Julia Branna's third book in The Jacobite Chronicles series follows Alex and Beth MacGregor as they settle into the double life of their marriage. In London, they remain Sir Anthony Peters and Lady Elizabeth, while their true selves are known in Scotland as the MacGregor chieftan and his wife. The Gathering Storm sees Alex and… Continue reading Review: The Gathering Storm by Julia Brannan
Right Back Where We Started From by Joy Lanzendorfer is a sweeping and complex multi-generational story set against the backdrop of an evolving America from the mid-19th century to WWII. In a way, it's also a love letter to the state of California and all the multitudes contained therein: the glamorous mystique of Hollywood, the… Continue reading Review: Right Back Where We Started From by Joy Lanzendorfer
The Mask Revealed by Julia Brannan, book 2 in the Jacobite Chronicles, picks up right where book 1 left off. Beth Cunningham, after uncovering a startling secret, must put the pieces of her life back together within its new context. Soon after, Beth and her new husband journey to Italy and France where they… Continue reading Review: The Mask Revealed by Julia Brannan
The Rebel Nun by Marj Charlier tells the little-known true story of 6th-century nun Clotild who leads a rebellion for the rights and freedom for her sisters. The story takes place in medieval France at the monestary of the Holy Cross where, after the death of the progressive-thinking (for the time) abbess, the male-led… Continue reading Review: The Rebel Nun by Marj Charlier
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner is a quick, entertaining, and pleasant read. If you've been here before, you probably already know I have a soft spot of the 18th century. I'm also interested in herb lore and apothecary methods of the time, so the subject matter checked those boxes. To be honest, for some… Continue reading Review: The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
I was already familiar with the Kingsbridge series from the Pillars of the Earth and World Without End mini-series. The Evening and the Morning. I appreciate the level of world building that has gone into this series--although I haven't read the others, I know they all follow the town of King's Bridge from the late… Continue reading Review: The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett
Mayflower Chronicles: The Tale of Two Cultures by Kathryn Brewster Haueisen straddles the line between fiction and non-fiction in telling the intertwining stories of the English religious rebels and the Pokanoket people and how these cultures clashed. There are two interesting points about the author, Kathryn Brewster Haueisen. She is the descendant of the… Continue reading Review: Mayflower Chronicles: The Tale of Two Cultures by Kathryn Brewster Haueisen
Queen's Peril by E. K. Johnston is the follow-up to the acclaimed Queen's Shadow, although a prequel. Queen's Peril starts when Padme (Naberrie) Amidala is elected Queen of Naboo and finishes with the end of Episode I: The Phantom Menace. While QP was a quick, entertaining read (Padme, the handmaidens, and Naboo are my happy… Continue reading Review: Queen’s Peril by E. K. Johnston
The Secrets We Kept is a book about one of my favorite books: Doctor Zhivago. In 2002, I discovered Docotor Zhivago through the 2002 mini series with Keira Knightley. I fell in love with the story and then read the book, and I instantly became obsessed. Doctor Zhivago was a huge creative and literary influence… Continue reading Review: The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott
Little by Edward Carey tells the extraordinary, fascinating origin story of the real Madame Tussaud: Marie Grosholtz. Some people may not know that Madame Tussaud was a real person, as she seems more like a legend given the various wax museums around the world bearing her name. Marie was real (referred to by the nickname… Continue reading Review: Little by Edward Carey
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