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Showing posts from October, 2018

Chills and Thrills! My Favorite Halloween Reads: Part 3

     Happy Halloween! This is the third and final installment in my creepy Halloween reads recommendations. I have enjoyed going back and remembering some of these fun and often spooky books! I hope you will find a few of these yourself and give them a read!      Strands of Bronze and Gold is a retelling of Bluebeard set in Antebellum south. This creepy retelling features ghosts of Bluebeard’s late wives that will be sure to send shivers down your spine!      The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter is a mash-up of science fiction and horror classics. There are allusions to Jekyll and Hyde, Frankenstein, and even Sherlock Holmes! If you loved this novel, be sure to check out European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman !      The Witch’s Daughter tells the story of a 384 year-old witch! The story is told between past and the present. This is a perfect read for Halloween for those who like your historical fict...

The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel: A Story of Sleepy Hollow by Alyssa Palombo: A Book Review

The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel: A Story of Sleepy Hollow Author: Alyssa Palombo Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery & Suspense, Fantasy Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin Release Date: October 2, 2018 Pages: 432 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: When Ichabod Crane arrives in the spooky little village of Sleepy Hollow as the new schoolmaster, Katrina Van Tassel is instantly drawn to him. Through their shared love of books and music, they form a friendship that quickly develops into romance. Ichabod knows that as an itinerant schoolteacher of little social standing, he has nothing to offer the wealthy Katrina – unlike her childhood friend-turned-enemy, Brom Van Brunt, who is the suitor Katrina’s father favors.      But when romance gives way to passion, Ichabod and Katrina embark on a secret love affair, sneaking away into the woods after dark to be together – all while praying they do not catch sight of Sleepy Hollow’s le...

Blog Tour: The Game of Hope by Sandra Gulland: A Book Review

The Game of Hope by Sandra Gulland Publication Date: June 26, 2018 Viking Books for Young Readers Hardcover & eBook; 384 Pages Genre: YA/Historical Fiction Source: This book was given to me by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: For Napoleon’s stepdaughter, nothing is simple — especially love.      Paris, 1798. Hortense de Beauharnais is engrossed in her studies at a boarding school for aristocratic girls, most of whom suffered tragic losses during the tumultuous days of the French Revolution. She loves to play and compose music, read and paint, and daydream about Christophe, her brother’s dashing fellow officer. But Hortense is not an ordinary girl. Her beautiful, charming mother Josephine has married Napoleon Bonaparte, soon to become the most powerful man in France, but viewed by Hortense as a coarse, unworthy successor to her elegant father, who was guillotined during the Terror. ...

Chills and Thrills! My Favorite Halloween Reads: Part 2

     This is the second installment of my favorite books to read during Halloween season! From creepy ghosts, to witches and Frankenstein's monster, these books will keep you awake at night! From turning the page is suspense or giving you the creeps, well...read for yourself and find out! Heart's Blood is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in Celtic Ireland. While it is a fairy tale retelling, it has a gothic setting and a chilling atmosphere! A young woman arrives in a town that has been cursed. There are also ghosts in this novel. Just by reading the first page, it will give you goosebumps! The Architect of Song is the first the Haunted Heart series, which is a paranormal trilogy set in the Victorian era. The heroine is deaf and is damaged by her past. I absolutely adored the love triangle between the heroine, the ghost, and the mysterious lord. The Architect of Song is an emotional coming of age tale. It is one of my favorite novels of all ti...

The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox: A Book Review

The Witch of Willow Hall Author: Hester Fox Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy Publisher: Graydon House Release Date: October 2, 2018 Pages: 368 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Two centuries after the Salem witch trials, there’s still one witch left in Massachusetts. But she doesn’t even know it.      Take this as a warning: if you are not able or willing to control yourself, it will not only be you who suffers the consequences, but those around you, as well.      New Oldbury, 1821       In the wake of a scandal, the Montrose family and their three daughters—Catherine, Lydia and Emeline—flee Boston for their new country home, Willow Hall.     The estate seems sleepy and idyllic. But a subtle menace creeps into the atmosphere, remnants of a dark history that call to Lydia, and to the youngest, Emeline.      All three daughters will be irrevocably changed b...

Chills and Thrills! My Favorite Halloween Reads: Part 1

Halloween is just around the corner! Are you looking for a spooky read that will give you a good case of the chills? Discover some great creepy reads in this 3-part series! From Jack the Ripper to Dracula and gothic stories, there is something for everyone! Jack the Ripper is one of the world's most infamous serial killers. He is more scary than Freddie Krueger. The Ripper's Wife is about the wife of James Maybrick, who most theorists believe to be Jack the Ripper! This is another book on Jack the Ripper! Audrey Rose investigates the murder mystery. This is a fun read and is perfect for Halloween! This is the sequel to Stalking Jack the Ripper ! Audrey Rose investigates a mystery of Vlad the Impaler's household. The most likely suspect is Dracula! This is another great Halloween read for it has an eerie setting and there are many references to Dracula! The Historian is a classic Halloween read! This novel delves into the folklore on Dracula! Th...

Blog Tour: The Secrets of Chateau Swansea by R. C. Matthews: A Book Review

THE SECRETS OF CHATEAU SWANSEA R.C. Matthews Genre: Gothic Romance Publication Date: October 1, 2018 Source: This book was given to me by Book Unleashed Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis:  A grisly murder leaves a haunted estate without an heir, and a powerful medium scrambles to find answers from beyond the grave.        Determined to escape the nightmarish memories of her childhood, heiress and psychic Maribeth Sommerset pursues the adventurous life of a psychic investigator, beginning with a murder and the spirits who hover behind at the haunted Chateau Swansea      Meanwhile, devoted steward of the chateau Arthur Dunn plays a dangerous game of deception to shield his employer's good name, landing himself at the top of Maribeth's suspect list.      Amid scandalous secrets and destructive lies, will Maribeth uncover the secrets of Chateau Swansea before the killer strikes again? ...

Mary B: An Untold Story of Pride and Prejudice by Katherine J. Chen: A Book Review

Mary B: An Untold Story of Pride and Prejudice Author: Katherine J. Chen Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Random House Release Date: July 24, 2018 Pages: 336 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: The overlooked middle sister in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice casts off her prim exterior and takes center stage in this fresh retelling of the classic novel.      What is to be done with Mary Bennet? She possesses neither the beauty of her eldest sister, Jane, nor the high-spirited wit of second-born Lizzy. Even compared to her frivolous younger siblings, Kitty and Lydia, Mary knows she is lacking in the ways that matter for single, not-so-well-to-do women in nineteenth-century England who must secure their futures through the finding of a husband. As her sisters wed, one by one, Mary pictures herself growing old, a spinster with no estate to run or children to mind, dependent on the charity of others. At least she has the sile...

Side by Side: A Novel of Bonnie and Clyde by Jenni L. Walsh: A Book Review

Side by Side: A Novel of Bonnie and Clyde Author: Jenni L. Walsh Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Forge Books Release Date: June 5, 2018 Pages: 320 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Texas: 1931. It’s the height of the Great Depression, and Bonnie is miles from Clyde. He’s locked up, and she’s left waiting, their dreams of a life together dwindling every day.        When Clyde returns from prison damaged and distant, unable to keep a job, and dogged by the cops, Bonnie knows the law will soon come for him. But there’s only one road forward for her.      If the world won't give them their American Dream, they'll just have to take it.       My Review: Side by Side begins where Becoming Bonnie ends. While Clyde is in jail, Bonnie impatiently waits each day for Clyde’s release. She hopes that once he is out of jail, they can buy a farm and live a happy life. However, when he is finally ...

Release Blitz of The Secrets of Chateau Swansea by R. C. Matthews

THE SECRETS OF CHATEAU SWANSEA R.C. Matthews Genre: Gothic Romance Publication Date: October 1, 2018 Synopsis:  A grisly murder leaves a haunted estate without an heir, and a powerful medium scrambles to find answers from beyond the grave.     Determined to escape the nightmarish memories of her childhood, heiress and psychic Maribeth Sommerset pursues the adventurous life of a psychic investigator, beginning with a murder and the spirits who hover behind at the haunted Chateau Swansea     Meanwhile, devoted steward of the chateau Arthur Dunn plays a dangerous game of deception to shield his employer's good name, landing himself at the top of Maribeth's suspect list.      Amid scandalous secrets and destructive lies, will Maribeth uncover the secrets of Chateau Swansea before the killer strikes again?      Don't miss out on this thrilling Victorian gothic romance! Add to Goodreads Purchase Links Amazon ...