Book Review: Death at the Manor (arc)

Death at the Manor (2022) by Katharine Schellmen

Fiction| Mystery | Historical Fiction

Disclaimer: In every review that I complete, I try my best to avoid spoilers of any kind and include spoiler warnings when necessary.

About the book (from Goodreads)

Regency widow Lily Adler is looking forward to spending the autumn away from the social whirl of London society. When she arrives in Hampshire with her friends, Lord and Lady Carroway, she doesn't expect much more than a quiet country visit and the chance to spend time with her charming new acquaintance, Matthew Spencer.

But something odd is afoot in the small country village. A ghost has taken up residence in the Belleford manor, a lady in grey who wanders the halls at night, weeping and wailing. Half the servants have left in terror, but the family is delighted with the notoriety that their ghost provides. Piqued by this spectral guest, Lily and her party immediately make plans to visit Belleford.

They arrive at the manor the next morning ready to be entertained—but tragedy has struck. The matriarch of the family has just been found smothered to death in her bed.

There was no one else in her room, and the door was locked from the inside. The dead woman's family is convinced that the ghost is responsible. The servants are keeping secrets. The local magistrate is flummoxed. Lily is determined to learn the truth before another victim turns up—but could she be next in line for the Great Beyond?

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Note: Thank you to Netgalley & the publishers for allowing me access to this arc!

My Review

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery. The writing is excellent, and the story is easy-going and interesting. I believe that this book can be read as a standalone, or after reading Schellmen's first two books in the series (The Body in the Garden & Silence in the Library), and that is a huge plus for any book.

The Good Things

1. I love the main character, Lily Alder! She is written well and jumps off the page, as the main character should.

2. Much like Lily, the rest of the characters in the book are engaging.

3. The dialogue between characters is realistic and intriguing.

4. This story is the textbook definition of a Mystery, and I love it!

The Bad Things

1. There were two or three places where the story seemed to sput out a bit. However, they were short, so I moved past them quickly!

My Final Rating:

☆☆☆☆ (Goodreads)

☆☆☆☆ (Blog)

☆☆☆☆ (Amazon - will post as soon as the book is released)

Pre-order this from Amazon by clicking here!

If you have access to this ARC, please feel free to leave comments concerning how you liked -or didn't like, no judgment here- it! If you don't have access, let me know if this is on your tbr! I would love to hear your thoughts!

After the Plague (Volumes I-III)

After the Plague (2021) by Imogen Keeper

Fiction | Romance | Scient-Fiction | Dystopia

Disclaimer: In every review that I complete, I try my best to avoid spoilers of any kind and include spoiler warnings when necessary.

About the book (from Goodreads)

From award-winning Imogen Keeper comes a new gut-wrenching saga filled with danger, darkness, and insatiable romance.

99% of the population dies due to a strange unnatural virus, leaving 1% grieving, scared, desperate, capable of anything, plunged into a world without laws, and no one to enforce them anyway.

Frankie has zero skills to survive, but when she loses the love of her life, she discovers an untapped well of hope and courage inside herself – to find the others, the left-behind survivors who must now rebuild in the face of gathering clans, rising dictators, and everpresent danger.

When Yorke, a lone soldier, who never wanted a family, finds Frankie, he has a single burning conviction: if anyone will make the rules in this strange new lawless world, it will be them.

Before the apocalypse they were strangers. Now their lives will forever be entwined.

This special edition set includes the first three volumes in one sexy, seductive, breathtaking story that blends romance, adventure, and hope into an unforgettable read. Fans of Laura Thalassa and Diana Gabaldon will love this Romantic saga.

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Note: Thank you to Netgalley & the publishers for allowing me access to this book in exchange for an honest review!

My Review

In my experience, most post-apocalyptic books are usually either terrible or fantastic. I am happy to say that this story is excellent!

The Good Things

1. The main characters are dynamic and exceptionally well written. They are opposites, so things are kept interesting through both perspectives.

2. Although this is considered a dystopia romance, I feel like the story is a fantastic work of fiction that is much more in-depth than a mere romance. I dig the slow burn and the relationships in the story.

3. The world-building fits a post-apocalyptic story, and the problems that arise are not too far-fetched in this hypothetical scenario.

The Bad Things

1. I am giving it four stars instead of five because of Volume II. It wasn't my favorite, and I'm not sure if it's because I lost momentum or because it felt lackluster in comparison to the first volume.

My Final Rating:

☆☆☆☆ (Goodreads)

☆☆☆☆ (Blog)

☆☆☆☆ (Amazon)

Order from Amazon by clicking here!

Feel free to leave comments concerning how you liked -or didn't like, no judgment here- this book! Note that this is a Kindle Unlimited book if you have that subscription.

Book Review: Great or Nothing (arc)

Great or Nothing (2022) by Joy McCullough; Caroline Tung Richmond; Tess Sharpe; Jessica Spotswood

YA | Fiction | Historical Fiction | Classic Re-Telling

Disclaimer: In every review that I complete, I try my best to avoid spoilers of any kind and include spoiler warnings when necessary.

About the book (from Goodreads)

A reimagining of Little Women set in the spring of 1942, when the United States is suddenly embroiled in the Second World War, this story, told from each March sister's point of view, is one of grief, love, and self-discovery.

In the spring of 1942, the United States is reeling from the attack on Pearl Harbor. While the US starts sending troops to the front, the March family of Concord, Massachusetts grieves their own enormous loss: the death of their daughter, Beth.

Under the strain of their grief, Beth's remaining sisters fracture, each going their own way with Jo nursing her wounds and building planes in Boston, Meg holding down the home front with Marmee, and Amy living a secret life as a Red Cross volunteer in London--the same city where one Mr. Theodore Laurence is stationed as an army pilot.

Each March sister's point of view is written by a separate author, three in prose and Beth's in verse, still holding the family together from beyond the grave. Woven together, these threads tell a story of finding one's way in a world undergoing catastrophic change.

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Note: Thank you to Netgalley & the publishers for allowing me access to this arc!

My Review

The second I read "Little Women re-imagined," I was 100% on board! And let me tell you, this book DID NOT disappoint! Little Women is a timeless classic that I have read many times, and I adore re-imaginings that are written well. The only thing that I was a tad afraid of was that reading multiple authors would affect the story. However, since each of the sister's perspectives is by a different author, I think it enhanced the story instead.

Overall, Great or Nothing is a fantastic story of sisterhood and grief during a time of war. By the end of the book, I had to force myself to slow down so that I could savor the story.

Highly recommend.

The Good Things

1. Beth's Perspective. I didn't think I was READY for Beth from beyond the grave, but this book changed my mind. Although each of the sister's perspectives (Jo, Amy, and Meg's in prose, Beth's through poetry) were interesting and well-written, Beth's stood out from the rest. Her poems are deep and heartfelt, and I read each one multiple times because I adore them. The poems also seem to act as the glue that holds the entire story together. I'm in love!

2. The story follows the period of WWII well!

3. This comment might be far-fetched to some, but I honestly don't think an individual needs to read Little Women to enjoy this book.

The Bad Things

1. Jo's character felt slightly off to me. However, this is a reimagining, so it's only fair to the author to acknowledge that everyone interprets things differently, so this may be merely my personal opinion.

2. I keep asking myself if this book felt too short, or I'm just stuck in a book hangover.

My Final Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆ (Goodreads)

☆☆☆☆☆ (Blog)

☆☆☆☆☆ (Amazon - will post as soon as the book is released)

Pre-order this from Amazon by clicking here!

If you have access to this ARC, please feel free to leave comments concerning how you liked -or didn't like, no judgment here- it! If you don't have access, let me know if this is on your tbr! I would love to hear your thoughts!