Mystery

Dark Heart: A thrilling historical tale of a Victorian family imperiled in the very heart of London by Carole Gurnett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am such a sucked for anything victorian related. This was the first time I’ve heard of this author, and to say that I was pleasantly surprised, is an understatement. I really loved her unique world-building while keeping the core of the story in the Victorian London we all know in our history books. She really has a way with writing to the point where I found myself actually thinking I was there with the main character and not merely ‘reading a good book’ (this is rare for me to get so completely lost in a story that it felt real).

Pick this book up as your next read, you might find that you’ve enjoyed it as much as I had!

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Death’s Detective by Charlotte E. English
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

To be honest, I truly thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I picked it up on a whim from the apple store and found that I couldn’t put it down. There’s just something so appealing about victorian style mysteries. But what was also appealing was that this one didn’t come as a romance. Instead, it focused more on background folklores and supernatural themes!

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Honor Bound by C.J. Archer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you like paranormal victorian settings in a book, Honor Bound by C.J. Archer is definitely one to try out. It’s the first book of the duology, Witchblade Chronicles, and by far the ‘spiciest book this author has written (in my opinion). I thoroughly enjoyed the cute but serious banter between Isabel and Nicolas (husband and wife), after Isabel ran away from her husband due to issues. The romance was steamy in just the right enough without being overbearing and I loved the witchy-paranormal aspect that comes along with many of this author’s works.

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Kiss of Ash by C.J. Archer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don’t know why I’m posting this review so late, but here is it. I LOOOOOVE this duology by CJ Archer! Seriously, out of all her books (which I have also loved and read too many times to be ok), this duology is my favorite. Now, being that this is the second novel, we follow the secondary characters from the first book and their romance. I love the Victorian setting. I love how the previous characters come back. I love the slow burn, and yet intrigue from first sight themes. Overall, I can’t recommend this duology enough!

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The Palace of Lost Memories by C.J. Archer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Honestly, I don’t even know how many times I’ve re-read this series because I absolutely love it. C.J. Archer has become one of my top favorite author’s, since I first discovered her in October 2019 (I’ve literally read most of her books within that month…. which was a lot but so incredibly worth it). What I found most enjoyable about this series was that it was quite different from her other books. Usually, this author’s books are in a Victorian setting (which I love), and this one wasn’t, or at least not completely. There were some of the same vibes from a victorian setting book, but I felt the writing was much freer and explorative.

Side note: I’m in love with Dane or Captain Hammer, and I ship him with Josie so hard. They are so cute together and I like how they interact and behave when the other is near!

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House of Salt And Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig was just… wow. Seriously. I personally love any kind of fairytale re-telling and this book was all that and more. Being a fairytale re-telling, this novel was much darker, more of a mind fuck than anything. There were ghosts, gothic themes, salt tombs, themes of family and love, and dancing in glittering balls. Reality and nightmares blurred like crazy. Honestly, my review doesn’t do this bok justice, I truly believe you need to try this book out for yourself.

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A Lullaby for Witches by Hester Fox
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’m a sucker for anything witchy-related, plus I really enjoyed Hester Fox’s previous book: “The Witch of Willow Hall”. I thought the transitions between past situations and present reality were written smoothly and easy to follow. The more backstory was presented to us, the more the reality got complex and built. Though I do wish for a bit more character development, I was still quite pleased by the overall story and characters. I’ll definitely be re-reading this novel in the future.

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Her Keepers by Laura Camby McCaskill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m rating this a 3.7 out of 5 Stars.
If you like thrillers with a supernatural twist, this might just be a book for you. The story follows around a 14-year-old, Tess, an orphan, and her guardian, Angela, as they arrive at a dark and creepy house. But the house isn’t just creepy appearing. When Tess is in danger, the house moans, and creaks. When it suddenly becomes cold, one of Tess’ dead brothers appears to protect her. As secrets slowly reveal themselves and Tess learns not only who she is, but who these ‘ghosts are’, she becomes close with Angela.

To be honest, the beginning wasn’t that eye-catching to me. It wasn’t until halfway through the book that I was suddenly invested in the storyline. The writing style is simpler than I’m used to, but as you get more comfortable with it, you actually feel like the simplicity makes the story raw and full of emotion. It’s quite direct in terms of writing style and Laura doesn’t bother painting a whole magical landscape for you all at once, which I enjoyed. I also enjoyed seeing Tess’ character develop as she continues to live in her new house and learn who these ghosts are through a series of flashbacks. Be prepared to go on a rollercoaster of emotions as by the end of the book I was in tears!


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