Posted on by Maureen · 2 Comments

Pride by Ibi Zoboi

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Pride is a YA novel written by Ibi Zoboi. I was excited about this book because as the title suggests, this is a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Pride and Prejudice variants, in all their delightful forms, are one of my major weaknesses, and I was interested to see Zoboi’s take on the literary classic.

Zuri Benitez loves her Bushwick neighborhood, and isn’t particularly impressed with the changes. She and her sisters have been watching the transformation of the building across the street with interest, and as the story begins, the Darcy family moves in. Zuri’s sister Janae hits it off with Ainsley Darcy, while Zuri clashes with Darius Darcy. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Hexbreaker by Jordan L. Hawk

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Hexbreaker is the first book in Jordan L. Hawk’s Hexworld series of m/m paranormal historical romance novels. I’ve been a fan of Hawk’s Widdershins books, but after hearing about the Hexworld books in a Facebook group, I knew that I had to read them as well.

Hexbreaker takes place in the 1890s in an alternate version of New York City. Magic plays an important role in everyday life. Hexes are spells that can help or harm people. Witches are aided by familiars- assistants who have the ability to shift into an animal form. A witch needs to bond with a familiar in order to achieve their full potential, but bonding is a serious undertaking that can’t easily be undone.

Tom Halloran is a police officer with several big secrets. He has built a new life for himself, but his newest case is reminiscent of the terrible crime similar to the one that sent him into hiding, and he’s one of the only ones who can stop it from happening again.

Cicero is a cat familiar whose friend has been kidnapped. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to find his friend, including working with Tom, who has revealed that he is a hexbreaker. It’s unclear why somebody with a rare and powerful talent like that would be working as a nonmagical police officer, but they need to work quickly because Cicero’s friend is in grave danger. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts) by L.C. Rosen

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Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts) is a YA novel by L.C. Rosen. I found this book on the YA new release shelf at my town library. The TLDR version of this review is that I read this book in one day, and I loved it so much that I bought the Kindle edition AND the Audible editions as soon as I finished reading.

Jack is an openly gay high school student in Manhattan, and while he enjoys an active social life, it is not nearly as salacious as the rumors swirling around the NYC private school scene.

But still, because of his perceived expertise, his friend Jenna persuades him to a sex advice column for her blog based on readers’ questions. Jack is reluctant at first, but finds that he enjoys answering questions.

Around the same time, Jack finds a letter from a Secret Admirer in his locker. He doesn’t think much of it, but then he receives a second letter. And then a third. There’s a gradual shift in tone, but it quickly becomes clear that Jack is dealing with a stalker. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Tell Me a Mitzi by Lore Segal

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Tell Me a Mitzi is a picture book written by Lore Segal and illustrated by Harriet Pincus. I was very excited about the opportunity to share this book with my girls because this was a book I remembered from my own childhood. We loved this book so much that we even named one of our cats Mitzi, and she was my mother’s favorite cat of all time. I still have my copy of this book on cassette, probably a relic from a Scholastic book flier.

Mitzi is a young girl living in New York City, and this book is made up of three short stories about the titular girl and her family. They are fairly short stories that start out like everyday occurrences, but there is a little twist at the end of each story. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

The Girl With The Make-Believe Husband

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Julia Quinn is one of my favorite authors, and I always look forward to her books. I pre-ordered The Girl With The Make-Believe Husband several months ago, and it was a nice treat to see it in my Kindle this morning.

The Girl With The Make Believe-Husband is the second book in the Bridgerton Prequel series. The first prequel was a departure from Quinn’s usual historical romances because it takes place in the Georgian period rather than the Regency. This second book is even more of a departure; not only is it set in the Georgian era, but it takes place almost entirely in America.

Cecilia Harcourt travels to New York after learning that her only brother has been injured during the war. While this is quite an impulsive thing to do, she is left with few options after her father’s death. Upon her arrival, she can not find her brother, but she does find Captain Edward Rokesby, her brother Thomas’ best friend. Although they have never met, Cecilia looked forward to receiving letters from Thomas because they would always contain a little note from Captain Rokesby. She would include notes of her own when writing to Thomas. So when she sees Captain Rokesby gravely injured, she makes another impulsive decision: she informs the British Army that she is Captain Rokesby’s wife. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Murder Between the Lines by Radha Vatsal

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

Murder Between the Lines is the second book in Radha Vatsal’s Kitty Weeks mystery series. These books take place during World War I- but before the United States has entered the war. Kitty is a young woman who works as a newspaper reporter for the Ladies’ Page of The New York Sentinel. She doesn’t intend to become a detective, but her dedication to discovering the truth compels her to pursue irregularities until victims receive the justice they deserve.

In this book, a routine story about a girls’ boarding school places Kitty back in investigator mode. At the school, Kitty meets a bright girl named Elspeth. They arrange to get together when Elspeth returns home for Christmas vacation. She is excited about something she wants to tell Kitty, but the next morning, Elspeth is found outside- dead. The death is labeled a tragic accident, a side effect of Elspeth’s childhood sleepwalking. Naturally, Kitty is suspicious, and as she probes deeper, she realizes that she has every reason to feel that way. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Oh Danny Boy by Rhys Bowen

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I have been a fan of Rhys Bowen’s book for a couple of years. I discovered her Royal Spyness series first, but I also enjoy her Molly Murphy mysteries. I have read all of the Royal Spyness books and most of the more recently published Molly Murphy mysteries, so now I am going back and reading more some of the earlier Molly Murphy books.

Oh Danny Boy picks up several weeks after the events of the previous book, In Like Flynn. Molly is trying to return to her normal life, but she has not had much success in finding cases for her fledgling detective business. She is also busy ignoring the letters from Captain Daniel Sullivan of the New York Police; he was a bit of a cad in the last book.

Molly learns that Daniel has been attempting to contact her because he has been arrested on charges of fraud and collaborating with a gang. Daniel insists that he is innocent, and that Molly is the only person that can help him because the force has turned against him. As Molly probes into the events that led up to the arrest, she begins to wonder if the perpetrator needed to silence Daniel. Could there be a connection between Daniel’s predicament and a killer who is targeting prostitutes. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

In Like Flynn by Rhys Bowen

51tgujvjeilI have been a fan of Rhys Bowen’s book for a couple of years. I first discovered her Royal Spyness series, but I also enjoy her Molly Murphy mysteries. I have read all of the Royal Spyness books and most of the more recently published Molly Murphy mysteries, so now I am going back and reading more some of the earlier Molly Murphy books.

Molly Murphy is a young Irish immigrant living in New York City in the early 1900s. She has decided to be a private detective, but this is not an easy job for a woman at the time. As In Like Flynn begins, Molly receives an opportunity to spend part of the summer at Senator Flynn’s grand estate on the Hudson. Her friend, police captain Daniel Sullivan, needs help exposing a pair of spiritualists, and the easiest way to do this is for Molly to pose as Senator Flynn’s distant cousin from Ireland. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

For the Love of Mike by Rhys Bowen

91arjrhqfplI have been enjoying Rhys Bowen’s Molly Murphy mystery series for a couple of years. These books follow young Irish immigrant Molly Murphy who works as a detective in turn of the century New York City. I started reading this series after discovering the Royal Spyness books, which are one of Bowen’s other series. I’ve been reading the books out of order; I’ve read all of the recent ones, and now I’m going back to the beginning of the series.

For The Love of Mike is the third book in the Molly Murphy series. Molly is quickly realizing that it is a lot more difficult for a woman to be a private investigator, but feels fortunate when she receives requests for help with two very different cases. The first case comes at the request of a garment factory owner. He suspects that a rival has been stealing his designs, and he needs Molly’s help to figure out how this is happening. Molly must infiltrate the factory and work as a garment worker. This is difficult work, and does not leave Molly much time to work on her second case: an English gentleman has written to her requesting help locating his daughter. The young woman ran away from the family’s Irish estate with a charismatic household servant. How can Molly find one missing girl in such a huge city? Read more

Posted on by Maureen

A Front Page Affair by Radha Vatsal

51rvpl02bwnlI received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I love historical fiction, and I love mysteries. I was very excited about the opportunity to read A Front Page Affair, which is the first book in a new series by Radha Vatsal. Capability “Kitty” Weeks works for a newspaper, but she has been relegated to covering “women’s” news. She is sent to cover a Society party, and one of the guests turns up dead in the stables. As Kitty retraces her steps and the events of that evening, she realizes that the details are not adding up. The situation is much more complicated, and might compromise national security. Read more