Book Review: Out Front the Following Sea

Out Front the Following Sea by Leah Angstman 📱

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5/5 Star Rating

The Summary;

Out Front the Following Sea is a historical epic of one woman’s survival in a time when the wilderness is still wild, heresy is publicly punishable, and being independent is worse than scorned — it is a death sentence. At the onset of King William’s War between French and English settlers in 1689 New England, Ruth Miner is accused of witchcraft for the murder of her parents and must flee the brutality of her town. She stows away on the ship of the only other person who knows her innocence: an audacious sailor — Owen — bound to her by years of attraction, friendship, and shared secrets. But when Owen’s French ancestry finds him at odds with a violent English commander, the turmoil becomes life-or-death for the sailor, the headstrong Ruth, and the cast of Quakers, Pequot Indians, soldiers, highwaymen, and townsfolk dragged into the fray. Now Ruth must choose between sending Owen to the gallows or keeping her own neck from the noose.
Steeped in historical events and culminating in a little-known war on pre-American soil, Out Front the Following Sea is a story of early feminism, misogyny, arbitrary rulings, and the treatment of outcasts, with parallels still mirrored and echoed in today’s society.

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Wow! 

Leah Angstman has penned one of the most gripping historical fiction novels of 2022 with Out Front the Following Sea.  This is a story of perseverance in the face of a myriad of hardships: death, ridicule, loneliness, and the unfortunate fate of being born a woman in 17th Century America - just to name a few.  Ruth Miner’s colonial world comes to life on the page as it is full of both adventure and heartache.  I laughed and I cried - I gasped and raged for a couple of chapters - then I cried some more.  

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Thank you, Leah Angstman for not only writing such an incredible book, but also sharing in the Author’s Note some interesting facts about the Pequot language and culture. I loved everything about Out Front the Following Sea (including that stunning cover that I could gush about for days) and plan to purchase a hardcover copy for my bookshelf.  It’s always such a rare treat to be blown away by an author’s debut novel and it makes me excited for what is to come. 

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Thank you to the author along with BookSirens and Regal House Publishing for a free digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. 

Book Review: The Love That Split the World

The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫3.5/5 Star Rating

The Summary:

Natalie Cleary must risk her future and leap blindly into a vast unknown for the chance to build a new world with the boy she loves. 

Natalie’s last summer in her small Kentucky hometown is off to a magical start... until she starts seeing the “wrong things.” They’re just momentary glimpses at first—her front door is red instead of its usual green, there’s a pre-school where the garden store should be. But then her whole town disappears for hours, fading away into rolling hills and grazing buffalo, and Nat knows something isn’t right.

That’s when she gets a visit from the kind but mysterious apparition she calls “Grandmother,” who tells her: “You have three months to save him.” The next night, under the stadium lights of the high school football field, she meets a beautiful boy named Beau, and it’s as if time just stops and nothing exists. Nothing, except Natalie and Beau.

Quick and dirty review: I didn’t love this as much as I wanted to, but it wasn’t bad.

Emily Henry has become one of my favorite authors and this is her debut novel, published in 2016. The cover is probably the most beautiful book cover I’ve ever seen and the summary grabbed me by the collar - I’m a sucker for a good multiverse story!  My biggest issue with this one was that, in the end, I had no idea what actually happened to Natalie and Beau.

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I can’t say for sure if my need for answers is just a personal preference or if other readers would also be left with a feeling of “Say what?” as well. Nevertheless, it was a compelling story with relatable characters and supernatural elements that I quite enjoyed. I’ll be buying a physical copy for my shelf because that cover and would still recommend this as a good, if a little confusing, YA paranormal romance. 

Book Review: Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead by Elle Cosimano 🎧

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5/5 Star Rating

The Summary:

Finlay Donovan is―once again―struggling to finish her next novel and keep her head above water as a single mother of two. On the bright side, she has her live-in nanny and confidant Vero to rely on, and the only dead body she's dealt with lately is that of her daughter's pet goldfish.

On the not-so-bright side, someone out there wants her ex-husband, Steven, out of the picture. Permanently. Whatever else Steven may be, he's a good father, but saving him will send her down a rabbit hole of hit-women disguised as soccer moms, and a little bit more involvement with the Russian mob than she'd like.

Meanwhile, Vero's keeping secrets, and Detective Nick Anthony seems determined to get back into her life. He may be a hot cop, but Finlay's first priority is preventing her family from sleeping with the fishes... and if that means bending a few laws then so be it.

With her next book's deadline looming and an ex-husband to keep alive, Finlay is quickly coming to the end of her rope. She can only hope there isn't a noose at the end of it...

📚🕶

Oh, Elle Cosimano, you clever woman! Where is the petition I sign to guarantee at least a dozen books in the Finlay Donovan series? I just never want it to end!  Now, buckle upas I proceed to gush about this book.

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WOW, so full disclosure, I did not really expect this follow up to Finlay Donovan Is Killing It to be quite as good as its predecessor. I mean, how often does an author publish a single perfect, genre bending novel in her lifetime - let alone TWO of them?! I have never been so happy to say I was wrong! Finlay Donovan Knocks Em Dead is just as great as - dare I say even better than - the first book! Seriously, I can't even apologize for all of the exclamation points in this review because how else will I convey MY UNDYING LOVE FOR THIS BOOK?!

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As with the first Finlay Donovan novel, Cosimano delivers a hilarious contemporary murder mystery with enough suspense and romance to keep any reader enthralled. I listened to the audiobook and have to give narrator Angela Dawe all the heart eyes for a job brilliantly done. Thank you Elle Cosimano for knockin’ us dead with this incredibly entertaining book and added thanks to you, NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for a free audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: The Suite Spot

The Suite Spot by Trish Doller

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/5 Star Rating

The Summary:

Rachel Beck has hit a brick wall. She’s a single mom, still living at home and trying to keep a dying relationship alive. Aside from her daughter, the one bright light in Rachel’s life is her job as the night reservations manager at a luxury hotel in Miami Beach—until the night she is fired for something she didn’t do. 

On impulse, Rachel inquires about a management position at a brewery hotel on an island in Lake Erie called Kelleys Island. When she’s offered the job, Rachel packs up her daughter and makes the cross country move. 

What she finds on Kelleys Island is Mason, a handsome, moody man who knows everything about brewing beer and nothing about running a hotel. Especially one that’s barely more than foundation and studs. It’s not the job Rachel was looking for, but Mason offers her a chance to help build a hotel—and rebuild her own life—from the ground up.

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Absolutely loved this follow up to Float Plan by Trish Doller! She does such a great job of writing three dimensional, relatable characters.  I actually enjoyed this story even more than the first of the Beck Sisters duology, but had one small complaint that prevented this one from receiving a five star rating.  The resolution to the final conflict seemed rushed to me. I would have liked to have seen more time spent on that whole situation to have felt completely satisfied.

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I have had an unfortunate run of disappointing contemporary romance reads over the past couple of months. So bless you, Trish Doller, for this refreshing romance that kept me enthralled from beginning to end!

Thank you 🙏🏻 to the author along with NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a free copy of this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. 

Book Review: The Great Gatsby

 

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 🎧

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/5 Star Rating

The Summary:

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald's third book, stands as the supreme achievement of his career. This exemplary novel of the Jazz Age has been acclaimed by generations of readers. The story is of the fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his new love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan, of lavish parties on Long Island at a time when The New York Times noted "gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession," it is an exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s.

The Great Gatsby is one of the great classics of twentieth-century literature.

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Well, there's a reason why this book is widely known as a literary classic. As hard as it is to believe, I've managed to exist for 43 years without ever having read this book. I've never even seen the movie - unfathomable, but true - despite the lure of Leo Dicaprio & Toby McGuire. So, you can imagine my surprise when I discovered there was more to The Great Gatsby than tales of a rich playboy who throws good parties. Seriously, that's what I thought it was about.

🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

I love a book with twists and this one surely delivers on that front. I also love a story that challenges me to have a little sessiom of self examination. After I finished reading this one, I began questioning my own priorities and how I measure success.  Gatsby was a tragic figure despite his ability to project himself as the definition of the most popular and intriguing man in any room.  It was a reminder that we never know what another person may be struggling with, even if they seem to be living their best life. Give this one a read if you enjoy a story with unexpected depth. I quite liked it.

Book Review: Fraternity of Brothers Book 1

Fraternity of Brothers Book 1 by Marina Pacheco 📱

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫3.5/5 Star Rating

The Summary:

Medieval Europe, 996 AD. Fifteen-year-old Galen survived a horrendous assault, only to be exiled by his family. Taken in by monks and grateful to be spared as a suspected sinner from the execution block, he ekes out a lonely existence of unrelenting pain. But he gains a chance to prove himself worthy when a famous young illustrator arrives at the abbey and selects him to help with an important manuscript.

Thrilled to be handpicked for his superb scribing skills, Galen fears the other members of the order will sabotage his newfound fellowship with their whispered accusations. But when more brutal attacks rock the quiet community, a confrontation with his assailant might force him to finally speak his truth.

Will Galen find his voice and triumph over trauma and tragedy?

While it took me about 50 pages to really be drawn into The Life of Galen, the first book in Marina Pacheco's Fraternity of Brothers series, I ended up really enjoying this book.  I became so enraptured that I read it in one day.

I loved this story and how it explores the ways true friendship can heal emotional wounds. A young scribe, Galen, learns to trust that he is worthy of a friend as he has become somewhat content with his lonely existence when he meets fellow monk, Alcuin, a  man brave enough to choose the company of an outcast and risk the judgement of his peers.  I aspire to be the type of person who chooses a friend based on my own opinions, not those thrust upon me by others, and I love how that is beautifully represented in this book. 

My chief complaint was how quickly the villain was bested at the crescendo of the conflict in the story. There seemed to be an awful lot of build up to something that was over and down with in just a few short paragraphs.  I still look forward to reading more in this series of five books set in 996 AD Anglo-Saxon England.  

Thanks to the author and Voracious Readers Only for a free copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: The White Ship

 

The White Ship by Charles Spencer 🎧

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5/5 Star Rating

The Summary:

The sinking of the White Ship is one of the greatest disasters in English history. Here, Sunday Times bestselling author Charles Spencer tells the real story behind the legend to show how one cataclysmic shipwreck changed England’s course.

In 1120, the White Ship was known as the fastest ship afloat. When it sank sailing from Normandy to England it was carrying aboard the only legitimate heir to King Henry I, William of Ætheling. The raucous, arrogant young prince had made a party of the voyage, carousing with his companions and pushing wine into the eager hands of the crew. It was the middle of the night when the drunken helmsman rammed the ship into rocks.

The next day only one of the three hundred who had boarded the ship was alive to describe the horrors of the slow shipwreck. William, the face of England’s future had drowned along with scores of the social elite. The royal line severed and with no obvious heir to the crown, a civil war of untold violence erupted. Known fittingly as ‘The Anarchy’, this game of thrones saw families turned in on each other, with English barons, rebellious Welsh leaders and Scottish invaders all playing a part in the bloody, desperate scrum for power.

One incredible shipwreck and two decades of violent uncertainty; England’s course had changed forever.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🤴🏻

Full disclosure: I’m a huge fan of Medieval History. If that’s not your jam, this book may not be as enjoyable for you as it was for me. This is a brilliant piece of nonfiction work from Charles Spencer. The sinking of The White Ship is an event I was mildly familiar with (Didn’t we all read Beowulf in junior high?), but this book was very educational. Wait! I mean that in the absolute best way! It was an enjoyable read and I never once felt bogged down by the details.  

🏰⚔️

This well written account covers the pivotal years at the end of William the Conqueror’s line before the Plantagenet reign began.  I’ve found that there is a more bountiful offering of enjoyable but historically accurate books about the Plantagenet and Tudor Dynasties than the preceding royal bloodlines.  I highly recommend this to anyone interested in England’s monarchy in the High Middle Ages.