I only wrote one book review, A Curious Kind of Magic, by Mara Rutherford, because I just did not have time to read this week. I was still too tired from all the nonsense last week. Hopefully, this next week will be better.
Happy writing!
Tag: books
Book Review: The Guest in Room 120, by Sara Ackerman
Title: The Guest in Room 120
Author: Sara Ackerman
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5
1905. As the mother of a university and a woman with an iron will, Jane Stanford has made her share of enemies. After a scare at her mansion in San Francisco and on the advice of her doctor, she flees to Honolulu and the fashionable new Moana hotel. But as fate would have it, the island is not as safe as it seems.
2005. Zoe Finch is a bestselling author who desperately needs a jump start on her next novel when she makes a split decision to attend a writers conference at the Moana under an assumed name. As a storm brews offshore, she begins having nightmares that feel hauntingly real. Terrified, Zoe enlists the help of mystery writer Dylan Winters, and over the course of the week, races to uncover the shocking truth of what happened in the hotel one hundred years ago almost to the day.
1905. Iliahi Baldwin’s life changes the moment she lands a job at the Moana. Newly hired and reeling from a tragic loss, she strikes up an unlikely friendship with the formidable Jane Stanford upon her arrival, leaving young Ili devastated when the unthinkable happens. Ili knows things, but there are powerful people who need the truth to remain hidden, and to cross them could prove disastrous.
An unforgettable tale of betrayal, secrets, and death that still echoes through the years.
I enjoy reading Ackerman’s Hawaii-set historical fiction. I know very little about the history of Hawaii, and everything I’ve read of hers has been both a well-written, entertaining read and a chance to learn more about something I know almost nothing about. This was no exception.
Jane Stanford…was not a likable person. At all. But, she didn’t deserve what happened to her—nor did she deserve to have her death trivialized and ignored. I liked Ili’s storyline, but I loved Zoe’s the most—and that cat. This was an engrossing read that I read very quickly to find out what happened.
Sara Ackerman is from Hawaii. The Guest in Room 120 is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA in exchange for an honest review.)
Book Review: The Sisterhood, by Tasha Alexander
Title: The Sisterhood
Author: Tasha Alexander
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5
London, 1907: When the Season’s most accomplished and elegant debutante, Victoria Goldsborough, collapses and dies at her engagement ball, the great and good of London Society prepare to mourn the tragic loss of an upstanding young woman. But all is not what it seems, and after a toxic beverage is revealed to be the cause of death, the king himself instructs Lady Emily and her husband Colin Hargreaves to unearth the truth.
Who would want to harm one of the most popular women of the year? Is it her fiancé with whom she had an unusually brief courtship; a rival for his affections bitter at being cast aside; her best friend who is almost certainly hiding a secret from Colin and Emily; a disappointed suitor with a hidden gambling habit; or a notorious jewel thief who has taken a priceless tiara from the Goldsborough home? When a second debutante succumbs to poison, the race is on to find a ruthless killer.
Emily and Colin’s investigation leads to a centuries old tomb in the center of London with a mysterious link to another death dating back to Roman times and the violent reign of Boudica, ancient Britain’s fearsome warrior queen. As the stakes rise and the clock ticks down, Emily must find the killer before they strike again.
I haven’t read any of the Lady Emily Ashton Mysteries series, but that wasn’t a problem. I had no problem feeling at home in this world and with these characters. This was a solid historical fiction read and a nice mystery, as well. I did not figure out who the killer was before the reveal, so there’s that, but I enjoyed all the different characters.
Tasha Alexander lives in Wyoming. The Sisterhood is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press | Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review.)
Sundays are for Writing #336
This has been a very rough week at work. I wrote three book reviews, Overdue, by Stephanie Perkins (This was the slowest of slow burns and ended up being kind meh for me.), Higher Magic, by Courtney Floyd (I DNFed this, but it’s for a blog tour, so I had to write a review.), and Mint to Be, by Katie Cicatelli-Kuc (Not bad, very cute, but predictable.).
Happy writing!
Book Review: You Make It Feel like Christmas, by Sophie Sullivan
Title: You Make It Feel like Christmas
Author: Sophie Sullivan
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Maisie Smart has a don’t-look-back policy–not on the choice she made to be a photographer (despite her family’s wishes) and not on the one-night stand she had six months ago. Sleeping with someone she barely knew was out of character; sleeping with a professional hockey player who bolted the morning after is a whole new level of embarrassing. Getting invited to spend the week at Tickle Tree Farm with her family this Christmas is a sure way to fill her with holiday spirit. Until the universe throws a Grinch in her festive plans in the form of the one man she hoped to avoid.
Nick King is a mess. After a significant injury lands him on the bench for every game for the rest of the month, he has more time to dwell on the one night stand he can’t get out of his head. With time on his hands, his anxiety hovering, and the holidays around the corner, he figures visiting his sister and nephew at their Christmas tree farm will be a good way to lie low and sort himself out. He’s in for a surprise when it turns out Maisie is staying at his sister’s and his attraction for her hasn’t lessened one bit in the last six months. Apparently, neither has her anger at him for bailing. But Christmas is the time for second chances, and the forced proximity may help Nick and Maisie unwrap feelings neither of them can walk away from twice.
Reading a Christmas-themed romance in mid-August in Texas was a bit of a stretch, I have to say. The heat index is 110 degrees, so it was hard to feel at home on a Christmas tree farm the week of Christmas, but the setting was more incidental than an integral part of the story, so it worked. I loved the Smart family and their relationships, although Maisie’s mom wasn’t my favorite. Watching Maisie be brave enough to admit her dreams to the people in her life was great, and I loved how Nick managed to be believably vulnerable despite the culture he thrived in.
Sophie Sullivan is from Canada. You Make it Feel like Christmas is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press | St. Martin’s Griffin in exchange for an honest review.)
Book Review: Thief of Night, by Holly Black
Title: Thief of Night
Author: Holly Black
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4 out of 5
There’d always been something wrong with Charlie Hall. Crooked from the day she was born. Never met a bad decision she wasn’t willing to double down on. She may be good enough to steal a shadow from a tower, but will she be good enough to steal back a heart?
I hadn’t read the first book in this duology—sometimes, that doesn’t prove a challenge, but it did in this case—so it took me a bit to figure out this world and culture. I liked the characters in this, although I wanted to smack more than one several times. Lots of adventure and angst against a gritty backdrop of death and magic, this was a solid fantasy read.
Holly Black is a bestselling author. Thief of Night is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Tor Publishing Group | Tor Books in exchange for an honest review.)
Sundays are for Writing #335
I haven’t gotten much reading done this week, but Labor Day Weekend did give me time for reading and writing blog posts and book reviews: What I Read in August (2025), The Best Books I Read in August (2025), Charlie Quinn Lets Go, by Jamie Varon, Christmas People, by Iva-Marie Palmer, and Kitty St. Clair’s Last Dance, by Kate Robb.
Happy writing!
Book Review: The Book of Guilt, by Catherine Chidgey
Title: The Book of Guilt
Author: Catherine Chidgey
Genre: historical fiction, fantasy
Rating: 3 out of 5
After a very different outcome to WWII than the one history recorded, 1979 England is a country ruled by a government whose aims have sinister underpinnings and alliances. In the Hampshire countryside, 13-year-old triplets Vincent, Lawrence and William are the last remaining residents at the Captain Scott Home for Boys, where every day they must take medicine to protect themselves from a mysterious illness to which many of their friends have succumbed. The lucky ones who recover are allowed to move to Margate, a seaside resort of mythical proportions.
In nearby Exeter, 13-year-old Nancy lives a secluded life with her parents, who dote on her but never let her leave the house. As the triplets’ lives begin to intersect with Nancy’s, bringing to light a horrifying truth about their origins and their likely fate, the children must unite to escape – and survive.
I found this book to be really messed up, frankly. The premise itself, once I finally figure out what was going on, was so horrible and sad, but the people’s reactions to what was going on were worse. I didn’t find any of the characters likable, and the narrative felt pretty monotonous, which actually makes sense given what the premise was. I basically kept reading to find out what the deal was with the boys, not because I actually cared about what was going to happen.
Catherine Chidgey lives in Cambridge. The Book of Guilt is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Grand Central Publishing | Cardinal in exchange for an honest review.)
Book Review: Lauryn Harper Falls Apart, by Shauna Robinson
Title: Lauryn Harper Falls Apart
Author: Shauna Robinson
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Lauryn Harper had a plan. A high achieving, perfectly constructed, five-year plan. But after a (totally blown out of proportion) mishap at work that plan is put to the test.
As punishment for her mistake she is transferred to the Ryser Charity Department, a branch of her corporation that just so happens to be located in the hometown she abandoned long ago – the same hometown that her powerful corporation is responsible for running into the ground. Horrified at the thought of returning and facing those she left behind (one in particular keeps coming to mind), Lauryn quickly comes up with a new impress her boss enough that she’s briskly whisked back to her big city life.
However, it soon becomes clear that sticking to plans isn’t that simple, especially when her ex-best friend enters the charity department demanding they help revitalize the town by throwing the famous Greenstead Fall Festival. Confronted by her past wrongs, Lauryn immediately agrees to host the festival on Ryser’s dime, but soon enough Lauryn is swept away in town hijinks, chaotic planning committees, and a second chance at a childhood friend that shows her why home isn’t necessarily a place she has to run from.
Lauryn kind of got on my nerves for 2/3rds of the book. Very selfish and self-centered, and she flatly refused any hints of self-awareness that tried to sneak in. Greenstead itself was like all my small-town nightmares come to life, so I can see why Lauryn originally wanted to get out of Dodge. I found the reasons all the misfits got shuttled off to the back of beyond to verge on the ridiculous, and the idea of the mustard accident seemed a farce, too. That being said, it was nice to read a novel strictly about second-chance friendship, with no hint of romance in sight, and the writing was soliod.
Shauna Robinson lives in Virginia. Lauryn Harper Falls Apart is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of SOURCEBOOKS Landmark | Sourcebooks Landmark in exchange for an honest review.)
The Best Books I Read in August (2025)
In August, I read 21 books, bringing my total for the year to 166 books. Of those 21, most were solid reads, a couple were “meh,” and a handful were great reads.
A Dark and Deadly Journey, by Julia Kelly. This is the third book in this WWII-era spy series, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all three. The main characters are strong and intriguing, and it’s a lot of fun watching them solve the crimes in the stories. And of course, that’s my favorite era for historical fiction.
The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake, by Rachel Linden. I enjoyed this so much! The touch of magic, the second-chance romance, the family drama, the setting, the food…all of it worked so well together to make this such a great read.
Glorious Rivals, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I cleared my reading schedule for the weekend when this came out, so I could just enjoy what a fun read this was! I’m not smart enough to have survived more than three minutes of the game, but I really love all the characters and their messes.
Tomorrow Is Another Day 