Tag: Victorian 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!

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

Review: Miss Moriarty, I Presume? (Lady Sherlock #6) by Sherry Thomas

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Miss Moriarty, I Presume? (Lady Sherlock #6) by Sherry Thomas

This was one of the few series that I have started and didn’t care for but actually decided to go back and give another chance to because everything about this book series promised to be right up my alley! I was so glad that I decided to give it another go because I have fallen in love with the characters (especially Lord Ingram) and I have loved all the books so far!

Obviously when this one came up, I couldn’t WAIT to see what some of my favorite characters had been up to since the last book plus things are really heating up when it comes to the Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty rivalry. If you have not read this series yet, I highly recommend going back and reading the other books first. This series builds on a lot of back stories and inter personal relationships so if you don’t have that context then it makes it more difficult to appreciate the larger narrative.

This book was a great weekend read and I enjoyed this one, though perhaps not as much as some of the others in the series but it was still what I would consider a solid read and I am really looking forward to the next book in the series as this one left things on a high note and I am eager to see what happens next.

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

Review: The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels (Dangerous Damsels #1) by India Holton

by The Lit Bitch4 Comments on Review: The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels (Dangerous Damsels #1) by India Holton

A historical romance with pirates, sassy ladies, dashing heroes, assassins, and all the tea? Ummm yes yes yes please! I needed little persuading when it came to reviewing this one. I was so excited for this hot new historical romance and I cracked my ARC open instantly! This one has been on so many top anticipated lists this summer and clearly it was also on mine!

I am always looking for historical romances that have funny plots and snappy dialogues, not to mention charming heroes so this one sounded like a great place to start. But truth be told, I have been in a reading funk lately and I was hoping this would be the book that would pull me out of the funk. But as with many big hype books, there is always that fear that the book won’t live up to the hype. So I went into this one hoping it would live up to the hype, but also aware that it might not.

When I started this one, I was drawn in but also admittedly—–lost. Ok you ask—-lost in a good way or in a bad way? Well friends, that’s a complicated question.

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Books, Reading

Special Feature: The Age of Decadence: A History of Britain: 1880-1914 by Simon Heffer

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature: The Age of Decadence: A History of Britain: 1880-1914 by Simon Heffer

I don’t read a ton of non fiction or history books anymore. I mean I kind of got my fill when I was doing my masters in history. It’s not that I don’t love history or reading non fiction history books, but I have to been in the mood for one. I do love history books, but for the most part, I lean toward novels and fiction or mysteries. But ever once in a while a great history book catches my eye.

One of my favorite periods in history is that odd few years between the Victorian era and WWI. It was a time of elegance and riches the likes of which the world is unlikely to ever see again. At the start of the Great War, the world as we know it under went massive social change and it’s such an exciting time period for me.

That was one of the reasons why this book caught my eye. It pinpoints my favorite period in history and brings it directly into the spotlight. Simon Heffer’s 900+ page history book has received some high praise from readers. While it might be on the long side, it covers so much of British history in great detail…..social, artistic, and cultural history come together in this exciting new history book! I cannot wait to check out some of the topics he covers in this one. And it sounds like it’s a very readable history book rather than a dull text. I am really looking forward to this one!

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