Sunday, September 04, 2016

Review: The Brontë Plot

The Brontë Plot The Brontë Plot by Katherine Reay
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Nice, cozy book.
Lucy Alling works in a gallery/decorating shop. When she meets James, a wealthy lawyer, it would seem we are looking at a very conventional romance, but Lucy has a serious problem: She will lie, cheat and even forge to make the people she loves happy.

We learn that both her father and her grandfather were quite dishonest, but Lucy does realize she has a big problem.
When her lies makes her lose both her relationship and her beloved work, she knows she has to make drastic changes.

Though quite enjoyable as a whole, I found the "touristy" parts of the book distracting and long. Too much description of London and the Lake District.
Maybe I've had too much of the Brontë theme?


I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: As White as Snow

As White as Snow As White as Snow by Salla Simukka
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked book 1 in the series, but this one I loved.

Lumikki is a more complex and developed character and the author starts to give us more information about her, something I found missing in book 1. The description of her love story is one of the saddest things I've read. I know this is a fictional character in a book, but I hope she and her lover get together in Book 3.

In vacation in Prague, trying to relax and forget all the events we read of in the first part of the series, Lumikki is approached by a young woman who claims to be her sister. Though doubtful at first, there is something that tells her that she once did have a sister.

But nothing is what it seems, and the young girl is part of a violent and possessive cult. Will Lumikki lose the sister she now thinks she found to it?

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: As Red as Blood

As Red as Blood As Red as Blood by Salla Simukka
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love all Scandinavian authors and Nordic Noir is one of my favorite genres.

The first in the Lumikki Andersson trilogy, "As Red as Blood" introduces us to Lumikki (Snow White), a young girl who has been through a bad time at school at home. She now lives alone in the city of Tampere, where she studies.

We know something bad happened to her at home, but we'll have to wait until the end of the book to find out what it is.

When she finds thousand of euro banknotes hanging to dry in the school's photo lab, her curiosity plunges her into a series of violent events complete with Russian mobsters and corrupt cops.

This is a well written and translated book, but although I love YA books, it felt a bit too light for me.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Die of Shame

Die of Shame Die of Shame by Mark Billingham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is just my favorite kind of crime-mystery book.

A group of very dissimilar people have a weekly group therapy session. They talk about their addiction problems (eating, shopping, drugs) and the shameful things they have done because of it.
When one of them is murdered, it seems obvious the death is related to the group.
When DI Nicola Tanner starts investigating, it seems she will get nowhere as the confidentiality rules that the group has, give her no leads.

This is a fast paced very well written book. It's set in London, with a variety of well defined characters and has a strong female police investigator.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: All the Ugly and Wonderful Things

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book still has me shivering. I read it in one go, and believe me, it's not a light read.
First of all, the subject is awful: a little girl, living in dire conditions and the love story she slowly creates with a man much older than her.
I now that there are no gray areas in child abuse, but the book is so well written you can't but wonder why two people who nobody else loves, can't be happy with each other.
Wavy is 8 years old when she first meets Kellen. He's more than 20 years old, works for her meth dealing father and is a complete loser. He's been in jail and has hardly any schooling. Yet he "adopts" Wavy, takes her to school, buys her clothes and makes sure she is safe.
What starts as an unlikely friendship slowly develops into a love story that although creepy at times, had me rooting for a happy ending.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: The Blue Bath

The Blue Bath The Blue Bath by Mary Waters-Sayer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wonderful book!
This is the story of a love affair, first between two young people and when they meet again 20 or so years later.

Kat and Daniel are both students in Paris when they first meet. The fall in love, live together and then Kat leaves. Why? We'll find out later.
Many years later, Kat lives in London with her husband and young son. She finds out about an exposition of Daniel's paintings, meets him again and has an affair with him.
But now she risks everything, Is it worth it?

Going back and forth in time, the author gives us a complete and complex view of why it was not to have a happy ending. It's brilliantly told, and the atmosphere is perfect.

And, don't judge a book by its cover, but this is one of the most beautiful covers I've seen in the past months.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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