Month: July 2023

The 1933 Chicago World’s Fair takes place in the middle of the Great Depression. People got to the Fair to escape the harsh reality and poverty of their everyday lives. At the World’s Fair, people can experience people, places, and things that they only dreamed about.

Madame Mystique, aka Rosa Mancuso, is a burlesque performer, working her magic at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair. She, along with her fellow performers, move along the margins of society. What no one knows is that she is planning a very special vendetta for an Italian pilot scheduled to perform in an air show at the Fair very soon. Her plans are in danger of being uprooted when her estranged cousin, Mina, comes to the Fair, begging for her help with a family problem.

Anika Scott is a wonderful storyteller. The story travels from Chicago to Sicily and back again.  Scott’s writing style is smooth and uncomplicated, yet the reader feels immersed in the scenery she describes for the reader. Throughout the story, Scott switches between the perspectives of the three main characters, but it is never confusing. It lends itself to building layered characters that show growth as the plot progresses.

Scott uses the backgrounds of the three main characters to touch on topics we are all familiar with today, such as race, interracial relationships, politics, family honor, and the problems faced by those that do not fit the mold of “polite society”. This is all accomplished while the reader is immersed in the magic of the Fair before being hit with a shocking and brutal conclusion.

Thanks to BookSirens, Anika Scott, and Duckworth Books for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A thousand years ago, the immortals were slain, their power passed down to a chosen few known as aspects. The competition between noble families for control of these aspects has plunged the land into a never-ending cycle of war and bloodshed.

The Tevulun family has been driven to the brink of extinction by the most recent war. When Tarana Tevulun, who possesses the abilities of Calamity, learns of her family’s intention to murder her, she flees with the assistance of a band of mercenaries. The Tevulun’s enemy, the Ma’isans, take advantage of her absence to advance and besiege the capital city of Vicrum. Tarana returns to fight for the city but faces a difficult challenge due to the involvement of the mortal aspect of Death – thought to be the sole remaining neutral aspect.

Meanwhile, a young soldier named Micol deserts the army after his first taste of battle. When he ends up in the besieged city of Vicrum, he finds himself embroiled with a group of outlaws. Thrust into a world of thieves and rebels, he must confront his deepest fears and make a decision that will change his life forever.

I will be honest – it took me a little while to get into this book. I struggled the first 30% of the book. However, it is not the fault of the author. I don’t read a lot of high fantasy, something I am actively trying to change, so I had a little trouble keeping characters straight at first. The author does include a list at the beginning of the book, something I probably should have looked at more often than I did. The book is a great mix of action and character development. There are three very different threads to the plot at the beginning, but by the end the author brings them all together in a well thought-out and beautifully written package. I am looking forward to reading more from this author and I hope they are already working on the sequel to this book.

Thanks to LibraryThing and Quinn Thomas for the opportunity to read the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book is scheduled to be published on July 18, 2023.

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lara Love Hardin recounts her slide from soccer mom to opioid addict to jailhouse shot caller and her unlikely comeback as a highly successful ghostwriter in this harrowing, hilarious, no-holds-barred memoir.

In this book, Hardin recounts her descent from respected soccer mom to opioid addict, committing crimes to feed her habit. She discusses frankly how her addiction not only impacted her life, but the lives of her children. It is easy to judge Hardin for thinking her addiction was hidden from her family. Her addiction leaves her blind to the risk to her family as she commits crime after crime to feed her growing habit.

Eventually, Hardin is caught, and she goes to jail. It is in jail that this story becomes interesting, a story of strength and resilience. She shows strength in beating her addiction for herself and her children and resilience in jumping through all the loopholes put in place by an unsympathetic system once she is on probation.

In reading her story, one may think that if Hardin can succeed after jail time, any one can and those that don’t succeed are either lazy or born criminals. Hardin herself address that, making it clear that although she struggled, she had it easier than most. She is a well-educated with a talent for writing and a support system that helped her succeed. This in no way diminishes her many accomplishments. If only the other women she encountered in jail had a similar support system, perhaps more of them would succeed out in society like Hardin.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book is scheduled to be published on August 1, 2023.

Make sure you preorder your copy today! (affiliate link)

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐