Monday, April 26, 2021

The Lady of Bolton Hill

 


****
PG
little bit {TMP} {SM}
Easily Recommend

I actually reread a book!
It is a rare thing :)
This was one of my earliest historical fictions that I read when I really started getting into my motherhood reading phase :)  This was also before I started book blogging so now I have the opportunity to actually write a review.
I love Elizabeth Camden!  She always has depth in her stories which I really appreciate.
In this one there is just a little bit {Too Much Passion} for me and her {Subject Matter} can get kind of heavy.  Also, the second time through I felt like character transformation was a little bit unrealistic but I still love the book :)
I can feel good about recommending this book...and there's a sequel :)

Thursday, April 22, 2021

Keturah and Lord Death

 


***
PG
Could Recommend But Probably Won't

A respected author highly recommended this book so I gave it a try.
I must not be very sophisticated in my literary taste because I struggled to see the draw.
It was kind of interesting but didn't make a whole lot of sense to me.
There was a touch of fantasy/magic/otherworldliness spread throughout.
It just seemed a bit odd and I didn't love it.  I don't know how else to put it.
I could recommend it based on cleanliness but probably won't based on my lack of appreciation for the story.

Wednesday, April 14, 2021

The Gentleman and the Thief

 


***1/2
PG
a tiny bit {TMP}
Easily Recommend

I liked this installment in Eden's Victorian Mystery series.
  As with the first, there could have been more mystery for me but I will take what I can get :)
It was cute, the characters were fine...nothing too exciting but worth a read.
I did feel like there was just the slightest bit more passion than what I normally expect in her books but of course, that is still pretty tame.
I could easily recommend this book based on cleanliness/content.

Friday, March 26, 2021

The Love Note

 


****1/2
PG
little bit of a {BSt} tiniest bit of {TMP}
Will Easily Recommend

Truly a lovely story!
I really like Joanna Politano because her books are more than just fluff.  She writes deeper and with meaning.  She also likes to incorporate bits of mystery of which I am always a fan!
This story keeps you guessing and has little twists and surprises throughout.
I liked her Point of View approach because she uses first and third person to relate the story and I found that very interesting.  (Maybe it's just because I'm taking a writing class and we recently discussed POV.  I don't know that I would have noticed otherwise :)
There is a bit of a {Backstory} towards the end and the slightest hint of {Too Much Passion} for my taste but otherwise a super clean novel that often points to God and His role in our lives.
I loved it and WILL recommend this book to friends!

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Refining the Debutante

 

***

G

Could Recommend


This book was okay...I didn't love it and I didn't hate it.  I can't think of any objections I had to it other than it didn't really have anything that set itself apart from all the other regencies.

I could recommend it but I am not eager to tell anyone about it so...there's that.

Maybe I was just in a blah mood when I read it :(

Thursday, March 11, 2021

The Duke's Brother

 


***
PG
{UM}
Recommendable

Even though there were a few {Uncomfortable Moments} I truly enjoyed this novella length story.
The main character, even though we don't get to know her too well, was very likable and unique.
There were a couple of things that bothered me a bit besides the {UM}...
First, the author twice uses the word "inferno" to describe a character...is not the correct term "infernal"?  Maybe it's appropriate since I have a hard time seeing that being missed in editing...but I don't know...it seemed off.
Secondly, the heroine is a lover of creatures, yet there is a scene where she treats one rather inhumanely in my opinion so that didn't work for me either.
Anyway, a couple of nit-picky critiques but the story is so short that they kind of stuck out to me.
Overall, I would feel comfortable recommending this book.

Friday, March 5, 2021

The Thief of Blackfriars Lane


 ***
PG
{BSt}
Could Recommend

I did like this book...
I feel like I need to put more things in the "objections" area of my rating but I don't know how to classify them.  There definitely was a {Backstory} that came out at the end...but then there were some other very mildly objectionable things throughout the rest of the book.  I just am not even sure what they are any more but I remember noting them in my mind at the time.  Again, they were very mild so I don't feel like it would change my mind on my ability to recommend the book.
Cute plot, fun characters and I, of course, always love a bit of mystery :)