The Mountains Wild by Sarah Stewart Taylor book review. Thank you so much to Minotaur Books for the free review copy; all opinions are my own. The Mountains Wild is available TODAY! Review… I inhaled The Mountains Wild over the weekend and I’m thrilled that this is the first in a new series! Set primarily in Ireland, this atmospheric mystery is unputdownable. The story is told in dual timelines between the disappearance in 1993 and the present day in 2016. There are fantastic characters and I loved the resurfacing of them from the past to the present. I’m always drawn to books with a strong setting and you certainly find…
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Last Christmas in Paris
Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb This story is told in letters primarily between Evie Elliott, home in London, and her brother’s best friend, Thomas Harding, starting as he departs for France at the beginning of WWI. Their correspondence gives us a glimpse into the experiences many faced during the war both at home and at the front. It allows us to see the change of attitude toward the war from the beginning till the end. It is both heartbreaking and beautiful and has a romance you’ll be rooting for. This book was at the top of my December TBR list last year after seeing so…
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The Bookman’s Tale by Charlie Lovett
The Bookman’s Tale by Charlie Lovett Book Review. “He closed his eyes for a moment, imagining the cocoon of books shielding him from all danger, inhaling deeply the familiar scent of cloth and leather and dust and words.” Antiquarian Bookseller, Peter Byerly, is reeling from the death of his wife. Moving to the English countryside he is daunted by the idea of beginning his life over again. In an old book he finds a Victorian watercolor portrait of a woman who looks like his late wife and it starts him on a journey. In seeking the truth behind the watercolor, Peter stumbles upon what may be one of the greatest…
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The Other Half of Happy by Rebecca Balcárcel
The Other Half of Happy by Rebecca Balcárcel Book Review. Twelve year old Quijana is trying to navigate a lot of difficulties- starting seventh grade at a new school, making new friends, her first crush, and now her dad is trying to get her to embrace her Guatemalan heritage. The problem with this is that he’s raised Quijana totally Anglo, never teaching her Spanish or much about her heritage. When some of her Guatemalan relatives move nearby all of a sudden he wants her to be more like her cousins. She’s trying to deal with that, her problems at school and now her beloved grandma is sick. I really adored…
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Save Me the Plums by Ruth Reichl
Save Me the Plums by Ruth Reichl – Book Review. I read Garlic & Sapphires by Ruth Reichl when I was a teenager and loved it! For whatever reason I haven’t read any of her other books. Actually I know the reason… I wasn’t aware she had other books! So I was so excited when I heard this one was coming out. Ruth Reichl awoke a new and deeper appreciation for food in me over a decade ago and it was so fun to remember why. This book focuses on her time as Editor in Chief of Gourmet magazine, but it still describes food in a way that will make…
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The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne – Book Review. Lucy Hutton is kind, fun, and easy going. Joshua Templeman is abrasive, uptight, and feared. The two hate each other. Lucy and Josh are forced to work together daily as executive assistants to co-CEOs of a publishing company, Bexley & Gamin. Their feud should ramp up when a promotion becomes available, but instead Lucy starts realizing maybe there’s more to Josh than she originally thought. Maybe she doesn’t actually hate him… I loved this one- the characters, the setting, the drama, and the banter! I read a few reviews after finishing and thought it was interesting how polar the opinions were…
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The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley
The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley – Book Review. Nicola was born with the gift of psychometry – she can touch an object and see a glimpse into its past. She was raised to hide and suppress her gift. When a woman arrives with a carving of a wooden bird at the gallery where Nicola works, she knows now is the time to use her gift, if only to help this woman. With the help of Rob, who shares her talent, she follows a young girl, Anna, into the past in the search for the truth behind the Firebird. I read the description for The Firebird many times and was not…
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Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson
Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson – Book Review. I always struggle with domestic thrillers- I love the genre, but there aren’t very many that my highly sensitive nature can handle! I asked around to a few other reviewers to help me decide if I could handle this one. It ended up being the perfect balance for me. Never Have I Ever is so incredibly bingeable- it’s fast paced with lots of twists and turns that constantly kept me guessing. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough! It’s got some good creepiness to it without getting too disturbing. There was one big thing that bothered my sensitive nature, but…
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Well Met by Jen DeLuca
Well Met by Jen DeLuca Book Review. This was a cute one! This hate to love rom-com is set against the local Renaissance Faire. Emily is in town to help out her sister, whose recovering from an accident. She gets roped into volunteering at the Faire in her place. What’s worse is having to deal with the know-it-all in charge, Simon, who she can’t stand. Well we know that won’t last… I found the romance in this one to be a bit sweeter than some of the others in similar genres. However, I also wish there was a bit more of it. There seemed to be a lot of time…
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Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane
Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane – Book Review. Summary Georgina has been unlucky in her work and her love life. When an opportunity comes up to bartend at a great new pub, she’s thrilled. It seems like the perfect new job with a likable boss until she learns who his brother and business partner is. Lucas was her first love. Now he’s standing in front of her a decade later- successful and heartbreakingly handsome while she’s insecure about her recent firing and breakup. It doesn’t help her ego that he clearly doesn’t even remember her. Review I adored this book! It started a bit slow for me,…
