amandasbookreview's reviews
966 reviews

"There are some delightfully original takes on several carols, with an especially one at the very end of the book chronicling, "The 12 Days of Christmas."

Check out my full review at InD'Tale Magazine:

 https://issuu.com/indtalemagazine/docs/may_issue_2022?fr=sMWU3MzQ5MzMzNjI

"Get ready to flush with second-hand embarrassment and maybe chuckle at this charming mess of a situation in this historical romance."

Check out my full review at InD'Tale Magazine:

https://issuu.com/indtalemagazine/docs/may_issue_2022?fr=sMWU3MzQ5MzMzNjI

 

Thank you, NetGalley, Bethany House Publishers, and Gabrielle Meyer for the opportunity to read this book! It was released on May 3rd, 2022.

What if you lived in two different times? In When The Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer that is exactly what Libby’s life is like. She is a time-crosser. Her first life is in 1775, but when she closes her eyes to sleep she begins her other life in 1915. When she turns 21 she will choose which life she prefers, but she could never return to that other life. In 1775, she has a family and a man that she loves, although the colonies are on the brink of war and times are dangerous. In 1915, her mother is cold, manipulative, and calculating. She is determined to wed Libby to an English Lord, as much as Libby tries to avoid it. There is no stopping her mother’s plans and circumstances in 1915 may now affect her ability to choose which time she wishes to return.

This is such a unique plot! At first, I wasn’t sure how the author would pull it off. But each chapter merged pretty seamlessly and kept with a smooth pace. I did appreciate all of the historical detail in each time period, especially with the treatment of women in both time periods. There are plenty of emotions as Libby makes her decision. At first, I was nervous that she would form an attachment to Reggie (her husband in 1915) even after the way she was treated. Trigger Warning: abuse, rape, and gaslighting.

I did enjoy Libby’s character development and how she had to learn about how her actions have consequences. Changing history may be what she wants but not what needs to happen. There are some religious aspects to finding out what God’s plans are and how to trust in God. Now, the ending was a little sappy–for lack of a better word, but there needed to be some happiness. I do hope there is a continuation after this book because I would love to visit other timelines and see what other historical characters appear. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

 

Thank you, Jennifer Saint, Flatiron Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. This book hits shelves everywhere, tomorrow, May 3rd, 2022.

Elektra written by Jennifer Saint is a mythological retelling about the generations of women during the time of the Trojan War. First, there is Cassandra. She is the daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba. She becomes the priestess to Apollo and ends up with the gift of prophecy, but it is not a gift at all. Then there is Clytemnestra, the sister of Helen of Troy, the wife of Agamemnon, and the mother of Iphigenia. There is a curse on the House of Atreus and Clytemnestra will stop at nothing to make sure her children are protected, but the curse is much bigger than she ever thought possible. And finally, Elektra. She is the daughter of Agamemnon. While the world sees him as a cruel warrior and leader, she sees him as her father. Her determination will aid in the break of the Curse of the House of Atreus.

Trigger Warnings: Rape, abuse, child death, sacrifice, war. parent death

Once again, I was completely enraptured by this story. I do have a weakness for mythology retellings. This book gives us the point of view of 3 very important female characters. Now, some may confuse this as a feminist retelling. I don’t think it is because the story is the same story we all know. The characters and the story haven’t changed, we just get to see their hardships, trauma, and grief. I do think this is a missed opportunity. I think some changes would be good to give a new voice to the characters we already know, instead of just rehashing the same story. While the story did come together perfectly in the end, there could have been more depth drawn out from the main three characters. The three points of view merge and make for a complete plot. While I am glad that all loose ends were tied up and each character complemented the story perfectly, maybe if there was one less character, we could have had more development or a unique voice.

However, I loved the detail. There is no doubt that Jennifer Saint knows her mythology and I do love that she made the Gods an important part of the story. A lot of retellings have them on the sidelines but this book makes them hold more responsibility for the events of the Trojan War. However, that does not take away the responsibility for the evil hearts of men. The men in this story are cruel and think of their own power which ultimately leads to their downfall. The women are just trying to survive. I can’t wait to see what Jennifer Saint will write next. I do hope for more powerful female voices overcoming the trauma inflicted upon them by men. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

 

I have been jumping between this Lady Sherlock series and the Lady Darby Mystery series and I must say I am in heaven, which is evident on my Storygraph statistics page. Mysteries have been making up 29% of my reads! I just love these mysteries that feature women in a male-dominated genre–especially when you add the historical and romantic aspect. The Hollow of Fear is book three in the Lady Sherlock series. This time around, Charlotte’s sister is visiting Lord Ingram’s Estate for a house party when she stumbles across a body in the ice house. It isn’t just any body, it is the body of Lord Ingram’s wife who disappeared at the end of last season. Now, Lord Ingram, who is Charlotte’s closest friend besides Mrs. Watson is under suspicion. Charlotte must find the murderer or her friend may face the hangman’s noose.

This book kept me on my toes until the very end! I am also pleased to report that Charlotte’s number of chins and the amount of food she eats is not viewed negatively in this installment. In fact, there is a moment when Lord Ingram refuses to be outdone by his brother when it comes to baked goods in order to please Charlotte. It was brought up so negatively in the last book, I almost didn’t continue on, but this book shared her love for baked goods without being obtuse.

Charlotte and Lord Ingram’s relationship has been flirting between friendship and love for quite some time. As one could imagine, the body of his ex-wife could put a damper on such a relationship. Well, you will just have to read the book to find out how that progresses. I was pleased with the ending and it is bringing to light a bigger betrayal than before I can’t wait to see what unfolds in the next book!

Just a warning, there are a lot of time-jumps in this book and switching from one point of view to the next. This is not a book that can be read as a standalone novel. I highly recommend reading the first two books before picking up this one. Overall, I enjoyed this book immensely, I rate it 4 out of 5 stars! 

 

Thank you, NetGalley, Bethany House Publishing, and Elizabeth Camden for the opportunity to read this book. It will release on May 3rd, 2022!

I absolutely adore Elizabeth Camden’s books! Written on the Wind is the 2nd book in The Blackstone Legacy series. I loved the first book in the series called Carved in Stone. This book is about Gwen’s cousin, Natalia Blackstone. She works for her father’s bank and is in charge of the loan and funding of the Trans-Siberian Railway. Being a woman in the year 1900 –is no easy feat. She works with Count Dimitri Sokolov who oversees the construction in Russia. They have developed a close friendship through their telegrams. However, Dimitri is a witness to atrocities committed by the Russian Army, he refuses to be a part of it and is stripped of his titles and exiled. He manages to flee to America knowing the only person who can help him cripple Russia is Natalia Blackstone.

Once again, Elizabeth Camden does a fabulous job at mixing passion, politics, and standing up for one’s beliefs. This book dives into the very fragile political alliances involving Russia and America and how image and money run the world in 1900. It was interesting to see Natalia’s development because she does not condone what Russia has done, but she does not want to see all of her hard work fail and if her reputation gets ruined, there will be no room for her at the bank. Even though Natalia is a woman in a very patriarchal society, she is still very privileged and I was glad that the author is quick to point that out. However, I did wish to see more diverse parts of New York in 1900. I am hoping that we will see more of that in book three since it looks like it will be Liam’s story.

One of the best historical detail is the slow rise of revolution in Russia. At first, it is just mere whispers, but then becomes one of the main points towards the end of the book. There are historical characters that we are familiar with that will make an appearance and we know that their time is limited.

I did love the chemistry between Natalia and Dimitri. Before Tinder, Bumble, and EHarmony there were…telegrams? In this book, yes! Natalia and Dimitri communicate via telegrams and their relationship develops from these correspondences. I loved reading the telegram messages. Dimitri is so lighthearted and melodramatic and Natalia is witty and sarcastic. It is obvious that they are meant to be.

Even though I loved this book, I can’t put into words how excited I am for book three! Liam has been my favorite character throughout the past couple of books and I can’t wait to see him shine. Overall, this book gets 5 out of 5 stars! 

 

Thank you, T. Kingfisher, NetGalley, and Tor Books for the opportunity to read this book!

Nettle & Bone is written by T. Kingfisher. This is the first book that I have read by this author and it won’t be the last. Marra is a princess. She watched her eldest sister get married off to a prince in another kingdom only to end up dead. It was an accident they say. Now, her second oldest sister, Kania has been married to him to keep the alliance. She is in danger and even though Marra has been living in a convent, she still wishes to save her sister. She seeks out a dust-wife. Once she completes three impossible tasks, Marra, the dust-wife, a knight, a dog made of bones, and a demon-possessed chicken go on a journey to break a curse that holds her sister hostage.

Trigger Warnings: abuse, death, pregnancy loss, child death

Well, color me surprised. The synopsis intrigued me, the cover gorgeous, but I was still nervous. But I was pleasantly surprised! This book is just so clever and unique. First, there is the random mesh of characters…but it works! Marra doesn’t fit in the world that she was born into but cares deeply. I loved watching her find her path. The star of this book is really the dust-wife. I pictured her as a spunky old witch, and I want to be her when I grow up.

There are references to well-known fairie tales but this book takes those tales and reworks them into something dark and so unique. I could not put this down and I hope this is not the last we see of this world and these characters. The book ends perfectly but you will not see me complaining if there is a book two.

One of my favorite aspects of this book is the dialogue. It is so witty and I found myself laughing out loud throughout this book!

Overall, I was completely captivated! I can’t wait for more! Also, just because the dog is made of bone doesn’t make him less real. You have been warned. 5 out of 5 stars! 

 

The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris is the book club pick for the Bookstorians! The Civil War is at its end, George Walker has just received word that his son, a confederate soldier has died. Due to the Emancipation Proclamation, freed brothers, Prentiss and Landry are trying to find their way up North to hopefully find their mother who was sold years before. They find themselves on George’s property and George hires them to help him work the land. They soon develop a close bond that will help them in the times to come. A discovered forbidden love leads to a cruel murder that threatens to tear the town apart.

This book is one of the most poignant, yet beautiful books that I have read this year so far. The style of writing is unique and once I was about fifty pages in, it flowed perfectly. Since this book takes place at the end of the Civil War readers will see the defeat but the seemingly endless pride of the South. Just because those who were enslaved were freed doesn’t mean things miraculously changed overnight. Newly freed Black Americans had to be careful just as much as before Emancipation. Particularly in the South, returning soldiers were angry about them stealing their jobs–we have heard this before. As they say, history repeats itself. The racism and cruelty will pull at readers’ heartstrings, but the way of thinking is evident that we in the present day still have a long way to go.

At first, I thought this story would be pretty straightforward but there were some surprising twists. Many of the characters took me by surprise. Once I got halfway through the book, the pace was relentless and I could not put the book down. I am still blown away that this is a debut novel and I can’t wait to see what else this author will write next. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

 I am flying through The Lady Darby Mystery series and while I do not want to stop, I also do not want it to end. Thankfully, I still have 7 books to go! A Grave Matter by Anna Lee Huber is book three in the series and we pick up with Lady Kiera Darby heading back to her childhood home to stay with her brother. She is still reeling after the death of her childhood friend. Her sister is almost to her confinement, so going home seems to be the best course of action. On the night of Hogmanay celebrations are being held and the traditions are in full swing when a man covered in blood enters the hall. The caretaker has been murdered and not only that a grave has been disturbed nearby. With no one else with experience to handle the investigation, it falls to Lady Darby who sends for Sebastian Gage. Together, they will discover that this is a serial grave robber who intends to put people in their graves as well as rob them.

The macabre continues! –this time with grave robbers! There is even a little more historical detail added in this installment, particularly details from the Jacobite Rebellion. With this book taking place in Scotland, it is no wonder that these events are discussed with much emotion. I also appreciated the details regarding Hogmanay and the traditions that mean so much to the Scottish people. Lady Kiera takes much pride especially when she must explain the reasons behind the celebrations.

While I do love the historical detail, the complex mystery, and the gothic aesthetic…my heart does lie with these characters. Sebastian and Kiera’s chemistry continues to grow and they are always helping each other. They both have something to learn from each other and something to teach each other. However, this book is also filled with secrets that threaten to divide Kiera and Sebastion. Plus there is the emotional heartache watching Kiera deal with her grief. It felt very real and anyone who has dealt with loss could relate to her range of emotions.

I hated when the book ended because I wanted more. I already have the next 3 books lined up and I can’t imagine it will take long for me to get through them. I rate this book 5 out of 5 wonderful stars! 

 

Many thanks to Jamie Jo Wright, NetGalley, and Bethany House Publishing for the opportunity to read this book!

The Souls of Lost Lake is the first book I have read by Jamie Jo Wright and I must say, it took me by surprise. A dual timeline that begins in the 1930s when Ava Coons at just thirteen appears from the woods covered in blood dragging an ax. Her whole family is murdered but how could a young girl commit such atrocities? Is it even possible? Well, the whole town thinks so. When there is another murder years later, suspicion falls on Ava once again. Only with the help of a young preacher and an old widow will she be able to hide from the tumultuous community. Meanwhile, in present-day a young girl has gone missing in the woods near Lost Lake, Arwen, also known as Wren has been helping with the search. In ways she can’t quite figure out, this disappearance has affected her deeply. Could this disappearance be linked to the story of Ava Coons who is said to still haunt this forest?

This book quite confused me. Here we have a ghost story, an ax serial killer, a romance, and a Christian message? Don’t get me wrong, I quite enjoyed it, but I didn’t expect this dark of a story. For those who are not religious, this book can still make an impact and those who are religious will love the message it brings. At first, I felt the dual timelines weren’t that cohesive. However, they did come together perfectly in the end.

The romantic aspects were pretty predictable but the development really enhanced the story and gave it some extra depth.

Two things bothered me. The first is the portrayal of mental health. At first, the stigma of mental health was portrayed as it would have been in the 1930s. But towards the end of the novel, it is insinuated that those with mental health issues are more likely to commit violent crimes. Those suffering from any mental health issues may feel that stigma emotionally.

The second thing I did not think would bother me at first. BUT BE PREPARED: SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Tolkien is a huge part of Arwen’s family.–Obviously since her name is Arwen. Her brother’s name is Pippin. Unfortunately, all of those who are obsessed with Tolkien is the dark characters in this book. It is silly, I know. But it is brought up so much about the love for Tolkien and then those characters are not the good characters. This doesn’t affect my rating at all. It was just something that made me frown towards the end. I will not tolerate any Tolkien-related slander.

Overall, this will not be my last Jamie Jo Wright book! I enjoyed the messages, even though the mental health stigmas could have been handled better. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.