Tag: historical fiction

Book Club Review: “The Familiar”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

We are part of a group of librarian friends who have had an ongoing book club running for the last several years. Each “season” (we’re nerds) we pick a theme and each of us chooses a book within that theme for us all to read. This June we celebrated our 10 year anniversary of book club. So in celebration of that milestone, we are re-visiting authors we read way back in those first few years of our book club. For this blog, we will post a joint review of each book we read for book club. We’ll also post the next book coming up in book club. So feel free to read along with us or use our book selections and questions in your own book club!

Book: “The Familiar” by Leigh Bardugo

Publishing Info: Flatiron Books, April 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Edelweiss+

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: In a shabby house, on a shabby street, in the new capital of Madrid, Luzia Cotado uses scraps of magic to get through her days of endless toil as a scullion. But when her scheming mistress discovers the lump of a servant cowering in the kitchen is actually hiding a talent for little miracles, she demands Luzia use those gifts to better the family’s social position.

What begins as simple amusement for the bored nobility takes a perilous turn when Luzia garners the notice of Antonio Pérez, the disgraced secretary to Spain’s king. Still reeling from the defeat of his armada, the king is desperate for any advantage in the war against England’s heretic queen—and Pérez will stop at nothing to regain the king’s favor.

Determined to seize this one chance to better her fortunes, Luzia plunges into a world of seers and alchemists, holy men and hucksters, where the line between magic, science, and fraud is never certain. But as her notoriety grows, so does the danger that her Jewish blood will doom her to the Inquisition’s wrath. She will have to use every bit of her wit and will to survive—even if that means enlisting the help of Guillén Santangel, an embittered immortal familiar whose own secrets could prove deadly for them both.

Repeat Author: Leigh Bardugo

Kate’s Thoughts

As someone who really has enjoyed Leigh Bardugo’s works I was very excited to read “The Familiar”. For one, it’s another adult book by her, and I absolutely loved “Ninth House” and still need to read “Hell Bent” (gahhhh it’s been so long since it came out!). I actually read it last summer while we were in San Diego, but was more than happy to save up my opinions for Book Club (as I knew around the time I was reading it that Serena was going to pick it). And like “Ninth House”, I quite enjoyed it.

For one I really loved the time period and place, as I don’t really have much working knowledge of The Spanish Inquisition outside of a short unit we did on it in high school, and that was so long ago that my memory of it was fading. But I really enjoyed how Bardugo captured the time, the fear, and the desperation of Luzia to hide herself, until she realized that her powers could actually be something that would show her power, which then fed into her ambition. I also really liked the magical system, because it was complex enough to feel unique, but not so much that it would alter history to make it unrecognizable and unrealistic to be within our world. And finally, I really enjoyed the themes of what makes these kinds of powers ‘miracles’ vs ‘witchcraft/Satanic’, and how those definitions are really more about who gets to decide these things and the motives for how these labels are placed.

“The Familiar” is a grim yet gorgeous work of historical fantasy. Bardugo is such a talent.

Serena’s Thoughts

I’ve already written a raving review for this book, so my thoughts won’t be anything new! That said, in reading it again now six months later, a few things did stand out to me. In particular, I continue to be impressed by how well Bardugo balanced a number of different genres, all with their own typical tropes and plot points. We have the intricate and specific details of historical fiction. The whimsy and tendency towards surprising solutions to complicated problems found in fantasy fiction. And the drama and slow-build of romance. Each was done well and none out-shone the others.

The side characters also stood out more for me in this read. I remember reading this the first time and expecting Valentina, in particular, to only be used as an introduction point to Luzia and her story. But this time, knowing the greater roles that some of these side characters play, I was better able to appreciate the care that went into crafting these sub-plots. While both Valentina and Haulit have much less page time than Luzia, they each still offered unique windows into the lives of women during this time period (much of which seems as if it would be fairly accurate, regardless of the addition of magic).

I also remain impressed that for a story that can be incredibly dark at times, that Bardugo managed to wrap it up in a satisfying way, with a happy-ish ending for our main couple. What’s more, she did this without resorting to deus ex machina magical solutions. Yes, magic was involved, but it was the sort that had been thoroughly explored before and was simply used in an unexpected and creative way.

So, yeah, I still really loved this book! Given its blending of many genres, I also think its the sort of book that will appeal to many readers and will definitely be recommending it this holiday season!

Kate’s Rating 9: An awe inspiring and at times grim historical fantasy, another triumph from Leigh Bardugo!

Serena’s Rating 10: Still just as great as last time!

Book Club Questions:

  1. This story blends fantasy with historical fiction. How well did it manage this balance? Particuarly, what did you know about Antonia Perez and the Spanish Inquisition before reading this and how well do you think these historical events were woven into the story?
  2. As for the fantasy aspects, what did you make of the magic that makes up this world? Particularly the distinctions made between accecptable magic and the sort that leads to heresy and witch burnings?
  3. What did you make of the love story and particularly Santangel? Do you think Santángel was a good man? Do you think she loves him because he’s good in some respects, or in spite of it?
  4. We are introduced to several different women who have approached the challenges they’ve faced in different manners: Valentina, Haulit, and Luzia herself. What stood out to you about these three, particular Valentina and Haulit?
  5. Much of Luzia’s inner life deals with her thoughts regarding ambition versus invisibility. Various other characters gave her their own thoughts on these topics. How do you think ambition and invisibility played a role in Luzia’s choices and perhaps also Santangel’s?
  6. Luzia’s Jewish heritage and religious persecution play a major role in the story. Did anything stand out to you with this theme?

Reader’s Advisory

“The Familiar” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Jewish Fantasy Genre and Historical Fiction With a Dash of Magic.

Next Book Club Pick: “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption” by Stephen King

Serena’s Review: “Murder in Highbury”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “Murder in Highbury” by Vanessa Kelly

Publishing Info: Kensington, October 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from ALA!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Less than one year into her marriage to respected magistrate George Knightley, Emma has grown unusually content in her newfound partnership and refreshed sense of independence. The height of summer sees the former Miss Woodhouse gracefully balancing the meticulous management of her elegant family estate and a flurry of social engagements, with few worries apart from her beloved father’s health . . .   

But cheery circumstances change in an instant when Emma and Harriet Martin, now the wife of one of Mr. Knightley’s tenant farmers, discover a hideous shock at the local church. The corpse of Mrs. Augusta Elton, the vicar’s wife, has been discarded on the altar steps—the ornate necklace she often wore stripped from her neck . . .   

As a chilling murder mystery blooms and chaos descends upon the tranquil village of Highbury, the question isn’t simply who committed the crime, but who wasn’t secretly wishing for the unpleasant woman’s demise. When suspicions suddenly fall on a harmless local, Emma—armed with wit, unwavering determination, and extensive social connections—realizes she must discreetly navigate an investigation of her own to protect the innocent and expose the ruthless culprit hiding in plain sight.

Review: I’m always so nervous when a new Jane Austen re-imaging comes out! Of course, I know I will have to read it, but there is so much potential for failure. Austen’s characters are so classic, her tales so iconic, and her style of writing so specific, that it’s very hard for modern authors to properly capture the certain “je ne sais quoi” of the entire endeavor. I’ve read many failures over the years. At the same time, there have been some true gems as well! So, with much trepidation, I nabbed a copy of this while at ALA over the summer!

Well, before we get into details, I’m pleased to report that this one falls solidly in the “great” category as far as Austen re-tellings go! It does an excellent job of not only recreating the basic essence of the main characters that make up “Emma,” but it also does not fall into the trap of too much fan service. Instead, there is a solid and unique mystery at its heart that holds up well, even without the Austen setting and references!

I’ll get to the mystery in a bit, but first off, the primary concern going into any “Emma” variation is how well the author manages to capture the titular character herself! Emma is one of the most beloved of Austen’s heroines (I imagine much to Austen’s surprise as she is well-known for questioning whether any reader would love this heroine as much as she did), but she is also notoriously difficult to get right. She’s smart, confident, and fiercely defensive of those she loves. But at the same time, she can be thoughtless, impulsive, and quick-tongued.

Here, the author made the wise decision to set the story after the events of the original book. Not only does this allow the story to read fully as its own, but it also allows the author to benefit from the growth that Emma went through in her story. Here, she is a happily married woman. So while many of her traits are the same, they are also tempered with the experience that comes with the lessons she originally learned. Like the original, this character was a blast to follow throughout the story. Her nosiness and enjoyment of theorizing about the lives of others pair perfectly with a would-be amateur sleuth. I particularly enjoyed her growing distain for the men in charge of solving the mystery.

I also really liked the romance between her and Knightley. Obviously, all Jane Austen novels devote very little time to the characters after the love confession or marriage, so one of the primary points of interest in books like this one is getting a sneak peak at what the couple could be like afterwards. And I really like what we got here! Knightley’s loving bewilderment for his wife comes through strongly, as well as Emma’s respect for her husband, even if she often disregards his advice. It’s all very wholesome and works perfectly for the sorts of characters we know these two to be.

As for the mystery itself, I thought it was pretty good. There were a decent number of red herrings, and, as I mentioned earlier, I liked a few of the original characters who were brought into to deal with solving the murder. That said, it did become fairly obvious rather early on who was behind it all and even their motivations. But that still didn’t reduce my enjoyment, as I was happy to just exist in this world and follow Emma along through all of her exploits.

I thought this was a romp of a time and I couldn’t be more pleased to now have two series (I believe this is the first in a series) of Jane Austen mysteries that are managing to capture the spirit of the originals so well! I think most Austen fans will be likewise charmed by this tale!

Rating 8: Who knew that Emma would make an extraordinary sleuth? Besides, herself, of course! A wonderful historical mystery that is sure to please Janeites everywhere!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Murder in Highbury” isn’t on any relevant Goodreads lists, but it should be on Jane Austen Mysteries.

Serena’s Review: “Tomb of the Sun King”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “Tomb of the Sun King” by Jacquelyn Benson

Publishing Info: Crimson Fox Publishing, October 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Archivist and suffragette Ellie Mallory always dreamed of putting her scholarly skills to work in the ancient sands of Egypt. She never imagined she would be doing so in order to save an object of legendary power from a batch of ruthless villains. Racing baddies to an arcanum of Biblical proportions is only one of Ellie’s problems. Her hopelessly academic and perpetually mortified step-brother, Dr. Neil Fairfax, is about to learn that she’s been gallivanting around the globe with his danger-magnet best friend, Adam Bates—the roguish surveyor for whom Ellie harbors increasingly complicated feelings. Add the petite and terrifyingly fearless Constance Tyrrell to the mix, and Ellie either has a crack team of artifact-saving experts to hand… or a recipe for disaster. Together, they’ll need to follow a trail of three-thousand-year-old clues from the necropolis of Saqqara to the temples of Luxor and beyond, where the ruined capital of a heretic pharaoh hides a secret with the potential to upend history. To keep an earth-shattering magic from falling into the wrong hands, Ellie will need to pull out all the stops—even if that means resorting to fisticuffs, ignoring proper archaeological processes… and facing a terrible choice between doing what she knows is right or breaking her own heart.

Previously Reviewed: “Empire of Shadows”

Review: I really enjoyed the first book in this series and was super excited when I realize that the second one was slated to be released only a few months later! While I love fantasy and romantasy, I do feel like I’ve been running into more and more books recently that feel like carbon copies of one another with a rather paint-by-numbers approach to characterization and plot. In this way, this historical adventure series has felt like a breath of fresh air!

While I remember comparing the first book to the 90s movie “The Mummy,” I have to say that this one really leaned into that vibe by relocating our characters to Egypt itself. And, of course, curses and other such hijinks immediately ensued! Like the first book, I enjoyed the detailed work that went into some of the historical and cultural aspects of the story. While Egyptian history and mythology is more widely taught here in the U.S., than the ancient cultures of South America that were explored in the first book, there is always still room to explore just how pernicious much of the early archeology that took place there truly was. It wasn’t the primary focus, but the story did a good job of highlighting just how corrupt much of the process became, straying far from scientific and educational purposes.

However, at its heart, this book was full of adventure and the continued build of the slow-burn romance between the two main characters. One of my criticisms of the first book was the pacing of the story, especially in the first quarter. Here, the book is better served for having our two main characters already travelling together, allowing the story to set off at a break neck pace and never really let up!

Ellie and Adam also continued to be excellent main characters, and their developing love story is just as sweet in this second go-around. As they are both fairly stable characters, as far as it goes, I was pleased to see the book introduce a few side characters, namely Ellie’s friend Constance and her brother (and Adam’s friend) Neil. While Ellie and Adam are the foundational core of the story, these two additional characters added a bit more zing to the affair. For their part, the villains remained fairly one-dimensional and straight-forward, but I think this choice worked in conjunction with the overall tone of lighthearted adventure that makes up this book.

There were a few word choices that began to bother me as I read, however, feeling a bit too modern for the book. While I know the word “guy” was around at this time, it began to feel overused and a bit anachronistic at times. I don’t know for sure, but from reading other books written around this time period, I just don’t think it was used nearly as casually or as often as we see it in the modern time. Perhaps I just got hyper fixated on it, but I couldn’t stop noticing how often men were being described as “that guy over there” and the like.

Overall, however, I really enjoyed this book! Everything that I enjoyed from the first book was back again here, and I think the story settled into its pacing a bit better this go around. Fans of the first book should definitely check this one out. And if you’re in the mood for a read that feels unique from much of what is currently being produced, definitely give this one a go!

Rating 8: In many ways, Ellie Mallory feels like Amelia Peabody’s natural successor, and I’m living for it!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Tomb of the Sun King” isn’t on any Goodreads lists, but it should be on Popular Indiana Jones Esque Books.

Kate’s Review: “The Lightning Bottles”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “The Lightning Bottles” by Marissa Stapley

Publishing Info: Simon & Schuster, September 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC at ALAAC24.

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: The author of New York Times bestseller and Reese’s Book Club pick Lucky returns with a love letter to rock ‘n’ roll and star-crossed love, following Jane Pyre’s road trip around Europe as she attempts to find out what really happened to her partner in love and music, who disappeared without a trace years earlier, leaving Jane to pick up the pieces.

Jane Pyre was once one half of one of the most famous rock ‘n’ roll duos in the world, The Lightning Bottles. Years later, she’s perhaps the most hated (and least understood) woman in music. She was never as popular with fans as her bandmate (and soulmate) Elijah—even if Jane was the one who wrote the songs that catapulted The Lightning Bottles to instant, dizzying fame, first in the Seattle grunge scene, and then around the world.

But then Elijah disappeared and everything came crashing down. Even now, years after Elijah vanished, Jane is universally blamed and reviled by the public. In an attempt to get some peace and quiet, Jane rents a house in a remote part of Germany where she knows she won’t be disturbed. But on the day she arrives, she’s confronted by her new next-door neighbor, a sullen teenaged girl named Hen who just so happens to be a Lightning Bottles superfan—and who claims to have a piece of information that might solve the mystery of what happened to Elijah, and whether he is, in fact, still alive and leaving messages for Jane after all these years.

A cross-continent road trip about two misunderstood outsiders brought together by their shared love of music, interwoven with flashbacks to the beginnings of Jane and Elijah’s love story and meteoric rise, The Lightning Bottles is a love story, a celebration of rock ‘n’ roll, and a searing portrait of the cost of fame.

Review: Thank you to Simon & Schuster for providing me with an ARC of this novel!

I was a bit young to really get into the grunge era of music, but I do remember some of my elementary school classmates listening to Nirvana, and some of my tween friends worshiping Kurt Cobain in middle school a few years after his death. But by high school I was very much aware of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love and their short lived, dramatic, but ultimately true romance, in part due to the fact I was hyperfocusing on The Sex Pistols and there were lots of comparisons between Sid and Nancy and Kurt and Courtney. So I was very familiar with the pop culture zeitgeist around that when I heard a description of “The Lightning Bottles” by Marissa Stapley at the Simon & Schuster Fall Preview panel at ALAAC24. I loved the idea of a road trip mystery as a former rock star goes on a journey to perhaps find her husband and musical partner who disappeared, and to come to terms with the way that fame shaped and in some ways destroyed them both. Especially since it sounded like it was going to perhaps do some unpacking of Kurt and Courtney through the characters of Elijah and Jane.

I had been expecting more of a mystery, but what I got was basically “Eddie and the Cruisers” meets Kurt and Courtney. And that’s not too much of a complaint! I do enjoy the idea of a mystery of a beloved rockstar disappearing, and his controversial wife/bandmate going on a journey to try and see if he is still alive (with scrappy teenager in tow), and “The Lightning Bottles” does deliver an interesting plot with lots of twists and turns. But this book is more about artistry, the price of fame, and how sometimes love isn’t enough to keep two damaged people from causing more damage towards each other. Stapley definitely takes inspiration from Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain and his marriage to Hole frontwoman (and perhaps one of the most hated women in music) Courtney Love, but Elijah and Jane, Jane especially, stand on their own two feet. I liked learning their love story through the flashbacks and the transcripts of their chat room conversations, and while I don’t think I got to know Elijah as much as I did Jane (which is to be expected given it’s really her story at its heart), I REALLY got to know Jane, and I really loved Jane by the end. I do wish that there was a little bit more mystery at the forefront though. Even “Eddie and the Cruisers” had some tense moments in regards to what happend to Eddie, even if it was ultimately about Tom Berenger rediscovering himself.

And that may be my one complaint in this book; Stapley may be a little TOO forgiving of Jane, and in turn perhaps her inspiration (an author’s note makes it fairly clear that Stapley really wanted to champion Courtney Love). Please don’t misunderstand me, I absolutely believe that a lot of the animosity towards Love, especially when it comes to Kurt Cobain, is unfair, unfounded, and steeped in misogyny, especially since we’ve seen this kind of thing before in rock and roll narratives of a horrible woman ruining a band when that’s just not founded at the end of the day (Yoko Ono comes to mind). I love that Stapley wanted to be sure to show that Jane was so wholly misunderstood, and that it was very unfair that Elijah’s problems were never laid upon Elijah and only on Jane. Especially when those problems were causing JANE problems in her own right. But that also makes Jane a little less interesting by making her flaws easily explained away, when her real life counterpart is VERY flawed for reasons that go waaaay beyond the bullshit she had to endure in regards Cobain. And I felt that by denying Jane some flaws that had some bite, it denied her some more complexity that she probably could have used.

As a whole I enjoyed “The Lightning Bottles”. It’s a love letter to a musical era, it’s an enjoyable love story, and it has some emotional beats that caught me off guard.

Rating 7: I was expecting more of a mystery but instead found a compelling love story about fame, music, and the highs and lows of being in love as an artist on the verge of greatness, or tragedy.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Lightning Bottles” isn’t on many Goodreads lists yet, but it would fit in on “Best Rock and Roll Novels”.

Serena’s Review: “A Scandal in Mayfair”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “A Scandal in Mayfair” by Katherine Schellman

Publishing Info: Crooked Lane Books, August 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: London, 1817. The London Season is beginning once more, and Lily Adler’s return to her home on Half Moon Street feels different this year. No longer a recent widow, she has a life and friends waiting for her. Lily also has new responsibilities in the form of her protégée Amelia, the sister of her longtime friend Jack Hartley, who is escaping her own brush with scandal and murder.

It doesn’t take long for Lily’s growing reputation as a lady of quality who can discreetly find what is missing or solve what is puzzling to bring a desperate young woman to her doorstep. But helping her means unraveling a tangled web of family secrets. Soon, a missing will, a dead body and the threat of blackmail leave Lily facing danger every way she turns. 

The glittering society of Mayfair conceals many secrets, and the back alleys of London hide even more. Lily Adler will need to find the connection between them quickly if she wants to stop a killer before it’s too late.

Previously Reviewed: “The Body in the Garden” and “Silence in the Library” and “Death at the Manor” and “Murder at Midnight”

Review: We’re back with the latest Lily Adler mystery! While this series has been a bit hit and miss, the hits have been strong enough to pull me through some of the weaker books in the series. And, notably, Lily Adler herself, as well as the various characters that surround her, has always been an intriguing leading lady, carrying the brunt of my interest when the mysteries themselves have been on the weaker side. Well, I’ll spoil my own review and say that I am pleased to report that this is another solid entry! Which makes two in a row, since the low point that was “Death at the Manor.”

We’ll start with the mystery itself. While I did enjoy this one more than others, it remains to be true that the mysteries themselves are not the main draws for this series. If you’re a fan of the mystery genre and have read a decent number of them, many of the twists and reveals found in this series are easy to spot well in advance, as they are often staples found in many other books that use similar plot devices. Now, that’s not unique to this series and many of these tried and true mystery devices have been used repeatedly for years, so the inclusion of a familiar device isn’t a problem. It’s the execution. One of my biggest frustrations with “Death at the Manor” was the blundering way in which one of these familiar mystery devices was used; in that it was presented in such an obvious way as to undercut Lily’s intelligence.

This book tackles another familiar mystery trope, but I’m pleased to say that it does so in a much more smooth and well-executed manner. While I was able to piece together what was going on fairly early, the mystery itself was complex enough and had enough red herrings and other dead-end pathways as to keep my interest piqued. And to present a challenge that is believably difficult for a character like Lily. There were a number of different storylines playing out at once and, as the story continued, they were neatly woven together in a way that felt organic and interesting. The new characters who peopled these storylines were similarly of interest, with some familiar faces popping up in unexpected places. I appreciated the shades of grey that was used in constructing many of these characters, as well, with the villains given some sympathetic motivations and heroes acting in sometimes very unlikable ways.

On top of the solid mystery, I was thrilled to realize early in the book that we’d finally reached a point in the narrative when the slow-burning romance between Lily and Captain Jack would finally come to a head. And it was everything I’d been waiting for! Jack was given a few POV chapters himself, and these were used well to explore his mindset during this shift in their relationship. And I appreciated the delicate balance the author used in dealing with Lily’s conflicting feelings about entering into a romantic entanglement with the good friend of her late beloved husband. For a situation that was rife with drama and angst, I very much appreciated the straight-forward manner in which much of this was dealt with. The book takes the time to explore these topics thoroughly, but there is very little “silliness” or dramatic dithering only for dramas’ sake. I, of course, appreciate this approach to romance subplots, but it also would be out of character for practical, steady Lily Adler to slide into an angst spiral over this.

Overall, this was a very satisfying entry into the series. Probably my favorite since the first book even! The mystery, while a bit predictable, was interesting, and I loved the character progression on the romance front. Fans of this series (particularly those interest in the slow-burn love story) are sure to enjoy this one!

Rating 8: With a compelling mystery at its heart and the lovely bloom of new romance, this is a fantastic new entry into the Lily Adler mystery series!

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Scandal in Mayfair” can be found on this Goodreads list: Historical Mystery 2024

Serena’s Review: “A Ruse of Shadows”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “A Ruse of Shadows” by Sherry Thomas

Publishing Info: Berkley, June 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Edelweiss+

Where Can You Get this Book: Amazon | IndieBound | WorldCat

Book Description: Charlotte’s success on the RMS Provence has afforded her a certain measure of time and assurance. Taking advantage of that, she has been busy, plotting to prise the man her sister loves from Moriarty’s iron grip.

Disruption, however, comes from an unexpected quarter. Lord Bancroft Ashburton, disgraced and imprisoned as a result of Charlotte’s prior investigations, nevertheless manages to press Charlotte into service: Underwood, his most loyal henchman, is missing and Lord Bancroft wants Charlotte to find Underwood, dead or alive.

But then Lord Bancroft himself turns up dead and Charlotte, more than anyone else, meets the trifecta criteria of motive, means, and opportunity. Never mind rescuing anyone else, with the law breathing down her neck, can Charlotte save herself from prosecution for murder?

Previously Reviewed: “A Study in Scarlet Women” and “A Conspiracy in Belgravia” and “The Hollow of Fear” and “The Art of Theft” and “Murder on Cold Street” and “Miss Moriarty, I Presume?” and “A Tempest at Sea”

Review: Better late than never! (Though it can be assured that I would eventually get to the latest “Charlotte Holmes” mystery novel!) As much as I love reading new releases, it does become a challenge trying to make sure to leave review room for my beloved on-going series. And at this point, this is probably one of the longer running series that I’m reviewing that is currently still be added to! And, while there have been ups and and downs throughout this series, there have never been any true duds. Indeed, the series has been on a bit of an uptick recently, so I was excited to check out this latest entry!

While those familiar with the series will find many familiar aspects to this story (all of our favorite characters, a return to England, and the use of tried-and-true villains from the past), one of the primary things that stood out about this book was how fresh it felt! And for the *checks notes* 8th book in a mystery series, that’s quite something! There are two primary factors, I believe. First, and to a lesser extent, the first real mystery the reader is introduced to is one in which Charlotte herself is the primary suspect. This is, of course, a rich setup for the story. And while this subplot isn’t really the primary plot of the book, it does provide a unique framing for the entire story, one in which Charlotte is on the other side of the interview, the subject rather than the investigator. No one is surprised to find that she shines just as well in this setting as in her regular role

But the second change was the broken up manner in which the story is told. The book shifts back and forth from various time periods. One being the aforementioned interview in which Charlotte is being questioned about her role in this murder. But the second follows all of the events that lead up to this situation, with a few smaller jumps around in time found within. And, of course, by the time we get to the end of the story and the pieces start falling in place, the reader (and many other characters!) realize that Charlotte, as always, was playing a much deeper game the entire time, with a wholly separate timeline of events playing into the how and why of everything that happened throughout the story. This all lead to a very compelling mystery. There were simply so many layers to the story that every time I began to feel as if I had some theories about one mystery, we would shift focus to the next layer and I would be as befuddled as ever! It was a very “onion-like” read in all of the best ways!

Perhaps less new was the cast of characters, though here too the book shone! While I enjoy Livia Holmes and the important role she plays in Charlotte’s life, there have been times throughout the series when I felt that her chapters felt unnecessary to the larger story. Here, we still follows her story for a few chapters here and there, but I felt like the balance between her smaller subplot and the larger story as a whole was better handled. I also really enjoyed seeing some familiar faces pop up in very unexpected ways! There were a few call-backs to characters from several books ago who ended up playing much larger roles in this book. And, of course, Bancroft is always a good time in all of his snobby glory!

And, of course, I still very much enjoy the slowly developing relationship between Charlotte and Lord Ingram. Some of the more floundering books seemed to struggle to know where to take this relationship, but in these last few stronger entries, this relationship feels more steady and as if its progressing in a natural manner. It’s the slowest of slow burns, but in this way, it still feels very true to a character like Charlotte who understands her important relationships with other people in both a much deeper, but also more difficult to communicate, manner.

Overall, I really loved this one! In fact, it’s probably one of my favorites out of the entire series! The central mystery was compelling, the balance of characters felt right, and we once again were able to revel in all that makes Charlotte Holmes such an intriguing character to follow. If you’re a fan of these books, this one is a solid entry in what I hope continues to be a long-running series.

Rating 9: Successful in every way I could wish, this was a perfect balance of mystery, character work, and a fantastic central character!

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Ruse of Shadows” is on this Goodreads list: Can’t Wait Books of 2024

Joint Review: “The Seventh Veil of Salome”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “The Seventh Veil of Salome” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Publishing Info: Del Rey, August 2024

Where Did We Get This Book: Kate received an eARC from NetGalley;

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: A young woman wins the role of a lifetime in a film about a legendary heroine — but the real drama is behind the scenes in this sumptuous historical epic from the author of Mexican Gothic.

1950s Hollywood: Every actress wants to play Salome, the star-making role in a big-budget movie about the legendary woman whose story has inspired artists since ancient times.

So when the film’s mercurial director casts Vera Larios, an unknown Mexican ingenue, in the lead role, she quickly becomes the talk of the town. Vera also becomes an object of envy for Nancy Hartley, a bit player whose career has stalled and who will do anything to win the fame she believes she richly deserves.

Two actresses, both determined to make it to the top in Golden Age Hollywood—a city overflowing with gossip, scandal, and intrigue—make for a sizzling combination.

But this is the tale of three women, for it is also the story of the princess Salome herself, consumed with desire for the fiery prophet who foretells the doom of her stepfather, Herod: a woman torn between the decree of duty and the yearning of her heart.

Before the curtain comes down, there will be tears and tragedy aplenty in this sexy Technicolor saga.

Kate’s Thoughts

I am always game to read a new book by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, as she has truly proven herself to be a literary powerhouse who can easily jump from genre to genre. She has done horror, fantasy, Sci-Fi, romance, thrillers, she really nails every genre she takes on. Because of this I was very excited for “The Seventh Veil of Salome”, as not only was it a historical fiction novel, it also had a focus on 1950s Hollywood and all the glitz, glamor, and tragedy that comes with it. As someone who loves that kind of thing, I went in with very high hopes.

I can safely say that this was a bit of a mixed bag for me in spite of my high hopes. But that has a bit less to do with execution and more to do with my expectations, I am willing to bet. Mostly because I have absolutely no background knowledge of the story of Salome, being someone who grew up with no religion in her life and no experience with even the Biblical epics of Hollywood from this time (no I haven’t seen “The Ten Commandments”, or “Ben-Hur”, or “The Greatest Story Ever Told”, or anything like that). I had never even heard of her until I picked up this book, and I feel like that made the parts of the book that followed her not as interesting as they could have been. I had no way to understand what Moreno-Garcia was doing with her story and how it was subverting or reinterpreting the original story, and I found myself skimming those sections. That said, I REALLY enjoyed the parts of the book that followed Vera Larios, a recently discovered actress from Mexico who is set to play Salome in a 1950s Biblical epic, as Moreno-Garcia really captured the way that Hollywood was such a fantasy, but also cutthroat, racist, and misogynistic, especially in the time of the studios having lots of power and morality codes running amok. Watching Vera rise and fall, due to the nastiness of those surrounding her, was compelling and incredibly engaging.

So while some of “The Seventh Veil of Salome” was a bit lost on me, the Hollywood plot was really well done. Silvia Moreno-Garcia has done it again!

Serena’s Thoughts

In the funny way that these things tend to work, I had the opposite experience of this book while also coming to the same ultimate conclusion! In the end (as you’ll see), I rated this one the same as Kate did, as certain parts worked well for me, but other didn’t as much. The opposite part is that I was much more invested in the Biblical story of Salome than I was in the Hollywood story! Even with a fairly thorough understanding of Bible stories, Salome is not a character who is often explored. She has a throw-away scene that is rarely explored in any depth, which makes her the ideal character for a story such as this that attempts to flesh her out into a more actualized character. I found her entire story fascinating (though I’ll admit that having familiarity with Bible stories and history will likely help readers in this part). I also enjoy historical fiction, so simply genre-wise, this was the part of the story that connected with the type of book I often gravitate towards.

However, the Hollywood story was a bit more of a mixed bag. It seems that Moreno-Garcia is on a bit of a kick with old-time movies as her last book also focused on the history of Mexican cinematography. Unfortunately for me, I’m not really interested in these topics, so they don’t hit as well for me as they do for fans of Hollywood and cinema history. That said, I was pleased to see the return of Moreno-Garcia’s classic POV villain. She excels at writing characters you love-to-hate, and here was another classic example! That said, like Kate with the Salome story, I did find myself skimming through some of the Hollywood story lines.

I think the take-away here is that there is no denying this author’s talent, especially at genre-hopping and taking on obscure stories and points in history. This one is a combination of two very different storylines, so parts may work for certain readers, and other parts for other readers. Or you’ll be that unicorn reader who has been on the look-out for a book that covers lesser-known Bible characters AND Hollywood history!

Kate’s Rating 7: I really enjoyed the Hollywood parts, but the actual story of Salome dragged a bit for me at times. All in all, a solid historical fiction tale from a literary chameleon!

Serena’s Rating 7: On the other hand, I really enjoyed the Bible characters parts, but struggled more with the Hollywood storyline. However, the author remains an incredibly solid writer and I can’t wait to check out her next title!

Reader’s Advisory

“The Seventh Veil of Salome” is included on the Goodreads lists “Best Hollywood and Theatre Fiction”, and “Anticipated Literary Reads for Readers of Color 2024”.

Book Club Review: “Superman Smashes the Klan”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

We are part of a group of librarian friends who have had an ongoing book club running for the last several years. Each “season” (we’re nerds) we pick a theme and each of us chooses a book within that theme for us all to read. This June we celebrated our 10 year anniversary of book club. So in celebration of that milestone, we are re-visiting authors we read way back in those first few years of our book club. For this blog, we will post a joint review of each book we read for book club. We’ll also post the next book coming up in book club. So feel free to read along with us or use our book selections and questions in your own book club!

Book: “Superman Smashes the Klan” by Gene Luen Yang & Gurihiru (Ill.)

Publishing Info: DC Zoom, May 2020

Where Did We Get This Book: Kate owns it; Serena got it from the library!

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Repeat Author: Gene Luen Yang

Book Description: The year is 1946, and the Lee family has moved from Chinatown to Downtown Metropolis. While Dr. Lee is eager to begin his new position at the Metropolis Health Department, his two kids, Roberta and Tommy, are more excited about being closer to the famous superhero Superman!

Tommy adjusts quickly to the fast pace of their new neighborhood, befriending Jimmy Olsen and joining the club baseball team, while his younger sister Roberta feels out of place when she fails to fit in with the neighborhood kids. She’s awkward, quiet, and self-conscious of how she looks different from the kids around her, so she sticks to watching people instead of talking to them.

While the Lees try to adjust to their new lives, an evil is stirring in Metropolis: the Ku Klux Klan. The Klan targets the Lee family, beginning a string of terrorist attacks. They kidnap Tommy, attack the Daily Planet, and even threaten the local YMCA. But with the help of Roberta’s keen skills of observation, Superman is able to fight the Klan’s terror, while exposing those in power who support them–and Roberta and Superman learn to embrace their own unique features that set them apart.

Kate’s Thoughts

This isn’t the first time I’ve read this book, as I’m sure some of you will remember that I reviewed it a couple years ago (and it even ended up on my Best Of list that year). But I knew that when I was going to select an author to revisit I was going to to Gene Luen Yang, and “Superman Smashes the Klan” just seemed like the correct choice. And my opinion hasn’t changed too much since I first read it. I still really love this graphic novel.

Yang takes a very heavy (but still all too relevant) story about racism and prejudice in America, f0llowing the Lees, a Chinese American who have just moved to a predominantly white neighborhood in Metropolis after living in Chinatown, in the 1940s. As they all have their own strategies (and struggles) in adjusting, it doesn’t help that the Klan of the Fiery Cross (a clear analog to the KKK) has started targeting them. Meanwhile, Superman befriends the Lees, and his still coming to terms with his own identity, as an alien who has tried to pass as human when he is Clark Kent, and who is revered in his Superman identity, though he knows that people could shift on him at the drop of a hat. I loved the comparing and contrasting of the Lees and Superman and their inner conflicts about how to assimilate and how to be ‘ideal’ without being threatening. Yang actually took a previous story from the Superman radio show and expanded it in this story, and he makes it so easily accessible to his target audience, making it very digestable and very relatable and readable. And as I said, the themes in this book of racism and bigotry and Othering are still far too relevant, which makes it all the more necessary reading for kids, and packaged so well with such a fantastic interpretation of a beloved comic character who always symbolizes the very best of us.

“Superman Smashes the Klan” is still a fantastic read. I enjoyed it just as much this time as the first time, and it fostered from great conversations in our book club.

Serena’s Thoughts:

Unlike Kate, I hadn’t read this one before. But like Kate, I am a massive Superman fan, so was excited to check it out! And I can definitely see what all the fuss was about! This was an excellent graphic novel in pretty much every way.

The story manages to take on some very heavy themes (pretty easy to guess which based on the title alone) but does so in a manner that is both approachable to kids and useful to adults. Even more impressive, for covering some difficult topics, the reading experience is still an expression of joy and hope. I think this is incredibly important for any Superman story and was pleased to see how well the overall tone of Superman was captured. This probably shouldn’t be a surprise as I know that the author has written other Superman stories as well.

I particularly enjoyed the exploration of the immigrant experience and how Superman’s own alien origins played into this. As most Superman fans know, the character was originally presented without the ability to fly, only the ability to “jump over tall buildings.” Here, that idea is taken on and presented as Superman’s concerns of expressing his full abilities due to an incident when he was younger in which the people of Smallville reacted with fear to the full range of his “otherness.” It was such an interesting way of tackling not only an interesting fact about the character but of the many challenges of the immigrant experience.

I also very much appreciated the historical aspects of the story, especially author’s note at the end that went into more details about the origins of the story itself. This is a great read for any Superman fan and well worth a read!

Kate’s Rating 9: Still a great read and still all too relevant, “Superman Smashes the Klan” is a fantastic piece of historical fiction and a wonderful look at the immigrant experience in the face of prejudice, whether you are from Earth or Krypton.

Serena’s Rating 8: Tackling tough topics while maintaining the sense of hope in humankind that is so crucial to the Superman mythos.

Book Club Questions

  1. What did you think of the story of the Lee Family and how it brings together a story of culture, assimilation, racism, and identity?
  2. Were you familiar with some of the timelines described in this book in regards to the KKK in this country’s history? Did any of these revelations surprise you?
  3. What were your thoughts on the comparison and contrast between Superman’s experience as an Other and that of the Lee family?
  4. Did you enjoy how Yang incorporated Superman’s original leaping powers into this story, as well as other powers that evolved over time?
  5. What were your thoughts on the reveal of the identity behind the Grand Mogul? What do you think Yang was trying to say with that twist?
  6. Let’s talk about the different kinds of racism and bigotry in this book, from out and out Klansmen to more ‘acceptable’ and covert forms of racism (i.e. Chuck’s mom, even Mr. Lee’s prejudice against Black people). Thoughts on that?
  7. Who would you recommend this book to? How would you use it as a connector to today’s social issues?

Reader’s Advisory

“Superman Smashes the Klan” is included on the Goodreads lists “Superheroes, Comics, and Social Justice”, and “Best of Superman”.

Next Book Club Pick: “Summer Days and Summer Nights” by Stephanie Perkins (Ed.)

Serena’s Review: “The Perils of Lady Catherine de Bourgh”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “The Perils of Lady Catherine de Bourgh” b y Claudia Gray

Publishing Info: Vintage, June 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Edelweiss!

Where Can You Get this Book: Amazon | IndieBound | WorldCat

Book Description: The third book in the Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney Mystery series, which finds the amateur sleuths facing their most daunting challenge preventing the murder of the imperious Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

Someone is trying to kill Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Esteemed aunt of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, generous patroness of Mr. William Collins, a woman of rank who rules over the estate of Rosings Park with an unimpeachable sense of propriety—who would dare ? Lady Catherine summons her grand-nephew, Mr. Jonathan Darcy, and his investigative companion, Miss Juliet Tilney, to find out.

After a year apart, Jonathan and Juliet are thrilled to be reunited, even if the circumstances—finding whoever has thus far sabotaged Lady Catherine’s carriage, shot at her, and nearly pushed her down the stairs—are less than ideal. Also less than their respective fathers, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and Mr. Henry Tilney, have accompanied the young detectives to Rosings, and the two men do not interact with the same felicity enjoyed by their children.

With attempts against Lady Catherine escalating, and no one among the list of prime suspects seemingly capable of committing all of the attacks, the pressure on Jonathan and Juliet mounts—even as more gentle feelings between the two of them begin to bloom. The race is now on to provoke two one from the attempted murderer before it is too late—and one, perhaps, of love.

Previously Reviewed: “The Murder of Mr. Wickham” and “The Late Mrs. Willoughby”

Review: I’ve been eagerly awaiting the next installment in this mystery series pretty much from the second I put down the previous book! It’s always a bit of a question mark when an author produces a fantastic first book in a series. But nothing compares to the relief of finishing the second one with the reassurance that it wasn’t a one off thing! No, Claudia Gray is just that talented! It also takes a lot of the low-key dread out of waiting for the next book. Yes, I’ve been impatient, but I knew when it finally arrived, it would be well worth the wait! And how right I was!

As I’ve said, I very much enjoyed the first two books in the series. But while I still rated the book previous to this one highly, it was a bit held back by the Austen characters involved in the mystery. I love “Sense and Sensibility,” but Elinor is the obvious draw, with Marianne coming in a distinct second. On top of that, Mr. Willoughby is so despicable a character the he’s the sort of villain that you don’t so much “love to hate” but just straight up hate. And then in the original, we never even meet Mrs. Willoughby. All of this to say, while that book was good, it was a bit hampered by the fact that the mystery revolved around a cast of characters who fall a bit further down on my list of preferred Austen characters.

Not so with this one! People often think only of Elizabeth and Darcy when they think of the brilliance that is “Pride and Prejudice.” But Gray is here to remind us of the phenomenal comedic characters that fill out that story, creating a mystery that revolves around the people who make up the Rosings Park household. As the title would suggest, we get a heavy dose of Catherine de Bourgh and her…particular approach to being the target of attempted murder (scorn, sometimes even at the fact that the would-be-murderer has been so incompetent as to not even be successful!).

We also get a better look into the Collins’s family. Mr. Collins, of course, is hilarious, as is witnessing Miss Tilney’s skepticism that his adoration of Catherine de Bourgh has to be exaggerated, as no one could truly be that profuse in their exhortations of some like Catherine. Even more interesting, however, was the extended look we get into Mrs. Collins, Elizabeth’s old friend. This is obviously not the focus of the story, but there was a lot of interesting character work done with even the few chapters that really dive into Mrs. Collins and her psychology. I also enjoyed seeing more of Lady Catherine’s daughter, Miss de Bourgh, as well as her husband, Colonel Fiztwilliam. Again, with very little page time, I was impressed with how well Gray explored this sort of relationship, the kind where marriage comes first, love second, and even then, it is only slowly understood.

I also continue to be impressed by how masterfully Gray manages to depict what have to be intimidating characters to write, like Darcy and Elizabeth. But not only do they read as perfectly inline with the originals, but I loved see them put in the same scene with other Austen characters and, essentially, watching what happens. For example, we see Mr. Darcy and Mr. Tilney (two beloved heroes in their own right) immediately butt heads. With the former thinking the latter isn’t a serious person, and the latter thinking the former is a bit of a prig. It’s just so perfect! Of course this is how these two would react to one another!

And now I’ve written an incredibly long review without even touching on our main characters, Miss Tilney and Jonathan Darcy. But, of course, this is because they remain excellent. I will say that I was pleased to see them progress a bit more in this book. They’ve spent a fairly significant amount of time now misunderstanding the other’s interest, and I was becoming a bit worried that this would be drawn out too long. But instead, it’s handled well while still not resolving the entire situation. Specifically, I liked the exploration of Darcy’s struggles to put up a “more dignified” front in his hopes to “convince” Miss Tilney that he was a viable romantic interest. It was an interesting look into the mindset up a character with what seems to be low key autism.

Overall, I loved this book! It built on what had been previously established with regards to our main characters’ relationship, while also making neat use of a large cast of beloved (belovedly ridiculous!) characters. I can’t recommend this series enough to other Austen fans!

Rating 9: Simply fantastic, a masterful example of how to take classic characters and retain all that makes them great while also plopping them down in wholly novel places and situations to see what happens!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Perils of Lady Catherine de Bourgh” is on this Goodreads list: Austen Retellings.

Book Club Review: “What the Wind Knows”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

We are part of a group of librarian friends who have had an ongoing book club running for the last several years. Each “season” (we’re nerds) we pick a theme and each of us chooses a book within that theme for us all to read. Our current theme is Centuries, where we were given a random century and had to pick a book based during that time period.  For this blog, we will post a joint review of each book we read for book club. We’ll also post the next book coming up in book club. So feel free to read along with us or use our book selections and questions in your own book club!

Book: “What the Wind Knows” by Amy Harmon

Publishing Info: Lake Union Publishing, March 2019

Where Did We Get This Book: The library!

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Century: 20th

Book Description: Anne Gallagher grew up enchanted by her grandfather’s stories of Ireland. Heartbroken at his death, she travels to his childhood home to spread his ashes. There, overcome with memories of the man she adored and consumed by a history she never knew, she is pulled into another time.

The Ireland of 1921, teetering on the edge of war, is a dangerous place in which to awaken. But there Anne finds herself, hurt, disoriented, and under the care of Dr. Thomas Smith, guardian to a young boy who is oddly familiar. Mistaken for the boy’s long-missing mother, Anne adopts her identity, convinced the woman’s disappearance is connected to her own.

As tensions rise, Thomas joins the struggle for Ireland’s independence and Anne is drawn into the conflict beside him. Caught between history and her heart, she must decide whether she’s willing to let go of the life she knew for a love she never thought she’d find. But in the end, is the choice actually hers to make?

Kate’s Thoughts

I will be honest, when I read the description of this book my initial thought was ‘so….. “Outlander” but Ireland?’ Which isn’t quite right (though don’t ask me to elaborate as I haven’t READ “Outlander” nor have I watched the show, but I just know it’s different, okay?). But I was still a little hesitant because it just didn’t really seem like my jam. But I pride myself on being a good sport, and I’m always game to give a book club book a try. And it was, as predicted, a bit of a mixed bag, but probably not because of the book itself and because of my own personal tastes.

So I will focus on what I did like, and that was the setting of “What The Wind Knows”. I know a pretty minimal amount about the history of Ireland, or perhaps it’s more fair to say a broad stroked history. I have some working knowledge of The Troubles, but had very little knowledge of the things that led up to it in the 20th Century, so seeing this story take place at what was in part the start of the domino effect was really enlightening, and I really, really liked how Harmon took this time period and brought it to life. I also liked the way that the time travel aspect of Anne’s presence in this time knowing how all of this was going to play out over the decades, and having to be VERY careful in how she approached the people she has come to care for with this knowledge in the back of her mind was a really fascinating angle. It also led to some serious tension as some dangerous people start to think that she may be a spy for British interests, and man was THAT nerve wracking. All that said, I wasn’t as invested in the romance between Anne and Thomas, and the fantasy elements didn’t really do much for me as a whole, but I want to reiterate that I am not, in general, a person who likes the genre. So it’s not really shocking that the historical elements clicked more for me.

Overall “What the Wind Knows” was fine. Fans of time travel fantasies will probably connect more than I did!

Serena’s Thoughts

Readers of the blog may already be somewhat familiar with Amy Harmon’s books, as I’ve reviewed a few of them over the years. One was a YA fantasy novel which I loved and the other was a historical fiction piece that was rough with its darker themes at times, but good. So i went into this book expecting to like it. Not only was it combining two of my favorite genres (historical and fantasy) but I enjoy Harmon’s lyrical, low key style of writing. And, for the most part, this all panned out!

I often struggle with time travel stories. There are just too many ways for this sort of plot to go wrong, often leaving me bogged down in ultimately unimportant details that take me out of the story. Even authors I’ve enjoyed in the past have struggled in this area (see Adrienne Young’s latest book!). But I was pleased by the way that Harmon handled it here. In that, she really didn’t go into any of the details of how this all worked much at all. Our main character travels through time in some magical manner, and other than that, very little thought goes into the actual mechanics of how this all worked. Further, while the time travel element comes into to the plot in many of the ways you’d expect, it also wasn’t overly fixated on in a way that would be distracting.

Instead, much of the focus was on the historical aspects of the story itself. I wasn’t overly familiar with this point in history, but I think Harmon did a great job of presenting it for readers who are both knowledgeable and less so. Further, I was impressed by her ability to bring in real-life characters and write them in a way that felt believable and true to character. Mostly this came down to judicious use of these characters, only having them on-page during a few select scenes.

I also enjoyed the slow burn romance. This is a bit of a staple as far as Harmon’s writing goes, but I always enjoy the fairly straight-forward, sweet nature of her love stories. I could quibble about the timing of Anne’s sharing her true nature with Thomas, but that’s really neither here nor there as far as the actual story goes. I also enjoyed the mystery at the heart of Anne’s story, which I think added a nice point of balance to the romantic plotline, adding some tension and stakes to what could have otherwise been an overly sentimental tale. Readers who enjoy romantic historical fiction will likely enjoy this one, though it is definitely on the slower side!

Kate’s Rating 6: I loved the setting and the time period, but the fantasy and romance didn’t click as well for me (though this is very much a case of ‘your mileage may vary’).

Serena’s Rating 8: Harmon delivers again with a sweet, romantic tale that also dives deeply into the tensions of a specific point and place in history.

Book Club Questions

  1. How much did you know about this particular point in history? Were you familiar with any of the real life individuals? How well do you think they were portrayed?
  2. Time travel can be a tricky element in fiction. How does this book’s use of time travel compare to others?
  3. The story explores themes of patriotism, trust, and the lengths to which people will go in pursuit of what they believe is right. What stood out to you with these themes?
  4. There are two primary relationships that drive this story: the romance and the relationship between Anne and Eoin. How well did you connect to these relationships?
  5. There are numerous moments where Anne’s decisions in the past connected to the future. Which of these stood out to you?
  6. What do you think would be the most challenging part of travelling through time like Anne did here?

Reader’s Advisory

“What the Wind Knows” is included on the Goodreads lists Best for Book Clubs (ha!) and The Best Time-Travel Romance Novels.

Next Book Club Pick: “A Study in Emerald” and “Snow, Glass, Apples” by Neil Gaiman