The Shadow Key by Susan Stokes-Chapman (Bibliolifestyle Book Tour)

 

Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @harperperennial for a review copy of The Shadow Key by Susan Stokes-Chapman.

What types of books do you like to read in the fall?  I love reading mysteries, thrillers, and anything with a Halloween vibe.  The Shadow Key was a Gothic historical mystery and fit right in with what I want to be reading in the fall.

In 18^th century Wales, Dr. Henry Talbot took a job at the Plas Helyg estate after losing his prestigious job in London after a medical mishap.  He discovers the lady of the estate has mental troubles and is mostly bedridden.  Her daughter Linette is unconventional and likes to wear pants while working on the estate.  As Henry and Linette grow closer, Henry starts to realize that something is very wrong at the estate.  Will he figure out why and be able to help those at the estate?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       The Shadow Key had a dark and foreboding feeling as soon as the book began, which gave me great fall vibes.

·       The people of Wales are distrustful of a newcomer from London even though he was sent to help.

·       Copper mining has taken over the land and is performed in unsafe conditions.  I am always intrigued with books that include mining.

·       I loved the historical Gothic suspense and the atmosphere of the entire novel.  It reminded me of Mary Stewart and Victoria Holt novels that I have enjoyed in the past.

·       Merlin the dog was a favorite of mine in the novel.  He was a heroic dog and his story pulled at my heartstrings.

·       This novel does feature an insta love story line, which is not my favorite trope.  It is a closed-door romance.

·       The historical mystery was enjoyable.  There were some great plot twists at the end that surprised me.  I read this book slowly, but surely until the end when I really wanted to figure out what had happened.

·       I don’t want to go into details on the plot, as it is fun to experience the plot twists without knowing what will happen.

·       I have not read Pandora by this author, but I want to after finishing this book.

Overall, The Shadow Key is an engrossing historical mystery with great Gothic vibes and plot twists.

Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson

 

What is your book club reading lately?  I’m in several different book clubs and we read a lot of different genres.  Blackmore by Julianne Donaldson was one of my book club reads for September.

Kate Worthington has decided that she will never marry, and she really wants to journey to India with her aunt.  Her mother agrees to her trip to India if she can get and reject three marriage proposals.  Kate travels to a house party at Blackmore in hopes of fulfilling her part of the bargain.  Will she be able to and what secrets will she uncover?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was one of the September picks for the JASNA Northwoods Book Club.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t feeling well and missed this book club this month.

·       This novel is told from the first-person point of view.

·       It is told through the present and flashbacks to tell the story of why Kate no longer wants to marry.

·       This novel is set in 1820 and is a sweet Regency romance.

·       Kate has problems with her family.  Her mother is overbearing and throws herself at every man she sees.  It’s deeply implied that she cheats on Kate’s father all the time.  She wants Kate to get married, but also seems to want to be attractive to any potential suitors.  This was very awkward.

·       Her entire life, Kate has wanted to see the estate of Blackmoore.  It is her childhood best friend, Henry Delafield’s grandfather’s estate and will be Henry’s upon his death.

·       Henry’s mother has invited the lovely Miss St. Claire in hopes that Henry will propose to her during the house party.  Henry’s mother does not like Kate due to Kate’s family.

·       The mystery involved in this book really drew me into the story.  Why does Kate not want to marry anyone?  What exactly happened that cut off her family from Henry’s family? 

·       I liked the characters of Kate and Henry and getting to know them.  The other characters were one-dimensional and were not very likeable.

·       This book had a darker Gothic vibe which seemed more like Jane Eyre mixed with Pride and Prejudice.

·       This novel was a clean read.

Overall, Blackmoore was an entertaining Regency romance.

Book Source:  Checked out from the Kewaunee Public Library. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Measure by Nikki Erlick

 

If you could find out how long you had left in your life, would you want to find out?

One day every adult in the world received a box with a string in it.  The strings vary by size.  It doesn’t take scientists long to determine the length of your string is how long you have left in your life.  How will this impact the world and those with “short strings” versus “long strings.”

My thoughts on this book:

·       The Measure was the September pick for the Rogue Book Club.  It made for an interesting book club discussion.  I am still thinking about this book.

·       The story follows eight characters and their stories.  Their stories intertwine at times.

·       Prejudice starts with “short stringers” with people not wanting to give them jobs.  Can your life have an impact, even if it’s a short life?

·       There are two love stories in this novel that were very touching.

·       The ending goes into the future to give closure to all the characters, which I appreciated.

·       It was hard to believe that this novel was written by a debut author! 

·       The novel was an interesting look into how we dehumanize people by grouping them together and deciding everyone in that group must follow the same principles.

·       This was a good character driven novel.

·       The reader never finds out where the strings come from and why they keep arriving for young people as they come of age.

·       Politicians use the situation and people to further their own gains.  This seemed like something politicians would do.

The Measure by Nikki Erlick is a beautifully written novel with an intriguing concept that is great for book club discussion.

Book Source:  Checked out from the Kewaunee Public Library. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Where Coyotes Howl by Sandra Dallas

Title: Where Coyotes Howl

Author:  Sandra Dallas

Narrated by:  Stephanie Németh-Parker

Publisher: McMillian Audio

Length: Approximately 9 hours and 14 minutes

Source: Thank you @netgalley for the audiobook review copy.  Sadly, only about half of the book ended up working on the NetGalley download so I purchased the audiobook from Amazon.com to listen to the rest of the book.

What is the saddest book you’ve ever read?  When Coyotes Howl is on my list of saddest books I’ve ever read.  I don’t know if I’ve ever cried as much reading a book.

Ellen Webster answers an ad to become a schoolteacher in Wyoming.  She meets Charlie Bacon and is swept off her feet.  The two work to make a life together on the high plains, but life in Wyoming is very difficult.

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This novel was the September pick for the Kewaunee Library Page Turners Book Club.  I sadly missed the meeting due to a work meeting.

·       I listened to this audiobook from NetGalley, but tragedy struck as it only had half of the story!  The audiobook wasn’t available from the library, so I purchased the rest of the story from Audible.

·       I liked the framing with someone that knew Ellen and Charlie telling their story in 1945 when they are showing a friend their empty homestead.

·       This story was set in 1916, which seems late for a pioneer homestead tale, but there were still parts of the west being settled at that time.  My great-grandma used to show me a picture of her father’s homestead in Montana in the 1920s.  It was stark.

·       I loved Charlie and Ellen’s romance and pure love for one another.  They have their down times, but their love remains strong.

·       This novel was beautifully written.

·       The audiobook had great narration and was easy to listen to.  Warning – do not listen to the last half of this book while you are driving!

·       This novel had many strong women who helped each other.  Ellen helped her friends, and they helped her.

·       This novel really showed the harshness and loneliness of settling on a ranch in Wyoming in the early 20^th century. The tragedies that the women and children faced such as fires, insanity, depression, poverty, and more brought tears to my eyes.   Just when I thought the book couldn’t get any sadder . . . it got sadder.

·       This pioneer tale is perfect for fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Willa Cather, and Bess Streeter Aldrich. 

·       I liked that there was an auction for picnic baskets in this book and that is how Ellen and Charlie got together.  It reminded me of the musical, Oklahoma, and of So Big by Edna Ferber.  It leads me to believe the auctioning of baskets was a common entertainment back in the day.

Overall, Where Coyotes Howl is a beautifully written tale that shows the harshness and the beauty of homesteading in Wyoming in the early twentieth century.