Tag: books

Book Review and Blog Tour:  The Tsarina’s Daughter, by Ellen Alpsten

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title:   The Tsarina’s Daughter
Author:   Ellen Alpsten
Genre:   Historical
Rating:  DNF

Born into the House of Romanov to the all-powerful Peter the Great and his wife, Catherine, a former serf, beautiful Tsarevna Elizabeth is the envy of the Russian empire. She is insulated by luxury and spoiled by her father, who dreams for her to marry King Louis XV of France and rule in Versailles. But when a woodland creature gives her a Delphic prophecy, her life is turned upside down. Her volatile father suddenly dies, her only brother has been executed and her mother takes the throne of Russia.

 As friends turn to foe in the dangerous atmosphere of the Court, the princess must fear for her freedom and her life. Fate deals her blow after blow, and even loving her becomes a crime that warrants cruel torture and capital punishment: Elizabeth matures from suffering victim to strong and savvy survivor. But only her true love and their burning passion finally help her become who she is. When the Imperial Crown is left to an infant Tsarevich, Elizabeth finds herself in mortal danger and must confront a terrible dilemma – seize the reins of power and harm an innocent child, or find herself following in the footsteps of her murdered brother.

 Hidden behind a gorgeous, wildly decadent façade, the Russian Imperial Court is a viper’s den of intrigue and ambition. Only a woman possessed of boundless courage and cunning can prove herself worthy to sit on the throne of Peter the Great.

 I love well-done historical fiction. And this was well-written. I just could not get into it. Elizabeth came across as superficial and spoiled, and this started off so slowly that it lost my interest. Not a bad book, just not a good fit for me at this time.

Ellen Alpsten was born and raised in Kenya and now lives in London. The Tsarina’s Daughter is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:  The Valet’s Secret, by Josi S. Kilpack

Image belongs to Shadow Mountain Publishing.

Title:   The Valet’s Secret
Author:   Josi S. Kilpack
Genre:   Romance
Rating:  4.0 out of 5

York, England, 1819

 As a once happily married woman, Rebecca Parker had a good life, but now widowed, working for a living, and her only child grown, she feels invisible, tired, and lonely. That is until the day a valet speeding by on a horse nearly runs her off the road. Mr. Malcolm Henry is apologetic, gentle, and handsome. She’s instantly drawn to him, which is why, rather than stopping him from kissing her, she kisses him back, reigniting a nearly forgotten passion. But love at first sight only happens in fairy tales—never to an ordinary woman like her.

 She sees Mr. Henry again and feels the possibilities growing until, while working in the kitchens during a dinner party, she sees the valet she kissed sitting at the right hand of the baroness. Mr. Henry is not the earl’s valet; he is the heir to the earldom—Kenneth Winterton.

 Heartbroken, angry, and betrayed, Rebecca does not trust Lord Winterton and refuses to accept his apology. But when Lord Winterton proves he is as kind and gentle as “Mr. Henry” was, she finds herself willing to give him a second chance. But will he take a chance on her? He needs a wife to help him in his place in society, and nothing about Rebeccas life does that . . . except how he feels when she is with him.

 This was a solid read. There are a lot of class dynamics at play here, and somehow I find it difficult to believe that an earl and a maid ending up together would be even an option in this society…but I wasn’t there. Rebecca becomes much surer of herself when dealing with her father—thankfully—in part because of her friendship with Kenneth. He is also conflicted about his new role in society, and he’s not sure he likes it, but Rebecca’s support helps him take a stand for what he wants and believes, instead of just going along with the wishes of everyone around him.

Josi S. Kilpack is an award-winning author. The Valet’s Secret is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Shadow Mountain Publishing in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:  The Suite Spot, by Trish Doller

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title:   The Suite Spot
Author:   Trish Doller
Genre:   Romance
Rating:  4.5 out of 5

Rachel Beck has hit a brick wall. She’s a single mom, still living at home and trying to keep a dying relationship alive. Aside from her daughter, the one bright light in Rachel’s life is her job as the night reservations manager at a luxury hotel in Miami Beach—until the night she is fired for something she didn’t do.

 On impulse, Rachel inquires about a management position at a brewery hotel on an island in Lake Erie called Kelleys Island. When she’s offered the job, Rachel packs up her daughter and makes the cross country move.

 What she finds on Kelleys Island is Mason, a handsome, moody man who knows everything about brewing beer and nothing about running a hotel. Especially one that’s barely more than foundation and studs. It’s not the job Rachel was looking for, but Mason offers her a chance to help build a hotel—and rebuild her own life—from the ground up.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read! It was fun to get to see a bit more about Rachel’s sister from Float Plan (loved that, too!), but Rachel’s story was engrossing. I can’t even imagine having her original job catering to the rich and famous and their every whim, but life on Kelleys Island sounds so much more interesting.

I enjoyed how Rachel recognized her faults and made a concerted effort to change throughout the story, growing in her confidence in herself and making good choices. I loved Mason and his honesty about what he was dealing with, and watching these two get together was just pure fun.

Trish Doller was born in Germany but lives in Florida. The Suite Spot is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:  A Far Wilder Magic, by Allison Saft

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title:   A Far Wilder Magic
Author:   Allison Saft
Genre:   YA
Rating:  4.0 out of 5

When Margaret Welty spots the legendary hala, the last living mythical creature, she knows the Halfmoon Hunt will soon follow. Whoever is able to kill the hala will earn fame and riches, and unlock an ancient magical secret. If Margaret wins the hunt, it may finally bring her mother home. While Margaret is the best sharpshooter in town, only teams of two can register, and she needs an alchemist.

 Weston Winters isn’t an alchemist–yet. Fired from every apprenticeship he’s landed, his last chance hinges on Master Welty taking him in. But when Wes arrives at Welty Manor, he finds only Margaret and her bloodhound Trouble. Margaret begrudgingly allows him to stay, but on one condition: he must join the hunt with her.

 Although they make an unlikely team, Wes is in awe of the girl who has endured alone on the outskirts of a town that doesn’t want her, in this creaking house of ghosts and sorrow. And even though Wes disrupts every aspect of her life, Margaret is drawn to him. He, too, knows what it’s like to be an outsider. As the hunt looms closer and tensions rise, Margaret and Wes uncover dark magic that could be the key to winning the hunt – if they survive that long.

To me, this culture was an odd mix of things from our current world and things that were just slightly skewed from that all jumbled together. It didn’t have an effect on my enjoyment of the story, just stating something that caught my eye (more than once). I liked the story well enough, but Margaret was a little too hateful at times—and constantly I’m-an-outsider-and-care-for-no-one-else—and Weston was a bit of a selfish brat, but they eventually worked well together. Weston’s family was fantastic. Margaret’s mom, not so much. This is a solid read, but I didn’t find it to be stellar.

Allison Saft lives on the West Coast. A Far Wilder Magic is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review and Blog Tour:  Killing Time, by Brenna Ehrlich

Image belongs to Inkyard Press.

Title:   Killing Time
Author:   Brenna Ehrlich
Genre:   Mystery/thriller, YA
Rating:  DNF

Summer in Ferry, Connecticut, has always meant long, lazy days at the beach and wild nights partying in the abandoned mansions on the edge of town. Until now, that is.

 Natalie Temple, who’s never been one for beaches or parties in the first place, is reeling from the murder of her favorite teacher, and there’s no way this true-crime-obsessed girl is going to sit back and let the rumor mill churn out lie after lie—even if she has to hide her investigation from her disapproving mom and team up with the new boy in town…

 But the more Natalie uncovers, the more she realizes some secrets were never meant to be told.

 Natalie acts like she’s about 12, not a person who just graduated high school. I read about 15% of this—I think—but I was just bored. Natalie’s mom comes across as a tyrant who wants to control every aspect of her daughter’s life without an explanation for why, but Natalie is just pointlessly rebellious in response, and again, childish. The “new boy” in town was borderline creepy. In the end, I just didn’t care enough about these characters to continue reading.

Brenna Ehrlich lives in New Jersey. Killing Time is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:  Daughter, by Kate McLaughlin

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title:   Daughter
Author:   Kate McLaughlin
Genre:   YA
Rating:  4 out of 5

Scarlet’s life is pretty average. Overly protective mom. Great friends. Cute boy she’s interested in. And a father she’s never known – until she does.

 When the FBI show up at Scarlet’s door, she is shocked to learn her father is infamous serial killer Jeffrey Robert Lake. And now, he’s dying and will only give the names and locations of his remaining victims to the one person, the daughter he hasn’t seen since she was a baby.

 Scarlet’s mother has tried to protect her from Lake’s horrifying legacy, but there’s no way they can escape the media firestorm that erupts when they come out of hiding. Or the people who blame Scarlet for her father’s choices. When trying to do the right thing puts her life in danger, Scarlet is faced with a choice – go back into hiding or make the world see her as more than a monster’s daughter.

I can’t imagine living your whole life not knowing who your father is, and suddenly finding out he’s an infamous serial killer, and your whole life is kind of a lie. Scarlet had moments of extreme selfishness and childish behavior, but for the most part, she was doing her best to be a good person. The way Lake tried to manipulate her and everyone else was creepy in the extreme, but she was smart enough to realize she was being manipulated.

It seems like every teenager in this book—so, most of the characters—drank, did drugs, and had sex indiscriminately. While I’m sure that’s true for some teenagers, it’s not for every teenager, so the generalization bothered me. And…the way people treated Scarlet and her mother was horrific. This story may be fiction, but that sort of behavior isn’t, and that just bothers me in general. All in all, I enjoyed this read.

Kate McLaughlin lives in Connecticut. Daughter is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:  Edgewood, by Kristen Ciccarelli

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title:   Edgewood
Author:   Kristen Ciccarelli
Genre:   Fantasy, YA
Rating:  5 out of 5

No matter how far she runs, the forest of Edgewood always comes for Emeline Lark. The scent of damp earth curls into her nose when she sings and moss creeps across the stage. It’s as if the woods of her childhood, shrouded in folklore and tall tales, are trying to reclaim her. But Emeline has no patience for silly superstitions. 

When her grandfather disappears, leaving only a mysterious orb in his wake, the stories Emeline has always scoffed at suddenly seem less foolish. She enters the forest she has spent years trying to escape, only to have Hawthorne Fell, a handsome and brooding tithe collector, try to dissuade her from searching.

 Refusing to be deterred, Emeline finds herself drawn to the court of the fabled Wood King himself. She makes a deal—her voice for her grandfather’s freedom. Little does she know, she’s stumbled into the middle of a curse much bigger than herself, one that threatens the existence of this eerie world she’s trapped in, along with the devastating boy who feels so familiar.

 With the help of Hawthorne—an enemy turned reluctant ally who she grows closer to each day—Emeline sets out to not only save her grandfather’s life, but to right past wrongs, and in the process, discover her true voice.

I really loved this!  From the opening scene, when the forest encroaches on Emeline singing, to the mystery of what was really going on in the forest, I was captivated. I thought the setting itself was very cool, and the idea there was an entire secret world nestled up against Emeline’s neighborhood (Isn’t that what every kid imagines?). The characters were a lot of fun, and I enjoyed getting to know everyone. I found this highly entertaining and a true pleasure to read.

Kristen Ciccarelli is a bestselling author. Edgewood is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

 

Book Review:  Come As You Are, by Jennifer Haupt

Image belongs to Central Avenue Publishing.

Title:   Come As You Are
Author:   Jennifer Haupt
Genre:   Fiction
Rating:  4 out of 5

Zane and Skye are two misfit teens drawn together by their love of music and their loneliness, both part of Seattle’s grunge scene in the early ‘90s. They dream of moving to L.A. together: Zane’s music career following the trajectory of Kurt Cobain and Eddie Vedder, and Skye drawing Picasso-esque portraits on the Venice Beach boardwalk. When a tragedy violently catapults them from best friends to lovers, their bond is forever strengthened and their relationship destroyed. Ten years later, they must come together as parents, putting aside abandoned dreams and broken promises. The question is: can they face the truth of who they are, and become the parents their daughter needs them to be?

This was not an easy read. The things Zane and Skye went through—alone and separately—weren’t easy to read about. That makes this book a bit dark, but hope is threaded through the darkness as well. I loved how the scenes from the past amplify and shade the scenes set in the present, as the two come to know the truth about their past and who they are now. This was very moving book about two broken people trying to fit their pieces back together and move forward whole.

Jennifer Haupt lives in Seattle. Come As You Are is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Central Avenue Publishing in exchange for an honest review.)

The Best Books I Read in February (2022)

In February, I had a lot of extra free time due to having surgery on the 1st: I read 26 books, and DNFed nine more (that’s really a lot for me, but if I found it the slightest bit boring, I just couldn’t do it). That brings me to 48 books read so far this year (only 202 to go to hit the goal I missed by six books last year…). Out of those 26, three of them really stood out:

The Bright Side Running Club, by Josie Lloyd. (So, the surgery I had this month was to remove an intermediate melanoma. I was blessed that the surgeon removed everything and the lymph node he removed was negative for metastatic melanoma—despite him thinking it looked very abnormal—so maybe I related to the ladies in this book a bit because of all that.)

This is about a group of women all going through different stages of breast cancer treatment, who meet and form a running club and an unbreakable friendship. This made me laugh and cry, and it was so, so good!

Sword and Shadow, by Michelle Sagara. I love the Chronicles of Elantra series and Severn is one of my favorite characters in that, so reading this series was a no-brainer. Getting to see what he was doing with his life before he and Kaylin met again is just pure enjoyment.

Edgewood, by Kristen Ciccarelli (review forthcoming 3/4). This was just pure magic from the very beginning! I loved everything about it, and couldn’t put it down. And the cover is gorgeous!

What I Read in February (2022)

Books Read in February: 26

Books Read for the Year:  48/250

Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:

The Hawthorne Legacy, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (TBR). Loved this!

The Mystery of the Shemitah, by Jonathan Cahn (spiritual). Some of the data in this made it hard to absorb the details.

What Happens When Women Say Yes to God, by Lysa TerKeurst (spiritual). Excellent read.

Everything You Need: 8 Essential Steps to a Life of Confidence in the Promises of God, by David Jeremiah (spiritual). I enjoyed this.

Where are the Missing People, by Jimmy Evans (spiritual). This was an interesting read.

Twisted Twenty-Six, by Janet Evanovich (TBR). I needed the laugh Stephanie Plum always provides. #TeamRanger

Quicksilver, by Dean Koontz (TBR). I liked this new release by a favorite author. It reminded me quite a bit of the Odd Thomas books.

For Review:

The Family You Make, by Jill Shalvis. This was a solid romance read. I liked the group of friends in the novel, but didn’t find it very unique.

The Night She Went Missing, by Kristen Bird. I enjoyed this suspense read—at least the first half of it. The rest was…too far-fetched for me.

The Lady of Galway Manor, by Jennifer Deibel. I liked this historical fiction read set in Ireland. Sweet and fun.

Beyond the Lavender Fields, by Arlem Hawks. This historical read was set during the French Revolution, and I enjoyed the politics and watching the characters change and grow.

The Bright Side Running Club, by Josie Lloyd. I LOVED this read about women dealing with a breast cancer diagnosis.

Love & Saffron, by Kim Fay. This short historical fiction is told entirely in letters between two women.

Good Girl Complex, by Elle Kennedy. This was…beyond predictable, and most of the characters were kind of horrible people.

Sword and Shadow, by Michelle Sagara. I love the Chronicles of Elantra series, and I’m enjoying this spin-off series as well. Getting to know more about my favorite background character is fascinating.

Last Duke Standing, by Julia London. This was a fun, fluffy read that made me laugh. I’ve read some of the other Westloria books, and I always enjoying seeing familiar characters in the background.

Full Flight, by Ashley Schumacher. I enjoyed this light and fun YA read…until tragedy occurred about 85% of the way through. This tragedy didn’t make sense and seemed pointless, as it accomplished nothing, plot-wise.

The Paradox Hotel, by Rob Hart. This was…not that great. The main character was a horrible person to everyone around her.

The Sultan’s Court, by R.A. Denny. This is a continuation of a time-travel with the Puritans adventure.

Come As You Are, by Jennifer Haupt (review forthcoming). This was a bit dark. It deals with depression and addiction in the Seattle grunge scene. The music is a bit of a flashback.

Edgewood, by Kristen Ciccarelli (review forthcoming). I thought this was pure magic from the very first scene. Loved it!

Daughter, by Kate McLaughlin (review forthcoming). This was a solid read. The things Scarlet and her mom go through because people don’t like her father are horrifying, but I enjoyed the read.

A Far Wilder Magic, by Allison Saft (review forthcoming). This was a decent read. An odd mix of present day cultures and cultures just a bit skewed, but it wasn’t enough to make me stop reading or anything.

The Suite Spot, by Trish Doller (review forthcoming). I loved this read! I enjoyed the first one, too, but I loved the body positivity and the sense of community in this book.

The Valet’s Secret, by Josi S. Kilpack (review forthcoming). This was a decent read, although it seemed a bit far-fetched to me (an earl’s heir and a maid?).

My Darling Husband, by Kimberly Belle (review forthcoming). This was a solid thriller read, although I didn’t care for Cam and all his secrets and lies.

Left Unfinished:

Clean Air, by Sarah Blake. I read about 15% of this, but it just didn’t hold my interest. I don’t read much scifi, and that’s probably why, as the POV and the action just felt too distant for me to enjoy.

The Last Grand Duchess, by Bryn Turnbull. I tried. I really did. I loved Turnbull’s previous book, The Woman Before Wallis, but this one felt so much slower. I made it about 50% of the way through before giving up because every page felt like it was in slow motion. Historical novels about the Romanov family usually fascinate me, so I kept on reading longer than I probably should have, but in the end, this just wasn’t a good fit for me right now. The glimpses of the cluelessness of Olga’s parents drove me crazy, and her own naivete about reality combined with the slow pace were just too much for me.

The Violence, by Delilah S. Dawson. This was…beyond far-fetched to me. The female characters all felt like cookie cutter versions of the same person, with very little knowledge of reality.

The Arc, by Tory Henwood Hoen. I made it 12% before giving up on this pretentious drivel.

The Harbor, by Katrine Engberg. I read 15% of this “thriller” and found myself bored with its leisurely pace and complete lack of urgency.

Red Burning Sky, by Tom Young. I’m very hit or miss with military fiction, so this just wasn’t a good fit for me.

The Lost Dreamer, by Lizz Huerta. I read 20% of this, but it was so slooow. Loved the culture, but the intricacies had me a bit lost, as there was nothing to give context.

Killing Time, by Brenna Ehrlich. Natalie acts like she’s about 12, not a person who just graduated high school. I read about 15% of this—I think—but I was just bored. Natalie’s mom comes across as a tyrant who wants to control every aspect of her daughter’s life without an explanation for why, but Natalie is just pointlessly rebellious in response, and again, childish. The “new boy” in town was borderline creepy. In the end, I just didn’t care enough about these characters to continue reading

The Tsarina’s Daughter, by Ellen Alpsten. I love well-done historical fiction. And this was well-written. I just could not get into it. Elizabeth came across as superficial and spoiled, and this started off so slowly that it lost my interest. Not a bad book, just not a good fit for me at this time.