Monday, January 8, 2024

The Cuban Heiress by Chanel Cleeton


 

Title: The Cuban Heiress 

Author: Chanel Cleeton

Genre: Historical Fiction

Other books I've read by this author: Next Year in Havana, When We Left Cuba

Synopsis: New York heiress Catherine Dohan seemingly has it all. There’s only one problem. It’s a lie. As soon as the Morro Castle leaves port, Catherine’s past returns with a vengeance and threatens her life. Joining forces with a charismatic jewel thief, Catherine must discover who wants her dead—and why.
Elena Palacio is a dead woman. Or so everyone thinks. After a devastating betrayal left her penniless and on the run, Elena’s journey on the Morro Castle is her last hope. Steeped in secrecy and a burning desire for revenge, her return to Havana is a chance to right the wrong that has been done to her—and her prey is on the ship.

As danger swirls aboard the Morro Castle and their fates intertwine, Elena and Catherine must risk everything to see justice served once and for all.


My Thoughts

I really enjoyed reading this novel, so much so that it only took me one week to finish it! I bought it on my birthday with a gift card from a friend, and I'm so glad I did!
 I loved the intrigue and mystery surrounding so many of the characters. I loved the description of the ship, the passengers, and Havana. I loved the unexpected twist near the end, and of course, the history surrounding the ship itself. 
Chanel Cleeton's books are so well done and truly enjoyable to read, I cannot wait to read more from this author!


Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!




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Monday, January 1, 2024

Loyal in Love by Jean Plaidy



Title: Loyal in Love: Henrietta Maria, Queen of Charles I 

Author: Jean Plaidy

Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis: The daughter of Henry IV of France, Princess Henrietta Maria, becomes a pawn in a political strategy to stabilize relations between two countries when her father marries her to Charles I of England. Sent abroad, she finds herself living in a Protestant country that views her own faith—Catholicism—with deep suspicion.
Yet her new husband is a man of principle and integrity, and Henrietta and Charles fall deeply in love. Henrietta is passionate about her faith, however, and soon politically powerful people, namely Oliver Cromwell and his Puritans, turn her loyalty to her religion into a focal point for civil war. As the royal couple watch the fall of Thomas Wentworth, first Earl of Strafford, the rise of Puritanism, and Englishmen fight Englishmen, they are undeterred in their dedication to each other and in their belief in the divine rights of king and queen—even as spies lurk in their very own household. - Back Cover


My Thoughts

Henrietta is such an interesting character as written by Plaidy. She is meddlesome and entitled and yet somehow endearing. It is written in the first person past tense, as though Henrietta is telling her life story. This gives an interesting perspective and allows for some irony of self-reflection. Events move quickly and there was less punctuation than I'm used to, which makes the writing feel more stream of consciousness; like an elderly woman might speak when telling a story. I enjoyed reading it and look forward to reading others in the series. 

Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!



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Wednesday, December 27, 2023

Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan



T
itle: Sex and Vanity

Author: Kevin Kwan
Genre: Fiction
Other books I've read by this author: Crazy Rich AsiansChina Rich Girlfriend, Rich People Problems



Synopsis: On her very first morning on the jewel-like island of Capri, Lucie Churchill sets eyes on George Zao and she instantly can't stand him. She can't stand it when he gallantly offers to trade hotel rooms with her so that she can have a view of the Tyrrhenian Sea, she can't stand that he knows more about Casa Malaparte than she does, and she really can't stand it when he kisses her in the darkness of the ancient ruins of a Roman villa and they are caught by her snobbish, disapproving cousin Charlotte. "Your mother is Chinese so it's no surprise you'd be attracted to someone like him," Charlotte teases. 

The daughter of an American-born Chinese mother and a blue-blooded New York father, Lucie has always sublimated the Asian side of herself in favor of the white side, and she adamantly denies having feelings for George. But several years later, when George unexpectedly appears in East Hampton, where Lucie is weekending with her new fiancĂ©, Lucie finds herself drawn to George again. Soon, Lucie is spinning a web of deceit that involves her family, her fiancĂ©, the co-op board of her Fifth Avenue apartment building, and ultimately herself as she tries mightily to deny George entry into her world - and her heart. - Back Cover


My Thoughts

After reading (and loving) the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy, I had high hopes for the latest novel by Kevin Kwan. It was a cute story that I had intended as a palate cleanser between heavy historical fiction novels, but it didn't quite hit the spot as its predecessors had. Some parts were good; light and fun, quick to read; but points it felt so slow that I wasn't interested in picking it up again (thus the long wait between posts). It felt predictable and the characters weren't super interesting. Overall, it was fine, but not one that I'd say anyone NEEDS to read.

Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!



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Saturday, November 4, 2023

Treachery by S. J. Parris

                                                           

Title: Author: S. J. Parris

Genre: Historical Mystery

Other books I've read by this author: Heresy, Prophecy, and Sacrilege

Synopsis:

August, 1585. A relentless enemy. A treacherous conspiracy. Elizabethan England is on the brink of war. 

Sir Francis Drake is preparing to launch a daring expedition against the Spanish when a murder aboard his ship changes everything.

Giordano Bruno agrees to hunt the killer down, only to find that more than one deadly plot is brewing in Plymouth’s murky underworld. And as he tracks a murderer through its dangerous streets, he uncovers a conspiracy that threatens the future of England itself. - Back Cover 

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed book 4 of this series. It was actually this book that got me into the series. I took it out of the library months ago without realizing it was part of a series. I hate reading series out of order, so I returned it and grabbed books one! I loved the incorporation of Sir Francis Drake. A fresh historical character into an already fun historical series is a highlight for me! The mystery and drama do not disappoint, this novel is as good as all the others so far.



Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!

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Monday, October 16, 2023

To Sir Phillip, With Love by Julia Quinn



 

Title: To Sir Phillip, With Love

Author: Julia Quinn

Genre: Historical Romance

Other books I've read by this author: The Duke and IThe Viscount Who Loved MeAn Offer From a Gentleman, Romancing Mister Bridgerton

Synopsis: Sir Phillip knew that Eloise Bridgerton was a spinster, and so he’d proposed, figuring that she’d be homely and unassuming, and more than a little desperate for an offer of marriage. Except . . . she wasn’t. The beautiful woman on his doorstep was anything but quiet, and when she stopped talking long enough to close her mouth, all he wanted to do was kiss her . . . and more.
Did he think she was mad? Eloise Bridgerton couldn’t marry a man she had never met! But then she started thinking . . . and wondering . . . and before she knew it, she was in a hired carriage in the middle of the night, on her way to meet the man she hoped might be her perfect match. Except . . . he wasn’t. Her perfect husband wouldn’t be so moody and ill-mannered, and while Phillip was certainly handsome, he was a large brute of a man, rough and rugged, and totally unlike the London gentlemen vying for her hand. But when he smiled . . . and when he kissed her . . . the rest of the world simply fell away, and she couldn’t help but wonder . . . could this imperfect man be perfect for her?


My Thoughts

I have enjoyed all of Julia Quinn's Bridgerton novels, but this one is just a little different. For the most part, it takes place away from London and society and the reader gets to know Eloise and Sir Phillip independently from the Bridgerton family. I love that Eloise decides to marry not because she feels she has to, but rather because she wants to; she always does things on her own terms. 
I also like their love story, it is different than all of Eloise's siblings, and while it isn't without drama, it is less overtly dramatic.

Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!


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Saturday, October 14, 2023

The Dime by Kathleen Kent



 

Title: The Dime

Author: Kathleen Kent

Genre: Fiction, Mystery

Other books I've read by this author: The Heretic's Daughter

Synopsis: Dallas, Texas is not for the faint of heart. Good thing for Betty Rhyzyk she's from a family of take-no-prisoners Brooklyn police detectives. But her Big Apple wisdom will only get her so far when she relocates to The Big D, where Mexican drug cartels and cult leaders, deadbeat skells and society wives all battle for sunbaked turf.

Betty is as tough as the best of them, but she's deeply shaken when her first investigation goes sideways. Battling a group of unruly subordinates, a persistent stalker, a formidable criminal organization, and an unsupportive girlfriend, the unbreakable Detective Betty Rhyzyk may be reaching her limit. - Back Cover

My Thoughts

I was at the library walking through the fiction section on the second floor and stopped because I saw the name of an author I'd read before. I pulled this one off the shelf and read the blurb inside the jacket cover. It is set in the early 2000s, about a female police officer. Not my usual go-to read. The last book I had read by Kathleen Kent was about the Salem Witch Trials, so I was surprised to see this. I put it back on the shelf. I started to walk away and pulled it back off the shelf again, deciding to read the first page and see if maybe I should branch out. 
I flipped a few pages and found the epigraph:

"A patient woman can roast an ox with a lantern" - Chinese Proverb

I laughed aloud. It was exactly what I needed to hear that day. Even if the book turned out to be a dud, it was worth checking it out for just that quote. 
Luckily it was not a dud. In fact, it was an enjoyable read, though the end felt a little rushed to me. There is a second in the series and I look forward to reading it!

Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!


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                                To see more from the author, visit the website linked above

Saturday, August 26, 2023

Giordano Bruno Series: Heresy, Prophecy, Sacrilege by S. J. Parris

                      



Title: Heresy; Prophecy; Sacrilege

Author: S. J. Parris

Genre: Historical Mystery

Synopsis: Excommunicated monk, Giordano Bruno, flees Italy and finds himself in the service of Queen Elizabeth I 's spymaster. Murder seems to follow Doctor Bruno and the philosophy and science that made a traitor to the Catholic Church give him the unique ability to track down the perpetrators. 


My Thoughts

I think this series was written with me in mind. Set during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, a protagonist who risks everything for the pursuit of knowledge and the truth, religious contention, and a murder mystery? I would read a book with any of those aspects, but all together in one series? Yes, please.

Naturally, I read the first three books in the series one after another, I couldn't get enough! The series is dark and intriguing and familiar characters appear throughout in unexpected places. The reader gets an excellent picture of the class disparities, religious persecution, and fear of scientific progress present during this time. It feels really well-researched. 
 I accidentally came upon the series by mistakenly grabbing the fourth book in the series off the shelf at the library. When I realized there were three books before it, I returned it unread in exchange for book number one. I can't wait to go back and take Treachery back off the shelf! 



Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!

To buy this book from Amazon now, click on the image at the top of the post.
To see more from the author, visit the website linked above