In this second book of THE LOST BRIDE trilogy, Sonya McTavish is living in a beautiful mansion she inherited on the coast of Maine, along with her friend Cleo and an assortment of ghosts, because the gorgeous home holds a lot of haunted secrets. And not all of the ghosts are friendly. There is one horrible witch who has killed seven brides on their wedding day. Sonya finds an enchanted mirror and is able to travel back in time to those murders to try and stop her.
The magical realism works very well in this story. Nora Roberts does a great job of making the house come alive with magic and sometimes evil. The backstories of the ghosts and of Sonya herself are intriguing. This wasn’t marketed as horror, but does have some horror elements and sometimes gets a little dark for my personal taste, but overall this is a wonderful second book in the series. It ends on a cliffhanger, but the third book of the trilogy is coming.
My rating is 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 on sites with no half-star option.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
*This is another review I did for Historical Novels Review, the magazine of The Historical Novel Society.
BOOK DESCRIPTION
It is late autumn of 1798 and Darcy and Elizabeth are married at last and living at Pemberley in love and harmony.
All the impediments to their match have been swept aside; their unpromising first impressions, Darcy’s machinations in having tried to prevent a match between Jane and his friend Bingley, Lady Catherine’s violent objections to a match between Darcy and Elizabeth, Darcy’s own stiffness and reserve even after he had supported Bingley’s suit for Jane’s hand following their return to Netherfield, the disbelief of Elizabeth’s family that she could ever like such a man…
These and all other objections have evaporated like the morning mist. And Lizzy’s whole family are visiting Pemberley for Christmas. What could possibly go wrong?
A letter from the Reverend Wilde, former rector of Longbourn parish, suddenly arrives warning Elizabeth of possible harm to her and her family at the hands of a former resident of Longbourn.
And once the Bennets, Bingleys, Philips, Gardiners and Colonel Fitzwilliam and his friend Lieutenant Colonel Harvey have arrived, unnerving incidents start to build up.
Can Darcy sufficiently protect the household? As the cold of winter sets in, he strives to find a solution, but equally should the visitors leave and return home early to take themselves out of harm’s way? What are the motives of the ill-wisher and can he or she ultimately be found so as to face the proper punishment?
Lizzy and Darcy stand united, their relationship remaining loving and affectionate throughout as they face the threat together. And love is in the air for two other couples during the Christmas celebrations.
BOOK REVIEW
Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice is now Mrs. Darcy in this well-imagined continuation of the classic novel. Elizabeth is just settling into married life when she receives a letter from Reverend Wilde, formerly a rector at Longbourn, warning her of possible danger from Isabella Scargill, a previous acquaintance who had been threatening the Reverend. Wilde thought Isabella, also known as Helen St. Clair, might come to Pemberley to cause trouble. Elizabeth and Darcy prepare for this unwelcome visitor at a time when they are also getting ready for holiday guests. As the preparations ensue, strange things start happening at Pemberley.
Menace at Pemberley is the second in the Elizabeth Bennet series. It can be read as a standalone. It is an enjoyable Christmas story that will please anyone who loves Jane Austen retellings. It is pleasant to read about the life of a married “Lizzy and Fitz,” as they call each other, and the story is well done. The tone of the book is similar to Pride and Prejudice, and the descriptions of life at Pemberley transport you into Jane Austen’s world. Elizabeth’s adjustments to becoming the mistress of the house are interesting and realistic. The mystery includes a missing person and has intriguing twists and turns. The Bennet family are among the Christmas guests, and there are new romances on the horizon. An enjoyable read. Recommended.
I received a free copy of the book via The Historical Novel Society. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own. This review was published in the November issue of Historical Novels Review.
Checkout girl Bea Jordan has a knack for stumbling into trouble. Even so, nothing can ruin her picnic in the allotment with her best friend, green-thumbed Ant.
With the annual Kingsleigh Flower and Produce Show approaching, she feels he’s had little time for her. Especially with the drama of a prize-winning tomato thief on the loose.
But a grizzly discovery is waiting for them by the pumpkin patch . . .
The body of Dylan Bradley, their old history teacher. Someone stuck a trowel in his head and left him for dead.
But who would want to hurt Dylan? Bea has a feeling it has something to do with the ruby ring he dug up in the allotment.
Then the discovery of a second body throws the townsfolk into full-blown turmoil. Now Bea must juggle small-town secrets, rivalries and murder with her growing feelings for Ant.
Can she dig up the truth before the killer strikes again, or has Bea finally planted the seed for her own demise?
AN ABSOLUTELY GRIPPING COZY MYSTERY FULL OF TWISTS AND TURNS AND LOVEABLE CHARACTERS.
Meet the workers of Kingsleigh Costsave. There’s Bea, a maths whizz with a heart of gold. Ant, a hapless high-school drop-out. And wisecracking Dot, in her late fifties and always beautifully coiffed.
BOOK REVIEW
Although this is Book #5 of The Supermarket Mysteries series, this was my first introduction to Bea and the crew at the Kingsleigh Costsave. It was wonderful to meet these characters and solve a mystery with them. Dot is a complete favorite of mine as we are in the same age group, and I love that our sleuths work together at a supermarket. I definitely want to go back and read the first four books. Set during the town’s annual garden show, this cozy was enjoyable and will keep mystery lovers guessing. Recommend!
I received a free copy of this book from Zooloo’s Book Tours. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rachel Ward
I’m a fiftysomething author of psych thrillers and cosy crime books for adults and thrillers for young for adults. I live in Bath, England, and have a husband, two grown up children and two dogs. I’ve been a full-time writer for 10 years, before which I had ‘sensible’ jobs.
I’m now writing crime for adults. My cozy crime series, The Supermarket Mysteries, is now published as ebooks with Joffe Books. The first novel in the series is The Missing Checkout Girl Mystery.
My debut psychological thriller, Safe With You, is published by HQ Digital and is out now.
For young adults, I have published the Numbers trilogy, The Drowning and Water Born with Chicken House UK. The first book came out in the UK in 2009 and the USA in 2010. My Numbers books explore the gift of being able to see death dates. If you looked in somebody’s eyes and saw the date of their death, would it change the way you felt about people? They’ve been published in 26 countries and optioned for film.
This was a pretty relaxing week. I got to do some reading and since I’m retired now, I forgot what day it was A LOT. Yesterday Doug and I went to the Apple Festival in Ellijay, Georgia with my Cousins Gil and Laurie. I liked it overall, but it could be improved. I got a new bread knife and bought some apples and fried apple pies, but there weren’t very many apple-themed booths, which I would think would be the point of an apple festival. I did have a good time. I bought a Georgia Apple Festival t-shirt from a guy who turned out to be from Fort Worth, TX. So there’s that.
Afterwards, we ate at the Pink Pig in Cherry Log, GA, which was pretty good.
Last week I didn’t post as much as I would have liked, so I’m making up for it this week. Hang on to your hat. I’m posting a bunch of reviews today and tomorrow.
NEW BOOK HAUL
Three Days in June Publisher Blurb: Gail Baines is having a bad day. To start, she loses her job—or quits, depending on whom you ask. Tomorrow her daughter, Debbie, is getting married, and she hasn’t even been invited to the spa day organized by the mother of the groom. Then, Gail’s ex-husband, Max, arrives unannounced on her doorstep, carrying a cat, without a place to stay, and without even a suit. But the true crisis lands when Debbie shares with her parents a secret she has just learned about her husband-to-be. It will not only throw the wedding into question but also stir up Gail and Max’s past.
The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree Publisher Blurb: Genevieve Charbonneau talks to ghosts and has a special relationship with rattlesnakes. In her travels, she’s wandered throughout the South, escaping a mental hospital in Alabama, working for a Louisiana circus, and dancing at a hoochy-kootch in Texas. Now for the first time in a decade, she’s allowed her winding path to bring her to the site of her grandmother’s Arkansas farmhouse, a place hallowed in her memory. She intends only to visit briefly – to pay respects to her buried loved ones and leave. But a chance meeting with a haunted young Vietnam vet reconnects her with the remnants of a family she thought long gone, and their union becomes a catalyst for change and salvation. Written by a naturalist and set on the land where her family roots stretch back two centuries, The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree is a haunting story about letting go and the things we leave behind, the power of names, and the ties that bind. It is both harrowing and triumphant, a visceral Southern debut as otherworldly and beautiful as it is unflinching and wry.
Stone Certainty Publisher Blurb: There are stories about the dilapidated stone circle at Chipping Amesbury, going back centuries. Of people going missing, never to be seen again. Of people found dead inside the circle. Of monsters, and of demons. The villagers may tell the tales with relish to visiting tourists, but a careful observer will notice that there is no transport to the stones, no tours on offer, and the locals stay well away. Alistair Kincaid, the youngest-ever bishop of All Souls Hollow, is an expert in Britain’s ancient stone circles. That’s why, when landowner Sir Neville Chumley announces his plans to restore the circle to its ancient glory, he agrees to take part in a documentary about the project. Well – that, plus talented actress Diana Hunt is on board. Ever since their last encounter, when the pair of them hunted ghosts and solved a murder, the tabloids have dubbed them the Holy Terrors, and Alistair can’t wait to see her again. But soon after filming begins, Alistair and Diana are plunged into a terrifying mystery. For the repositioning of the final stone unleashes a series of blood-chilling events that threaten to make them both believe in demons – if, that is, they make it out of the stone circle alive.
Question of the Day: What did you do for fun last week?
Indie Weekend is back! For those who don’t know, this is my effort to share Indie Books with as many readers as possible. I had to pause it for a while in June due to major life events, but I’m ready to start it up again. Below is a review, book description, and buy links for THAT DAY AND WHAT CAME AFTER, Rebecca Daniels’ memoir about her life with her husband Skip.
BOOK DESCRIPTION (FROM AMAZON)
What if you came home one day and found your husband dead in his favorite chair? This grief memoir explores the author’s experience of the unexpected death of her husband from sudden cardiac arrest a mere three months after his doctors had pronounced him hale and healthy. The author shares her experiences in the immediate aftermath of the abrupt shock of discovery, reminisces about the details of the couple’s late-in-life courtship and marriage, and imparts other experiences she has had along the grieving road in the years since becoming a widow.
In our society, we often don’t want to talk or even think about death, so stereotypes about widows exist. However, each person’s grief journey is unique, and sharing tales of those experiences can be helpful and useful for those who find themselves in a similar situation. Though not a self-help book, this memoir is the story of a widow who defied the stereotype that widows are expected to “get over it” and move on with their quiet lives. Instead, this widow “got through it” and is now sharing her journey in hopes of helping others in comparable circumstances.
BOOK REVIEW
In this touching memoir, Rebecca Daniels begins with the terrible day that she lost her husband, Skip. She also takes the reader on a journey back to their first meeting and allows us a window into their courtship, commitment ceremony, and marriage. She tells us about her grief journey and building a new life without her beloved husband by her side.
This is a moving story of a terrible loss and how the author found the ways of coping that worked the best for her. She shares parts of her journal and essays she wrote on being a widow, which I’m sure will be helpful for others. She also opens up about her fears, such as worrying that her stepdaughter wouldn’t want her around anymore. The book includes warm and loving stories about Skip that really give the reader a picture of who he was, and also who the author is. This is an open and honest memoir that may help others who have lost someone. Highly recommend.
I downloaded this book on Amazon via Kindle Unlimited, where subscribers can read it for free.
*If you read the book(s), please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books. Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.
*Please click on the WordPress “share” buttons below and share these books with your Twitter (X), Facebook, and/or WordPress followers. A little bit of assistance from all of us will help Indie authors go a long way!
Whew! Daylight is finally breaking through! My posts have been few and far between because of retiring, moving, trying to get organized, and my new Small Press Editor position with Historical Novels Review. I really hope things are back closer to normal now!
I have lots of books to catch up on. I just reviewed about ten for HNR, which will be posted on or after October 1st. I have a trip to Connecticut coming up on October 8th to watch my grandkids for a week. They are moving there this weekend. Other than that my schedule should be so much more open now that I’m retired. The best thing about retirement so far: I can nap whenever I want!
And, like many of you, I’m probably going to experience some backlash from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. I’m in the mountains of North Carolina, but lost power is a possibility, as well as fallen trees. We’ve filled up a barrel with water to flush the toilet with if the power goes out. We’ve also got extra drinking water and plenty of food. We hope everyone gets through this okay and we’re praying for NO damage or injuries.
If you are in the path of the hurricane, we are praying for you!!! Lord, please keep everyone safe from this hurricane! In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
If you haven’t had to evacuate, then hunker down and stay safe!
It’s March 1941 at the shirt factory in Ridley, Yorkshire. Ness is a typist in the office, and her friend Eileen works as a seamstress on the shop floor. Nobody could have imagined the consequences when as a result of a prank Eileen plays on her friend, Ness’s name and address ends up in the pockets of two shirts destined for Royal Navy personnel on active service. The fallout from Eileen’s action takes Ness on a challenging, life-changing journey where she must develop her talent for dressmaking and acquire the skills needed to run a business. It is not easy during wartime, when money is short, clothes rationing is widespread and negative attitudes prevail. Can she win through? Or will a painful secret she must conceal destroy her chances?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ninette Hartley is a writer, mother, grandmother, wife and teacher. She has followed many paths – from acting and dancing to magazine publishing, and even driving a pony and trap – but she has always come back to storytelling.
Ninette has an MA in creative writing and has been published in three short story collections. Her first memoir Dear Tosh, published in May 2021 was shortlisted in the Selfies Book Awards and long-listed in the Dorchester Literary Festival Writing Prize 2022. From 2008 -2016 she lived in Italy on an olive farm, returning to the UK to live in Dorset for eight years. Never one to stay in one place for long, she has recently moved to France where she plans to continue writing more works of fiction and poetry.
Loose Ends is her debut novel. You can read more about her on her website: www.ninettehartley.com and you can also follow her on social media.
This thought-provoking novel shows how an innocent prank can change lives forever. Ness’s friend Eileen is just trying to introduce some new men into her life, but when Ness’s address is slipped into the shirt pockets of two unknown men who are going off to war, Ness’s life will never be the same. Both of the men have life-changing impact on her, and it is not all positive. This puts Ness in a complicated situation, and her response helps her build a new life. I liked the plot as a whole. My only criticism concerns the villain in this story, who did not quite face the justice they deserved. The characters are well-written, especially Alf, and I liked the multiple points of view. This is contemplative historical fiction that shows how much each person’s every action, innocent or not, can drastically affect the lives of others. Recommend.
Thank you to Zooloo’s Book Tours for a free copy of this book. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
Thank you to The Book Date for hosting “It’s Monday!”
Hi everyone! I’m officially retired, but still working on our move. Doug brought down a second U-Haul truck Sunday, and we’re going back Monday to try and get the rest. Our little house is full! The second bedroom is crammed with boxes, and there is some finishing and painting left to do before we unpack a lot of them. But we are here, in the beautiful Smoky Mountains, and I am stoked!
I have been blogging less as life has just been so busy, but I miss it! My posts may be a little shorter but I’m going to try and blog more during this hectic time.
CURRENTLY READING
I’m reading several books for The Historical Novel Society, and they are due in a couple of weeks. I will post about them after the reviews are published November 1st.
WHAT I JUST FINISHED
WHAT I’M READING NEXT
I actually already started the Nora Roberts book, which is the second book in a wonderful series. I’ve usually got more than one book going at a time. The Christmas Tree Farm is one of several Christmas books that are coming out soon. Yep, it’s that time of year.
Question of the Day: What Are You Reading?
I hope you all have a wonderful week, and I will keep the blog posts coming!
My retirement is 12 days away, and life is going to change! I’m moving to Bryson City, deeper into the Great Smoky Mountains. I’m looking forward to it! Here’s a picture below:
Meanwhile, I’ve got a lot of good books to read. Here is what’s going on next week.
Monday: It’s release day for Liz Gauffreau’s poetry book, Simple Pleasures: Haiku from the Place Just Right,and I’ll be posting a promo tomorrow morning and a book review later in the day. Congrats, Liz!
Tuesday: I will participate in Top Ten Tuesday, time permitting.
Wednesday: My review of Gemini by Anthony Tye Rodriguez.
Friday: I’ll be participating in Book Blogger Hop, time permitting.
Saturday/Sunday: I hope to start posting Indie Weekend again.
Below please see my mini reviews of BEAR by Julia Phillips and THE WEDDING PEOPLE by Alison Espach. Click on the book covers to go to the Amazon link.
BOOK DESCRIPTION (FROM AMAZON)
They were sisters and they would last past the end of time.
Sam and Elena dream of another life. On the island off the coast of Washington where they were born and raised, they and their mother struggle to survive. Sam works on the ferry that delivers wealthy mainlanders to their vacation homes while Elena bartends at the local golf club, but even together they can’t earn enough to get by, stirring their frustration about the limits that shape their existence.
Then one night on the boat, Sam spots a bear swimming the dark waters of the channel. Where is it going? What does it want? When the bear turns up by their home, Sam, terrified, is more convinced than ever that it’s time to leave the island. But Elena responds differently to the massive beast. Enchanted by its presence, she throws into doubt the desire to escape and puts their long-held dream in danger.
A story about the bonds of sisterhood and the mysteries of the animals that live among us—and within us—Bear is a propulsive, mythical, richly imagined novel from one of the most acclaimed young writers in America.
BOOK REVIEW
BEAR is beautifully written. There are some absolutely gorgeous passages in this book. That’s not the issue I had with it. The plot moved too slowly, and it was hard to keep my attention because there wasn’t much happening. I also did not like the ending. It was a great premise with fantastic writing, and it still fell flat for me. I love great writing, but I NEED a compelling story.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
BOOK DESCRIPTION
It’s a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone. She’s immediately mistaken by everyone in the lobby for one of the wedding people, but she’s actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn’t here for the big event. Phoebe is here because she’s dreamed of coming for years—she hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband, only now she’s here without him, at rock bottom, and determined to have one last decadent splurge on herself. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well, Phoebe and Phoebe’s plan—which makes it that much more surprising when the two women can’t stop confiding in each other.
In turns absurdly funny and devastatingly tender, Alison Espach’s The Wedding People is ultimately an incredibly nuanced and resonant look at the winding paths we can take to places we never imagined—and the chance encounters it sometimes takes to reroute us.
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW
Phoebe checks into a luxury hotel, which she has chosen as her “happy place,” in order to commit suicide. She ends up meeting the bride and is included in the “wedding week” festivities.
This is an interesting premise, and the narrator does a great job, but I feel this book is too lighthearted for a suicide topic. Suicide is a dark, deep, devastating thing. I would have liked to see fewer wedding-related activities, and I would have loved for the author to delve more into the reality of suicide.
Overall, though, it is an enjoyable read. I think I would have liked it better if suicide wasn’t even part of it. I can’t embrace the topic of suicide in a comedy. Suicide isn’t funny.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from Macmillan Audio. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
QUESTION OF THE DAY: What do you think about putting the topic of suicide in a comedy?
You must be logged in to post a comment.