BLOG TOUR: The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller

I'm really excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller. As soon as I read the synopsis for this debut, I knew I had to read it. I was provided with a free electronic advanced reader copy for honest review from the publisher. Thanks so much to St. Martin's Griffin and Diana Biller for having me on this fun and spooooky blog tour!

Title: The Widow of Rose House

Author: Diana Biller

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin

Released: October 8, 2019

Source: e-arc from publisher through Netgalley

Goodreads   Amazon

Synopsis: A young widow restores a dilapidated mansion with the assistance of a charming, eccentric genius, only to find the house is full of dangerous secrets in this effervescent Gilded Age debut novel

It's 1875, and Alva Webster has perfected her stiff upper lip after three years of being pilloried in the presses of two continents over fleeing her abusive husband. Now his sudden death allows her to return to New York to make a fresh start, restoring Liefdehuis, a dilapidated Hyde Park mansion, and hopefully her reputation at the same time. However, fresh starts aren't as easy as they seem, as Alva discovers when stories of a haunting at Liefdehuis begin to reach her. But Alva doesn't believe in ghosts. So when the eccentric and brilliant professor, Samuel Moore, appears and informs her that he can get to the bottom of the mystery that surrounds Liefdehuis, she turns him down flat. She doesn't need any more complications in her life―especially not a handsome, convention-flouting, scandal-raising one like Sam. 
Unfortunately, though Alva is loath to admit it, Sam, a pioneer in electric lighting and a member of the nationally-adored Moore family of scientists, is the only one who can help. Together, the two delve into the tragic secrets wreathing Alva's new home while Sam attempts to unlock Alva's history―and her heart. 

Set during the Gilded Age in New York City, The Widow of Rose House is a gorgeous debut by Diana Biller, with a darkly Victorian Gothic flair and an intrepid and resilient American heroine guaranteed to delight readers. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: There were so many words in the synopsis that just called me to The Widow of Rose House. I love a good historical fiction. I love a good, maybe haunted house story. I love ghost stories all day every day. I love a mystery with tragic secrets. I love the process of uncovering those tragic secrets. I love a story with a little romance. So, as soon as I read the synopsis, I knew I had to read this book. I just had to. I'm so glad that I did read The Widow of Rose House because it was everything I wanted and more!

The Widow of Rose House is an awesome debut from Diana Biller. She wrote a great story and I definitely want to read more by her. I was enraptured by the story, by everything that was going on, and I just had to keep reading until I got to the end. The writing was good, it kept me hooked for sure.

I really enjoyed the paranormal aspect of The Widow of Rose House. I always think a book is just so much more fun when it has spoooky aspects to it. The Widow of Rose House is a great read for the October season too. It's got that ambience to it that just needs to be read in the fall.

I'm a fan of The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller and I'd definitely recommend giving it a read. If the words in the synopsis speak to you like they spoke to me, then I definitely think you'll enjoy it.

I received an e-arc from the publisher through Netgalley for honest review. Thanks so much to St. Martin's Griffin and Diana Biller for letting me read an early copy.

The Author:

Diana Biller

Prior to penning this novel, Biller had one idea in mind: “Edith Wharton, ghost hunter.” After touring Wharton’s estate, The Mount, and the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park, New York, she came away with a wealth of inspiration, and THE WIDOW OF ROSE HOUSE was born.

 DIANA BILLER lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their very good dog. THE WIDOW OF ROSE HOUSE is her debut novel.

Thank you for stopping by my Blog Tour Stop for The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller. I hope I conveyed how much I liked it. Thanks so much to St. Martin's Griffin and Diana Biller for letting me be a part of such a fun tour and letting me read the book.

BLOG POST: Seven Letters by J.P. Monninger

I'm really excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for Seven Letters by J.P. Monninger. I received an arc through Netgalley for honest review. Thanks so much to St. Martin's Griffin and J.P. Monninger for letting me be a part of this fun tour and giving me the chance to read Seven Letters.

Title: Seven Letters

Author: J.P. Monninger

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin

Released: October 8, 2019

Source: arc from Publisher through Netgalley

Goodreads  Amazon

Synopsis: J. P. Monninger, author of the international bestseller The Map That Leads to You, the novel Nicholas Sparks called “romantic and unforgettable", tells a poignant love story of the ways the world divides two souls—and the way that love brings them together.

Kate Moreton is in Ireland on sabbatical from her teaching position at Dartmouth College when she meets Ozzie Ferriter, a fisherman and a veteran of the American war in Afghanistan. The Ferriter family history dates back centuries on the remote Blasket Islands, and Ozzie – a dual citizen of Ireland and the United States – has retreated to the one place that might offer him peace from a war he cannot seem to leave behind.

Beside the sea, with Ireland’s beauty as a backdrop, the two fall deeply in love and attempt to live on an island of their own making, away from the pressures of the outside world. Ireland writes its own love stories, the legends claim, and the limits of Kate and Ozzie’s love and faith in each other will be tested. When his demons lead Ozzie to become reckless with his life—and Kate’s—she flees for America rather than watch the man she loves self-destruct. But soon a letter arrives informing Kate that her heroic husband has been lost at sea, and Kate must decide whether it is an act of love to follow him or an act of mercy to forget. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: I definitely enjoyed Seven Letters by J.P. Monninger. The story of two people destined for each other was so romantic. 

I loved the setting of Ireland. I've never been there, but every picture I see of it is just so green and beautiful. I love getting to read about it, and getting to experience that beauty of place. Maybe one day I'll get to visit.

Ozzie and Kate's love is so consuming that they decide they only need each other. They retreat from everyone else and become each other's everything. I enjoyed the journey of their relationship. It really went into how a relationship takes work and that it won't always be easy and perfect. They definitely went through trials and tribulations, and that eventually caused Kate to leave. I just enjoyed reading about a relationship that doesn't necessarily contain the old They lived happily ever after.

I really enjoyed J.P. Monninger's writing. It drew me in and definitely kept me reading. It was impressive.

Seven Letters was a very interesting and poignant read. It is not the kind of book that I read all the time, it was a little out of my comfort zone, but I'm glad I took the chance on it. I loved the Irish setting. I enjoyed reading about the highs and lows of Ozzie and Kate's relationship. I'd definitely recommend giving this one a read. 

Thank you so much to the publisher for letting me read an advanced copy for an honest review.

JP MONNINGER, author of The Map that Leads to You, is an award-winning writer in New England and Professor of English at Plymouth State University.

Thank you for stopping by my Blog Tour Stop for Seven Letters by J.P. Monninger. Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin and J.P. Monninger for letting me give it a read and review. I love LOVE, and this was a romance of the ages.

Reading Right Now! (226)

What I'm Reading Right Now! is...

Raid (The Wastelanders #2) by K.S. Merbeth -- I'm reading this big, chunky omnibus of The Wastelanders Series. I know last week you saw me talking about the same book and I just haven't finished it yet, so it's going over into another week. Bite was the first book in the series and I really enjoyed it. It was zany, violent, fun, and gross. Raid is good, but it's not as exciting so far as Bite was. We are following different characters in this one, but it's set in the same world, and I think characters from Bite will make an appearance.

Raid centers on a bounty hunter named Clementine who has a fierce hatred for Jedediah Johnson. The bounty on his head is high and Clementine is determined to collect, as well as take revenge. Clementine is very serious and driven.

I'm enjoying Raid. I'm hoping to finish it this weekend maybe.

Also, my blog might be kinda bare for the next week because I'm going to be visiting my grandparents in a different state. I'm not going to bring my computer, so whatever I have scheduled to go up will be it.

So that's what I'm Reading Right Now! What are you reading?

Fresh Releases: October 1, 2019

These Releases are Fresh, Fresh. So Fresh.

 

The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis which I have an arc of and am so excited to read! It's revenge and western, I'm here for it. Thanks to Tor Teen for the arc!!

Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris which I was lucky enough to get a Netgalley arc of. Thanks St. Martin's Press. I'm excited to read it. I've heard so many good things about it.

That's my Fresh Releases for this week! I know I'm missing a bunch because I always am. What new books should I be on the lookout for?

Review: Bite (The Wastelanders #1) by K.S. Merbeth

Title: Bite (The Wastelanders #1)

Author: K.S. Merbeth

Published by: Orbit

Released: 2016

Source: Library

Audience Level: I'd say Adult. Lot's of killing, cussing, and mayhem

Synopsis: Welcome to the Wasteland, a post-apocalyptic world where lawlessness reigns, and around every bend is another pack of bloodthirsty raiders. 

Kid is trying to survive in a world gone mad. 
Hungry, thirsty and alone in a desert wasteland, she's picked up on the side of the road by Wolf, Dolly, Tank and Pretty Boy - outlaws with big reputations and even bigger guns.
But as they journey across the wild together, Kid learns that her newfound crew may not be the heroes she was hoping for. And in a world that's lost its humanity, everyone has a bit of monster within them...
For more from K. S. Merbeth, check out:Raid 

The Wastelanders (Omnibus edition)  (Synopsis from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: In all my life, I have never ever rooted for cannibals, and then this book happened. It was a madcap, post-apocalyptic wasteland adventure. It was bloody, gross, violent, and a whole lot of fun. Wolf, Tank, Pretty Boy, Dolly, and Kid are a ragtag team that I'm rooting for, even when they are killing literally everyone in their path just because. They aren't really the good guys, but in a way, I want them to win.

Bite is written in such a fun, strange way. It's got a very dark sense of humor to it. It is a strange story. It is violent and crazy. It was quite a ride.

I really did enjoy the band of characters. The reader never gets to really know that much about them. We get some backstory for Kid, Dolly, Pretty Boy, and Tank, but Wolf remains a mystery. We never even get to learn their real names. I enjoyed their camaraderie. I loved how wherever they went, there was really no plan. It was just run straight in and shoot stuff.

I enjoyed the ambience of the story. The setting of this post-apocalyptic desert that just goes on and on for miles. It nailed it on that desolate feeling.

I had a lot of fun reading Bite. I can't say that I enjoyed the cannibalism because that's just disgusting, but everything else was a lot of fun. I'm planning to jump right in to the next book Raid, and I fully intend on checking more stuff out by K.S. Merbeth.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

Whoa Nelly!!

Reading Right Now! (225)

What I'm Reading Right Now! is...

The Wastelanders by K.S. Merbeth which is a bind-up of two books

 and  

I'm currently 95 ish pages into the first book Bite and I'm enjoying it. It's a post-apocalyptic, Mad Max style story. It is the aftermath of a nuclear event that has wrecked the world. Survivors live in small shanty towns, everything is desert, and food and water are hard to come by. A teenage girl accepts a ride from strangers and becomes part of their crew, but these strangers aren't necessarily the good guys.

I like it. It is dealing with tons of violence and grossness and wrongness, but it's fun, if that makes any sense at all. It's a lighthearted kind of read in a way, mixed with a lot of death.

 So that's what I'm Reading Right Now! What are you reading?

BLOG TOUR: Mother Knows Best by Kira Peikoff

I am very excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for Mother Knows Best by Kira Peikoff, which released into the world September 10, 2019. I received an arc from the publisher for honest review. I love a good thriller and Mother Knows Best hit the mark.

Title: Mother Knows Best

Author: Kira Peikoff

Published by: Crooked Lane Books

Released: September 10, 2019

Source: arc from Publisher

Goodreads  Amazon

Synopsis: A mother’s worst nightmare, a chance at redemption, and a deadly secret that haunts a family across the generations.

There’s only room for one mother in this family.

Claire Abrams’s dreams became a nightmare when she passed on a genetic mutation that killed her little boy. Now she wants a second chance to be a mother, and finds it in Robert Nash, a maverick fertility doctor who works under the radar with Jillian Hendricks, a cunning young scientist bent on making her mark—and seducing her boss.

Claire, Robert, and Jillian work together to create the world’s first baby with three genetic parents—an unprecedented feat that could eliminate inherited disease. But when word of their illegal experiment leaks to the wrong person, Robert escapes into hiding with the now-pregnant Claire, leaving Jillian to serve out a prison sentence that destroys her future.

Ten years later, a spunky girl named Abigail begins to understand that all is not right with the reclusive man and woman she knows as her parents. But the family’s problems are only beginning. Jillian, hardened by a decade of jealousy and loss, has returned—and nothing will stop her from reuniting with the man and daughter who should have been hers. Past, present—and future converge in a mesmerizing psychological thriller from acclaimed bestselling author Kira Peikoff.

My Thoughts: Oooh boy, what a crazy book of science and revenge. This is the perfect tale of Twisted Science. Just because we can, should we?? I enjoyed Mother Knows Best quite a lot. It kept me turning the pages and racing to the end. If you're looking for a thriller that has a lot of science, then Mother Knows Best is the perfect read.

I was kind of hooked. I just found the whole premise so interesting. This kind of science might just be closer than we think, and that's kinda terrifying. Kira Peikoff did a great job of writing this book. It kept me on the edge of my seat. It was so interesting. I wasn't sure how this whole thing was going to end, where it was going to go, but it got me good.

I'd definitely recommend giving this a read if you are looking for a good thriller. I'm glad I got to read it.

Thanks for stopping by my Blog Tour Stop for Mother Knows Best by Kira Peikoff. Thanks so much to Crooked Lane Books for sending me an advanced copy and letting me be a part of this fun tour!