Review: The Splendor Before the Dark

The Splendor Before the Dark by Margaret George
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an early copy of this book.

This book was such a great read! The Splendor Before the Dark is the second book in a series but it can also be read by itself. This centers around the last few years of Roman Emperor Nero's life. The book starts off with a bang as Rome is engulfed by a great fire. The entire city is being destroyed and Nero rushes to help the people. He tries to help put out the fire only to later be accused of starting it himself.

As the book continues, Nero faces opposition and betrayal. You see him as he desires to make changes and do things in new ways. He wanted to create a cultural city full of art and theater. However, the leaders of Rome are stuck in the old ways and fight him every step of the way. I really loved Nero's character. He is so complex. He is an innovative thinker and an artist. He is sensitive but also can be very dark.

This book also has a constant theme of politics and power. Nero hangs in the balance as his life is constantly threatened by people conspiring against him. We get to see how Nero changed in his last years due to the any betrayals he faced.

Overall, this book is a wonderful fast read centered around one of the most captivating and notorious historical figures. This is the best in historical fiction and I highly recommend it.

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Review: The Little Shop of Found Things

The Little Shop of Found Things by Paula Brackston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley for providing a copy of the The Little Shop of Found Things by Paula Brackston.

I really enjoyed this book. It had all of the magical qualities that I want in a Brackston book. We follow a young woman, Xanthe, and her mother as they are beginning a new life opening up a small antique store. Xanthe has always had a connection to antiques including the ability to see into its past. While browsing during an antique auction, Xanthe is attracted to a new object that soon has her manipulated by a ghostly presence, hurled into the past on a mission to solve a mystery and stop a murder.

This book is told from Xanthe's point of view which I very much enjoyed. She is an eclectic young woman and thought her character was well developed. I also enjoyed the relationship with her ailing mother, Flora, whom she cares for and wants to protect. The setting was also well developed as we travel back to the 1800's.

The Little Shop of Found Things is the first book in a new series. It was a wonderful fast read full of magic and historical detail. I highly recommend this.

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The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan

Such a heartwarming read. Really loved this one. Here we have the story of three sisters who faced tragedy as young children. Each were affected differently and as adults they grew apart. In this book, due to certain events, they all decide to return home for Christmas in Scotland. They finally have a chance to heal some festering wounds from their childhood.
I really loved this. We get each sisters point of view as well as the mother. I think this was really effective as I was able to see things from their perspective.

As with all of her books, this was an easy fast read and perfect for the holidays.

I received this book from Netgalley and it comes out later this month.

Review: The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller

The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller by Cleo Coyle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a fun enjoyable mystery. In this book we follow Penelope who is a widowed mother and co-owns a bookstore with her aunt. She also works with the ghost of a private detective, Jack, who was killed on the premises in the 1940's. As the book starts, Penelope is helping a customer who becomes extremely distressed when she notices the author cover photo on a brand new bestseller. The customer claims that the photo is of her and runs out of the store. Pen and Jack decide to try and find the customer to see if she is alright and also to get payment for the book. When that same customer turns up dead, they go on their own investigation and try to unravel what happened. Many twists and turns lie ahead as pieces start to come together.
I really liked the humor in this book and it had a good solid mystery. I also appreciated the distinction of Jack's voice in keeping with the proper lingo from his time period. Overall, this was a fun fast read.

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Review: A Well-Behaved Woman: A Novel of the Vanderbilts

A Well-Behaved Woman: A Novel of the Vanderbilts by Therese Anne Fowler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a fantastic historical fiction based on real people and real events. There is a lot of fact in this fiction. The book follows the Vanderbilt family in the late 19th Century. We get to follow Ava from a young girl when she meets William K. Vanderbilt, marries him, and is thrown into the fierce and competitive upper crust society of New York City. We view things through Ava’s perspective and the author presents her with a soft sympathetic portrayal. We watch as Ava, who is known as Mrs. Vanderbilt, fights for acceptance with the snobby elite of the time. The story gets better as we continue to follow Ava and the Vanderbilt family through the years.
This book takes place during the famed Gilded Age. It is a fascinating portrayal of the famous upper crust during their heyday. I loved the descriptive writing and the portrayal of this sensitive, stubborn and sassy woman. I really enjoyed getting a glimpse of that time period.
If you like historical fiction, historical drama or the Gilded Age in general, I think you would enjoy this novel.


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Review: Season of Wonder

Season of Wonder by RaeAnne Thayne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was such a sweet heartwarming story. It follows a single mother Dani who has two girls as they start a new life in the little town of New Haven. Dani heads up the town veterinary hospital after spending a year interning under the mentorship of Dr. Morales who recently retired and had Dani take over. Dani and her daughters struggle to adapt to this small town and she also has a troubled past and finds it hard to connect to people. After some trouble occurs she finds herself in the company of Ruben, who is her next door neighbor, the deputy sheriff, and the son of her mentor. There is instant attraction but Dani resists. She doesn't want to take the risk of falling in love, thinking that it will eventually be taken from her. Plus she is hiding a past that she doesn't want revealed.
This was a really fast read and I loved the way the story unfolded. I loved the characters, especially the children, and thought they were so believable. I adored this sweet swoon worthy story.

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Review: The Phantom Tree

The Phantom Tree by Nicola Cornick
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I thought this book was good and I enjoyed it for the most part.
The book is a mix of fantasy, history, mystery and romance. It alternates chapters between Elizabethan times and the present time. It follows two main characters each struggling to find their place in the world during childhood and facing obstacles as they grow up. First, it follows Mary Seymour who is the daughter of Katherine Parr and is now an unwanted orphan. She is sent to Wolf Hall to live for a few years and goes missing in her late teens. We also follow Alison Banestre who is also orphaned and lives with Mary in Wolf Hall. Mary and Alison deal with the problems of growing up in 16th century England and things escalate when Alison finds herself pregnant. As events unfold, Mary and Alison go their separate ways while promising each other to keep in touch through clues left.
In modern times, Alison is well into her adult years and has been stuck in the present for many years. She finds herself stuck and wants only to go back and find her lost son. She also reunites with an Ex who discovers a never before seen painting of Anne Boleyn which Alison knows is really a painting of Mary Seymour. They team up in discovering the truth and Alison secretly also hides her agenda in finding a way back home to her time.
I thought this book was enjoyable. The plot was bittersweet but a bit slow in the middle. It was an overall easy read and I loved the fantastical elements.

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