Showing posts with label 1920s. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1920s. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Until We Meet Again by Renee Collins Cover Reveal & Giveaway!


Author Renee Collins has a new YA novel releasing this fall that is perfect for fans of period time traveling romances. Today I get the pleasure of helping to reveal the cover for her upcoming novel! Feast your eyes on the gorgeous cover below and check out more info on the book as well.







They exist in two different centuries, but their love defies time

Cassandra craves drama and adventure, so the last thing she wants is to spend her summer marooned with her mother and stepfather in a snooty Massachusetts shore town. But when a dreamy stranger shows up on their private beach claiming it's his own—and that the year is 1925—she is swept into a mystery a hundred years in the making.

As she searches for answers in the present, Cassandra discovers a truth that puts their growing love—and Lawrence's life—into jeopardy. Desperate to save him, Cassandra must find a way to change history…or risk losing Lawrence forever.

GIVEAWAY TIME!
Sourcebooks is kindly hosting a giveaway on twitter for an early ARC of this book! All you have to do is retweet the cover of the book along with hashtag #UntilWeMeetAgain and you will be entered in the giveaway!

Here is an example Tweet: COVER REVEAL: @reneecollins_Young Adult time-slip romance #UntilWeMeetAgain will be released this November! 




ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Renee Collins grew up on a beach in Hawaii. Sadly, she never met anyone from the past on those shores, but she did go on to get a degree in History, which is almost the same.


Monday, October 20, 2014

Night of a Thousand Stars by Deanna Raybourn Blog Tour!


Thank you for stopping by my leg of the Night of a Thousand Stars by Deanna Raybourn Blog Tour! I was so excited to read this book. I hope my review piques your interest and you like the book if you read it.  Click the banner above to follow the rest of the tour!


Publication: September 30, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Source: The Publisher on behalf of this tour.



New York Times bestselling author Deanna Raybourn returns with a Jazz Age tale of grand adventure

On the verge of a stilted life as an aristocrat's wife, Poppy Hammond does the only sensible thing—she flees the chapel in her wedding gown. Assisted by the handsome curate who calls himself Sebastian Cantrip, she spirits away to her estranged father's quiet country village, pursued by the family she left in uproar. But when the dust of her broken engagement settles and Sebastian disappears under mysterious circumstances, Poppy discovers there is more to her hero than it seems.

With only her feisty lady's maid for company, Poppy secures employment and travels incognita—east across the seas, chasing a hunch and the whisper of clues. Danger abounds beneath the canopies of the silken city, and Poppy finds herself in the perilous sights of those who will stop at nothing to recover a fabled ancient treasure. Torn between allegiance to her kindly employer and a dashing, shadowy figure, Poppy will risk it all as she attempts to unravel a much larger plan—one that stretches to the very heart of the British government, and one that could endanger everything, and everyone, that she holds dear.


I say it almost every time, but I do not know what it is about the 1920’s that I find so appealing to read about. It just seems like a fun and interesting time period to live in. 

“I say, if you’re running away from your wedding, you’re going about it quite wrong.”

From the beginning, I could tell this was adventure I would enjoy being apart of.  A Night of a Thousand Stars takes place in 1920, where Poppy is trying to escape out of a window on her wedding day.  She is aided by Sebastian, who she believes at the time is the curate.  She feels bad for leaving the groom (Gerald) behind, but she knows that she shouldn’t marry him.  She isn’t even convinced that Gerald really loves her, more like he is just  trying to accomplish things that any upstanding English gentleman should. 

I loved Poppy. She is headstrong, smart, and brave.  She isn’t content to have a title and be one of those stuck up society ladies who spends the majority of their time gossiping with other women.  Instead she  is looking for an adventure to shake things up and make life a little more lively.  And an adventure is exactly what she gets when she goes all the way to Damascus to track down Sebastian. The clues planted throughout the story kept me guessing all the way to the end. 

I had a good amount of fun reading this book. It was a fairly quick read and I happily discovered that it was filled with not just romance and mystery, but humor and adventure as well. I seen other works by this author before, but this was the first one of hers that I have read so far. It did not disappoint. Even though I don’t believe this is a series, I am hoping that there will more adventure and fun times with Poppy and Sebastian in the future.

RATING: 4 ½ out of 5.


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About the Author
A sixth-generation native Texan, Deanna Raybourn grew up in San Antonio, where she met her college sweetheart. She married him on her graduation day and went on to teach high school English and history. During summer vacation at the age of twenty-three, she wrote her first novel. After three years as a teacher, Deanna left education to have a baby and pursue writing full-time.
Deanna Raybourn is the author of the bestselling and award-winning Lady Julia series, as well as, The Dead Travel Fast, A Spear of Summer Grass, and City of Jasmine.
For more information please visit Deanna Raybourn’s website and blog. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.


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Monday, October 7, 2013

The Impersonator by Mary Miley




Publication: September 17, 2013
Publisher: Minotaur Books


In 1917, Jessie Carr, fourteen years old and sole heiress to her family’s vast fortune, disappeared without a trace. Now, years later, her uncle Oliver Beckett thinks he’s found her: a young actress in a vaudeville playhouse is a dead ringer for his missing niece. But when Oliver confronts the girl, he learns he’s wrong. Orphaned young, Leah’s been acting since she was a toddler.

Oliver, never one to miss an opportunity, makes a proposition—with his coaching, Leah can impersonate Jessie, claim the fortune, and split it with him. The role of a lifetime, he says. A one-way ticket to Sing Sing, she hears. But when she’s let go from her job, Oliver’s offer looks a lot more appealing. Leah agrees to the con, but secretly promises herself to try and find out what happened to the real Jessie. There’s only one problem: Leah’s act won’t fool the one person who knows the truth about Jessie’s disappearance.

Set against a Prohibition-era backdrop of speakeasies and vaudeville houses, Mary Miley’s Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition winner
The Impersonator will delight readers with its elaborate mystery and lively prose.
 

The Impersonator has just about everything that I enjoy in a good historical mystery novel.  And it happens during one of my very favorite time periods; the 1920’s. 
All her life, Leah has been involved in show business. Left alone in the world after her mother’s death at a young age, she’s called Vaudeville her home.
Until one night when a man named Oliver Beckett spots her on stage and offers her a job that would very much test her acting skills. After losing her job and having no other viable options, she agrees to what Oliver has planned.
She and Oliver set off to the Carr mansion in Oregon. Where if she succeeds in proving to the Carr family and the trustees of the estate, that she really is Jessie, a nice sizable fortune awaits her and Uncle Oliver.
Learning all about Jessie might be as easy to Leah as learning new lines in a script, but there is something mysterious and possibly dangerous about the Carr family.
And the further she slips into Jessie’s world, the more curious and determined Leah becomes in finding out the truth behind Jessie’s disappearance.  A truth that could jeopardize Leah’s life. Especially when she discovers information about other young women in the area being murdered…
The Impersonator was an engaging and original story that quickly captured my attention and imagination. Lies, booze, betrayal, and murder. This book had just the right amount of those items to make this story very fun to read. The pace was great, writing was fluid, and the details and descriptions of everything seemed to make Leah’s world be interesting to discover.
A fan of all things 1920? Love a good murder mystery set in the past? Then I would recommend that you check this one out.

 
RATING: 4 out of 5.
 
** I received this book on behalf of the Publisher in exchange for nothing, but my honest opinion. Thank you. **

  

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Monday, July 22, 2013

AToMR Blog Tours: Speak Easy by Melanie Harlow



Title: Speak Easy
Author: Melanie Harlow
 Release date: July 22, 2013
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Historical
Tour organized by: AToMR Tours

Buy at Amazon

 
  
 

 
July, 1923. The ‘20s are roaring, and twenty-year-old Tiny O’Mara is desperate for a little anything-goes excitement. But when her father is kidnapped by a mobster in Detroit's exploding organized crime scene, she’s shocked to find herself caught up in the bootlegging wars of Prohibition—and torn between two gorgeous gangsters on opposite sides.
To save her father’s life, she’ll have to choose between them. But deciding whom to trust isn’t easy in a world where everyone wants something—be it booze, money, power, or sex—and no one cares what it takes to get it.
Temptation is everywhere.


Tiny wants more out of her life than living under her father’s roof, taking care of her two younger sisters, and helping in family store/bootlegging business.
She wants to experience a fun and exciting life. Be careful what you wish for. Tiny doesn’t know it yet, but her life is about to get a lot more interesting…
Enter Enzo DiFore, a gorgeous guy with movie star looks that any young girl would swoon over. From the first moment he walked into their store, Tiny knew that for all his good looks, there was something mysterious about him. He also just happens to be the son of a big time mobster. A mobster who kidnaps Tiny’s father. Tiny is left with little options when she is forced to come up with ransom money in order to save her father.
Tiny is my kind of heroine. She is incredibly brave, loyal, and smart. Her personality really stood out and she was a great character to follow. And when it comes to family she will do whatever it takes to protect and help them.

The romance in this story isn’t cut and dry. Tiny has not one, but two young guys to choose from. Aside from Enzo, there is Joey Lupo who is her sister’s brother-in-law. More times than not Tiny gets annoyed with Joey and his endless teasing, but he has more appeal than she gives him credit for. Joey is nice and all but I am Team Enzo all the way. J

As a lover of all things historical fiction set in the 1920’s, I enjoyed Speak Easy a lot. The writing and details were well done. I could imagine the scenery unfolding as I read. This is book one in a series, so I look forward to what happens next with Tiny. Hopefully the wait won’t be too long.


Rating: 4 out 5.

**Reviewers received a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy by the author in exchange for their honest thoughts/review of the book.**
 


About the Author

Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her lipstick red, and her history with the naughty bits left in. SPEAK EASY was inspired by her cocktail culture obsession, her affection for good gin, and the view from the end of her street. She lifts her glass to NA readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI.
 

Author Social Media Links: Blog | Twitter | Facebook




To see other stops on the tour for reviews, guest posts, and excerpt click here or the AToMR button below.



Thursday, July 11, 2013

Book Review: Born of Illusion by Teri Brown





Publication Date: June 11, 2013

Publisher: Balzer & Bray


ANNA VAN HOUSEN HAS A SECRET.

A gifted illusionist, Anna assists her mother, the renowned medium Marguerite Van Housen, in her stage shows and seances, easily navigating the underground world of magicians and mentalists in 1920s New York. For Anna, the illegitimate daughter of Harry Houdini - or so Marguerite claims - handcuffs and sleight-of-hand illusions have never been much of a challenge. The real trick is keeping her own gifts secret from her mother: because while Marguerite's power may be a sham, Anna possesses a true ability to sense people's feelings and foretell the future.

But as Anna's powers intensify, she experiences frightening visions of her mother in peril, which lead her to explore the abilities she's tried so long to hide. And when a mysterious young man named Cole moves into the flat downstairs, introducing Anna to a society that studies people with gifts like hers, she begins to wonder if there's more to life than keeping secrets.

As her visions become darker and her powers spin out of her control, Anna is forced to rethink all she's ever known. Is her mother truly in danger, or are Anna's visions merely illusions? And could the great Houdini really be her father, or is it just another of Marguerite's tricks?

From Teri Brown comes a world bursting with magic, with romance, with the temptations of Jazz Age New York --- and the story of a girl about to become the mistress of her own destiny.



I don’t know what it is about the roaring 1920’s that appeal to me so much. But as soon as I see a book is set in that time period, I immediately picture, speakeasies, jazz music, flappers, and short haircuts. The 1920’s always seemed liked a fun and exciting time to live in. So for me reading about it is the next best thing. 

In Born of Illusion Anna is a very talented magician who recently moved to New York with her mom. She loves to perform in front of a crowd. Magic really does appear to be her true calling.  Anna and her mother do a show together thanks to the assistance of a manager that Anna doesn’t care that much for.  This mother/daughter relationship is anything but easy and carefree; more like complicated and inconsistent.

Anna’s mom is unfeeling and shows signs of jealously over Anna’s talent when it looks like they might outshine her own. Her mom loves the spotlight and I got the impression that she would do whatever she had to do to be number one, even if that meant pushing Anna out of the way.

Even though Anna believes that her mom doesn’t care that much for her, she still loves her mom. And soon Anna becomes concerned over her mom’s safety after she begins to suffer vivid and powerful visions about her mom.

There is some romance in the story. I like a little romance from time to time, especially in historical fiction.  But what I do not like are love triangles, which is something that occurs in this story. I can understand wanting to have conflict for the character, but does it have to be in the form of a love triangle? The indecisiveness started to become annoying.

Apart from that I thought that the plot was unique, the writing was well done, and the characters were interesting. I hoped that Houdini would have played a bigger part in the story though, especially since Anna is supposedly his illegitimate daughter.

I would recommend Born of Illusion to readers who enjoy historical fiction mixed with magic, and romance/love triangles.

 

Rating: 4 out of 5.
 

**I received this book on behalf of Balzer & Bray/HarperCollins in exchange for nothing, but my honest opinion. Thank you.**


 
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Sunday, October 21, 2012

It’s Releasing When????

This is a short list of books releasing soon that I am excited read. For me the release date cannot come soon enough! Happy Reading J

 A Change of Fortune by Jen Turano – November 1, 2012


I love historical fiction, especially a good inspirational one. Even though it’s not a genre I consistently read, since it’s hard for me to find good ones I like, I immediately added this to my to-read list. It sounds like an engaging story that I look forward to reading.  

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Lady Eliza Sumner is on a mission. Her fortune was the last thing she had left after losing her father, her finance, and her faith. Now, masquerading as Miss Eliza Sumner governess-at-large, she's determined to find the man who ran off with her fortune, reclaim the money, and head straight back to London. 
Mr. Hamilton Beckett, much to his chagrin, is the catch of the season, and all the eyes of New York society--all the female ones, at least--are on him. He has no plans to marry again, especially since his hands are full keeping his business afloat while raising his two children alone. 
Eliza's hapless attempts to regain her fortune unexpectedly put her right in Hamilton's path. The discovery of a common nemesis causes them to join forces and, before she knows it, Eliza has a whole retinue of people helping her. Eliza's determination not to trust anyone weakens when everyone's antics and bumbling efforts to assist her make her wonder if there might be more important things than her fortune and independence. 
When all of Hamilton's and Eliza's best-laid plans fall by the wayside, it will take a riot of complications for them to realize that God just might have had a better plan in mind all along.
(Synopsis from Goodreads)

The Marriage Mistake by Jennifer Probst – November 6, 2012


 Jennifer Probst sure knows how to write entertaining romances that will make you laugh and swoon. I was hooked from the very first book in the series, The Marriage Bargain.  And now after reading The Marriage Trap, I cannot seem to get enough. The only downside is that The Marriage Mistake is the last book in the Marriage to a Billionaire series!

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Carina Conte has had a crush on her brother Michael’s best friend, Max Gray, since she was a teenager. Now she’s earned her MBA and come to work at Michael’s new venture, America’s fastest-growing bakery empire. But some things never change: her family still treats her like a child. With three drop-dead gorgeous siblings, she’s still the ugly duckling of the bunch. And Max, the company’s new CEO, still barely notices her.

Max knows Carina Conte is strictly off limits. But hot-blooded lust wins out at a conference when the two share a scorching one-night stand—and are busted by her mother! Now, forced by old-world Italian tradition into a marriage he’s not ready for, Max is miserable—and Carina is furious. Her new husband is about to realize that hell hath no fury like a woman transformed…
(Synopsis from Goodreads)

Sirens by Janet Fox – November 8, 2012 


I love the 1920s time period. I don’t know, but there is just something about that time that screams glamour and seduction.  And when a book is filled with flappers, romance, gangsters, and deadly secrets all set against the backdrop of a 1920s Manhattan, what is not to love?  Let the countdown begin!

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When Jo Winter’s parents send her off to live with her rich cousin on the glittering island of Manhattan, it’s to find a husband and forget about her brother Teddy’s death. But all that glitters is not gold. Caught up in the swirl of her cousin’s bobbed-hair set—and the men that court them—Jo soon realizes that the talk of marriage never stops, and behind the seemingly boundless gains are illicit business endeavors, gangsters, and their molls. Jo would much rather spend time the handsome but quiet Charles, a waiter at the Algonquin Hotel, than drape herself
over a bootlegger. But when she befriends a moll to one of the most powerful men in town, Jo begins to uncover secrets—secrets that threaten an empire and could secure Jo’s freedom from her family. Can her new-found power buy her love? Or will it to ruin Jo, and everyone around her?
(Synopsis from Goodreads)

Every Which Way by Calia Read – November 20, 2012



Who doesn't enjoy a nice little love triangle every now and then? Every Which Way is a story filled with romance, angst, frustration, and I am hoping also a happy ending.  I have been anxiously awaiting this story for months. (Keeping my fingers crossed for an early release J)

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Severine Blake has a plan - a precise course of action when it comes to protecting her heart. She has seen far too many of her friends hit in the crossfires of dating. 
This was before she met Thayer and Macsen.
When the Sloan brothers come into her life, nothing is the same.

Thayer is self-possessed and arrogant. He's used to getting what he wants. Being near him leaves her unsteady and shaken from everything she's used to.
Macsen contradicts his brother in every way. His calm personality captivates her. Severine's drawn to him instantly.
But quickly, Severine discovers that when you want something, that want can turn wicked. Giving in is not always easy. Especially when your heart refuses to give up the fight. What little illusion of love Severine has is soon destroyed. Every option is broken, and the protection she has built around her heart instantly crumbles. 
Severine is discovering there's no right way with the Sloan brothers.
(Synopsis from Goodreads)