Six months ago, I finished reading The Heiress Gets a Duke, the first in Harper St. George's Gilded Age Heiresses series. I really enjoyed it,... Continue Reading →
The Devil and the Heiress
The Woman in Red
A full year ago, The Woman in Red by Diana Giovinazzo was one of my most anticipated books of summer 2020. Though it came out... Continue Reading →
The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany
When The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman was selected as a November pick for Book of the Month last year, I had... Continue Reading →
What the Hex
Last September I read (and adored) You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria. It's the first in her Primas of Power series, and I'm eagerly... Continue Reading →
Ties That Tether
Last fall, one of the books I was most looking forward to was Ties That Tether, the debut novel by Jane Igharo. So when it became one of the Book of the Month picks in October, I was thrilled. It's taken me a few months to finally sit down and read it, but once I... Continue Reading →
The Heiress Gets a Duke
In the last couple of years, I've discovered that I actually really enjoy romance novels, including historical romance. One of my favorite authors in the genre is Evie Dunmore, who's writing the League of Extraordinary Women series. Since I love her books so much, I also respect her opinion and recommendations. One new book she... Continue Reading →
A Witch in Time
Let me preface this review with a confession: I was really excited when A Witch in Time, the debut novel by Constance Sayers, was about to be published in February 2020. Then I was ecstatic when I won it in a Goodreads giveaway! But the version I won was an ebook, and I've never been... Continue Reading →
This Time Next Year
I've spent my last several books in a very time-conscious state, from One Day in December and Winterwood to the New Year's setting of The Hunting Party. For my first book of 2021, I decided to continue in a similar vein and read another story all about New Year's Eve and New Year's Day: This... Continue Reading →
Winterwood
At the end of last year, back when I still went into book stores without a mask or fears of Covid, I stumbled across an enchanting novel called Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw. Its intricate cover arrested my attention - with its web of branches and roots reaching for an ominous half moon. But beyond that,... Continue Reading →
One Day in December
So here's a confession: Although I bought Josie Silver's The Two Lives of Lydia Bird earlier this year - and I'm still excited to read it - for some reason I never felt that interested in getting her first book, One Day in December. I don't have any great explanation for that, other than my... Continue Reading →
Song of the Crimson Flower
It's only in the past year or so that I've reintroduced YA novels back into my life, and I'm so glad I have. It's opened the doors to so many amazing books! One YA book I picked up early in my rediscovery process was Song of the Crimson Flower by Julie C. Dao, which I... Continue Reading →
Red, White, & Royal Blue
Okay guys, here's the deal: I am so tired of politics and the Trump administration at this point. I just want it to end already. Or, better yet, I wish we could turn back time and have a different president right now. Alas, we can't change the past, only the future (PLEASE VOTE). But thanks... Continue Reading →
Next Year in Havana
A couple of years ago, I picked up Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton. She's released two more books in this series since then, and has already announced another due next spring, and I knew it was time to finally settle in and give this novel my attention. That this month (from September 15... Continue Reading →
You Had Me at Hola
This summer, I started hearing great things about a new contemporary romance, You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria. I was instantly interested, in part because it highlights Latinx characters. My husband is Latino - Peruvian, specifically - and while it wasn't quite love at first sight, we at least became friends at "hola."... Continue Reading →
A Rogue of One’s Own
Last year, I read and loved Evie Dunmore's debut novel, Bringing Down the Duke, the first in her A League of Extraordinary Women series. I could hardly wait for the second book to come out, and I was thrilled when it was included as a Book of the Month pick for September. As soon as... Continue Reading →
Beach Read
I love it when a book not only meets your excited expectations, but actually exceeds them. That's what happened with Emily Henry's Beach Read, a sweet romance about two rival authors trading genres for a summer. Although this novel wasn't on my radar, as soon as it appeared as a pick for Book of the... Continue Reading →
Sex and Vanity
Like so many people around the world, I adored Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians trilogy and the movie adaptation of the first book. (The second movie should be filmed in 2021, and I can't wait to see it, too!) Naturally, I was super excited when Kevin's new book, Sex and Vanity, was announced, and I... Continue Reading →
Felix Ever After
A few weeks ago, I fell into a vortex of finding books to recommend to my younger sister. One of those was Felix Ever After, a YA book by Kacen Callender. But though I originally wanted to get the novel for my sister, the story looked too good for me to pass up. I ordered... Continue Reading →
The Golden Hour
It was almost exactly one year ago that I picked up the Book of the Month edition of The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams. I'd been wanting to read something by Beatriz Williams for a few months - all of her books look intriguing - and when it was a June pick on BOTM, I... Continue Reading →
What the Wind Knows
Amy Harmon's What the Wind Knows gently fluttered into my awareness last year when I saw it featured in some bookish email newsletters. But while the title and cover caught my eye, the summary catapulted it to the top of my to-buy list. There are three reasons... First: It's set in Ireland, and I have... Continue Reading →
Bringing Down the Duke
At the beginning of this year, I decided to subscribe to Book of the Month. One of my favorite things about BOTM is that I discover some amazing books that I hadn't heard of before. In September, my favorite Book of the Month discovery was Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore, the first in... Continue Reading →
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill
I, Amanda Whitbeck, am a book nerd. That should come as no surprise, given that I decided to start a whole website dedicated to book reviews and blog posts about reading. And as an admitted book nerd, I get pretty excited when I find novels that are, in some way, about books and a love... Continue Reading →
The Bride Test
After reading Helen Hoang's The Kiss Quotient, I knew I had to read its sequel, The Bride Test, next. Both books are part of a trilogy, with the third and final installment due next year. The trilogy centers on characters with autism navigating romantic and sexual relationships. While The Kiss Quotient followed an autistic, successful... Continue Reading →
The Kiss Quotient
Helen Hoang's debut novel, The Kiss Quotient, caught my eye every time I entered a book store for several months before I finally gave in and bought it. I don't normally read romance novels, but this one - with its clever title and unique plot - proved irresistible. The Kiss Quotient tells the story of... Continue Reading →
