Tag: St. Martins Press

What I Read: Jan. 16-22

Aimeeeliz

Off the Map (Beck Sisters #3) by Trish Doller: I was so excited for Eamon’s story and Off the Map didn’t disappoint! This was emotional and hilarious and sweet (it’s also the spiciest book of the series by far). Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the NetGalley ARC!

In Which Margo Halifax Earns Her Shocking Reputation (Halifax Hellions #1) by Alexandra Vasti: This was such a delightful historical novella! Henry is the sweetest male lead and Margo was a lot of fun. Some parts were a miss for me, but overall this is a worthwhile read. Matilda’s book is available as of today (!!) and the author has some full-length novels in the works for next year.

The Wolf Den (Wolf Den Trilogy #1) by Elodie Harper: This has been sitting on my shelf for a few months – I was excited to find a historical fiction read set in a completely different place (Pompeii!) and time period (the year is 74. For reference, Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79…) This was a really well-done story: the characters and setting were vivid, and although you don’t get to “explore” Pompeii much, it drives home the fact that our main character’s world is incredibly small. It started to lose me a bit in the middle, but the ending was INTENSE and included one of the most heartbreaking scenes I’ve ever read (which also convinced me to read book two).

What I Read: Nov. 21-27

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Witches Get Stitches (Stay a Spell #3) by Juliette Cross: I’ll be honest, this was my least favorite book of the series so far. There’s not one thing in particular (it’s well-written and fits perfectly with the series as a whole), but I think it was just a bit too long for me and I’ve learned that I don’t really care to read more than one werewolf-adjacent romance (the first book in the series has that covered!) However, I will definitely read the rest of the series – I’m excited for a grim as a male lead in the next book, and I cannot wait to finally get to Jules’ and Ruben’s story!

A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone: This was a cute, funny holiday romance with a fun plot – a Hallmark-ish movie with some not-so-Hallmark-ish leads. However, there was a LOT of potential here and it missed the mark a bit (especially considering it’s more than 400 pages!)

Drinking Games by Sarah Levy: Absolutely loved this brave, open memoir from Sarah Levy. She uses her struggles with alcohol as a jumping-off point, but she also discusses the darker sides of other (seemingly innocent) aspects of life: social media usage, obsessions with clothing/image, skincare, the “wellness” industry, etc. I think most women (especially millennials) will find something relatable in this book. Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

REVIEW – A Brush with Love by Mazey Eddings

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Reluctant romance readers (hi, yes, I am one of you). You have to give A Brush with Love a shot. Or at least remember the name Mazey Eddings – you’re going to be seeing her books all over the place soon.

A Brush with Love is smart and sweet and hilarious. The balance between each element in the story is flawless – Eddings will have you saying “awww” one moment and cracking up the next.

Harper is a dental student working towards a residency in oral surgery. She’s SMART. She’s DRIVEN. She’s…AWKWARD (sometimes). She’s dealing with some trauma and grief from her childhood and she tends to keep everyone at arm’s length. Dan is a first-year dental student, reluctantly trying to live up to a legacy left by his (complicated and not-so-nice) father.

After a meet-cute that’s more like a meet-funny or a meet-omg! Harper and Dan become fast friends and, although their story itself is something of a slow burn, they develop feelings for each other very quickly but it never feels insta-lovey or forced.

The good? A Brush with Love is heartfelt and emotional without being sappy. It’s sweet without being too sugary (come on, that would be bad for your teeth! …I’ll see myself out). Harper and Dan are lovable, Harper’s friends are a GODDAMN DELIGHT. Harper deals with some very real anxiety that is so accurately portrayed on the page, I sometimes forgot that I was reading fiction.

The bad? Most of you are going to have to wait until 2022 to read this. But I have a solution for you: preorder this delightful piece of romcom goodness. It’s basically like sending a gift to your future self.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the NetGalley ARC!

REVIEW – Haven Point by Virginia Hume

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Haven Point is a (mostly) historical fiction novel that follows three generations of the same family – Maren, Annie and Skye Demarest have a lot in common but are also very unique characters on their own.

While I did go into this thinking we’d get chapters from each woman’s perspective, that’s not quite the case. Annie is a focus of the book but takes somewhat of a backseat to the narratives surrounding Maren and Skye. Given what we know about Annie’s character and what we learn throughout the book, I think this was a good choice. After a family tragedy, Annie really closes herself off and ends up in a dark spiral that culminates in her eventual death a few decades later (“present day” in the book’s timeline).

This book is mostly sad and melancholy – all three women feel like outcasts at some point or another during their time in Haven Point. There’s a lot of heartache and tragedy and dark family secrets, and most of these things are Maren’s burden to carry.

Content warning: alcoholism (a prominent theme in this book), suicide

Thank you Jennifer Musico and St. Martin’s Press for sending me an ARC of Haven Point!

COZY MYSTERY REVIEW – Fatal Fried Rice by Vivien Chien

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I recommend the Noodle Shop Mystery series to pretty much anyone looking to start reading cozy mysteries. The funny part? Fatal Fried Rice is only the second book i’ve read in this series (I know, I KNOW! I’m working on it!)

Vivien Chien writes such delightful, fun stories. Her characters feel realistic and Lana is a main character you love to root for (and want to be best friends with!)

The mystery in Fatal Fried Rice kept me guessing and, as always, the cover gave me an intense craving for some good Chinese food. If you’re a cozy mystery fan, or if you want to try the genre, you can’t go wrong with these books.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

COZY MYSTERY REVIEW – Murder With a View by Diane Kelly

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I have a tendency to jump in to cozy mystery series in the middle, and this is no exception. Murder With a View is the third book in the House-Flipper mysteries, but the first one i’ve read. And it’s ADORABLE.

The most notable thing about this book (and, I assume, the series as a whole) is the characters. The characters are lovely and hilarious and you can’t help but cheer for them every step of the way. Sawdust the cat is a delight. Although I wasn’t ALWAYS on board with the short chapters from his purr-spective, I found myself appreciating them more towards the end of the book.

This mystery had me stumped for the majority of the book, and the inevitable “showdown” between our main character, Whitney, and the murderer was pretty thrilling (and also a little terrifying!)

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the NetGalley ARC!

REVIEW – The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

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I have some questions for Kristin Hannah. Does she enjoy making readers cry? Does she enjoy crying? Does she cry when she writes her books? Because this is NOT the first time she’s made me cry, and i’m sure it won’t be the last.

The Four Winds is just stunning. Even if you’re not typically into historical fiction, i’d highly recommend this book. In an industry that’s oversaturated with WWII stories (but hey, I love those too!) it’s so nice to read historical fiction set during a different time. The Four Winds starts in the early 1920s, where we meet Elsa. Elsa suffered an illness as a teen, and her family has treated her like glass ever since (and boy, are they RUDE AF to her! It’s so frustrating).

We spend a brief amount of time there before moving forward into 1934. Elsa lives on her in-laws’ farm with her small family. She has changed a LOT and definitely for the better. She’s strong and capable, but she’s also dealing with some pre-teen drama from her daughter and a prolonged drought that’s proving to be catastrophic for the farm (and the farm animals…oh, my heart). On top of that, we’re also right in the middle of the Great Depression which is, well, upsetting to say the least.

After a series of unfortunate events (SERIOUSLY) Elsa packs up her kids and heads west to California, where things are supposed to be better. But…they’re not. I’m sure you could figure that out for yourself. What happens from there is brutally, dismally sad. This book will break your heart. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Also, read the Author’s Note at the end – it’s amazing.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the NetGalley ARC.

REVIEW – The Second Home by Christina Clancy

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{Available June 2, 2020} The Second Home is a family drama that starts with a life-changing summer on Cape Cod – the effects of which ripple out for 15 years before coming to a head when Ann, Poppy and their adopted brother Michael see each other again after more than a decade apart.

The characters in this book are rich and developed, each having a distinct personality. All three siblings have heartbreaking stories, in their own way. The paths they each end up taking align perfectly with their personalities, and there’s nothing incredibly surprising here.

I’ll be honest – these character-driven, family sagas aren’t my usual cup of tea, but I found myself really loving this story and dying to know where they would all end up. I think this will be a very popular book this summer – it would be a great beach/vacation read for those who want something a bit heavier and in-depth.

Content warning: there’s a pretty descriptive and upsetting rape scene in this book.

Thank you St. Martin’s press for the digital ARC of this book!

REVIEW – Westering Women by Sandra Dallas

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“Being part of our group of women has been the greatest adventure of my life. …I have been part of a remarkable journey with you and the others. We are sisters. We are a band of sisters.”

Westering Women is the story of 44 women (and two ministers) making the journey west on the Overland Trail from Chicago to California. The intent is that the women will find husbands once they reach their destination, but many of the travelers have dark secrets that threaten their lives (and, ultimately, the lives of those traveling with them).

“I do not know the meaning of death, but there is meaning to life.”

The good? The eventual bond between these women is great. They stand up for each other, they protect each other, they keep each other’s secrets. The women are tough and resilient, despite the conditions they face on the trail, including disease, death, violence, rough terrain and harsh weather. Mary, especially, is an incredible character, and I would love to read a book focusing on women like her during that time. She quickly takes on a leadership role for a multitude of reasons, and she’s the shining star in this book despite not being the main character.

The not so good? I found the dialogue to be a bit stilted at times, but this could be a symptom of the time period in which it’s set (I haven’t read many books set in the 1800s so this might be my issue and not the book’s). I also found it to be inconsistent in its approach to hardships – it seemed like some of the issues and events were very brutal and upsetting for the overall tone of the book, but other issues were just kind of brushed aside too easily.

And the problematic? I felt that the story glossed over the role of Native Americans during this time period, and applied a harmful, racist lens overall. Although those traveling to California were attacked by Native Americans on the trail, it seemed like the book did little to dispel the “savage, violent, greedy” stereotype that had incredibly harmful repercussions, the effects of which are still evident today.

I do think this book will go over well with a lot of people – it has enough “grit” that it’s interesting but is also precious and fluffy enough that many readers will still find it palatable.

Content warning: assault, attempted rape/rape (at times involving children), death of children.

Thank you Bibliofinder and St. Martin’s Press for sending me a copy of this book.

REVIEW – Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

Aimeeeliz

What a delightful, heartfelt book! Katherine Center does it right – makes a story emotional without being melodramatic, romantic without being cheesy. Things You Save in a Fire is a great book about family, friendship, love and forgiveness.

I laughed. I cried. Some things made me angry (they were supposed to!)

Cassie is a badass. The rookie is adorable. The firefighters are hilarious and wonderful.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for sending me an ARC of this book!