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

Review: The Countess of the Revolution by Lana Kortchik

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Countess of the Revolution by Lana Kortchik

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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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

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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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