Boxonow

Pages: 384 Publisher: Berkley Released: October 22, 2019 Received: Finished copy from publisher, ARC via Netgalley Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars Goodreads  *This is the sixth book in the Tradd Street series To say I love this series is an understatement (and not much else of this review will make sense if you haven't read the series, so stop reading this review now and instead read the one I liked above, and then start this series ASAP). That said, I was disappointed with the last book in the series, The Guests on South Battery . It felt forced. The mystery wasn't as engaging (and the first four books had awesome mysteries), the family connections felt stretched beyond reason, and there was contrived romance drama between Mellie and Jack that I did not appreciate. I was seriously getting worried for this series, even while still gobbling it up because it had tons of things that still make me happy. So that was my baggage when I started reading The Christmas Spirits on Tradd Stree...

Pages:352 Publisher: Berkley Books Released: June 25, 2019 Received: Finished copy and e-galley from publisher Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars Goodreads I wasn't convinced I actually wanted to read this book when I received an invitation to the e-galley and tour. I find this time period interesting, but it's definitely not an era I read in much. So I added it to my e-reader with bland disinterest and opened it with the intention of reading a few sentences to try to hype myself into reading it, eventually. And I was hooked. Ravenously. I couldn't stop reading. I put aside the books I was already in the middle of reading and dove in. There was so much that just clicked with me about this book. The sense of time and place. The fabrics, smells, and tensions were thick in the air. I felt utterly immersed. We see Schiap and Chanel from the periphery and this made them both seem larger than life, known-but-mysterious. It was captivating. Their clothing collections, their political move...

Pages: 351 Publisher: Penguin Released: June 18, 2019 Received: ARC from publisher Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars Goodreads Last year I read and enjoyed Laura Purcell's creeping Gothic horror The Silent Companions and, while I didn't love it, I did enjoy it and I've been looking forward to reading more from this author.   The Poison Thread follows a similar pattern of alternating perspectives, one character telling their story, another character learning the tragic and horrifying events of the past. The narrative device worked very well here, building tension, intrigue, and mystery. I felt for Ruth, the character telling her story as she waits in prison for her murder trial, and while I didn't love Dorothea (she's a little too naive self-righteous do-gooder for me) I was interested in the events of her life (though, I think, she picked the wrong man). Characters and place felt real and drew me into the story. I felt for them. I felt like I was there (early Victorian E...