Angieville

I'm delighted to be a part of the blog tour for Julia Whelan 's debut novel My Oxford Year . I'll confess this beautiful cover is what initially drew my eye. It's just a book I wanted to have on my shelf aesthetically. But even before I saw the cover, I'd heard of this title. It's as though it's been floating around in the ether for awhile now, what with a major motion picture already being in development. Truthfully, that level of advance hype gave me pause, as did the implied titular time constraint. Something about it fairly screamed, "Unplumbed depths of pain lurk beneath this charming cover." I was wary. But some gut instinct kicked in, encouraging me to give this one a chance. I am so very glad I did. The novel is an adaptation of an original screenplay (a fact I found out after turning the final page), and I sat with that for awhile sussing out how I felt about it. In the end, I don't think it really alters my experience with this text...

This cover seduced me from the moment I clapped eyes on it. It is so perfect that when I saw it in person I had to actually take a moment before I could touch it. With the gold foil? And that precise shade of blush? I mean, I mounted a token resistance. But nobody was fooled. And then yesterday it was so beautiful out, right? It was sunshine and blossoms on trees and my feet told me they were just going to take me for a short walk around the city center, when what they actually  did was march me right down to the nearest bookstore and over to the C section of the stacks. I didn't stand a chance at that point. We were going home together, and neither of us had any questions on that score. Penny Lee can see the end in sight. She has her acceptance letter to UT Austin in hand, and if she can just withstand her clingy mother and her well-meaning but doltish boyfriend a couple more days, she'll be free. And so it is with equal amounts relief and trepidation that she moves into h...

So, for the past few weeks, I have basically been on one massive historical bender. It has been rather wonderful, really. And it's probably worth warning you that the highlights are going to be making their way here over the next few weeks. The whole thing began with a Laura Lee Guhrke reread, which led to a binge of her recent books, which led to one headlong Julie Anne Long tear. Somehow, I'd only read three of her Pennyroyal Green books and inexplicably decided that was as far as I was going? Utter nonsense, that. I happily downed at least five more charming entries in the series and, somewhere along the way, I discovered Charis Michaels . For which thing I am absolutely delighted. Because Ms. Michaels has just a lovely touch. I started with her first series and moved on to her most recent release  Any Groom Will Do ―the first in her new Brides of Belgravia series. While I've enjoyed each of her books, this one is my favorite. Allow me to tell you why. Willow has ...

Um. Hi. Hi, there. Did you, by chance, hear that Meagan Spooner is doing a Robin Hood retelling and that this is its cover?! I had to take a few deep breaths to let my heart slow down before I could even string words together. After the note-perfectness that was Hunted last year, I struggle to contain my glee at the thought of what we have in store when she turns her hand to Robin Hood. As you know, I have feelings and opinions when it comes to this tale. And exactly none of them are mild. You likely know the usual suspects that make up my beloved versions. So try, if you will, to approximate the expression on my face when I read this will be a gender-bent take, in which Marian dons the hood, in which the first line of the blurb is "Robin of Locksley is dead." I feel like someone may need to start giving me oxygen at any moment. Certainly, long before this Sherwood  is out March 19, 2019. Challenge accepted, Ms. Spooner. Take my money.