Review: Under The Spanish Stars

Read from 10th – 21st September 2023

Synopsis: 

Charlotte Kavanagh’s beloved grandma Katarina Sanchez is gravely ill, so when she begs Charlotte to travel to her homeland in Andalucía to uncover the truth behind a mysterious painting, Charlotte agrees.  Taking leave from her soul-destroying job and stalled life in Australia, Charlotte embarks on a quest through Granada’s ancient cobble-stoned streets and vibrant neighbourhoods. There she meets Mateo Vives, a flamenco guitarist with a dark past, and through him she quickly becomes entangled in the world of flamenco and gypsies that ignites a passion she had thought lost. 

But the mystery surrounding the painting deepens, reaching back in time to the war-torn Spain of the 1940s and Charlotte discovers her grandmother’s connection to the Spanish underground. Who is her grandmother, really? What is Mateo’s connection to her family history? And why is finding answers to a family mystery turning into a journey of self-discovery for Charlotte?

Weighed down by secrets, betrayals and shattered relationships, Charlotte finds herself questioning the true meaning of heritage, family and love.

Bookish Things: 352 pages. The cover is pretty stock standard for this type of genre from a big publishing house. Didn’t really grab me or encourage me to read the book more than any other.

#Review: The Welsh Linnet

Read from 10-15th July 2023

Synopsis: 

England in the year 1642. Civil War looms between King Charles I and his Puritan Parliament.

The excitement of life as officers in King Charles I’s cavalry soon turns sour for brothers Will and Harry Lucie, drawn to the war like moths to a flame. The family divided by the conflict, their sister Bess becomes caught up in the deadly struggle and is forced to flee the family home. In the grim aftermath of battle, Harry is thrown together with grieving widower Gabriel Vaughan, a man concealing a dangerous secret.

From the slaughter of Edgehill to the defence of doomed fortress Basing House, the story of dishonour and betrayal plays out against the backdrop of real events and places, “this war without an enemie”.

Bookish Things: 470 pages. The cover is appropriate for the genre and feel of the book. This is the first book in the War Without An Enemy Series and happily book #2 is already out.

Review: All the dark souls

Read from 19th – 27th April 2023

Synopsis: 

Joss Brevyn is the last heir in a long line of executioners. Although a woman, the same rules still apply: kill the condemned within three tries, or be tortured and killed. Joss has yet to miss her mark, and even though she spends her free time as a healer, the town views her only as a deathsman. So when she and her assistant, Henrik, stumble upon a beaten man on the way home, both are hesitant to reveal who they really are. The only problem is, so is he.

Aric Kayden has seen better days. After failing to assassinate his last victim, he’s left bleeding on the side of the road until he’s found and taken in by Joss and Henrik, two seemingly innocent locals. Healing from his wounds, Aric is still haunted by the target he didn’t kill, especially by those who paid him. Despite the undeniable attraction between him and Joss, Aric can’t bring himself to tell the truth: that the masked figures who hired him knows where he is, and his original target is the mysterious prisoner who was recently sentenced to death. Forced to uphold the deal, Aric’s only job now is to make sure the execution goes as planned and eliminate whoever intervenes.

Bound by their duties, both Joss and Aric assume this next kill will be easy. But then one of them has a change of heart, sparking a chain reaction that could leave one—or both—of them dead.

Reblog: New Novel! — Laurie Boris

I’ve read several of Laurie’s books and always enjoyed them. I’m sure her new one will be no different!

I’m so excited to tell you that my ninth novel, Boychik, is now live on Amazon in ebook form. Here’s what the book is about: In 1930s Brooklyn, in the depths of the Great Depression, the son of a deli man dreams of making it big in Hollywood. A rich girl with family secrets fantasizes […]

New Novel! — Laurie Boris

Review: The Notebook

Read from 18 – 19 June, 2020

Synopsis: Set amid the austere beauty of the North Carolina coast, The Notebook begins with the story of Noah Calhoun, a rural Southerner recently returned form the Second World War. Noah is restoring a plantation home to its former glory, and he is haunted by images of the beautiful girl he met fourteen years earlier, a girl he loved like no other. Unable to find her, yet unwilling to forget the summer they spent together, Noah is content to live with only memories…until she unexpectedly returns to his town to see him once again.

Like a puzzle within a puzzle, the story of Noah and Allie is just the beginning. As it unfolds, their tale miraculously becomes something different, with much higher stakes. The result is a deeply moving portrait of love itself, the tender moments and the fundamental changes that affect us all. It is a story of miracles and emotions that will stay with you forever.

2016 Reviews completed!

I’m finally caught up to 2017 reviews… and it’s only July!

In 2016, I read 50 books.

Of those 50, I only rated two books 5 stars. Happily they were both Australian women writers! Kings Rising by C.S. Pacat and The Orchid Nursery by Louise Katz.

The rest of the break down went like this:

• I rated 16 of the books 4/5.
• 23 of them 3/5.
• 7 books got 2/5 stars.
• I rated one book 1/5.
• I couldn’t finish one book.

How did you go in 2016? Are you trying to challenge yourself with a reading challenge this year?

Stay tuned for my 2017 reviews coming soon.