Review: The Witches of Moonshyne Manor

I hadn’t yet read Bianca Marais before this year, but I had heard from a few trusted book friends that her books were just too good. So, when I had the chance to review The Witches of Moonshyne Manor, which was being described as Golden Girls meets Practical Magic, I hopped on it. And I’m really glad I did! Marais’ latest novel, which published on August 23, is a great, feminist, well-written addition to plethora of witchy books being released lately.

Here's the book’s description:

A coven of modern-day witches. A magical heist-gone-wrong. A looming threat.
Five octogenarian witches gather as an angry mob threatens to demolish Moonshyne Manor. All eyes turn to the witch in charge, Queenie, who confesses they’ve fallen far behind on their mortgage payments. Still, there’s hope, since the imminent return of Ruby—one of the sisterhood who’s been gone for thirty-three years—will surely be their salvation.
But the mob is only the start of their troubles. One man is hellbent on avenging his family for the theft of a legacy he claims was rightfully his. In an act of desperation, Queenie makes a bargain with an evil far more powerful than anything they’ve ever faced. Then things take a turn for the worse when Ruby’s homecoming reveals a seemingly insurmountable obstacle instead of the solution to all their problems.
The witches are determined to save their home and themselves, but their aging powers are no match for increasingly malicious threats. Thankfully, they get a bit of help from Persephone, a feisty TikToker eager to smash the patriarchy. As the deadline to save the manor approaches, fractures among the sisterhood are revealed, and long-held secrets are exposed, culminating in a fiery confrontation with their enemies.

It did take me awhile to get really into this story. It was hard to keep track of each of the witches. They had their own personalities, but I read someone else’s review that said their “voices” weren’t distinctive enough in writing and I think I must agree. There were also a lot of secrets and pieces of information that was being kept from the reader that I didn’t really think was adding to the story in any way. Give me all the details and move on with telling me the current story. Once pieces fell into place, I was able to enjoy the story more and was completely invested in the ride and was desperately hoping the women would be able to save their home and their town.

I love reading magical, witchy books and part of it is seeing how the magic is described and performed. Each of the witches in this book had slightly different types of magic that they excelled at, and I loved it so much. Nothing was overly complicated (other than the game the witches play that even the name escapes me because that scene dragged on for far too long) and it all made sense – as much as magic and witches can make sense.

This novel is intensely feminist without really beating you over the head with it. Kind of how I hope I live my own life, but I don’t think I’m as vocal in my beliefs as these gals were. And that includes Persephone. I hope more teenagers are like this fictional one because that will bode well for humanity.

The Witches of Moonshyne Manor won’t be a book for everyone but I really enjoyed the novel Bianca Marais wrote. It was smart, funny, and magical which is what I ask from every witchy read I pick up. I’ll definitely be checking out what Marais writes next – and probably her backlist too!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, HarperCollins, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.* 

Review: Waiting for a Star to Fall

I am absolutely loving that more female, Canadian authors are publishing such smart, insightful novels these days. Kerry Clare's Waiting for a Star to Fall is the latest (just out today!) and I enjoyed it for the writing or the characters but mostly I liked it for the underlying commentary on today's society. It's intelligent, feminist, and a very good read.

Here's the synopsis:

Brooke has long been caught in the orbit of Derek, a rising political superstar. First he was her boss, then they were friends and she became his confidant, the one person he shared everything with. And even though she had feelings for him--it was hard to resist; he's charming and handsome, respected and beloved--she never dreamed he'd feel the same way. Derek is so much older and could have anyone he wanted.
But it turns out that who Derek wants is Brooke, and suddenly none of the reasons they shouldn't be together matter. They fall in love. And even though Brooke has to keep the relationship a secret--stealing weekends away with him, late nights with takeout after long days at work, and business trips that are always a romantic whirlwind--being close to him and her dreams of their future make everything worth it.
Then it all falls apart, and Brooke is left holding the pieces of the life they'd shared. Derek becomes embroiled in a scandal--the kind Brooke never could have imagined he'd be involved in--and she is forced to re-examine their relationship and make sense of the man she loves.
Poignant, heart-stopping, and resonant, Waiting for a Star to Fall is a story about love, the things we choose to believe, and how sometimes the path to happily ever after has to start with ourselves.

I can't remember exactly when or how I learned that Waiting for a Star to Fall was sort of inspired by Patrick Brown's political rise, fall, and rise. I think it was from Clare herself on her Instagram account (which you should follow if you're not already) but I can't be sure. (So much info comes at you all the time these days!) You don't need to know his story to enjoy the novel because it's a story that's repeated often and not just in politics. Brown, like Murdoch, was embroiled in a sex scandal but then managed to come through it all relatively unscathed and ended up being elected mayor. What was trippy for me is I lived in Barrie, which was Brown's riding when he was MP. I was in my early twenties, just like Brooke, and I went to the bar where Brown also frequented (which was hilariously called Slappin' Nellies in Clare's book). I don't know how much Clare meant for the fictional Lanark to be Barrie but that's how I viewed it in my head.

Clare's novel looks at the nuances of Murdoch's story and how we can't always know who to trust, who is telling the truth, who is getting hurt the most. We can't know the whole story or why some women don't believe other women or choose to stand by the men who have allegedly done so much harm. We know there are two sides to every story but there are layers to each side that we often lose when we, the general public who have no connection to a scandal like Murdoch's, discuss and gossip and judge. I feel like that's a major point Clare is trying to make in this novel - and, if not, that was my biggest takeaway. We can't always know even though many of us, myself included, think we do and think we know what is best. 

It's been a decade since I was 23 but I remember feeling as Brooke does, at least a little. I wasn't involved with a politician nor did I go through the things she does (no spoilers here) but the feeling like you're so far past being in university (which makes me laugh now, ten years later because 23 year olds are so young to me which is unfair to them and something I'm working on. I don't want to become a "kids these days" kind of person) and you think you have life figured out but you really, really don't. You're trying to find the friends to carry you through into adulthood while also figuring out who you are (which, I will say, is an ongoing process). That feeling. That's what I remember. Trying to navigate the real world and find your values. I admired Brooke for having strong feelings, which you only really see in the flashbacks because she's so lost in the present day, because at 23 I didn't know what the hell I thought about a lot of things.

I just know some people will be annoyed at the ending. I like how Clare left it, which is surprising because normally this kind of ending frustrates me. (Yes, that's vague. No spoilers, remember?) What did sort of confuse me is there was no link back to the very first news article in the novel that reports on Murdoch's successful mayoral bid. I did read an egalley so maybe things changed but, to me, that article may have been stronger at the end of the book. 

I don't always love making comparisons because all books are so different but Clare's novel reminded me a little bit of Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid. Instead of racism, Clare's novel puts a spotlight on feminism and the Me Too movement and wraps it in a novel that is intelligent and an entertaining story. 

Pick up Kerry Clare's novel because it's an entertaining, contemporary read. Stick with it because it is a perceptive, intelligent commentary of the world we're in. Waiting for a Star to Fall is a book that will stick with me for awhile because of how it made me think about how I view and consume news of the world around me.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Doubleday Canada/Penguin Random House Canada, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: City of Friends

Joanna Trollope is one of those authors who I've heard of for what seems like forever. But...I've only ever read one of her novels (the updated Sense & Sensibility for The Austen Project...my review is here if you're interested). When her latest, City of Friends, showed up in my mailbox I was immediately intrigued and fell head over heels in love with that cover. I was in the mood for a contemporary tale so it moved itself right to the top of my TBR list. And was it worth it? Yes! It was a delightful story that kept me interested and I knew right away that I'd be passing it on to my mom to read too.

Here's the synopsis:

The day Stacey Grant loses her job feels like the last day of her life. Or at least, the only life she'd ever known. For who was she if not a City high-flyer, Senior Partner at one of the top private equity firms in London?
As Stacey starts to reconcile her old life with the new—one without professional achievements or meetings, but instead, long days at home with her dog and ailing mother, waiting for her successful husband to come home—she at least has The Girls to fall back on. Beth, Melissa and Gaby. The girls, now women, had been best friends from the early days of university right through their working lives, and through all the happiness and heartbreaks in between.
But these career women all have personal problems of their own, and when Stacey's redundancy forces a betrayal to emerge that was supposed to remain secret, their long cherished friendships will be pushed to their limits...

City of Friends takes the typical format when multiple characters are the focus of the story. Each chapter of this novel follows a different friend - Stacey, Melissa, Gaby, and Beth - as they each deal with the fallout of Stacey losing her job. I sometimes have problems with books like this but it didn't bother me as much as it normally does. It took awhile to get into and really get a sense of each woman but it flowed better than other novels like this I've read in the past.

That being said, I think I wanted more from each woman. The story takes place over the course of a year or so (I think? That was another issue...I wasn't totally sure how much time had passed.) and each woman had a lot going on that had to be fit into one chapter. There were gaps but I think that's just kind of how life goes. You're going to have days that are of great importance to your life, and those are the ones we got with this novel, but there are also the other days when you're just putting one foot in front of the other and everything is ticking along as usual.

Speaking of being like real life, I thought the friendship between the four women was realistic. They may be in their forties and I'm just in my twenties (hoo boy...can only say that for another month or so!) but female friendships are similar at all ages. I did love the following quote because I knew exactly what kind of "crossed wires" Trollope was referencing. It makes me look forward to even more solid friendships in the future:

"Even when they couldn't meet, they rang each other, or texted, or tweeted. The inevitable crossed wires of their twenties and thirties had mellowed into a much less judgemental support system in their forties." (page 12)

They have such a great friendship that they know they are always there for each other even if they don't see each other for a few weeks at a time.

I loved how successful all four women were (yes, Stacey lost her job but she definitely didn't deserve it). They were proud of their successes because they worked hard to get where they were. This hit pretty hard as I was reading this book back on International Women's Day.

Current read is great for #InternationalWomensDay - 4 women who have worked HARD&moved up in male dominated business world. #IWD #amreading pic.twitter.com/cYXKcXWx0h

— Kaley Stewart (@KaleyS23) March 9, 2017

The fact that they've had to fight to get where they are, and had to fight much harder than their male counterparts, is referenced throughout the novel. Also, all four women are so supportive of other women in their workplaces and, in Gaby's case especially as she manages so many people, will do whatever they can to make sure other women are able to succeed. As much as I loved this whole female success storyline...I think it shows a lot that I even needed and wanted to reference it. We've come so far but there's still more work to be done!

Final note...I already mentioned how much I love this cover. I'm not sure what it is but all of the elements together work for me. This cover is, from what I can tell from my (admittedly not very thorough) Internet sleuthing, for the paperback. There is another cover for the hardcover that I also really love. It has a very different feel but it also fits the story so well. Each woman has a house and lifestyle that suits them, or so they think, and so this cover is lovely. (This is actually making me realize that Trollope spent a lot of time discussing their houses and living arrangements. Interesting that I hadn't noticed it until now.)

City of Friends is a book for you if you love (or are in need of) contemporary novels. Joanna Trollope has written a story of four smart, realistic women that you will thoroughly enjoy reading about. You'll drop into their lives and, at the end, emerge with the desire to text, write to, call, or visit some of your own best friends.

*A copy of this novel was provided by the distributor, Publishers Group Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Regulars

I wasn't sure what to expect with The Regulars, Georgia Clark's new novel. What I ended up getting was an entertaining, thought-provoking, feminist novel that I did not want to put down. Bonus: it had a hint of magic which I loved and which, I think, makes it a novel that will stand out from the all the other books about twentysomethings in NYC.

Here's the synopsis:

Best friends Evie, Krista, and Willow are just trying to make it through their mid-twenties in New York. They’re regular girls, with average looks and typical quarter-life crises: making it up the corporate ladder, making sense of online dating, and making rent.
Until they come across Pretty, a magic tincture that makes them, well...gorgeous. Like, supermodel gorgeous. And it’s certainly not their fault if the sudden gift of beauty causes unexpected doors to open for them.
But there’s a dark side to Pretty, too, and as the gloss fades for these modern-day Cinderellas, there’s just one question left:
What would you sacrifice to be Pretty?

It's been too long since I've read a contemporary novel with a magical twist. I hadn't realized I was missing stories like this! Everything about this novel is placed in reality - except for Pretty and it's side effects. I loved fantasy books as a kid but, as I got older, I found I wasn't reading them nearly as often. So, when I find a book like The Regulars, I'm pretty happy and it makes me want to look into more magic realism type stories. (Suggestions welcome!) Although...I have to say the way the girls turn pretty after taking the potion is...well, it's ridiculous. I'm not going to go into it because it's, er, messy, but even I found it far-fetched and unnecessary. 

There were a few things that I wished had been wrapped up or, at the very least, not glossed over. For example, Krista is an actress and when her supermodel gorgeous alter ego, Lenka, gets hired for a movie, she gives the HR department her, Krista's, social so she can get paid. The girls say that's probably fine because she can just say Lenka is a stage name. But (slight spoiler but you'll see it coming), Evie-as-Chloe gets hired to be the host for the webseries the magazine Evie works for is starting. There is no mention, that I found anyway, of her getting paid. I wouldn't have even noticed this if it hadn't been for Krista's comment. Also, Penny is the woman who gives Krista Pretty and her storyline is left wide open and that frustrated me. Mostly because I wanted to make sure she was OK (she was not in a good place). And what exactly did Jan and Marcello know? I feel like there were hints that maybe they knew about Pretty but nothing was ever really brought to light.

Those looking for sexually diverse characters should take note of this novel. Evie, who is sort of the main heroine, is bisexual. And you know what's great about this book? Her sexual orientation is Not a Big Deal. Is this because Clark herself is gay? (She thanks her partner in the acknowledgements.) Maybe. But equally likely is that the book world is slowly embracing different characters and allowing them out into the world. 

Final verdict? The Regulars was a good read. It has a few tiny issues (almost every book does) but it was fun, fresh, and full of flawed characters (which is great because, let's face it, we're all flawed.) Most of all, it's wicked smart. I should caution that is not a book for everyone. If you have to have likeable characters and cannot stand crude humour or sex scenes, skip this book. In the acknowledgements, Georgia Clark says her book was pitched as a "feminist fairy tale" and I absolutely love that. It's exactly the best way to describe it! 

*An ARC of this novel was provided by Simon & Schuster Canada in exchange for review consideration.*