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Book Review – Duchess If You Dare

Duchess If You Dare (The Maidens of Mayhem, #1)

Duchess If You Dare by Anabelle Bryant

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Historical Fiction, Regency Romance

“When the four ladies had banded together with a vow to right wrongs in London and fight for women who had no voice against male harassment or otherwise unjust travesties thrust upon their gender, they’d labelled themselves the Maidens of Mayhem. Perhaps it was a fanciful thought at first, but their intention was soon realized. London had more nefarious secrets than anyone imagined.”

Scarlett is a member of the Maidens of Mayhem, a group of women who fight to protect other women in a society ruled by men. When her seamstress suddenly goes missing, she knows that foul play must be involved. While investigating, the clues bring her to an upscale brothel, aimed at the wealthier men of status. Inside Scarlett discovers that several of the girls have gone missing recently.

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Book Review – Little Heaven

Little Heaven: A Novel by Nick Cutter

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Paranormal Horror, Extreme Horror

“Yet his soul was mad,” Ebenezer whispered. “Being alone in the wilderness, it had looked within itself and, by heavens I tell you, it had gone mad.”

“There is a saying that goes: Evil never dies; it merely sleeps. And when that evil awakes, it can do so soundlessly—or almost so.”

Something comes in the night, a pied Piper of sorts, and takes Micah’s only daughter. Micah knows immediately who took her and where it is taking her. He knows that he will have to return to the place where it all began, Little Heaven.

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🏅Top Shelf Tuesday 🏅

Happy Tuesday everyone!

This week’s pick is:

My Dark Vanessa
by Kate Elizabeth Russell
Paperback
Published by William Morrow, March 2020

A much anticipated read for me and I finally got to it in January. The cover is beautiful and it captivated me immediately. I will be honest and say that I first picked this up without knowing any details of the plot. I saw a quote from Stephen King, “A well constructed package of dynamite.” and felt I needed to check this out. Not Disappointed!

Definitely one of the best books I have read but also one of the hardest to read content wise. Devastatingly beautiful. Enthralled … how can something so horrible be written so beautifully. It broke my heart for the young girl who didn’t understand that she was not at fault and who just wanted to be special. It angered me, the adults that did nothing and turned their backs in silence. It left me with so many different feelings at the end, I love that the most.

See full Review here – Book Review – My Dark Vanessa

S is for ….

S is for …. Seriously Substantial Selection

This is why “s” is my first letter picked when playing hang man! And what a variety there is here too! This is definitely a good representation of my reading style, I enjoy just about anything!

A few of my favs:

Skipping Christmas – The Kranks daughter will be away for Christmas so they decide to skip it, save the money and take a cruise instead. But things never go as planned.

Shutter Island – U.S. Marshals Teddy and Chuck are investigated an escaped patient from Ashecliffe Hospital on Shutter Island. They start to find out there is more going on here than a missing patient.

The Silence of the Lambs – FBI Trainee Clarice Starling seeks the help of cannibal serial killer, psychiatrist Hannibal Lector to find another killer. However Lector won’t give his expertise away for free, there is always a price, quid pro quo.

Looking Forward to:

A Summer to Remember – A journey along a path revealing buried family secrets, betrayals between lovers, bonds between friends. And for Frankie, as the past unlocks the present, the chance to learn that memories define who we are, and that they can show us the meaning of home and the magic of true love.

The Smiling Man – Detective Waits and his partner are called to a murder. There they find the body of a man. He is dead. And he is smiling. The tags have been removed from the man’s clothes. His teeth filed down and replaced. Even his fingertips are not his own. Only a patch sewn into the inside of his trousers gives any indication as to who he was, and to the desperate last act of his life…

38/100 Books to read in a Lifetime

A Wrinkle in Time (A Wrinkle in Time Quintet, #1)

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Narrated by Hope Davis
6:27:08 hours

Classic, Middle Grade, Science Fiction

Meg, her little brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin are visited by three mysterious women, Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who and Mrs Which. They have come to help the children retrieve their father who went missing. A scientist who works on classified experiments for the government was on assignment when all communications with his family stopped.
“A straight line is not the shortest distance between two points” rather a tesseract, or creating a wrinkle in the fabric of space, is. The children must tesser to another planet in order to save their father, and the universe, from The Darkness.

What a wonderfully written book for middle grade readers and adults. It is so hard to understand why this book is one of the most contested and banned books. How could you ban something so incredible? But humans are flawed and full of fear, especially when it comes to children. I however cannot wait to have my nephew read it! It had so much heart and such wonderful lessons for young minds to experience.
Hope Davis was a good choice for narrator, her voice was fitting.

View all my reviews

📚 Currently Reading 📚

Such a perfect spring day to be out and enjoying the weather! I took a que from the pups and set up my lounge chair for some nice relaxation 😌.

A Deadly Influence (Abby Mullan Thrillers Book 1)
Mike Omer
Thomas & Mercer
Thriller
Pub date: 4/1/21

Blurb:
Lieutenant Abby Mullen is no stranger to crisis. As the hostage negotiation instructor for the NYPD, she deals with worst-case scenarios every day. Nothing fazes her anymore.

That all changes when she gets a call from Eden Fletcher, a fellow survivor of the infamous Wilcox cult. The two haven’t spoken since the night of a tragic, fiery massacre, when their paths diverged. But now Eden needs Abby’s help: someone has kidnapped her son and is demanding a $5 million ransom. As Abby throws herself into the case, she can’t help but wonder why the kidnapper has targeted Eden. But Eden refuses to talk. She’s silent about the relics of their shared past hanging on her walls. About the kidnapper’s possible motives. About what’s happened in the years since she and Abby parted ways.

As the truth closes in, Abby realizes that her past may not be as far behind as she thought…and it’s come home to collect.

📚 May TBR 📚

I know for a fact that I will not get through them all since my monthly average lately is like 3 😁 but I am going to see what I can get through. I got behind and rolled my April TBR over, just gonna do my best to catch up.

Some nice beach reads to look forward to! Just wish I was actually on the beach to read them 😜.

A Deadly Influence by Mike Omer – Pub date: 4/1/21
Endings by Linda L. Richards – Pub date: 4/6/21
The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth – Pub date: 4/13/21
Anchored Hearts by Priscilla Oliveras – Pub date: 4/27/21
A Shepherd of Wolves by R.J. King – Pub date: 4/27/21
A Summer to Remember by Erika Montgomery – Pub date: 5/11/21
Beneath Devil’s Bridge by Loreth Anne White – Pub date: 6/1/21
The Puma Years by Laura Coleman – Pub date: 6/1/21

🌎 Wanderlust Wednesday 🌍

It’s been way to long since I have been able to travel. I have three trips already purchased and just waiting for the day when it is safe and convenient to travel abroad again. We had bought and planned them last year before the pandemic hit and had to put them on hold. The Grenadine islands, Hawaii, and Jamaica.
As of today the CDC still recommends to be fully vaccinated (which I’m not yet), and in order to return must have a negative test result no more than 3 days before travel.

International Travel During COVID-19

My worst fear would be stranded and not able to return home. So…. waiting it is.

In the meantime I will just keep looking back at photos from travels past and day dreaming I’m back there.

Palm Island is my favorite place to go! Miss it so much!

I love to just bike around the whole island, it so beautiful and peaceful!

This is my favorite beach on the whole island. The hubby and I have our initials carved into that tree from our first visit. Makes me smile everything I visit and see it’s still there. Even made it through a nasty hurricane.

A favorite reading spot. A little sunning, a little reading, a little swimming, repeat.

My library away from home! I spend quite a bit of time here. 🙂

Bliss 🥰

🏅Top Shelf Tuesday 🏅

Happy Tuesday everyone and May the 4th be with you!

This week’s pick is:

The Dragon Reborn
The Wheel of Time Book 3
by Robert Jordan
Paperback
Published by Tor Books, September 2002

This one is another that is pulling deep from the old brain box. I can’t exactly remember when I read it but I think within a couple years of the publication date. I do remember getting caught up and having to wait for the next book to come out. Oh the wait!
This was the book where the series REALLY kicked off. The band of friends that had been together from the beginning has been split up and the plot follows their separate journeys. I don’t want to get into too many details as this this book 3.
It is reminiscent of Lord of the Rings but without the period style writing. I love Tolkien but Jordan brings it to a whole new level.

I also lost my copy moving across country 15 years ago so I have been on the look out when I visit any book stores.

“The leader long prophesied who will save the world, but in the saving destroy it; the savior who will run mad and kill all those dearest to him—is on the run from his destiny.”

37/100 Books to read in a Lifetime

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Douglas Adams
Narrated by Stephen Fry
Random House Audio
5:51:37 hours

🌟🌟🌟
Sci-fi, Comedy

Synopsis:
Immediately before the Earth is destroyed, to make room for a galactic freeway, Arthur is saved by his friend Ford, an unemployed actor, or so Arthur thought. Ford is actually from another planet, on Earth doing research for an update to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy but has been stranded for the last 15 years.
They get picked up by a group of travelers, two headed Zaphod, his girlfriend Trillion (another Earthling), and a depressed robot Marvin.

My Thoughts:
This was funny and enjoyable. I laughed out loud several times. It’s a quick listen or read, about 6 hours. I wouldn’t say that it’s a must read but it was good. Stephen Fry was the best narrator for this book, perfect choice!