Category: Reviews

Reviews

Review: Curiouser and Curiouser by Melanie Karsak

sophrilreads4 Comments
Book Review

Curiouser and Curiouser by Melanie Karsak
(Steampunk Fairy Tales #1)
Fantasy, Steampunk, Retelling
Add to Goodreads

Synopsis
To save the Hatter, Alice must work with the one man she despises so much that she might still love him.

Alice thought she’d turned over a new leaf. No more working for Jabberwocky. No more making deals with the ruthless Queen of Hearts. No more hanging around The Mushroom with tinkers, tarts, scoundrels, and thieves in London’s criminal underbelly. But she’d been bonkers to dream.

Hatter’s reckless behavior leads Alice back to the one person she never wanted to see again, Caterpillar. Pulled into Caterpillar’s mad schemes, Alice must steal a very big diamond from a very royal lady. The heist is no problem for this Bandersnatch. But protecting her heart from the man she once loved? Impossible.

Sometimes love is mad.

See how NY Times bestselling author Melanie Karsak reimagines Lewis Carroll’s classic fairy tale, Alice in Wonderland, with a steampunk twist! Join us at The Mushroom in gaslamp Victorian London.

What I thought
I received a copy of this book from the Author, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was sold when I heard that this was a Steampunk version of Alice in Wonderland. I have read other books by this author in her steampunk world and I loved them so when I saw that there was a Alice and Wonderland one I couldn’t sign up fast enough.

I am really picky about my Alice in Wonderland retellings. There are a lot of them and I have found that not a lot of them put a new twist on the story. I really enjoyed this twist on Alice in Wonderland. This whole story takes place in Victorian London and all of your players are there. Following the white rabbit down the rabbit hole has a new twist. One thing that I did appreciate is that you not only get your classic characters but you get to see Alice’s sister and Dinah their cat.

There is enough room for Melanie to expand Alice’s story if she wanted to write another book following her.

This story isn’t very long so I do not want to spoil the story for you. But do know that if you like the world that she has created then you are in for a treat because all of her steampunk books take place in the world.

My Rating: /5

Follow me on other platforms:
Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Bloglovin | Facebook

Reviews

Review: A Farewell Kiss L. G. Rollins

sophrilreads3 Comments

A Farewell Kiss L. G. Rollins
A Lockhart Sweet Regency Romance
Regency Romance
Add to Goodreads

Synopsis
She loves him. Which is why he can never know the truth, even if it means saying good bye.

Quintin Lockhart has been in love with Esther since they were children. After an extended trip to India, she’s finally back on English soil. But it becomes painfully obvious after their first meeting that Esther isn’t ready to fall into his waiting arms.

Esther Collingwood’s trip abroad was not at all the lovely adventure she’d been hoping for. Backed into a corner one fateful night, Esther saved herself the only way she could, sacrificing another woman’s happiness in the process. Unable to forgive herself, Esther determines she doesn’t deserve her own happily ever after.

Struggling to understand the change he sees in Esther, Quintin tries desperately to show her that he still cares. But Esther, drowning in heavy shame, refuses to listen to her own heart. When all that happened in India comes to light, will Esther be able to work through the darkness inside herself and find happiness with Quintin once more?

What I thought
I received a copy of this book from the Author, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Quintin is the third son in the Lockhart family and his father gave him an estate that he could run that would be separate from his brothers holding. Unfortunately, the estate was mismanaged for years before Quintin took it over and as a result, he has been barely turning a profit, which is better than the state it was in when he took it over 4 years ago. Which is not the best place to be in when you want to ask for the hand of your childhood sweetheart.

One thing that I have realized is that the Lockhart boys have a tendency to find women that are wonderful and smart and very underappreciated by their families. Which makes me adore them even more. Quintin is my favorite out of all of the Lockhart siblings and has been since he first made his appearance. There is just something about him that makes my heart melt. He is sweet with such a kind heart and from the first book he has not wavered in his devotion to Esther. Even though she has been away with her family in India for the last two years. Quintin’s goal has been to make a place that she would be happy to call home.

As much as this story is about Quintin it is also about Esther discovering that we are not the sum of our bad judgment. This is a story about self-forgiveness and healing. In a lot of ways, this is a story that I know a lot of us need at times. We can be our own worst enemy, but never are we too far gone that we can not be forgiven, but we have to learn to forgive ourselves first.

Not only is this book meaningful but it made me feel all the feelings I loved it. I could not put it down and I finished it in one day.

There is one more sibling to go and I can not wait to get her story!

My Rating: /5

Follow me on other platforms:
Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Bloglovin | Facebook

Reviews

Review: The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd

sophrilreads2 Comments
Book Review

The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
Historical Fiction
Add to Goodreads

Synopsis
“I am Ana. I was the wife of Jesus.”

Raised in a wealthy family in Sepphoris with ties to the ruler of Galilee, Ana is rebellious and ambitious, a relentless seeker with a brilliant, curious mind and a daring spirit. She yearns for a pursuit worthy of her life, but finds no outlet for her considerable talents. Defying the expectations placed on women, she engages in furtive scholarly pursuits and writes secret narratives about neglected and silenced women. When she meets the eighteen-year-old Jesus, each is drawn to and enriched by the other’s spiritual and philosophical ideas. He becomes a floodgate for her intellect, but also the awakener of her heart.

Their marriage unfolds with love and conflict, humor and pathos in Nazareth, where Ana makes a home with Jesus, his brothers, James and Simon, and their mother, Mary. Here, Ana’s pent-up longings intensify amid the turbulent resistance to the Roman occupation of Israel, partially led by her charismatic adopted brother, Judas. She is sustained by her indomitable aunt Yaltha, who is searching for her long-lost daughter, as well as by other women, including her friend Tabitha, who is sold into slavery after she was raped, and Phasaelis, the shrewd wife of Herod Antipas. Ana’s impetuous streak occasionally invites danger. When one such foray forces her to flee Nazareth for her safety shortly before Jesus’s public ministry begins, she makes her way with Yaltha to Alexandria, where she eventually finds refuge and purpose in unexpected surroundings.

Grounded in meticulous historical research and written with a reverential approach to Jesus’s life that focuses on his humanity, The Book of Longings is an inspiring account of one woman’s bold struggle to realize the passion and potential inside her, while living in a time, place, and culture devised to silence her.

What I thought
I really wanted to read this book but I was not sure how I was going to feel about it. I spent my teenage years being very religious. More in the since of study and research. I read many stories and different takes on the stories in the Bible. So I was not sure if I was going to be able to read this story without comparing it to everything I already knew. In the end I really enjoyed this story.

First and foremost this is the story of Ana the wife of Jesus. Jesus having a wife is not a new concept I have heard many believe that Mary Magdalene was his wife, because she is mentioned in the Bible. I know that this is a very hot topic with some people. The concept of him having a wife is based on society of that time. So yes it is very possible that he did.

Now for hard part… telling you how I feel without spoiling you for this story.

The first 3/4 of this book kept my interest and I really enjoyed it but that last 1/4 of the book blew me away. The writing in this book is beautiful and Ana is a passionate and loving person. If Jesus did have a wife I hope she was like Ana. All of the characters in this story felt human, yes, even Jesus. This is the most real I think I have ever read him to be and I enjoyed her take on him so much..This book made me feel so many things and I almost cried. I don’t cry while reading books, but this one almost got me.

One more thing if you pick up this book make sure to also read the Authors Note at the end. At least for my research loving heart I fount that to be interesting too.

My Rating: /5

Follow me on other platforms:
Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Bloglovin | Facebook

Reviews

Review: Heart of Brass by Felicity Banks

sophrilreads1 Comment
Book Review

Heart of Brass by Felicity Banks
(The Antipodean Queen #1)
Steampunk, Fantasy
Add to Goodreads

Synopsis
Emmeline Muchamore is a well-bred young lady hiding explosive family secrets. She needs to marry well, and quickly, in order to keep her family respectable. But when her brass heart malfunctions, she makes a desperate choice to steal the parts she needs to repair it and survive.

She is unable to explain her actions without revealing she has a steam-powered heart, so she is arrested for theft and transported to Victoria, Australia – right in the midst of the Gold Rush.

Now that she’s escaped the bounds of high society, iron manacles cannot hold her for long.

The only metal that really matters is gold.

What I thought
This book was received from the Publisher, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the first steampunk book that I have read that mostly takes place in Australia. It was interesting I can not say how much was fantasy and how much was based on fact when it comes to Austrialia during this time. I really need to look it up.

This was an very easy to read book especially for being the first book in a series. There were some places that seemed to drag along but as a whole it was an enjoyable read. I really liked how metals have magical properties. And I found it interesting how Emmeline is able to talk to metals, this is not explored very much in this first book but I hope we learn more in the other books in this series.

As a whole I enjoyed the story it was different I just found myself contiguously frustrated with Emmeline, which made the book to easy to put down and walk away from.

My Rating: /5

Follow me on other platforms:
Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Bloglovin | Facebook

Reviews

Review: A Trace of Copper by Anne Renwick

sophrilreadsLeave a comment
Book Review
A Trace of Copper


A Trace of Copper by Anne Renwick
(Elemental Steampunk Tales #1)
Steampunk, Fantasy, Romance
Add to Goodreads

Synopsis
A small Welsh village. An interrupted romance. A rogue frog on the loose threatening their future.

New recruit to the Queen’s agents, Dr. Piyali Mukherji is given a simple first assignment. Travel to the small Welsh village of Aberwyn and solve the mystery of a young woman’s blue skin lesion. A challenging task, for the alarming infection is unlike anything she’s seen before—and it’s spreading.

Evan Tredegar, the town’s pharmacist and the only man to ever capture her heart, knows more than he’s telling. Despite his efforts to push her away, her touch reawakens old desires. As more villagers fall victim to the strange disease, he’ll have no choice but to reveal his secrets, even if it means sacrificing his freedom.

Together they must move past broken promises, capture a rogue frog, and stop the infection before it spreads out of control.

What I thought
Trace of Copper is the first story in the Elemental Steampunk Tales series. This is a novella that takes place in Anne Renwick’s steampunk world. I read Tin Rose earlier this year and since I enjoyed that I decided to pick up this one.

I enjoyed the story but I went though this book feeling like I missed something. I have not yet read the actual novels that are in this world so I very well may have missed something. I am not sure who I am going to give the first novel in this series a chance before I make any decisions.

This story is a second chance romance, and I liked the story for what it was but the angst felt a little forced. I didn’t have the feelings that I normally do when there is angst. I think that I was mostly frustrated with Evan. If he would have been honest from the beginning instead of ignoring Piyali things would not have gotten so bad. Yes, I know then we would not have the story we do. If he was half as smart as the book claimed him to be then he should have reached out from the beginning instead of making them both miserable and risking the safety of the whole village.

I really did enjoy the story when I was reading it I just wanted to shake Even the entire time.

My Rating: /5

Follow me on other platforms:
Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Bloglovin | Facebook

Reviews

Review: Crave by Tracy Wolff

sophrilreads8 Comments
Book Review
Crave


Crave by Tracy Wolff
(Crave #1)
Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Add to GoodreadsAdd to Goodreads

Synopsis
My whole world changed when I stepped inside the academy. Nothing is right about this place or the other students in it. Here I am, a mere mortal among gods…or monsters. I still can’t decide which of these warring factions I belong to, if I belong at all. I only know the one thing that unites them is their hatred of me.

Then there’s Jaxon Vega. A vampire with deadly secrets who hasn’t felt anything for a hundred years. But there’s something about him that calls to me, something broken in him that somehow fits with what’s broken in me.

Which could spell death for us all.

Because Jaxon walled himself off for a reason. And now someone wants to wake a sleeping monster, and I’m wondering if I was brought here intentionally—as the bait.

What I thought
I was sent a copy of this book from Megan Beatie Communications and Entangled Teen for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I thought that this was just going to be a vampire book but I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that it is so much more than that .  The best way to describe this book is this is what happens when Twilight and Monster High have a baby.  You have your instalove like Twilight but this girl has a back bone.  She fights for herself and does not wait around for someone to come and save her, even though the odds are completely against her.

This book takes place in Alaska, and if there is any supernatural creatures out there that is the best place for them to hide out in plain sight. lol I said I was never going there after watching 30 days of Night back in the day and once again I am affirming that I have no plans to visit sorry.

This was such a fun and easy read that I was able to complete it in only two days. This book is over 500 pages long and I am working full time so finishing a book that size in two days is during the week is almost unheard of for me.

The ending…I did not see coming.  I’m not talking about the reveal of who the evil twisted person is I actually had that one guessed, but the very end.  I was shocked.  And honestly that does not happen very much with YA anymore.  I mean I didn’t even know that could come into play.

I can not wait for the next one to come out.  Today I found out that the publication of book 2 has been moved up to September of this year.  I am super excited to get my hands on book two.

If you like books that are set in a school setting or books dealing with the supernatural. Then you should give this one a shot.

My Rating: /5

Follow me on other platforms:
Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Bloglovin | Facebook

Reviews

Review: The Queen’s Assassin by Melissa de la Cruz

sophrilreads9 Comments

Book Review

The Queen's Assassin
The Queen’s Assassin by Melissa de la Cruz
(The Queen’s Secret #1)
Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Add to Goodreads

Synopsis
Caledon Holt is the Kingdom of Renovia’s deadliest weapon. No one alive can best him in brawn or brains, which is why he’s the Guild’s most dangerous member and the Queen’s one and only assassin. He’s also bound to the Queen by an impossible vow–to find the missing Deian Scrolls, the fount of all magical history and knowledge, stolen years ago by a nefarious sect called the Aphrasians.

Shadow has been training all her life to follow in the footsteps of her mother and aunts–to become skilled enough to join the ranks of the Guild. Though magic has been forbidden since the Aphrasian uprising, Shadow has been learning to control her powers in secret, hoping that one day she’ll become an assassin as feared and revered as Caledon Holt.

When a surprise attack brings Shadow and Cal together, they’re forced to team up as assassin and apprentice to hunt down a new sinister threat to Renovia. But as Cal and Shadow grow closer, they’ll uncover a shocking web of lies and secrets that may destroy everything they hold dear. With war on the horizon and true love at risk, they’ll stop at nothing to protect each other and their kingdom in this stunning first novel in the Queen’s Secret series.

What I thought
I was sent a copy of this book from Megan Beatie Communications for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am always sold on a good assassin story especially if it is written by an author that I have enjoyed in the past.

This was an easy read for me.  I  really enjoyed Cal and Shadow and how they interacted with each other.  Cal does keep reminding himself that he is the Queen’s Assassin and it is for that reason that he has sworn off a family, however, I think this may be the first time his resolve has ever been tested.  Yes, the reminding is a little over the top but that seems to be the only thing that is keeping him on track.

The only reason that I did not give this 5 stars is that I guessed one of the big reveals in the beginning and didn’t realize that it was going to be a reveal until it happened.  However, knowing what I did, did not take away from the story at all I kinda understood more of where one of the characters was coming from throughout the story.

I loved the way that this book ended it gives me so much hope for what is to come in the next book. Goodreads says that it will be out this fall and I would be so happy if that is true.

My Rating: /54.5 stars

Follow me on other platforms:
Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Bloglovin | Facebook