Review: Shrines of Gaiety

I fell head over heels in love with Kate Atkinson a decade ago when Life After Life was published (my review is here and the Canadian cover remains one of my all time favourites). I loved it so much that I was scared to try any of her other books. I have A God in Ruins sitting on my shelf, as it has been since it was published in 2015, and I want to try reading her Jackson Brodie series. But I couldn't bring myself to pick up another Atkinson novel until last year when I had the chance to review Shrines of Gaiety. Friends. I loved it.

Here’s the book’s description:

London 1926. Roaring Twenties.
Corruption. Seduction. Debts due.
In a country still recovering from the Great War, London is the focus for a delirious nightlife. In Soho clubs, peers of the realm rub shoulders with starlets, foreign dignitaries with gangsters, and girls sell dances for a shilling a time.
There, Nellie Coker is a ruthless ruler, ambitious for her six children. Niven is the eldest, his enigmatic character forged in the harsh Somme. But success breeds enemies. Nellie faces threats from without and within. Beneath the gaiety lies a dark underbelly, where one may be all too easily lost.

You all know I love historical fiction. While Shrines of Gaiety is a historical fiction novel, it’s not like some of the other popular HF titles you’ve seen around. No, Atkinson’s novels may be set in the past and may be historically accurate (as far as I can tell) but they’re so much more. That said, the setting and the time period of this book was so enjoyable. Fans of Peaky Blinders might get Aunt Pol vibes from Nellie, as I did. It wasn’t just the fierce matriarchal vibes both women gave off but also the time period that had me thinking of the TV show while reading the book. Let me be clear, though, Atkinson’s story and characters are in a class all their own and are no copycats!

I read a lot of books set during World War II (it’s really easy to - they’re everywhere these days) and the occasional title that takes place during World War I. I’ve recently realized I very much enjoy books set after the wars or, in the case of Shrines, between them. London hasn’t fully recovered from WWI in 1926 and they have no idea what’s to come in another decade or so. That fascinated me, a modern reader, but also made me a bit sad because I, unlike Nellie and her family, know London will be devastated again in another war.

Atkinson’s writing is an absolute masterpiece. It’s detailed and clever and impossible to put down - even (or especially) when the book clocks in at over 400 pages. I savoured every one of those pages and the story Atkinson was telling in them. I was completely invested in the Coker family and wanted everything to work out for them, even when it seemed like that was an impossibility.

I’ve held off reviewing Shrines of Gaiety for a few months and it’s not only because life has been hectic. No, I just wasn’t sure how I could properly put into words how good Kate Atkinson’s latest novel is. I don’t think I’ve managed it here so I really hope you all just trust me when I say it’s a damn good read and if you’re a historical fiction fan (or even just a fan of a really good story) you should pick this book up as soon as you can.

*A copy of this novel was provided by the publisher, Penguin Random House Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.* 

Review: The Foulest Things

Amy Tector’s The Honeybee Emeralds was one of my favourite books of 2022 (review here). So, it was with high expectations that I dove into The Foulest Things, the first book in a new series from Tector that featured a heroine working at the Dominion Archives. Mystery? Archives? I was super intrigued! Unfortunately, the book as a whole left me underwhelmed BUT I’m still really excited about book two, Speak for the Dead, which releases in March.

Here’s the book’s description:

Ottawa, January 2010. Canada’s historic Dominion Archives.
Junior archivist Jess Kendall is struggling to find her footing in her new role. Her colleagues undermine her, her boss hates her, and her only romantic prospect hides a whiskey bottle in his desk. Desperate to make a good impression, Jess’s prospects begin to change when she discovers a series of mysterious letters chronicling life in Paris at the start of the Great War. Thinking she has landed her ticket to career advancement, Jess dives into research in Dominion’s art vault, where she stumbles upon the body of one of her colleagues.
As if finding a corpse isn’t frightening enough, Jess soon notices she is being stalked by a menacing figure. It’s only when Jess makes the connection between the letters, the murder, and a priceless Rembrandt that she realizes just how high the stakes are. Can Jess salvage her career, unravel a World War I–era mystery, shake off her ominous stalker, solve a murder, and—oh yeah—save her own life before it’s too late?

One of my big issues was with Jess herself. I liked her, I really did. But I also thought she was an idiot. And idiots who go around trying to solve mysteries like Nancy Drew don’t sit well with me. She was young, I get that. But here’s the thing - I was close to, if not exactly, the same age she was in 2010 and some of her behaviour just didn’t make much sense. Your first grown up job out of university is a big deal. You don’t know how to act and you’re constantly trying to prove that you’re not a child and you do know your stuff. That, I understood. But some of the other things, which seem so small and minor that I can’t even remember specifics, left me wanting to shake Jess and tell her to use her big, beautiful brain because I knew she had one.

There were some storyline threads that only added to the clunky story (I glazed over any time the story mentioned her mom) and I really, really did not like the epilogue. I found myself getting confused sometimes - either by the storyline or the way the characters were acting. I could just see the glimmering nugget of the heart of the story, waiting to be let free, and I was sad it never really got to shine the way I thought it could.

The actual idea of this book? Oh, I was so in. I worked at a museum for a year and museums and archives have always been fascinating to me so I was really drawn to the fact that this book was set at the Dominion Archives in Ottawa. I liked that Jess was trying to track down items and find the truth of what really happened. I liked the history and mystery weaving together. That’s why I kept reading and why I’m still hopeful that book two will be better.

Clearly, The Foulest Things was not a winner from me. But I still plan to read Amy Tector’s next book in the Dominion Archives mystery series because I am still holding out hope that the brilliant idea she had will come through as an equally brilliant novel. Let’s keep those fingers crossed!

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the author in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: A Lady for a Duke

2022 was the year of Alexis Hall - I read four of his books! The first was A Lady for a Duke, which was published way back in May. I’m totally blaming schoolwork for getting in the way of writing about this one! While a review has been absent from the blog until now, I haven’t shut up about it in other places though - it was such a great read!

Here’s the book’s description:

When Viola Carroll was presumed dead at Waterloo she took the opportunity to live, at last, as herself. But freedom does not come without a price, and Viola paid for hers with the loss of her wealth, her title, and her closest companion, Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood.
Only when their families reconnect, years after the war, does Viola learn how deep that loss truly was. Shattered without her, Gracewood has retreated so far into grief that Viola barely recognises her old friend in the lonely, brooding man he has become.
As Viola strives to bring Gracewood back to himself, fresh desires give new names to old feelings. Feelings that would have been impossible once and may be impossible still, but which Viola cannot deny. Even if they cost her everything, all over again.

I’m still easing my way into historical romance but it’s books like this that make me see the potential of the genre and how much I have to explore. As someone who’s a huge historical fiction fan, I need the history to be accurate, otherwise I’m totally taken out of the story. But, as a romance fan, I’m also happy for that accurate history to just be a setting with the romance taking centre stage. While I’m no history expert, Hall’s novel felt accurate and I was happy with the way he portrayed life in this time period.

I read this book as a cisgender woman but the importance of having a traditionally published romance featuring a transgender heroine was not lost on me. Hall treated the subject matter with respect and with a warning at the beginning of the novel making sure readers knew the topic would be covered and dead names would be used. It’s important to the storyline in that Viola has to eventually tell her old friend that he already knows her but the book is about so much more than that.

The book is actually about a lot of things and I don't think it needed to be as long as it was. There were a few plot points that got convoluted and kept me from giving this five stars, which is a shame since the rest of it was so damn enjoyable.

While this is a romance (and I’ll get to that) there are some serious topics. Not just the fact that Viola is trans but also Gracewood’s PTSD which, of course, wouldn’t have been treated properly in that time (is it even dealt with well now?). There are scenes that will make your heart break and will be tough for most people to read (and even tougher for others) but are, in the end, worth the hurt. This book wouldn’t be nearly as good without this emotional depth.

Now, the romance! It’s pretty slow burn since Gracewood doesn’t know the truth about Viola for some time and then it takes them time to realize their friendship has shifted and there’s now something new there. But once they did realize it and gave into it? Ooh, so good! The reader knew they were meant to be together so you’re rooting for them the whole time.

In a year of Alexis Hall, A Lady for a Duke was a standout, not just of all the books of his I read last year but in general. It was a really great historical romance that had a lot of heart and depth and kept me entertained throughout.

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

Review: The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre

I first read one of Natasha Lester’s novels at the very end of 2020. The Paris Secret (review here) had been on my radar but it was thanks to the rave review from a trusted book friend that had me finally picking it up as 2020 came to a close. And, my word, was it ever good. I loved it so much that I requested both The Riviera House (review here), Lester’s 2021 release, and The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre (publishing tomorrow in North America) without even bothering to read what the stories were about. That is how much I love what Natasha Lester writes. And this new one? It is, by far, my favourite (so far).

Here’s the book’s description:

1943.  After spearheading several successful advertising campaigns in New York, PR wizard Alix St. Pierre comes to the attention of the U.S. government and finds herself recruited into a fledgling intelligence organization.
Enlisted as a spy, Alix is sent to Europe where she is tasked with getting close to a Nazi who might be willing to help the Allied forces--but there's also the chance he might be a double agent.
1946.  Following the war, Alix moves to Paris and takes a position as head of publicity for the yet-to-be-launched House of Dior. But when a figure from the war reappears and threatens to destroy her future, Alix realizes that only she can right the wrongs of the past and bring him to justice.

Dual-timeline historical fiction novels are all the rage these days and Lester has done that in previous books. Usually the timeline is war and present day (or the not so distant past as it’s getting awfully hard to set a book in the 2020s and also have folks who fought in the war are still alive - a sobering thought). I love that Lester chose to have the two timelines in this novel take place fairly close together. We find Alix in Paris in 1946 as she’s forging a new life, but we also had Alix’s time in the war, specifically from 1942-1945 (recall that World War II began in 1939 and America, where Alix is from, didn’t enter the war until after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941). I enjoyed this for a couple of reasons. First, it meant the entire story was all about Alix. I got to meet different side characters but she was the star for the entire novel. I don’t get that often enough in historical fiction novels these days. Second, it reminds readers that WWII didn’t just magically end on VE day in May 1945. There was still rationing and, in the case of Alix and countless others, there was still an immense amount of grief and trauma and that really came through, and came through masterfully, in Lester’s novel. 

Whenever I read historical fiction, I always come away having learned something new or at least gaining a better understanding of something. It’s been through books that I’ve started to understand how both world wars, for example, affected not only the men who fought, but the rest of their communities. Especially how women stepped up to take on work and, as it turns out, become spies. The fact that women were spies was not a new fact for me but Alix’s experiences were. It was fascinating - and heartbreaking - to read about her time gathering information and trying to save her informants.

Alix was a fascinating character and I absolutely adored her. She was living in the wrong time and I wish she could see what women are now able to accomplish (though we still have some work to do). I hated that she felt that marriage (and therefore love) was not for her because she adored her work so much. Most men wouldn’t want their wives to work and even if she did work, she couldn’t have her own bank account if she was married. Those restrictions chafed at Alix, and I don’t blame her. Also, given my own background in communications, marketing, and PR, I loved that she was working as a publicist for Dior. The decisions she made (for work, at least) were brilliant and I hope I can be half as good at my own work as she was at hers.

Don’t forget to read the author’s note at the end of this one (or any book, for that matter, but especially historical fiction). Lester shares some of the sources she used for her (massive amount of) research as well as explains how and why she shifted some details around to suit the narrative.

The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre was one of my most anticipated reads of 2023 and Natasha Lester did not let me down. The story was captivating, the characters were intriguing, and the writing was excellent. If you’re a historical fiction fan, you must buy this book!

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

Review: The Hustler Next Door

You all know I adore K.A. Tucker so it’s no surprise I love love loved The Hustler Next Door, which was just published today. I have been waiting for Justine’s book since I finished The Player Next Door. In the summer. Of 2020. That’s a long time to wait! (Review is here if you missed it.) The wait was totally worth it though and I could not put this book down.

Here’s the book’s description:

Justine MacDermott is in what she would call a transition period: squatting in her best friend’s house and working in an appliance store in Polson Falls while the man she was supposed to marry starts a new life with someone else.
She’s definitely not thinking about slashing his tires and wishing his vital extremities would fall off.
When newcomer Garrett Harrington strolls into Murphy’s Appliances looking to buy a refrigerator, Justine convinces herself she’s found her rebound. Or the next love of her life. Either works. But a chance encounter leads her to discover that Garrett isn’t who he made himself out to be, and he’s more interested in hustling her kindly old boss out of his family business—and using her to do it.
Furious at being fooled by yet another man and itching for retribution, Justine enlists the help of unlikely townsfolk to battle Harrington Group’s big-city development plans for Polson Falls.
It’s all going to plan … until Justine finds herself crossing enemy lines.

I admit I didn’t even read the book’s description before requesting to review this one. I just knew I needed more of Tucker’s contemporary romance (that borders on rom com) in my life. This series is smart and funny, has just the right amount of drama, and adds a (liberal) dash of spice - and sass and swears, in the case of Justine. Which I, of course, loved since I swear like a sailor myself. Anyway. So, because I didn’t read the description, I didn’t know who the love interest was going to be. I had also forgotten about Dean, the best friend of the hero in The Player Next Door. I thought, ooh Justine and Dean would be fun together (other than the rhyming of their names…) so I ended up having to totally change my mindset for this romance! The brain is a weird place. Also, speaking of my weird brain, I’ve been doing a rewatch of Veronica Mars so I was totally picturing Ryan Hansen, who plays Dick Casablancas on the show, as Dean. You’re welcome for that random visual. And now I really want Dean’s story so I’m really hoping that will be coming soon(ish)!

But none of that tells you about The Hustler Next Door, does it? OK, let’s see. First of all, Justine was a hoot to read about. She gives zero shits and doesn’t exactly have a filter. She's a really good human and amazing friend. She tells it like it is, for better or for worse. And most people will probably think the worst of her but I thoroughly enjoyed her as a main character. She knows what she wants, even if she fights against it. Like, duh, of course she was attracted to Garrett and should most definitely hook up with him but it took her awhile to get there. But when they did give in to the attraction they had to each other? Hoo boy, get out the fan, my friends. There’s one particular scene where Justine shows up unexpectedly at Garrett’s that’s seared into my brain. And I’m totally ok with that.

Given I’m a small town girl myself, I love the setting of this novel. And, as in most small town stories, there’s a cast of secondary characters that are lovely and sometimes wacky. The “granny gang” that helps Justine fight the development features Shirley who seems to have it out for everyone and everything. I’m actually really not sure why she was so angry at the world and it got to be a bit much, especially because Justine looked up to her as a grandmother figure. I didn’t want Justine to be that jaded or contrary. It was like she was just fighting for the sake of fighting and the WHY of it was never explained. I think if you’ve never lived in a small town and seen the concern when buildings are being torn down or overhauled, you won’t get why anyone would be trying to fight it.

I ended up rating this one at 4 stars, but would easily give it a solid 4.5 (and probably did on Storygraph). That extra half star to bring it to a full 5, which Player got, is missing because the plot outside the romance was lacking something and I wasn’t on board with Justine’s issues post break up with Bastard Bill. It was too convenient to blame that (not that I’m saying she wasn’t right to be hurt - she absolutely was) for the issues between herself and Garrett.

The Hustler Next Door is a must read for anyone who loves contemporary romance with main characters who practically leap off the page. K.A. Tucker continues to be one of my all-time favourite authors and I’m so, SO very glad she brought us back to Polson Falls with this novel. I’m ready for the next story from the small town!

Download the novel today. It will be available exclusively on Amazon & Kindle Unlimited January 5.

Add The Hustler Next Door to your Goodreads shelf.

About the Author
K.A. Tucker writes captivating stories with an edge.
She is the internationally bestselling author of the Ten Tiny Breaths and Burying Water series, He Will Be My Ruin, Until It Fades, Keep Her Safe, The Simple Wild, Be the Girl, and Say You Still Love Me. Her books have been featured in national publications including USA Today, Globe & Mail, Suspense Magazine, Publisher's Weekly, Oprah Mag, and First for Women.
K.A. Tucker currently resides in a quaint town outside of Toronto.

Connect with the Author
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*An egalley was provided by the author via Valentine PR in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.* 

Wrapping Up 2022

What a year! At times it felt more “normal” but at other times it was a wild ride. I’ve finished three semesters of school (one more to go!) and went from part-time work to full-time work at the library. Tonks continues to be the best rabbit ever (though the old girl has had some health issues). I went to a book event IN PERSON again! And I’ve read a lot of really great books (and some…less great ones).

As of right now, the morning of December 31, I’ve finished 138 books with the 139th about halfway through (and the 140th a quarter through but that will have to be the first book of 2023!). I never set a real book goal for the year. I’ll read what I’m going to read and I don’t care if I hit a certain number (even though hitting a goal is so incredibly satisfying!)

To end the year, I thought it might be fun to list my top 22 books of 2022 (because we all know avid readers absolutely cannot pick just ONE favourite). I've organized them by month read. I hope you enjoy this recap! And please let me know which books YOU loved this year! Here’s to an amazing 2023!

1. The Maid by Nita Prose (Review)
2. Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall (Review)
3. The Suite Spot by Trish Doller (Review)
4. In a New York Minute by Kate Spencer (Review)
5. The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn (Review)
6. Bluebird by Genevieve Graham (Review)
7. The Honeybee Emeralds by Amy Tector (Review)
8. A Deceptive Devotion/A Match Made for Murder/Framed in Fire by Iona Whishaw (I read three in the Lane Winslow series and I refuse to choose favourites!) (Review of Framed in Fire)
9. The Last Summer by Karen Swan (Review)
10. The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray (Review)
11. The Vanished Days by Susanna Kearsley (Instagram review)
12. Every Summer After by Carley Fortune (Review)
13. Book Lovers by Emily Henry
14. Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison
15. Mad About You by Mhairi McFarlane (Instagram post)
16. One Good Thing by Alexandra Potter (Review)
17. Clanlands by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish
18. A Certain Appeal by Vanessa King
19. The Winners by Fredrik Backman (Review)
20. Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson (Review to come. Instagram post here)
21. Time’s Convert by Deborah Harkness
22. The Hustler Next Door by K.A. Tucker (Review to come. Instagram post here)

Review: Season of Love

‘Tis the season for holiday romances and I’ve been having so much fun reading all the rom coms that have come my way. This year, in particular, there have been a plethora of queer romances which has been great to see. Season of Love was so very enjoyable and a fairly impressive offering from first-time novelist Helena Greer.

Here’s the book’s description:

Miriam Blum has no choice but to face the past she thought she’d left behind when she inherits her great-aunt’s Christmas tree farm in this witty, glittering, heart-filled romcom.
Thanks to her thriving art career, Miriam Blum finally has her decoupaged glitter ducks in a row—until devastating news forces her to a very unwanted family reunion. Her beloved great-aunt Cass has passed and left Miriam part-owner of Carrigan’s, her (ironically) Jewish-run Christmas tree farm.
But Miriam’s plans to sit shiva, avoid her parents, then put Carrigan’s in her rearview mirror are spoiled when she learns the business is at risk of going under. To have any chance at turning things around, she’ll need to work with the farm’s grumpy manager—as long as the attraction sparking between them doesn’t set all their trees on fire first.
Noelle Northwood wants Miriam Blum gone—even if her ingenious ideas and sensitive soul keep showing Noelle there’s more to Cass’s niece than meets the eye. But saving Carrigan’s requires trust, love, and risking it all—for the chance to make their wildest dreams come true.

While this is a festive, holiday romance, there is a major content warning that readers should pay attention to. Miriam’s father was emotionally abusive, and Miriam was still dealing with (aka running away from) those issues when the book starts. I cannot speak about what it would be like to deal with such a traumatic upbringing, but I will speak about how it was written as a part of Miriam’s story and Season of Love overall. I think Greer should have revealed the abuse, and the one particular event that had Miriam cut off her family, much earlier than she did. I don’t think keeping it from any of the characters (or the reader) helped the story in any way. By the time it was all out in the open, I was no longer fully invested in the details. I just knew something major had happened to Miriam and wanted to move on to the rest of the story. That probably sounds callous, and I struggled with how to bring this up without seeming like a total asshole. Again, it’s not that I wish the trauma wasn’t included or that I didn’t believe Miriam had suffered or anything like that. It was just the choice of how the trauma was revealed in the story structure that I wish had been different. 

Now! Onto the festive cheer! Of which there was…a good amount but not really what I expected. I loved the Jewish rep in this novel (yes, Miriam’s aunt was Jewish and owned a Christmas tree farm – go figure) and the importance of holidays and other facets of the Jewish faith were included and explained in a way that felt natural. The fact that there has to be an explanation of these things and not, say, why Christmas trees are apparently important, is a whole other conversation. But I’m just here for the big guy in the red suit and all the gifts and treats. I don’t pay attention to any religious part of any holiday. Anywho. While this novel takes place at a Christmas tree farm and does occur over the holiday season, it lasts beyond Christmas and Hanukkah so know that going in if you’re looking for All Festive, All the Time.

Noelle and Miriam as a couple took me a little while to warm up to but I loved them both individually, somehow (they’re both super flawed but that’s part of their charm), so I was totally in for reading along as they moved past their prejudices (the first impressions in this one are not good. Think Darcy and Elizabeth levels of not good) and realized they definitely belonged together. I got frustrated with each of them but trusted they’d work out their issues enough to hook up and stay together forever.

Looking at Seasons of Love in separate parts, as one does when writing a review, isn’t quite fair to this romance. As a whole, though, Helena Greer’s debut novel was an absolute delight. Not perfect but engaging and entertaining enough that I was completely riveted and cannot wait to revisit the characters Greer has created.

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