paperbackportals's Reviews (698)

It was darker than I anticipated. I think I wasn’t I quite the right mood. 

Review: A Traitor in Whitehall by Julia Kelly

Do you love mystery? Do you love historical fiction? This is the perfect book for you. 

I had no idea what to expect when St. Martin’s Press gave me the opportunity to read A Traitor in Whitehall, and what I got was a bingeable mystery set in WWII London during the blitz. From the very first pages, I was drawn into the story and couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. There were a few moments when I thought I’d solved the mystery, but was pleasantly surprised that it was much more complicated than I imagined. 

Read if you love:

▪️murder mysteries

▪️historical fiction set in WWII

▪️quick-paced sleuthing

▪️short chapters

▪️great characters

This was truly a fun read. Thank you to St Martin’s Press and netgalley for the opportunity. All opinions in this review are my own. 

Review: The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall

Looking for an adventurous witchy read? This might be the one. 

Read it if you love:

🧙‍♀️witches and magic

🏘️small towns with quirky characters

⚡️family drama

❤️second chance romance

🍂delicious fall vibes

🍰baking (there’s recipes!)

It is no secret that I love a book with baking and even more so if it includes recipes. This was a fun and light read that let me feel some of the fall vibes I’m looking forward to. I enjoyed the dynamic of the characters and the inclusion of adorable animals. I admit that at times I found the pacing a bit slow and some of the language jarring, but overall it was an enjoyable read with quirky characters, and delightful message to celebrate life and embrace your own personal magic. 

I still love this book and the audio  narration is great. It still ended too quickly. 

I DNFed the audiobook. It was just not the right time for this book for me. I’m going to comeback to it again in the future. (For some reason there was no DNF option when updating my progress). 

For me, Happy Place fell a bit flat. I really loved Book Lovers, so, perhaps, it’s hard to live up to that. 

A beautiful continuation of Inside Out & Back Again. 

📖Review: A Grandmother Begins the Story by Michelle Good 

“All I know to say is we’ve got to play our music no matter who leaves us and no matter who fails us, no matter the memories praying on us in the middle of the night.”

A Grandmother Begins the Story is a beautiful symphony of voices coming together in song. It is the story of the Goulet family, a Métis family known in the past for their music and jigging. This multigenerational journey rises and falls from the impact of colonization and residential schools, and how these harmful experiences are perpetuated through each generation. 

Porter beautifully portrays the voices of each Goulet woman in various stages of life and also includes the voices of the land and creatures around them. The theme of relatedness adds layers to the story of the women and their search to escape from pain and, eventually, to find healing. I was drawn into the different perspectives, including the bison, Gen’s car, and the dogs, and found the narrative style hard to put down. 

This is a lyrical novel that emphasizes the haunting minor keys of trauma interlaced with the bright notes of hope and healing. As Porter described during her visit to Ottawa Writer’s Fest, the novel is reminiscent of the ebb and flow of Métis music and the celebration of the many voices that contribute to the song. 

Thank you to Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read this story. This review contains my honest opinions. 

There is some difficult content within the narrative. Please be sure to review content warnings before reading.