This is a book that may not be for everyone – there are issues of child sexual abuse, self mutilation, drug addiction and some domestic abuse. In saying that, it’s also a well written, powerful story of a young woman who has to battle her demons and come out of it into a better place. It’s also a story that has strong female friendship among the glitz and glamour of old Las Vegas in the 1960s, which Ms Church portrays very well. It begins with […]
A tale of two orphans
The Lonely Hearts Hotel is a love story with the power of legend. An unparalleled tale of charismatic pianos, invisible dance partners, radicalized chorus girls, drug-addicted musicians, brooding clowns, and an underworld whose economy hinges on the price of a kiss. In a landscape like this, it takes great creative gifts to thwart one’s origins. It might also take true love. This is the blurb about this book, which led me to believe it would be a kind of off beat tale of eccentric circus type […]
A death in winter
Finally, after what seemed like forever, I received the new Sebastian St Cyr novel, and devoured it all too quickly. Once again, Ms Harris has written a fantastic historical mystery that is detailed and entertaining. This is book 13 in the series, and while a person could read it as a stand alone, you really shouldn’t. There’s a lot of personal backstory between Sebastian and his wife, Hero, along with the cast of regulars that adds to the story. This one begins, as usual, with […]
What happens at Vega’s….
So this is a fairly standard historical romance, the first in a new series by Ms Linden – The Wagers of Sin. I feel like I’ve read several books lately with a similar premise – young, beautiful woman is left nearly destitute after the death of loved ones, and seeks to make a fortune by gambling. And in the course of this gambling, she meets handsome, wealthy lord who falls into lust with her and must have her. In this case, we have Sophie Graham, […]