Beauty in Thorns is a stunning historical fiction novel centering on the women too often pushed to the background, the muses and “Stunners” of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood: Lizzy Siddal, Janey Morris, Georgiana Burne-Jones, and her daughter Margot.
All of these women are fully realized characters, complex, flawed, passionate dreamers and artists in their own rights. Drawn to the magnetic artists of the brotherhood, they experience passionate—-and often tumultuous—-romances that undoubtedly changed their lives and perspectives forever.
~
However, their lives are not just centered on love. Each has struggles, obstacles, dreams, and wills of their own. Kate Forsyth’s writing, vividly captures the allure of the artists, the passion of the romances, and the depths of the tragedy and despair so, so well. I was swept away from the very first page and enjoyed following each character. The ending was kind of weak IMO, but that’s my only complaint. If you are looking for historical fiction or historical romances to check out, give Kate Forsyth a try! She also had a lot of books inspired by fairytales.

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The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

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dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

I really disliked this book/the characters but also couldn’t put it down???! Like I HAD to know what happened next. All the characters are extremely unlikeable and make very stupid stupid decisions that made me want to throw a book at their head. The main character possesses almost 0 survival instinct despite spending 10 years in prison. If you like Lifetime dramas/thrillers, you will like this book.

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The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai

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emotional lighthearted reflective relaxing slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

A cozy, comforting read focused on the relationship between food and memory. I liked it better than Before the Coffee Gets Cold because of the writing style

Love & Luck by Jenna Evans Welch

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Jenna Evans Welch’s books are always a blast! The perfect summer read. I loved the focus on sibling relationships, and there was the perfect mix of serious/emotional moments and lighthearted ones. The first book in the series, Love & Gelato, seemed rushed at the end to me, but those issues were resolved in L&L.

Every Time We Say Goodbye by Natalie Jenner

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 33%.

I DNF’d around 33%/Chapter 15. Although the history and setting were fascinating, the plot and characters simply didn’t hold my attention. I was most interested in Vivian’s quest to discover what happened to her fiancé during WWII, but once she gets to Rome, the storyline has largely focused on her blossoming romance with Lassiter. Historical fiction fans who like a stronger romance plot and are interested in film/film history. It was certainly interesting to see all of the politics at work in the film-making process in Italy at this time and the censorship, especially considering many American companies, writers, etc. we’re involved, and Italy was a “safe haven” for those targeted in McCarthy era USA.

The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown

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emotional informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

5.0

Read this for book club, and sports/sports nonfiction is definitely not my normal wheelhouse…but this was so good!

An engaging, emotional, and inspiring account of resilience and brotherhood

Daniel James Brown masterfully wrote the racing scenes, making them easy to imagine and thrilling the reader almost as much as watching the actual race might.

Told largely from the experience of Joe Rantz, the story is very personable and not the kind of nonfiction that keeps it reader at a distance. Although I wish I learned more about the other “boys in the boat,” I quickly grew up to admire and root for him. Brown continually ties the story back to Joe’s character growth and how bring in crew makes him into the man he is later. Brown’s books are also unique because each chapter begins with a quote from a character—-in this case, George Yeoman Pocock, who made the boats and advised the team—-which gives the reader additional insight into an oarsman’s mind. If you like stories of survival or overcoming obstacles, underdogs, or coming of age, I think you will like The Boys in the Boat even if you aren’t a sports fan!

Content Warnings

The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler

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emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Really liked the story overall; the main character; exploration of grief, coping, and family dynamics; and the dual timeline/multiple POVs. Although already on the shorter side of a book, I still felt like it dragged in places and sometimes lacked the sense of urgency, despite it being concerned with a countdown to a possible death, and the main goal being preventing the death.

Content Warnings

Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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nataliealane's reviews 488 reviews

nataliealane's reviews
488 reviews