Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours Book Review: The Chef's Secret

The Chef's Secret by Crystal King

Publication Date: February 12, 2019

Atria Books

Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook, eBook

Genre: Historical Fiction

A captivating novel of Renaissance Italy detailing the mysterious life of Bartolomeo Scappi, the legendary chef to several popes and author of one of the bestselling cookbooks of all time, and the nephew who sets out to discover his late uncle’s secrets—including the identity of the noblewoman Bartolomeo loved until he died.

When Bartolomeo Scappi dies in 1577, he leaves his vast estate—properties, money, and his position—to his nephew and apprentice Giovanni. He also gives Giovanni the keys to two strongboxes and strict instructions to burn their contents. Despite Scappi’s dire warning that the information concealed in those boxes could put Giovanni’s life and others at risk, Giovanni is compelled to learn his uncle’s secrets. He undertakes the arduous task of decoding Scappi’s journals and uncovers a history of deception, betrayal, and murder—all to protect an illicit love affair.

As Giovanni pieces together the details of Scappi’s past, he must contend with two rivals who have joined forces—his brother Cesare and Scappi’s former protégé, Domenico Romoli, who will do anything to get his hands on the late chef’s recipes.

With luscious prose that captures the full scale of the sumptuous feasts for which Scappi was known, The Chef’s Secret serves up power, intrigue, and passion, bringing Renaissance Italy to life in a delectable fashion.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound

Praise for The Chef's Secret
"King’s characters are drawn as lovingly, as sensually as the food and the Vatican world she describes, and the plot itself — part secret-code mystery, part love story — moves like a well-paced meal." (Boston Globe)

“King supplies all of the elements historical fiction fans expect in a juicy Renaissance tale, including luscious meals, erotic interludes, and deaths by poison and blade. This rich tale should satisfy the appetites of fans of historicals.” (Publishers Weekly)

"In The Chef’s Secret, Crystal King serves up a delectable read stuffed with passion, danger, and a plot worthy of Dan Brown. This fast-paced, engrossing novel brings Renaissance Rome and the Vatican to life through the eyes of a famous papal chef. You won’t be able to put it down." (Stephanie Storey, author of Oil and Marble)

"A veritable feast for the senses, The Chef's Secret is part mystery, part love story, and all sumptuous sixteenth century Italy. This tale of one of the world's first celebrity chefs—Bartolomeo Scappi, a DaVinci of Renaissance cuisine—sent me on a quest to know more, and to my kitchen to experiment—a sign of a great historical novel. Readers will delight in a plot as juicy as Scappi's braised beef!" (Heather Webb, international bestselling author of Last Christmas in Paris)

“The Chef’s Secret is a sumptuous buffet, serving up a love story (two of them!); mystery and suspense so thick you could cut it with, well, a chef’s knife; and such a vibrant panorama of Ancient Rome you’ll feel you’ve walked its streets and inhabited its kitchens. Anyone who loves history, food, a great story—read this novel! Warning: it will make you hungry.” (Jenna Blum, New York Times and international bestselling author of Those Who Save Us and The Lost Family)

"Crystal King’s The Chef’s Secret is a fabulous immersion in the world of renaissance Italy, full of passion, intrigue, secrets, danger, and of course food. Come hungry!" (Melodie Winawer, author of The Scribe of Siena)

“With adventure, engaging characters, and an absorbing mystery, King expertly blends fact with fiction, intrigue, and a powerful love story. Well written and perfectly paced, The Chef's Secret is a fascinating immersion into sixteenth-century Italian life, an introduction to the world's first celebrity chef, and a reminder of the power of food to influence a civilization.” (Booklist)

“King twists in romance, mystery, cultural richness, and some zesty research. Scappi’s secrets are unveiled at a pace that simmers with intrigue…Mixed together with decadent banquets and sweeping historical detail, King has a recipe that entices the senses… vibrant in both visual and flavorful detail.” (Historical Novel Review)


Review: I have to admit when I think of Renaissance Italy I don't think of food, I think of art, but then again food is art.

This book is about the life of Bartolomeo Scappi chef to many  popes. His life is a lot more than you'd think and its brought to you care of ciphered journals that his nephew Giovanni was supposed to burn.

The book will grab you from the very start. The writing is engaging and the book well researched and the characters are so well rounded that you feel close to each of them. The real star of the show if Bartolomeo and his forbidden love.

As we learn more about Bartolomeo and Gio the plot thickens...IT REALLY THICKENS.

I have to admit I sort of knew where part of the plot was going from the beginning, but that didn't bother me. I wanted to know if I was right and how we got there. I was mostly right, but it was the other things that we learned about Barto and his love that keep you turning the page. If you think think of that old Meatloaf song,  "I Would Do Anything For Love"  Barto did and then some. There was no "I won't do that" for him. I found myself surprised at all the things he did for his Stella.

This was a short, fantastic read that will leaving you...erm...hungering for more. (yeah..the pun was intended)

Rating 5 flowers

About the Author
Crystal King is the author of THE CHEF'S SECRET and FEAST OF SORROW. A culinary enthusiast and social media professional, her writing is fueled by a love of history and a passion for the food, language and culture of Italy. She has taught classes in writing, creativity and social media at Harvard Extension School, Boston University, Mass College of Art, UMass Boston and GrubStreet, one of the leading creative writing centers in the US. A Pushcart-nominated poet and former co-editor of the online literary arts journal Plum Ruby Review, Crystal received her M.A. in Critical and Creative Thinking from UMass Boston, where she developed a series of exercises and writing prompts to help fiction writers in medias res. She resides in Boston.

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Blog Tour Schedule
Tuesday, June 18
Review at Tar Heel Reader
Review & Interview at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, June 19
Review at 100 Pages a Day

Thursday, June 20
Review at My Reading Chronicles
Interview at Jathan & Heather

Friday, June 21
Review at Amy's Booket List
Guest Post at Let Them Read Books

Monday, June 24
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Tuesday, June 25
Review at Chicks, Rogues and Scandals
Excerpt at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots

Wednesday, June 26
Excerpt at The Lit Bitch
Review at Orange County Readers

Thursday, June 27
Review at Book Frolic
Interview at Jorie Loves a Story

Friday, June 28
Review at Mama's Reading Corner
Feature at What Is That Book About

Monday, July 1
Review at Comet Readings
Review at Stephanie's Novel Fiction

Tuesday, July 2
Review at Melissa Reads
Review at Clarissa Reads it All

Wednesday, July 3
Review at Henry and Benny's Book Nook
Guest Post at A Bookish Affair

Thursday, July 4
Review at Just One More Chapter

Friday, July 5
Review at Coffee and Ink
Review at Girls Just Reading
Review at Book Reviews from Canada

Giveaway
During the Blog Tour, one winner will receive a set of Feast of Sorrow and The Chef's Secret! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on July 5th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.

The Chef's Secret

Book Review: Beautiful Disaster

Author: Jamie McGuire
Title: Beautiful Disaster
Publisher: Atria Books
Publish Date: May 26, 2011
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University's Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

Review: I think the title of this book sums up exactly how I felt about it. It was a Beautiful Disaster. I had such issues with the characters and their behavior and yet I had to finish it. This is a book about a wannabe good girl and a bad boy and how dysfunctional love conquers all.

I now can say, I find Travis Maddox totally creepy...like creepier than I found Edward Cullen. In fact, Travis was the poster child for a dude that needed medicated. He needed therapy...and anger management and a whole lot of other stuff. At first, you feel a bit drawn to him, because well, he's so messed up. But as the story goes on, he's not right...nothing about him is right. He's controlling, in a way that maybe some misguided souls think is sexy?

Abby isn't much better. She wants to be a good little girl to escape her past but then she starts playing Travis and Parker off of each other. Uh...erm..no! The only thing I can say for Abby and Travis is they are so screwed up that yeah, they belonged together. Two products of unhealthy relationships having an unhealthy relationship.

And don't get me started on the friendships...America? Oye! and her boyfriend Shelpley (sounds like dog food to me)

Most of the time I spent reading this book I was in disbelief that any girl with any self respect would want a guy like Travis. There are bad boys, and yeah, they are sexy, but Travis wasn't really a bad boy...he was screwed up and had so many issues. I can't even begin to number them, but when a guy starts pulling ever guy off the dance floor that danced with you...well he might have a mental issue or two or ten. So yeah, for me Travis was disturbing.

The writing was good enough that I finished it, and the ending was way out there with drama, but I have to say, this isn't my type of book at all.

Rating: 3 flowers

Book Review: All Your Perfects

Author: Colleen Hoover
Title: All Your Perfects
Publisher: Atria
Publish Date: July 17, 2018
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: Colleen Hoover delivers a tour de force novel about a troubled marriage and the one old forgotten promise that might be able to save it.

Quinn and Graham’s perfect love is threatened by their imperfect marriage. The memories, mistakes, and secrets that they have built up over the years are now tearing them apart. The one thing that could save them might also be the very thing that pushes their marriage beyond the point of repair.

All Your Perfects is a profound novel about a damaged couple whose potential future hinges on promises made in the past. This is a heartbreaking page-turner that asks: Can a resounding love with a perfect beginning survive a lifetime between two imperfect people?

Review: "If you only shine a light on your flaws, all your perfects will dim."

That quote came from a fortune cookie and is the revolving theme in this book.  I absolutely loved that quote and I truly hope I don't forget it.

The book is probably the most emotionally gutting thing I've ever read. I loved it and hated it at times. I truly understand why Colleen Hoover has such a huge fan base. I was totally invested in Quinn and Graham, probably more so than in any other book I've read.

This book is about a marriage in crisis and the way it got to be that way.

Quinn is a heroine you hurt for, you adore and a good many times, you want to shake silly. The issues in her marriage to Graham all revolve around her inability to conceive. I cried for her many times, but just as many times I wanted to scream at her for just not doing something but feel sad. I guess looking back on it, it makes her more human. (even though I still wanted her to just talk to her husband!!!)

Then there's Graham..and what he did. Again..where did the communication go. I loved him so much for his devotion..up to a point and then I go on shaky ground, but then again what he did was human. He was flawed, though...very very flawed.

The book is told through dueling timelines. It shows the buildup to the marriage to the present. I'm not sure if that was a good thing, because it left you wondering how a couple so freaking in love and having all this sex, loses all communication about the thing that matters most and then have Graham do the same thing to Quinn that got them together?

Colleen Hoover sure likes to put her heroine and her readers through the wringer.

The ending tied things up a little to easily for me. With all that was going on for me, Quinn and Graham should have been working more...or harder to piece things together. Happy Happy, Joy Joy returned to their lives much to easily especially after nearly 300 angst ridden pages.

This isn't my usual type of book, in fact, I'm not sure how to describe it, because it is in no way a romance novel. It is a fast paced, emotional read. If that's your thing, this is definitely a book for you.

Rating: 4 flowers

Book Review: The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Title: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Publisher: Atria Books
Publish Date: June 13, 2017
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one in the journalism community is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband, David, has left her, and her career has stagnated. Regardless of why Evelyn has chosen her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s Upper East Side apartment, Monique listens as Evelyn unfurls her story: from making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the late 80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way. As Evelyn’s life unfolds through the decades—revealing a ruthless ambition, an unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love—Monique begins to feel a very a real connection to the actress. But as Evelyn’s story catches up with the present, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways

Review: The Seven Husband's Of Evelyn Hugo is probably one of the best books I've read all year. I went into it thinking that Evelyn Hugo was a character similar to Greta Garbo with the husband count similar to Elizabeth Taylor.

Monique is the writer Evelyn has chosen to write her biography. She's very much a secondary character though. This book is all about Evelyn, though we know that there's going to be something that links the star with her.

Evelyn's life is stunning, coming out of Hell's Kitchen to Hollywood and the men and the woman who made her who she was.

If you were expecting a super sexy book, that isn't what you get here, though Evelyn is definitely a woman whose career is made because she's a sex pot. Her greatest films are those that push the boundaries of the time.

What this book is about is her long abiding friendship with Harry Cameron and her long relationship with Celia St. James.

Ah Evelyn and Celia oh man. These two women had such ups and downs. As much as this book was about Evelyn and her husbands it is also about her sexuality, which at the time of her fame was not the norm. See Evelyn is bisexual. Those husband's she's loved or used or both all of them. Each one served a purpose in her life and her career.

She was an amazing character. I couldn't understand Monique's feelings for her at the end, before the big reveal. I really felt Evelyn was a character you really loved, even when she was doing unlovable things. She's selfish, ambitious and definitely one helluva woman.

For me the book ended when she finished her story. I know the connection between Evelyn and Monique needed to be made, but all I cared about was Evelyn. I also admit I cried for her and with her at several points in this book.

Rating: 5 flowers

Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours: The Secret Language Of Stones

The Secret Language of Stones by M.J. Rose

Publication Date: July 19, 2016

Atria Books

Hardcover & eBook; 320 Pages

Series: The Daughters of La Lune, Book Two

Genre: Historical Fiction/Fantasy

As World War I rages and the Romanov dynasty reaches its sudden, brutal end, a young jewelry maker discovers love, passion, and her own healing powers in this rich and romantic ghost story, the perfect follow-up to M.J. Rose’s “brilliantly crafted” (Providence Journal) novel The Witch of Painted Sorrows.

Nestled within Paris’s historic Palais Royal is a jewelry store unlike any other. La Fantasie Russie is owned by Pavel Orloff, protégé to the famous Faberge, and is known by the city’s fashion elite as the place to find the rarest of gemstones and the most unique designs. But war has transformed Paris from a city of style and romance to a place of fear and mourning. In the summer of 1918, places where lovers used to walk, widows now wander alone.

So it is from La Fantasie Russie’s workshop that young, ambitious Opaline Duplessi now spends her time making trench watches for soldiers at the front, as well as mourning jewelry for the mothers, wives, and lovers of those who have fallen. People say that Opaline’s creations are magical. But magic is a word Opaline would rather not use. The concept is too closely associated with her mother Sandrine, who practices the dark arts passed down from their ancestor La Lune, one of sixteenth century Paris’s most famous courtesans.

But Opaline does have a rare gift even she can’t deny, a form of lithomancy that allows her to translate the energy emanating from stones. Certain gemstones, combined with a personal item, such as a lock of hair, enable her to receive messages from beyond the grave. In her mind, she is no mystic, but merely a messenger, giving voice to soldiers who died before they were able to properly express themselves to loved ones. Until one day, one of these fallen soldiers communicates a message—directly to her.

So begins a dangerous journey that will take Opaline into the darkest corners of wartime Paris and across the English Channel, where the exiled Romanov dowager empress is waiting to discover the fate of her family. Full of romance, seduction, and a love so powerful it reaches beyond the grave, The Secret Language of Stones is yet another “spellbindingly haunting” (Suspense magazine), “entrancing read that will long be savored” (Library Journal, starred review).

“A spellbinding ghost story that communicates the power of love and redemption through Rose's extraordinary, magical lens.” (Alyson Richman, internationally bestselling author of The Lost Wife)

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound

About the Author

M.J. Rose grew up in New York City mostly in the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum, the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park and reading her mother’s favorite books before she was allowed.

She is the author of more than a dozen novels, the co-president and founding board member of International Thriller Writers and the founder of the first marketing company for authors: AuthorBuzz.com. She lives in Greenwich, Connecticut. Visit her online at MJRose.com.

Connect with M.J. Rose on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Goodreads.

Sign up for M.J. Rose’s newsletter and get information about new releases, free book downloads, contests, excerpts and more.

Review: 

Rating: 5 flowers

Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, July 12
Review at The Lit Bitch
Review at The Mad Reviewer
Review at Peeking Between the Pages

Wednesday, July 13
Spotlight at Passages to the Past

Thursday, July 14
Spotlight at Teddy Rose Book Reviews

Friday, July 15
Review at A Dream within a Dream

Monday, July 18
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Tuesday, July 19
Review at First Impressions Reviews

Wednesday, July 20
Review at Laura's Interests

Thursday, July 21
Review at Read Love Blog

Friday, July 22
Review at Nerd in New York
Spotlight at I Heart Reading

Monday, July 25
Review at Broken Teepee
Spotlight at Let Them Read Books

Tuesday, July 26
Review at Historical Fiction Obsession

Wednesday, July 27
Interview at First Impressions Reviews

Thursday, July 28
Review at Creating Herstory

Friday, July 29
Review at Beth's Book Nook Blog

Monday, August 1
Review at The Book Junkie Reads

Tuesday, August 2
Interview at The Book Junkie Reads

Wednesday, August 3
Review at Diana's Book Reviews

Thursday, August 4
Interview at Diana's Book Reviews

Friday, August 5
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Spotlight at What Is That Book About

Monday, August 8
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time

Tuesday, August 9
Review at Worth Getting in Bed For

Wednesday, August 10
Review at Jorie Loves a Story
Review at CelticLady's Reviews

Thursday, August 11
Review at Girls Just Reading

Friday, August 12
Review at Dianne Ascroft's Blog

Monday, August 15
Review at Fangirls Ahead!

Tuesday, August 16
Review at Book Lovers Paradise
Review at The True Book Addict

TLC Book Tours Book Review: He Will Be My Ruin

Author: K.A. Tucker
Title: He Will Be My Ruin
Publisher: Atria Books
Publish Date: Feb 2, 2016
Buy: Amazon
Review Copy Provided by: Net Galley & TLC Book Tours
Book Blurb: Twenty-eight-year-old Maggie Sparkes arrives in New York City to pack up what's left of her best friend's belongings after a suicide that has left everyone stunned. The police have deemed the evidence conclusive: Celine got into bed, downed a bottle of Xanax and a handle of vodka, and never woke up. But when Maggie discovers secrets in the childhood lock box hidden in Celine's apartment, she begins asking questions. Questions about the man Celine fell in love with. The man she never told anyone about, not even Maggie. The man who Celine herself claimed would be her ruin. On the hunt for answers that will force the police to reopen the case, Maggie uncovers more than she bargained for about Celine's private life--and inadvertently puts herself on the radar of a killer who will stop at nothing to keep his crimes undiscovered

Review: Sometimes you read a book and you have so much to say about it that you can go on and on. Then there are books that just leave you gobsmacked.

This book did that to me.

This is a book that reminds us, that we don't really know anyone, even our best friends. We all have secrets, some of those secrets are deep and dark and Celine's life has sort of become a deep dark secret. Her suicide proves that to Maggie, and when Maggie starts digging, she finds out how little she knew her bestie.

And when I say, she really didn't know her bestie, she didn't. These are two girls that were polar opposites. One super rich and the other the child of the other's housekeeper.

As Maggie starts reading Celine's diaries, she learns an awful lot about her friend and some of it is hurtful. I felt terribly sorry for Maggie, because she was mourning her friend that she truly loved, and I wasn't sure the friendship was quite as strong as she thought it was. There was a lot of hidden resentment.

Then there was the real secret that Celine was keeping. Her "side" job that wasn't what you'd expect this good little girl to have.

Then there are the two men Grady and Jace. This is where things get interesting. Tucker weaves a story that lets you believe you know what happened to Celine and who caused it...and then she tosses a twist in that will make you change your mind and then the big ending.

Wowzas!

This was a book that I couldn't let go of. It is fantastic and it really just leaves me at a loss for words because it was so good.

Rating: 5 flowers

TLC Book Tours Book Review: Sisters of Versailles

Author: Sally Christie
Title: Sisters of Versailles
Publisher: Atria Books
Publish Date: Sept 1, 2015
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: 

A sumptuous and sensual tale of power, romance, family, and betrayal centered around four sisters and one King. Carefully researched and ornately detailed, The Sisters of Versailles is the first book in an exciting new historical fiction trilogy about King Louis XV, France’s most “well-beloved” monarch, and the women who shared his heart and his bed.

Goodness, but sisters are a thing to fear.

Set against the lavish backdrop of the French Court in the early years of the 18th century, The Sisters of Versailles is the extraordinary tale of the five Nesle sisters—Louise, Pauline, Diane, Hortense, and Marie-Anne—four of whom became mistresses to King Louis XV. Their scandalous story is stranger than fiction but true in every shocking, amusing, and heartbreaking detail.

Court intriguers are beginning to sense that young King Louis XV, after seven years of marriage, is tiring of his Polish wife. The race is on to find a mistress for the royal bed as various factions put their best foot—and women—forward. The King’s scheming ministers push Louise, the eldest of the aristocratic Nesle sisters, into the arms of the King. Over the following decade, the four sisters—sweet, naïve Louise; ambitious Pauline; complacent Diane, and cunning Marie Anne—will conspire, betray, suffer, and triumph in a desperate fight for both love and power.

In the tradition of The Other Boleyn Girl, The Sisters of Versailles is a clever, intelligent, and absorbing novel that historical fiction fans will devour. Based on meticulous research on a group of women never before written about in English, Sally Christie’s stunning debut is a complex exploration of power and sisterhood—of the admiration, competition, and even hatred that can coexist within a family when the stakes are high enough.

Review: I love love love this kind of book.  It is the first of three and I'm going to have to read them all. It is hard to believe that 4, count em 4 sisters could fall into the bed of the same man, let alone the king of France, but that is what happened here.

The story is perfect for those that love books like The Other Boleyn Girl. Only imagine that this family has 4 out of 5 sisters that end up in bed with the king. Yikes.

I've read a lot of stories about the French monarchy, almost as many as I've read about the English monarchy, and I've not encountered anything about these sisters.

How the heck did that happen? And if there are books, why did I miss them.

I do think that part of the reason I missed out on these ladies is because of Louis XV's other mistress, Madame du Pompadour.  (If you don't know who she is, what The Girl In The Fireplace episode of Doctor Who) But back to these sisters, they are all very different women with equally different personalities.

I liked Louise and the ditzy Diane, but Pauline and Marie Anne were downright evil ad nasty and Hortense, the only sister not to shack up with the king was way to pious for my liking. If you didn't know that these women and their stories were real this definitely felt like a work of total fiction.

I absolutely loved this book and cant want to read the next book in the Mistresses of Versailles series.

Rating : 5 flowers

Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours Book Review: The Witch Of Painted Sorrows

Publication Date: March 17, 2015
Atria Books
Formats: Hardcover, Ebook
Pages: 384

Genre: Historical Mystery





READ AN EXCERPT.

Possession. Power. Passion. International bestselling novelist M.J. Rose creates her most provocative and magical spellbinder yet in this erotic, gothic novel set against the lavish spectacle of 1890s Belle Époque Paris.

Sandrine Salome runs away to her grandmother’s Parisian mansion to escape her dangerous husband, but what she finds is even more menacing. The house, famous for its lavish art collection and elegant salons, is mysteriously closed up. Although her grandmother insits it’s dangerous for Sandrine to visit, she defies her and meets Julien Duplessi, a mesmerizing young architect. Together they explore the hidden night world of Paris, the forbidden occult underground and Sandrine’s deepest desires.

Among the bohemians and the demi-monde, Sandrine discovers her erotic nature as a lover and painter. Then darker influences threaten – her cold and cruel husband is tracking her down and something sinister is taking hold, changing Sandrine, altering her. She’s become possessed by La Lune: A witch, a legend and a sixteenth-century courtesan, who opens up her life to a darkness that may become a gift or a curse.

This is Sandrine’s “wild night of the soul,” her odyssey in the magnificent city of Paris, of art, love and witchery.

Praise for the novels of M.J. Rose

The Witch of Painted Sorrows

“Rose's new series offers her specialty, a unique and captivating supernatural angle, set in an intriguing belle epoque Paris—a perfect match for the author's lush descriptions, intricate plot and mesmerizing storytelling. A cliffhanger ending will leave readers hungry for the next volume. Sensual, evocative, mysterious and haunting.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“A haunting tale of possession.” (Publishers Weekly)

The Collector of Dying Breaths

"Breathtaking...combines fascinating history, torrid romance and a compelling mystery into a marvelous package that will entice fans of Anne Rice and Diana Gabaldon.” (Associated Press)

"A page-turning, alluring concoction of fiction infused with fantastical yet actual history. Readers will be charmed by her well-drawn and memorable characters, and they will be mesmerized by her enchanting narrative, which takes them on a mystical and magical journey." (Library Journal (starred))

"A terrific piece of entertainment." (CT Post)

"Wondrously original... elegantly written. Rose manages to utterly suspend our disbelief in a book that leaves us, appropriately enough, breathless." (Providence Journal)

"Mysterious, magical, and mythical…what a joy to read!" (Sara Gruen, New York Times bestselling author of Water for Elephants)

Seduction

"Atmospherically romantic and perfectly toned. Classy and elegant literary seduction of the highest measure. As wondrously crafted as it is original." (Providence Journal)

"Readers will be enchanted by M.J. Rose's supernaturally charged novel Seduction, inspired by Victor Hugo's self-imposed exile on the British island of Jersey in the 1850s." (USA Today)

“Has just about everything a thriller fan could wish for.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

“Full of well-researched history, the paranormal, and modern intrigue, this atmospheric tale of suspense is fully engrossing to those willing to suspend their disbelief.” (Library Journal (starred review))

The Book of Lost Fragrances

"A compelling page turner...Once you catch a whiff, you will be enchanted." (Associated Press)

"M.J. Rose is a bold, unflinching writer and her resolute honesty puts her in a class by herself." (Laura Lippman)

"The Book of Lost Fragrances resonates with spirit, blending myth with reality, tragedy with triumph, pain with joy. You'll find yourself questioning everything you believe--and wanting more." (Steve Berry)

“Provocative…a sweeping sense of romance [and] history.” (Cleveland Plain-Dealer)

Buy the Book

Amazon

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IndieBound

Review: I absolutely adore M.J. Rose's Reincarnationist series. This isn't one of those books, but there is a small mention of the famous fragrance makers in this book.



What I love about Rose's writing is the way you really feel like you are transported into the story, not to mention the sensuality of the story.



The story takes place in the 1890s in France. This story, like her others has a great sense of family as well as suspense and a bit of the paranormal.


Sandrine is an interesting character and your feelings for her will change as the book progresses, mostly because of Le Lune. To go into how the character changes would spoil the story for the reader, but suffice to say, it is not for the better in some ways. In fact, the way Sandrine treats her grandmother makes me want to choke her, but the behavior is understandable. Its just hard to handle because her grandmere is my favorite character in the book.


Why you ask? Because she's a courtesan. How cool is that really? And she's classy.


Her relationship with Julien is perfect. It starts out innocently and works its way to erotic, without being trashy. The scene where Sandrine paints Julien is so powerful and so erotic that you may need a cold shower after reading it.


Sandrine's family history is captivating and the story of Le Lune will keep you turning the pages. This isn't a light fluffy novel either, as you might guess if you've read any of Rose's past work.  This is a novel of possession and the occult. So it's quite dark at times.



Highly recommended!

Rating 5 flowers

About the Author

M.J. Rose grew up in New York City mostly in the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum, the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park and reading her mother's favorite books before she was allowed.

She is the author of more than a dozen novels, the co-president and founding board member of International Thriller Writers and the founder of the first marketing company for authors: AuthorBuzz.com. She lives in Greenwich, Connecticut. Visit her online at MJRose.com.

Connect with M.J. Rose on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Goodreads.

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Book Review: Your Perfect Life

Author: Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke
Title: Your Perfect Life
Publisher: Atria Books
Publish Date: June 10, 2014
Buy: Amazon

Review Copy Provided By: Net Galley
Book Blurb: 

Best friends since childhood, Casey and Rachel couldn’t lead more different lives. While workaholic Casey rubs elbows with celebrities daily as the host of Gossip TV and comes home nightly to an empty apartment, stay-at-home mom Rachel juggles an “oops” baby, two fiery teenagers, and a husband who barely seems the man she fell in love with two decades before. After an argument at their twentieth high school reunion, Casey and Rachel throw back shots to get the night back on track. Instead, they get a life-changing hangover.

Waking up in each other’s bodies the next morning, they must figure out how to navigate their altered realities. Rachel is forced to face the broadcasting dreams she gave up when she got pregnant in college, and Casey finally steps out of the spotlight to face the real reason why she’s alone. And they soon discover that they don’t know themselves—or their best friend—nearly as well as they thought they did.

Review: Your Perfect Life is a Freaky Friday/The Grass Is Always Greener scenario. Casey and Rachel are besties, but have very different lives, and they aren't even sure they like them.

Casey is a host of a TMZ type show called Gossip TV and Rachel is a stay at home mom. A little hocus pocus after their 20 year reunion and they've switched bodies.

Both of them have to get used to being the other, and that's not very easy.

Going in, I wasn't really thrilled with either character, but it was Casey, that I really loved as the story progressed. She really grew as a person becoming Rachel, plus she fixed a lot of things in Rachel's life, like her relationship with her daughters and her husband. Considering she was tv personality and not used to the whole family thing, her swap had to be harder to handle and adapt to.

It wasn't quite the same for Rachel, who got the hot body, nice house and fabulous clothes. But she also got the bad that came with it, in the form of backstabbing coworkers.

The switch brought out the best in both of them. It was funny and heartfelt and really a great read. If the whole body swap thing hadn't been done a bazillion times, it would make a fantastic movie.

Definitely a great weekend read!

Rating: 5 flowers

Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours Book Review: The Collector Of Dying Breaths

Author: MJ Rose
Title: The Collector Of Dying Breaths
Publication Date: April 8, 2014
Atria Books
Hardcover; 384p
Review copy provided by: Net Galley
ISBN-10: 1451621531
Book Blurb:
From one of America’s most imaginative storytellers comes a passionate tale of love and treachery, spanning the days of Catherine de Medici’s court to the twenty-first century and starring a woman drawn back, time and again, to the past.

In 1533, an Italian orphan with an uncanny knack for creating fragrance is plucked from poverty to become Catherine de Medici’s perfumer. To repay his debt, over the years René le Florentine is occasionally called upon to put his vast knowledge to a darker purpose: the creation of deadly poisons used to dispatch the Queen’s rivals.

But it’s René’s other passion—a desire to reanimate a human breath, to bring back the lives of the two people whose deaths have devastated him—that incites a dangerous treasure hunt five centuries later. That’s when Jac L’Etoile—suffering from a heartache of her own—becomes obsessed with the possibility of unlocking Rene’s secret to immortality.

Soon Jac’s search reconnects her with Griffin North, a man she’s loved her entire life. Together they confront an eccentric heiress whose art collection rivals many museums and who is determined to keep her treasures close at hand, not just in this life but in her next.

Set in the forest of Fontainebleau, crisscrossing the lines between the past and the present, M.J. Rose has written a mesmerizing tale of passion and obsession. This is a gothic tale perfect for fans of Anne Rice, Deborah Harkness, and Diana Galbadon.

Review: Anyone that has read any of M.J. Rose's Reincarnationist series will be delighted by The Collector of Dying Breaths.

I thought that Seduction was the best in the series, but this book proves that Rose is just getting better with each new offering in the series. I'm hoping the series continues, but with the way this book ended, I'm not sure.

The best thing about these books is their rich detail of history. Rose creates mystery that weaves the past and the present together. This time we get Catherine de Medici's perfumer. Just seeing that name should tell you that there will be more suspense than usual, or rather, palace intrigue.

I found myself on the edge of my seat more while reading this book than any of her past novels in this series, especially in the present day parts of the book. Jac's work to finish what her brother started really had her in with some crazy people. VERY CRAZY people.

The other thing that was a bit different in this book was the level of eroticism. Don't get me wrong, it isn't smutty in the least, but there are parts with Rene and his lover that will leave you needing a cold shower.

If you love Rose's writing you won't want to miss this book and if you like a good weaving of past and present it will be up your alley as well.

Rating: 5 flowers

Book Review: With All My Love

Author: Patricia Scanlan
Title: With All My Love
Publisher: Atria
Publish Date: July 30, 2013
Buy: Amazon

Review Copy Provided By: Net Galley
Book Blurb: 

A heartwarming novel about a shocking discovery that forever changes the lives of three generations of women.

When Briony McAllister takes a trip to visit her mother, Valerie, she uncovers a letter from her long-lost grandmother, bringing to light a nearly unforgivable act her mother has kept secret for decades. Having always believed that her grandparents didn’t want to see her, she finds that the opposite is true: her grandmother had been seeking her out all along, and it was her own mother who willfully kept them apart.

Devastated that her past has come back to haunt her, Valerie realizes that her daughter’s anger might cause their troubled family history to repeat itself in a new generation. Rich with emotion and featuring magnificent descriptions of Ireland, With All My Love deftly weaves the stories of the past and present to take us into the heart of a family at war. As the truth is revealed, so too are the complex yet enduring bonds between mothers and daughters.

Review: This is a book that is hard to love, not because the book is bad, but because the characters are so downright human. These are real people and real problems, and 80% of the characters are unlikable, including the main characters. Oh and if you think Briony is one of them, she really isn't. She really feels more like a catalyst to get the story moving.

With All My Love is Valerie and Jeff's story for the most part. Even after Briony finds the letter from her Grandma, the story isn't told to her, the reader is shown it through Valerie and Tessa's eyes. Tessa is just a unlikable lady from the start. She's overprotective of her son, Jeff and she's really nasty to Valerie for no good reason.

The letter from Tessa is discovered on the anniversary of her father's death. The letter brings back pain and heartbreak and a whole lot of anger.

Valerie is a typical teenage girl from the early 80s. She wants to have fun. Enter an overbearing and controlling father and you have a recipe for disaster. I loved the references to Charles and Diana's wedding and all the Mills and Boon books Valerie read.

Valerie does a lot of things that make you dislike her, but at the same time, you really feel sorry for her. She loved Jeff and losing him at such a young age was devastating and with a young daughter too.

This book really details the power struggle between a girlfriend and a mother. As the story goes on, you really see how similar these two women are. Both were trying to escape a bad family life, though Valerie does have a close relationship with her own mother who longs to break free from her own bad marriage.

Jeff is written like every young man who found himself with a pregnant girlfriend. His actions are more than believable. You feel sorry for him, but at times, you want him to be a man and not a mouse.

There are a lot of struggles between Val and Jeff too. Typical fights between couples really. I liked the reality of the story, though I hated the actions of both Valerie and Tessa. Their behavior towards each other was deplorable.

You will find yourself loving and hating many of the characters throughout the book. Valerie's father is one of them. He's a tough one, worried about appearances and wanting what's best for everyone. I didn't agree with his discipline of the young Valerie, but I felt terribly sorry for him and I didn't like how little emotion was spent when he died.

My favorite characters were Lorcan, Jeff's father, who was a true gentlemen and Valerie's best friend Lizzie. I also loved Val's mom.

The ending tied things up a little to neatly for me for all the angst that this story contained.

This was very emotional read and though parts of it were extremely frustrating it was hard to put down.

Rating: 3 flowers

Book Review: Accidents Happen

Author: Louise Millar
Title: Accidents Happen
Publisher: Atria Books
Publish Date: June 25, 2013
Buy: Amazon

Review Copy Provided By: Net Galley
Book Blurb: From Louise Millar, the acclaimed author of The Playdate, comes a gripping psychological thriller where one woman’s streak of bad luck may be something far more sinister. Kate Parker lives her life in a state of heightened anxiety, constantly afraid that something terrible will happen to her and her ten-year-old son, Jack. She obsesses over statistics to make them safe. There’s a reason for Kate’s nervousness. She lost her parents in a freak traffic accident on her wedding night, and her husband Hugo was murdered. It’s time for Kate to move on and start a new life.

When Kate meets Jago, it feels like she’s about to get that new beginning. Soon, though, her doubts return—despite the fact that everyone thinks she’s irrational. But is she imagining things? Or does she have a real reason to worry? After all, accidents happen.

Heralded as “a writer to watch” (Booklist) for her stylishly creepy and accomplished debut, Louise Millar skillfully layers suspense and twists in this taut and deeply suspenseful thriller.

Review: Accidents Happen is a kind of chicklit thriller. Louise Millar writes the story so that the pages turn effortlessly. You are taken into Kate and Jack's world instantly and it is a crazy crazy world.

So many bad things have happened to Kate...her parents were killed on her wedding day, her husband was murdered and so many other little things. Kate suffers anxiety and she uses statistics to help her think she's safe.

Kate is a character that takes some getting to know before you start to feel any emotions for. In fact, for the first part of the book, you like her in laws think she's totally out of her mind and you feel nothing but sorry for her poor little boy that lives in the shadow of her fear. Her paranoia keeps him from enjoying an outdoor sleepover...(though there is a lot more to his fears)

Then a chance meeting with an author in a juice shop gives her a new lease on life. Jago shows her how to put away her fears, but in doing so, she ends up doing things that she wouldn't normally do.

All the while this is happening we know there's someone out there watching her and her son. In fact, you almost think you know what's going to happen.

But you don't.

That's why this book is so fantastic. When you reach the last 40 pages and you release that what you thought was going to happen isn't...your jaw will drop.

This was a wonderfully written and fun book to read. It isn't edge of your seat suspenseful or scary but it is gripping and you won't want to put it down once you get started. She creates characters that you really start to pull for and she gives them complex lives.

Jack is probably the best written child character that I've read in a novel. He comes across as genuine and he's adorable and also almost grown up at times.

Louise Millar is definitely an author to watch

Rating: 5 flowers

Author links

• Author blog

• Twitter - @l_millarwriter

Historical Fiction Book Tours Book Review: Seduction

Publication Date: May 7, 2013
Atria Books
Hardcover; 384p
ISBN-10: 1451621507
From the author of The Book of Lost Fragrances comes a haunting novel about a grieving woman who discovers the lost journal of novelist Victor Hugo, awakening a mystery that spans centuries.
In 1843, novelist Victor Hugo’s beloved nineteen-year-old daughter drowned. Ten years later, Hugo began participating in hundreds of séances to reestablish contact with her. In the process, he claimed to have communed with the likes of Plato, Galileo, Shakespeare, Dante, Jesus—and even the Devil himself. Hugo’s transcriptions of these conversations have all been published. Or so it was believed.
Recovering from her own losses, mythologist Jac L’Etoile arrives on the Isle of Jersey—where Hugo conducted the séances—hoping to uncover a secret about the island’s Celtic roots. But the man who’s invited her there, a troubled soul named Theo Gaspard, has hopes she’ll help him discover something quite different—Hugo’s lost conversations with someone called the Shadow of the Sepulcher.
What follows is an intricately plotted and atmospheric tale of suspense with a spellbinding ghost story at its heart, by one of America’s most gifted and imaginative novelists.

Review: Seduction brings back some of the characters that you met when reading M.J. Rose's last novel The Book Of Lost Fragrances, so there will be some familiar faces here, especially for those of us that have been reading The Reincarnationist Series. (These books can be read as stand alone novels, but I think in this case, it might be helpful if you had read the previous book in the series)

This book, like the others in this series, blends past and present beautifully, bringing the life of Victor Hugo into the realm of fiction. His character is one of the main reasons I wanted to read the novel and as always, M.J. Rose didn't disappoint. I really felt connected to him in a way I never have before. He's  more than just the author of Les Miserables now.

More than suspenseful, this book also has a lot of spooky going on, which gives it a slightly different feel from the other novels. It almost made me wish that this book had been released in the autumn, because it is more the type of book I read around Halloween. (I'm crazy like that...I tend to read all my spooky novels in October)

The seances that occurred in Hugo's time period were creepy and the things that happened to Jac really give this book some dark undertones.

I love how well researched the book was in regards to Hugo's life. I found myself doing many an internet search to fact check and I found myself even more intrigued with Hugo's life after reading this book.

This is definitely the best book in the series so far.

I highly recommend this book and all of the series to fans of mystery/suspense and just a little something different.

Rating: 5 flowers

About the Author

M.J. Rose is the international best selling author of eleven novels and two non-fiction books on marketing. Her fiction and non-fiction has appeared in many magazines and reviews including Oprah Magazine. She has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, Time, USA Today and on the Today Show, and NPR radio. Rose graduated from Syracuse University, spent the ’80s in advertising, has a commercial in the Museum of Modern Art in NYC and since 2005 has run the first marketing company for authors – Authorbuzz.com. The television series PAST LIFE, was based on Rose’s novels in the Renincarnationist series. She is one of the founding board members of International Thriller Writers and runs the blog- Buzz, Balls & Hype. She is also the co-founder of Peroozal.com and BookTrib.com.
Rose lives in CT with her husband the musician and composer, Doug Scofield, and their very spoiled and often photographed dog, Winka.
For more information on M.J. Rose and her novels, please visit her WEBSITE. You can also find her on Facebook.

Book Review: The Comfort Of Lies

Author: Randy Susan Meyers
Title: The Comfort Of Lies
Publisher: Atria Books
Publish Date: Feb 12, 2013
Buy: Amazon

Review Copy Provided By: Net Galley

Book Blurb: 

“Happiness at someone else’s expense came at a price. Tia had imagined judgment from the first kiss that she and Nathan shared. All year, she’d waited to be punished for being in love, and in truth, she believed that whatever consequences came her way would be deserved.” Five years ago, Tia fell into obsessive love with a man she could never have. Married, and the father of two boys, Nathan was unavailable in every way. When she became pregnant, he disappeared, and she gave up her baby for adoption.

Five years ago, Caroline, a dedicated pathologist, reluctantly adopted a baby to please her husband. She prayed her misgivings would disappear; instead, she’s questioning whether she’s cut out for the role of wife and mother.

Five years ago, Juliette considered her life ideal: she had a solid marriage, two beautiful young sons, and a thriving business. Then she discovered Nathan’s affair. He promised he’d never stray again, and she trusted him.

But when Juliette intercepts a letter to her husband from Tia that contains pictures of a child with a deep resemblance to her husband, her world crumbles once more. How could Nathan deny his daughter? And if he’s kept this a secret from her, what else is he hiding? Desperate for the truth, Juliette goes in search of the little girl. And before long, the three women and Nathan are on a collision course with consequences that none of them could have predicted.

Riveting and arresting, The Comfort of Lies explores the collateral damage of infidelity and the dark, private struggles many of us experience but rarely reveal.



Review: Randy Susan Meyers has created a book that involves a subject that sends terror into the hearts of most wives, infidelity.

In The Comfort Of Lies, she weaves a story of three women and how one choice affects all of their lives.

None of these women are perfect and each have to deal with the choices they made. I found it hard to like any of these women, but I did feel sorry for each one of them in different ways.

Tia was the other woman who ended up pregnant from her affair. She's a mess. Even up to the last pages, she isn't totally together. She's also the youngest of the bunch. She may not have been a young girl that got knocked up, but she was a twenty something girl with a lot on her plate who foolishly fell in love with someone she couldn't have.

Juliette is the wife of the man Tia had an affair with. That affair messes with their life and their marriage and in fact the whole ordeal turns her into as big of a mess as Tia. (And really that girl needs to get her life in order)

Caroline is the women who along with her husband Peter, adopts Tia's baby.

One action by Tia 5 years after the birth of her child sends so many actions into place and suddenly they are all in each other's lives, whether they want to be or not.

I had an easier time coming to grips with Tia, because I could understand her love for Nathan and her home situation, with a mother in hospice. At times, she goes almost Fatal Attraction nuts. Yeah, girlfriend is off her rocker.

Juliette and Caroline are both career women, in different ways. Caroline is the harder character to relate to for me. She's a brilliant woman, working in pathology to discover cures for childhood cancers. It is hard to believe she loves her work more than her family. (Not that she doesn't love her daughter)

Juliette is more the typical mom who goes off the deep end when she realizes that the affair her husband had produced a child. My main problem with her character was how she obsessed over the affair 5 years later, when it was obvious Nathan hadn't had any contact with Tia. But I felt sorry for her, because her mother would be enough to make her a nut job!

I couldn't stand Nathan at all. I couldn't figure out why either woman would want him and the parts of the story that were told from his point of view seemed to try to paint him as the injured party. Seriously? The guy didn't deserve his wife or Tia.

This isn't a happy read or a fun read, but the characters draw you in. It is a book that makes you think of how one little thing can change the lives of so many.

Rating: 5 flowers