Tag: Romance

Books, Reading

Special Feature/Excerpt: Funny Guy by Emma Barry

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature/Excerpt: Funny Guy by Emma Barry

Who doesn’t love a modern rom-com. This friends to lovers romance that has as fun little comedic twist in that the main love interest is a stand up comedian! I have only been to a couple of standup comedy shows but I always wonder if the comedian is as funny in person as they are on the stage. Or if they are as charismatic as they appear on stage. I thought this book sounded really interesting for that very reason!

Author Emma Barry has written a number of romances that have developed quite a fan following and I was super excited to see what this book has in store for readers considering I haven’t read anything by her before. Friends to lovers isn’t my favorite romance troupe but after reading this summary and except I could easily be convinced to give it a go!

If you are a romance fan with a bit of a comedy twist then I think you are going to enjoy this book. I have a lovely excerpt to share with you guys today and I hope you enjoy it as much as I have! This book is out now so be sure to pick up a copy today! It’s already getting some great reviews and since it’s on the short side, I think it will be a quick and easy by the beach read for you!

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

Review: The Castle Keepers by Aimee Runyan, J’nell Ciesielski, and Rachel McMillan

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Castle Keepers by Aimee Runyan, J’nell Ciesielski, and Rachel McMillan

Over the years I have enjoyed each of these authors on an independent basis. I love all of their respective books individually and I was so thrilled to see that these three powerhouse writers were teaming up to write a collaborative novel! Obviously no one had to twist my arm to get me to review this one, it was an absolute no brainer!

Sometimes collaborative novels can be difficult. I have only really seen a couple of writing teams successful with it. It can be hard blending different writing styles let alone character visions. I believe this is the first collaboration for these three authors as well which can sometimes bring its own set of challenges but I had so much confidence in these three authors that I knew I was going to read something special!

All three authors are so strong and have written such great novels prior to this do if you read this book and enjoy it, then you should certainly check out their own individual books as they are all so wonderful. But if you are looking for a book that feels a little more ‘saga ish’ and sweeping, this is a multigenerational novel with lots to enjoy, devour and unpack! I really really loved my time with the characters and plots!

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Books, Reading

Special Feature: Summer Reading by Jenn McKinlay

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature: Summer Reading by Jenn McKinlay

Bring on all the summer books! I spent Mother’s Day at the beach where it was over 90 degrees (highly unusual for Oregon!) and I sat there reading a book set in the French Revolution and all I could think about was—-where are all my good beach reads at??? As soon as that sun comes out and we start spending more time at the coast, I start really looking for books that are going to be light and relaxing plus set on the beach is a bonus!

One of the first authors I thought of was Jenn McKinlay! I read her book Wait for It last year that was set in Arizona, she writes great destination novels and I saw that this book was coming out soon and I couldn’t wait to share it with you guys! Her other book Paris is Always a Good Idea was another travel based book that I really enjoyed so naturally I saw this one and had to add it to my TBR list for later this summer! This book is set in Martha’s Vineyard and I am super excited to share a bit about this one with you guys today!

If you love beach reads and romances that are enjoyable, relaxing and well written with a travel flair I think you will really enjoy McKinlay’s books! I couldn’t fit this one in presently but you better believe I am going to toss this one in my summer beach bag and read it on my next trip to the coast! This book is out now so don’t wait to snag yourself a copy! Lots of early readers have been loving this one and if her other books are any indicator, this one is going to be a hit with fans as well!

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

Review: Deep Tide (The Texas Murder Files #4) by Laura Griffin

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Deep Tide (The Texas Murder Files #4) by Laura Griffin

I completely binge read all of Laura Griffin’s books late last year into 2023. I fell in love with her fast paced thrillers that also contained some romance to keep things interesting. Needless to say I had this one on my radar for months before it came out. I loved the other books in the series and was excited to see which characters from previous books would get their own story in this one. These books do not need to be read in order but you will see a few familiar characters making appearances thought out the series.

For example, this book features Layla Breda who owns a coffee shop in town and has two brothers who are also cops. The bothers have had their own stories in the series and we have met Layla in passing in other books, but there is nothing from the other books that would impact a new readers experience if they are new to this series. Griffin does an amazing job introducing new stories and bringing in new and old characters without spoiling any parts of other books. If you are a new reader and are worried about grabbing this book and being lost—have no fear you will be perfectly fine jumping around.

One of the things I love most about Griffin’s books is that you never know what you are going to get. Sometimes you might get a serial killer mystery, other times it might be organized crime, while others might include a military coverup. I always feel like I am getting something new and refreshing. I love the excitement that a new Griffin book brings and this one was no different!

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

Review: Happy Place by Emily Henry

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Happy Place by Emily Henry

I absolutely loved Emily Henry’s debut novel Beach Read. But you know, sometimes those amazing debut novels don’t always mean the author will be able to replicate that magic in follow up books. Before I decided to make Emily Henry an auto buy author, I decided to give check out her second book, People We Meet on Vacation, a try and see how the sophomore novel went. It was a great second novel and enough to confirm me as a big fan. But it was truly her novel Book Lovers that made Emily Henry an auto buy author for me!

Seeing her latest novel Happy Place was coming out this spring, it was simply a no brainer that I would read it. She is now a confirmed favorite author of mine and I was looking forward to this book so much. Henry has a wonderful voice that is funny, poignant, relatable, and charming. Readers won’t be able to get enough of Henry once they get their hands on any one of her books. Henry’s books have a way of making modern readers feel seen and understood as the characters try to navigate their lives and their romances which are clearly two very different things in Henry’s books.

These books aren’t chick lit or women’s fiction but they have more substance than some traditional romances. They have this great mix of all these genres that could almost make a whole new genre. I love how much there is in each book to sink your teeth into and this book was just another excellent book in a series of excellent books by this author! This will no doubt be THE READ for the summer so make sure you secure a copy for yourself today!

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