About: As summer draws to a close, check out the summer books I loved from genres including romantasy and historical fiction, all rated 4.5 stars or higher.
(more…)Dive into the Best Summer Books: 23 Unputdownable Reads
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Book Review: The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre by Natasha Lester
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The Gist: History, romance, and feminism are masterfully woven into a captivating WWII espionage tale.
Series: Standalone
Release Date: September 28, 2022
Synopsis
New York Times bestselling author Natasha Lester delivers an unforgettable story of an orphan turned WWII spy turned fashion icon in Paris—perfect for fans of Kate Quinn and Fiona Davis.
1943. After spearheading several successful advertising campaigns in New York, PR wizard Alix St. Pierre comes to the attention of the U.S. government and finds herself recruited into a fledgling intelligence organization.
Enlisted as a spy, Alix is sent to Europe where she is tasked with getting close to a Nazi who might be willing to help the Allied forces–but there’s also the chance he might be a double agent.
1946. Following the war, Alix moves to Paris and takes a position as head of publicity for the yet-to-be-launched House of Dior. But when a figure from the war reappears and threatens to destroy her future, Alix realizes that only she can right the wrongs of the past and bring him to justice.
The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre is a thrilling, sumptuous work of historical fiction told in three timelines: before, during and after WWII. This completely immersive story takes readers from the dangerous, intrigue-filled rooms in Switzerland where elites of both sides mingled and schemed during the war, to the glamorous halls of the House of Dior in the golden age of French fashion and journalism.
Ending
HFN. Alix and Anthony end up together with plans to take over Anthony’s father’s newspaper business together.
Representation
No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
Possible Triggers: Yes
War themes
• Classism
• Sexism
• Alcoholism
• Reference to abduction
• Description of war crimes, including r@pe, dismemberment, and torture
• Allusions to and brief mention of suicide
• Grief
• Classism
• Sexism
• Alcoholism
• Reference to abduction
• Description of war crimes, including r@pe, dismemberment, and torture
• Allusions to and brief mention of suicide
• Grief
Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions
• No cheating
• Does have OW drama
– Alix presumes that Anthony slept with the woman who’s out to get her (Alix was incorrect)
– misunderstanding where Alix thought Anthony slept with a woman he hired (again, Alix was incorrect)
• Does have OM drama
– Anthony is a friend of Alix’s dead fiancé
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• Does have a brief separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
• Does have OW drama
– Alix presumes that Anthony slept with the woman who’s out to get her (Alix was incorrect)
– misunderstanding where Alix thought Anthony slept with a woman he hired (again, Alix was incorrect)
• Does have OM drama
– Anthony is a friend of Alix’s dead fiancé
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• Does have a brief separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Format: Paperback
Rating: 5-stars
(more…)7 Books on My September TBR
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About: My September TBR includes 7 books that I hope will get me in the mood for autumn. Included in my TBR is a recent Pulitzer Prize winner and a fun YA novel about a soccer prodigy I can’t wait to jump into!
(more…)Book Review: Weyward by Emilia Hart
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The Gist: A whimsical historical fiction that explores feminist resistance to patriarchy over five centuries through magic and reclaiming autonomy.
Series: Standalone
Release Date: February 2, 2023
Synopsis
I am a Weyward, and wild inside.
2019: Under cover of darkness, Kate flees London for ramshackle Weyward Cottage, inherited from a great aunt she barely remembers. With its tumbling ivy and overgrown garden, the cottage is worlds away from the abusive partner who tormented Kate. But she begins to suspect that her great aunt had a secret. One that lurks in the bones of the cottage, hidden ever since the witch-hunts of the 17th century.
1619: Altha is awaiting trial for the murder of a local farmer who was stampeded to death by his herd. As a girl, Altha’s mother taught her their magic, a kind not rooted in spell casting but in a deep knowledge of the natural world. But unusual women have always been deemed dangerous, and as the evidence for witchcraft is set out against Altha, she knows it will take all of her powers to maintain her freedom.
1942: As World War II rages, Violet is trapped in her family’s grand, crumbling estate. Straitjacketed by societal convention, she longs for the robust education her brother receives––and for her mother, long deceased, who was rumored to have gone mad before her death. The only traces Violet has of her are a locket bearing the initial W and the word weyward scratched into the baseboard of her bedroom.
Weaving together the stories of three extraordinary women across five centuries, Emilia Hart’s Weyward is an enthralling novel of female resilience and the transformative power of the natural world.
Ending
HFN
Representation
• wlw main character
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Intimate partner violence
• R@pe
• Sexism
• Attempted murder
• Murder
• Abortion
• R@pe
• Sexism
• Attempted murder
• Murder
• Abortion
Mature Themes
• Alcohol abuse
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 5-stars
(more…)The Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag: 2023
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Quick Take: My Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag explores twelve books, including my favourite 2023 read so far, a book that made me cry, and anticipated new releases. I also have a TBR list to read before 2024!
(more…)18 Books on My May TBR
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About: My May TBR includes 18 books that I want to read in May, including four books by AAPI authors to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month!
(more…)17 Books on My March TBR
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About: My March TBR includes 17 books that I want to read in March. I will finally read Babel by R.F. Kuang and get started on my Diverse Reading Challenge.
(more…)The End of Year Book Tag: 2022
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Quick Take: The End of Year Book Tag includes six questions that unpack the books I still need and want to read in 2022 and my bookish plans for 2021.
(more…)Suspenseful Yet Inconsistent: The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
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The Gist: A suspenseful novel told in two timelines, 1791 and 2020, explores the motives behind unsolved apothecary murders yet, unfortunately, suffers from inconsistent pacing.
Series: Standalone
Release Date: March 2, 2021
Synopsis
A female apothecary secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them—setting three lives across centuries on a dangerous collision course. Rule #1: The poison must never be used to harm another woman.
Rule #2: The names of the murderer and her victim must be recorded in the apothecary’s register.
Rule #2: The names of the murderer and her victim must be recorded in the apothecary’s register.
One cold February evening in 1791, at the back of a dark London alley in a hidden apothecary shop, Nella awaits her newest customer. Once a respected healer, Nella now uses her knowledge for a darker purpose—selling well-disguised poisons to desperate women who would kill to be free of the men in their lives. But when her new patron turns out to be a precocious twelve-year-old named Eliza Fanning, an unexpected friendship sets in motion a string of events that jeopardizes Nella’s world and threatens to expose the many women whose names are written in her register.
In present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, reeling from the discovery of her husband’s infidelity. When she finds an old apothecary vial near the river Thames, she can’t resist investigating, only to realize she’s found a link to the unsolved “apothecary murders” that haunted London over two centuries ago. As she deepens her search, Caroline’s life collides with Nella’s and Eliza’s in a stunning twist of fate—and not everyone will survive.
Ending
HEA for Eliza and Caroline. Nella makes peace with her life and choices before passing for her illness (I imagine because her death wasn’t explicitly on-page).
Representation
No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Murder
• Allusion to pedophilia
• Description of past miscarriage
• Infidelity
• Self-harm — Caroline’s husband purposefully poisons himself to manipulate Caroline in the hopes of winning her back
• Discussion of suicide
• Allusion to pedophilia
• Description of past miscarriage
• Infidelity
• Self-harm — Caroline’s husband purposefully poisons himself to manipulate Caroline in the hopes of winning her back
• Discussion of suicide
Mature Themes: Yes
• the business of murder
• (im)morality of revenge and vengeance
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
• (im)morality of revenge and vengeance
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Format: Paperback
Rating: 3.5-stars
(more…)12 New Books: Maytime Book Haul
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12 new books comprise my Maytime book haul! I’m so excited that so many of these books have feminist themes.
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