Tag: Historic Fiction

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

Review: The Woman at the Front by Lecia Cornwall

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Woman at the Front by Lecia Cornwall

A WWI battlefield nurse romance? Yes please! I saw this cover and was instantly like YES WWI nurse romances are where it’s at for me! But as I dove into this one it was about a female doctor not a nurse which added a feel of newness for me to a tried and true genre. Lecia Cornwall has written a number of other romances so I was eager to see how much of a romance this book would be.

I would say it contained a fair bit of romance but that wasn’t necessarily the focus—the focus was more about the main character, Eleanor’s, journey from fresh new doctor to battle tested doctor. It was an interesting journey and one that I rather enjoyed as I breezed through this one in a matter of one sitting! It was such a wonderful read and I simply had to know what happened next.

WWI romances are totally my jam and I loved how this one unfolded. If you haven’t read anything by Cornwall, I would certainly start here and move on to her other romances which is what I plan on doing next! This was on top of my most anticipated for fall this year so I am so thrilled that I was able to be an early reader for this one because it was just such a wonderful read!

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

Review: Portrait of a Scotsman (A League of Extraordinary Women #3) by Evie Dunmore

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Portrait of a Scotsman (A League of Extraordinary Women #3) by Evie Dunmore

When I first read Evie Dunmore’s debut novel, Bringing Down the Duke, I absolutely fell in love. I hadn’t been consistently reading a ton of historical romances (meaning, I hadn’t read Julia Quinn yet!) and all I could think of was ‘finally—-a romance novel I can get behind!’ I felt like I was reading something deliciously modern yet set in the Victorian era with all the things I love about historical fiction—strong women with untold stories.

I read the second book in this series and while I didn’t love it as much as I loved the first book, I was eager to continue with the series. I was especially excited to read this one because it promised a Scotsman (hence the title!) and featured one of the most random women in the series, Hattie. In the books before Hattie always seemed so silly and just simply random like she just didn’t belong in the series with the other women.

This was one of the few romance novels that I also downloaded as an audiobook. I rarely download romance novels on my Audible simply because I know that I will burn through them so quick and I don’t want to waste an Audible credit, however I had 6 credits saved up and I was desperate to read this one at every turn so I secured a copy on Audible as well.

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Special Feature: The Duchess by Wendy Holden

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Special Feature: The Duchess by Wendy Holden

I read my first Wendy Holden book last year and I loved how well she wrote historical fiction! The Royal Governess was a well researched and interesting novel about the governess of Queen Elizabeth, and I came away from it feeling like I learned some new things while enjoying a great story. When I saw she was coming out with this new book about Wallis Simpson I knew it would be a quality book!

For me personally, I am not a fan of the love story of Wallis Simpson and the man who would be king. I always felt like Wallis Simpson was an opportunist and I questioned if she ever really loved Edward or if it was just about her selfishness. Though I will say as much as I do not care for her, there is a quality of their romance that is intrinsically romantic and I cannot help but be swept up in it. I mean the man gave up his entire future, family, and duty for a woman he loved. That is impressive regardless of how you feel about their romance.

That is why I am always drawn to books about Wallis Simpson and this one in particular. Holden is a great story teller with lots of historical details woven into her novels and I am sure that her latest novel The Duchess will give readers more insight into the relationship between Wallis and Edward. I hope you guys keep an eye out for this one this fall, it is sure to satisfy historical fiction fans!

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

Review: Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens (Wrexford & Sloane #5) by Andrea Penrose

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens (Wrexford & Sloane #5) by Andrea Penrose

When I randomly picked up the first book in this series a few years ago, I knew I was reading something special. While not necessarily and earth shattering read or even something ‘new and different’ in the saturated genre of historical mysteries, there is something about Lord Wrexford that just makes me swoon and I just love him!

Charlotte and Wrex have been solving murders and falling in love for the last five books and finally here we are just as they are planning their nuptials and Charlotte’s reentrance into society when another body pops up! This time Charlotte and Wrex don’t really have a reason to investigate this murder but some how they end up getting pulled into the investigation and as expected, readers are treated to another fun filled mystery!

This book is the fifth in the series and while not 100% necessary with some of the books in the series, for this one I recommend reading at least the book before this one as there is some carry over from the previous book. And to be honest, these books are so fun and it would be silly to miss out on all the wonderful sleuthing in this series by starting here so do yourself a favor and go back and read the other books because it will help you to fully appreciate all these characters.

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

Review: The Collector’s Daughter by Gill Paul

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Collector’s Daughter by Gill Paul

Like so many people, ancient Egypt is a source of endless fascination for me. When I saw this one was coming out, it was a no brainer—I had to read this one. I actually listened to the audio version on my commutes in Arizona. The narrator had a pleasant voice and made the book interesting while I was stuck in the desert traffic. Not to mention the story was equally interesting.

A few years ago I read a non fiction novel on the Countess of Carnarvon and I had a deep affection for Lady Almina when I finished it. This book does not portray the Countess in a favorable light though, at times that rankled but considering the era, the way she was portrayed in this novel would probably be a bit more accurate. In actuality, this book made me want to know more about the Countess of Carnarvon so maybe I will look for more books on her not just about her castle and charitable works.

This book alternates between Lady Evelyn Herbert’s accounting of her life as a young girl and as an older woman. If you love ancient Egypt and your historical fiction with some glamour and a hint of the occult then this is a wonderful novel to pick up and spend some time with. While I enjoyed the audio version, I think I might have been happier if I had read the book rather than listened to it. I like the narrator and found her soothing but I also wanted to devour the book faster than she could read to me. That was my only regret in choosing the audiobook over the hard copy.

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