Posted on by Maureen

Spellbound by Allie Therin

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Spellbound is the first book in Allie Therin’s Magic in Manhattan series of m/m historical romance novels. As soon as I heard about this book on Twitter, I made a request on Netgalley, and was thrilled to pieces when it was approved.

First of all, most of the m/m historicals I’ve read have been either Regency-era or Victorian. I don’t think I’ve read anything else set in the 1920s, so my interest was already piqued based on setting alone… but then Therin is throwing MAGIC into the mix?

Sign me up!

Rory and Arthur come from completely different worlds. Rory is a scruffy orphan who works in his aunt’s antique shop, and Arthur is the wealthy son of a congressman. There’s also a bit of an age difference- Rory is 20 and Arthur is 28. Their paths cross when Arthur discovers that Rory has the ability to “scry”; he can touch an object and see its provenance. They don’t get along very well, but they are going to have to work together if they are going to defeat the magical threat before it destroys the city. Read more

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Posted on by Maureen

Zombie Abbey by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

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Zombie Abbey is a young adult novel by Lauren Baratz-Logsted. I read this book a few months ago, but I am just getting around to reviewing it now. I found it on the new release shelf in the young adult section of my town library. It looked interesting, so I added it to my book pile.

As the title suggests, this book is a mashup of Downton Abbey and zombies. Basically, you have an aristocratic family in 1920s England with three teenage daughters facing a zombie outbreak. Unfortunately, this is a brand new scourge, so no one knows what to make of the mysterious happenings. The town doctor, in fact, insists that nothing is amiss, and any reports to the contrary are due to hysteria. The family and their guests- because of course they’re having a small house party- must join forces with the folk belowstairs before they are overwhelmed by the fast-moving outbreak. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Diamonds of Death by Vivian Conroy

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I received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Diamonds of Death is the second book in Vivian Conroy’s Lady Alkmene mystery series. I enjoyed reading the first book in the series, so I was looking forward to this book.

Lord Winters was murdered in his manor house. Logic and reason dictate that the perpetrator of this heinous act was the burglar who was found standing over the body, but the man claims that Lord Winters was already dead and the precious gems he came to steal are nowhere to be found.

It just so happens that Lord Winters’ late wife was Lady Alkmene’s aunt, and the burglar is a friend of Lady Alkmene’s friend Jake Dubois. This is a little too much of a coincidence, but this provides Alkmene and Jake with the opportunity to go to the manor house to visit her cousins. Alkmene plans to offer her condolences to these cousins she has never met, and Jake will pose as her chauffeur.   Read more

Posted on by Maureen

A Proposal to Die For by Vivian Conroy

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I received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I love historical fiction and mysteries, so I was very excited about the opportunity to read A Proposal to Die For. This is the first entry in Vivian Conroy’s new series featuring Lady Alkmene Callender, a young socialite in 1920s London.

When Silas Norwhich, a wealthy man, dies under suspicious circumstances, Lady Alkmene feels compelled to investigate. It doesn’t really matter to her that she has no experience or much of a connection to the deceased; she knows that something is not quite right, and she is determined to uncover the truth.

Alkmene crosses paths with a reporter named Jake Dubois, and at first, he sees her as an annoyance, and that she sees detective work as something to do to pass the time while her father is out of the country. Alkmene quickly realizes that he is not entirely incorrect; there is a great deal that she does not know about the way the world works. However, Jake must admit that Alkmene’s status provides her with admission to places that he would not be able to reach on his own. The two form an unlikely partnership. Read more

Posted on by Maureen · 1 Comment

Isabel Feeney, Star Reporter by Beth Fantaskey

51wysrnge2blI received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Isabel Feeney, Star Reporter is a middle grade novel written by Beth Fantaskey. Its narrator and protagonist is Isabel Feeney, a ten year old girl who works as a newspaper girl working in 1920s Chicago. One evening, she witnesses one of her regular customers greet a man and walk into an alley. Seconds later, Isabel hears a gunshot, and when she rushes to the alley, Miss Giddings is standing in the alley, and the man is lying on the ground- dead.

Of course, it seems like Miss Giddings shot the man, who turns out to be a part-time gangster. Detective Culhane thinks that she did it, and so does newspaper reporter Maude Collier. But Isabel knows that her friend Miss Giddings is innocent, and she is determined to prove it. Isabel might have to work to help her single mother earn money instead of going to school, but she knows that she has what it takes to be a newspaper reporter- just like her idol Maude Collier. And so, Isabel Feeney sticks her nose where it doesn’t belong, all in the name of justice for her friend Miss Giddings. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Of Better Blood by Susan Moger

51kh9wdtaylI received a copy of this book from Albert Whitman & Company/Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoy reading young adult historical fiction, so I was very excited about the opportunity to read Of Better Blood. Author Susan Moger has written several educational books and teaching materials, but this is her first novel.

Rowan Collier comes from a “good” family. She lives with her father and older sister in relative affluence, but that all changes when she contracts polio at the age of 11.   Five years later, Rowan has regained the strength in her paralyzed leg, and she can walk with a cane. She never returned home after her diagnosis, and has spent all that time living in various hospitals. When the story begins, she is spending the summer in the most humiliating way: playing the role of the “crippled” daughter in a traveling production about Fitter Families sponsored by a eugenics council. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Until We Meet Again by Renee Collins

61hpjyhipllI received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I was immediately intrigued by the premise of Until We Meet Again when I saw it on NetGalley. I’m a big fan of YA book, and although I’m not familiar with author Renee Collins’ other books, I’m certainly going to look out for her books in the future.

This is the story of Cassandra and Lawrence. They meet on the beach on the North Shore of Massachusetts and immediately strike up a friendship. There’s just one problem: Lawrence is actually from 1925. As inexplicable as it seems, Cass and Lawrence are able to meet regularly and then go back home to their respective eras. When Cass’ curiosity gets the best of her and she looks up Lawrence at the library, she finds out something shocking. She wants to help her new friend, but how will helping him affect the future? Read more

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Heirs and Assigns by Marjorie Eccles

81ltzwnkbhlI received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Two of my favorite genres are historical fiction and mysteries, and when these two are combined, I’ll likely enjoy the result. I’m not very particular about historical era- I love Victorian stories, as well as stories set in the 1930s, and just about everything in between.

I received the opportunity to read Heirs and Assigns, the first entry in a new British country house murder mystery series by Marjorie Eccles. The story begins in 1928 with a pilgrimage; the entire Llewellyn clan is descending upon their ancestral home to celebrate the birthday of their patriarch, Penrose. Even the family black sheep/prodigal son Huwie has returned for the happy occasion. At a celebratory dinner the night before the big event, Pen makes an announcement that surprises everyone, and the family’s reaction disrupts the evening’s festivities. The dinner party breaks up, and everyone retires for the evening. The next morning, Pen is discovered dead in his bed. Read more