Death at the Crystal Palace by Jennifer Ashley

I wasn’t sure how this book would go since it’s the 5th in a series, but I quickly found myself enjoying Kat’s lemon cake along with the rest of the characters (in a manner of speaking).
One of my favourite aspects of this book was the detail. Jennifer Ashley was very thorough with all of her historical details (as far as I could tell). While some might find all of the cooking instructions boring, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about them and the way Kat prepared her suppers.

At first, I wasn’t quite sure what to think of Kat, but by the end, I realized that I appreciated her contentedness, kindness, and determination. She loved her job and the people around her and it was lovely to read about. Daniel was a real sweetheart! Kat and Daniel each had their own mystery to solve and as they went about doing this, their paths frequently crossed. I really, really hope she and Daniel can find a happy ending together.

The mystery was well executed as well. The evidence was all on the page, but like Kat, I had to figure it out. I definitely did not put all the pieces together and enjoyed that the ending took me by surprise. Honestly, I came to a point where I suspected almost all of Lady Covington’s family and staff.

I am excited to read more books in this series and I expectantly await the next installment.

Ashes of Glass is on Book Sirens!

I am so thankful that Book Siren s has approved Ashes of Glass! If you’re interested in snagging a copy, just follow this link: Ashes of Glass on Book Sirens.

A servant struggling to survive.
A prince becoming a leader.
A snake seeking power.

Arella Marceau, once the daughter of a wealthy merchant, finds herself diminished to a lowly servant who must obey the every whim of her stepmother. Then she meets Freddie who is handsome, kind, strong, and of course, very charming. They spend an afternoon together, exploring ruins, becoming lost in the forest, and dealing with gypsies and Arella begins to fall for the young man. When a mysterious debt arises, it inevitably tears Arella away from what she thought might have been a shred of happiness.

Arella accepts her dismal fate, but working as a scullery maid at the palace is a tumultuous task. For it is soon revealed to her that Freddie is Prince Friederic, heir to the throne of Ormandy. Even though discovery would mean life-shattering consequences, Freddie and Arella defy social expectations and meet in the safety of a secret garden. To complicate things further, Arella’s creditor seems to be frighteningly fascinated with her, as well as with the monarchy. What kind of secrets does he keep behind his black eyes?

As Arella’s life spins out of control, she must hold to her love for Freddie and to her belief that God has a perfect plan.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

“I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.”

This was another fantastic Harry Potter read! If I hadn’t watched the movie (I know, I know! Don’t throw your book at me!), I wouldn’t have guessed the outcome. Rowling was very clever with giving hints that were subtle, yet kept me on my toes. 

“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”

For the new characters… Honestly, who doesn’t love Lupin and well, Black too. They’re both like the cool uncles. After all of the hype of Sirius being a hardened criminal, by the end, I loved him and was so sad that his name wasn’t cleared. I wanted Harry to finally have a father figure. And who wouldn’t want a teacher like Lupin? So far, he’s the very best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Another new character was Crookshanks. I was never quite sure what to think of him! Sometimes I was annoyed, but sometimes I suspected that he was onto something. I hope we get to see more of him in the following books. Also, Professor Trelawney was an interesting character. She was humorous in a ridiculous sort of way, but I have a niggling feeling that perhaps her predictions aren’t as far fetched as they might seem.  

Harry, Hermione, and Ron’s friendship was, of course, classic. They had a bit of tension throughout this book which was hard to read. I kept yelling at Ron and Hermione to just make up, but with a little extra time, it was all good in the end.  

I’m really not sure what else to say. It’s all been said a hundred times over already. I’ve already started listening to book #4 and I can’t wait to see where this adventure will lead to next!    

“Mr. Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people’s business.
Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Moony, and would like to add that Professor Snape is an ugly git.
Mr. Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a professor.
Mr. Wormtail bids Professor Snape good day, and advises him to wash his hair, the slimeball.”

BOOK REVIEW | Beautiful Beast by E.J Hill

Thank you so much to The555Abibliophobia for this wonderful review of Beautiful Beast!

Here is the new link to this review: BOOK REVIEW | Beautiful Beast by E.J. Hill

HerBookishObsession

Title:Beautiful Beast
Author:Emma Joy Hill
Published: June 8th 2020 by Independently Published

Synopsis:
Kalista has been cursed by a powerful sorceress and is now a prisoner in her own palace. As petals fall from an enchanted rose, her fate and the sorceress’s victory draw nearer. But Kalista refuses to be defeated so easily and uses her own magic to push against the bindings. Yet what if it is not enough and the only way the curse might be shattered is through the help of another?

When Arawn crosses into the beast’s domain, he has one motive: revenge for his brother’s death. But as he draws nearer to the beast and is surrounded by invisible servants, magical banquets, and an enchanted forest, he realizes that this beast is much more complex and much more human than he first thought.

As their paths intertwine, Kalista must risk opening her heart…

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Court of Bittern Thorn by Kay L Moody

This was an enchanting start to Kay L Moody’s new series The Fae of Bitter Thorn. The protagonist, Elora was a brave and talented mortal who loved her family deeply and did not allow the tricks and glamours of the Faerie realm to sway her. Although, sometimes she did not make the most intelligent decisions (like when she took the red ribbon off) and it frustrated me a little that she wasn’t more careful upon entering Faerie. As for Prince Brannick, I cannot say he was my favourite. My opinion of him definitely improved as the story went along, but I found that he was rather full of himself and his appearance was too perfect. I don’t know about you, but it really bugs me when the male love interest is absolutely gorgeous. It’s just unrealistic and rather cliche. 

One of my favourite things about this book was the world of Faerie that Moody created. I loved all of the sprites and brownies and the different faerie courts. It was fun to join Elora as she explored this realm and as she, in a way, fell in love with it. While the writing was good, I cannot say that I was captivated by it. Although, that could be my personal opinion of enjoying colourful and flower writing styles. 

Lastly, this was a clean read which was lovely. I always enjoy a book more when it excludes profanity and sexual content. 

Thank you to Book Sirens for providing a review copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Have a happy and spooky Halloween my friends!

Review: Beautiful Beast

Babbling Books

Rating: ★★★★☆

Review:

“They wanted to see a beast, so that is what they saw.”

Fairytale retellings are something I love, but they’re hard to get right. After all most of us come into the stories already knowing the basics of what’s supposed to happen so coming up with something original to add to the tales can be difficult. Having said that, I applaud E.J. Hill for bringing something new to the table while still holding on to elements that made us love the originals to begin with. However, I’m not so sure you could call this a fairytale retelling, since to me it’s more reminiscent of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast than it is of the original fairytale.

I won’t give too much away for fear of spoilers but there are certain things that happen in the book that are too close, or even exact copies of, the animated…

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June Book Tag

Hi folks! Here is another edition of my monthly book tag. How would I spell June using the first letters of the books I’ve read?

J – Jackaby by William Ritter

U – And here we are again. No book that begins with U. But I’ve got one that is close enough… Well, if you go by the second word.  Hearts Unshackled by Amy Klaus

N – The Navigator by Erin Michelle Sky and Steven Brown

E – Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

 

5 Quotes from Beautiful Beast

As I’m sitting here on a quiet Sunday evening, I thought I would share a few of my favourite quotes from Beautiful Beast.

1. It is what you imagine the music of faeries to be like; it is ethereal, or like a thousand tiny bells played in melodies as intricate as the patterns of the starry skies.
2. As I watch, a single bloody petal breaks from the bud and gently drifts to join its brothers and sisters upon the tabletop.
3. We lie there together for what seems like a long while. Perhaps it is only moments, but time stretches its jaws and laughs at us.
4. This prince, this soldier, sees the true beast and that should frighten me, but it doesn’t. It makes me stronger.
5. It whispers and screams and cries out all at the same time. In its tone, I hear something ancient and something darker than the dead of a new moon.

To end off, I am still looking for reviewers so please let me know if you are interested. 🙂

Beautiful Beast ARC’s

Contact Me

Reviews of Beautiful Beast

Friends! I already have two reviews on Goodreads for Beautiful Beast! I am beyond thankful to my two gracious readers Emma and Selah. They both left some very kind words and I would love to share those with you. Also, note that they are writers as well and hope to soon publish their own novels.

From Emma:

“I am trapped here in this crumbling realm of magic. And time… I am quickly running out of time.”

Wow, this book was absolutely amazing. Since I have never read a book by E.J. Hill before I didn’t know what to expect. Faerie tale retellings are usually hit-or-miss for me, but I am pleased to confirm that this lovely fantasy exceeded my hopes.

You can read the rest here: Goodreads

*****

From Selah Chelyah:

Tender, thoughtful characters in a lovely and contemplative story. Goes beyond the traditional ideas of romance and fantasy themes to truly stir the mind and heart. Very distinctive and unique focus lends a whole new perspective. Kept me up all night reading it, so beware! 🙂 All in all, an engaging and moving read. Really liked it!

*****

Just a reminder that I am still sending out ARC’s of Beautiful Beast. If you are interested, let me know. 🙂

Top Ten Reads of 2018

Happy 2019!!

Looking back at 2018, here are some of my favourite reads.

The Story Peddler by Lindsay A. Franklin

This was a magical read! I was completely captivated by each strand that Franklin wove to create this colourful tapestry.

The Wendy by Erin Michelle Sky and Steven Brown

I was captivated from the very beginning. The authors have a way of writing that enchants the readers and draws them into this colourful, exciting world.

If I Run Series by Terri Blackstock (If I Run by Terri Blackstock)

Oh my goodness, this series! So good! I was sitting at the edge of my chair the entire time. Review for books #2 and #3 are coming soon.

The Enchanted Sonata by Heather Dixon Wallwork

The world Wallwork immediately established was magical and intriguing.

Changeling (Sorcery and Society #1) by Molly Harper

I loved this book! It was such a beautiful and captivating story. I can’t wait to read book #2!

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I was immediately sucked in by Morgenstern’s beautiful and descriptive writing style. There was something magical about it, something intricate like a delicate spider web glistening in the morning sun.

Garden of Thorns by Amber Mitchell

The first little bit had me wondering if the entire book was going to be so dark. I thought, “There is a good chance I won’t finish this book.” Then Rose escaped the Garden and met Rayce. That’s when I fell in love with the story and a certain character….

The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

I definitely recommend this book. It was a lovely read and I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series and discovering where Tiki’s journey will lead to next.

Shadow and Thorn by Kenley Davidson

The first thing that caught me was the writing. To me, it had a certain grace about it which danced with elegant steps across the pages. And it took me by surprise, I had not anticipated such charm when first I turned to “Chapter 1.”

Cleopatra’s Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter

This book is a golden little nugget I found while digging through piles of dusty books at my local book fair.

And lastly, the honourable mention goes to…

Bandaging the Blitz by Phyll Macdonald-Ross & I.D. Roberts

As a book co-written by someone who actually lived through these things, it had a beautiful authentic atmosphere. Each time I picked up this book, it was like I stepped through a portal into the 1940s.

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While I was writing this up, I kept thinking, “Oh, ya! That was such a good book! I should read it again.” Haha. I definitely recommend all of these books. They are amazing and very enjoyable.

Have you read any of these books? Are they on your favourites shelf?