Books, General

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell | Review

Liz Whitehouse

Title: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell

Author: Susanna Clarke

Rating: 2 Stars

Dates read: 17 Feb 19 – 28 Mar 19

Publication date: 08 Sep 04

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Genre(s): Fantasy, Alternate History

Description:

The year is 1806, England is beleaguered by the long war with Napoleon, and centuries have passed since practical magicians faded into the nation’s past. But scholars of this glorious history discover that one remains, the reclusive Mr Norrell, whose displays of magic send a thrill through the country. Proceeding to London, he raises a beautiful woman from the dead and summons an army of ghostly ships to terrify the French. Yet the cautious, fussy Norrell is challenged by the emergence of another magician: the brilliant novice Jonathan Strange. Young, handsome and daring, Strange is the very antithesis of Norrel. So begins a dangerous battle between these two great men which overwhelms that between England and France. And their own obsessions and secret dabblings with the dark arts are going to cause more trouble than they can imagine. Continue reading “Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell | Review” →

Books, General

Beautiful Bastard | Review

Liz Whitehouse

Title: Beautiful Bastard

Author: Christina Lauren

Rating: 4 Stars

Dates read: 13 Apr 19 – 14 Apr 19

Publication date: 12 Feb 13

Publisher: Gallery Books

Genre(s): New Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Description:

Whip-smart, hardworking, and on her way to an MBA, Chloe Mills has only one problem: her boss, Bennett Ryan. He’s exacting, blunt, inconsiderate—and completely irresistible. A Beautiful Bastard.

Bennett has returned to Chicago from France to take a vital role in his family’s massive media business. He never expected that the assistant who’d been helping him from abroad was the gorgeous, innocently provocative—completely infuriating—creature he now has to see every day. Despite the rumors, he’s never been one for a workplace hookup. But Chloe’s so tempting he’s willing to bend the rules—or outright smash them—if it means he can have her. All over the office.

As their appetites for one another increase to a breaking point, Bennett and Chloe must decide exactly what they’re willing to lose in order to win each other. Continue reading “Beautiful Bastard | Review” →

Books, General

Les Misérables Readalong | Week Three: Marius

Liz Whitehouse

Welcome back to Miserable Monday! For those who don’t know, my friend Emma @ The Terror of Knowing and I are hosting #MiserablesMay, a Les Miserables readalong that is taking place throughout the month of May. We announced it last month, and I wasn’t 100% sure I thought it was a good idea to tackle such a long book that I didn’t have much interest in reading, but I am happy to report that I finished and reviewed (I mean if you can call it that) Volume I  two weeks ago, and read and reviewed Volume II last week, and I read literally the whole of Volume III in a day to get up to date!

I have to say that I wasn’t as impressed by whole sections of this volume and haven’t got as many thoughts and feelings on it as I had in previous weeks. It started so blandly that even the strong volume end wasn’t enough to stop it being my least favourite volume so far.

Now, a small disclaimer before I start: Emma is the English student and the more academically minded reviewer out of the pair of us. It’s great, she writes incredible reviews that mix knowledge and academia with humour and gifs, and is the place to go for the more in depth reviews/updates. Mine are going to be a little shorter, and probably lacking an seriousness at all, so strap in! Continue reading “Les Misérables Readalong | Week Three: Marius” →

Books, General

Les Misérables Readalong | Week Two: Cosette

Liz Whitehouse

Welcome back to Miserable Monday! For those who don’t know, my friend Emma @ The Terror of Knowing and I are hosting #MiserablesMay, a Les Miserables readalong that is taking place throughout the month of May. We announced it last month, and I wasn’t 100% sure I thought it was a good idea to tackle such a long book that I didn’t have much interest in reading, but I am happy to report that I finished and reviewed (I mean if you can call it that) Volume I last week, and I am just about up to date with Volume II (literally just finished it about 12 mins ago!).

Now, a small disclaimer before I start: Emma is the English student and the more academically minded reviewer out of the pair of us. It’s great, she writes incredible reviews that mix knowledge and academia with humour and gifs, and is the place to go for the more in depth reviews/updates. Mine are going to be a little shorter, and probably lacking an seriousness at all, so strap in! Continue reading “Les Misérables Readalong | Week Two: Cosette” →

Books, General

Our Stop | Review

Liz Whitehouse

Title: Our Stop

Author: Laura Jane Willams

Rating: 5 Stars

Dates read: 07 May 19 – 08 May 19

Publication date: 13 Jun 2019

Publisher: Avon Books

Genre(s): Contemporary, Romance

Description:

What if you almost missed the love of your life?

Nadia gets the 7.30 train every morning without fail. Well, except if she oversleeps or wakes up at her friend Emma’s after too much wine.

Daniel really does get the 7.30 train every morning, which is easy because he hasn’t been able to sleep properly since his Dad died.

One morning, Nadia’s eye catches sight of a post in the daily paper:

To the cute girl with the coffee stains on her dress. I’m the guy who’s always standing near the doors… Drink sometime?

So begins a not-quite-romance of near-misses, true love, and the power of the written word.

*I received an eARC of this book courtesy of Avon and NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review*

Continue reading “Our Stop | Review” →

Books, General

Guilt | Review

Liz Whitehouse

Title: Guilt

Author: Amanda Robson

Rating: 3 Stars

Dates read: 25 Apr 19 – 28 Apr 19

Publication date: 19 Apr 2018

Publisher: Avon

Genre(s): Thriller, Psychological thriller

Description:

Your sister. Her secret. The betrayal.

There is no bond greater than blood . . .

When the body of a woman is found stabbed to death, the blame falls to her twin sister. But who killed who? And which one is now the woman behind bars?

Zara and Miranda have always supported each other. But then Zara meets Seb, and everything changes. Handsome charismatic and dangerous, Seb threatens to tear the sisters’ lives apart – but is he really the one to blame? Or are deeper resentments simmering beneath the surface that the sisters must face up to?

As the sisters’ relationship is stretched to the brink, a traumatic incident in Seb’s past begins to rear its head and soon all three are locked in a psychological battle that will leave someone dead. The question is, who?

*I received an eARC of this book courtesy of Avon and NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review* Continue reading “Guilt | Review” →

Books, General

Les Misérables Readalong | Week One: Fantine

Liz Whitehouse

Welcome to the first Miserable Monday! For those who don’t know, my friend Emma @ The Terror of Knowing and I are hosting #MiserablesMay, a Les Miserables readalong that is taking place throughout the month of May. We announced it last month, and I wasn’t 100% sure I thought it was a good idea to tackle such a long book that I didn’t have much interest in reading, but I am happy to report that so far I am up to date finishing Volume I: Fantine in time for my post, and I am actually not hating the book at all.

Now, a small disclaimer before I start: Emma is the English student and the more academically minded reviewer out of the pair of us. It’s great, she writes incredible reviews that mix knowledge and academia with humour and gifs, and is the place to go for the more in depth reviews/updates. Mine are going to be a little shorter, and probably lacking an seriousness at all, so strap in! Continue reading “Les Misérables Readalong | Week One: Fantine” →