Angieville

Today marks the release of Stephanie Butland's brand new novel The Curious Heart of Ailsa Rae . I'm pleased to be taking part in the blog tour with a giveaway courtesy of St. Martin's Press. Earlier this year (on Beth 's recommendation), I read Ms. Butland's thoughtful and quirky Lost for Words , and I immediately began looking forward to her next book. As you know, I read quite a lot of speculative and historical fiction. But I've had a streak of success with contemporaries this year, and Lost for Words was certainly one of them. If you are a fan of Jenny Colgan  or Sophie Kinsella , I suggest you do yourself a favor and check these books out. ABOUT THE BOOK For fans of Josie Silver's One Day in December , The Curious Heart of Ailsa Rae is a wholly original,  charismatic, and uplifting novel that no reader will soon forget.  Ailsa Rae is learning how to live. She’s only a few months past the heart transplant that—just in  time—saved her life. Now,...

Today marks the release of The Art of Theft ―the fourth installment in Sherry Thomas's superb Lady Sherlock series . I'm delighted to be participating in the blog tour with a giveaway courtesy of Berkley. My emotions regarding this gender-swapped Sherlock Holmes retelling are tangled and fathoms-deep. These characters are incredibly dear to me, and I return to each book so very happy to see them and to read the breathtaking empathy with which Sherry Thomas writes about the realities of the lives of Victorian women and the truths that are so difficult to speak. Fans of Deanna Raybourn and Anna Lee Huber should definitely search out this series if you've not yet made its acquaintance.  ABOUT THE BOOK Charlotte finds herself in  the  midst of an all-new debacle: how does a renowned detective, a super-sneaky sleuth, steal a piece of artwork?  The  crime-solver has uncovered missing persons, and even nabbed a murderer or two—but when an old friend of Mrs. Wat...

It is a pleasure to be a part of the blog tour for Hazel Prior's debut novel Ellie and the Harpmaker . I confess it was the title that drew me in when Berkley approached me about a possible review. It sounded a bit fey, a bit on the ethereal side. The comparisons to the exquisite  Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine decidedly did not hurt. And so I readily accepted and opened my review copy to the first page. A thought: Some things are easier to hide than others. A fact: Harps come under the "others" category. So do small boys. As you know by now, I am such a sucker for a good epigraph, and this one did the trick nicely. As did the novel's opening lines: A woman came to the barn today. Her hair was the color of walnut wood. Her eyes were the color of bracken in October. Her socks were the color of cherries, which was noticeable because all the rest of her clothes were sad colors. And so we are introduced to one Dan Hollis and the particular way that he s...

Today marks the release of An Artless Demise ―the seventh installment in Anna Lee Huber 's excellent Lady Darby mystery series. I'm happy to be participating in the blog tour with a giveaway courtesy of Berkley. This is a series I've enjoyed from the very beginning (you can read my review of the first book here ). Be sure that Kiera and Gage are well worth your time, particularly if you are a fan of Deanna Raybourn or Tasha Alexander . ABOUT THE BOOK Kiera’s return to London is anything but mundane after fleeing in infamy more than two years ago. While Kiera expected the whispers and murmurs inspired by her reappearance, she wasn’t prepared to receive a letter of blackmail, threatening to divulge the secrets of her past and implicating her in crimes she didn’t commit. A gang of body snatchers is arrested on suspicion of killing people from the streets and selling the bodies to medical schools, and Kiera is a perfect suspect for their crimes―after all, she was previo...

I'm delighted to be a part of the blog tour for this first novel in  Julie Anne Long 's new historical series―The Palace of Rogues. I found my way to Ms. Long's writing in a bit of a piecemeal fashion. Her long-running Pennyroyal Green series is widely beloved and records the various and sundry escapades of the always-scheming, never repentant Eversea and Redmond families. Really, the series is worth the price of admission for the hilarious (and ever-evolving) "Ballad of Colin Eversea" alone (though Colin's is not actually my favorite book). But I've come to believe that this sweeping eleven-book series has something for every reader. You just have to dip your toes in enough times to find your favorites. And once you do, they will become instant and confirmed comfort reads. Spoiler alert: mine are It Happened One Midnight and What I Did for a Duke . I'm sorry, Colin, but the Duke of Falconbridge, you are not . You'll be just fine, though. Madel...

Phoenix Unbound —the first book in Grace Draven 's new Fallen Empire series—releases from Ace Trade Paperback on September 25th. In honor of the release, Penguin Random House is celebrating with a giveaway that features not only an ARC of Phoenix Unbound but also a Fantasy Romance Starter Kit made up of other first-in-series romantic fantasy books by Ilona Andrews , Patricia Briggs , Nalini Singh , Anne Bishop , and Chloe Neill . Guys, this includes the first Kate Daniels and Alpha & Omega books. Two of my very favorites. I love the whole idea! Just click here to enter the sweepstakes giveaway. PHOENIX UNBOUND by GRACE DRAVEN Ace Trade Paperback | September 25, 2018 A woman with power over fire and illusion and an enslaved son of a chieftain battle a corrupt empire in this powerful and deeply emotional romantic fantasy from the  USA Today  bestselling author of  Radiance . Every year, each village is required to send a young woman to the Empire's capital--her fa...

I'm delighted to be a part of the blog tour for Julia Whelan 's debut novel My Oxford Year . I'll confess this beautiful cover is what initially drew my eye. It's just a book I wanted to have on my shelf aesthetically. But even before I saw the cover, I'd heard of this title. It's as though it's been floating around in the ether for awhile now, what with a major motion picture already being in development. Truthfully, that level of advance hype gave me pause, as did the implied titular time constraint. Something about it fairly screamed, "Unplumbed depths of pain lurk beneath this charming cover." I was wary. But some gut instinct kicked in, encouraging me to give this one a chance. I am so very glad I did. The novel is an adaptation of an original screenplay (a fact I found out after turning the final page), and I sat with that for awhile sussing out how I felt about it. In the end, I don't think it really alters my experience with this text...

To celebrate yesterday's release of  The Beast of Ten ,  Beth Brower has kindly offered up a paperback copy to one lucky reader. This giveaway is open internationally and will run through Wednesday, January 31st. To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter. Good luck, and happy reading! Buy: Print | eBook Shelve:  Add on Goodreads Follow Beth: Facebook | Website | Instagram | Goodreads THE DEATH BLEAK - For centuries he has haunted the nations, taking the blood gain further than any before him THE PYRE - His storied stronghold deep in the Forest of Naeethe, its glory forgotten, its ancient purposes abandoned AND I, EMBER - Sent by the Lights to stop him from becoming the one thing that all nations fear the the most. a Rafflecopter giveaway

I decided to start off the year with a read I felt was sure to satisfy. That's the space I'm occupying right now, guys. I need something new and I need something that's going to just make it right. Tall order, I know. But I've been a fan of the first Veronica Speedwell mystery for awhile now, and I was definitely eager to rejoin Veronica and Stoker's company to see what adventure they might find next. Deanna Raybourn has been my go-to author when it comes to Victorian mysteries for awhile now. Together with Sherry Thomas, Anna Lee Huber, and Laurie R. King, she brings the nuanced character development and effortless charm that I so enjoy to historical shenanigans and foul play. Veronica Speedwell has been thwarted in her latest plans for further world exploration when her host trips over a tortoise (truly) and sustains a compound fracture, the likes of which make their journey to the South Pacific impossible for the foreseeable future. And so she and Stoker are ...

Today, I'm excited to be participating in the blog tour for Sherry Thomas ' brand new Victorian mystery A Study in Scarlet Women . As you can likely tell from the title, this is the first installment in Thomas' Lady Sherlock series—a gender-swapped retelling of Sherlock Holmes. So basically, my catnip. We are living in an excellent age when it comes to Holmes retellings. From Laurie King's Mary Russell books to Ellie Marney's Every series  to the BBC's Sherlock , it's a feast of delights. And since I have been a Sherry Thomas fan for awhile now, I could hardly contain my excitement when I heard she was working on a female Holmes. The glowing cover blurb from Deanna Raybourn certainly didn't hurt.  Charlotte Holmes has taken the mother of all calculated risks and successfully gotten herself thrown out. It all started . . . well, ages ago, really. The youngest of four daughters, with parents who seem to hold nothing but disdain for one another, Charlo...

Let's just start by acknowledging that I am woefully behind on reviewing the Sarah MacLean books I have read and loved, which is to say all of them . The thing is, I am simply not overstating things when I say that reading Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake changed my life. And it is a truth universally acknowledged that both A Rogue by Any Other Name and One Girl Earl Deserves a Lover hold pivotal places of honor on my Beloved Bookshelf. As such, I'm beginning to think that her books are so important to me that when it comes to articulating precisely why , I can run into a bit of a struggle. But. I am going to attempt to begin to rectify the situation by reviewing her latest novel and the second installment in the wonderful Scandal & Scoundrel series. I reread the first book in the series in preparation for the sequel, and I am happy to report it was just as delightful the second time around. Lillian Hargrove's world has just been shattered, and by the o...

So. As much as I adore retellings, I recently realized I'd never actually read an Alice in Wonderland retelling. And what with the absolute rash of them inundating the publishing world these days, I figured it was high time. I've always loved the original classic and the Disney film, but I've never seen any of the more recent film adaptations. When Ace contacted me about reviewing Christina Henry 's Alice in anticipation of the sequel's release, it felt like the perfect entry point. Funnily enough, I actually read the first book in Henry's Black Wings urban fantasy series ages ago. We didn't particularly hit it off, but I found myself massively intrigued to find out what she might do with a grown-up Alice. Also, the cover. It sends chills down my spine every time I glance over at the copy sitting on my nightstand. Having now read the words behind that cover, I can verify that the chills only increase after you make the acquaintance of Henry's White Ra...

You guys. It is a genuine thrill for me to welcome Deanna Raybourn to the blog today! I am such a fangirl. I discovered Ms. Raybourn's work through her debut novel — Silent in the Grave —a book I consider perfect in every way and one that I foist upon other readers every chance I get. To say I was excited when she announced she was writing another Victorian mystery series is a not-so-mild understatement. A Curious Beginning is the first in the Veronica Speedwell series and it is being released in trade paperback on July 12th. We're celebrating with a giveaway of one copy, complete with gorgeous new cover. I literally can't stop stroking my copy. So, without further ado, please welcome Deanna Raybourn! This is your second Victorian mystery series. How did the idea for the series develop and how differently did your protagonists make themselves known as opposed to Lady Julia and Brisbane?   I am so lucky to have another chance to explore Victorian London! I love t...