Saturday Review - The Anarchist's Wife by Margo Laurie

 

Title: The Anarchist’s Wife
Author: Margo Laurie
Pages: 173
Release Date: October 24^th 2022
Format: eBook (ARC)
Buy it: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: In 1920, anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were accused of a payroll robbery and double murder at a factory in Massachusetts. The case became one of the most notorious miscarriages of justice of the 20th century.
The Anarchist's Wife is a historical fiction novella which reimagines this American tragedy from the perspective of Rosa Sacco. Her husband was likely innocent of the crime he was accused of, but his possible involvement in anarchist violence was a murkier question. The story is framed as a memoir for her daughter Ines, in which she attempts to shape this difficult past into one which can be lived with.
 
My Review: I'm not a big fan of historical books and generally stay away from them but I was asked to read this story by the author and I enjoyed it.
 
The story is based around real people who I've never heard of before, it was interesting to learn about something I had no prior knowledge about and I looked up the 1920s Sacco & Vanzetti case afterwards just to read about what actually happened.
 
The story starts off in the present of that time period and then goes back in time to tell the story upto the point of it being written down. It is told by Rosa the wife of one of the men (Nick) who was accused of a crime. Rosa is writing a journal of sorts to her daughter Ina so Ina can get to know her father starting from when Nick and Rosa's first meet leading up to when Nick was arrested and sentence to death with some events that lead up to Nick being arrested in between.
 
Although historical fiction is not my thing I was intrigued enough to keep reading and enjoyed the characters and the storyline which is why this only got 3 stars from me and not 4.
 
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
 
Currently Reading: Fastening the Grave by L A McBride
Read in 2023: 5/40

Review - Lady and the Biker by Glenna Maynard

Title: Lady and the Biker

Author: Glenna Maynard

Series: N/A

Release Date: February 11^th 2020

Format: eBook

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: She’s an angel thrust into the chaos of the devil’s playground.

I’m a Royal Bastard who doesn’t deserve her. She’s too young for me. Too pure and too good. I’m going to ruin her and break her heart. I know it and she knows it and yet neither of us can stay away. I watched Wylla Mae transform from a girl into a lady. She’s forbidden and tempting with her soft curves and big doe eyes. Everything I crave and all that I deny myself until a moment of weakness forces me to break.

An enemy is on the move and when he sets his sights on her, all bets are off. I’ll move heaven and hell to keep her safe in my arms.

My Review: I received this book as an ARC for an honest review.

I liked the story, it is told from two points of view Easton and Wylla Mae.

We first meet Wylla Mae when she is 8 and Easton is made to babysit her while her mother gets herself sorted out. At first East feels sorry for her as her house is a mess - dirty dishes and over flowing bins plus an empty fridge. East isn’t happy about having to babysit her but he soon warms up to her and will do anything to look after her.

The story develops by jumping through years but it gives a little backstory in the first few paragraphs in each new chapter on what happened in those years.

Although Wylla Mae spent two years wanting East it isn’t until she turns 18 and graduates high school that anything happens between them.

At times I thought that it could maybe end after another chapter which told the reader what happened next after they got together but there is still another 50% to go with twists and turns and some highs and lows.

Currently Reading: Smolder by Tara Ellis and Mike Kraus

Read in 2020: 4/35

Review - The Council of Seven by Alice La Roux

Title: The Council of Seven

Author: Alice La Roux

Series: N/A

Release Date: March 24^th 2020

Format: eBook

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: In The Dark Kingdom, villains reign supreme.
Fourteen authors come together to turn your childhood stories into dark and sinful pleasures.
Step into a world where everything you loved just got a lot darker.
Where the line between love and taboo crosses without a second thought.
Are you prepared to enter The Dark Kingdom?

Join authors Alice La Roux, Anna Edwards, Brooke Summers, Gemini Jensen, Isabel Lucero, Karen Frances, Krissy V, Leah Negron, Logan Fox, P.T. Macias, Raven Amor, Samantha Fontien, Sean Azinsalt, and Taylor Porter as they take you on this dark and delicious journey through The Dark Kingdom.

My Review: This is just a review of The Council of Seven by Alice La Roux

This anthology piece for The Dark Kingdom is based on Snow White. It is dark and very, very steamy.

The characters are great, the story is great, it kept me reading even if I did have to put it down a few times to recover but there is a satisfying ending.

Currently Reading: Lady and the Biker by Glenna Maynard

Read in 2020: 3/35

Review - Web of Lies by Various Authors

Title: Web of Lies

Author: Various Authors

Series: N/A

Release Date: January 4^th 2020

Format: eBook

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: Lust.
Deception.
Admiration.
Love.

The four things all of our characters have in common. They'll do anything for love, including lying to the person they're with.
In this anthology you'll see a wide range of stories written by multiple authors.

Take a dive in to see the lengths they'll go to keep their happiness aflame.

My Review:
All the stories revolve around the theme of someone telling lies or someone being lied to. I enjoyed this anthology, some of the stories ended on cliffhangers, a couple of them ended just as I was getting into them which was annoying lol I hate cliffhangers.

I would really like to read more of Raven by A.C. Williams as it ended too soon.

The Thong Diaries by Taylor Dawn had a satisfying ending that I kinda guessed at but I would love to read more about these characters.

Elizabeth York’s Little White Lies was really good and it would have been nice to have another chapter or two.

Summer at the Cipriani by Alice La Roux was great but I need more, I need to know what happens next.

Overall I loved each story but these four were my favourite.

Currently Reading: Lady and the Biker by Glenna Maynard

Read in 2020: 3/35

Review - Sinclair by Alice La Roux

Title: Sinclair

Author: Alice La Roux

Pages: 194

Release Date: September 27th 2019

Format: Kindle

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: Selfish. Sinful. Sexy.

These are the three words that best describe Sinclair Beaumont, and he lives up to every one of them. Women, men and money come easily as a stripper at the notorious club SIX but one phone call changes everything and Sin begins to spiral.

Determined to get his life back, Sin begrudgingly signs up for a dance class at the local community centre. What he doesn’t count on is the hot little Hispanic teacher with the fiery temper.

Dancing for Sin is foreplay.

For Sofia, it’s everything.

What happens when the two tango?

My Review: Sinclair knows he is a hansom guy who can get any girl he wants while working in a strip club called SIX, he loves his job but he loves his women more. Every night after work he picks up a new girl and takes her back to her place.

After hearing about his mother’s death Sinclair starts to drink and mess up while dancing and he cannot figure out why her death is affecting him. He's made to go to the old community centre for dance lessons which is where he meets spunky Hispanic dancer Sophia. What Sinclair sees as a conquest quickly becomes something more, but Sinclair doesn't 'do' love or relationships.

Will he eventually learn what love means? Is Sophia Sinclair's happily ever after? You'll have to read it to find out.

Currently Reading: New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

Read in 2019: 26/30

Review - The Mystery of Old Gully Trail by Tara Ellis

Title: The Mystery of Old Gully Trail

Author: Tara Ellis
Series: Samantha Wolf Mysteries
Pages: 116
Release Date: November 29th 2018

Genre: Middle Grade Mystery
Publisher: 
Source: Author
Format: Mobi

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: For fans of Nancy Drew & Trixie BeldonRead as a stand alone
Some trails lead to unexpected places. 

When Sam and Ally meet a young troubled girl, a family secret draws them into a mystery that reaches back generations. There's untold history wrapped up in the origins of their town of Oceanside, and a conflict that was never solved. 

With summer break fast approaching the girls embark on a quest that will lead them through the woods near their homes and into the past. But will they find the answers on Old Gully Trail? Or will the haunted memories it protects be too much for them to overcome? 

My Review: Another fantastic mystery with Sam, Ally and Cassy.

The three girls Sam, Ally and Cassy are clearing trails at Covington Ranch so that they can use them for horse rides, the girls are also getting ready for Sams 13th birthday and the towns annual celebration, but this celebration is going to be a lot different from the last 99 town celebrations, its the towns 100th anniversary and the girls are participating in the parade to promote the Ranch and they are digging up the time capsule that was buried by the towns founding fathers (one being old man Gully).

In this mystery the girls meet a young girl named Penny Gully while they are clearing trails, Penny lives in a house on Gully trail and befriends the girls and later helps them clear the trails when they agree with Penny's family to join the Old Gully Trail to a trail on Covington Ranch to make it a longer trail so that they can offer day trips. This little girl gets up to mischief just like Sam and her friends do. Sam helps Penny solve the Gully riddle which helps Penny and her family.

I love these stories and I am looking forward to see what the girls get up to on their return to Hollow Inn in book 10.

Currently Reading: A Week of Mondays by Jessica Brody

Read in 2018: 30/35

Review - You Can Lead A Horse To Murder by Tara Meyers

Title: You Can Lead A Horse To Murder

Author: Tara Mayers
Series: Secret of Sanctuary Cozy Mystery
Pages: 181
Release Date: March 12th 2018

Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Forest Grove Books
Source: ARC
Format: ebook

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: There’s a killer in Sanctuary, and the prime suspect is a horse.

When spirited Ember Burns is led back home to open her own veterinary practice, her first client lands her in the middle of a mystery. It starts as a desire for Ember to clear her name, and turns into a personal entanglement in a rapidly unfolding story of lies and deceit. 

The small mountain town of Sanctuary has always had its secrets. Who can be trusted? It’s been ten years since Ember lived there but roots run deep. Discerning friend from foe isn’t an easy task. 

Relying on her intelligence and instinct, Ember tries to piece the clues together as the town gears up for its centennial celebration. 

From the quaint historic shops, to the rugged mountains surrounding them, Ember works to unveil the true culprit before they get away with murder.

My Review: Ember Burns is the new vet in her home town of Sanctuary, she took over the practice from Dr Bernie Chambers who has recently retired and is planning on moving to Florida.

Ember left Sanctuary ten years ago to go to veterinary school to study to become a vet and to get away from the small town and she ended up staying away, but when her mother dies she comes back for the funeral and with a little push from her Aunt Becky she decides to stay.

After paying off all the funeral bills and her school fees Aunt Becky encourages her to take Dr Chambers offer at buying the clinic which she does instead of returning to her internship.

While Ember is setting up the clinic ready to be opened her Aunt drops by with Ember's three cousins, 14 year old Elizabeth and her ten year old twin Bret and Tim. Ember's Aunt runs an animal rescue centre and she takes in some of the rescue animals as well as placing them in forever homes, as well as bringing her children Becky bring a cute labradoodle that Becky and her children try to convince Ember to take in but Ember doesn't think that its a good idea as she doesn't believe she has the time to look after the dog and get her clinic ready for opening but she takes her in and names her Daenerys.

While Aunt Becky is at the clinic she gets a distressing call from Bonnie Hathaway who own's a farm with her husband and they have recently taken in a horse that Becky had rescued, this call ends up with Ember getting her first client.

While out at Hathaway Farm Ember attends to the distressed horse and once they have the horse somewhat settled a phone ring's from inside the barn and they find Tom lying dead in the stall.

Ember and Daenerys go on hikes together and she meets Nathan a park ranger who seems to have a thing for her and she also goes on dates with a new guy in town Sean. I liked these two guys Nathan seemed lovely and Sean was kind of weird with his hot and cold attitude with Ember but I just figured he was just hung up on his ex wife.

Ember has to try and convince the sheriff and everyone else that the horse didn't kill Tom and while doing so she puts herself in danger.

I really loved this story and I spent most of my time reading it trying to figure out what was going to happen next and who the murderer was but each time I guessed wrong. I was convinced from the start that it was one guy but I was wrong it was a total shock that I never guessed it right before the end of the book which in my opinion makes it a great murder mystery story.

I loved Ember's Aunt Becky she seems like a feisty woman and she has the sheriff wrapped around her little finger, anything she want's him to do he does. Maybe this is a hint at a future fling even though Becky is currently married. I guess we will have to wait and see.

**I received this book for an honest review**

Currently Reading: The Earth Bleeds Red by Jackson Paul Bear
Read in 2017: 9/35