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Book Review: The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Historical Mystery
Length: 432 pages
Author: Ariel Lawhon
Publisher: Doubleday
Release Date: December 5th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From the New York Times bestselling author of I Was Anastasia and Code Name Hélène comes a gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who defied the legal system and wrote herself into American history.

Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own.

Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie.

Clever, layered, and subversive, Ariel Lawhon’s newest offering introduces an unsung heroine who refused to accept anything less than justice at a time when women were considered best seen and not heard. The Frozen River is a thrilling, tense, and tender story about a remarkable woman who left an unparalleled legacy yet remains nearly forgotten to this day.

Thank you to LibroFM for the gifted audiobook!

ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE.

This book had me in a chokehold within the first few chapters. Oh my goodness, this was exquisitely executed from page one. I felt the intensity of this story and had to keep listening with a need to know that things worked out in the end.

The post Revolutionary War setting was enthralling. I rarely read books in this time period and loved seeing how the world worked then. I felt a spectrum of emotions from the heavy topics and waiting to see if any justice could be found. I loved the main character Martha and her family. Ephraim is a man that must be protected at all costs. I loved seeing their love story through flashbacks while seeing how their family had grown in the present.

There’s an exploration of many themes and at times incredibly hard to read. I thought the narrator did a beautiful job bringing this story to life. The legal drama, murder mystery, many births, small town gossip and the beauty of love all weave together for a story that I will be telling everyone to read.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical fiction mystery
  • Language: light
  • Romance: vague descriptions
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: rape is a major focus in the story (and is recounted and discussed throughout), multiple birth scenes (with difficult births presented too), murder, weapons violence, physical altercations, violent assault

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Book Review: To Catch a Suitor (Dalton Family #2) by Sarah Adams

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Regency Romance
Length: 310 pages
Author: Sarah Adams
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: March 1st, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

She needs to move on. He wants to let her go. Will they finally be able to go their separate ways even though their hearts seem to have other plans?

Elizabeth Ashburn is madly, deeply, irrefutably in love with her best friend. They know each other better than their own minds. There is only one problem: To him, she is Little Lizzie, and nothing she does seems to replace the idea in his mind. No matter. It is her first Season and she is determined to make a match with a gentleman—any gentleman—who will help her steal her heart back from Oliver Turner and his sea-blue eyes.

Oliver Turner can remember the exact day that Lizzie grew up. And now, he cannot see her as anything besides the beautiful woman stealing his breath—no matter how much he needs to. He won’t marry her. He can’t. He loves her too much for that. Now, he simply needs to help marry her off so that she will officially be out of his reach.

IT WAS SWEET.

I am officially caught up on Sarah Adams books after having this one sit on my TBR for a few years. It was a quick read that had all of that regency goodness and gave me some good warm fuzzies.

My one thing? I feel like this entire book could have been solved with a conversation. Not necessarily in a miscommunication way, just that…if they’re best friends…why has this never come up in years and years? I don’t know. It’s just something I noticed.

ANYWHO. Perfectly solid read. I loved both of the main characters and everyone on the side too. I liked that there was a lot of plot but that things never felt stilted or forced to move things forward.

Overall audience notes:

  • Regency Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: child abuse (recounted), loss of a parent, childbirth, mention of miscarriage (side character)

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Book Review: Ruthless Vows (Letters of Enchantment #2) by Rebecca Ross

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: NA Fantasy Romance
Length: 432 pages
Author: Rebecca Ross
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: December 26th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The epic conclusion to the intensely romantic and beautifully written story that started in Divine Rivals.

Two weeks have passed since Iris Winnow returned home bruised and heartbroken from the front, but the war is far from over. Roman is missing, and the city of Oath continues to dwell in a state of disbelief and ignorance. When Iris and Attie are given another chance to report on Dacre’s movements, they both take the opportunity and head westward once more despite the danger, knowing it’s only a matter of time before the conflict reaches a city that’s unprepared and fracturing beneath the chancellor’s reign.

Since waking below in Dacre’s realm, Roman cannot remember his past. But given the reassurance that his memories will return in time, Roman begins to write articles for Dacre, uncertain of his place in the greater scheme of the war. When a strange letter arrives by wardrobe door, Roman is first suspicious, then intrigued. As he strikes up a correspondence with his mysterious pen pal, Roman will soon have to make a decision: to stand with Dacre or betray the god who healed him. And as the days grow darker, inevitably drawing Roman and Iris closer together…the two of them will risk their very hearts and futures to change the tides of the war.

WAS IT GOING TO BE ANYTHING ELSE.

Five stars.

All the stars.

All the emotions too.

I loved this book. It was the kind of duology sequel you hope for. Dream about reading. After my total obsession with Divine Rivals the hype was real for this one. And hallelujah all the hype was deserved.

Just go into this book blind. The story unfolds with beautiful writing and a continuation of the storyline you won’t be able to look away from. I loved how the romance evolved, how the meddling gods affected the world and the stunning and raw conclusion.

It’s incredible. Worth the read x1000 over. I love the way Rebecca Ross writes and creates stories. They are always some of my favorite books each year.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Historical Fantasy Romance
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: war themes (bombing and loss of life), near death experiences, weapons violence

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Book Review: Powerless (The Powerless Trilogy #1) by Lauren Roberts

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 523 pages
Author: Lauren Roberts
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: November 7th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

She is the very thing he’s spent his whole life hunting.
He is the very thing she’s spent her whole life pretending to be.

Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya—the exceptional, the empowered, the Elites.

The powers these Elites have possessed for decades were graciously gifted to them by the Plague, though not all were fortunate enough to both survive the sickness and reap the reward. Those born Ordinary are just that—ordinary. And when the king decreed that all Ordinaries be banished in order to preserve his Elite society, lacking an ability suddenly became a crime—making Paedyn Gray a felon by fate and a thief by necessity.

Surviving in the slums as an Ordinary is no simple task, and Paedyn knows this better than most. Having been trained by her father to be overly observant since she was a child, Paedyn poses as a Psychic in the crowded city, blending in with the Elites as best she can in order to stay alive and out of trouble. Easier said than done.

When Paeydn unsuspectingly saves one of Ilyas princes, she finds herself thrown into the Purging Trials. The brutal competition exists to showcase the Elites’ powers—the very thing Paedyn lacks. If the Trials and the opponents within them don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for certainly will if he discovers what she is—completely Ordinary.

WHERE HAVE I BEEN.

WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME I SHOULD READ THIS SOONER. Good heavens this is EVERYTHING I love about enemies to lovers young adult fantasy romance. I was already thinking it was a five star read a quarter of the way through. And it DELIVERED.

I loved the banter between Paeydn and the prince. And the amount of scenes were I was kicking my feet can not be charted. There was a fantastic balance of intense action scenes mixed in with the soft and tender. I was smitten with them and can’t wait to see where this relationship goes.

Paedyn was amazing. I loved her. She was strong and capable, and when she went there she WENT THERE. I was impressed with the turns this book took and how it continually kept me guessing. There’s some subtle Hunger Games vibes that I fit well and the competition was fierce.

THE ENDING THOUGH. I am a sucker for an incredible, make me shout kind of cliffhanger shocker. IYKYK why this is one of my favorite endings. I will now be telling anyone who will listen that this is the next fantasy book they need.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy
  • Language: low
  • Romance: make-outs
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: battle themes, loss of life, murder, mentions of child abuse, torture, loss of loved ones

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