Have you been over to Goodreads yet to vote for Round 1? I voted last night. Surprisingly, some books that I thought had been released this year were not, so I only voted in four categories. There were a few tough choices! Here’s a little video I made showing my picks:
More videos on the way! I’ve been experimenting and having a lot of fun learning something new. ***Next up will be other Goodreads book nominees that I have read but did not choose (and why.)***
I’ve said it before, some books just show up in your life at the right time. Such is the case with Secret of the Sassafras, by Olivia Sparrow, a debut novel I only learned of two days ago.
I discovered this book and its author on TikTok as I’ve tried to (cautiously) enhance my social media presence this past week. In doing so, I saw a clip of someone lauding this book and saying she wished more people knew about it. I was curious about the plot, the title and gorgeous cover grabbed my attention, so I decided to push it to the top of my reading list.
The book is, in a word, lovely. The story of “twinless twin,” Gemma Ellsworth, it takes us on an emotional journey of loss, healing, friendship, forgiveness, and learning to trust in love and happiness once more. It is one of those stories with a quiet power, one you do not realize while you’re reading it, but feel deeply as everything weaves together in its conclusion.
If I had one criticism to make, I would say that the ending is a bit abrupt and left me wanting more. But, perhaps, that is what the author wanted and she is setting us up for a sequel. Whether or not that is true and, despite the abrupt ending, this is a story worth reading. It will leave you with a warm blanket wrapped around your heart and a desire to tell the most important people in your life how much you love them.
An excellent book and an impressive debut.
9/10 Stars
(Available on Hoopla and on Amazon)
I’m trying something new here! Introducing “Quick Reviews,” a brand new category with my blog and Goodreads ratings of certain books. The purpose is to be able to document books here without feeling the pressure of writing lengthy reviews each time. Usually, but not always, they will be books that made less of an impression on me. But sometimes they will just be time savers. Here’s the first one!
Riding on the heels of the previous rom-com post, a well-written historical romance requires a lot of the same balance of great characters, banter, plot, and pacing. Here are two that succeed. They’re fun, they’re clean, and I found a new author. A win x 3! The stories work in tandem, so read them together and read them in order.
Miss Fleming Falls in Love and The Mysterious Mr. Oliver, by Emma Melbourne, were two of my favorite reads last month.
Miss Fleming Falls in Love: We begin with Miss Amelia Fleming, a spirited young woman who is trying to settle her father’s gambling debts after his death. Desperate, she visits the Earl of Langley, who won a fortune from the family estate. Again and again, Amelia offers different solutions to pay back what is owed, never quite knowing the exact amount. Again and again, Langley steers the conversation away from money and into a battle of wits. Like two magnets, these characters attract and repel each other repeatedly. Every meeting is full of clever dialogue and prideful rebuffs. I enjoyed this book immensely! 9.5/10 Stars
The Mysterious Mr. Oliver picks up soon after Miss Fleming ends. This time we are entertained by Amelia’s beautiful younger sister, Isabelle and land agent, Mr. Oliver. While visiting her sister at Stonecroft, a country estate, Isabelle looks for a quiet setting to write a book. In doing so, she intrudes upon Mr. Oliver’s work cottage, prompting a rocky beginning to their relationship. But, feelings cannot be denied. Isabelle is tenacious and Oliver has a secret. Like its predecessor, this book is a wonderful read with well-developed characters that are a joy to know. 9/10 Stars
If someone asked you what makes a great romantic comedy, what would you tell them? Would it the characters? Plot? Pacing? Trope? Spice level? Dialogue? Banter? Or would it be a combination of all of those things? I’ve been reading a lot of romantic comedies lately and I’m here to tell you that, like any genre, not all are created equal.
For me, the characters and their banter is very, very important. How do they interact? Do I root for them? Plot and pacing are close seconds. The tropes are where I struggle. There are some very overdone tropes out there: Friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, the “meet cute,” childhood sweethearts, second chance/impossible/forbidden love, fake relationships, the list goes on and on.
But there are some standout authors and books that rise to the top. When that happens they are usually fun, smart, and deep. Personally, I like main characters that are kind of damaged–either from family issues or past relationships gone wrong. Why? Because all of us are damaged in one way or another. Who wants to read about shiny, perfect characters? Not me. But everything needs to be done in moderation too. Do you see the delicate balance it takes to achieve a successful story? I’m sure I couldn’t do it. (Those who can, write stories. Those those cannot, critique the stories…)
But enough blah, blah. Let’s focus on two rom coms I read in October that get it right. Now, I’m not some who likes a lot of spice and smut. But I do like some romance and am OK with closed-door physical contact if it is written tastefully. PG, bordering on PG-13 is my limit. Whoops, more blah, blah. Let’s talk about books!
Practice Makes Perfect, by Sarah Adams is the sequel to When In Rome, which I enjoyed very much. (You can read that review HERE.) This time, our main characters are youngest sister, Annie Walker, and bodyguard, Will Griffin. On the surface, these two are confident and strong. Behind the scenes, both are struggling. For Annie it is trying to prove her independence to her family. For Will it is to escape the memories of his dysfunctional parents. The relationship between these two characters is wonderful, each of them bring out the best in each other. The ending is no surprise, but the journey getting there is totally worth reading. 9/10 Stars
The Hating Game, by Sally Thorne, has been in my Kindle for as long as I can remember. This is an enemies-to-lovers story, starting as a workplace rivalry at a publishing house. Lucy and Josh are each assistants to co-CEOs who also dislike each other and have very different ethics after a big merger. Forced to share space and work together every day, Lucy and Josh do everything they can to undermine each other (never quite crossing the line–a good thing.) Of course, such animosity is not sustainable and the inevitable happens, but what a fun ride along the way! Seeing the way their relationship begins, changes, and ends is a delight. 9/10 Stars
And there you have it! Happy Reading! (And don’t forget to set your clocks back tonight.)
A few weeks ago, while touring St. George, Utah, my husband and I stopped in at a Deseret Book. Two authors were there introducing and signing new books and, because it was early evening, the store was relatively empty. One of those authors was Julie Wright, who I recognized from a Facebook group I follow. She had two new books, one of which was Windsong Manor. I apologized for not buying it there, confessing that I prefer digital ebooks on my Kindle, but she was very nice and I was captivated by the plot. After several attempts to find it on library sites, I relented and ended up buying it, hoping that I would not regret my purchase.
I did not. In fact, Windsong Manor is now in my special collection of “Kristie’s Favorites” in my Kindle, a file I only reserve for those rare books who draw me in and transport me completely.
The plot: Eleanora Coventry is a baroness and a young widow. Her late husband was much older and domineering and her young son, who was sent away to school, has returned with all of his father’s worst traits. To add to her challenges, Eleanora “Nora” has also been tasked to raise her late husband’s illegitimate daughter, a recent orphan and the product of an embarrassing affair. Life is topsy turvy.
In an effort of lead a quieter life, Nora moves her family from their London townhouse to Windsong Manor, the late baron’s country home that he rarely visited. While finding her way as a single mother with two challenging children, Nora befriends the quiet stablehand, Ridley Ellis. Despite his social station, Ridley moves and speaks like a gentleman, and his calm influence on everyone around him is felt deeply by Nora and the children.
The writing is as wonderful as the plot is intriguing. Nora and Ridley’s characters are excellently developed, with terrific dialogue and pacing. Both are strong and steadfast in the midst of their many challenges. Their kindness to each other and others makes this story one of warmth and depth. I loved every bit of it and highly recommend this book for a very satisfying read. It will leave you with renewed faith in people and modern literature.
9.5/10 Stars
Did you know that Amazon Prime members get a free Kindle book every month? We do!
🍁Go to Amazon through a search engine (not the app.)
🍁Type “Amazon first reads” into the search bar.
🍁The selections will appear. Make your choice!
🍁Your new Kindle book will appear in your Kindle and your Kindle app on your smartphone, tablet, and computer.
FYI, all of the choices will become available the following month to Kindle Unlimited subscribers. So if you’re having a difficult time choosing, fear not! You’ll still be able to access all of the books. If you don’t subscribe to Kindle Unlimited, they are $4.99 each. Still a pretty good deal!
Happy reading!☺️
It’s been an interesting month of listening to books while traveling, reading banned/controversial books for my online challenges, finishing the Sweater Weather series, peppering in a few Halloween selections, and enjoying some fiction and historical romance. No complaints!
The stars above are based on the Goodreads rating system and, as you can see, there are a few 5 star books. I LOVED October in the Earth, Practice Makes Perfect, Windsong Manor, and Miss Fleming Falls in Love. I hope to write reviews of them eventually, but I’ve been terrible about that these last few weeks. Until then, I highly, highly recommend them all!
Now, on to November. I have two advanced copies that I need to read for the month and then I’m pretty free to read what I want. So, what do I want? Holiday books? Mood reads? Books patiently sitting in my TBR? Yes to all.
Happy Halloween, Everyone, and Happy Reading!
I click on Amazon’s Prime Reading and what is featured at the top? Boo Walker’s beautiful 2022 book, A SPANISH SUNRISE. The Kindle version is now available to all Prime members! I adored this story, and it became the catalyst of being able to work with and become friends with its author, who is a pretty cool guy. 
Over the last seven weeks I have been thoroughly enjoying the Sweater Weather series. Available with a Kindle Unlimited subscription, these CLEAN rom-coms are a true delight! They are set in the fictional town of Harvest Hollow, North Carolina and can be read in any order. The characters all know each other through school, work, family, or the local hockey team called the Appies. They share a love of sports, reading, music, and taking care of others. Each story is unique, with characters of depth, hopes, determination, and very good hearts.
Written by seven different authors, I eagerly awaited each book as it was released each Thursday. And now I’ve read them all and recommend them to anyone who wants to escape to Harvest Hollow for some sweet, witty banter and clean fun.
My favorite was Faking the Fall, and I’ve had the privilege of communicating with its author, Julie Christianson, over the last few weeks. Today she announced that Thursday, October 19th, at 4:30pm Pacific/6:30pm Central, on ZOOM, the authors of the series are getting together for a wrap party. They will be interacting with readers and answering questions. It’s free and all are invited! I’ll be tuning in! Those interested are asked to fill out the Google doc I’m including, which has the Zoom link and asks for your email. You do not have to submit questions to attend.
Sweater Weather Online Wrap Party: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfXx-hCQH7jsX4kptNoLYE65WlvEiW_DrNetmMc4XzAo6bHxQ/viewform?fbclid=IwAR2Ph1sRmIBlarb9fpn_2IrmSiD18tloQ-RMle2HQKk8GwUF-YF7nQcVYEQ
My favorites, in order :
Faking the Fall, by Julie Christianson (I don’t know why, but this one just topped the rest in my opinion)
Can’t Help Falling, by Courtney Walsh tied with Just Don’t Fall, by Emma St. Clair AND Absolutely Not in Love, by Jenny Proctor (loved all three of these pretty equally)
The Fall Back Plan, by Melanie Jacobson tied with…A Not So Fictional Fall, by Savannah Scott (they’re still good, just not the best ones)
Easy As Pie, by Carina Taylor (this one didn’t do much for me)
Don’t let those faceless covers fool you! These are fun, witty escapist books. Perfect for cozy nights, blankets, a fire, and a hot beverage. Enjoy!
Readwithkristie.com 