Book Reviews
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Strength in Song: The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir
Two words describe The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir–heartbreaking and hopeful. I liked the way it was written, a first person novel following the points of view of several members of an exclusively female choir. While the notion might not seem unusual now, it was previously unheard of in the book, and only formed because all of…
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Review: The Earl’s Mistletoe Match
The Earl’s Mistletoe Match by Ashtyn Newbold is the third book in the Belles of Christmas collection. However, it seemed to me the most powerful. It must have been the characters; their attitudes and motives are very real. They are not perfect, and they know it. They make decisions they regret. They struggle. It starts…
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Goodwill for the Gentleman: Emma & the Beast
The second novel in the Belles of Christmas collection, Goodwill for the Gentleman by Martha Keyes was a delight. It tugged at my heart in all the right ways; it was a balance of sadness and romance that kept me hooked. I love to read about tormented characters, and this book had just that. Lieutenant…
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Review: Unmasking Lady Caroline
Hoping to feel the Christmas spirit early this year while easing into my genre, I’ve been looking for Christmas-themed regency books. Imagine my delight when I found a collection exists of Christmas stories which bring to mind the smell of pinecones and the splendor of Downton Abbey! It’s called Belles of Christmas, and I have to say…
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Wild Strawberries: Angela Thirkell’s Warped Downton Abbey
Happy Halloween! On the most magical day of the year, I’m sure many of you are bracing yourselves for the winter, preparing to write novels, or simply enjoying your pumpkin spice while wearing oversized hoodies (I am). With a new novel to plan myself, I’m staying in today, but that doesn’t mean I’ll ignore the…
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Discovering The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley
This week, I am reading The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley. It is another book I found at the thrift store, and I found to my delight that the writing is bold as the woman’s red hair on the cover. Kearsley paints pictures so perfectly in my imagination that I am disconcerted when I need…
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The Empty House & Discovering Rosamunde Pilcher
If a story is good, if it has the author’s heart in it, the reader will never forget the day the book was read.
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The Written World by Martin Puchner
On the surface, The Written World looks to be a history book on the topic of literature. I discovered it was something deeper, far more delightful. Author Martin Puchner has a love for books much like my own; this book is his journey to find the soul of literature, the source of her power, the…
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The Captain’s Daughter by Jennifer Delamere + Author Q&A!
I enjoy it when historical fiction books are written in different settings. So many seem to take place during the Season or inside of country houses. Though these books are enjoyable, a different setting ensures that I will remember the story. The Captain’s Daughter by Jennifer Delamere provided a new setting. A good deal of…
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The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
After one month in its pages, I have finished The Pickwick Papers. It is part of my 2019 Classic Novel Challenge, one of the longer ones on the list. I’m unable to critique writing by my favorite author. How can I nitpick the gripping prose, the humorous twists and turns, the delightful poetry? I cannot…
Mariella Hunt & the Tearoom 