★★ An enviably creative premise with some fun moments, but ultimately misses its mark (unless said mark was a new take on Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, of course). An enviably creative premise with some fun moments, but ultimately misses its mark (unless said mark was a new take on Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, …
★★★ An atmosphere that transports you to the back alleys of 1920s New York in stellar fashion, with engaging characters walking through a story that is just shy of being good enough for them Set around a speakeasy in prohibition era New York, Last Call at the Nightingale transports you to the world of Vivian …
Continue reading Last Call at the Nightingale, by Katherine Schellman
★★★ It doesn’t fit the bill of haunting or psychological, but it does evoke emotion. But anxiety and frustration are not likely what Barclay was going for. It doesn’t fit the bill of haunting or psychological, but it does evoke emotion. But anxiety and frustration are not likely what Barclay was going for. Centered around …
★★★★ Just enough inspiration from well-known favorites like Outlander to intrigue, with enough original fun to thrive on its own - looking forward to the next books in the series As a sometimes rabid Outlander lover (ok, all the time, I have the scotch thistle wedding ring…), I am a sentimentalist who gives a chance …
★★★ A beautifully written mashup of well-beloved fantasy tales - great potential, but never managed to move far enough away from its inspirations to become its own story. I honestly don’t know where to start, because I still have not quite settled on where I am. At the end of the day, Ordinary Monsters is …
★★★ A nice read with some interesting history and a creative, if slightly muddled and at times shallow, story about sisterly love amid a chaotic time in the early 20th century. The first lesson to learn from Little Souls, the new novel from Sandra Dallas, is that Denver started prohibition four years before it hit …
★★★★ A slow boil mystery/thriller, with a knack for leaving you still not knowing who you can trust even after being told point blank who you can trust. Is Ariel Price a victim, or a bad guy? Is her husband really her husband? Is her child really hers? Is she involved with the mob? Which …
★★★ Sometimes gripping, sometimes slow and always a tad bit confusing. Still not entirely sure how I feel about it, but credit where credit is due that I am still thinking about it two weeks later. Touted as a ‘coming of age’ story and classified in some places as mystery, a more apt description might …
Continue reading Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance by Alison Espach
★★★★ Beautifully written, enthralling though at times slow tale of a woman before her time, a victim of her time, and both popular and easy to dislike. But don't let the prologue fool you into thinking you're embarking on an exciting story of her aviation career. "Mwanzo is the word in Swahili for "beginnings". But …
★★★ A fun and creative concept with some good writing, but suffers a bit from lack of focus and trying to squeeze in too many ideas. Not enough to history to deserve the 'historical fiction' moniker, but a great part of the story. A good start as a debut, and a nice, light weekend beach …
Novel Expeditions 