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

Review: Sleigh Bells Ring by RaeAnne Thayne

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Sleigh Bells Ring by RaeAnne Thayne

Is it even Christmas without a RaeAnne Thayne book? The answer is NO IT IS NOT! I adore Thayne’s Christmas books so obviously this book was an easy yes to reviewing. In all honesty, I had this one on pre-order months ago because I didn’t want to miss one of her Christmas books. Thayne is such a great romance writer without being overly steamy and I never want to miss one of her books!

This book is a standalone but there are mentions of other characters from previous books that she has written. But I want to be clear this is absolutely a standalone book! But if you are a long time fan of Thayne then you will recognize familiar characters in this book. I read this one in one sitting and found it really enjoyable and exactly what I was expecting from Thayne.

Thayne is a prolific writer and has written a number of novels (series and standalones) but for me her Christmas books are where it’s at! I have read her other novels which are great but she captures small town romance and Christmas so so so well and I often recommend her Christmas books to friends, family and of course people all over my social media! If you are looking for a quick, feel good holiday romance this is an excellent choice!

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

Review: Reputation by Lex Croucher

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Reputation by Lex Croucher

Has Jane Austen ever been sexier and hot than right now? With the huge hit series, Bridgerton, Netflix opened the door for a new generation of fans for Regency England and romance. Jane Austen is like the original rom-com writer and there is a reason many of her novels continue to be remade into modern stories or films. Like so many others, I adore Jane Austen—and I am always on the look out for new takes on the ‘Regency rom-com’ genre.

Enter this book. I was instantly drawn to this book and couldn’t pass on it. I loved the mash up description of Jane Austen meets Mean Girls and honestly—that’s exactly what this book is! I love regency England and I think with the popularity of Bridgerton I think a lot of younger readers and reads who ‘don’t read romance’ are looking for books to fill the giant Bridgerton hole in their hearts and this book will be a welcome distraction for many who are in this boat!

For me, I love romance. I read so much romance it’s not even funny, especially when I want something that’s a quick read and will leave me feeling happy. And books that are historical romance always get bonus points for me because I adore historical fiction and this book just sounded like a quick distraction that would leave me wondering if it was time for me to read some more Austen?

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

Review: Love and Lavender (Mayfield Family #4) by Josi S Kilpack

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Love and Lavender (Mayfield Family #4) by Josi S Kilpack

Last year I read one of Josi S Kilpack’s sweet historical romances and I thought it was a nice read with a lot of potential. I added a few of her other novels to my TBR list after reading Rakes and Roses so when this one came up for review I thought I would continue with the series. Rakes and Roses was the third in the Mayfield Family series and this one, Love and Lavender is the fourth.

If you enjoy sweet romances you will no doubt recognize Kilpack’s name as she has written quite a few historical romances as well as a few mystery novels. She has a knack for writing interesting main characters with believable romances and Shadow Mountain Publishing is my go to publishing house for proper/sweet romances so if you are a fan of that genre be sure to check them out.

I picked this one up while I was out of town at a weightlifting meet and I was eager to have something positive and quick to read through. Something that would be a little bit fluff and a little bit feel good to distract me. While this was a feel good read with a positive outcome, I didn’t feel like it was ‘fluffy’. It did have quite a bit of substance to it, while it wasn’t necessarily ‘heavy’ it had a range of content to draw on which was nice.

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Special Feature: London House by Katherine Reay

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature: London House by Katherine Reay

If you have been following my blog for awhile, you will know how much I love historical fiction but especially war time fiction. Typically WWI is MY ERA however I wouldn’t pass on a WWII novel though either. I think the backdrop and drama of war really creates natural drama in historical fiction which is one of the reasons why I love it so much.

In recent years there has been a lot of novels that have highlighted the influence of women in the two world wars and especially in the area of spying and espionage. I think this is such a great way to add intrigue and show how badass women really were. Every time I see a new historical fiction novel come up I want to read each and every one. This one in particular sounds fascinating and while I couldn’t fit it on my review schedule I definitely added it to my future TBR.

This one sounds so great and has been getting wonderful reviews and early praise. You need to stop by the other tour stops and see what others are saying. After reading a few reviews I moved this one up on my TBR. So be sure to keep reading for all the details and check out the other blog tour stops for reviews and more!

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

Review: City of Time and Magic (Found Things #4) by Paula Brackston

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: City of Time and Magic (Found Things #4) by Paula Brackston

I have been a long time fan of Paula Brackston and I have read the other books in this series so naturally when this one came up for review, it was a no brainer to say ‘yes’. If you haven’t read the other books in this series, I would not start with this one. This book picks up where the last book left off and continues to build on the series and established characters.

Brackston is known for the ‘witch books’ which I have enjoyed and they are not necessarily part of a ‘series’ but they all maintain similar themes of witchcraft and a bit of a love story. The Found Things books have been different yet have the same trademark story telling style that Brackston is known for. And this book in particular introduces readers to some other characters from the other ‘witch books’ she has written which I thought was fun. I would say you don’t have to read the ‘witch books’ to enjoy this series but the Found Things books should be read in order.

While this is the last book in the Found Things series, Brackston leaves plenty of room to revisit familiar characters and expand on the possibility of spin off series. If you love witchy stories with some history, romance, and time travel this is definitely a series not to be missed! Brackstone is a magical story teller with talent and experience that will delight readers.

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