BLOG TOUR} Mrs. England by. Stacey Halls | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Mrs. England

Author: Stacey Halls

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 4/12/22

Publisher: MIRA

Categories: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Gothic

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to MIRA for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Simmering with slow-burning menace, Mrs. England is a portrait of an Edwardian marriage, an enthralling tale of men and women, power and control, courage, truth and the very darkest deception.

West Yorkshire, 1904. When recently graduated Ruby May takes a nanny position looking after the children of Charles and Lilian England, a wealthy couple from a powerful dynasty of mill owners, she hopes it will be the fresh start she needs. But as she adapts to life at the isolated Hardcastle House, it becomes clear something is not quite right about the beautiful, mysterious Mrs. England.

Distant and withdrawn, Lilian shows little interest in her children or charming husband and is far from the angel of the house Ruby was expecting.

As the warm, vivacious Charles welcomes Ruby into the family, a series of strange events forces her to question everything she thought she knew. Ostracized by the servants and increasingly uneasy, Ruby must face her own demons in order to prevent history from repeating itself. After all, there’s no such thing as the perfect family—she should know.

This captivating new feminist novel from Sunday Times bestselling author Stacey Halls is her third work of fiction and proves her one of the most exciting and compelling new storytellers of our time.

Content Warning: Abuse, Manipulation, Misogyny

I read this in one sitting and my favorite part of the book has to be the setting and all the details the author gave us about West Yorkshire, England. I could totally imagine the pollution in the air due to the industrial jobs around at that time. I don’t know how anyone could breathe well there! I love how remote location of Hardcastle House, it really added mystery and a creepy undertone, giving the feeling that something wasn’t right in the town…or in the family. But what it is – we don’t find out until later. Ruby’s position as nanny/nurse was very well detailed also. She was a very fleshed out character and through her eyes we see the ongoings within the England household where something is amiss but we don’t fully know the extent until the end.

I thought the story did a good job of making me suspicious of everyone around Ruby, except for the kids, who are amazing kids with different personalities. I was as attached to them as Ruby were. Ruby was indeed a good nanny to her charges. Mrs. England was so mystery, aloof and inattentive towards her children, seeming afraid of her husband and just absolutely unhappy – but is she a danger to herself like Mr. England tells Ruby?

The writing is fantastic and kept me hooked into the story.

The things that didn’t quite work for me was I felt like nothing much happened in the story until the very end. I found the writing and the household dynamic interesting enough that it held my interest but in the end, I felt like it was missing something. I wish there was more suspense. Also there were some interesting feelings Ruby was feeling for a man in the town who was already engaged to one of the maids at the house – not sure where it was going with that storyline but it went nowhere.

Why you should read it:

you like historical fiction with some mystery that involved a dysfunctional marriage and a nanny
good writing
great setting details

Why you might not want to read it:

for me it fell a little flat, needs more suspense

My Thoughts:

I read this in one sitting because I found the writing to be wonderful plus it gave me some suspenseful vibes but I feel like it fell short and had to much more potential to surprise me. I love the setting and characters but I wish more of the action happened earlier in the book instead of at the end of the story. I look forward to reading more from this author.

📚 ~ Yolanda

About the Author:

Stacey Halls grew up in Rossendale, Lancashire. She studied journalism at the University of Central Lancashire and has written for publications including the Guardian, Stylist, Psychologies, the Independent, the Sun and Fabulous. Both of her first two novels, The Familiars and The Lost Orphan, were Sunday Times bestsellers, Mrs England is her third novel.

Author Website | Twitter: @stacey_halls | Instagram:@staceyhallsauthor | Goodreads

BLOG TOUR} A Forgery of Roses by. Jessica S. Olson | ARC Review

Welcome to the blog tour for A Forgery of Roses by. Jessica S. Olson!

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: A Forgery of Roses

Author: Jessica S. Olson

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 3/29/22

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Thriller, Gothic Fantasy, Horror, Murder Mystery

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Inkyard Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

From the author of Sing Me Forgotten comes a lush new fantasy novel with an art-based magic system, romance, and murder…

Myra has a gift many would kidnap, blackmail, and worse to control: she’s a portrait artist whose paintings alter people’s bodies. Guarding that secret is the only way to keep her younger sister safe now that their parents are gone. But one frigid night, the governor’s wife discovers the truth and threatens to expose Myra if she does not complete a special portrait that would resurrect the governor’s dead son.

Once she arrives at the legendary stone mansion, however, it becomes clear the boy’s death was no accident. A killer stalks these halls–one disturbingly obsessed with portrait magic. Desperate to get out of the manor as quickly as possible, Myra turns to the governor’s older son for help completing the painting before the secret she spent her life concealing makes her the killer’s next victim.

Content Warning: Gore, Violence, Kidnapping

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, but I enjoyed what I read a lot.

The magic in this story is quite unique. Myra can alter or heal someone through her paintings. She paints the person on canvas and then infuses it with her magic. It does come with consequences though, she will feel the pain the person is going through. She is what they call a Prodigy and although her magic can heal, it is forbidden in her town to have such powers. With both her parents gone she is a caretaker and mother to her thirteen year old sister, who is very ill. I love her relationship with her sister, the love between them is so beautiful. They don’t have the money for good care and though Myra can heal injuries, she cannot heal a disease in someone. But when the governor’s son dies, his wife wants Myra to bring him back to life…but can she?

The story unfolds as a murder mystery and it comes with a few twists which was really nice! I love the scary tone of the story, the creepy house the governor and his family lives in, the story of the 5th floor being haunted, and grotesque paintings on the wall. Whoever painted those was sorely unwell, but who did them?

There is some romance in the story as well. Myra and August (the governor’s oldest son) befriend one another and try to solve the mystery of his brother’s death. August is an interesting character who suffers from anxiety and his father, who is a hard man, has no patience for it. I was happy to see his growth and also fight for his right to feel safe in the space he’s made for himself. There were times Myra would tell him how to overcome his struggles and he really stands up to her, explaining how she can’t expect him to change overnight. It’s easier said and done when it’s not something she herself struggling with. He definitely had some fight in him even when he was afraid of his family’s reaction.

Why you should read it:

it’s a story filled with mystery, romance, danger, and magic
there’s a good twist in the story
Myra’s unique magic skills

Why you might not want to read it:

not into gothic fantasy

My Thoughts:

This story was a real treat and I enjoyed the unique magic, anxiety rep, the romance, the creepy and thrilling parts of the story, and the twist at the end. I haven’t read a book by this author before, but I’m looking forward to reading more from her.

📚 ~ Yolanda

About the Author:

Jessica S. Olson claims New Hampshire as her home but has somehow found herself in Texas, where she spends most of her time singing praises to the inventor of the air conditioner. When she’s not hiding from the heat, she’s corralling her four wild—but adorable—children, dreaming up stories about kissing and murder and magic, and eating peanut butter by the spoonful straight from the jar. She earned a bachelor’s in English with minors in editing and French, which essentially means she spent all of her university time reading and eating French pastries. She is the author of Sing Me Forgotten (2021) and A Forgery of Roses (2022).

https://www.jessicasolson.com/

Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Anatomy: A Love Story by. Dana Schwartz | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Anatomy: A Love Story

Author: Dana Schwartz

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 1/18/22

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Gothic, Mystery, Romance, Historical Fiction

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Wednesday Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A gothic tale full of mystery and romance about a willful female surgeon, a resurrection man who sells bodies for a living, and the buried secrets they must uncover together.

Edinburgh, 1817.

Hazel Sinnett is a lady who wants to be a surgeon more than she wants to marry.

Jack Currer is a resurrection man who’s just trying to survive in a city where it’s too easy to die.

When the two of them have a chance encounter outside the Edinburgh Anatomist’s Society, Hazel thinks nothing of it at first. But after she gets kicked out of renowned surgeon Dr. Beecham’s lectures for being the wrong gender, she realizes that her new acquaintance might be more helpful than she first thought. Because Hazel has made a deal with Dr. Beecham: if she can pass the medical examination on her own, the university will allow her to enroll. Without official lessons, though, Hazel will need more than just her books – she’ll need bodies to study, corpses to dissect.

Lucky that she’s made the acquaintance of someone who digs them up for a living, then.

But Jack has his own problems: strange men have been seen skulking around cemeteries, his friends are disappearing off the streets. Hazel and Jack work together to uncover the secrets buried not just in unmarked graves, but in the very heart of Edinburgh society.

I was totally surprised about this book. When I was asked to review it, I was first drawn to the cover. Look at that cover, it is outstanding! The synopsis sounded intriguing with the a young woman trying to become a surgeon in a time when women were not allowed to practice medicine, let alone become a surgeon!

Hazel is a wonderful main character. As a lady she is expected to marry well and keep her future husband happy but the thought doesn’t bring her joy at all. She wants to become a surgeon but how? I love her fortitude and persistence to pursue her dream of being a surgeon even when many challenges were thrown her way. I loved the scenes of Hazel practicing medicine for those who couldn’t afford to pay for good medical service. Reading this story reminded me of when once upon a time I thought I was going to be in the medical field.

Now Jack is a fun character because he is not a nobleman, he is a stagehand and a part time resurrection man – meaning he digs up dead bodies on the side and sells them to doctors. It’s a high risk job and if caught Jack can be hung for grave robbing. He befriends Hazel when she needs dead bodies to study and practice surgery on to pass her medical exam. I love their interactions together.

There is a sweet romance budding between Hazel and Jack even though she is betrothed to her cousin. It’s a heartbreaking romance too because their stations in life really don’t allow them to be together.

The story isn’t just about Hazel wanting to become a surgeon, there is a mystery going on in Edinburgh. There is an illness going around called the Roman fever and also something else is happening where people, mostly the poor, are going missing or coming back with a missing limb. It reminds me of the story of Jack the Ripper, obviously it’s not the same story but the chilling vibes are the same.

Content Warnings: gore, dissecting bodies/animals, bullying, misogyny

Though the ending was definitely a plot twist and fascinating, I don’t know that it totally worked for me. It worked when it came to the romance part but it still left me a bittersweet feeling. But it’s an interesting twist to the mystery of the people with missing limbs or people dying not from the Roman fever – it did seem a bit farfetched but I went with it for the sake of the romance.

Just being reminded of how the field of medicine didn’t allow women to study or how they had to dig up bodies in order to study them is so amazing to me. It’s awesome to see how far we have come in the field of medicine and yay to women who broke through such a male dominated field.

Why you should read it:

history of medicine fascinates you and you aren’t squeamish about dissecting bodies
a sweet romance
good mystery
woman empowerment

Why you might not want to read it:

gory
farfetched ending

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this story. I didn’t realize how much I missed reading books about the history of medicine, even if this one is a historical fiction, I was still inspired by Hazel’s ambition to become a female surgeon. I adored the romance between Hazel and Jack but it isn’t exactly happily ever after for them. The ending is just something I went with even though it seems a little bit out there but it’s a fun book to escape into if you are into gothic settings with mystery and romance.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Lakesedge by. Lyndall Clipstone | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Lakesedge (World at the Lake’s Edge, #1)

Author: Lyndall Clipstone

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 9/28/21

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co. (BYR)

Categories: Gothic Fantasy, Young Adult, Dark Romance

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Henry Holt & Co. (BYR) for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A lush gothic fantasy about monsters and magic, set on the banks of a cursed lake. Perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and Brigid Kemmerer.

There are monsters in the world.

When Violeta Graceling arrives at haunted Lakesedge estate, she expects to find a monster. She knows the terrifying rumors about Rowan Sylvanan, who drowned his entire family when he was a boy. But neither the estate nor the monster are what they seem.

There are monsters in the woods.

As Leta falls for Rowan, she discovers he is bound to the Lord Under, the sinister death god lurking in the black waters of the lake. A creature to whom Leta is inexplicably drawn…

There’s a monster in the shadows, and now it knows my name.

Now, to save Rowan—and herself—Leta must confront the darkness in her past, including unraveling the mystery of her connection to the Lord Under.

I had to request this book because of that cover! It’s gorgeous and dark, it gives off gothic vibes right away.

Lakesedge is really in its gothic element with the setting of Lakesedge estate and the owner Rowan who is thought to have drowned his whole family. The lake is black and creepy, the estate is large and old, but empty. Then there is sister and brother, Leta and Arien. Shadows haunt Leta’s brother Arien and you just know something isn’t right in this town – but what is going on? What are these shadows and why does Rowan want Arien and his shadows so much?

Rowan has hired an alchemist, Clover, and now needs Leta’s brother as well to help get rid of the darkness and blight that is overtaking Lakesedge and neighboring towns. Rowan is a brooding, tortured character at first but he does open up to Leta who is his opposite. She is light, stubborn, equally as damaged but her love for Arien eclipses everything. We learn about Rowan’s mysterious past and his deal with Lord Under, and his dangerous blood tithes. But then Leta has a secret too and it throws Rowan’s plans off course.

Rowan and Leta’s love is surrounded in darkness. It is bleak, it’s filled with longing, but steamy nonetheless! Leta is not afraid of him even when she should have been, his monster side should have made her afraid. But also, what is up with Lord Under? I got Persephone/Hades vibe with him and Leta. Is there something between them or is this purely business on Lord Under’s part? I don’t know.

I enjoyed the side characters, Arien because he is a sweet boy and Leta’s only family and I wanted to see him saved. And the alchemist, Clover, was fun, an LGBT rep and she brought a light-heartedness to the crew that was missing, I also liked learning how she used alchemy.

Triggers: self harm, abuse by a parent, grief, drowning, death, suicidal ideation

This is a dark story so there is self harm with Rowan’s blood tithes to the Corruption and other situations that might be triggering.

It has a cliffhanger ending – to the point I was confused. I was frustrated that it ended that way especially not knowing if there was a sequel or not. So be aware – cliffhanger ending!

There is a steamy scene between Rowan and Leta but it is beautifully written.

Why you should read it:

gothic vibes get you into the Halloween/fall/dark mood
dark romance: very broody, lots of longing, emo, sexy and with teeth (haha)
Lord Under – just to find out what is going on with him and Leta

Why you might not want to read it:

dark story
cliffhanger ending

My Thoughts:

This one sucked me in with Arien’s mysterious dark shadows and rumors about Rowan drowning his family in the lake! I read it in one sitting because the writing lured me in but that cliffhanger totally frustrated me because I wasn’t sure if it was being set up for a sequel. Overall this got me in a dark, gothic mood and it hit the spot. This would be a perfect read for spooky season or for whenever you to read a dark fantasy romance. I look forward to reading the next book.

📚~ Yolanda