Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #462: Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher:

Set in the world of New York Times bestselling Legends & Lattes, Travis Baldree's Bookshops & Bonedust takes us on a journey of high fantasy, first loves, and second-hand books.

Viv's career with the notorious mercenary company Rackam's Ravens isn't going as planned.

Wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, she's packed off against her will to recuperate in the sleepy beach town of Murk—so far from the action that she worries she'll never be able to return to it.

What's a thwarted soldier of fortune to do?

Spending her hours at a beleaguered bookshop in the company of its foul-mouthed proprietor is the last thing Viv would have predicted, but it may be both exactly what she needs and the seed of changes she couldn't possibly imagine.

Still, adventure isn't all that far away. A suspicious traveler in gray, a gnome with a chip on her shoulder, a summer fling, and an improbable number of skeletons prove Murk to be more eventful than Viv could have ever expected.

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree is expected out November 7th, 2023 from Tor Books.

Why am I waiting on this book? I like stories that involve bookshops. And I enjoy a good fantasy tale. This looks to be both.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #461: Maddalena and the Dark by Julia Fine

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher:

For fans of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and Mexican Gothic, a novel set in 18th-century Venice at a prestigious music school, about two girls drawn together by a dangerous wager.

Venice, 1717. Fifteen-year-old Luisa has only wanted one thing: to be the best at violin. As a student at the Ospedale della Pietà, she hopes to join the highest ranks of its illustrious girls’ orchestra and become a protégé of the great Antonio Vivaldi. Luisa is good at violin, but she is not the best. She has peers, but she does not have friends. Until Maddalena.

After a scandal threatens her noble family’s reputation, Maddalena is sent to the Pietà to preserve her marriage prospects. When she meets Luisa, Maddalena feels the stirrings of a friendship unlike anything she has known. But Maddalena has a secret: she has hatched a dangerous plot to rescue her future her own way. When she invites Luisa into her plans, promising to make her dreams come true, Luisa doesn’t hesitate. But every wager has its price, and as the girls are drawn into the decadent world outside the Pietà’s walls, they must decide what it is they truly want—and what they will do to pay for it.

Lush and heady, swirling with music and magic, Maddalena and the Dark is a Venetian fairytale about the friendship between two girls and the boundless desire that will set them free, if it doesn’t consume them first.

Maddalena and the Dark by Julia Fine is expected to be released June 13th, 2023 from Flatiron Books.

Why am I waiting on this book? I like the idea of a Venetian fairytale. I'm wondering what the girls will find outside their school. And I want to know what they will decide it is that they really want and what the price will be. At least it's a short wait for this one to come out. 

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Book Review: Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

 

From the publisher:

FINLAY DONOVAN IS KILLING IT . . . except, she’s really not. The new book she promised her literary agent isn’t written, her ex-husband fired the nanny without telling her, and this morning she had to send her four-year-old to school with hair duct-taped to her head.

When Finlay’s overheard discussing the plot of her new novel with her agent over lunch, she’s mistaken for a contract killer and inadvertently accepts an offer to dispose of a problem husband in order to make ends meet . . . and she soon discovers that crime in real life is a lot more difficult than its fictional counterpart.

Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano was released February 2, 2021 from Minotaur Books. It is the first in the Finlay Donovan series. There are currently 3 books in the series with a fourth planned for release in March of 2024.

My Thoughts:

Finlay Donovan is stretched thin trying to care for her children and write a book. And she's not making ends meet. Her soon to be ex-husband Steven pays the electric only because his children are living there. In the middle of a contentious divorce, they are barely civil to each other while arguing custody issues. Finlay Donovan is a sympathetic character. Even more so after the morning she has at the beginning of the book. Duct tape doesn't fasten hair back on a child very well.

I enjoyed the outrageousness of the plot. I could see that possibly happening in real life. The whole thing is a humorous mystery. There is banter between parents, conversations with the nanny, and words out of the mouths of babes (Are you dating him, Mommy?)

I liked the twisted plot lines from the beginning to the somewhat unexpected ending. The book moved along at a good pace. The ending was satisfying. I look forward to seeing what happens next for Finlay and Vero.

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. I would recommend it to people who enjoy humorous mysteries with female main characters.

This book is currently available on Kindle Unlimited.

Book Review: Old Ghouls by Alex A. King

 

From the publisher:

As the owner of Finders Keepers, a business dedicated to finding solutions, gifts, and information that's eager to remain buried, Allie Callas has been desperate for a shot at playing Indiana Jones. Today is her lucky day. She’s got the hat. She’s got the backpack. She’s got the map with an X on it. And now she’s rummaging around in the bushes on a remote and nameless island for a clay pineapple. The job is a dubious success until the handover. One slip of a foot and the Greek island of Merope suddenly has a growing zombie problem.

If zombies aren’t enough to keep Allie busy, she’s been hired to clear a serial killer’s name. All evidence points to Greece’s favorite weatherman’s guilt, but his annoyingly attractive conman cousin insists she can find anything—even if that anything is nothing.

His logic is excruciating.

Allie might have an uncontrollable eye twitch, but she’s determined to enjoy the Christmas lights with her honey, Detective Leo Samaras, and to find a forever home for the enormous dog that’s taking over her home and heart. Although it's starting to look like she could use a sidekick with teeth.

My Thoughts:

This is book 7 in the Greek Ghouls Mysteries series. I still enjoyed reading it. The series is full of outlandish happenings and paranormal activity. A good example of this is that Allie's dead grandmother is hanging around and Allie can see her.

This time around though there are more paranormal beings. We learn more about the man in black. And there are zombies. Some of the zombies are an improvement on the person before they died. 

I enjoyed reading about Allie and her crazy life. I like that her relationship with Detective Leo Samaras is heating up. She is a good aunt to her nephew and niece who are also blessed with the ability to see dead people. Her sister still has trouble dealing with all this. There's not a lot of character development in this book, but there will be opportunities for growth in the next addition to the series. 

It's frustrating to have to wait for the next book. This one had a bit of a cliffhanger ending. Otherwise, the plot moved along at a good pace. The cliffhanger ending is the only reason I couldn't give it 5 out of 5 stars. Honestly, I hate it when authors use that as a hook.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. I really enjoyed the characters and the madcap adventures of Allie and her four-legged companion. I love the humor in the book and the interactions between characters. I would recommend this series and book to people who enjoy humorous paranormal mysteries. And I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #460: Dark Water Daughter by H.M. Long

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher:

A stormsinger and pirate hunter join forces against a deathless pirate lord in this swashbuckling Jacobean adventure on the high-seas.

Launching the Winter Sea series, full of magic, betrayal, redemption and fearsome women, for readers of Adrienne Young, R. J. Barker and Naomi Novik.

Mary Firth is a Stormsinger: a woman whose voice can still hurricanes and shatter armadas. Faced with servitude to pirate lord Silvanus Lirr, Mary offers her skills to his arch-rival in exchange for protection - and, more importantly, his help sending Lirr to a watery grave. But her new ally has a vendetta of his own, and Mary's dreams are dark and full of ghistings, spectral creatures who inhabit the ancient forests of her homeland and the figureheads of ships.

Samuel Rosser is a disgraced naval officer serving aboard The Hart, an infamous privateer commissioned to bring Lirr to justice. He will stop at nothing to capture Lirr, restore his good name and reclaim the only thing that stands between himself and madness: a talisman stolen by Mary.

Finally, driven into the eternal ice at the limits of their world, Mary and Samuel must choose their loyalties and battle forces older and more powerful than the pirates who would make them slaves.

Come sail the Winter Sea, for action-packed, high-stakes adventures, rich characterisation and epic plots full of intrigue and betrayal.

Dark Water Daughter by H.M. Long is expected out July 11, 2023 from Titan Books.

Why am I waiting on this book? I like the sound of a good pirate tale infused with magic.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #459: Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher:

Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore—she just wrote the world’s first comprehensive of encylopaedia of faeries. She’s learned many of the secrets of the Hidden Folk on her adventures . . . and also from her fellow scholar and former rival, Wendell Bambleby.
 
Because Bambleby is more than infuriatingly charming. He’s an exiled faerie king on the run from his murderous mother, and in search of a door back to his realm. So despite Emily’s feelings for Bambleby, she’s not ready to accept his proposal of marriage: Loving one of the Fair Folk comes with secrets and danger.
 
And she also has a new project to focus on: a map of the realms of faerie. While she is preparing her research, Bambleby lands her in trouble yet again, when assassins sent by Bambleby’s mother invade Cambridge. Now Bambleby and Emily are on another adventure, this time to the picturesque Austrian Alps, where Emily believes they may find the door to Bambley’s realm, and the key to freeing him from his family’s dark plans.
 
But with new relationships for the prickly Emily to navigate and dangerous Folk lurking in every forest and hollow, Emily must unravel the mysterious workings of faerie doors, and of her own heart.

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett is expected out January 16th, 2024 from Del Rey.

Why am I waiting on this book? I read book one in the Emily Wilde series and loved it. I look forward to reading more of the banter and interactions between Emily and Bambleby as they search for the door to his realm. Heather Fawcett knows how faerie stories should read and does a good job at writing them.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Book Review: The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz

 

From the publisher:

Alex has all but given up on her dreams of becoming a published author when she receives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: attend an exclusive, month-long writing retreat at the estate of feminist horror writer Roza Vallo. Even the knowledge that Wren, her former best friend and current rival, is attending doesn’t dampen her excitement.

But when the attendees arrive, Roza drops a bombshell—they must all complete an entire novel from scratch during the next month, and the author of the best one will receive a life-changing seven-figure publishing deal. Determined to win this seemingly impossible contest, Alex buckles down and tries to ignore the strange happenings at the estate, including Roza’s erratic behavior, Wren’s cruel mind games, and the alleged haunting of the mansion itself. But when one of the writers vanishes during a snowstorm, Alex realizes that something very sinister is afoot. With the clock running out, she must discover the truth—or suffer the same fate.

The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz was released February 21st, 2023 by Atriia/Emily Bestler Books.

My Thoughts: 

I don't read many thriller type books. What drew me to this one was the book and writer theme. It did deliver. Things start out a little weird and gradually get stranger and stranger. It's told from Alex's point of view. It becomes clear as the book goes on that she doesn't know who she can trust. She would like to trust Poppy and even perhaps Wren, but it's easy to think the worst of Wren considering what a bad friend breakup they had. The longer the book goes on, the more twisted things become.

The pace of the book is well done. As it goes on, the pace picks up with some atmospheric lulls. I liked the way the last chapter is handled with the after the retreat results.

 Alex is writing her book loosely based on the history of the house they are staying at. This brings a gothic element to the novel. Excerpts are interspersed throughout. I thought it worked well and helped with the atmosphere.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It's a little over the top in places, but still an excellent read. I liked the twists. Roza is manipulative in the name of pushing them to be better writers supposedly, but it does come out a little wild and hard to suspend disbelief at points. Overall though, I enjoyed the book and found myself reading the bulk of it in one afternoon. I would recommend it to people who enjoy literary themed thrillers. 

Book Review: The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro

 

From the publisher:

Alejandra no longer knows who she is. To her husband, she is a wife, and to her children, a mother. To her own adoptive mother, she is a daughter. But they cannot see who Alejandra has become: a woman struggling with a darkness that threatens to consume her.
 
Nor can they see what Alejandra sees. In times of despair, a ghostly vision appears to her, the apparition of a crying woman in a ragged white gown.
 
When Alejandra visits a therapist, she begins exploring her family’s history, starting with the biological mother she never knew. As she goes deeper into the lives of the women in her family, she learns that heartbreak and tragedy are not the only things she has in common with her ancestors.
 
Because the crying woman was with them, too. She is La Llorona, the vengeful and murderous mother of Mexican legend. And she will not leave until Alejandra follows her mother, her grandmother, and all the women who came before her into the darkness.
 
But Alejandra has inherited more than just pain. She has inherited the strength and the courage of her foremothers—and she will have to summon everything they have given her to banish La Llorona forever.

My Thoughts:

This was a tough read at the beginning just from Alejandra's state of mind. She loves her kids and husband, but things are tough on her. She's crying in the shower. It's like she has some form of post partum psychosis. Her state of mind is part of what draws La Llorona. 

Thankfully, Alejandra seeks professional help. I couldn't have continued to read the despair and depression she was feeling. In the process of therapy, she discovers that not only has she inherited La Llorona, but the strength of her ancestors. And she needs it all.

Alejandra is the most fleshed out character in the book, which makes sense. Her counselor, her biological mother, and some of her ancestors also have enough page time to give them depth. This is a women's tale.

While it is slow in places, overall, the book moves at a decent pace appropriate to the story.  The horror is done well. Creepy in places and it's downright terrifying in others. It had me worried for the characters, especially Alejandra and her children.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It's a good horror story - terrifying in parts, creepy in others. And the feeling of horror lasts on beyond the last page. The pacing is slow in parts, but overall it's appropriate. I would recommend this book to people who enjoyed other books like Mexican Gothic. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinions.