Fiction

Cause to Repine by E.M. Storm-Smith

I’m was excited to be a part of Kate Rock Book Tours tour of this book which came out on Feb. 8. This historical fiction re-telling of Pride and Prejudice is a delight to read. I’m always a sucker for a Jane Austen re-telling, and this does not disappoint. It has the story we all know and love, with just a enough differences to make the story new. I loved the softer, less grumpy Darcy. The beautiful friendship that he and Elizabeth grow during the majority of the book is wonderful to read. Their cute banter and quiet flirting gave me all the feels. I also loved the way the author resolved the marriage of Mr. Collins.

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April 15, 2024 0

Pride and Preston Lin by Christina Hwang Dudley and Christina Dudley

3.5 stars rounded up

I don’t read many re-tellings, but when I see a re-telling of any Jane Austen book I snap it up. It helped that Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite Jane Austen books.

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April 9, 2024 0

Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead by Jenny Hollander

3.5 stars rounded up.

This is a solid debut thriller than held my attention and was a quick and easy read. The book is told in present day and nine years prior while the MC, Charlie, was in an elite journalism graduate school. She was a witness to a terrible incident at her school dubbed “Scarlet Christmas”, and has spent the intervening years rebuilding her life and reputation. Now one of her former schoolmates plans to release a buzzy film about the events and she’s determined to stop it so it doesn’t derail her life again.

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March 28, 2024 0

Umbrate by A.D. Jones

While dwarves and elves are common in fantasy, I’ve never read a book with shadowy Umbral characters. I had to look up what umbral meant so that I could get a picture in my mind what we were talking about, and trust me, they are creepy characters. Take a look at the cover and you’ll see what I mean.

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March 26, 2024 0

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert

Bradley and Celine used to be best friends when they were younger, until Bradley got popular as they grew older and a misunderstanding blew them apart. They are both smart, high achieving academics, but can’t stand to be in the same room together. So imagine their surprise when they are thrown together and must work together for a chance to win a scholarship.

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March 26, 2024 0

Village in the Dark (Cara Kennedy #2) by Iris Yamashita

This is the second book in this fast paced mystery/thriller that can be read as a stand alone. I haven’t read the first book, and while I probably would have enjoyed the book even more had I read it first, I don’t feel like I missed out on anything or had trouble following the story. There was plenty of backstory in the book to fill me in on what happened in book 1.

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February 12, 2024 0

To Woo and To Wed (The Regency Vows #5) by Martha Waters

This is a fun, flirty and fulfilling finale to a wonderful Regency RomCom series – although, I’m very sad to say goodbye to it. While this is the last book in the series, it can be read as a stand alone.

This book has my favorite romance trope – fake dating – as well as second chance love. West, the Marquess of Weston, and Sophie, Lady Fitzwilliam Bridewell were nearly engaged years ago until West was in a terrible accident leaving his best friend dead and West with an injured leg. Years later, Sophie enlists West in a scheme to pretend to be engaged so that her sisters will feel free to marry. Neither counted on old feelings rising to the surface.

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February 11, 2024 0

The Lace Widow (An Eliza Hamilton Mystery #1) by Mollie Ann Cox

This is a wonderful historical mystery centered around the death of Alexander Hamilton after his duel with Aaron Burr. His wife Eliza is grieving and being comforted by her sister Angelica. She then learns that her son is accused of murdering a man that witnessed Hamilton’s duel. Stunned by this news, and determined to clear her son’s name, she is told of another man’s death, apparently by suicide. This man also witnessed Hamilton’s duel. Something’s not right, and Eliza is determined to figure it out. Is there be a plot to kill Hamilton and all the witnesses? If so, why? She must also face the fact that Hamilton left her with a pile of debts and almost no money. This leads her to sell her handmade lace, and get connected with a mysterious group of widow lacemakers who have the inside knowledge of what’s going on with high society.

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February 2, 2024 0

Only If You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham

This is an exciting psychological thriller set at a liberal arts college in South Carolina. Margot’s best friend Eliza died 3 weeks after graduation and Margo blames Eliza’s boyfriend for her death. Margot goes into a deep funk, but ultimately decides to attend the college she and Eliza planned to attend together. Margo spends her freshman year cloistered with her plain jane roommate, never making other friends or participating in social events. The only thing she does notice is Lucy, who is bold and dangerous – and reminds her so much of Eliza.

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February 2, 2024 0