Category: Romance

Historical Fiction, Romance

The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton

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The Last Train to Key WestThe Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Out June 16th!

I fell in love with Chanel Cleeton after reading her books Next Year in Havana and When We Left Cuba. They both oozed Cuban culture and history. And although I wouldn’t technically classify them as a series, some of the characters translate from one book to the next. So I was ecstatic when I heard that Cleeton had a new book coming out titled The Last Train to Key West.

Told from the perspective of three strong female leads, The Last Train to Key West tells the story of each woman’s will to survive. Set during a hurricane in the Florida Keys in the 1930’s, they each are in search of something. Escape. Family. Love. Independence. And when their paths cross, their lives will be changed forever.

I always adore Cleeton’s writing and this novel was no exception. I always feel like I’m watching a movie in my head when I read her work. I can see everything so vividly. The story was captivating and I could not wait to see what happened next.

One thing that surprised me was the lack of Cuban history present in this story. The other two books were so rich in Cuban culture, I was expecting more of the same. While there is quick mention of Cuban government in Mirta’s story, the remainder of the book is lacking mention of Cuba. Instead, Cleeton swerved, focusing on the history of the Florida Keys post-Great Depression and WWI. It was equally intriguing but I just want to level set for anybody who has read her previous work and may be expecting another Cuban experience.

Overall, this was another strong novel by Chanel Cleeton. I think I prefer the first two books if I had to compare, but this is still a solid 5 star read.

-I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Chanel Cleeton, and Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to review.-

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General Fiction (Adult), Romance

An Everyday Hero by Laura Trentham

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An Everyday Hero (A Heart of a Hero #2)An Everyday Hero by Laura Trentham

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Last year I read Laura Trentham’s first “A Heart of a Hero” novel called The Military Wife and absolutely loved it! She also did an author Q&A with me on my blog where she announced the name of the second book in the series An Everyday Hero. I was super excited to be the first one to learn the title of this book.

And I was super excited to read it!

An Everyday Hero is a story about broken people and broken families coming together and building each other up. It tells of the struggles that wounded warriors face after returning from combat, challenges that military families face, and ways in which those individuals cope and manage through pretty tough times.

And there’s also a love story. Because there HAS to be a love story!

There was a pretty shocking twist at the end that I was not expecting and did not see coming. It made the story that much sweeter and pulled the characters together for me.

I was really impressed by Laura Trentham’s second book in this series and cannot wait to read more from her in the future. Check out her latest novel, An Everyday Hero, on sale today!

-I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Laura Trentham, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review.-

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Holiday, Romance

Christmas Angels by Nancy Naigle

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Christmas AngelsChristmas Angels by Nancy Naigle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Looking for a super cute and light holiday read? Reading Christmas Angels was like reading a Hallmark or Netflix original Christmas movie. Now before you get the wrong impression (because we know these movies can sometimes be extremely cheesy), this was like one of your FAVORITE Hallmark Christmas movies. It was charming and light and authentic.

When Liz stumbles upon her grandparent’s old bed and breakfast going up for auction, she takes the opportunity to complete one of her life dreams. Owning the B&B and living in the quaint little town of Antler’s Creek. But when she discovers that the home has been essentially gutted and destroyed, the only thing to do is try to restore it to it’s original glory.

Along the way there is a man. Because there’s always got to be a love story in these types of things.

Was it the most original story? No. Was it a story that requires deep thinking? No. But was it the perfect light read to make you smile during the holidays? Yes.

If you find yourself hung over from some emotionally draining novel or a book that feels heavy and you’re looking for pure joy and happiness, here you go.

-I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Nancy Naigle, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review.-

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Holiday, Romance

Christmas in Vermont by Anita Hughes

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Christmas in Vermont: A NovelChristmas in Vermont: A Novel by Anita Hughes

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Looking for a cheesy Christmas romance in the vein of Hallmark or a Netflix original? Well, here you go.

Christmas in Vermont was exactly what I expected it to be. It was cliche and predictable. One of those books where you know the ending from the very first pages. But I think there is a market for those types of book, so if that’s what you’re looking for, it would be right up your alley.

I personally had a hard time with quite a few things in the story that caused me to rate it lower:
1. A 9 year old girl who felt to be more like 12 or 13 at times.
2. A father that let the 9 year old girl roam around a foreign city with very little supervision or guidance.
3. Lots and lots of grammatical errors (I usually don’t comment on grammatical errors when I’m reading ARCs because I recognize they haven’t gone through the entire editing process, but in this case the errors were distracting and excessive).
4. I despised the way some of the characters reacted to various situations. Characters who fell in and out of love at the snap of a finger, characters who had no backbone/not an independent bone in their body, etc.
5. An overall need to suspend all reality to believe some of the coincidental events within the story.

I previously read Anita Hughes’s Christmas at the Chalet and had similar feelings, albeit maybe not as strong. Perhaps this holiday genre that requires one to fully suspend reality is just not my cup of tea.

-I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Anita Hughes, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review.-

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Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

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The Ten Thousand Doors of JanuaryThe Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was instantly drawn to this book when I saw the gorgeous cover. And without even knowing what it was about, I knew I had to read it.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January is a mix between fantascy, science fiction, and romance.

I wasn’t quite sure where it was headed in the beginning, but once I caught on to the story, I was fully engaged. I loved how Alix E. Harrow developed the characters. That was honestly the best thing about this book. The way that the story built upon itself was fascinating, and the literary nature of the prose was wonderful.

The first half of the book was fascinating and I did find myself losing some steam around 2/3 of the way through, but it picked up again at the end. I can’t say I was super surprised by the ending but all the loose ends were tied up well.

Overall, if you’re a fan of fantasy, I would highly recommend this one.

-I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Alix E. Harrow, and Redhook Books for the opportunity to review.-

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