So many words. So little time.
Author: tamaramorning
Coming back from vacation sucks. Coming back from the beach to cold weather and disasters at work sucks even worse. I did get some writing done this week, in the form of three book reviews: Persephone’s Curse, by Katrina Leno, The Italian Secret, by Tara Moss, and The Rebel and the Rose, by Catherine Doyle. The middle book was just meh, but the first and last ones were pretty fantastic.
Happy writing!
Title: Break Wide the Sea
Author: Sara Holland
Genre: YA
Rating: 4 out of 5
The seafaring humans of Kirkrell have always been plagued by finfolk—bloodthirsty fae who haunt the seas, sinking ships and cursing bloodlines. Yet it’s only by hunting magical whales that Kirkrell can prosper. Nineteen-year-old Annie is heir to the Fairfax Whaling Company, but their family’s success came at a cost: a curse by which heartbreak turns Fairfaxes slowly into monsters. And six years ago, the shipwreck that killed Annie’s parents left her with scales spreading up her arms, claws sprouting from her fingertips.
The love of her fiancé, August, salved her heart for a while—but when she learns August is maneuvering to take over the company, the curse worsens. Fearing her time is running out, she strikes a bargain with a disreputable young captain, half-finfolk and half-human Silas Price: on a voyage to hunt whales in the far north, Silas will take Annie to the finfolk queen, who can lift the curse in return for a promise to end whaling forever.
As Annie, August and Silas sail north, she is determined to uphold her family’s legacy, but the threat of the finfolk tests her resolve. Lies corrupt her relationship with August; meanwhile a dangerous connection with Silas blooms—but he’s keeping secrets too, and his might be the most dangerous of all.
As heiress, it’s Annie’s responsibility to deliver whale magic to her city. But as heartbreak looms, she must choose between saving herself and her family’s legacy—and hope it doesn’t cost her everyone she loves.
At first, this was a tiny bit slow to me, but it engrossed me quickly. The culture, magic, and mythology in this book were unique and interesting, and I enjoyed these aspects a lot. I liked Annie, although I could not understand her attraction to August—who is clearly a jerk. The ending was a bit of a cliffhanger, and I’m looking forward to reading more.
Sara Holland is a bestselling author. Break Wide the Sea is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press | Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.)
Title: The Cathedral of Lost Souls
Author: Paula Brackston
Genre: Historical fiction/fantasy
Rating: 4 out of 5
Hereford, England 1881.
The adventure continues! After the fire and the tumultuous events in the cathedral library, Hecate is determined never again to come so close to losing the beloved mappa mundi. She has shown herself to be the greatest threat to the Essedenes and their plans and they will stop at nothing to be rid of her. With the help of her archeologist father, and the support of the redoubtable and loyal Inspector Winter, she must take the fight to her enemies.
But the numbers of Embodied Spirits are growing with terrifying speed, and an atmosphere of violence and danger has taken hold of the ancient city of Hereford. Hecate dare not trust anyone beyond her inner circle, no matter how benevolent they might seem. Nor will she risk the lives of those she loves ever again. The goddess Hekate has called her to action. She must draw upon all her gifts, and the assistance of her family of ghostly allies, if the city is not to be lost to darkness forever.
I’m a huge fan of Paula Brackston’s Found Things series, and I’m enjoying the Hecate Cavendish books, too (although not quite as much). This was a solid read and kept me engaged with everything going on. I would have liked to see more of the map and its inhabitants, but I did enjoy this and am looking forward to reading more.
Paula Brackston is a bestselling author. The Cathedral of Lost Souls is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)
Title: Where He Left Me
Author: Nicole Baart
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 4 out of 5
College professors Sadie Sheridan and Felix Graham are on sabbatical at Hemlock House, located on a remote mountain homestead established years ago by Felix’s family. When Felix leaves on a work trip but doesn’t return, effectively stranding Sadie on the mountain, her world collapses.
Alone at Hemlock House, frantic Sadie struggles to make sense of what her missing astronomer husband left behind. Forced to confront two mysterious trespassers just as a powerful storm bears down, Sadie and the strangers have no choice but to ride it out together. As conditions worsen and shocking secrets are revealed, Sadie must face whether or not she ever knew the man she married and is she fighting only for her own survival now—or still for the man who promised her the stars?
This was a solid thriller read—and did not make me look forward to winter even a little. I liked how the mystery of what was going on with Felix built slowly, twisting and turning on different rabbit trails, and ending up being unexpected. Sadie got on my nerves a bit with her back-and-forth mentally, but I liked her well enough. This is a solid read.
Nicole Baart lives in Iowa. Where He Left Me is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.)
Title: An Academic Affair
Author: Jodi McAlister
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Sadie Shaw and Jonah Fisher have been academic rivals since they first crossed paths as undergraduates in the literature department thirteen years ago. Now that a highly coveted teaching opportunity has come up, their rivalry hits epic proportions. Jonah needs the job to move closer to his recently divorced sister and her children, while Sadie needs the financial security and freedom of a full-time teaching position.
When Sadie notices that the job offers partner hire, however, she hatches a plot to get them both the job. All they must do is get legally married. It’s a simple win-win solution but when sparks begin to fly, it becomes clear that despite their education, these two may not have thought this whole thing through.
I enjoyed this read for the most part, but the middle felt like it dragged quite a bit and the drama between Sadie and her sister was…unnecessary. The enemies-to-lovers trope was fine. The miscommunication trope, especially between the sisters, was a bit much. All of the academic minutiae also got a bit grating, taking away from the dynamic between Sadie and Jonah—which was the best part of the book.
Jodi McAlister is from New South Wales. An Academic Affair is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.)
This week, I did zero writing. I worked Monday and Tuesday, then left for vacation, so….priorities. I hope you got some writing in! I’m hopeful maybe some beach time will inspire me as far as fiction-writing is concerned.
Happy writing!
Title: The Forget-Me-Not Library
Author: Heather Webber
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5 out of 5
Juliet Nightingale is lucky to be alive. Months after a freak accident involving lightning, she’s fully recovered but is left feeling that something is missing from her life. Something big. Impulsively, she decides to take a solo summer road trip, hoping that the journey will lead her down a path that will help her discover exactly what it is that she’s searching for.
Newly-single mom Tallulah Byrd Mayfield is hanging by a thread after her neat, tidy world was completely undone when her husband decided that their marriage was over. In the aftermath of the breakup, she and her two daughters move in with her eighty-year-old grandfather. Tallulah starts a new job at the Forget-Me-Not Library, where old, treasured memories can be found within the books—and where Lu must learn to adapt to the many changes thrown her way.
When a road detour leads Juliet to Forget-Me-Not, Alabama, and straight into Tallulah’s life, the two women soon discover there’s magic in between the pages of where you’ve been and where you still need to go. And that happiness, even when lost, can always be found again.
This was such a good read! I truly enjoyed it from the opening scene: looking for a lost little girl and finding her asleep in a tree she calls Bill. I wanted to hang out with every character in the story, and the town of Forget-Me-Not just felt so magical. The exploration of grief and guilt was handled so well, as Juliet ‘s mind lets her finally remember things, and Tallulah’s coming to terms with the truth of her past and letting go of her fears to embrace the future was done with such believable emotion. I highly recommend this!
Heather Webber is a bestselling author. The Forget-Me-Not Library is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)
Title: Fallen City
Author: Adrienne Young
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4 out of 5
Luca Matius has one purpose—to carry on the family name, maintaining its presence in the Forum once his powerful and cruel uncle dies. But his noviceship with the city’s Philosopher places him in the middle of a catastrophe that will alter the destiny of his people.
Maris Casoeria was raised amidst the strategic maneuvers of the Citadel’s inner workings, and she knows what her future holds—a lifetime of service to a corrupt city. But her years of serving as a novice to the last Priestess who possesses the stolen magic of the Old War has made her envision a different kind of future for the city. When she meets Luca, a fated chain of events is set into motion that will divinely entangle their lives.
As a secret comes to light and throws the city into chaos, Luca and Maris hatch a plot to create a calculated alliance that could tip the scales of power. But when an execution forces Luca to become the symbol of rebellion, he and Maris are thrown onto opposite sides of a holy war. As their fates diverge, they learn they are at the center of a story the gods are writing. And even if they can find their way back to each other, there may be nothing left.
I’ve read all but one of Adrienne Young’s books and enjoyed them, but I found the sequencing of this one a bit harder to connect to. I loved the characters and the culture and world but jumping from the siege in the present-day back to scenes from the past made it harder to truly love this. The intricacies of the political intrigue were disheartening at best, and I was never truly comfortable with what I knew of the theology system, either. Great characters and I’ll definitely read more, I just didn’t connect with this as much as I usually do with her novels.
Adrienne Young lives in North Carolina. Fallen City is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press | Saturday Books in exchange for an honest review.)
Title: Introducing Mrs. Collins
Author: Rachel Parris
Genre: historical fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5
When Charlotte Lucas chooses security over romance, her eyes are wide open to the decision she is making. Marriage to Mr. Collins offers stability, if not passion, and she is determined to make the best of it. While Elizabeth Bennet turns away in judgment of her choice, Charlotte builds a life in Kent—one of duty, routine, and quiet contentment.
But everything changes when an unexpected visitor arrives at Rosings Park. A spark is lit, an impossible longing awakened.
Torn between what she must do and what she truly desires, Charlotte finds herself at the center of a story she never expected to be hers. A tale of love, loss, and second chances, Introducing Mrs. Collins is for anyone who wondered if there was more to the sensible character we met in Pride and Prejudice. It is the story of a woman who had written herself out of her own life, only to learn it is never too late to find your own happy ending.
I’m just going to say that I loved this! Pride and Prejudice is a favorite read of mine—of course—but I never really thought about Charlotte Lucas much, so this was a fascinating read! I loved seeing things from her point of view and getting to know her, and even Mr. Collins, better. This was just such a good read!
Rachel Parris lives in London. Introducing Mrs. Collins is her debut novel.
(Galley courtesy of Little, Brown and Company in exchange for an honest review.)
In October, I read 14 books, bringing my total for the year to 197 books read. Honestly, I don’t feel like I read very much–and most of what I did read was either meh or okay. But there were three books I read that were really good!
Falling Into a Sea of Stars, by Kristen Britain. I’ve loved this series all along, and I loved this, too. Karigan is such a great character, and I love the tension between her and the king. I binge-read this in a single weekend.
The Memory Gardener, by Meg Donohue. This was so good! The characters were great–vibrant and quirky–and the setting was fantastic. Oceanview Home became such a great setting! And the gardens. I loved the gardens. All of them.
Magic for a Price, by Devon Monk. How did I read this series over a decade ago, when they first came out, and somehow not read the final book in the series? I enjoyed this wrap-up! I listened to it on audio, and truly enjoyed that aspect of it. Shamus is my fave!
Tomorrow Is Another Day 