Today, Stephanie Marie Thornton releases her stunning new book, Her Lost Words: A Novel of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley. This historical fiction novel follows two famous figures, a mother and daughter, who both left their mark on the world. I find both Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley to be fascinating and inspiring women. The... Continue Reading →
Last year, Lynn Painter's Mr. Wrong Number was a popular contemporary romance, and rightfully so. This week, the series continues with her new novel, The Love Wager. This friends-to-lovers romance follows Jack and Hallie as they navigate dating app dates and wedding parties, all while denying their obvious feelings for each other. It's a cute... 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 →
A recent book that needs to be on your radar is To Win Her Hand by Jen Geigle Johnson. The first in her new Gentleman's Match series, it follows two rival matchmakers who spend their time helping others fall in love, yet can't envision a happily ever after for themselves. But when Lord Featherstone and... Continue Reading →
Today, Deanna Raybourn releases her eighth Veronica Speedwell book, A Sinister Revenge. In this Victorian mystery, Veronica, her beau Stoker, and his brother Tiberius face cryptic messages and the death of two friends from a group known as the Seven Sinners. The trio attempts to uncover the killer at a reunion party... but it could... Continue Reading →
Following her adult debut, Sadie on a Plate, Amanda Elliot is back with a new foodie romance: Best Served Hot. This rivals-to-lovers story follows Julie, a popular food blogger who's been rejected for her dream job. Instead, the job went to the "smarmy, social-media-adverse" Bennett. After she films an argument between them and it goes... Continue Reading →
An inspiring and timely new novel hits shelves today: The Woman with the Cure by Lynn Cullen. Based on a real woman in our recent history, it follows Dorothy Horstmann, an epidemiologist, virologist, and pediatrician who led the way in developing the polio vaccine. In the 1940s and '50s, science and medicine were still very much a man's... Continue Reading →
One of the hottest debuts this season is Stone Cold Fox by Rachel Koller Croft. This thriller follows Bea, a woman who's spent her life as part of a con artist duo with her mother. She's ready to exchange that high-stakes lifestyle for one of luxury by marrying into one of the wealthiest families in... 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 →
2023 has only just begun, and already there are some incredible new books out that deserve to be read! One novel I'm particularly looking forward to is The Rose and the Thistle by Laura Frantz. It takes place in Scotland in 1715, and it follows a fugitive heiress as she hides out in a Scottish... Continue Reading →
Earlier this year, I enjoyed Sharon C. Cooper's novel Business Not As Usual. Now the male protagonists's sister gets her own love story with In It to Win It, a second chances romance with a little friendly competition over a real estate deal. Special thanks to the publicists at Penguin Random House and to NetGalley for providing me... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books for the end of this year was A Dash of Salt and Pepper by Kosoko Jackson. I admit, I've been planning to read his first adult romance, I'm So (Not) Over You, all year, but it somehow hasn't happened yet. However, I'm happy I got to read A Dash... Continue Reading →
I always love a book that I can escape into and be transported to another country. Paris is near the top of my destination wish list, so I was looking forward to Samantha Vérant's new novel, The Spice Master at Bistro Exotique. Set against the opening of a new Parisian bistro, this is an enemies-to-lovers... Continue Reading →
This autumn has seen some incredible new releases, and one book I'm particularly excited to read is Under a Veiled Moon by Karen Odden. It's the second in her Inspector Corravan mystery series, following Down a Dark River. This time, the Irish-born Scotland Yard Inspector Michael Corravan will have to investigate a crime that's a... Continue Reading →
I've been a fan of mysteries for as long as I can remember, back to when I read all the Nancy Drew books I could find as a child. One mystery series that I'm looking to start is the Merry Folger series by Francine Mathews. Now is a great time to dive in, because the... Continue Reading →
One of the romances I've most been looking forward to this year has been Better Than Fiction by Alexa Martin. Although I haven't read her previous novels, this one looked adorable: A book-hater falling in love with a literal author? It doesn't get better than that! I was thrilled to get an early copy of... Continue Reading →
I always enjoy reading historical fiction about real-life figures, and especially about the people adjacent to someone more famous, so I was excited to read Godmersham Park by Gill Hornby. It follows the years that Anne Sharp worked as a governess for the Austen family at their home in Kent. While there, she met her... Continue Reading →
For months, I was looking forward to Sign Here, the debut novel by Claudia Lux. Apart from its eye-catching cover, the synopsis sounded wholly original: A guy working in Hell? That could be both fun and horrifying! I was thrilled to get an advance copy of this novel, even if it turned out to be... Continue Reading →
Summer may be over, but that doesn't mean you can't keep reading about it! A new book that I'm excited for is That Summer in Berlin by Lecia Cornwall. Set during the 1936 Berlin Olympics, it follows a daring woman on an undercover mission. Though she seems to be one of the many debutantes looking... Continue Reading →
More and more lately, I've enjoyed reading about historical figures who are adjacent to someone who is more famous or remembered. I've read about the lesser known Mozart composer, then Marie Antoinette's older sister, and now Queen Victoria's daughter, Louise. Heather B. Moore's latest novel, In the Shadow of a Queen, highlights the princess who... Continue Reading →
One of the most exciting new books out today is Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty. It's the first in her Midsolar Murders series, with a second installment due in 2023. Combining mystery and science fiction, Station Eternity finds amateur detective Mallory Viridian living on an alien space station. After becoming a pariah on Earth due... Continue Reading →
Earlier this year, I adored The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews, the first in her Belles of London series. Ever since, I'd been looking forward to the next book, The Belle of Belgrave Square. Happily, I was able to read an advanced copy of the novel, and it not only lived up to my lofty... Continue Reading →
Although it still feels like summer where I live, autumn's cooler weather is just around the corner. It's the time of year when I am most drawn to mysteries, thrillers, and gothic tales. One such book that perfectly fits the bill is Millstone of Doubt by Erica Vetsch, the second in her Thorndike and Swann... Continue Reading →
In just two days, it will finally be fall -- my favorite season! It's the perfect timing for a new book that's out today: An Autumn Kiss, part of the Timeless Victorian Collection, featuring short stories by Laura Rollins, Annette Lyon, and Lisa H. Catmull. Each of the stories looks so sweet. One is a... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 