The Artist of Blackberry Grange by Paulette Kennedy

August 12, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Artist of Blackberry Grange by Paulette Kennedy
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Fiction, Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

In the summer of 1925, the winds of change are particularly chilling for a young woman whose life has suddenly become unbalanced.

Devastated by her mother’s death and a cruel, broken engagement, Sadie Halloran learns that her great-aunt Marguerite, a renowned artist now in the throes of dementia, needs a live-in companion. Grasping at newfound purpose, Sadie leaves her desolate Kansas City boardinghouse for Blackberry Grange, Marguerite’s once-grand mansion sitting precariously atop an Arkansas bluff. Though Marguerite is a fading shell of the vibrant woman Sadie remembers, Marguerite is feverishly compelled to paint eerie, hallucinatory portraits of old lovers—some cherished, some regretted, and some beastly. All of them haunting.

With each passing night, time itself seems to shift with the shadows at Blackberry Grange. As truth and delusion begin to blur, Sadie must uncover the secrets that hold Marguerite captive to her past before reality—and Marguerite’s life—slips away entirely.

The novel introduces us to Sadie Halloran, a young woman adrift after profound personal losses—her mother’s death and a sad broken engagement. Seeking a new purpose, she accepts the role of live-in companion for her great-aunt Marguerite, a celebrated artist now grappling with the disorienting grip of dementia, at the secluded, once-grand Blackberry Grange.

Kennedy excels at crafting layered characters. Sadie’s journey from desolation to determination is compelling, but it is Marguerite who truly captivates. Her fragmented memories and feverish compulsion to paint haunting portraits of her past lovers—some cherished, some monstrous—provide a fascinating and unsettling window into her fractured mind. This blurring of truth and delusion is exquisitely handled, making you question what is real alongside Sadie.

The decaying grandeur of Blackberry Grange itself acts as a character, with time seemingly shifting alongside the shadows. This creates a palpable sense of suspense that builds steadily as Sadie delves deeper into the estate’s — and Marguerite’s — dark secrets. The plot is cleverly constructed, unfolding with a careful pace that keeps the reader thoroughly engaged, hungry to uncover the mysteries that hold Marguerite captive to her past. It’s clear that Kennedy has written this novel with care, evident in the rich historical detail and the sensitive portrayal of dementia alongside the ghostly elements.

While the narrative is largely gripping, there were occasional moments where the exploration of Marguerite’s disjointed memories felt a touch repetitive. However, this minor point does little to detract from the overall immersive experience.

Ultimately, The Artist of Blackberry Grange is a well-crafted tale of family secrets, sacrifice, and the enduring power of love and loss. It’s a novel that will appeal to readers who enjoy atmospheric historical fiction with a ghostly twist, well-developed characters, and a mystery that keeps you guessing until the end. Paulette Kennedy delivers another compelling story that resonates long after the final page.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Other, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Room of Lost Steps by Simon Tolkien

August 6, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Room of Lost Steps by Simon Tolkien
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Historical, Fiction
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

Barcelona 1936. Theo helps the Anarchist workers defeat the army that is trying to overthrow the democratically elected government, and he is reunited with his true love, Maria. But all too soon, his joy turns to terror as the Anarchists turn on him, led by a rival for Maria’s affection.

Lucky to escape with his life, Theo returns to England to study at Oxford. But his heart is in Spain, now torn apart by a bloody civil war, and he is quick to abandon his new life when his old schoolmate Esmond offers him the chance to fight the Fascists. He is unprepared for the nightmare of war that crushes his spirit and his hope until, back in Barcelona, Theo is confronted with a final terrible choice that will define his life forever.

As Theo’s tumultuous coming-of-age journey reaches its end, can his dream to change the world—so far from home—still hold true?

“The Room of Lost Steps” by Simon Tolkien, the second installment in the Theo Sterling series, is an engaging historical coming-of-age epic that plunges readers into the turbulent Spanish Civil War. Following an exciting start where Theo Sterling, an American boy with big dreams, finds himself in Barcelona in 1936, the novel immerses you in the chaos and uncertainty of the era.

The narrative picks up from its antecedent, “The Palace at the End of the Sea,” and continues Theo’s notable journey. We witness him aiding the Anarchist workers in their fight against the invading military forces. The reunion with his true love, Maria, adds a layer of personal stake and emotional depth to the unfolding political drama. However, Tolkien doesn’t shy away from the brutal realities of conflict, and Theo’s joy is quickly replaced by dread as internal strife within the Anarchist movement, fueled by a rival for Maria’s affection, forces him into a desperate escape.

This sets Theo on a path back to England, where he attempts to find relief and a new life at Oxford. Yet, his heart remains connected to Spain. The appeal of fighting against fascism, presented by his old schoolmate Esmond, proves too strong to resist. This decision leads to an upsetting descent into the grim realities of war, which, as the synopsis hints, crushes Theo’s spirit and hopes. The story highlights the profound impact of these experiences on the young protagonist.

The novel excels in its portrayal of a protagonist navigating an “epic expanse” of setting and “struggles of different types.” Theo’s resilience and his internal battles are central to the storytelling, making it intriguing to see how Theo handles things. Tolkien masterfully injects tension to keep things rolling, ensuring that the reader remains invested in Theo’s fate.

As Theo confronts a terrible choice back in Barcelona, the novel questions whether his youthful dream of changing the world, far from home and battered by war, can truly last. “The Room of Lost Steps” is a story that will resonate with readers who appreciate historical fiction and coming-of-age narratives.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

The Palace at the End of the Sea by Simon Tolkien

July 23, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Palace at the End of the Sea by Simon Tolkien
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Historical, Fiction
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

A young man comes of age and crosses continents in search of an identity—and a cause—at the dawn of the Spanish Civil War in a thrilling, timely, and emotional historical saga.

New York City, 1929. Young Theo Sterling’s world begins to unravel as the Great Depression exerts its icy grip. He finds it hard to relate to his parents: His father, a Jewish self-made businessman, refuses to give up on the American dream, and his mother, a refugee from religious persecution in Mexico, holds fast to her Catholic faith. When disaster strikes the family, Theo must learn who he is. A charismatic school friend and a firebrand girl inspire him to believe he can fight Fascism and change the world, but each rebellion comes at a higher price, forcing Theo to question these ideologies too.

From New York’s Lower East Side to an English boarding school to an Andalusian village in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, Theo’s harrowing journey from boy to man is set against a backdrop of societies torn apart from within, teetering on the edge of a terrible war to which Theo is compulsively drawn like a moth to a flame.

Simon Tolkien’s “The Palace at the End of the Sea” promises a sweeping historical saga centered on a young man’s coming-of-age during the tumultuous lead-up to the Spanish Civil War. The synopsis paints a compelling picture of Theo Sterling, a young New Yorker grappling with identity and purpose as the Great Depression reshapes the world around him. Caught between his father’s unwavering belief in the American dream and his mother’s devout Catholic faith rooted in Mexican refugee experience, Theo’s foundation crumbles when personal tragedy strikes. The promise of a journey spanning continents, fueled by youthful idealism and a desire to combat Fascism, certainly piques interest.

Tolkien’s strength lies in his prose. The writing is well-done, suggesting a level of sophistication and craftsmanship that should appeal to readers who appreciate beautifully written historical fiction. The historical setting seems well-researched and convincingly rendered. The grounding in real-world events of the late 1920s and 1930s in New York and Spain provides a solid backdrop for Theo’s personal narrative. The novel captures the clash of cultures in the late 1930s and the pervasive uncertainty surrounding the looming war in Spain.

However, the novel’s potential weaknesses also warrant consideration. The characters could perhaps have a little more depth, particularly the protagonist, and their motivations could at times be more precise.

Also, sometimes the story’s pace could be quickened. A sprawling historical narrative needs a strong narrative drive to keep the reader invested.

Overall, the book is worth the read, a well-written historical tale.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Confessions of a Grammar Queen by Eliza Knight

July 16, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Confessions of a Grammar Queen by Eliza Knight
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Genre: Historical, Romance
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

There are no female publishing CEOs in 1960’s New York. And that is exactly what savvy, ambitious Bernadette Swift plans to change.

Bernadette Swift, a young copyeditor at Lenox & Park Publishing, is determined to become the first female CEO in the publishing industry. But first she needs to take the next step up that ladder with a promotion that her boorish and sexist boss wants to thwart. Seeking a base of support, Bernadette joins a feminist women’s book club at the New York Public Library, and soon, she’s inspiring her fellow members to challenge the male gatekeepers and decades of ingrained sexism in their workplaces and pursue their personal and professional dreams.

And that is precisely what Bernadette does on a daily basis: keeps her eye on the prize―equality for women in the workplace, and a promotion―while fending off the ire of her boss and the sabotaging efforts of a jealous coworker. With the support of her book club buddies and a certain charismatic editor at Lenox & Park who has completely fallen for her, maybe, just maybe, Bernadette will prove able to claim victory for herself and the young women coming after her.

She’s not about to be left at a desk to be a secretary.

This is a new twist on the romance genre because this character, Bernadette, isn’t a shrinking violet. She’s determined to get what she wants and I loved that.

This was a quick read and fun. I’m glad I read it. I will say the chapters from the dog’s perspective, while funny, didn’t always add to the narrative. I would’ve liked to have had Bernadette’s perspective all the way through. I do like the innovation in adding the dog and seeing things from his perspective, but it would’ve been more dynamic from just Bernadette’s POV.

Still, I liked her pluckiness. She’s not about to be bullied or shrink to the background. I loved her pushiness and know this is the kind of book readers of all genre-preferences would enjoy.

If you want a book that’s a good throwback to the ’60s and a fun beach read, then this might be the book for you. Give it a try!

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The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

July 11, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
Publisher: Catapult
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 5 stars
Review by Snowdrop

July 1962. A Mi’kmaq family from Nova Scotia arrives in Maine to pick blueberries for the summer. Weeks later, four-year-old Ruthie, the family’s youngest child, vanishes. She is last seen by her six-year-old brother, Joe, sitting on a favorite rock at the edge of a berry field. Joe will remain distraught by his sister’s disappearance for years to come.

In Maine, a young girl named Norma grows up as the only child of an affluent family. Her father is emotionally distant, her mother frustratingly overprotective. Norma is often troubled by recurring dreams and visions that seem more like memories than imagination. As she grows older, Norma slowly comes to realize there is something her parents aren’t telling her. Unwilling to abandon her intuition, she will spend decades trying to uncover this family secret.

Did you ever wonder why you didn’t look like the rest of your family? Maybe your hair color is different, your skin tone a different shade. Didn’t your family always laugh it off and say it was because your great-great Aunt Hilda had dark hair or some such thing? In The Blueberry Pickers, Norma asks about this a lot, only to have her mother say it’s the sun, or that your thoughts are farcical. And when you grow up in a loving, caring family, you accept these things.

This hard-to-put-down book of loss and of love is written around the seasonal berry pickers in Maine. It never occurred to me that people came from Nova Scotia or Canada to pick berries. I only pictured workers from Mexico coming to earn summer work. Even though this is fictional, it is true about the varied cultures coming to the same places to pick berries each summer.

Amanda Peters writes in a sort of lyrical way. I’m using this term to explain how easy this book is to read.

I’m not fond of chapters being composed from a different POV. Sometimes this can make the story somewhat disjunct, hard to keep track. Peters has written chapters from the point of view of various characters. But somehow, I was never lost, never had to look back. I think that the reason for cohesiveness is her ability to not just describe her characters well, but to make you see them. Each one had his or her own story, but somehow, they all intertwined to make a special story with a special outcome.

This is not a beach read. It is something that could and has happened to many. Racial injustice might be somewhat fairer but still exists today. But the poetical way in which it is told, the emotions it will evoke in you, make it well worth the time to read it.

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Coquina Soup – Collected Stories by Frances Nevill

July 4, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Coquina Soup – Collected Stories by Frances Nevill
Publisher: Bordighera Press
Genre: Contemporary, Fiction
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

In this debut collection of short stories, Florida writer Frances Nevill explores the struggles of women at crossroads, where discoveries of truth and lies unfold and the decision remains to stay or to go. Amongst a multitude of lost characters, this collection is a dose of hope set amongst the iconic backdrop of Florida.

First impressions aren’t always correct.

In “Cloud Cover,” Heather had cold feet on her wedding day and needed to quickly decide if she actually wanted to marry Timothy. I was intrigued by how long she had been wrestling with this question and wondered why she hadn’t made up her mind much earlier in their relationship. The answers to those questions were satisfactory, and I wished her well as she weighed her various options.

There were some tales in this collection that I thought would benefit from stronger character development. For example, Blair’s jealousy over her husband Brad’s friendship with another woman in “Bad Seeing” was overwhelming for reasons I never quite understood. It was difficult for me to determine if I thought she was overreacting or if their friend really did have an ulterior motive for the kind things she did for Brad. Having a deeper understanding of all three of their personalities would have made it easier for this reader to come to a conclusion about who to trust here.

Sevesti returned home to care for her dying mother in “Coquina Soup” only to discover a family secret that had been hidden for decades. I enjoyed the gentle pacing of this one as well as the main character’s reaction to learning more about her family’s mysterious past. It showed me parts of her personality that would have otherwise remained unnoticed, and it made me wish for a sequel so I could find out what happened next.

Coquina Soup: Collected Stories was thought provoking.

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What My Refrigerator Said to Me by Bruce Wetterau

July 1, 2025 By 1 Comment


What My Refrigerator Said to Me by Bruce Wetterau
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Fiction, Humor, Contemporary
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

To Coldly Go Where No Refrigerator Has Gone Before…

What can a talking refrigerator possibly have to say? Well, if you listen to all the AI hype, you’ll believe computers will be doing all the talking and thinking for us.

What My Refrigerator Said to Me’s twenty-one tales take you on a journey into the comic possibilities of life in the digital age, now and in the years to come. After all, why should the likes of Bill, Jeff, and Elon have all the fun imagining this futuristic stuff!

You’re sure to be amused by this book’s absurdly funny answers to such burning questions as: If computers can think, will they choose a life of crime? If your pet can talk, what will it tell you? Can science turn your brain into a desktop computer? Will there still be fortune cookies in 2052?

As is so often true of comedy, along with the laughs you’ll also find thoughtful insights into the people and devices populating our futuristic, digital world.

You get the idea. These richly imaginative tales will have you boldly going where no one has gone before–again and again! This collection of witty, laughable tales makes for a great read or great gift.

This book presents twenty-one humorous short stories that delve into the comical and occasionally bizarre aspects of our technology-saturated lives. Rather than focusing on dystopian fears, the author uses playful imagination to highlight quirky or disquieting possibilities that come from the technological progress. Readers will sometimes laugh at the absurdities of this digital age.

The premise prepares us for the lighthearted and speculative tone. The author tackles questions of the digital age with comedy. Though humor is central, the stories offer moments of thoughtful insight into humans. Scenes are outlandish but relatable.

Sometimes the tongue-in-cheek humor explores potentially sensitive topics concerning race and gender that may not resonate with all readers. There are cliches. Overall, the book is humorous and creative.

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The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

June 4, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Publisher: Anchor
Genre: Historical, Fiction
Rating: 5 stars
Review by Snowdrop

When Elwood Curtis, a black boy growing up in 1960s Tallahassee, is unfairly sentenced to a juvenile reformatory called the Nickel Academy, he finds himself trapped in a grotesque chamber of horrors. Elwood’s only salvation is his friendship with fellow “delinquent” Turner, which deepens despite Turner’s conviction that Elwood is hopelessly naive, that the world is crooked, and that the only way to survive is to scheme and avoid trouble. As life at the Academy becomes ever more perilous, the tension between Elwood’s ideals and Turner’s skepticism leads to a decision whose repercussions will echo down the decades.

The Nickel Boys is historical fiction. However, it is based on a true story of a reform school for boys located in Florida. The Dozier School for Boys was opened in 1900. Even with its rumors of abuse and cruelty as well as periodic investigations, this school changed the lives of or ended the lives of many boys throughout 111 years. The main character is a young black kid named Elwood. His journey through his time there made this seem very real. Sometimes it was hard to separate fact from fiction.

This brings up my need to say this is a hard book to read. It’s difficult to think such things could live in our society in front of our faces for so long. Whitehead is called a storyteller and there can be no question it’s the perfect description.

I think you could spend a long time mulling over whether this was a good or a bad book. I don’t think you will ever wonder if it is well-written because every page demonstrates what a talent this author has. In my mind it was a good book and one I needed to read; one everyone should read. A Pulitzer Prize book that needs to be added to the mandatory school reading list as a classic.

Difficult as some of this might be to face, don’t miss out on such an overwhelming yet special 5 star read.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Intersections by Karen F. Uhlmann

June 2, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Intersections by Karen F. Uhlmann
Publisher: She Writes Press
Genre: Contemporary, Fiction
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

Style-guru Charlotte Oakes sells beautiful lifestyles, but her mentally ill daughter is an addict, her long marriage is dead, and she is pregnant with her ex-lover’s baby. Stunned after witnessing a hit-and-run in Chicago that leaves a child dead, Charlotte thinks she sees her Prius fleeing the scene. Her troubled daughter, Libby, is the only one who could have been driving.

His partner and best friend killed in a drug bust, police officer Ed Kelly learns that forensics has found that the fatal bullet came from Ed’s gun. Under internal investigation, Ed copes by filming cars at the site of the recent hit-and-run, hoping to catch the child’s killer. There, he notices Charlotte’s pilgrimages to the makeshift memorial, and over the weeks, the two become unlikely friends sharing intimate stories. But Charlotte won’t trust him with her most vulnerable secret of all: her suspicions about her daughter’s involvement in the accident.

When Ed finally learns the truth about, he struggles with his beliefs and duties. If he keeps quiet, he has breached his commitment to the law. But if he does the right thing as an officer, he may send Libby to jail—and lose Charlotte.

A tragic twist of fate brought them together. Friendship binds them together. But one person’s secrets might just tear them apart. Will these two unlikely strangers turned friends be able to navigate the chaos and lies and find their way through it all?

To have a child die so early in a book really shook me, especially since I wasn’t reading one of my usual police procedurals. However, the hit and run aspect drew me in, made me want to know the truth – was it Charlotte’s Prius or was it just a similar car? These are things I had to know and fast.

Charlotte Oakes is an interesting character in that she’s not a great person, but you root for her anyway. She loves her daughter, fights to give her the chances she deserves, but she’s also cheating on her husband. Despite that, she shows over and over how loyal and dedicated she is to her daughter, Libby, and later to her new friend, Ed.

I hate to admit it, but for the majority of the book, I did not like Libby at all. This makes me cringe because the poor girl had issues, things that were actually compounded by her father’s actions – or lack thereof. But I still had a hard time whenever she was in Chicago with Charlotte. However, she does get some major character growth, which made me happy.

Ed Kelly I liked immediately. He reminded me of the police officers you’d find in older TV shows – a bit chubby, genial, and focused on just doing the best job he could do, given any set of circumstances. He’s also struggling since his partner was killed. He and Charlotte make an odd pair, but they definitely work. They both bring something unique to the situation to help the other.

Intersections is more a story about families and friends than it is about discovering who was driving the car. While I hadn’t been expecting that, it still worked and made for an engaging and enjoyable novel. I did feel like the conclusion to the hit and run was a bit anti-climactic, but the end results were reasonable and understandable. Overall, this was a well-written story with complex and likable characters. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys domestic fiction or stories about complicated families and how they interact.

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The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods

May 28, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods
Publisher: One More Chapter
Genre: Historical, Fiction
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Snowdrop

‘The thing about books,’ she said, ‘is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of.’

On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found…

For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives.

But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder… where nothing is as it seems.

What a great read. This is a read for booklovers, for mystery readers, and for plain old enjoyment. The beginning is about women who left homes on their own due to abuse and ill treatment. Though at different decades, both left at a time when a woman being alone was quite frightening. But there is much more to The Lost Bookshop. The players in this story are often in different decades. This creates many different conditions that each must face. We are allowed to live in each of these.

The generations of characters covered has as many twists and turns as the mystery of the bookshop does. And yet somehow, it all melds together. I am often not fond of chapter after chapter of varying characters, but somehow Evie Woods sews this all together in a seamless, beautiful story. Characters of generations apart are somehow intertwined and yet each has his or her own story. It was smooth when I thought it would be bumpy. It was just beautiful writing.

5 GIANT stars. You have to read this.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,
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