Tag: Book Reviews

Sunday Post and Sunday Salon: Ouch!

BonnieReadsAndWrites21 Comments

Well I had my oral surgery on Tuesday, and it still hurts pretty badly. I had a cyst removed from my jaw and a molar that the cyst had compromised taken out. I have slowly been transitioning to eating again but my jaw just aches most of the time. I’m hoping this pain goes away soon. I have a hard time sleeping because of it, and I’ve been sleeping in the reclining love seat so I don’t accidentally roll over on my left side, which hurts my “newly operated on” jaw.

The leaves are slowly starting to turn here in Western North Carolina, so I hope to be able to post some great photos soon, and maybe even some Fall inspired poetry. For now, here’s a picture of an interesting sky Doug took outside our home the other day. It was getting ready to storm.

BLOG ACTIVITY

We have had some great new Indie releases in the last couple of weeks. I did a Release Day announcement for The Weight of Snow and Regret by Elizabeth Gauffreau on October 1st. I also did a Release Day post and Review of A Bloody Banquet by Gail Meath on October 10th. Amanda in Ireland by Darlene Foster was also released on October 1st and I’m reviewing that this coming week. I’ll participate in Top Ten Tuesday if time permits. I also hope to get even more Indie reviews in.

NETGALLEY HAUL

The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts: (I hope this one isn’t too close to horror, but it looked interesting and more “paranormal” than horror. Horror can affect my dreams so I avoid it if it’s too dark and/or bloody) In the aftermath of her mother’s death, Eleanor is unmoored. For years, her mother orchestrated every detail of her life—from meals, to laundry, to finances—so that Eleanor could focus on her career as a therapist. Left to navigate the world on her own, Eleanor clings to her mother’s final directive: use her inheritance to buy a house.

Desperate to obey her mother one last time, but finding few options she can afford, Eleanor impulsively buys a model home in a valley-turned-construction site, a picturesque development steeped in a shadowy history. It feels like a fresh start, until the rain comes—an endless, torrential downpour. As water seeps in through the house’s cracks, the line between what is real and what is not begins to blur. Haunted by the stories of her clients, a stream of workmen and bureaucrats she can’t trust, and visions of ghosts from her past and present, Eleanor’s reality unravels, and she is forced to reckon with the secrets she’s buried and the desperate choices she’s made.

The Lumber Baron’s Wife: (Jumped on the chance for the forthcoming book by my favorite Christian author, Lynn Austin).

1873. After a devastating loss, Hannah Wagner never imagined she’d leave her comfortable home for the harsh, unfamiliar wilderness near Lake Michigan. But when Henry Abernathy—a friend of her husband, John—offers them a fresh start in a booming lumber town, where John’s skills as a doctor are sorely needed, Hannah reluctantly agrees. There, she meets Kate, Henry’s spirited, much younger wife. Kate’s sharp tongue and outsider status have made her unwelcome among the town’s elite, and when she begins confiding in Hannah, it’s clear her marriage is not what it seems . . . and that a secret from her past could destroy everything.

Present day. Ashley Gilbert never planned to settle in Michigan, but when her husband lands his dream job as a conservationist, she agrees to follow. While restoring their historic home—built in the 19th century for a doctor and his wife—Ashley becomes captivated by its past and its connection to the nearby Abernathy mansion, now being transformed into a museum. While volunteering with the restoration, she stumbles upon the unsolved mystery of Kate Abernathy’s disappearance. What begins as curiosity soon becomes a quest for the truth—one that will connect her to two women whose stories and struggles echo and inspire her own.

HOW WAS YOUR WEEK?

*Sunday Post is hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer and Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at ReaderBuzz.

Indie Spotlight: New Release! A Bloody Banquet by Gail Meath

BonnieReadsAndWrites16 Comments

**Indie Spotlight is my effort to highlight and promote Indie books. You can help too by sharing this post far and wide. Let’s work together to help Indie authors.

Happy Release Day to Gail Meath! A Bloody Banquet is Book Two of The Stone and Steele Series. The review is below.

BOOK REVIEW

Fashion designer Vivian Steele is excited to attend an awards banquet at the Cocoanut Grove club in Hollywood. Some of the honorees are going to be wearing Vivan’s designs, and she and her best friend Carole Lombard are looking forward to an enjoyable evening. When Carole sees a dead body in the club’s restroom, she immediately calls for help. But when help arrives, the body has disappeared. Vivan begins to investigate, reluctantly allowing playboy Preston Stone to assist her once again. This is the second book in the Stone and Steele Series and can easily be read as a standalone.

This is a wonderful cozy set in Hollywood, and I love the fact that the fabulous Carole Lombard is a supporting character. The mystery is so well crafted, and I did not guess the villain before they were revealed. The backstories of Vivan and Preston continue to be another captivating mystery, and a little bit of that onion is slowly unpeeled in this second book. The ending of this compelling cozy offers more clues into their backstories and hints at an exciting third book in the series to come. Fans of cozy mysteries will enjoy this series, which transports us to the Golden Age of Hollywood.

I received a free copy of this book. I also purchased a copy. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gail Meath is the author of the multi-award-winning Jax Diamond Mysteries, a fun 1920s series about wise-cracking PI Jax Diamond, his courageous German Shepherd partner, Ace, and Broadway star Laura Graystone, as they, along with a crazy group of friends, solve some of the toughest crimes in New York City. She is alternating that series with her new 1930s Golden Age of Hollywood mysteries series, Stone & Steele, starring Vivian Steele, a widow seeking justice, and Preston Stone, a playboy vigilante.

In both series, the author challenges readers to identify the villains before she reveals them:)

Gail also has a list of other award-winning historical romances, westerns, and fictional biographies of true heroines. She lives in a small village in Upstate New York with her husband and sweet Boston Terrier, and she spends loads of time with her grandchildren.

PURCHASE LINK

Click on the cover to buy this book on Amazon. It’s only $2.99!

BEFORE YOU GO

*After you read the book, be sure and leave a review. Reviews do not have to be complex or fancy. Just a sentence about how it made you feel will help the book succeed on Amazon.

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Covers With Fall Vibes

BonnieReadsAndWrites22 Comments

Thank you to That Artsy Reader Girl for hosting Top Ten Tuesday. This week’s topic is Book Covers That Give You Fall Vibes. My choices are below.

Not the norm for me, but in this case An Autumn Kiss is the only one I’ve read. I just picked up The Book of Autumn on Netgalley to read later, and the rest of the books are just covers that I liked and that fit the theme.

Which covers do you like best? My favorite is The Book of Autumn.

Book Review: Julia by Heather B. Moore

BonnieReadsAndWrites14 Comments

*Below is a review of Julia that I did for The Historical Novel Society.

BOOK REVIEW

The top of the image has pink and white 50's style tile with a black and white checkerboard border. The book cover of the book Julia is in blue, with an outline of a woman, war planes, and a rolling pin.

Julia is biographical fiction that follows Julia Child from the 1940s until after her cooking show begins in 1963. An afterword describes the remainder of her life. The novel starts with wealthy Julia McWilliams, long graduated from Smith College, deciding what to do with her life. She tries to get into the WAC and the WAVES, but finds out that at 6’2”, she is too tall. She then ends up with the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), which would later become the CIA. She starts out in Washington D.C., but is eventually transferred to India, and then Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), where she meets Paul Child, her future husband. After the war, Paul is working in Paris, where the food adventures of Julia Child begin.

This is lovely historical fiction that draws us into Julia’s world. While everyone knows about her cooking, the details of her life in the OSS, trusted with America’s secrets during WWII, are lesser known and very intriguing. The wealthy daughter of a real estate mogul and an heiress, Julia did not have to go to work during the war, but she wanted to serve her country. She grew up with a cook, and she and Paul frequented the restaurants of Paris. She did not have to learn to cook, especially at a prestigious French cooking school. She did the things she did out of passion, not necessity, and her warm, passionate personality comes alive in this book, as does her close, loving relationship with her husband, Paul. After the war, we follow Julia from the first days of cooking school to writing a cookbook and then hosting a television show. The book is well-researched, but it manages to stay warm and inviting, just as she was. Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley and The Historical Novel Society. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Heather B. Moore is a USA Today bestseller and award-winning author of more than ninety publications. Heather writes primarily historical and #herstory fiction about the humanity and heroism of the everyday person. Publishing in a breadth of genres, Heather dives into the hearts and souls of her characters, meshing her love of research with her love of storytelling.

Her historicals and thrillers are written under pen name H.B. Moore. She writes women’s fiction, romance and inspirational non-fiction under Heather B. Moore, and . . . speculative fiction under Jane Redd. This can all be confusing, so her kids just call her Mom. Heather attended Cairo American College in Egypt and the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel. Despite failing her high school AP English exam, Heather persevered and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University in something other than English.

Heather is a hybrid author, traditionally publishing with Thomas & Mercer, Kindle Press, StoryFront, Shadow Mountain, Covenant Communications, Tantor Audio, Brilliance Audio, Cappelen Damm, and Amazon Crossing. Foreign publications include Das Grab der Konigin (Germany), Drommen om lykke (Norway), and Sommer og kjaerlighet (Norway). Heather also independently publishes through Mirror Press. She is represented by Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret Literary Agency. Foreign rights or subsidiary rights inquiries, please contact Lauren Abramo: labramo (at) dystel (dot) com

Website | Blog | Instagram

BUY LINKS

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Google | Kobo

Sunday Post and Sunday Salon: Hug Your Loved Ones

BonnieReadsAndWrites19 Comments

This past week was a week of rest, and I’m also getting prepared for a couple of outpatient procedures in the next couple of weeks.

Doug’s birthday was Friday, and I think he likes his new IPAD! Happy Birthday, Doug! I love you so much.

Book News: I’m currently doing a lot of editor and reviewer work for the Historical Novel Society’s November issue, and it has kept me quite busy. That issue comes out November 1st.

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOG

I posted about the horrific death of Charlie Kirk, which I watched online, unfortunately, not realizing what I was going to see. If you watch a man bleed out, it affects you, believe me. I will be watching his memorial service today. He was a great Christian man who will be missed.

NEXT WEEK ON THE BLOG

I will be reviewing the three books below and also participating in Top Ten Tuesday.

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BOOK HAUL

Vera always knew she didn’t fit in. When she learns that she is meant to be in another time, she leaps at the chance to embrace a new life in a world of valor, intrigue, and unexpected magic in this bold and romantic retelling of Arthurian legend . . .

22-year-old Vera is at a crossroads: waiting tables, grieving her previous relationship, and jogging aimlessly each morning as if toward an uncertain future. Then an odd man shows up at her workplace, insisting that she was once the legendary Queen Guinevere of Camelot, and that her lost memories hold the key to changing both the past and the present. Somehow, it all feels like the direction she’s been looking for. But when she asks the mysterious man to tell her more about Lancelot, Arthur, and a faithless queen, he can only say that much of what she’s heard about Camelot is wrong. The truth, he claims, is something she must see for herself.

After jumping through a portal in Glastonbury’s historic center, Vera is not prepared for what she finds. Magic is everywhere, but a curse on the kingdom means it dwindles every day. She has no idea how to perform a queen’s duties. Her fast friendship with Lancelot sets gossip flowing, and the stranger she must call “husband” often refuses to meet her eye. Arthur is a puzzle: cold, forbidding, and, while angry to her face, keeps leaving secret tokens of tenderness in her chambers. Worst of all, Vera’s memories—and the answers locked within them—show no signs of returning. If Vera is truly destined to save Camelot, she’ll have to trust her instincts. And her king will have to trust her . . .

I HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT WEEK, and hug those close to you!

Sunday Post is hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer. Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.

Book Blogger Hop: Favorite Authors

BonnieReadsAndWrites15 Comments

Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Billy @CoffeeAddictedWriter. There is a different bookish question each week. This week’s question is below

DO YOU SEEK OUT NEW AUTHORS TO READ, OR DO YOU TEND TO STICK WITH THE SAME ONES?

ANSWER: Before I became a blogger, I had my favorite authors and didn’t necessarily seek out new ones.. Now as a blogger, and especially as a supporter of Indie authors, I read new authors all the time, and I love it! I still have my favorites, but my world has expanded for sure.

HOW ABOUT YOU? WHAT IS YOUR ANSWER TO TODAY’S QUESTION?

Sunday Post/Sunday Salon: The Bumble is in The Building!

BonnieReadsAndWrites26 Comments

This past week the garage went in! It has been just a little over a year since we moved here, and finally Doug has his garage. He’s a garage kind of guy, and I know it’s been harder for him to get everything done around here without one. Now we have a place to put The Bumble (his Dodge Magnum) and room for a work area and storage for Doug. Every day since we moved here, he does something to improve the property, but this was a big one. We had to wait a long time for the builders because of weather and other issues, but we’ve finally got it. Doug ordered it to match the house, so we’re happily Christmassy around here!

A little update on Opie. He’s really growing! He was 9 ounces at his first vet appointment and 2.5 pounds at his second one! All his bloodwork was normal, which was a concern since his mom, who abandoned him, is a feral cat. Here he is helping Doug with the wash:

In other news, I’m going to Holden Beach with my cousins in a week, so I’m getting ready for that. Hopefully I’ll have lots of good pictures to share!

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOG

I reviewed The Judge’s Lawyer and Wolves At The Gate, an Indie book.

BOOK HAUL

This is Book 2 of the Marigold Manners mystery series.

My Netgalley shelf is down to 5 books!!!

Hope you have a great week!

The Sunday post is hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. The Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz

Indie Spotlight and Book Review: Wolves at the Gate by Bart Stark

BonnieReadsAndWrites12 Comments
Cover of the book Wolves at the Gate, a WWII Alternate History, accompanied by a WWII military helmet

Indie Spotlight is my effort to share Indie books with as many readers as possible. You can help too by sharing this post with your social media followers. Below is my review of an interesting alternate history novel, Wolves at the Gate. This is another review I did for The Historical Novel Society.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Lieutenant Jim Fraser was in turns eager and terrified. His Bravo Company led the American offensive to liberate Charleston, but would his wife Florie and their twin girls trapped behind German lines survive the coming battle?

Consider another Second World War. Due to a twist of history during his youth, Adolf Hitler turns west and out to sea against England and America in alliance with fascist Japan and Italy. After the British Empire falls, the Axis turn on an outnumbered and unprepared United States. Instead of being waged in far off land, total war rages across the Hawaiian Islands and South Carolina, down our streets and into the homes of our families.

BOOK REVIEW

In this WWII alternate history, Hitler spends a small part of his younger years in America and realizes that there are some there who agree with his views. In August 1940, Germany attacks an important British naval port, eventually causing England to fall. These events change history. After England falls, Germany and the rest of the Axis powers turn their focus on a very unprepared United States. As the Japanese invade Hawaii, Germany turns toward Charleston, South Carolina. This book is told through the eyes of many characters, including an Army National Guard lieutenant and his wife; a German paratrooper and his wife; an Army sniper; a German spy; and many military leaders on all sides of the war.

This is an intriguing novel, with a detailed and well-researched scenario. The specifics of how and when the Nazis end up in America are very believable. The plot is intricate and well thought out, but there is so much detail that I sometimes felt bogged down. There are also shifting points of view from so many people that I sometimes felt rushed from one character to the other. That being said, the premise of this novel is strong, and the author does a great job laying plain the horrors and atrocities of war. A Dramatis Personae at the beginning helps the reader keep track of the many characters.

The story is not concluded in this novel, so it appears to be the start of a series. I’m curious to see where it goes in the future. Those interested in World War II fiction and strategic military fiction will enjoy this book.

My rating is 4.4 stars.

I received a free copy of this book via The Historical Novel Society. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bart Stark is a U.S. Army paratrooper and a combat veteran, who later entered a life of crime as a prosecutor and defense attorney. Now, Bart is beginning the third act of his life as a novelist.

After leading a vagabond life which took them across America and Europe, Bart and his wife settled in the highlands of Panama. His favorite pastime is hiking his dogs in the jungle and daydreaming dystopian futures for his characters.

PURCHASE LINK

Click on the image below to view on Amazon. **Kindle Unlimited subscribers can read this book for free.

BEFORE YOU GO

Remember, if you read the book, be sure and leave a review. It’s so important for authors and will help them immensely. Also remember to share this post with your social media followers.

Book Tour and Review: The Judge’s Lawyer

BonnieReadsAndWrites8 Comments

BOOK REVIEW

This is a compelling legal thriller with a professionally smart but flawed main character whose extreme gambling debts have made him vulnerable. This novel will keep the reader enthralled with its intriguing plot and strong writing. The character descriptions make them come alive, for example, “The man carried some serious presence; maybe in another lifetime he could have been a scene-stealing character actor whose name you never remember but with a face you never forget. His eyes were coal-black pools, giving the impression that nothing existed behind them, as if they were there just for show.”

The fast pace is appreciated by this reader, and in between all of the action is great character development and some of the best writing I have seen in a legal thriller. The consequences of a gambling addiction are made plain, as is the importance of facing up to your mistakes. The evils of human trafficking and organized crime are brought to the forefront.

The author, Dylan H. Jones, easily holds his own, and then some, with those who are at the top of the genre. In fact, now that I have read his work, I will have higher expectations for legal thrillers in the future.

I received a free copy of this novel from the publisher via Zooloo’s Book Tours. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

🎉 DYLAN H. JONES 🎉

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Dylan H. Jones is the author of the best-selling Detective Tudor Manx series, set on the idyllic Welsh island of Anglesey.

A native Welsh speaker, Dylan was born on the Isle of Anglesey and left at the age of eighteen to study at Leeds University. His love of storytelling and writing began at a young age when he slipped a copy of Graham Greene’s Brighton Rock from his father’s bookshelf.

Dylan’s debut novel, Anglesey Blue, was an immediate hit, taking the Amazon #1 spot in Welsh Crime on the first day of release. The novel was also long listed for the Guardian Newspaper’s prestigious readers’ choice award, Not the Booker Prize.

His following two novels, Doll Face and Shadow Soul, soon became firm favorites of crime fiction fans, and established DI Manx as a fresh, compelling protagonist in Welsh Noir. His standalone thriller, What Follows, set in Oakland CA, was published in 2021.

Dylan is also a creative director and ad agency copywriter, and now lives in Oakland, California with his wife, Laura, and daughter Isabella. Dylan loves great coffee and fine wines, and can often be found around the coffee shops of Oakland conversing with the locals and seeking inspiration in his next shot of espresso.

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Where can you find Dylan?

Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/angleseyblue/
Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/dylanjonesauthor/
Websitehttps://www.dylanjonesauthor.com/

Book Links

Goodreads | Purchase Link

Thank you to Zooloo’s Book Tours for a spot on the tour.

Sunday Post: Traveling in Time With Historical Fiction #Sunday Salon

BonnieReadsAndWrites27 Comments

This was a pretty normal week, except for a painful visit to the dentist, which resulted in an almost root canal, which is not a term you hear often, but it appears I may not need to have one, and the pain is slowly going away with medication.

I’ve been reading a lot of books for The Historical Novel Society. Historical fiction is usually my go-to, and I am getting the opportunity to drop into fictional worlds set during so many time periods and events-the French Resistance, the Trojan War, 17th Century England, post WWII San Francisco, and more. It’s been a pleasure, and I always learn something new, which is what I love about historical fiction.

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOG

Last Week I reviewed A Lethal Engagement and participated in Top Ten Tuesday.

NEXT WEEK ON THE BLOG

I’m set to post historical fiction reviews and Indie book reviews and promos. I will participate in Top Ten Tuesday if time permits.

BOOK HAUL

An illustrated picture of a young Queen Elizabeth II, with two of her corgis, arranged around the book title, THE QUEEN WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD. she is wearing a blue dress and tiara, holding a camera and her signature handbag, and peeking out under stylish dark sunglasses.

Amateur sleuth Queen Elizabeth II is back on the case in 1960s England in the fifth installment of this historical mystery series the New York Times Book Review calls “sheer entertainment,” perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen and Richard Osman.

1961, England.
The Queen is spending a night on board the royal train with her entourage and her sister, Princess Margaret. But before they reach their destination, an unreliable witness claims to have seen a brutal murder from one of the carriages.

The Queen and her assistant private secretary, Joan McGraw, get to work on their second joint investigation. No one else saw the crime. If there is a victim, could he be the missing photographer friend of Margaret’s new husband, Tony Armstrong Jones?

This time, the Cold War threatens to undermine the Queen’s upcoming visit to Italy. She and Joan must tackle dark forces that follow them all the way, in a tale of spies, lies, and treachery.

This historical mystery series starring a young Queen Elizabeth II looks like a lot of fun!

I hope you have a great week!

Thank you to The Caffeinated Book Reviewer for hosting Sunday Post. Thank you to Readerbuzz for hosting Sunday Salon