Tag: Gothic Lit

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

Review: Parting the Veil by Paulette Kennedy

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Parting the Veil by Paulette Kennedy

This book had me written all over it. Gothic romance—check. Brooding hero—check. Crumbling old creepy house on the moors—triple check. I needed this book so bad this Halloween season and I couldn’t wait to read it because it clearly had all the hallmarks of a quick read for me not to mention one that I would absolutely love for the ambiance.

It literally took zero convincing for me to agree to read this book simply for all the atmosphere it promised. I think this book will delight readers who love Gothic romances (like me!) as well as historical fiction that is both familiar and yet different. This book has a lot to recommend itself, it is a debut novel and could maybe use a little polish in spots but overall it was a delight to read and I think fans of historical fiction but especially Gothic romance will fall in love with this one.

After finishing this debut, I am excited to see how Kennedy grows as an author in future books. She has a knack for creating atmosphere and a story that I could enjoy that kept me guessing. I really enjoyed this one and I hope you all do too! Keep reading till the end to check out other stops on this blog tour!

Continue reading “Review: Parting the Veil by Paulette Kennedy” →
Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: John Eyre: A Tale of Darkness and Shadow by Mimi Matthews

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Review: John Eyre: A Tale of Darkness and Shadow by Mimi Matthews

Mimi Matthews is an auto buy author for me. I love all of her books and always make room for them on my calendar. She never disappoints and when I saw she was going to write a novel that was a little darker and more gothic than her standard feel good historical romances made me elated!

I couldn’t say yes fast enough to this one! I know that some times when an author branches out of their typical genre to try something new, there is always hesitation that it won’t be well received, but she is such a talented writer that I knew this was going to be another outstanding read. You can tell it’s a retelling of Jae Eyre based on the title and I think a number of readers will be thrilled to pick this one up and give it a go.

In the last book I read by Matthews, Gentleman Jim, she did a bit of a twist on The Count of Monte Cristo, so I couldn’t wait to see how this retelling would develop. And you guys know I am a huge fan of gothic romances so this book was practically made for me! While I am not a huge Jane Eyre fan, I appreciate the story and couldn’t wait for Matthew’s take on this classic gothic tale!

Continue reading “Review: John Eyre: A Tale of Darkness and Shadow by Mimi Matthews” →
Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The Stranger Behind You by Carol Goodman

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Stranger Behind You by Carol Goodman

Carol Goodman is an author after my Gothic heart. I haven’t read any of her other books before this one, but when this one came up for review I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it because it had this decidedly Gothic feel. Not to mention a lot of fans have called her the modern day Daphne du Maurier. I love books with a Gothic feel, especially murder mysteries so I was super excited to read this one.

Goodman has written other novels that by all accounts are atmospheric and moody so I was really looking forward to this one. I also loved that it had a modern component with the #MeToo plot line. I think a lot of readers will find relevance in the plot as the #MeToo movement has been a big news headline in recent years so that was one of the things that really excited me about this book.

The only thing I was a little skeptical about was the history piece. After reading the summary it sounded like it had a lot going on—-a mystery, a #MeToo aspect, and a historical part but I wasn’t sure if it had a modern plot or not so that was a little confusing, but I was excited to see how the Gothic atmosphere was deployed in this one and ultimately that’s what drove my desire to read this one.

Continue reading “Review: The Stranger Behind You by Carol Goodman” →
Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse

Converted sanatorium urned into five star hotel—-stop right there while I clear my reading calendar! I was completely sold on this intense and atmospheric debut from the opening description. Then it was picked as a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick and that right there was enough to get me even more excited about this novel!

It has been getting a ton of advanced praise and so much buzz on social media but when I started reading it, it was easy to see that all the buzz was absolutely worth it! I loved the atmosphere of this book and it was exactly what I was hoping that it would be, something dark, twisty, and chilling.

I normally don’t like minimalist or super cold Norwegian/Scandinavian type thrillers but this novel has so much to recommend itself and it’s not to be missed. I also included some videos about the resort and the author talking about the book as well so keep reading to check both of those out and if you are looking for your next thriller, this is it!

Continue reading “Review: The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse” →
Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The Vanishing at Loxby Manor by Abigail Wilson

by The Lit Bitch3 Comments on Review: The Vanishing at Loxby Manor by Abigail Wilson

The very first novel that I remember loving was The Silk Vendetta by Victoria Holt. I was eleven or twelve and no doubt missed all the adult nuances of the story, but what I didn’t miss was the Gothic atmosphere of the novel. I went through a lengthy Victoria Holt period in my early teens and then again as an adult. I am always looking for books that capture what I loved about Victoria Holt…..creepy, atmospheric historical fiction with a romantic element.

This book sounded like exactly that—and it was! I have never grown out of my Gothic Lit phase and reading books like this, I am reminded just how much I love Gothic novels with romance. Many authors have tried to strike a similar balance like Victoria Holt, but not many authors have succeeded. I can think of only a few authors who I would consider similar to Victoria Holt but Abigail Wilson is now one such author!

I adored this book even if there were some things that I thought could have been more nuanced or flushed out, over all this novel had me transfixed and in suspense until the very end. I have been looking forward to this one for quite some time and was thrilled with all the atmosphere this one delivered!

Continue reading “Review: The Vanishing at Loxby Manor by Abigail Wilson” →