THE MIDNIGHT WITCH by Paula Brackston

Publisher’s Synopsis:

Midnight is the most bewitching hour of them all…

From Paula Brackston, the New York Times bestselling author of The Witch’s Daughter and The Winter Witch, comes a magical tale that is as dark as it is enchanting. Set in high society Edwardian England, The Midnight Witch is the story of a young witch who faces the choice between love and loyalty to her coven…

“The dead are seldom silent. All that is required for them to be heard is that someone be willing to listen. I have been listening to the dead all my life.”

Lady Lilith Montgomery is the daughter of the sixth Duke of Radnor. She is one of the most beautiful young women in London and engaged to the city’s most eligible bachelor. She is also a witch.

When her father dies, her hapless brother Freddie takes on his title. But it is Lilith, instructed in the art of necromancy, who inherits their father’s role as Head Witch of the Lazarus Coven. And it is Lilith who must face the threat of the Sentinels, a powerful group of sorcerers intent on reclaiming the Elixir from the coven’s guardianship for their own dark purposes. Lilith knows the Lazarus creed: secrecy and silence. To abandon either would put both the coven and all she holds dear in grave danger. She has spent her life honoring it, right down to her engagement to her childhood friend and fellow witch, Viscount Louis Harcourt.

Until the day she meets Bram, a talented artist who is neither a witch nor a member of her class. With him, she must not be secret and silent. Despite her loyalty to the coven and duty to her family, Lilith cannot keep her life as a witch hidden from the man she loves.

To tell him will risk everything.

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Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Publication Date: March 25, 2014
Source: Library Loan (Libby)
Rating: 3 Stars

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My Thoughts:

THE MIDNIGHT WITCH is a tale of magic and good versus evil. Though the story combines elements of fantasy, historical fiction, and romance, overall it fell a bit flat. As the new High Witch of her coven, Lady Lilith has A LOT to learn. Some of her choices and actions were questionable at best. The supposed grand romance between her and Bram felt forced. The world building was interesting, including the mystery surrounding the coven’s precious Elixir. In the end, I did wonder what the point of their magic truly was. The pacing was slow, though I think listening on audio made the story more entertaining.

I originally got an ARC of this book through Amazon Vine nine (!!) years ago, but it slipped through the cracks and never got read. The physical copy is long gone, so I decided to grab the audiobook from the library. My goal this year is to finally get to some books I got for review years ago, but for whatever reason I never read. Do you let review copies linger too long like me?

THE WINTER SPIRITS: Ghostly Tales for Frosty Nights by Bridget Collins and Others

Publisher’s Synopsis:

FROM THE CREATORS OF THE HAUNTING SEASON COMES A DAZZLING COLLECTION OF NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN GHOSTLY TALES.

The tradition of a haunted tale at Christmas has flourished across the centuries. These twelve stories — authored by some of today’s most loved and lauded writers of historical and gothic fiction — are all centered around Christmas or Advent, boldly and playfully re-imagining a beloved tradition for a modern audience.

Taking you from a haunted Tuscan villa to a remote Scottish island with a dark secret, these vibrant haunted stories are your ultimate companion for frosty nights. So curl up, light a candle, and fall under the spell of winters past…

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Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Publication Date: October 19, 2023
Source: Purchased eBook (Nook)
Rating: 3.5 Stars

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My Thoughts:

This collection is the follow up to 2021’s THE HAUNTING SEASON, with more spooky Gothic tales for the holidays. Again, the stories were good overall, with some I enjoyed more than others:

• Host by Kiran Millwood Hargrave: 4 Stars (séance gone wrong — or right?)
• Inferno by Laura Shepherd-Robinson: 4 Stars (Dante-inspired tale)
• The Old Play by Andrew Michael Hurley: 2 Stars (son visits his father performing in an annual play)

• A Double Thread by Imogen Hermes Gowar: 3 Stars (mean girl needs a new gown for a Christmas ball)
• The Salt Miracles by Natasha Pulley: 4.5 Stars (missing pilgrims on an eerie remote island)
• Banished by Elizabeth Macneal: 4 Stars (woman called to banish a vengeful spirit)

• The Gargoyle by Bridget Collins: 3 Stars (writer’s block in a creepy town)
• The Master of the House by Stuart Turton: 4.25 Stars (father searches for his missing son)
• Ada Lark by Jess Kidd: 2 Stars (child forced to work for a phony medium)

• Jenkin by Catriona Ward: 4.25 Stars (mysterious lie-detecting cat)
• Widow’s Walk by Susan Stokes-Chapman: 4 Stars (widow makes sought-after fans for a Christmas ball)
• Carol of the Bells and Chains by Laura Purcell: 4 Stars (Krampus legend)

Twelve spooky stories for 12 nights of Christmas — averaged out to 3.58 stars, rounded up on Goodreads! Are you a fan of short story collections? I don’t usually gravitate towards them, but ghost stories are just too tempting.

YOU BELONG HERE NOW by Dianna Rostad

Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: April 6, 2021
Source: Review copy from the Publisher
Rating: 4 Stars

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Synopsis from the Publisher:

Montana, 1925 — Three brave kids from New York board the orphan train headed west. An Irish boy who lost his whole family to Spanish flu, a tiny girl who won’t talk, and a volatile young man who desperately needs to escape Hell’s Kitchen. They are paraded on platforms across the Midwest to work-worn folks and journey countless miles, racing the sun westward. Before they reach the last rejection and stop, the kids come up with a daring plan, and they set off toward the Yellowstone River and grassy mountains where the wild horses roam.

Fate guides them toward the ranch of a family stricken by loss. Broken and unable to outrun their pasts in New York, the family must do the unthinkable in order to save them.

Nara, the daughter of a successful cattleman, has grown into a brusque spinster who refuses the kids on sight. She’s worked hard to gain her father’s respect and hopes to run their operation, but if the kids stay, she’ll be stuck in the kitchen.

Nara works them without mercy, hoping they’ll run off, but they buck up and show spirit, and though Nara will never be motherly, she begins to take to them. So, when Charles is jailed for freeing wild horses that were rounded up for slaughter, and an abusive mother from New York shows up to take the youngest, Nara does the unthinkable, risking everything she holds dear to change their lives forever.

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My Thoughts:

YOU BELONG HERE NOW is a touching historical drama about survival, acceptance, and creating a family beyond blood. Set in Montana in the 1920s, the story follows the last three children from an orphan train who jump off to find work and possibly a new home on a cattle ranch. The family that they find are struggling with their own grief and loss.

I enjoyed this absorbing tale that brings to light the perilous lives of orphans at the time, as well as the bigotry faced by Irish immigrants and indigenous people. What a terrifying prospect it must have been to be sent west into the unknown, as you could only hope that you’re taken in by decent people. The writing was a bit melodramatic at times, but overall this coming of age novel is enjoyable and uplifting.

Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer program in exchange for my honest review.

Thoughts on Books (#27): THE FAMILY GAME • THE LAST PARTY • AT SUMMER’S END

THE FAMILY GAME by Catherine Steadman
My rating: 4.25 of 5 stars

BOTM pick from December (’22)

THE FAMILY GAME was wildly entertaining! Harriet (who goes by Harry) was orphaned at age 11. Today, she’s a successful, newly published author who’s engaged to the man of her dreams. The one wrinkle is that Edward is estranged from his uber-wealthy, mysterious, old money family, and Harry hasn’t met them. Yet. When they do meet, it’s clear that the Holbecks want Harry to help bring Edward back into their fold. Edward’s intimidating father slips Harry a tape containing what sounds like a shocking confession, which gets her wrapped up in a deadly family game.

The first half of this book was a slow burn, but I was riveted. I loved watching Harry’s dive into this bizarre family’s world. The last part was crazy fast-paced and heart-pounding as Harry uncovers the disturbing secrets revealed on the tape. Yes, it was over the top, but so fun to read! I was left with a few unanswered questions, but overall it wrapped up with a satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended!

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THE LAST PARTY by Clare Mackintosh
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was a BOTM club pick for November (’22), and unfortunately it was a struggle for me to get through. It’s about two detectives investigating the murder of a has-been singer in Wales.

What I liked:
• The Welsh setting. I love reading about Wales, and I don’t come across many books set there (maybe I’m not looking hard enough!).
• The relationship between the two main characters, Ffion and Leo. They were two flawed and compelling characters, and I enjoyed their exchanges.

What I didn’t like:
• The story was very slow-paced with too much filler and too many time jumps.
• The victim was repugnant and I didn’t care why he was killed.
• There was a huge (HUGE!) cast of characters to keep straight, and most were unlikable or dull.

I’ve read and loved previous books by this author (I LET YOU GO is one of my all-time favorites), but THE LAST PARTY wasn’t for me.

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AT SUMMER’S END by Courtney Ellis
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Being a woman artist in the 1920s was far from easy. Bertie Preston is thrilled when an invitation arrives from the Earl of Wakeford, asking her to spend the summer painting at his estate, Castle Braemore. She’s surprised to find a family still suffering in the aftermath of WWI, especially the earl who fought in the war, and now remains isolated in his chambers. The family is also hiding painful secrets that Bertie will soon uncover.

I was drawn to this book by the nod to the Beauty and the Beast fairytale. Bertie is a unique and compelling character for the time, a woman wanting to live independently as an artist. AT SUMMER’S END is a beautifully written historical romance that brings post-WWI England to life.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

DAISY JONES & THE SIX by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Everyone knows DAISY JONES & THE SIX, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity…until now.

Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock ’n’ roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things.

Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road.

Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.

The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies.

Publisher: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: March 5, 2019
Source: Review copy from NetGalley

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★★★

Having read and loved THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO, I knew that Daisy Jones would have some big shoes to fill, which is why I kept putting off reading it. Last week I found out that the Daisy Jones & The Six TV series would be out soon, so I took the plunge. Turns out my heart still belongs to Evelyn.

DAISY JONES & THE SIX is told in interview form skipping around from character to character as they tell their side of the story. For me, this format didn’t work. The choppy back and forth got tiresome after a while. I really didn’t sense any emotion or feel a connection to the characters. Too much telling and not enough showing?

I do enjoy reading about the 1970s, and this book highlighted the “sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll” culture of that time. I think my favorite characters were Karen and Camila, two very strong women; however, Daisy was a hot mess! Overall, DAISY JONES & THE SIX was an ok read, but with all the hype surrounding it, I was expecting something more.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.