Audiobook Review: The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise by Colleen Oakley

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise
Author: Colleen Oakley
Narrator: Hillary Huber
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: March 28, 2023
Print length: 337 pages
Audiobook length: 9 hours 59 minutes
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Library
Rating:

Twenty-one-year-old Tanner Quimby needs a place to live. Preferably one where she can continue sitting around in sweatpants and playing video games nineteen hours a day. Since she has no credit or money to speak of, her options are limited, so when an opportunity to work as a live-in caregiver for an elderly woman falls into her lap, she takes it.

One slip on the rug. That’s all it took for Louise Wilt’s daughter to demand that Louise have a full-time nanny living with her. Never mind that she can still walk fine, finish her daily crossword puzzle, and pour the two fingers of vodka she drinks every afternoon. Bottom line — Louise wants a caretaker even less than Tanner wants to be one.

The two start off their living arrangement happily ignoring each other until Tanner starts to notice things—weird things. Like, why does Louise keep her garden shed locked up tighter than a prison? And why is the local news fixated on the suspect of one of the biggest jewelry heists in American history who looks eerily like Louise? And why does Louise suddenly appear in her room, with a packed bag at 1 a.m. insisting that they leave town immediately?

Thus begins the story of a not-to-be-underestimated elderly woman and an aimless young woman who—if they can outrun the mistakes of their past—might just have the greatest adventure of their lives.

If you’re hankering for a road trip adventure with two amazing women, look no further! The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise is funny, sassy, and a total joy ride.

Tanner is aimless and mad at the world. Louise is fed up with people who think they know what’s best for her. Tanner thinks Mrs. Wilt is a weird old lady who lives in a boring house, and Louise thinks Tanner is amazingly useless — who can play video games that many hours a day?

But when circumstances force them to flee in the night (although Tanner doesn’t really know why), the two team up and go on the lam. Their goal? Avoid getting caught, and make it to California before Louise’s past potentially catches up to her and people she cares about. And as the two tear up the miles (in Louise’s vintage Jaguar!), they start to find common ground, and maybe even common purpose.

This book is such a delight! Tanner and Louise are both sharp, tough characters who’ve had their share of disappointments. Put them together, and their initial annoyance and irritation eventually turns into grudging respect, even amusement and eventually real friendship and affection.

Their hijinks on the road are often silly, sometimes risky, but always a ton of fun. The author keeps us guessing — just when we think we’ve figured it all out, some new twist gets thrown in and changes everything.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Hillary Huber, and it was oodles of fun. The narrator gives Louise and Tanner such distinct voices, and I loved their banter so much. In my opinion, audio is the way to go!

This book is just such a delight, and by the end, I was absolutely in love with the characters — especially Louise, who is much more of a kickass hero than you might expect of an 84-year-old woman with a broken hip! The plot is fast-paced, the writing is light and humorous, and the characters are totally charming to spend time with.

Highly recommended.

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9Jun2023

Book Review: Wolfsong (Green Creek, #1) by TJ Klune

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Wolfsong
Series: Green Creek
Author: TJ Klune
Publisher: Tor Books
Publication date: July 4, 2023 (originally published 2016)
Length: 528 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

The Bennett family has a secret.
They’re not just a family, they’re a pack.
Wolfsong is Ox Matheson’s story.

Oxnard Matheson was twelve when his father taught him very valuable lesson. He said that Ox wasn’t worth anything and people would never understand him. Then he left.

Ox was sixteen when the energetic Bennett family moved in next door, harboring a secret that would change him forever. The Bennetts are shapeshifters. They can transform into wolves at will. Drawn to their magic, loyalty, and enduring friendships, Ox feels a gulf between this extraordinary new world and the quiet life he’s known, but he finds an ally in Joe, the youngest Bennett boy.

Ox was twenty-three when murder came to town and tore a hole in his heart. Violence flared, tragedy split the pack, and Joe left town, leaving Ox behind. Three years later, the boy is back. Except now he’s a man – charming, handsome, but haunted – and Ox can no longer ignore the song that howls between them.

The beloved fantasy romance sensation by New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune, about love, loyalty, betrayal, and family.

The Green Creek Series is for adult readers.

Have you ever finished a book and not wanted to start anything else, because you wanted to stay in that fictional world just a while longer?

That’s me and Wolfsong.

While powering through this 500+ page book, dying to see what was next and what was still to come, part of me just didn’t want to finish… because then what? This world, these characters… I think they’ve ruined me for other fiction. At least for now.

First, some basics about the book: We meet the main character, Ox Matheson, at age twelve, and spend quite a bit of time with him as he struggles through his adolescent and teen years, so for the first 30% or so of this book, you might assume this is a coming-of-age YA fantasy. It’s not. Helpfully, the synopsis states that this series is for adult readers. Later in the book, there are two very explicit adult sex scenes, and there are several graphic, gory scenes of violence that are not for young readers. Neither of these aspects are gratuitous in the slightest, but readers should be aware that the statement about adult content is accurate.

Wolfsong was originally published in 2016, and is the first in a 4-book series, now being reissued by Tor Books with beautiful new hardcover editions. After TJ Klune’s bestselling breakthrough with The House in the Cerulean Sea, there’s renewed interest in his earlier works, and I’m so grateful that the Green Creek books will get wider attention now. Wolfsong releases in July and book 2, Ravensong, in August. Books 3 and 4, Heartsong and Brothersong, will be released in 2024.

Where to even begin to describe the beauty and wonder of Wolfsong?

Ox is twelve when his father leaves him and his mother, and the father’s parting shots — that Ox is stupid and will never amount to anything — leave their mark. Ox is a loner, living in a small house in the woods in the tiny town of Green Creek, Oregon. His mother is loving and works hard to create a home for Ox, and he finds connection at the auto shop where his father used to work, where the owner Gordo agrees that he can help out, and where Ox finds a home of sorts with Gordo and his crew.

When Ox is sixteen, his life is upended while walking home along the dirt road one day, when a small boy bursts from the woods and changes everything. Talking a mile a minute, the 10-year-old “tornado”, as Ox thinks of him, clambers up Ox’s large back and brings him home to his family in the old, formerly abandoned house down the lane.

As young Joe Bennett exclaims to his parents and brothers:

You gotta smell him and then tell me why it’s all candy canes and pinecones and epic and awesome

Ox is introduced to the magnificent Bennett family, who welcome him with open arms and with a love and affection that he doesn’t quite understand. It’s only later that Ox discovers that the Bennett family is also the Bennett pack — a deeply-rooted, powerful, respected family of werewolves whose territory is Green Creek. Father Thomas is the Alpha, and although Ox doesn’t know why, Thomas sees something in Ox. (I mean, we readers get that Ox is wonderful and loving and “epic and awesome”, but Ox has a hard time believing it about himself).

The entire family loves Ox, but for Joe, Ox is a guardian and friend and brother and place of safety. Over the years, Ox and Joe both grow up, and Ox comes to learn much more about the secrets of Joe’s past and and what his own role is in protecting and nurturing Joe.

There’s so much more to the story, and it just has to be experienced. TJ Klune’s writing is powerful, funny, emotional — often all within the same page or chapter. I noted in my Kindle highlights that at 30% I was laughing hysterically over a particularly awkward, cringey, funny courtship scene… only to be sobbing and feeling like my heart had been ripped out at the 40% mark.

Truly bad things happen, and the writing is so visceral that I could feel Ox’s anger, pain, helplessness, and grief. The storytelling makes the reader FEEL everything, and the highs and lows can be breathtaking and painful.

As is probably obvious, I loved this book so much. The dynamic between Ox and Joe changes over the years, and it’s fascinating to see how their relationship changes at the different phases of their lives.

There was never anyone else for me. Because even if you couldn’t hear me when I called for you, the howl in my heart was always meant for you.

Another element I loved is the pack as a whole, the love and bond between the pack members, the mind to mind connection (PackLoveBrotherSon), the casual physical connection (these wolves always touch and sleep in heaps together, even in human form), and the absolute trust and devotion they share. The bonds are complex and become tangled, but no matter what, they’re also quite beautiful.

Wolfsong is a long, complicated book with love at its core. There is deep pain but also moments of wonder and joy, and the writing is evocative and profoundly affecting. I will be thinking about Wolfsong for a long time to come, and have a feeling that this is a book I’ll continue to pull off my shelf and leaf through for the simple pleasure of revisiting favorite passages and scenes.

My intention had been to wait for the new editions of each book in the series to be released before reading them… but since the original editions are already out there and available, I’m really not sure that I can stand to hold off. I love the world of Green Creek so much, and feel the next book in the series calling (howling?) for me.

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7Jun2023

Book Review: The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Boyfriend Project
Author: Farrah Rochon
Publisher: Forever
Publication date: June 9, 2020
Length: 345 pages
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Purchased
Rating:

If you love Jasmine Guillory, Abby Jimenez and Talia Hibbert, you’ll LOVE Farrah Rochon!

What happens when three women discover , thanks to the live tweeting of a disastrous date, that they’ve all been duped by the same man? They become friends of course!

Samiah Brooks never thought she would be ‘that’ girl. But a live tweet of a horrific date just revealed the painful truth: she’s been catfished by a three-timing jerk of a boyfriend. Suddenly Samiah – along with his two other ‘girlfriends’, London and Taylor – have gone viral online. Now the three new besties are making a pact to spend the next six months investing in themselves. No men, no dating, and no worrying about their relationship status…

For once Samiah is putting herself first, and that includes finally developing the app she’s always dreamed of creating. Which is the exact moment she meets the deliciously sexy, honey-eyed Daniel Collins at work. What are the chances? When it comes to love, there’s no such thing as a coincidence. But is Daniel really boyfriend material or is he maybe just a little too good to be true?

This book (and the trilogy as a whole) had been highly recommended to me, and I finally had a chance to dive in this week… and found it just the positive, friendship-centric romance that I needed.

In The Boyfriend Project, discovering a boyfriend is a cheater and a scammer is a blessing in disguise, as it brings together Samiah, Taylor, and London, three amazing women who have had terrible luck in finding worthy romantic partners. They’re each talented, smart, caring individuals, but somehow, the dating market in Austin seems to lead them nowhere.

After their confrontation with the cheater goes viral, the three connect and bond, and decide to devote the next six months to their own personal goals without the distraction of looking for a man. For Samiah, who has the starring role in this book, it means carving time out of her already busy life to focus on the app she’s dreamed of launching, although she already works around the clock at her demanding but fulfilling tech job.

Complications arise when she meets her company’s newest hire, Daniel, who’s clearly smitten with Samiah. What she doesn’t know — but we readers do — is that Daniel isn’t who he appears to be. Through chapters told from Daniel’s perspective, we learn that he’s a federal agent working undercover to bust a money laundering scheme running through Samiah’s company. He knows better than to get involved while on a case… but there’s no denying the connection the two feel, or their amazing chemisty.

The Boyfriend Project works well as a romance, but it’s also a terrific celebration of women’s friendship and the power it provides. I loved the way Samiah, Taylor, and London come together after their discovery of how they’d all been catfished — no cattiness or blaming, but instant support, empathy, and a shared sense of humor and encouragement. Taylor and London are supporting characters in this book, but I know that they each get their own starring roles in the other books in the trilogy, and I’m so looking forward to spending time with each of them.

I could quibble with a few elements of the book (and, okay, I will), but really these are essentially minor issues:

A little too much time spent on the tech details — I suppose it lends authenticity to Samiah’s work, but I didn’t need quite so much of the specifics.
Ditto for the details of the money laundering scheme. I’m not sure it all made sense, and maybe it’s meant to give substance to Daniel’s work, but this part of the story felt like a detour from the romantic plot (and mood), and I just wasn’t interested in the crime story aspects.
The sex scenes are graphic (per my steam factor ratings), which I can abide even though it’s not my preferred approach… but some of the writing in these scenes was just too cringey.

None of these quibbles stopped me from enjoying the book as a whole, and I still look forward to continuing the series.

Overall, The Boyfriend Project does a great job of keeping friendship at the forefront, even while focusing on the romance and the ups and downs involved with Samiah and Daniels’ story.

Next up in the series:

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6Jun2023

Book Review: One Summer in Savannah by Terah Shelton Harris

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: One Summer in Savannah
Author: Terah Shelton Harris
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication date: July 4, 2023
Length: 464 pages
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley

A compelling debut that glows with bittersweet heart and touching emotion, deeply interrogating questions of family, redemption, and unconditional love in the sweltering summer heat of Savannah, as two people discover what it means to truly forgive.

It’s been eight years since Sara Lancaster left her home in Savannah, Georgia. Eight years since her daughter, Alana, came into this world, following a terrifying sexual assault that left deep emotional wounds Sara would do anything to forget. But when Sara’s father falls ill, she’s forced to return home and face the ghosts of her past.

While caring for her father and running his bookstore, Sara is desperate to protect her curious, outgoing, genius daughter from the Wylers, the family of the man who assaulted her. Sara thinks she can succeed—her attacker is in prison, his identical twin brother, Jacob, left town years ago, and their mother are all unaware Alana exists. But she soon learns that Jacob has also just returned to Savannah to piece together the fragments of his once-great family. And when their two worlds collide—with the type of force Sara explores in her poetry and Jacob in his astrophysics—they are drawn together in unexpected ways.

One Summer in Savannah is a difficult book to describe. It’s the story of Sara, a woman in her mid-20s who swore she’d neve return to her home town of Savannah. At age 18, she was raped and then vilified at the trial that convicted the rapist, the gifted son of a very powerful old-money family. Upon discovering that she was pregnant, Sara fled to a state that doesn’t allow rapists parental rights and kept her daughter’s existence a secret from the Wyler family. Eight years later, when Sara’s father is ill and has limited time left, she reluctantly returns, still intending to keep Alana hidden from the Wylers.

Meanwhile, Jacob — identical twin to Daniel, the rapist — also returns to Savannah. Daniel is dying of leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant, and although Jacob cut his entire family out of his life after the trial, he can’t deny his brother the help he desperately needs.

As Sara and Jacob encounter one another, she recognizes his kindness and his own painful past, and allows him to begin tutoring Alana, a genius who needs the inspiration and guidance that Jacob can provide. Sara and Jacob each navigate their own paths toward healing, seeking ways to move forward after pain and loss.

I have to be honest — at 30%, I was about ready to put the book down. The writing style did not especially work for me — very stilted in places, and then overly reliant on imagery and metaphor in others. Beyond that, there were plot elements that seemed jarring or unlikely, such as:

Sara’s father has spoken only in poetry since her childhood. I mean, ONLY in poetry. He conducts conversations by reciting lines of poetry that are relevant to the situation, and those who are close to him seem to be able to understand and parse his meaning.

There’s also the fact that the main character ends up falling in love with the identical twin of the man who raped her. Jacob is a lovely, wonderful person — but the relationship never truly felt believable.

Everyone in the book is super special. Sara becomes a poet; Jacob is an astrophysicist; Daniel, we are told, was destined for great things (his mother insists that he would have cured cancer, if not for that awful girl who told lies about him and ruined his life); and Alana is a genius who solves unsolvable math equations and taught herself three languages by the age of eight. It’s all a bit much.

Another complaint — there are plot points that are referred to, but not shown. For example, Jacob helps Sara’s father write a letter to Sara which has a huge emotional impact on her, but we don’t see the letter. Another example — Daniel gives a TV interview in which he owns up to what he’s done, but we only hear about it in passing, rather than getting to glimpse what he said.

Meanwhile, Daniel and his mother Birdie remain fairly terrible until close the end, when they both get a sort of redemption, but I’m not sure we saw enough to feel that they actually earned it.

Themes of redemption and forgiveness are dominant throughout the story, and some scenes are moving — but overall, this book just didn’t work well for me. Too many discordant notes, too many details that felt false, and a writing style that keeps the characters at a distance for much of the story.

5Jun2023

The Monday Check-In ~ 6/5/2023

Posted in The Monday Check-In by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.

Life.

It was not a good week last week…

I guess you could call it the domino effect of COVID. My husband returned from an overseas trip and was experiencing his usual jetlag… until we realized it wasn’t just jetlag. We had an emergency room visit due to COVID complications, but he’s now on the mend, thank goodness. Two days later, my son tested positive, and then over the weekend, it was my turn.

Amazingly, neither my son nor I had had COVID before — but admittedly, we were pretty lax about wearing masks and keeping our distance around the house.

In any case, after a miserable few days, we’re all bouncing back. On the plus side, my head has cleared enough for me to be able to start reading again!

What did I read during the last week?

The Serpent in Heaven (Gunnie Rose, #4) by Charlaine Harris: Such a great series! My review is here.

Queen Charlotte by Julia Quinn & Shonda Rhimes: A lovely read. My review is here.

The Fire Never Goes Out by Noelle Stevenson: A memoir in graphic novel format, by the author of Nimona. I enjoyed it.

Half a Soul (Regency Faerie Tales, #1) by Olivia Atwater: Really enjoyable tale with unusual characters. My review is here.

One Summer in Savannah by Terah Shelton Harris: Review to follow.

And… one DNF:

Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling: I quit at 20%. Grim and confusing — and when I realized I just didn’t care enough to keep going, I felt relieved to put it down.

Pop culture & TV:

Due to the craziness of this week, I did very little streaming of any sort — but prior to all that, I finally got around to watching Downton Abbey: A New Era. Meh. It was basically a family reunion in search of a plot. Nice to see all the familiar faces again, but that’s about it.

Fresh Catch:

No new physical books this week, but I did pick up a few books from my wishlist thanks to Kindle deals:

Puzzle of the week:

This one was a lot trickier than I expected… although I worked on it while I had COVID, so that’s maybe a factor…

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon: I really needed something upbeat this week, and this seems to be a great choice.

Now playing via audiobook:

The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise by Colleen Oakley: I got through about 75% of this audiobook before I got sick, and haven’t gotten back to it yet. I’ve been loving it so far! Looking forward to finishing up in the next few days.

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

Until our next group classic read starts, I’m down to just one ongoing book at the moment:

Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’re doing a group read of BEES, reading and discussing two chapters per week. Coming up this week: Chapters 132 and 133 (of 155).

So many books, so little time…

3Jun2023

Book Review: Half a Soul (Regency Faerie Tales, #1) by Olivia Atwater

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Half a Soul
Series: Regency Faerie Tales #1
Author: Olivia Atwater
Publisher: Orbit
Publication date: March 29, 2020
Length: 304 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Purchased

It’s difficult to find a husband in Regency England when you’re a young lady with only half a soul.

Ever since she was cursed by a faerie, Theodora Ettings has had no sense of fear or embarrassment – a condition which makes her prone to accidental scandal. Dora hopes to be a quiet, sensible wallflower during the London Season – but when the strange, handsome and utterly uncouth Lord Sorcier discovers her condition, she is instead drawn into dangerous and peculiar faerie affairs.

If Dora’s reputation can survive both her curse and her sudden connection with the least-liked man in all of high society, then she may yet reclaim her normal place in the world. . . but the longer Dora spends with Elias Wilder, the more she begins to suspect that one may indeed fall in love, even with only half a soul.

Bridgerton meets Howl’s Moving Castle in this enchanting historical fantasy, where the only thing more meddlesome than faeries is a marriage-minded mother.

Pick up HALF A SOUL, and be stolen away into Olivia Atwater’s charming, magical version of Regency England!

Half a Soul is a fun, light-hearted romantic caper set in Regency England — and yet, there’s a darker element that’s unusual for this type of book, and it makes it very much worth checking out.

Dora is captured by a Lord of Faerie as a young child, and loses half her soul to him — only saved from losing her entire soul by the intervention of her devoted cousin Vanessa. But from that point onward, Dora experiences all emotions on a very low setting. She’s aware of feeling warmth toward her cousin, aware of things that seem wrong or might bother her, but it’s all very distant.

As a result, Dora has a hard time following society’s rules — she has no in-built filter to make her feel uncomfortable when she steps out of line (which is often).

After the Napoleonic War, England’s head magician, known as the Lord Sorcier, is both a hero and an object of scorn. High society is forced to accept him, but they neither like nor trust him. Still, he may be the only person who has a shot at restoring to Dora what was lost — but as their paths cross, their focus instead turns to the wretched conditions in London’s workhouses and an insidious, seemingly incurable plague that strikes the poorest of children.

The plot of Half a Soul is interesting and offers new twists on tales of enchantment and the dangers of being stolen away to the world of Faerie. Dora and Elias (the Lord Sorcier) have a strong connection, and I enjoyed seeing them work together to solve problems, right wrongs, and reclaim Dora’s missing soul.

The supporting characters are quite enjoyable too, and I appreciated how Dora and Elias are united in their commitment to force their friends and relatives to see the underlying ugliness and imbalances of their world and take action to help.

Half a Soul is a quick, light read, with entertaining plot twists and interesting approaches to the conflict between the human and Faerie worlds. As a bonus, the book also includes a novella, Lord Sorcier, that provides a prequel look at Elias’s backstory — it’s very good and sheds new light on on how Elias became who he is in Half a Soul.

Half a Soul is the first in a loosely-connected trilogy (Regency Faerie Tales), and I’m looking forward to reading more!

2Jun2023

Book Review: Queen Charlotte by Julia Quinn & Shonda Rhimes

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Queen Charlotte
Authors: Julia Quinn & Shonda Rhimes
Publisher: Avon
Publication date: May 9, 2023
Length: 352 pages
Genre: Historical fiction
Source: Purchased
Rating:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn and television pioneer Shonda Rhimes comes a powerful and romantic novel of Bridgerton’s Queen Charlotte and King George III’s great love story and how it sparked a societal shift, inspired by the original series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, created by Shondaland for Netflix.

“We are one crown. His weight is mine, and mine is his…”

In 1761, on a sunny day in September, a King and Queen met for the very first time. They were married within hours.

Born a German Princess, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was beautiful, headstrong, and fiercely intelligent… not precisely the attributes the British Court had been seeking in a spouse for the young King George III. But her fire and independence were exactly what she needed, because George had secrets… secrets with the potential to shake the very foundations of the monarchy.

Thrust into her new role as a royal, Charlotte must learn to navigate the intricate politics of the court… all the while guarding her heart, because she is falling in love with the King, even as he pushes her away. Above all she must learn to rule, and to understand that she has been given the power to remake society. She must fight—for herself, for her husband, and for all her new subjects who look to her for guidance and grace. For she will never be just Charlotte again. She must instead fulfill her destiny… as Queen.

Fans of the Bridgerton series will absolutely want to grab a copy of this prequel, which focuses on the early love story of Queen Charlotte and King George III.

As a preface by none other than Lady Whistledown herself makes clear, this isn’t meant to be a history lesson… so go into this romantic, often heartbreaking and just as often uplifting story with an open mind, and accept that this book is not attempting to stick to the historical facts.

First, the context: Queen Charlotte (the Netflix series) has already aired, so I would guess that most people reading the novel have already watched the series and have the basics of the story firmly in mind. Yes, the book was written by Julia Quinn based on the scripts written by Shonda Rhimes — and yet, it’s a fully developed novel with fresh perspectives and points of view, not just a rehash of what we’ve already seen on the screen.

In the novel, Queen Charlotte’s story is told through four shifting points of view: We get chapters from the perspectives of Charlotte, George, Agatha (Lady Danbury), and Brimsley, Charlotte’s faithful servant. Through their thoughts and voices, the story opens up in ways not possible on the screen, and getting scenes from these shifting perspectives offers insights that might not otherwise have been apparent.

Interestingly, the novel sticks with Shonda Rhimes’s vision of the ton as shown in the Bridgerton TV series — a thoroughly integrated society including all races. This is decidedly not the case in Julia Quinn’s original Bridgerton books, but in Queen Charlotte (the novel), we’re sticking with Shonda’s version. Here, we get the origin story — Queen Charlotte has brown skin and is of African descent, which is most shocking to Princess Augusta, mother of the King.

What to do? Look foolish and admit that she wasn’t aware of this when the bargain for the marriage was struck? Or, make it look intentional by launching “the Great Experiment” — essentially, claim that it was the Crown’s intention to integrate society all along, and marrying Charlotte to the King is an important first step in achieving this goal. Hastily, on the day of the royal wedding, upper class black members of the London world (but not the ton) are elevated to nobility. How can anyone doubt the Crown’s intentions, when there are so many new Lords and Ladies as proof?

The true heart of the story is the romance between Charlotte and George. While meeting only on their wedding day, they find connection and chemistry and seemed poised for true happiness — until George pushes Charlotte firmly away with no explanation, insisting that they live separately.

I won’t go into further plot details — the “madness” of King George III is well known as historical fact (although a specific diagnosis has never been completely established). George’s mental illness is the central tragedy of this story, driving a sharp wedge between him and Charlotte even as she struggles to understand. Their love proves to be unshakable even in the face of this unconquerable barrier. The book captures all the powerful romance of the TV version, and it’s lovely.

I loved getting to know Brimsley more through his chapters, and Agatha Danbury is just as wonderful here as expected. Some elements of the TV version are omitted, most notably the friendships and interactions between the women characters later in life; Violet Bridgerton is completely absent, and the related storyline involving Agatha is omitted as well. That’s fine, though — the book is still strong and full of emotion, and doesn’t feel like it’s missing anything.

Having finished the book within 24 hours of starting it (I dare you to put it down once you start!), I’m really pining for more time with these characters… and have a feeling I’ll be doing a rewatch of the TV version before two long.

Meanwhile, for all the Bridgerton fans, Queen Charlotte is a must-read!

31May2023

Book Review: The Serpent in Heaven (Gunnie Rose, #4) by Charlaine Harris

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Serpent in Heaven
Series: Gunnie Rose, #4
Author: Charlaine Harris
Publisher: Saga Press
Publication date: November 15, 2022
Length: 304 pages
Genre: Fantasy / speculative fiction
Source: Library
Rating:

#1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Charlaine Harris returns to her alternate history of the United States where magic is an acknowledged but despised power in this fourth installment of the Gunnie Rose series.

Felicia, Lizbeth Rose’s half-sister and a student at the Grigori Rasputin school in San Diego—capital of the Holy Russian Empire—is caught between her own secrets and powerful family struggles. As a granddaughter of Rasputin, she provides an essential service to the hemophiliac Tsar Alexei, providing him the blood transfusions that keep him alive. Felicia is treated like a nonentity at the bedside of the tsar, and at the school she’s seen as a charity case with no magical ability. But when Felicia is snatched outside the school, the facts of her heritage begin to surface. Felicia turns out to be far more than the Russian-Mexican Lizbeth rescued. As Felicia’s history unravels and her true abilities become known, she becomes under attack from all directions. Only her courage will keep her alive.

Ah, I love this series, and book #4 is a great addition to the ongoing story! Because I’ve basically read them all in a row, I didn’t bother reading the synopsis before starting The Serpent in Heaven… and was very startled to realize that we’d shifted main character and point of view!

In the first three books in the Gunnie Rose series, all events have been narrated by (and centered around)… well… Gunnie Rose herself. Lizbeth Rose, a sharpshooter/gunslinger from the nation of Texoma, whose skill with guns keeps her and her crew safe and protected, has been the focal point of the series, even as we meet her network of friends, allies, and (in book #1) her previously unknown half-sister Felicia.

The 3rd book ends with Lizbeth happily married and relatively safe with her beloved Eli back in Texoma, after a dangerous rescue mission in the Holy Russian Empire (our California and Oregon), so I suppose it shouldn’t have been a complete surprise to see the focus shift elsewhere. Let Lizbeth have a little downtime!

In this 4th book, Lizbeth’s younger sister Felicia takes center stage. Felicia has always been something of a question mark. When we first meet her, she appears to be about age 10 or 11, raised in poverty in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico by an unreliable father — a Russian grigori (magician) barely getting by, with a very shady past, who also happens to be Lizbeth’s father. When Lizbeth discovers Felicia, she’s on her own and unprotected, and Lizbeth decides to see her safely sheltered in San Diego, where she can get an education at the grigori school… and also fulfill her destiny as a blood donor for the ailing Tsar.

What’s been hinted at, but finally becomes clear here, is that Felicia has a store of great magical power herself, and that she’s also quite a few years older than she appeared to be. With her father’s influence now gone, the anti-aging spells he’d placed on her have dissipated, and Felicia has quickly grown into the size and appearance of her true age, fifteen.

Felicia also becomes the subject of a botched kidnapping plot, and soon learns that her mother was the descendant of a powerful magical family in Mexico, who now want Felicia back. What follows is a dangerous scheme to gain control of Felicia, involving raids on the school and other types of interference and infiltration. Meanwhile, the school and the city are ravaged by the Spanish influenza, and Felicia finds herself needing to draw on her strange new powers in order to survive and protect the people she cares about.

As the story unfolds, Felicia really blossoms as a lead character, and her alliance with the older, powerful grigori Felix as well as her puppy-love first romance with Peter give her interesting characters to bounce off of (and get into trouble with). The involvement of her maternal family adds a huge element of threat and conspiracy, and the action is quite good and unrelenting.

While the main plot threads are mostly tied up by the end of the book, there are many open questions still to be resolved. I really enjoyed Felicia as the main character, although I missed spending time with Lizbeth and Eli and can’t wait to see them back in action.

The series continues with book #5, All the Dead Shall Weep, to be published in September. At this point, I’m totally invested and can’t wait for more (so I may need to read the ARC for #5 early, rather than waiting until the publication date is a little closer).

I’m so glad I was introduced to this terrific series thanks to my book group. Highly recommended!

*Up next:* *All the Dead Shall Weep – #5 in the Gunnie Rose series*

30May2023

Top Ten Tuesday: Things That Make Me Instantly NOT Want to Read a Book

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Things That Make Me Instantly NOT Want to Read a Book (what are your immediate turn-offs or dealbreakers when it comes to books?). I read pretty broadly, so it’s hard to come up with absolute dealbreakers — but there are some genres, covers, and other elements that tend to be big NOs for me.

My top 10:

This kind of cover:

Book covers with shirtless men are SO unappealing to me (and how hilarious is it that there are websites that provide templates exactly for this purpose?)

2. Overly dramatic historical romances: I do enjoy Regency fiction, so no disrespect, but in general, Regency or other historical romances that are serious (as opposed to humorous or spoofy) rarely appeal to me. So… the book on the left might be a maybe for me, but the book on the right would not. (Of course, there are exceptions, such as the fact that I gobbled up the entire Bridgerton series…)

3. Gimmicky comparisons — if the blurb says that a book is the next Harry Potter or Hunger Games, chance are (a) I won’t believe it and (b) I won’t read it.

4. Literary fiction: Not a hard and fast rule, but I’ve learned over the years that the big award winners tend not to be my kind of books.

5. Spies and/or military action. No tanks or submarines for me, thanks (although I had a brief Tom Clancy phase many, many years ago).

6. Crime/thriller/domestic thriller genres: There are exceptions, but overall, I’m just not into it. No interest in murders, blackmail, cheating spouses, corporate drama, nannies with secret identities…

7. Movie tie-in covers: This isn’t a deal-breaker… but movie tie-in covers are a big turnoff for me, and I won’t pick them up unless I really and truly want the book and there are no other options.

8. Lack of worldbuilding: This applies especially to science fiction or fantasy, but if the world-building or basic scene-setting isn’t strong enough, I’m not going to stick with the book (or I’ll finish, but I’ll be mad about it.)

9. Sequels that come out so many years after the first/previous book that I’ve stopped caring. (Pretty self-explanatory, right?)

10. Plotlines about social media influencers: This is a minor issue and easy enough to avoid, but if I pick up a book to consider and see a character described as an influencer, I put it down in a hurry. Nope, nope, nope.

That’s all I can think of! It was hard to get to 10… I guess there really isn’t all that much I’d consider an absolute dealbreaker when it comes to picking up a book.

How about you? What instantly makes you not want a book?

If you wrote a TTT post, please share your link!

29May2023

The Monday Check-In ~ 5/29/2023

Posted in The Monday Check-In by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Life.

After two weeks of solitude, people are back at my house! It’s nice to hear other people bustling around once again. (Of course, I did do quite a bit of reading and TV watching while I had the house to myself, but I still prefer it when my family is home.)

What did I read during the last week?

The Woman Beyond the Sea by Sarit Yishai-Levi: A novel about family secrets and trauma that carry down through three generations. My review is here.

The Russian Cage (Gunnie Rose, #3) by Charlaine Harris: I’m loving this series! My review is here.

Citizen of the Galaxy by Robert A. Heinlein: My books group’s pick for May. I really enjoyed this classic sci-fi adventure! My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

I went out to another movie! This time, I saw Guardians of the Galaxy, vol. 3 — and found myself pretty unengaged most of the time. The novelty has worn off, I guess, and the movie seemed to drag on forever. Maybe I’m just done with Marvel at this point?

For streaming this week, I watching XO Kitty on Netflix, which was quick, light, and cute. It’s the story of the little sister from To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, now a high school junior who impetuously decides to study abroad in Korea for the year (mainly so she can be with her long-distance boyfriend). It was very entertaining, and it actually went in some directions that I didn’t anticipate!

Also this week, I watched the Survivor (season 44) finale, and definitely had thoughts. You can check out my reaction, here.

Fresh Catch:

I bought used copies of my book group’s next two classic reads:

We’ll be starting Cold Comfort Farm in June, and will likely start Daniel Deronda sometime in early fall.

Puzzle of the week:

I’m back on a roll with doing puzzles! This was a fun, bright 1,000-piece puzzle from Eeboo — and I jammed through it about a day.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Queen Charlotte by Julia Quinn and Shonda Rhimes: I’m so excited to start this book!

Now playing via audiobook:

The Serpent in Heaven (Gunnie Rose, #4) by Charlaine Harris: How could I resist? After this book, I’ll be caught up with the series until the new book comes out in the fall.

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

Until our next group classic read starts, I’m down to just one ongoing book at the moment:

Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’re doing a group read of BEES, reading and discussing two chapters per week. Coming up this week: Chapters 130 and 131 (of 155).

So many books, so little time…