack as the novel goes on. This doesn’t sounds like your run of the mill historical romance novel but rather something full of history and a newness that readers will cling to!

Oh ya and there is romance. I love a swoon worthy romance and early reviews are raving about the chemistry between Gideon and Ana Maria. I cannot wait for a sexy swoon worthy historical romance that is new and diverse. This book is on the top of my TBR list and I cannot wait to share my thoughts on it once I am done reading. But for now, this book promises to be a hot new release so do not miss our on this one! It’s out now and on Book of the Month so be sure to get your copy now!

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Books, Reading

Special Feature: Life and Other Love Songs by Anissa Gray

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature: Life and Other Love Songs by Anissa Gray

Are you looking for something that you can really sink your teeth into this summer? I know a lot of readers tend to steer toward lighter fluffy reads over the summer for vacation or for their beach bags. But there are some readers who really want something that has more substance and things to unpack and think about. That’s what this book offers readers, something to read, enjoy, and also think about. This book follows and African American family through the 1960s and 1990s as the trapeze through some difficult times in American history.

But this isn’t a history book. This book is about people and the choices that impact their lives. Larger themes in this book include addiction, failures, the desire to improve ones life, and generational shifts through history. I love that this book is going to really touch on some of those larger themes and not just following a family through history and talking about the historical events but rather really looking at how the historical element impacts and shapes the lives of the characters.

This author is a new to me author and while I haven’t been able to fit this one into my review schedule, but I am sure some readers will recognize Anissa Gray from her debut novel, The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls, which was widely acclaimed back in 2019. This book promises to be a strong and well written follow up to her debut standalone. Early reviews of this book have been favorable which makes me excited to check this one out. If you are looking for something to sink your teeth into this summer, then I think this book is worth checking out!

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Review: The Cuban Heiress by Chanel Cleeton

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Cuban Heiress by Chanel Cleeton

I had my eye on Chanel Cleeton’s novels for years. Some of the books I have read multiple times, her books are simply solid historical fiction and I love coming back to the unique stories and characters time and again! The books have followed the Perez family for the most part and while each book follows the family, I wouldn’t necessarily call it a series. Each book can be read independently, though some of the characters carry over into other books, for the most part they all stand alone.

My knowledge of Cuba is limited to put it mildly. The things I know about Cuba can be summed up on one hand: it’s in the Caribbean, Pitbull is Cubano, Fidel Castro, Cuban Missile Crisis, and they speak Spanish. After reading Cleeton’s books I have learned so much more about Cuba, the people, the politics, and the history! I love her books for this reason! I feel like I am reading something truly new! Her books aren’t historically heavy either. They have historical substance for sure, but it’s presented in a fun and easy to access kind of way.

Naturally when this book came up for review, I couldn’t pass it up. I knew I would enjoy it and it would contain fun new history, a romance, and a story that would hook me almost instantly. I was certainly not disappointed. If you are looking for a solid historical fiction novel this spring, do not pass this one up. If you haven’t read Cleeton’s books yet but are curious, pick any of them up they are all so good and this one has a special place in my heart as it was the first book I have read by her that didn’t directly follow the Perez sisters/family, which I thought might make me sad but it was thrilling all the same!

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