The to be read pile is not going down!
I thought I’d break the drought on my blog writing with a TBR catch up.
I’ve been really busy outside of the writing world so I rested the old noggin’ with a relatively light reading load. I finished The Birdman’s Wife by Melissa Ashley and then jumped in to some Christmas romance on my Kindle.
If you’ve read any of my book reviews, you’ll know I love food and Paris with my romance, and this one has it all in abundance, especially cheese. Romance has come a long way since I read Mills and Boon books on the commute to work some 20 (cough, cough) years ago and aren’t I glad about that! The characters are all relatable with just the right amount of flaws and willingness to take a risk that turns a good romance into a great romance! Christmas has come and gone, but if you’re looking for a lovely walk through the streets of Paris with a gorgeous French guy by your side, this is the book for you regardless of the season.
In February, I will be participating in a Faith Hogan book blog tour so I thought I should do some research and read Faith’s current release, My Husband’s Wives. You might not believe it, but I’m not really into romance novels…. Okay, so I’m a little bit into romance especially when I need some escapism from the daily grind. My Husband’s Wives is a little bit different in that the hero is killed in a car accident. The story revolves around the coming together of his wives all of whom still love him dearly. What I really love about this story, even though it comes close to romanticising what I see as rather controlling behaviour, is the journey of each of the wives as they realise the character of the man they love and grow stronger together and as individuals. My Husband’s Wives is about relationships between women: ex-wives, mothers and daughters, friends, all learning to stand up on their own two feet and move on with life. Another lovely story and I’m really looking forward to featuring Faith’s next novel, Secrets We Keep, in mid-Feb. Faith describes her writing as women’s fiction and I have to say that I agree.
I also love a good detective story. A Medal for Murder is book 2 in the Kate Shackleton series and while I enjoyed book 1 more, this one is still a winner and I’ll be downloading #3 pretty soon. Kate Shackleton is quite the feminist. She is a professional private detective in a time when she would be expected to find herself a husband and keep amused with baking and sewing and producing children. Her independence came at a cost, of course, however you get the feeling that Kate was never going to be anything but strong-willed and determined to live life as she felt she ought. A lot of her independence is around her car and her driving skill. Learning to drive and obtaining a licence (and a car) is a pivotal moment in anyone’s lives, but in the early 1900s, and still today, it also stands for freedom and personal power: control over the direction one takes.
Back to the story: a good murder mystery combined with a “kidnapping” and some clever plot twists that lead me to scratch my head and think “how did she come up with these ideas?” As with book 1, a lot of research must have gone into producing this story and it shows with well-rounded characters, back stories and settings.
And I’ve started, The Saga of Gudrid the Far-Traveller by Nancy Marie Brown and Pia and the Skyman by Sue Parritt.
And still most of the TBR list I shared last time still to go….
I'm starting #reallyshortreviews on my instagram account:
