Book Review - Death of an American Beauty by Mariah Fredericks

 

 

 

In 1913, Jane Prescott is a lady's maid but, she is taking a break to visit the opening of an art exhibition. The cubist exhibition is shocking and scandalous in New York City. This is also the fiftieth anniversary of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation speech. The wealthy society women are determined to celebrate the occasion in style. 

Dolly Rutherford, the heiress to the glamorous Rutherford's department store, has gathered her friends to put on a play. Louise Tyler, Jane's employer, is scheduled to play the role of Lincoln. Jane is torn between helping Louise and enjoying her vacation. However, the decision is made for her when a murdered outside Jane's childhood home. The house is used as a refuge for working women who want to leave the profession. 

Her uncle runs the shelter and he falls under suspicion. Jane fears for him because he is keeping his whereabouts a secret. Jane decides to enlist help from her friends to help solve the murder. Will Jane be able to solve the murder before she is next?

This was my first book by the author. It seems that each book could be read as a standalone.  I thought the book was an interesting read but, sparse with twists and turns. I was able to guess the murderer halfway into the book. I did like that the author including tidbits of history in the novel. I look forward to reading more books by the author.

  **Disclosure -  This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Book Review - Driftwood Bay (Hope Harbor, #5) by Irene Hannon

Photo Credit - Amazon

Jeanette Mason moves to a small seaside town named Hope Harbor in hopes to live an isolated life. Jeanette is afraid of letting people in after a tragedy causes her to lose people she loved. She decides to avoid emotional attachments and focus on her lavender farm and tea room. However, Jeanette's life gets upends again when her new neighbor moves in. Dr. Logan West becomes an unexpected guardian of his niece after his mother's death. Logan gets a dog in hopes to help bond with Molly but, the dog is intent on damaging Jeanette's lavender beds. Jeanette and Logan find themselves gravitating towards each other when a refugee family from Syria moves to their town. Will Logan and Jeanette be able to open their heart to each other?

I thought the novel was an enjoyable read but, I had a hard time connecting with Jeanette. She closes herself off and didn't want to make the effort of connecting but, was annoyed that other people didn't make the effort. She felt that her neighbor should have connected with her first and made the effort. She wanted and made Logan make the first move and didn't respond well to his suggestive behaviors but, she would get sad when he didn't invite her to the beach. I found this incredibly annoying. At times, I felt like the Molly character talked to Jeanette as if she was an adult and not a five-year-old. Her conversations with Jeanette towards the end of the book didn't feel like something a child would say to an adult. Perhaps, this is how a child speaks once they go through grief but, it felt weird to me. I enjoyed reading about the Shabos' family, Logan trying to bond with Molly, Jeanette trying to find her way, and Molly and Elisa's budding friendship. I look forward to reading the other books in the series.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Book Review - The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala

Photo Credit - Amazon

Esha lost everything during a royal coup. She becomes the Viper in hopes to get her revenge and help the ones she loves. She receives her most important and complicated mission to date; she needs to kill the merciless General Hotha. 

Being a soldier is the only life Kunal knows. His uncle, General Hotha, keeps a close on Kunal to make sure he never strays from his path. Kunal respects his uncle's desires of him but, his heart craves to explore the outside world.

When Esha and Kunal cross path one night, their entire world crumbles and their fate becomes entwined. They both think that they are in control but, will they realize that there are bigger things at play?

The novel was a good introduction to the series. The characters were both interesting and fun to read. I felt like the story was a bit predictable but, still enjoyable. I wish the author included an appendix because there were several words and terminology used that I didn't understand. I did feel that the plot did advance a bit slow especially since the book was over 400 pages long. I read another YA fantasy series and the author also did something similar. I am wondering if this a new trend of drawing out the plot for YA/Adults fantasy series. I did like that there was some mythology but, I wish this was gone into more detail for those who are not familiar with it. Overall, the book was a good start of the series and I am excited to read the next book.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**