Review of “The Chisholm Trail Bride” (The Daughters of the Mayflower #12) by Kathleen Y’Barbo

Y’Barbo, Kathleen. The Chisholm Trail Bride. Uhrichville, OH: Barbour Books, 2020.

eBook | $10.99 USD | ISBN-13: 978-1643522890 | 256 pages | Christian Fiction/Historical Romance/Western

 Blur

Stubborn Hearts Clash on a Cattle Drive

Eliza Gentry’s pursuit of marriage to the son of her family’s sworn enemy has cost her greatly. Furious at his daughter’s choices, her father sends her off with the cattle drive heading toward Fort Worth and the Barnhart ranch, but under the watchful eye of Wyatt Creed, a Pinkerton man he has hired to see to her safety. With danger at every turn—not the least of which to his heart—can Wyatt Creed keep his focus with Eliza Gentry around? Is the Chisholm Trail a place for falling in love or a place to die at the hands of cattle thieves?

Join the adventure as the Daughters of the Mayflower series continues with The Chisholm Trail Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo

In the  series:
The Mayflower Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse – set 1620 Atlantic Ocean
The Pirate Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo – set 1725 New Orleans
The Captured Bride by Michelle Griep – set 1760 during the French and Indian War
The Patriot Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse – set 1774 Philadelphia
The Cumberland Bride by Shannon McNear – set 1794 on the Wilderness Road
The Liberty Bride by MaryLu Tyndall – set 1814 Baltimore
The Alamo Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo – set 1836 Texas
The Golden Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse – set 1849 San Francisco
The Express Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse – set 1860 Utah

The Rebel Bride by Shannon McNear – set 1863 Tennessee
The Blizzard Bride by Susanne Dietze – set 1888 Nebraska

Review

3 stars

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Chisolm Trail Bride is the twelfth (and last?) in the Daughters of the Mayflower series, and the second I’ve read. And while I liked the previous book, this one felt more underwhelming, and it could be down to the fact that I gel with this author’s style less, although it is hard to make that call with just the one book.

One thing I did really enjoy is the Y’Barbo’s way of recreating the setting. Given she lives in Texas, I love that she’s introducing her home state to readers who live across the country (maybe even the world?) and educating them about its places and history. 

A lot is great in theory. the central conflict of father and daughter over her disobedience works. And the relationship between childhood friends Eliza and Wyatt is nice. I don’t find it particularly memorable, but it was a sweet relationship, and there’s decent stakes. 

But even though there was a great setup, I didn’t feel like it went anywhere interesting, especially with an attempt to add suspense to the narrative that wasn’t suspenseful and relied mostly on convenience.

This one was mostly not for me, but I do see why it would appeal to people more withbin the target demographic of more devoted Christian Fiction readers. If you love that genre and have an interest in Texas, I think this book may be right up your alley. 

Author Bio

Bestselling author Kathleen Y’Barbo is a multiple Carol Award and RITA nominee of more than eighty novels with almost two million copies in print in the US and abroad.

A tenth-generation Texan and certified paralegal, she has been nominated for a Career Achievement Award as well a Reader’s Choice Award and is the winner of the Inspirational Romance of the Year by Romantic Times magazine.

To connect with her through social media, check out the links on her website at www.kathleenybarbo.com.

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Review of “The Other Bennet Sister” by Janice Hadlow

Hadlow, Janice. The Other Bennet Sister. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2020.

eBook | $14.99 USD | ISBN-13: 978-1250129437 | 480 pages | Historical Fiction

Blurb

Mary, the bookish ugly duckling of Pride and Prejudice’s five Bennet sisters, emerges from the shadows and transforms into a desired woman with choices of her own.

What if Mary Bennet’s life took a different path from that laid out for her in Pride and Prejudice? What if the frustrated intellectual of the Bennet family, the marginalized middle daughter, the plain girl who takes refuge in her books, eventually found the fulfillment enjoyed by her prettier, more confident sisters? This is the plot of The Other Bennet Sister, a debut novel with exactly the affection and authority to satisfy Austen fans.

Ultimately, Mary’s journey is like that taken by every Austen heroine. She learns that she can only expect joy when she has accepted who she really is. She must throw off the false expectations and wrong ideas that have combined to obscure her true nature and prevented her from what makes her happy. Only when she undergoes this evolution does she have a chance at finding fulfillment; only then does she have the clarity to recognize her partner when he presents himself—and only at that moment is she genuinely worthy of love.

Mary’s destiny diverges from that of her sisters. It does not involve broad acres or landed gentry. But it does include a man; and, as in all Austen novels, Mary must decide whether he is the truly the one for her. In The Other Bennet Sister, Mary is a fully rounded character—complex, conflicted, and often uncertain; but also vulnerable, supremely sympathetic, and ultimately the protagonist of an uncommonly satisfying debut novel.

Review

3 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I’ve always felt some kinship with Mary Bennet as the sister with the least prospects in Pride and Prejudice, and have always found myself disappointed with the overall execution of the stories, even though they do interesting things with her character. The Other Bennet Sister, sadly, was another such disappointment.

Mary’s character is still probably the best part of the book. I enjoyed seeing the first part of P&P from her perspective to start off, providing context to the situation the Bennet family’s financial uncertainty. I also like how, even though Hadlow is yet another author who doesn’t fully deliver on it, she entertains the idea that Mary saw Mr. Collins as a suitable match in a practical sense, as well as their sharing similar interests, which makes a good jumping-off point for her to compare to as she begins to come into her own and actually experience love.

But this book was so long, and it felt tedious at times. I appreciate it objectively from an artistic standpoint, as it highlights the journey Mary goes on perfectly, but there was so much of it that was so boring, I ended up skimming in hopes of getting it over with. And I don’t know that I fully felt engrossed by Hadlow’s style either, as it failed to fully engross me.

This was kind of just ok, but I think this of one of the better books about Mary Bennet I’ve read. I think if you love Austen, it’;s wotth a try, to see if you love it more than I do.

Author Bio

Janice Hadlow worked at the BBC for more than two decades, an for ten of those years she ran BBC Two and BBC Four, two of the broadcaster’s major television channels. She was educated at Swanley School in Kent and graduated with a first-class degree in history from King’s College London. She is the author of A Royal Experiment, a biography of Great Britain’s King George III. She currently lives in Edinburgh. The Other Bennet Sister is her first novel.

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Review of “Across the Way” (The Neighbors #3) by Mary Monroe

Monroe, Mary. Across the Way. New York: Dafina, 2020.

eBook | $12.49 USD | ISBN-13: 978-1496716194 | 288 pages | Historical Fiction

Blurb

Neighborhood tensions reach a breaking point in the finale of New York Times bestselling author Mary Monroe’s captivating series that sweeps readers back to 1930’s Alabama and into the lives of two neighboring couples whose deceitful friendships and imperfect marriages are just the beginning of their troubles…

In this captivating Depression-era set novel by New York Times bestselling author Mary Monroe, two couples find their grudges endangering more than their Alabama small town’s deceptive peace . . .

When good-time couple Milton and Yvonne Hamilton moved one house over from the respectable-but-restless Odell and Joyce Watson, it was a fast friendship of shared secrets–and secret jealousies and betrayals. Their alliance was bound to crash and burn, but the Hamiltons won’t quite let the flame die out, even after scandalous accusations get them arrested…

Odell would do anything to be free of his bootlegging, blackmailing, money extorting neighbors and recover the peaceful–and financially prosperous–life he and Joyce once had. But Milton and Yvonne seem to always bounce back from bad luck, and this time they’ve returned angrier, and greedier, than ever. Determined to get what Odell “owes” them, the Hamiltons have a big surprise for Joyce too, one that shows how far they will go to get revenge . . .

Now pushed past his breaking point, Odell is sure he’s got a foolproof plan to end the scheming once and for all. But it soon spirals into lies, shattering violence, and permanent damage that will roil their tranquil community, and alter his and Joyce’s world forever . . .

In the series

One House Over

Over the Fence

Review

4.5 stars

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Across the Way is the conclusion to The Neighbors trilogy, and what an end it is! While in some places it does continue with the leisurely, yet suspenseful pace of the first two, there is a lot of action at last, as tensions come to a head between the titular neighbors due to the secrets and blackmail.

And while Milton, Yvonne, and especially Odell have always been shady or scummy, I enjoyed seeing them try to thwart each other, especially when things finally came to a head, fulfilling a promise that had been in place over the course of the series.

And while Joyce has her flaws, I sympathized with her, her somewhat controversial choice in the midst of it, and her conflicting emotions in the aftermath of it all regarding the actions and motives of all three of them. And she finally gets her confrontation with Betty Jean, and while it did not come about in the context I was expecting, I enjoyed it.

This book makes all the drama, repetition, and slow pacing worth it, as it delivers the perfect conclusion with exactly what each of the central characters deserves. If you love books about unlikable characters and nefarious deeds, pick up this series!

Author Bio

I am the third child of Alabama sharecroppers and the first and only member of my family to finish high school. I never attended college or any writing classes. I taught myself how to write and started writing short stories around age four. I spent the first part of my life in Alabama and Ohio and moved to Richmond, California in 1973. I have lived in Oakland since 1984.

My first novel THE UPPER ROOM was published by St. Martin’s Press in 1985 and was widely reviewed throughout the U.S. and in Great Britain. An excerpt is included in Terry McMillan’s anthology BREAKING ICE. I endured fifteen years and hundreds of more rejection letters before I landed a contract for my second novel, GOD DON’T LIKE UGLY. It was published in October 2000 by Kensington Books. GOD DON’T PLAY is my seventh novel to be published, and it landed me a spot on the prestigious New York Times Bestsellers list for the first time! My eighth novel, “BORROW TROUBLE,” was released December 2006. My ninth novel, DELIVER ME FROM EVIL, was released September 2007 and my tenth novel, SHE HAD IT COMING, was released in September 2008, and my eleventh novel THE COMPANY WE KEEP, will be released March 2009.

I won the Oakland Pen Award for Best Fiction of the Year in 2001 for GOD DON’T LIKE UGLY. I won the Best Southern Author Award for GONNA LAY DOWN MY BURDENS, in 2004.

I am divorced, I love to travel, I love to mingle with other authors, and I love to read anything by Ernest Gaines, Stephen King, Alice Walker, and James Patterson. I still write seven days a week and I get most of my ideas from current events, the people around me, but most of my material is autobiographical. 

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Review of “Of Curses and Kisses” (St. Rosetta’s Academy #1) by Sandhya Menon

Menon, Sandhya. Of Curses and Kisses. New York: Simon Pulse, 2020.

eBook | $10.99 USD | ISBN-13: 978-1534417564 | 380 pages |YA Contemporary Romance

Blurb

From the New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi comes the first novel in a brand-new series set at an elite boarding school, that’s a contemporary spin on Beauty and the Beast.

Will the princess save the beast?

For Princess Jaya Rao, nothing is more important than family. When the loathsome Emerson clan steps up their centuries-old feud to target Jaya’s little sister, nothing will keep Jaya from exacting her revenge. Then Jaya finds out she’ll be attending the same elite boarding school as Grey Emerson, and it feels like the opportunity of a lifetime. She knows what she must do: Make Grey fall in love with her and break his heart. But much to Jaya’s annoyance, Grey’s brooding demeanor and lupine blue eyes have drawn her in. There’s simply no way she and her sworn enemy could find their fairy-tale ending…right?

His Lordship Grey Emerson is a misanthrope. Thanks to an ancient curse by a Rao matriarch, Grey knows he’s doomed once he turns eighteen. Sequestered away in the mountains at St. Rosetta’s International Academy, he’s lived an isolated existence—until Jaya Rao bursts into his life, but he can’t shake the feeling that she’s hiding something. Something that might just have to do with the rose-shaped ruby pendant around her neck…

As the stars conspire to keep them apart, Jaya and Grey grapple with questions of love, loyalty, and whether it’s possible to write your own happy ending.

Review

2.5 stars

I love Sandhya Menon’s work for the most part, and was excited by the premise of her Beauty and the Beast retelling, Of Curses and Kisses. But I feel like this one just wasn’t for me.

I did like both Jaya and Grey as characters. Both are dynamic and have arcs that made me root for them throughout. Jaya’s willingness to sacrifice for her sister was admirable, as was Grey’s journey to embracing himself and pulling away from his toxic family legacy. And while I didn’t find the romance earth-shattering, I think they have decent chemistry.

But Menon described this in an answer to a Goodreads question as “a contemporary. But it’s got ‘is it magic or isn’t it’ vibes,” and given I prefer stuff even straddling magic to be more well-defined into the fantasy realm with fairly strong world building and magic rules (although it doesn’t have to be complex), to the point of even rejecting most urban fantasy, I just wasn’t sucked into the presumption of magic she was building up. I did like that there was lore attached to it, but given the direction it ends up going in, I was left a little cold in that department.

And it just doesn’t have the same overall charm for me as her Dimple and Rishi books do. I’m eagerly awaiting the next book in that series later this year, but I saw it was announced that there would be two more of these, and while I like the school setting and wanted more of it, I just didn’t latch onto any of the secondary characters enough to care to see more of them.

As I said before, this was just not for me. However, I understand why others like it, and think if you’re into contemporary fairy tale retellings, you’ll love this book.

Author Bio

Sandhya Menon is the New York Times bestselling author of several novels with lots of kissing, girl power, and swoony boys. Her books have been featured in several cool places, including on The Today Show, Teen Vogue, NPR Book Review, Buzzfeed, and Seventeen. A full-time dog servant and part-time writer, she makes her home in the foggy mountains of Colorado.

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Review of “The Most Eligible Lord in London” (The Lords of London #1) by Ella Quinn

Quinn, Ella. The Most Eligible Lord in London. New York: Zebra Books, 2020.

eBook | $7.59 USD | ISBN-13: 978-1420149685 | 320 pages | Regency Romance

Blurb

In this captivating new Regency trilogy, bestselling author Ella Quinn picks up where her beloved Worthingtons series left off, as three Lords of London discover true love at last…

Handsome, rakish, incorrigibly flirtatious—Fredrick, Lord Littleton, is notorious. Lady Adeline Wivenly is resolved to keep him at arm’s length during her first Season—until she overhears another woman’s plot to trick him into marriage. Even a rogue is undeserving of such deception, and Adeline feels obliged to warn him—only to find herself perilously attracted…

In the past, Littleton’s charm nearly got him leg-shackled to the wrong woman. Now he’s positive he’s found the right one, for Adeline is everything he wants and needs in a wife. Her sense of justice is so strong she agrees to help him despite her mistrust. But can the ton’s most elusive lord convince the lady he is finally serious about marriage—as long as she will be his bride?

Review

3 stars

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I was a bit dismayed to see that Ella Quinn was starting a new series with The Most Eligible Lord in London, and not continuing with her Worthingtons series. But given that this, like the Worthingtons, is a spinoff of her flagship Marriage Game series, and she has even since added an installment to The Marriage Game since starting the Worthingtons, I don’t think the door is closed to her returning to them at some point. And there are some lovely cameos, as well as further fleshing out of some characters and a family that appeared in those previous works.

I like both of the leads, although I don’t know if they’re the most memorable Ella Quinn pairing I’ve read. I enjoyed seeing Littleton reckon with his rakish past and how it got him into trouble with a lady before, and atoning for that. And by introducing the unrepentant scoundrel Lord Anglesley to rival him for Adeline’s affections, it shows that in some cases, rakes do have the power for growth if they truly make the effort, while some others never change.

Adeline is kind of just…typical…I suppose? There’s nothing wrong with that…I like that she loves animals and has a sense of awareness to not be taken in by someone she thinks will hurt her. But there’s nothing that truly makes her stand out, and I just found her a little boring. And while there is an interesting conflict at first, it ultimately falls flat, with a lot of drama that ends anticlimactially.

However, Quinn continues to excel at including a sense of authenticity to her Regency world, in a way that also reflects some of the recent conversations of the past year or two in Romancelandia. She tackles the issue of slavery with sensitivity, and provided me with further context beyond the bare facts concerning both the abolition of the slave trade (1807) and the final abolition of slavery itself in the British West Indies (1833).

It’s very possible most of my gripes are just my “jaded by most historical romance” side coming out again, along with my fond memories for some of her earlier Worthington books, as some other early readers seem to enjoy it. If you’re love Ella Quinn’s other books, or enjoy historical romance with a good grasp of the Regency period, I recommend picking this up.

Author Bio

USA Today bestselling author Ella Quinn’s studies and other jobs have always been on the serious side (political science professor and lawyer). Reading historical romances, especially Regencies, were her escape. Eventually her love of historical novels led her to start writing them.

She is married to her wonderful husband of over thirty years. They have a son and two beautiful granddaughters, and a Great Dane named Lilibet. After living in the South Pacific, Central America, North Africa, England and Europe, she and her husband decided to make their dreams come true lived on sailboat for three years. After cruising the Caribbean and North America, she completed a transatlantic crossing from St. Martin to Southern Europe. She’s currently living in Germany, happily writing while her husband is back at work, recovering from retirement.

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Review of “The Sisters Grimm” by Menn van Praag

Van Praag, Menna. The Sisters Grimm. New York: Harper Voyager, 2020.

eBook | $14.99 USD | ISBN-13: 978-0062932464 | 448 pages | Fantasy

3.5 stars

Blurb

The critically acclaimed author of The House at the End of Hope Street combines love, mystery, and magic with her first foray into bewitching fantasy with a dark edge evocative of V.E. Schwab and Neil Gaiman.

Once upon a time, a demon who desired earthly domination fathered an army of dark daughters to help him corrupt humanity . . .

As children, Goldie, Liyana, Scarlet, and Bea dreamed of a strange otherworld: a nightscape of mists and fog, perpetually falling leaves and hungry ivy, lit by an unwavering moon. Here, in this shadowland of Everwhere, the four girls, half-sisters connected by blood and magic, began to nurture their elemental powers together. But at thirteen, the sisters were ripped from Everwhere and separated. Now, five years later, they search for one another and yearn to rediscover their unique and supernatural strengths. Goldie (earth) manipulates plants and gives life. Liyana (water) controls rivers and rain. Scarlet (fire) has electricity at her fingertips. Bea (air) can fly.

To realize their full potential, the blood sisters must return to the land of their childhood dreams. But Everwhere can only be accessed through certain gates at 3:33 A.M. on the night of a new moon. As Goldie, Liyana, Scarlet, and Bea are beset with the challenges of their earthly lives, they must prepare for a battle that lies ahead. On their eighteenth birthday, they will be subjected to a gladiatorial fight with their father’s soldiers. If they survive, they will face their father who will let them live only if they turn dark. Which would be fair, if only the sisters knew what was coming.

So, they have thirty-three days to discover who they truly are and what they can truly do, before they must fight to save themselves and those they love.

Review

3 stars

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Sisters Grimm drew my attention immediately due to the fairy tale allusions, even though the blurb suggested it was going in a different direction than a straightforward retelling. However, while it is a bit…odd…in places, it is a book that, if you have the patience , you’ll find it has a whimsical charm combined with a darker edge once it all comes together.

This book has multiple perspectives: first person, second, and third, and jumping between the past and present. The main thing I found jarring is the difference in Goldie’s first person narrative and the third person of the other sisters and the soldier Leo. And the second person segments seem primarily evocative, for the purpose of transporting the reader to Everwhere, but there was no real reason for it to be written that way.

The romance between Goldie and Leo also felt incredibly toxic, given his motivations, and the fact that the revelations does not sway her emotions proves that love truly is blind to reason. And given the trauma in her past, I’m doubly disappointed to see her fall for someone so unworthy of her.

However, I did enjoy the mystical connection between the sisters, and the way it began to become clearer as the book went on how they’re connected and taking on their destinies. I was bummed at the way it was all tied together so quickly. However, it does seem to be only the first in a trilogy, so I have hopes things will improve from there and am willing to give this series another chance (or two) to see if it gets better.

This book has a fun premise, but it took too long to truly get started then ended too soon. I do think this is a fun book for what it is, and it does feel Gaiman-esque, as the blurb suggests. So, if you like that style of fantasy, then maybe this is the book for you.

Author Bio

Menna van Praag studied modern history at Oxford University. She was a reader for BBC Films and TV and still works as a freelance script editor/consultant. She is the author of five novels, including The House at the End of Hope Street and The Dress Shop of Dreams, and the novella Men, Money, and Chocolate, which has been translated into twenty-six languages. She lives in Cambridge, England with her husband an two children.

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Review of "Dear Enemy" by Kristen Callihan

Callihan, Kristen. Dear Enemy. Seattle, Montlake Romance, 2020.

eBook | $3.99 USD | ISBN-13: 978-1542016773 | 392 [ages | Contemporary Romance

Blurb

From New York Times bestselling author Kristen Callihan comes a smart, emotional contemporary romance about finding love with the most unlikely of people.

As kids, they hated each other. Macon Saint was beautiful, but despite his name, Delilah knew he was the devil. That he dated her slightly evil sister, Samantha, was no picnic either. When they broke up, it was a dream come true: Delilah never had to see him again.

Ten years later, her old enemy sends a text.

Delilah’s sister has stolen a valuable heirloom from Macon, now a rising Hollywood star, and he intends to collect his due. One problem: Sam has skipped town.

Sparks still sizzle between Macon and Delilah, only this heat feels alarmingly like unwanted attraction. But Delilah is desperate to keep her weak-hearted mother from learning of her sister’s theft. So she proposes a deal: she’ll pay off the debt by being Macon’s personal chef and assistant.

It’s a recipe for disaster, but Macon can’t stop himself from accepting. Even though Delilah clearly hates him, there’s something about her that feels like home. Besides, they’re no longer kids, and what once was a bitter rivalry has the potential to be something sweeter. Something like forever.

Review

3 stars

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Dear Enemy was my first contemporary by Kristen Callihan, and I had no idea what to epect, having only read her Darkest London series prior to this one. However, I have heard a few raves from other advance reviewers, and I was intrigued by this premise, even if enemies-to-lovers is hard to do well.

This book hits the mark of what the trope is almost immediately, showing two people who an’t stand each other, but at heart, do have things in common and even some respect for one another that hint and deeper underlying feelings. There is some danger of it falling into the “he only does these things because he likes you,” but this is a discussion that is had in the book, and the way it’s subverted is done fairly well, even if the later execution of the relationsihp development did leave me feeling a little cold. .

I could relate to Delilah and the sense of feeling less than, both in comparison to her sister and in the eyes of others. That this sometimes manifested in her mind in Macon’s voice is somewhat troubling and does color their present romance in an odd light, but after mentioning this, she does say that there’s a flip side to his influence on her as well.

I also enjoyed that there is a bit of reckoning with her sister, without them ending up reconciling and being all buddy-buddy by the end. It struck the perfect balance between the heroine and antagonist seeing each other’s perspective, but the former not forgiving the latter for being horrible to them in the past.

Macon left less of an impression on me as a character in his own right. I enjoyed the fact that he did manage to succeed in spite of coming from a less spectacular childhood, but I found a lot of the rest of it just borrowed too heavily from familiar cliches with broody heroes, and I wanted a little more depth. Plus, he calls Delilah “Tater Tot” constantly…I like pet names as much as the next person, but it just felt so hammered in and forced. Those two factors led to me feelings generally lukewarm as things heated up between them, even though I do acknowledge they work well as a couple.

This was a generally enjoyable contemporary romance, but maybe just not really for me in some ways. But if you are more of a fan of contemporary romance and enemies to lovers, I recommend this, as it is a solid read with a great heroine.

Author Bio

Kristen Callihan is an author because there is nothing else she’d rather be. She is a RITA winner and three-time nominee and winner of two RT Reviewer’s Choice awards. Her novels have garnered starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and the Library Journal, as well as being awarded top picks by many reviewers. Her debut book FIRELIGHT received RT Magazine’s Seal of Excellence, was named a best book of the year by Library Journal, best book of Spring 2012 by Publisher’s Weekly, and was named the best romance book of 2012 by ALA RUSA. When she is not writing, she is reading.

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Review of "Kill the Queen" (Crown of Shards #1) by Jennifer Estep

Estep, Jennifer. Kill the Queen. New York: HarperVoyager, 2018.

Paperback | $16.99 USD | ISBN-13: 978-0062797612 | 465 pages | Fantasy

Blurb

Gladiator meets Game of Thrones: a royal woman becomes a skilled warrior to destroy her murderous cousin, avenge her family, and save her kingdom in this first entry in a dazzling fantasy epic from the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Elemental Assassin series—an enthralling tale that combines magic, murder, intrigue, adventure, and a hint of romance

In a realm where one’s magical power determines one’s worth, Lady Everleigh’s lack of obvious ability relegates her to the shadows of the royal court of Bellona, a kingdom steeped in gladiator tradition. Seventeenth in line for the throne, Evie is nothing more than a ceremonial fixture, overlooked and mostly forgotten.

But dark forces are at work inside the palace. When her cousin Vasilia, the crown princess, assassinates her mother the queen and takes the throne by force, Evie is also attacked, along with the rest of the royal family. Luckily for Evie, her secret immunity to magic helps her escape the massacre.

Forced into hiding to survive, she falls in with a gladiator troupe. Though they use their talents to entertain and amuse the masses, the gladiators are actually highly trained warriors skilled in the art of war, especially Lucas Sullivan, a powerful magier with secrets of his own. Uncertain of her future—or if she even has one—Evie begins training with the troupe until she can decide her next move.

But as the bloodthirsty Vasilia exerts her power, pushing Bellona to the brink of war, Evie’s fate becomes clear: she must become a fearsome gladiator herself . . . and kill the queen. 

Review

4 stars

I’ve heard a lot of raves about Kill the Queen, and apparently so have many others, as I had to wait a looong time in the queue for this at the library, and in that time, I did have some second thoughts about “what if it doesn’t live up to my expectations?” But for the moment, when I’m looking for a fun fantasy escape with good defeating evil, it works.

The worldbuilding is a lot of fun, and strikes a great balance of getting the point across without beating you over the head with it. Some might feel the blend of different aspects, from the medieval to the 18th century to even the modern, feels a little jarring, but I didn’t find it overly so, given it does a fairly good job of balancing those elements.

While there is a sense of the familiar “coming into her own” about Everleigh’s story, it’s done in a way that you don’t mind that other YA/NA fantasy books have tread similar territory, and there’s enough originality and likability to make it fun.

The only thing I wasn’t sold on is the romance, as it’s another case where it’s there but it’s trying not to overtake the plot to the point where I just didn’t care about it. I think it has the potential to develop further in future installments. Although I do hope there’s further development in other areas, as there is such a sense of completeness to the story as it is in this book, that I don’t know if the successors will screw it up or not.

This book has a lot of promise, and one I would recommend to anyone who is looking for a well-done fantasy with a warrior female lead.

Author Bio

Jennifer Estep is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author who prowls the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea.

Jennifer is the author of the Crown of Shards, Elemental Assassin, Mythos Academy, Bigtime, and Black Blade fantasy series. She has written more than 35 books, along with numerous novellas and stories.

In her spare time, Jennifer enjoys hanging out with friends and family, doing yoga, and reading fantasy and romance books. She also watches way too much TV and loves all things related to superheroes.

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Blog Tour Post: "Once a Rake, Always a Rogue" (Potions and Passions #3) by Catherine Stein (Review and Giveaway)

Stein, Catherine. Once a Rake, Always a Rogue. [United States]: Catherine Stein, 2020.

eBook | $4.99 USD | ISBN-13: 978-1949862140 | 392 pages | Victorian Romance/Steampunk

Blurb

He’s mended his ways.

Dr. Ernest Montford has left behind his rakish youth for a respectable life mixing medicinal potions and helping patients. So when his best friend’s sister is threatened with incarceration in an asylum, he rushes to help. But Lady Astrid Wembley isn’t keen to heed Monte’s medical advice. Worse, she’s part of his wild past: the mysterious girl he could never forget.

But the woman he can’t forget…

Astrid has fond memories of her long-ago passionate encounter on the beach. Unfortunately, the Monte who kissed her so thoroughly that day shows little resemblance to the stuffy, abstemious doctor with absurd health advice. Still, she has little choice but to put up with him until her sanity is proven and she can return to her life of scientific study.

Might be his undoing.

Dangerous potions and unethical experiments await Astrid if she fails, and only with Monte’s help can she expose the true horrors of the asylum and thwart the plans of the men controlling it. But the longer Astrid and Monte are together, the more their old passion sparks, and the more she longs to unleash the rogue that still lurks inside him.

In the series:

The Earl on the Train

How to Seduce a Spy

Not a Mourning Person

https://www.catsteinbooks.com/potions-and-passions

Review

4.5 stars

I received an ARC from the author and event organizers (Enticing Journey Book Promotions) in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

With this third installment in the Potions and Passions series, Catherine Stein has another winner. And while this one did feel like a slower start for me in terms of investment, I soon found myself swept up again in her quirky, yet relatable characters and her infusion of magic into Victorian society.

That aspect of how the potions fit in remains my favorite part of the series, as it is such a unique element I don’t think I’ve seen other authors use, at least not in the same way. And with heavy discussion of the medical field as it was in the Victorian era, I loved seeing potions that worked as birth control, as well as fearing the possibilities of what they could do when dosing people in asylums.

Monte is a great example of a reformed rake to root for, who still has the best parts of his roguish side that come out when he’s around Astrid. And I deeply admired his reasoning for trying to be a better person, given he is a man with a vocation and needs to establish trust with his patients.

I adored Astrid. She comes from an eccentric family, and is in danger of being confined to an asylum unless her sanity can be proven, which, given what I know about what women were confined for in history, seems like an impossible situation. I loved her interplay with Monte as she lowers his defenses while they’re working together.

This book is absolutely wonderful, and the only thing I hated was that it ended. If you love any variation of historical paranormal, steampunk, or gaslamp fantasy, I recommend picking this up.

Author Bio

Award-winning author Catherine Stein believes that everyone deserves love and that Happily Ever After has the power to help, to heal, and to comfort. She writes sassy, sexy romance set during the Victorian and Edwardian. Her books are full of action, adventure, magic, and fantastic technologies.

Catherine lives in Michigan with her husband and three rambunctious girls. She loves steampunk and Oxford commas, and can often be found dressed in Renaissance Festival clothing,, drinking copious amounts of tea.

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Giveaway

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Review of "Anna of Kleve: The Princess in the Portrait" (Six Tudor Queens #4) by Alison Weir

Weir, Alison. Anna of Kleve: The Princess in the Portrait. New York: Ballantine Books, 2019.

Hardcover | $28.00 USD | ISBN-13: 978-1101966570 | 498 pages | Historical Fiction

3.5 stars

Alison Weir is a superstar in the world of Tudor history, known mostly for her nonfiction, but I’ve noticed her fiction tends to get more mixed reviews, and that is definitely the case with Anna of Kleve as well, as she straddles the line between the historical accuracy she’s known for and the sensationalism that made her peers like Philippa Gregory famous. But I was intrigued by this Six Wives fiction series, and while I didn’t like that she showed her infamous bias in the one for Anne Boleyn and didn’t have much interest in the Jane Seymour one, she did a good, if tried-and-true portrayal of Catherine of Aragon, and was curious which direction she would take Anne of Cleves.

And the portrayal is, by her own admission, controversial. I found myself taken aback at first by the revelation of the “secret” Anna, as she’s called here, carries. However, given that she’s primarily known for being divorced by the King and escaping with her life and good fortune, but the situation would likely have tainted her and made her unattractive to most diplomatic marriage partners, I found it kind of nice to imagine the possibility that she did have a bit of happiness.

However, I found the book a bit tedious in places, particularly once she is divorced and time begins to skip ahead. I feel like things could have cut off there and we wouldn’t have missed much, especially if we’re continuing the story through the next two wives anyway. I did like seeing bits of her perspective following Henry’s death, with the regime changes in Edward and Mary’s reign, and was shocked to learn that her being under suspicion in the wake of Wyatt’s rebellion due to her connection to Elizabeth was based in fact. But that whole latter part mostly felt disjointed, and I could have done with less of it.

This an entertaining, if a bit unnecessarily long, book. I recommend it to anyone who loves Tudor historical fiction and doesn’t mind a bit of poetic license in the plot.

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