Tag: books

Book Reviews

Book Review: My Fine Fellow by Jennieke Cohen

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Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. Today I am bringing you my book review for My Fine Fellow by Jennieke Cohen. If you have read this book, let me know what you thought of it. I was surprised by it. For example, I didn’t know that it was based on the story from My Fair Lady.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Culinary delights abound, romance lingers in the air, and plans go terribly, wonderfully astray in this historical tale.

It’s 1830s England, and Culinarians—doyens who consult with society’s elite to create gorgeous food and confections—are the crème de la crème of high society.

Helena Higgins, top of her class at the Royal Academy, has a sharp demeanor and an even sharper palate—and knows stardom awaits her if she can produce greatness in her final year.

Penelope Pickering is going to prove the value of non-European cuisine to all of England. Her contemporaries may scorn her Filipina heritage and her dishes, but with her flawless social graces and culinary talents, Penelope is set to prove them wrong.

Elijah Little has nothing to his name but a truly excellent instinct for flavors. London merchants won’t allow a Jewish boy to own a shop, so he hawks his pasties for a shilling a piece to passersby—but he knows with training he can break into the highest echelon of society.

When Penelope and Helena meet Elijah, a golden opportunity arises: to pull off a project never seen before, and turn Elijah from a street vendor to a gentleman chef.

But Elijah’s transformation will have a greater impact on this trio than they originally realize—and mayhem, unseemly faux pas, and a little romance will all be a part of the delicious recipe.

My Review:

This book introduces you to three most important characters within the early chapters and as soon as you meet them you know exactly what their personalities are and what their flaws are. Helena is forceful and ambitious. Penelope is caring and gentle. Elijah is a man who spends the whole book trying to be better for himself and not be treated differently because of who he is. This book does not shy away from discussing the social issues of the time and I liked that it was included in a way that didn’t feel forced or too much in the reader’s face. I loved how the characters developed throughout the story and it never felt like their flaws were being brushed over, their flaws were fully on display and dictated their actions throughout.

My rating:

Rating: 5 out of 5.
Monthly TBRs

October TBR

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Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a lovely day today. What are you all planning to read in October? My books for October are darker than my September reads to match the spooky and cosy atmosphere of Autumn.

Victorious by V E Schwab

The Mirror of Infinite Ending by Stephanie Garber

Threshing Day by Rebecca Yarros

The Ornithologists Field Guide to Love by India Holton

The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

Starling House by Alix E Harrow

The Spellshop by sarah Beth Durst

Finlay Donovan Rolls The Dice by Elle Cosimano

Butcher and Blackbird by Brynne Weaver

Voices of the Dead by Ambrose Parry

Your Turn To Die by Sue Wallman

People of Abandoned Character by Clare Whitfield

Mortmain Hall by Martin Edwards

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

All In by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Have any of you read any of these books? What did you think of them?

Monthly Wrap Ups

September Wrap Up!

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Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a lovely day today. It is now October and that means it is time to look back on all the books I managed to read in September.

As the first month where I have officially completed my PhD, I intentionally gave myself a large TBR in September to have a good choice and I didn’t expect to finish it, which is good because I did not get through all of the books from my TBR. As I am writing this, there are two days left in the month. Enough to read a few more books from that TBR.

  • How To Kill A Guy in Ten Dates – I did read this and I will be sharing my full review on the 19th October.
  • Everyone In This Bank Is A Thief by Benjamin Stevenson – I did read this. This is the third book in the Ernest Cunningham series and this was a five star read for me.
  • A Deadly Scandal by Felicity Epps – As I am writing this, I have not yet read this book but in the remaining two days of the month I plan to get to this one.
  • A Game of Scandal by Laura Wood – I did read this. This is the third book in the Agency for Scandal series. These are fun little mysteries with addictive characters and romance subplots.
  • Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – I did read this and I enjoyed it. These books are fun, quick reads. I love the mysteries in each one though I find the characters themselves a little annoying.
  • Gothikana by RuNyx – I started to read this one though eventually I did DNF it. I didn’t like the writing style. It was too slow and too fast at the same time. the Plot was moving too slow and was not getting to the intriguing parts of the mystery and it was too fast with the developing relationship of the main character and the love interest.
  • The Bells of Westminster by Leanora Nattrass – I did read this. It is unfortunately another book this month that I DNF’d. One of four. This month was all very highs and very lows with the books I was reading. This books had an interesting concept but there was a moment where a character you are meant to like, is described eating early in the book and it disgusted me everytime he showed up after that. I couldn’t get past it.
  • The Graves of Whitechapel by Claire Evans – This is the third of the four books I DNF’d. This one I stopped reading quite early in the book. I couldn’t get on with the writing style and I was starting to dread reading it.
  • A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn. I did read this. This is the second in the Veronica Speedwell series. I have to say that the first book in the series was okay but this one I really enjoyed. You get a very interesting mystery and two brilliant main characters to follow on their adventures. I gave this book four and a half stars.
  • A Secret in the Garden – I did not read this.
  • My Fine Fellow by Jennieke Cohen – I did read this. I was unsure what I would think of this one. I picked it up a long time ago and I was never drawn to pick it off my shelf until recently when I thought if I don’t read it I shouldn’t keep it but this book surprised me. I loved it. It was another five star read for me and could by my favourite read of this month.
  • Till Death Us Do Part by Reverend Penny Stephens – this was unfortunately the fourth book that I DNF’d this month. The pacing of the story was slow.
  • Truthwitch by Susan Dennard – I did not read this.
  • When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A Parker – I did not read this.
  • Malevolent Seven by Sebastien de Castell – I have not yet read this but I intend to before the end of the month.
  • The Sisters Grimm by Menna Van Praag – I did not read this.
  • Book Lovers by Emily Henry – I am currently reading this.

What did you all read this month?

Book Reviews

Book Review: Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

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Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all doing well today. In August I finally got round to reading the first book in the Ernest Cunnigham mystery series by Benjamin Stevenson and today I will be sharing my review for this book. Have any of you read this? What did you think of it?

Blurb/Synopsis:

Everyone in my family has killed someone. Some of us, the high achievers, have killed more than once. I’m not trying to be dramatic, but it is the truth. Some of us are good, others are bad, and some just unfortunate.

I’m Ernest Cunningham. Call me Ern or Ernie. I wish I’d killed whoever decided our family reunion should be at a ski resort, but it’s a little more complicated than that.

Have I killed someone? Yes. I have.

Who was it?

Let’s get started.

EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE

My brother

My stepsister

My wife

My father

My mother

My sister-in-law

My uncle

My stepfather

My aunt

Me

My Review: 5 stars

I was nervous to read this book and I will explain why. I read the short christmas book from this series before and I didn’t love it, the writing style was difficult for me at the time. Now though, I read this book and I loved it. I loved the writing style. The way the author blends the comedy with the mystery. I like how Ernest is not a conventional character and he has flaws that influence his choices. I was surprised I liked this book because cabins isolated in a snowstorm usually freak me out but this one didn’t. There was a bigger focus on the elements of the mystery and the characters rather than the snow and the isolation so I liked that a lot.

Monthly Wrap Ups

August Wrap Up!

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Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you have all had a great start to your September. And I hope you all had a wonderful August. Mine was pretty busy with my nieces and hospital things going on. I also had great news come in which is that I finally got the confirmation of passing my PhD. I am officially a Doctor. It’s taken a while but I have got there in the end.

Now with all that said, I did get quite a bit of reading done in August. Of course I am writing this a little before the end of the month, 8 days or so, and I will get a few more books read from my TBR as I am going away for a week tomorrow and it is a car journey so I’ll be reading in that time.

How has everyone’s reading been in August? Any new favourite books? I started the Ernest Cunningham series by Benjamin Stevenson, loved it, immediately read the sequel and got the third so I could read it soon.

August Wrap Up:

from my TBR:

  • Wildewood by Jessica Thorne – This is one of three books that I am taking away with me so I should definitely get this book read by the end of the month.
  • Library of the Dead by T L Huchu – I did read this. Honestly, I thought the plot itself was interesting but the writing style was a problem for me and I did find myself skimming it rather than reading by the end.
  • The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love by India Holton – This is the second of three books I am taking away with me so I should get this read by the end of August also.
  • Love and Luck by Jenna Evans Welch – and this is the third book I am taking away with me and should read by the end of August.
  • Grimm Curiosities by Sharon Lynn Fisher – I did read this. I loved her book Tea and Alchemy earlier in the year and I enjoyed this one also.
  • Murder at the Book Festival by Jane Bettany – I did read this. I got this book in a blind date with a book. I thought it was good but I don’t think I would pick up the rest of the series.
  • Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas – I did not get around to reading this. I want to read all her books in preparation for ACOTAR 6 but I want to read other books more at the moment so we shall see if I get around to it or not.
  • No Women Were Harmed by Heather Mottershead – I am currently reading this.
  • The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson – I did read this. I am glad I have made progress in the Truly Devious series. I liked this book but not as much as the original trilogy.
  • A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales – I did read this. Another book I thought was good but I am unsure if I would like to continue in this series or not.
  • Henry Tudor Must Die by Gillian Laine – I did start reading this but I soft DNF’d it at 100 pages. I think I will try it again but I’m not sure.
  • The Library After Dark by Ande Pliego – I DNF’d this book within a few chapters. The writing style was not for me.
  • Murder in a Yorkshire Village by Helena Dixon – I did read this. Another solid book in the Kitty Underhay series.

Outside of my TBR I read: Murder at the Dolphin Hotel by Helena Dixon, Everyone in my Family Has Killed Someone and Everyone on this Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson.

Overall, including the three I will have finished by the end of August, I have read 15 books in August.

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them?

Book Reviews

Book Review: Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter

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Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a lovely day. Today I am bringing you my review for Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett. If you’ve read it let me know what you thought of it.

Blurb:

All strays are welcome here.

Agnes Aubert is very fond of making lists. These lists kept her afloat when she lost her husband two years ago. And now, as the founder of a cat rescue charity, her meticulous organization skills feel like the only thing standing between her beloved cats – His Majesty, Banshee and sweet elderly Thoreau, to name a few – and utter disaster.

But when Agnes is forced to move the charity, she soon discovers that her new shop is being used as a front; right under her feet is the lair of the decidedly disorganised – not to mention self-absorbed and infuriatingly handsome – Havelock Renard.

Havelock is everything Agnes doesn’t want in her life: chaos, mischief, and a little too much adventure. But as she gets to know him, she discovers he’s more than the dark magician of legend, and that she may be ready for a little intrigue, perhaps even romance. After all, second chances aren’t just for rescue cats. . .

My review:

I have a very love hate relationship with cosy fantasy novels. I picked up this book because I enjoyed Heather Fawcett’s Emily Wilde series and I saw people were loving this book. I wanted to know if I would enjoy this one too. Yes, I did. I loved it. I loved the cats. Actually I felt very betrayed by one of them. IYKYK. I loved the character of Agnes and her sister throughout. It’s nice to see a different sibling dynamic to what is usually shown. I also like how this author does romance. It’s there and it makes you feel, properly feel, but it is very subtle and not in your face. I think this author may become an auto-buy for me.

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

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Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. I am bringing you my book review for The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. If you have read this book let me know in the comments what you thought of it.

Blurb:

Cold cases get hot in this unputdownable mystery from Jennifer Lynn Barnes, no.1 New York Times bestselling author of The Inheritance Games series. Perfect for fans of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.

Cassie is a natural at reading people. Piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want. But it’s not a skill that she’s ever taken seriously until the FBI come knocking: they’ve begun a classified programme that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie.

What Cassie doesn’t realise is that there’s more at risk than a few unsolved murders – especially when she’s sent to live with a group of teens whose gifts are as unusual as her own. Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms close. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to use all of their gifts just to survive . . .

Born smart. Born tough. Born FBI.

My Review:

The Naturals is one of those books that I have heard great things about for years, especially from people who love similar books to me. I was hesitant to read it because I didn’t love this author’s other series, The Inheritance Games. I did enjoy reading this book. It is a quick, easy read. The plot and the mystery itself was very middle of the road for me. I didn’t find it shocking or twisty, it was quite predictable in my opinion. But I did love the way the author builds the characters and their relationships to each other within this book. I have since bought the next book in the series and I do want to continue.

Monthly TBRs

August TBR

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Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a lovely day. It is August and that means it is time to share the books that I hope to read this month.

Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas

The Ornithologists Field Guide to Love by India Holton

Love and Luck by Jenna Evans Welch

Murder in a Yorkshire Village by Helena Dixon

Library of the Dead by T L Huchu

Wildewood by Jessica Thorne

No Women Were Harmed by Heather Mottershead

Library After Dark by Ande Pliego

Murder at the Book Festival by Jane Bettany

Henry Tudor Must Die by Jillian Laine

A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales

The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson

Grimm Curiosities by Sharon Lynn Fisher

Monthly Wrap Ups

July Wrap Up!

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Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a wonderful day. How is everyone’s summer going so far? It is now the summer holidays in the UK so my family all have some time off in the next few weeks which will be nice.

How was your reading in July? Mine was one of my worst months so far this year but at the same time significantly better than I thought it would be.

This is my wrap up for the month of July.

From my TBR:

  • The Cut by Richard Armitage – I did read this. Well, I read some of it. I DNF’d it around 100 pages because it is told in split perspective and within 100 pages I had been in at least five different people’s heads and it is told in two different times, one present and one past. It was far too confusing.
  • Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett – I did read this and my review for this book is coming on the 20th August.
  • When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A Parker – I did not get to this book in July. I have kept it on my TBR cart though as I would still like to read it soon, maybe even in August.
  • The Antique Hunter’s Murder at the Castle by C L Miller – I did read this. Another solid book in this series.
  • The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – I did read this and my review is coming on the 13th August.
  • I Know You Did It by Sue Wallman – I did read this. I thought it was quite good but not one of my favourites of her books.
  • The Dreadfuls by A Rae Dunlap – I did read this and loved it. It is definitely a new favourite book. It puts an interesting spin on the retelling of Jack the Ripper.
  • Flirting With Murder by Amanda Sellett – I did read this and my review is coming on the 17th August.
  • The Sinister Booksellers of bath by Garth Nix – I did read this and although it has taken me a while I am glad I have finally read another in this series.
  • The Conference of the Birds by Ransom Riggs and The Desolations of Devil’s Acre by Ransom Riggs – I did read these two books. The final two books in the Miss Peregrines series and both of them I gave five stars to.

Outside of my TBR I also read: Murder on Devil’s Ridge by Irina Shapiro, The Secret Detective Agency by Helena Dixon and Death on the Lively Sea by Katy Watson.

This means I read all but one of my TBR and altogether I read 13 books this months which I am very pleased about. My favourite read of July was a toss between The Dreadfuls and Flirting With Murder. My least favourite read was obviously The Cut.

What were your favourite and least favourite reads of July?

Uncategorized

Books/ Covers That Make Me Think Of Summer

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Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all well today. As we are getting to the summer months I wanted to share some of the books that make me think of summer and some covers that do the same.

As it turns out all of the books in this list are actually murder mysteries. I didn’t realise that as I was writing it but it does sort of make sense to me. I love a quick, fun, cosy mystery in the summer.

What books make you think of summer?

Murder at the Palace by N R Daws

How to Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin

A Quiet Life in the Country by T E Kinsey

Lying About Last Summer by Sue Wallman

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liana Moriarty

The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood

Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

The Miss Underhay series by Helena Dixon