Today, one of my favorite recent reads hits shelves: The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue. Set in Cork, Ireland between 2009 and 2010, it follows a young woman named Rachel as she finishes college, moves out for the first time, and finds herself in the middle of a messy romantic entanglement. It is a quick... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated debut novels this year has been Where Ivy Dares to Grow by Marielle Thompson. With comparisons to Mexican Gothic and Outlander, it follows a woman struggling with her mental health and her cruel soon-to-be in-laws, the eerie presence she feels in their mansion, and an unexpected timeslip to the past.... Continue Reading →
Ruth Ware is my favorite thriller author, and I've read every novel she's published so far. She's the kind of author where I'll finish her latest book, feel elated by the whole reading journey it took me on, and then immediately feel sad that I now have to wait another year for her next novel.... Continue Reading →
In the past few months, I kept hearing about a new book called Orchid Child by Victoria Costello. The setting in Ireland caught my interest, but so did its unique premise of intergenerational trauma, epigenetics, and schizophrenia. I was intrigued to see where these interconnecting themes would go! Special thanks to NetGalley and Between the... Continue Reading →
I’ve had a book by Kris Waldherr on my shelf for a couple of years, and though I haven’t read that, I was excited when she released her second novel last summer. Unnatural Creatures: A Novel of the Frankenstein Women reimagines the world of Victor Frankenstein and his monster, shifting the focus from him and... Continue Reading →
Ever since I read the first chapter preview for The Duchess Takes a Husband a whole year ago, I've been desperate to read it. This is the fourth and final book in Harper St. George's Gilded Age Heiresses series, following The Heiress Gets a Duke, The Devil and the Heiress, and The Lady Tempts an Heir. It... Continue Reading →
I'm a sucker for a good cover, and The Chateau by Jaclyn Goldis certainly has it. France is also a country I'm eternally drawn to, so it's no wonder this thriller, set in Provence, captured my interest. It follows Darcy and her three friends as they return to her grandmother's titular chateau. But when her... Continue Reading →
Last year, Claudia Gray began a new Regency mystery series with The Murder of Mr. Wickham. As you may have surmised from that title, the story is inspired by Jane Austen and indeed features characters from all six of her novels. It also introduced several new characters, including our sleuthing protagonists, the respective children the Darcys... Continue Reading →
In the past several years, I've been particularly drawn to stories by and about Somali people. Admittedly, part of this has been inspired by the singer K'naan, whose music I enjoy. Whether reading memoirs or novels or shorter fiction, there is a growing number of authors with roots in Somalia. This week, Idman Nur Omar... Continue Reading →
Last year, I greatly enjoyed Brendan Slocumb's debut novel, The Violin Conspiracy. As soon as I heard about his second book, I could hardly wait. I was overjoyed to get an ARC of his new novel, Symphony of Secrets, which comes out tomorrow, April 18th. His sophomore release is even more impressive and impactful than his... Continue Reading →
In the past couple of years, I've been loving Martha Waters's Regency Vows series. Following To Have and to Hoax, To Love and to Loathe, and To Marry and to Meddle, the newest book is To Swoon and to Spar. It follows our beloved Penvale and a new character, Jane. They're pushed into a marriage neither... Continue Reading →
For at least six months, one of my most highly anticipated books has been Ana María and The Fox by Liana De La Rosa. The first in her Luna Sisters series, this historical romance is set in the 1860s and follows three Mexican heiresses fleeing their home country for England. The eldest sister, Ana María,... Continue Reading →
Yesterday saw the release of Diana Biller's third novel, Hotel of Secrets, one of my most anticipated books this month. Set in Vienna in 1878, this historical romance combines a love story with mystery, danger, and action, all set against a season of balls and celebrations. It's an original and engrossing novel for anyone who... Continue Reading →
Yesterday, the English translation of The Woman Beyond the Sea by Sarit Yishai-Levi hit shelves. The book was first published in Hebrew in 2019, and the new translation was done by Gilah Kahn-Hoffmann. This historical fiction novel, set primarily in Israel, follows a mother and daughter and their difficult relationship, their tumultuous lives, and the... Continue Reading →
Three years ago, I loved Kiran Millwood Hargrave's historical novel The Mercies, and I've looked forward to reading more from her since. This week, she releases her second adult novel, The Dance Tree. This one goes back even farther in time than its predecessor, taking readers to Strasbourg in 1518, amidst the dancing plague that... Continue Reading →
Sometimes, a beautiful cover and an intriguing title are all it takes to pique my interest in a book. Such was the case with The Last Russian Doll, the debut novel by Kristen Loesch. My knowledge of Russia, its history, and its culture are fairly limited. Of course, I know the major musical and literary... Continue Reading →
Tomorrow, Off the Map by Trish Doller hits shelves everywhere, and I was excited to get an early copy of it. This is actually the third installment in her Beck Sisters series, and I admittedly haven't read the first two books yet. I've been reading romance series out of order more and more lately... not... Continue Reading →
Last summer, J. J. McAvoy released Aphrodite and the Duke, the first book in her new Regency romance series, the DuBells. Like the Netflix adaptation of Bridgerton, this series features people of color in aristocratic roles in a society void of racism. I've been looking forward to reading Aphrodite and the Duke, and now felt... Continue Reading →
One of the debut novels I've been looking forward to this year has been Ruby Spencer's Whisky Year by Rochelle Bilow. Set in the Scottish Highlands, it was giving me Outlander vibes... minus the time travel and historical setting, of course! Instead, it follows an American woman who's ready for a career change. She quits... Continue Reading →
Following her first book, The Taste of Ginger, Mansi Shah is back with her second novel, The Direction of the Wind. I admit that I went into this book blind (something I've been doing more frequently lately), but I was instantly absorbed into this beautiful and impactful story. Following a mother and daughter traveling from... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books of 2023 has been Maame, the debut novel by Jessica George. It follows Maddie, a self-described "late bloomer," who, at 25, is moving out for the first time. She'll experience some exciting and rocky firsts, but she'll also face tragedy, and these will lead her to uncovering her path... Continue Reading →
For nearly six years, I've been holding onto Mr. Rochester by Sarah Shoemaker. This novel is a retelling of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre—my favorite classic novel, and one I just reread earlier this month. This January I'm doing a fun little Jane Eyre reading challenge (I'm calling it "Janeuary"), and the first retelling I selected... Continue Reading →
In the last couple of years, the Secret Scientists of London series by Elizabeth Everett has emerged as a standout among historical romances. These are smart books highlighting women who fit within the STEM label (and STEMinist label), except it's the 1840s and they're facing even more career pushback than women today. I've been meaning... Continue Reading →
The first classic novel I profoundly connected with when I was young was Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. I was a high school junior then, still 16 years old, and I absolutely loved it. So much so, in fact, that I watched and rewatched the 2006 BBC series adaptation and forced my younger sister to... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 