Book Review: Eva Mallory's Husband Hunt by Katherine Dyson

AD* | Eva Mallory is the unluckiest woman in the world, a fact which is attributed, in her family, to their name, and has subjected every member to a lifetime of misfortune. After accidentally burning down the venue of her twin Hanna’s anniversary party, Eva discovers that her sister’s luck has completely turned around since her wedding day. In that moment, Eva decides there’s only one thing for it. She needs to find herself a husband too, and fast. But with the distractions of her husband hunt, Eva completely forgets about the family curse. But the curse has not forgotten about her...

Book Review: The Thorns Remain by J.J.A. Harwood

AD* | A dance with the fae will change everything...

1919. In a highland village forgotten by the world, harvest season is over and the young who remain after war and flu have ravaged the village will soon head south to make something of themselves.

Moira Jean and her friends head to the forest for a last night of laughter before parting ways. Moira Jean is being left behind. She had plans to leave once – but her lover died in France and with him, her future. The friends light a fire, sing and dance. But with every twirl about the flames, strange new dancers thread between them, music streaming from the trees.

The fae are here.

Suddenly Moira Jean finds herself all alone, her friends spirited away. The iron medal of her lost love, pinned to her dress, protected her from magic.

For the Fae feel forgotten too. Led by the darkly handsome Lord of the Fae, they are out to make themselves known once more. Moira Jean must enter into a bargain with the Lord to save her friends – and fast, for the longer one spends with the Fae, the less like themselves they are upon return. If Moira Jean cannot save her friends before Beltane, they will be lost forever...

Book Review: What July Knew by Emily Koch

AD* | Summer, 1995.

July Hooper knows eighteen things about her mother.

Like number thirteen: she loved dancing on the kitchen table. And number eight: she was covered in freckles.

And then there's number two: she died after being hit by a car when July was small.

She keeps this list hidden in a drawer away from her father. Because they're not allowed to talk about her mother. Ever.

But an anonymous note slipped into July's bag on her tenth birthday is about to change everything she thinks she knows about her mum.

Determined to discover what really happened to her, July begins to investigate, cycling around the neighbourhood where her family used to live. There she meets someone who might finally have the answers.

July wants her family to stop lying to her, but will the truth be harder to face?

Book Review: The Ash Museum by Rebecca Smith

AD* | Through ten decades and across three continents, The Ash Museum is an intergenerational story of loss, migration and the search for somewhere to feel at home.

1944 The Battle of Kohima. James Ash dies leaving behind two families: his ‘wife’ Josmi and two children, Jay and Molly, and his parents and sister in England who know nothing about his Indian family.

2012 Emmie is raising her own daughter, Jasmine, in a world she wants to be very different from the racist England of her childhood. Her father, Jay, doesn’t even have a photograph of the mother he lost and still refuses to discuss his life in India. Emmie finds comfort in the local museum – a treasure trove of another family’s stories and artefacts.

Little does Emmie know that with each generation, her own story holds secrets and fascinations that she could only dream of.

Reading Round-Up: May/June 2023

In this post, you'll find recommendations for each of the books I've read over the last two months, as well as information about the books I've acquired and the ones I'm looking forward to reading in the future. 

So, whether you're in the mood for a heartwarming love story, a thrilling page-turner, or a thought-provoking work of nonfiction, you're sure to find something here to add to your TBR pile. So sit back, relax, and get ready to discover your next great read!