• Book Reviews

    Until We Are Lost: Blog Tour & Review

    Until We Are Lost by Leslie Archer

    Publisher: Lake Union Publishing (February 2, 2021)

    Paperback: 413 pages

    Genre: Psychological Thriller

    Synopsis

    From the New York Times bestselling author of The Girl at the Border comes a haunting thriller about one woman’s journey into the painful truths threatening to destroy her.

    When Tara Peary’s twin sister Sophie goes missing, Tara dives into New York’s underbelly to find her. Sophie is the one person who’s ever truly understood her, and Tara knows her sister isn’t the only one who needs help.

    Tara is also on the run emotionally from her complicated childhood. Her memories are threatening to overwhelm her emotions and derail the hunt for Sophie. A psychotherapist keeps her afloat, but when Tara begins dating her therapist’s young tech-millionaire neighbor, she risks losing the only lifelines she has left.

    The more Tara uncovers about her sister’s disappearance and the dark side of the rich elite, the less certain of the truth she becomes. As Tara reaches the center of the mystery, spanning from her childhood home in Georgia to a Southern California beach, she has to decide whether the truth is a price she’s willing to pay.

    Review

    What’s your longest running favorite trope?

    I have loved books about twins since I was a kid and this book was no exception. The author did a great job of weaving the twin connection into the plot.

    Thrillers can be hit or miss with me and I really enjoyed this book. This was very much a psychological thriller with an emphasis on the psychological. Archer nailed all the small details and that’s what set this book apart from other thrillers that have fallen flat for me.

    The writing, character development, and plot lines kept me from wanting to put the book down. I lost track of the twists and I didn’t see several of them coming which made for a great read.

    One note, this book was both thrilling and DARK. It has pretty much any trigger warning you could imagine so please make sure you’re in a good mental space before reading.

    If you enjoyed And Then She Was Gone, one of my favorites from 2020, you will most likely enjoy this book. Available February 2nd from your favorite bookseller!

    Rating: ✂️✂️✂️✂️/5

    Purchase Links

    Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

    Connect with Leslie Archer

    Website 

    Thanks to TLC Book Tours and Lake Union Authors for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review

     

  • ARC's,  Book Reviews

    Beauty Among Ruins: Review & Blog Tour

     

    Beauty Among Ruins

    Author: J’Nell Ciesielski

    Publisher: Thomas Nelson

    Genre: WWI Historical/Christian Romance

    Pages: 416

    In Ciesielski’s latest sweeping romance, an American heiress finds herself in Scotland amid the fallout of the Great War, and a wounded Scottish laird comes face-to-face with his past and a woman he never could have expected.

    Synopsis:

    American socialite Lily Durham is known for enjoying one moment to the next, with little regard for the consequences of her actions. But just as she is banished overseas to England as a “cure” for her frivolous ways, the Great War breaks out and wreaks havoc. She joins her cousin in nursing the wounded at a convalescent home deep in the wilds of Scotland at a crumbling castle where its laird is less than welcoming.

    Alec MacGregor has given his entire life to preserving his home of Kinclavoch Castle, but mounting debts force him to sell off his family history bit by bit. Labeled a coward for not joining his countrymen in the trenches due to an old injury, he opens his home to the Tommies to make recompense while he keeps to the shadows. But his preference for the shadows is shattered when a new American nurse comes streaming into the castle on a burst of light.

    Lily and Alec are thrown together when a series of mysterious events threatens to ruin the future of Kinclavoch. Can they put aside their differences to find the culprit before it’s too late, or will their greatest distraction be falling in love?

    Review:

    This book is sure to captivate a reader as a historical romance with a dash of Beauty and The Beast. The characters are lively and well-developed with backstories that made them equally interesting and endearing.

    I found myself rooting from Lily and Alec from the start and found both of them likeable – something I struggle within the romance genre. No brooding and troubled characters here which was a refreshing change.

    The Scottish countryside and crumbling castle were the perfect backdrop for this story and the author did an excellent job of capturing both the time period and the mysterious atmosphere of the castle.

    If you are looking for an escape read with a satisfying ending, Beauty Among Ruins fits that bill perfectly.

    Make this your next read:

    Purchase Links:

    Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble Thomas Nelson

     

    With a passion for heart-stopping adventure and sweeping love stories, J’nell Ciesielski weaves fresh takes into romances of times gone by. When not creating dashing heroes and daring heroines, she can be found dreaming of Scotland, indulging in chocolate of any kind, or watching old black and white movies. Winner of the INSPY and the Maggie Award, she is a Florida native who now lives in Virginia with her husband, daughter, and lazy beagle.

    Connect with J’nell

    Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

    Thank you to TLC Book Tours and Thomas Nelson for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.
  • Book Reviews

    Your Story, My Story: blog tour & review

    Your Story, My Story by Connie Palmen

    Publisher: Amazon Crossing (January 1, 2021)

    Language: English

    Hardcover: 186 pages

    Genre: Biographical Fiction

    Synopsis:

    From the award-winning author of The Friendship comes a shattering, brilliantly inventive novel based on the volatile true love story of literary icons Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes.

    In 1963 Sylvia Plath took her own life in her London flat. Her death was the culmination of a brief, brilliant life lived in the shadow of clinical depression—a condition exacerbated by her tempestuous relationship with mercurial poet Ted Hughes. The ensuing years saw Plath rise to martyr status while Hughes was cast as the cause of her suicide, his infidelity at the heart of her demise.

    For decades, Hughes never bore witness to the truth of their marriage—one buried beneath a mudslide of apocryphal stories, gossip, sensationalism, and myth. Until now.

    In this mesmerizing fictional work, Connie Palmen tells his side of the story, previously untold, delivered in Ted Hughes’s own uncompromising voice. A brutal and lyrical confessional, Your Story, My Story paints an indelible picture of their seven-year relationship—the soaring highs and profound lows of star-crossed soul mates bedeviled by their personal demons. It will forever change the way we think about these two literary icons.

    Review:

    As a longtime Plath fan, I was immediately curious when I saw this book and the premise. Biographical fiction does not seem like it would be an easy genre to write but Palmen captured the spirit and the story beautifully.

    Ted Hughes’ voice could be heard throughout the book which made the story come to life for me. So much has been made of their relationship and marriage over the years and this fresh perspective was both painful and captivating. The storyline was fair in showing the pain of mental illness – both within the person and the impact on those around them.

    My one fear going into this book was that his infidelity would be brushed aside or excused due to Plath’s long battle with clinical depression. There were times that the plot flirted with that notion but overall it maintained perspectives well.

    The writing was excellent and the translation was beautifully done. I am a huge fan of translated works and I found this one to be exceptional in both the story and the voice of the author.

    If you are Sylvia Plath and/or Ted Hughes reader, this is a book you will not want to miss!

    Content Warning: Mental Illness, Suicide, Infidelity

    Thank you to Over The River PR and Amazon Crossing for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review

    Tour info:

    Be sure to check out these other stops on this blog tour!

     

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