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    • 14 April 2023 | Friday · 11:29 PM

    Prettier If She Smiled More

    Prettier If She Smiled More | Book Review
    Title:
    Prettier If She Smiled More
    Series:
    The Schnabel Family
    Genre:
    Literary Fiction; Humor
    Publisher:
    Hachette Australia
    Release Date:
    Format:
    Kindle
    Pages:
    326
    Source:
    BookForums 2023

    An extremely free flowing, fluent & easy to read pick. Welcome back the Schnabel family that enthralled us with wit, humor and wackiness last year, and is all set to repeat here. Prettier If She Smiled More instantly draws you in with it’s simplistic & light-hearted vibes which assure it to be a feel-good read.

    While Dinner With The Schnabels had Tansy’s family (Simon and the kids) in the thick of things, this time round we have her sister Kylie taking limelight. It’s always good when a sequel gives a supporting character of the past, a chance to be the main lead. It starts with Kylie having a disastrous week with 3 disasters coming her way one after …

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    4 April 2023 | Tuesday · 11:18 PM

    The London SĂ©ance Society

    The London SĂ©ance Society | Book Review | Sarah Penner
    Title:
    The London SĂ©ance Society
    Series:
    NA
    Genre:
    Historical Fiction; Mystery
    Publisher:
    Legend Press
    Release Date:
    Format:
    Kindle
    Pages:
    347
    Source:
    BookForums 2023

    A much anticipated read from the author of the runaway success The Lost Apothecary, this book had a lot to live up to. Getting straight to the point, though I hate to say so, it has been a disappointment. There are several reasons for it which we shall see as below.

    The London SĂ©ance Society is set in 1873, with Sarah Penner sticking to the historical fiction genre – which she completely owned in her debut novel. The book here bases it’s theme around sĂ©ances & communicating with the dead, in the process trying to uncover the mysteries behind their death. To start with, it is an intriguing subject with dark, gothic vibes which draws you in. But sadly, …

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    22 March 2023 | Wednesday · 12:08 AM

    Finlay Donovan Jumps The Gun

    Finlay Donovan Jumps The Gun | Book Review | Elle Cosimano
    Title:
    Finlay Donovan Jumps The Gun
    Series:
    Finlay Donovan
    Genre:
    Thriller; Mystery
    Publisher:
    Review
    Release Date:
    Format:
    Kindle
    Pages:
    302
    Source:
    BookForums 2023

    Let me begin by saying that I love the characters of Finlay Donovan & Vero – what a swashbuckling team they make! And add to it the two little monsters Delia & Zach! This is what the Finlay Donovan Series has treated us to till now – a stunning mixture of suspense, thrill and humor! No wonder, expectations were high from this much anticipated read of 2023.

    But as soon as you pick this 3rd version, you quite easily can sense something amiss. Something lacking in the book right from the beginning. It has a slower than expected start. Valuable time is squandered in reintroducing characters here and there. Yet, they were not easy to recall. I strongly felt the need …

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    11 March 2023 | Saturday · 1:08 PM

    The Housemaid’s Secret

    The Housemaid's Secret | Book Review | Freida McFadden
    Title:
    The Housemaid’s Secret
    Series:
    The Housemaid
    Genre:
    Thriller, Mystery, Suspense
    Publisher:
    Bookouture 
    Release Date:
    Format:
    Kindle
    Pages:
    316
    Source:
    BookForums 2023

    Millie – is back! And how! The second book in The Housemaid Series is all set to emulate the success of it’s prequel and better it. The latest book from Freida McFadden sees the return of the two main characters, Millie – the housemaid and her beau Enzo, finding themselves caught in another mystery, another adventure.

    What is immediately noticeable about The Housemaid’s Secret is the stark similarity with the first edition in the style of narration & settings that it follows. One of the main characters sitting in a room with the author dropping just enough hints to pique the curiosity of the reader and create an eerie air of suspense and fear. And thereon, it eases into the flashback to …

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    3 March 2023 | Friday · 11:43 PM

    Someone Else’s Shoes

    Someone Else's Shoes | Jojo Moyes | Book Review
    Title:
    Someone Else’s Shoes
    Series:
    NA
    Genre:
    Literary Fiction
    Publisher:
    Penguin
    Release Date:
    Format:
    Kindle
    Pages:
    426
    Source:
    BookForums 2023

    Someone Else’s Shoes is a lovable story with a unique & original plot that makes for a light, enjoyable read. It has two stories running in parallel – revolving around the lives of the two protagonists, Sam & Nisha – which converge together resulting in some utmost funny & boisterous situations.

    Sam Kemp is a middle aged woman, leading a mundane middle-class life – never quite free from worrying about bills, job, boss and so on. Her husband Phil has lost his job and going through a rough patch of depression. As a result, she is compelled to run the household single handedly.

    Nisha Cantor on the other hand is quite the opposite. Married to a rich man Carl, she was leading a luxurious …

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    14 February 2023 | Tuesday · 5:22 PM

    Vinyl Resting Place

    Vinyl Resting Place | Book Review | Olivia Blacke
    Title:
    Vinyl Resting Place
    Series:
    Record Shop Mysteries
    Genre:
    Mystery
    Publisher:
    St. Martin’s Paperbacks
    Release Date:
    Format:
    Kindle
    Pages:
    302
    Source:
    BookForums 2023

    I picked up this book at a time when some major personal aspects of my life were keeping me busy. No wonder, this is probably the longest I have taken to complete a book, all of 300 pages! Getting to the book, Vinyl Resting Place is best described as a cozy mystery and is the first in the Record Shop Mysteries series by Olivia Blacke. To be honest, I find such a sub-genre weird, but it just implies – the crime in such books is treated lightly. And so is the case here. I am not sure I would have picked this up had I known this beforehand.

    The setting of the book is in a small town Cedar River…

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