Tag: historical fiction

The Cuban Heiress by Chanel Cleeton | ARC Review

Posted April 10, 2023 in Books, Reviews / 1 Comment

I’ve had the privilege of receving ARCs for several Chanel Cleeton’s Cuba inspired historical fiction books, and they have never let me down. I’m pleased that The Cuban Heiress continues this tradition, as I thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced historical mystery! Set aboard the real-life cruise ship the SS Morro Castle, the novel follows two women, Elena and Catherine, who are both on the ship at the same time for its week long journey from New York to Havana and back again. Told in alternating POVs, both women’s true motives slowly unravel- and eventually intertwine- over the course of the […]

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus | Review

Posted March 6, 2023 in Books, Reviews / 0 Comments

I ADORE a good historical fiction novel, and Lessons in Chemistry did not disappoint! I honestly didn’t know much about the book other than always seeing it featured on blogs and book lists last year, and seeing even my non bookish friends reading and posting about it. I decided to request it on a whim from my library and was like 128th in the hold line (lol) when I was selected for a “lucky day” copy (basically a copy with a shorter check out date that you can’t renew). I immediately jumped on downloading it to my Kindle and went […]

An Indiscreet Prince by Georgie Blalock | Review

Posted January 16, 2023 in Books, Reviews / 1 Comment

I love a good historical fiction novel and have been on a kick with watching British Monarchy content lately (probably thanks to the latest season of The Crown on Netflix). I’ve especially started being more intrigued by the lesser known royal figures who often had fascinating stories of their own. I believe I came across An Indiscreet Princess while browning Goodreads one day, and was immediately interested in a story regarding Queen Victoria’s most rebellious daughter. I decided to give it a shot and really enjoyed this novel exploring the life of Princess Louise and her fight for freedom from […]

Our Last Days in Barcelona by Chanel Cleeton | ARC Review

Posted May 16, 2022 in ARCs, Books, Reviews / 0 Comments

When I tell you that I LOVE the epic story of the Perez family that Chanel Cleeton has created, I am not kidding! Every installment in the series is an instant “add-to-TBR” book for me, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review an early copy of the newest addition to the Perez family’s history, Our Last Days in Barcelona. In Cleeton’s newest novel, readers follow eldest Perez sister Isabel who’s often been in the background as the dutiful, quiet sister. After a few years from their escape from Cuba to Florida, Isabel has been married off to […]

Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia (Harlem Renaissance Mystery #1) | Review

Posted July 26, 2021 in Books, Reviews / 1 Comment

I love a good historical fiction novel, so when I saw this 1920s story that was ALSO a mystery I knew I had to read it! Darker than I originally anticipated, Dead Dead Girls is a thriller set against a vibrant backdrop of 1920s Harlem. I was instantly sucked into the story by it’s action packed first chapter, which features a young Louise (our protagonist) being kidnapped and then managing to attack and escape along with several other girls the man had kidnapped. While it was a bit of a jarring intro to the book, it sets the stage for […]

Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare | The Last Hours #1

Posted July 27, 2020 in Books, Reviews / 6 Comments

I have to admit, I’ve been on a huge Shadowhunters kick this year. It all began when I decided to reread the TID trilogy in order to go into Chain of Gold fully prepared, which then led to reading all of the short stories and novellas I could that chronologically came before Chain of Gold (huge shout out to Dedra from A Book Wanderer for this handy list of what to read!) When I finally picked up Chain of Gold, my expectations were sky high, and I’m pleased to state that *most* of them were met! I love all of […]

The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton | ARC Review

Posted May 11, 2020 in Books, Reviews / 2 Comments

I’m a huge fan of Cleeton’s previous Cuban themed historical fiction novels, and The Last Train to Key West is no exception. Cleeton has created a fictional world of strong female protagonists exploring the nuances of Cuban and American politics across her companion novels, and while each story explores a fascinating mix of history, drama, and romance, I found The Last Train to Key West to be my favorite yet! The Last Train to Key West has subtle nods to Next Year in Havana and When We Left Cuba, featuring a protagonist who is Beatriz and Elisa’s aunt, Mirta, who’s […]

Daisy Jones & The Six | Mini Audio Book Review

Posted July 8, 2019 in Books, Reviews / 3 Comments

I will be the first person to admit that I did NOT think that this book was going to work for me. Though I adored The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, I still miss the days when TJR wrote adult contemporary romance and 60s-70s rock isn’t really an era I’m too familiar with (though I do love a good Fleetwood Mac song). I had heard from several reviewers that listening to this book was the way to go (which makes sense considering it’s a book about music) but I was surprised to find that the format was literally in interviews […]

Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin | ARC Review

Posted December 9, 2015 in Boyfriend Book Reviews, Reviews / 13 Comments

Boyfriend Book Reviews is a feature where my book-loving boyfriend, Max, reads and reviews YA that I either haven’t yet read or is outside of my current TBR. If you want a thorough and thoughtful perspective on a guy’s take on YA, keep reading! “Once, just once, Henryka had been thoughtful enough to ask Yael what she really looked like… Yael opened her mouth to answer and realized, with a start, that she did not remember. She did not remember. She did not remember. What kind of person forgets her own face?” –Graudin, 44-45. I don’t think I can […]

The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski | Review

Posted March 19, 2015 in Books, Five Star Reads, Reviews / 27 Comments

“People in brightly lit places cannot see into the dark.” How did I not read this book sooner? Sure I’d heard about it enough. I just went about my business, thinking this was nothing more than the usual and currently popular fantasy/dystopian YA love story. I am so delighted to have been proven wrong. I loved everything about this book, from the plot to the characters to the beautiful writing to the Greco-Roman inspired society. I don’t think I’ve been so passionate about a book since I finished Trial By Fire in January. The Winner’s Curse is the book […]