Tag: War Romance

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

Review: The Countess of the Revolution by Lana Kortchik

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Countess of the Revolution by Lana Kortchik

Russia and Eastern Europe have been rife with conflict for years. There have been regimes and empires that have risen and fallen throughout history and it is an area in history that I have such limited knowledge and understanding. Whenever I see historical fiction books set in Russia or Eastern Europe, regardless of the time period, I am usually really interested in. I know that I will learn something new and explore unknown to me history. When this one came up for review, naturally I was intrigued.

Lana Kortchik is not stranger to historical fiction, she has written two other books that are set in WWII, both of which are focused on the Eastern European experience (Ukrainian region) during the war. That is one of the things that makes this book stand out for me. There are so many books set in WWII that focus on the occupations of France and Belgium, as well as the experiences of England, America, and France. Right away I could tell this book was different just based on the description and I was eager to see what sorts of historical tidbits I could glean from this one.

This book is actually set earlier the WWII so it will be a new time period for this author, and a favorite time period of mine! I couldn’t wait to start reading this one and am so excited to bring a review to you guys today! This book is out now so do not miss it especially if you are a historical fiction fan looking for something a little off the beaten path historically.

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Books, Reading

Special Feature: Two Wars and a Wedding by Lauren Willig

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You only need to say the name Lauren Willig to get me hooked! I am a huge Lauren Willig fan and have read almost all of her books. She writes such well crafted historical fiction with some romance and I simply cannot pass on any of her books. Though her Pink Carnation series is still my favorite, I have enjoyed may of her standalone books and collaborations as well! Seeing this latest novel from her got me so excited to get back to reading more of her books! Initially I thought this was going to be a WWI historical fiction but I see now that it’s set during the Greece-Turkey conflict and the Spanish-American war and I think that’s going to be a wonderfully untapped period and I cannot WAIT to check this one out!

Willig truly has a gift for historical fiction. She does an incredible amount of research and she always tries to explore untapped history and time periods for her stories rather than sticking to safe time periods like WWI or WWII. She ventures out into other time periods and settings whenever possible. I have loved reading her books and I cannot imagine a world in which I wouldn’t love one of her novels. This book is out now and already receiving rave reviews from early readers so naturally this one is HIGH on my TBR list right now!

I couldn’t fit this one into my reading schedule presently but you better believe I downloaded a copy of this book and will be starting it soon so I will of course share a review here once I am done! If you love well written historical fiction, with excellent characters, a bit of romance and stories that feel ‘sweeping’ then you don’t want to miss anything by Willig. I am eager to start this one based simply of the cover (though I feel like the title needs some work)! How gorgeous is this cover? Historical fiction fans get this one on your TBR!

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

Review: The Paris Notebook by Tessa Harris

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Paris Notebook by Tessa Harris

I absolutely adore Tessa Harris! I have read some of her books over the years and I have yet to read a book by her that I haven’t enjoyed! Harris is probably best known for her mystery series, Dr Thomas Silkstone and Constance Piper series respectively. But the book that stands out most for me was her standalone historical fiction, Beneath a Starless Sky. I recall loving how well researched this particular book was, and how much I enjoyed getting to know the characters and exploring their forbidden love story.

So naturally when this new historical fiction novel came out but Harris, I was totally on board with reading it. I thought the plot sounded compelling as it features a new angle, on a report surfacing that Hitler was deemed mentally unfit for office. I thought this sounded so good. I know that Harris really researches her historical fiction books so I knew that I would not be disappointed in the historical details and content. For me that is half the battle, some authors focus more on the characters than historical details but as a historian I personally really respect the historical details and the pains and author goes through to get things ‘just right’.

If you are a fan of historical fiction, I am sure you have seen Tessa Harris’s books around the blog-o-spear. It’s a rare treat to have an author who writes both historical mysteries AND historical fiction. When I picked this one up I had no doubt I would find something special inside and I couldn’t wait to start reading. If you love historical fiction, this book and author are certainly one to watch! Be sure to add to your TBR list immediately!

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

Review: One Woman’s War by Christine Wells

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: One Woman’s War by Christine Wells

Ya’ll should know by now that I am a sucker for basically any historical fiction, but I have a soft spot for war time historical fiction. This book has a strong espionage angle that I thought sounded interesting. I love spy novels and espionage, lately a lot of historical fiction novels include an espionage angle so naturally I gravitate towards book that include this.

When I saw this one come up for review, it was an easy yes. I loved that the real life story of Victoire Bennett, was the inspiration for the classic James Bond character, Moneypenny! For someone who loves spy novels, there can be no passing on a book whos character inspired such an iconic character in the Bond series. I couldn’t wait to check this one out.

Author Christine Wells, has written other books about women in resistance work throughout history and I felt excited to read this book even if she was a new to me author. I know that sometimes spy novels can be a big undertaking, but since Wells has experience writing historical novels where espionage and spying are the focal point, I had no problem saying yes to this one!

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Books, Reading

Special Feature and Excerpt: The Girl from Guernica by Karen Robards

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I love historical fiction with a new twist and this book sounded like it fit that bill! So many war time historical novels follow similar plot narratives or settings—typically the novels are set in London, France, or Germany. But this novel follows the Spanish experience and location which promises to give readers a fresh new perspective while still being a familiar bit of history to follow and orientate themselves with.

I was super excited when I saw this one. Author Karen Robards is no stranger to historical fiction. Her book, The Black Swan of Paris, received rave reviews a couple of years ago and this book promises all the magic and romanticism that Robards was praised for. I don’t know much about how Spain was involved in the war so I am eager to see what story this book has to tell us!

Today I have an except on the blog and it sound like it’s going to be a great read! No doubt historical fiction fans will be looking forward to this one! Not only because of the talented writer but because of the beautiful historical fiction narrative that promises something new and refreshing to read this fall! Take a look at the excerpt and get this one on your TBR list today!

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