Well, that was a fun one! A little bit of everything with a big ol’ dose of twists and turns. It is really nice to read a book and not figure out what has really happened until the actual end. No spoilers here, but do try to plod along even if you might get bogged down a time or two, and maybe even a wee bit confused. It all gets explained.

This book had the right amount of fortune telling, romance, greed, and deceit! Kudos to Laura Shepherd-Robinson for weaving it all together masterfully!

Thanks go to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eArc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I had to DNF this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

Thank you to NetGalley, Tin House, and W. W. Norton & Company for the eArc in exchange for my honest review.

I really, really wanted to love this book. And parts of it, I honestly thoroughly enjoyed. I appreciated the author’s approach to the subject of spiritual mediums. I was never quite sure if I was believing in Robert and Clarence’s abilities, or siding with Evelyn in her doubts.

Where the story fell short for me was Evelyn’s back story that she continued to bring up but never fully explained. She always seemed a bit frantic when she wasn’t discussing the other character’s style of dress, or what remodeling she would do in the places she visited. There didn’t seem to be much reason to her internal dialogue. She just continued to come across as a woman who was a bit shallow.

Not to create a spoiler, but the book was not wrapped up into a nice package at the end, and I feel like the author may have a sequel planned?!

So, did I like the book enough to read the next one if the author does indeed write one? Yes, I think I will. I am strangely curious as to what becomes of Evelyn and Robert.

A quick paced, entertaining book. And while I had figured out the bad guy fairly quickly, it was still fun to finish it out and see how the author decided to tie it up.

Five Stars!!!

Well, once again Heather Fawcett has created a wonderfully, imaginative book! I enjoyed “Map of the Otherlands” as much or more than I enjoyed “Encyclopedia of Fairies.” Emily and Wendell are a match made in fairy lands.

Just do yourself a favor and give the series a go. You won’t be disappointed!

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Del Rey for the eArc.

Merged review:

Five Stars!!!

Well, once again Heather Fawcett has created a wonderfully, imaginative book! I enjoyed “Map of the Otherlands” as much or more than I enjoyed “Encyclopedia of Fairies.” Emily and Wendell are a match made in fairy lands.

Just do yourself a favor and give the series a go. You won’t be disappointed!

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Del Rey for the eArc.

Slavic Kitchen Alchemy absolutely has something for everyone. Even if you are not of Slavic descent, you will find parts of this book that will delight and entertain you. The illustrations and photos are wonderful and correspond with the stories, recipes, and folklore beautifully. As the seasons change, so does the information that Zuza Zak provides for you to make the most of each. She unwraps the old ways and serves them to you on your grandmother’s dishes with a lovely cup of herbal tea.

Thank you to NetGalley and Watkins Publishing for the eArc in exchange for my honest review.

I was excited to receive a copy of “The Herbalist’s Secret.” Based on the title and the synopsis, I thought I would be hooked. Sadly, this was not the case. I found myself interested in Kitty and her 1900’s life in Glasgow, and the Scottish Highlands, but not at all interested in the contemporary characters. They seem extraneous and the back and forth between timelines did not increase their like ability. Even the mystery and ghosts did not intrigue me.
Just not my cup of tea. It all just fell flat.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I am not really sure how to approach my review of ‘The Glutton.’ I loved it and hated it with equal passion. I felt the whole range of emotions reading it. A longing, disgust, disappointment, sadness, joy, and then all of those over again.

The Great Tarare never loved, never appreciated, never understood.
Instead of me trying to explain the book to you, you just need to pick it up and read it for yourself. You will be horrified at parts, and you will try, perhaps even beg yourself, to put it down, but you will continue to read it, because Tarare drags you forward along the path with him to the end.

The author, AK Blakemore, has the most delicious way with words. And, I will admit, I did have to look up quite a few, but they were always the perfect choice. They also chose to use a figure from French history, which I did not realize until about two-thirds of the way through the book when something made me do a quick google search. They couldn’t have picked a better character to reimagine.

Give ‘The Glutton’ a go. It will stick with you for a long time, which to me is the sign of a great novel.

Thank you to Net Galley and Scribner for the eArc in exchange for my honest review.