Tag: fiction

Book Review:  In Which Margo Halifax Earns Her Shocking Reputation, by Alexandra Vasti

Image belongs to Dreamscape Media.

Title:  In Which Margo Halifax Earns Her Shocking Reputation (audio)   
Author: Alexandra Vasti   
Genre: Romance     
Rating:  4 out of 5

The Halifax Hellions are the most scandalous, outrageous, ungovernable ladies in London. From the day of their debut—in which Matilda smoked a cheroot and Margo tied a cherry stem in a knot with her tongue—they’ve turned the ton upside down. But when Matilda elopes with a dangerous aristocrat, Margo must stop her twin before this new misadventure becomes a permanent marriage. For help, Margo turns to her brother’s best friend—because if anyone can get them to Scotland in time, it’s starchy solicitor Henry Mortimer.

Henry Mortimer has precisely one secret in his otherwise buttoned-up life: he’s been in love with Margo for seven wonderful, agonizing years. When she turns up at his doorstep, soaked to the skin and desperate for his help, he cannot turn her down. A week alone in a carriage with the object of his desires an arm’s length away? Surely he can survive that. He hopes.

But the road to Scotland is paved with disasters—caves and crashes and the bloody rain that keeps forcing Henry to hold a damp, shivering, dreadfully tempting Margo in his arms. Only an unstoppable force could drag the truth of Henry’s affection from his lips. Unfortunately for him, Margo Halifax has yet to be stopped.

This was a cute, fun audiobook. Margo is more than a little impetuous and self-absorbed, but she’s at least aware of other people and tries not to hurt them. Henry’s naivete was charming and cute, and I loved how the two of them ended up together. I enjoyed the narrator as well, and her accents and inflections.

Alexandra Vasti lives in Louisiana. In Which Margo Halifax Earns Her Shocking Reputation is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Dreamscape Media in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review and Blog Tour: Kilt Trip, by Alexandra Kiley

Image belongs to Harlequin/Canary Street Press.

Title: Kilt Trip  
Author: Alexandra Kiley  
Genre:  Romance    
Rating:  4.2 (plus .3 for a hot guy in a kilt…)

Ready or Scot…

Globetrotter Addie Macrae always follows her wanderlust. As a travel consultant, she jet sets around the world—anywhere but Scotland. But when she’s sent on assignment to help a struggling family-run tour company in the Highlands—and save her own job—Addie packs away her emotional baggage and turns on the professional charm.

Rugged as the land he loves, Logan Sutherland’s greatest joy is sharing the beauty of Scotland’s hidden gems…even if it means a wee bit of red ink on the company’s bottom line. The last thing Logan wants is some American “expert” pushing tourist traps and perpetuating myths about the Loch Ness Monster—especially when Addie never leaves her desk to experience the country for herself.

As they wage an office war, Logan discovers Addie’s secret connection to Scotland: a handful of faded Polaroids of her late mother. Hoping for a truce, he creates a private tour to the places in the pictures to help Addie find closure and appreciate the enchantment in less-traveled destinations, never expecting the off-limits attraction sparking between them. But Addie’s contract is almost up, and magic won’t pay the bills. They can’t afford distractions, but how can Addie do her job if she hasn’t explored all Scotland—and Logan—have to offer?

This was a fun read! I was completely ready to pack up and head to Scotland. The descriptions of the scenery were just wonderful. I loved how the story even poked fun at the attraction of the Scottish accent (and a man in a kilt). Addie’s (justifiable) anger at her father for the way he emotionally abandoned her was portrayed well, although her anger at him after their phone call made her come across as selfish—as did her leaving Scotland so abruptly. But I enjoyed this romance very much!

Alexandra Kiley lives in Colorado. Kilt Trip is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/Canary Street Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Heartless Hunter, by Kristen Ciccarelli

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title:  Heartless Hunter   
Author: Kristen Ciccarelli     
Genre:  Fantasy   
Rating:  4.5 out of 5

On the night Rune’s life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is.

Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe – a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution – who she can’t help but find herself falling for.

Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?

I really enjoyed this read! The first chapter or so was iffy for me, with Rune’s superficial artificial personality at the forefront, but she grew on me quickly. The society part was frustrating, because superficiality always frustrates me, but Rune played her part admirably and I loved how she had everyone fooled about the truth of her.

Gideon was a fascinating character: a strong man who was broken in the past. I enjoyed getting to know him and all the layers of his personality. The worldbuilding was fascinating, and I’m looking forward to reading more.

Kristen Ciccarelli is a bestselling author who lives in Ontario. Heartless Hunter is her newest novel.

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

Sundays are for Writing #267

This was a great writing week! I got in five fiction-writing sessions, and I wrote three book reviews: The Warm Hands of Ghosts, by Katherine Arden, and A Flame in the North, by Lilith Saintcrow, and the The Book of Doors, by Gareth Brown.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts was a historical fiction mixed with…something else. I was eager to read it because of the author, but it never fully resolved itself, to me. A Flame in the North felt like a very slow read. I loved the mythology setting, but I’m not sure I’ll read more, because of the pacing. The Book of Doors was a solid read, and ended up being very engrossing. I also wrote my February reading post, and the best books I read in February.

I have a plan to get my writing in while I’m traveling for work, so let’s see if that pans out.

Happy writing!

The Best Books I Read in February (2024)

In February, I only read 12 books, which is…not very many for me. And there was an extra day! I need to catch up.

Of those twelve, two were fantastic and a few others were pretty good.

Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, by Rebecca Yarros. I saw mention of Fourth Wing being excellent on audio, so I gave it a shot…and got sucked in from the first three minutes. I could not stop listening. I was so caught up in these characters and this world that I bought the second one—also on audio—before I even finished the first. And now I’m languishing, wondering when the release date for the third book is. Those cliffhanger endings….

The Last Days of Lilah Goodluck, by Kylie Scott. This book was just good, plain fun! I laughed from the very beginning, and I was completely invested in finding out if Lilah’s prophecy came through—I also love how the prince was handled. This would be a fun weekend read!

What I Read in February (2024)

Books Read in February: 12
Books Read for the Year: 27/215
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books: Yeah, so the first part of this month got away from me and I ended up not finishing any of my monthly reads and pushing them off until March. Except for Fourth Wing, by Rebecca Yarros. I listened to this on audio, and it was phenomenal! I can’t wait to listen to the next one.

Iron Wing, by Rebecca Yarros (audio). Sigh…Why is the next book in this not out yet?

For Review:

The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West, by Sara Ackerman. I enjoyed both timelines in this historical fiction and found all of it fascinating.

The Last Days of Lilah Goodluck, by Kylie Scott. This made me laugh hysterically in several places! Such a fun read.

When Grumpy Met Sunshine, by Charlotte Stein. This made me laugh several times, but there was a lot of cussing that seemed jarring/unnecessary, and Alfie’s reactions seemed…nonsensical at times.

The Framed Women of Ardemore House, by Brandy Schillace. I really enjoyed this read, and read it straight through in one sitting.

One Night In A Thousand Years, by Craig Cunningham. I enjoyed this short audio book a lot! It’s a very uplifting and poignant coming-of-age story.

Why We Read, by Shannon Reed. Nonfiction can be hit or miss for me, but this was engrossing, funny, and absolutely fascinating. It’s all about books, so that’s definitely something it has going for it, but the author’s voice is highly readable, to.

The Lost Dresses of Italy, by M. A. Mclaughlin. I thoroughly enjoyed this historical fiction read! I loved how Marianne’s work with the dresses was twined together with the tale of Christina Rossetti’s life in Verona. This was a very bittersweet read, but I enjoyed it.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts, by Katherine Arden. This was an odd historical fiction read, but compelling. Laura’s POV was my favorite, as Freddie’s felt hazy.

A Flame in the North, by Lilith Saintcrow. The mythology in this was fascinating, but it felt very, very slow.

The Book of Doors, by Gareth Brown. I enjoyed this. It felt almost leisurely, but I enjoyed it so much that I was eager to continue reading. The Book of Doors would be really cool!

Left Unfinished:

A Step Past Darkness, by Vera Kurian. I did not realize this was meant to be like IT until after I DNFed it…I love IT, although it absolutely terrified me (I’m scared of spiders. And clowns. Enough said.). I read about 20% of this, and all I got was…bored. I didn’t care about any of the characters or what happened to them. They were walking into the party in the mine where everything supposedly gets creepy when I stopped reading (and I knew that was about to happen), and I still couldn’t work up enough interest to keep reading.

Book Review: The Book of Doors, by Gareth Brown

Image belongs to William Morrow.

Title:  The Book of Doors
Author: Gareth Brown     
Genre: Mystery/thriller, fantasy     
Rating: 4 out of 5

If you could open a door to anywhere, where would you go?

In New York City, bookseller Cassie Andrews is living an unassuming life when she is given a gift by a favourite customer. It’s a book – an unusual book, full of strange writing and mysterious drawings. And at the very front there is a handwritten message to Cassie, telling her that this is the Book of Doors, and that any door is every door.

What Cassie is about to discover is that the Book of Doors is a special book that bestows an extraordinary power on whoever possesses it, and soon she and her best friend Izzy are exploring all that the Book of Doors can do, swept away from their quiet lives by the possibilities of travelling to anywhere they want.

But the Book of Doors is not the only magical book in the world. There are other books that can do wondrous and dreadful things when wielded by dangerous and ruthless individuals – individuals who crave what Cassie now possesses.

Suddenly Cassie and Izzy are confronted by violence and danger, and the only person who can help them is, it seems, Drummond Fox. He is a man fleeing his own demons – a man with his own secret library of magical books that he has hidden away in the shadows for safekeeping. Because there is a nameless evil out there that is hunting them all . . .

Because some doors should never be opened.

This felt like lit fic, but I actually finished reading it, so that can’t be quite right. I was engrossed in this from the very beginning. The opening scene is eye-catching—and raised all sorts of questions that I wanted answered. Cassie is a solid character; I liked her, rooted for her, and wanted to figure out how she was going to get out of the mess she was in. I do recommend this for a leisurely, fascinating read, but not a pulse-pounding one.

Gareth Brown lives in Scotland. The Book of Doors is his debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of William Morrow in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: A Flame in the North, by Lilith Saintcrow

Image belongs to Orbit Books.

Title:  A Flame in the North    
Author: Lilith Saintcrow    
Genre: Fantasy     
Rating:  3.8 out of 5

The Black Land is spent myth. Centuries have passed since the Great Enemy was slain. Yet old fears linger, and on the longest night of the year, every village still lights a ritual fire to banish the dark.

That is Solveig’s duty. Favored by the gods with powerful magic, Sol calls forth flame to keep her home safe. But when her brother accidentally kills a northern lord’s son, she is sent away as weregild—part hostage, part guest—for a year and a day.

The further north Sol travels, the clearer it becomes the Black Land is no myth. The forests teem with foul beasts. Her travel companions are not what they seem, and their plans for her and her magic are shrouded in secrecy.

With only her loyal shieldmaid and her own wits to reply upon, Sol must master power beyond her imagination to wrest control of her fate. For the Black Land’s army stirs, ready to cover the world in darkness—unless Sol can find the courage to stop it.

They thought the old ways were dead. But now, the Enemy awakens…

I love the Norse-inspired mythos of this story, but it felt very, very slow. Sol and her shieldmaiden, Arn, were great characters, but everyone else sort of blurs together into a hazy backdrop. I couldn’t keep them straight, even the Elders. The worldbuilding and setting were fantastic and well-done, but everything else sort of dragged.

Lilith Saintcrow is a bestselling author. A Flame in the North is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Orbit Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: The Warm Hands of Ghosts, by Katherine Arden

Image belongs to Random House Ballantine/Del Rey.

Title: The Warm Hands of Ghosts
Author:  Katherine Arden    
Genre: Historical fiction, fantasy     
Rating:  4 out of 5

January 1918. Laura Iven was a revered field nurse until she was wounded and discharged from the medical corps, leaving behind a brother still fighting in Flanders. Now home in Halifax, Canada, she receives word of Freddie’s death in combat, along with his personal effects—but something doesn’t make sense. Determined to uncover the truth, Laura returns to Belgium as a volunteer at a private hospital. Soon after arriving, she hears whispers about haunted trenches, and a strange hotelier whose wine gives soldiers the gift of oblivion. Could Freddie have escaped the battlefield, only to fall prey to something—or someone—else?

November 1917. Freddie Iven awakens after an explosion to find himself trapped in an overturned pillbox with a wounded enemy soldier, a German by the name of Hans Winter. Against all odds, the two men form an alliance and succeed in clawing their way out. Unable to bear the thought of returning to the killing fields, especially on opposite sides, they take refuge with a mysterious man who seems to have the power to make the hellscape of the trenches disappear.

As shells rain down on Flanders, and ghosts move among those yet living, Laura’s and Freddie’s deepest traumas are reawakened. Now they must decide whether their world is worth salvaging—or better left behind entirely.

I wanted to read this based solely on the author, as her The Winternight trilogy was phenomenal! The writing in this one was superb, but I found the book to be a bit odd. It felt sort of like a fever dream:  vivid yet hazy. I loved Laura and her storyline kept me riveted (second time recently I’ve come across the Halifax explosion tragedy in my reading). Freddie’s story was also interesting, but it felt very hazy and out-of-focus to me. That being said, I do recommend this one—if you’re okay with not getting an explanation for everything in a story/

Katherine Arden is a bestselling author. The Warm Hands of Ghosts is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Random House Ballantine/Del Rey in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review and Blog Tour:   A Step Past Darkness, by Vera Kurian

Image belongs to Harlequin/Park Row.

Title:  A Step Past Darkness    
Author: Vera Kurian     
Genre: Mystery/thriller     
Rating:  DNF

There’s something sinister under the surface of the idyllic, suburban town of Wesley Falls, and it’s not just the abandoned coal mine that lies beneath it. The summer of 1995 kicks off with a party in the mine where six high school students witness a horrifying crime that changes the course of their lives.

The six couldn’t be more different.

• Maddy, a devout member of the local megachurch
• Kelly, the bookworm next door
• James, a cynical burnout
• Casey, a loveable football player
• Padma, the shy straight-A student
• Jia, who’s starting to see visions she can’t explain

When they realize that they can’t trust anyone but each other, they begin to investigate what happened on their own. As tensions escalate in town to a breaking point, the six make a vow of silence, bury all their evidence, and promise to never contact each other again. Their plan works – almost.

Twenty years later, Jia calls them all back to Wesley Falls—Maddy has been murdered, and they are the only ones who can uncover why. But to end things, they have to return to the mine one last time.

I did not realize this was meant to be like IT until after I DNFed it…I love IT, although it absolutely terrified me (I’m scared of spiders. And clowns. Enough said.). I read about 20% of this, and all I got was…bored. I didn’t care about any of the characters or what happened to them. They were walking into the party in the mine where everything supposedly gets creepy when I stopped reading (and I knew that was about to happen), and I still couldn’t work up enough interest to keep reading.

Vera Kurian lives in Washington D.C. A Step Past Darkness is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/Park Row in exchange for an honest review.)