What We're Reading!

Christina here and can you believe it’s already time for our monthly round-up of Wenchly reads and recommendations! No idea where the time goes … As always, it is a very mixed selection, from generational stories to timeslips and everything in between. Have a look and see if anything takes your fancy!

Pat:  Sonali Dev, THE VIBRANT YEARS, is a fast-paced book that sucked me in from the very first, even if I usually despise women’s fiction where everyone is beautiful, talented, and brilliant. The three-generational protagonists here are Indian, so their obstacles aren’t just jealous bosses or spiteful exes, which was refreshing. They’re fighting against their culture, the expectations of family, and their own fears. The youngest is a genius computer programmer who can’t relate to people but is desperate to save her mental health software from an ex. Her mother destroyed her loving marriage by daring to take on a TV career that was destined to spit out someone her age and race. And the grandmother … We should all have grandmothers like Bindu, gorgeous, free-spirited, and trapped by humiliating old memories and fears. When a wealthy, famous lover dies in Bindu’s arms, causing outrage in her senior community, all three women come together in support. The last half of the book has a lot of mental perambulation, but by that time, you’re hooked into their stories and need to know how they fare in life and love. Definitely recommended.

Anne recommended Ashley Poston, THE DEAD ROMANTICS back in January but it's never wrong to get a second opinion. I’m a sucker for a ghost story, and a ghost story with a ghost writer … Hook, line, and sinker. The book aims for literary – tons of description, family dynamics, gritty real life of a writer – theoretically. (I gotta question how a ghost writer for a famous romance author can’t make the rent …) But let’s face it, folks, it’s paranormal romance.

Florence Day grew up in a funeral home. She and her dad see ghosts. Solving a murder when she was thirteen got her a reputation, and she fled for the city right out of high school and never looked back, despite her lovely warm welcoming family. So right there, you have my problem – Florence is a total, utter wuss. She stays a wuss for three-quarters of the book. The story is fun. The ghostly hero (shades of the Ghost and Mrs. Muir) is a hunky editor who follows her home when her dad dies. Anyone who has ever read a romance knows how this goes. But it was a fun ride even if no one pushes Flo over a cliff, which she richly deserves for her whining. So if ghost stories are your thing, give it a try.

Mary Jo:  I've read and enjoyed a number of bestselling author Jasmine Guillory's mainstream romances, most recently WHILE WE WERE DATING. It's the 6th and last of her loosely linked Wedding Date series, where many of the protagonists are family members or known to each other, but the books work fine as standalones.

All of the stories have Black protagonists, though not all protagonists are black, many characters are lawyers, and most of the stories are set in California. This is not surprising since Guillory is a Black Californian graduate of Stanford Law. <G> Diversity and race are part of the fabric of her stories, usually in pragmatic references to the fact a lot of things are more challenging for Blacks, but she's never heavy-handed about it.

But what really matters is that she has whip-smart banter, intelligent and likable protagonists, and realistic family and career challenges. In WWWD, the heroine, Anna Gardiner, is a well-known, Oscar-nominated actress who has been going through a tough period because of anxiety, and is now determined to move forward. She has a new movie coming out and she has no idea how large her part is--for all she knows, it was cut to nothing.

Anna also is desperate to secure a part in an upcoming movie from a famous female director because she feels she was born for that role. In order to raise her profile to improve her chances of getting the part, she agrees to do a series of ads for a very high profile new mobile phone launch. After listening to all the pitches, she chooses the agency of Ben Stephens because she loved the pitch he had to make because the senior people in his firm are marooned in a distant airport. Since he's also Black, he understands the best kinds of lighting and he just generally gets her.

The ad production goes well and they have flirty fun, though no more since they both have a policy of not dating people they're working with. But they become friends and then more than friends when an emergency arises. Both are dealing with family issues, and for Ben, there are special challenges to dating a high-profile actress, even one as thoughtful and down to earth as Anna. Individually and together they deal with those challenges, and it was a great ride!

Anne:  I recently read THE LOST APOTHECARY by Sarah Penner, a debut novel that became a huge bestseller. It's a time-slip novel that moves between 1791 and the present day. The 1791 story involves a secretive female apothecary in London who deals out poisons for women to use on abusive men. The modern day story is about an American woman who, shortly before a 10th wedding anniversary trip to London, discovers her husband has been cheating on her. She goes to London alone to sort out her feelings and her future.

A history graduate who abandoned academic studies for marriage, she becomes intrigued by a small vial she found while mudlarking on the Thames. By a series of incredible coincidences she discovers the tiny workshop of the apothecory and the story goes on from there. There were a number of plot holes and coincidences that were a bit hard to swallow, but despite that it was a good, page-turning and interesting read.

I also read RED HEIR by Lisa Henry and Sarah Honey, on recommendations from a reader group. It's a funny fantasy based on the "lost heir" trope. For years the young red-haired Prince of Aguillon, heir to the throne, has been missing, secretly imprisoned in a dungeon. When a rescue mission is made by a human, an orc, a dwarf and an elf, they break into his cell, and find two red-haired prisoners — the prince and a pickpocket. Both claim to be the prince, so they take them both.

It's funny and entertaining. I didn't realize until I was halfway through it that it's a male-male romance, which isn't really my thing. But it was very funny and clever and enjoyable.

The book I most enjoyed this month was wench Christina's PROMISES OF THE RUNES. I don't usually mention fellow wenches' books: I figure we all read and enjoy those, but I just have to mention this one as it was the best book I read all month. For a long time I put off reading Christina's Viking books, as I'd read a lot of Viking stories in the past that didn't appeal. But I'd read (and recommended) many of her non-Viking books long before I 'met" her on the Word Wenches so eventually I read her first Viking story, and since then I've gobbled each one up. The stories are good, the characters are appealing and the research is excellent — I've learned so much fascinating information about Vikings.  PROMISES OF THE RUNES is her best one yet — I think. Might have to reread them all again and decide. Anyway PROMISES OF THE RUNES is highly recommended.

Andrea:  For my local book club, I read DEMON COPPERHEAD by Barbara Kingsolver, which was an Oprah’s Book Club choice a while back. Kingsolver says the book was inspired by Charles Dickens and his classic David Copperfield, in which he exposed the institutional “cruelty” and failure of the system to protect vulnerable children born into poverty. DEMON COPPERHEAD is set in modern day Appalachia and is told in first person by young Damon (known as Demon) as he tries to survive in a hostile world. His mother, a teenage unwed mother with addiction problems dies early of an oxy overdose, and he’s then thrown into the foster care. She touches on all the challenges of rural life in America these day – and how there is a crushing sense of hopelessness in so many areas … it may sound very depressing, but it’s so beautifully written with lots of sharp humor and laugh-aloud moments, though the things he goes through are horrible and heartbreaking. It’s at once a scathing critique of the system, but also an ode to the resilience of youth and the human spirit. I didn’t expect to like it, but I found it a riveting and ultimately uplifting book.

Nicola:  The book I was most looking forward to reading this month was PROMISES OF THE RUNES by the Word Wenches’ own Christina Courtenay! Every time I read a book in the Runes series, I say it is the best one so far, but actually I think it’s simply that they are all brilliant in their different ways and I love the entire series. I did particularly enjoy Ivar’s story, though. Ivar is somewhat envious of the other members of his extended family who have managed to travel back to the ninth century and he is determined to experience the Viking era for himself. Plus, there is the vision he has had of a beautiful, spirited woman who needs his help … Ivar is a very attractive hero, combining modern sensibilities with the strength and determination needed to survive as a Viking warrior. I loved the way his relationship with his ancestor Thorald developed and the camaraderie amongst the male warriors. Ellisif is a strong heroine who matches Ivar perfectly and their romance unfolded in such a tender way. I really enjoyed that aspect, plus the twist at the end of the book (no spoilers!) It is as beautifully-researched and engrossing as all of Christina’s books and there are some lovely touches of humour as well. Very highly recommended!

I’ve also been reading my way through Jennifer Bernard’s series The Rockwell Legacy. The Rockwells, three brothers and two sisters, are the children of “Mad Max” Rockwell who owns a run- down lodge in the remote Cascades Mountains. Each member of the family has their own story and there’s also an over-arching romantic suspense thread that binds the series together. The romances are hot and steamy, the heroes to die for and the suspense elements cleverly interwoven into all five books. I love a good series and happily grabbed the next one when I had finished the previous book to see what happened. It’s hard to pick a favourite although I did love Gracie and Mark; Gracie has such a joyful approach to life and it was a lot of fun to see her upset Mark’s carefully-calibrated lifestyle. If you like series set in close-knit communities you will love these books. And the first book in the series, THE REBEL, is currently free on Amazon!

Christina:  I read a lot of books this month, but the only one I really enjoyed was THE WORST WEDDING DATE by Pippa Grant. It was serious and hilarious in equal measure. With a heroine who is so uptight and rule-following you want to shake her and a hero who is the complete opposite, it’s definitely an interesting combination. They bring out the best and worst in each other and there’s plenty of chemistry. Laney is the only daughter of upwardly mobile parents, who have built up a company from scratch and become rich in the process. She’s expected to follow in their footsteps and take over when they retire, then continue the “dynasty” by marrying someone safe and boring. Aged almost 30, she is finally rebelling. Theo, in contrast, has always been considered a “screw-up” and has done more or less as he pleased all his life. He’s all about fun and thrill-seeking and adventure, and denies himself nothing. But because no one expects him to do well, he doesn’t want them to know he’s made millions with a side hustle as a “naked motivational knitter”. That is to say, he stars on a porn site where he bares all while knitting and giving advice about life. His followers love him, not because of his nakedness, but because what he says really resonates with them. Obviously, Laney’s parents would not consider him suitable son-in-law-material, but that makes him exactly right for her. Their journey towards finding each other is both laugh-out-loud funny and heart-rending, and I simply couldn’t put this book down. Loved it!

How about you? We’d love to hear what you’ve been reading!

 

Comments

[Vicki L]

This month has been a more satisfying reading month. Probably because I had the mental bandwidth to do lots of new to me books. My four notables for this month are:

The Mail Order Brides by Bronwyn Williams. It is set on a barrier island off the coast of NC in 1899. A series of desperate women end up as mail order brides and band together to make the most of their situation. A very enjoyable book. The main character ends up making a convenient marriage not to who she thought she would. He dies and she has an antagonistic to love relationship with someone else., lots of character growth for everyone. Also a hurricane comes along. All the minor characters were fun too.

My Lady Thief by Emily Larkin. Hate to love (h Arabella.). Guilt to Love (H Adam). Arabella is the thief. Adam decides he is going to figure out who the thief is because he is bored. Also the thief rescues his sister from a blackmailer. Lots of cross purposes. It was very enjoyable and left me with a happy feeling. Not part of the Baleful Godmother series.

Resisting Miss Merryweather - Emily Larkin This was more of a novella (144 pages) and part of the Baleful Godmother series. I liked both the H & h. It was a fully developed story and I didn't feel shortchanged by the length.

A Walk in Wolf Wood by Mary Stewart. I don't know that I had ever heard that Mary Stewart had written children's books but this one crossed my path so I decided to read it.. It's a children's fairy tale adventure involving time slip, enchanters, and a werewolf. Very descriptive as you'd expect of a Mary Stewart book and fun to read (only 148 pages, published in 1980).

[Christina Courtenay]

Thank you Vicki! I love Emily Larkin's books and haven't read My Lady Thief - will have to go and find that. I'm glad you had a good reading month!

[Kareni]

Over the past month, week by week ~

— reread Written In Red (A Novel of the Others Book 1) by Anne Bishop. I enjoyed this once again; the real question is whether I’ll be able to resist reading on in the series. Be warned that this series contains violence and gore.
— For my distant book group, I read Clock Dance by Anne Tyler. I found this contemporary fiction to be a very quick read; it’s about the life of a woman at about ages 10, 20, 40, and 60. I enjoyed the last section of the book the most but found the ending rather abrupt.
— quite enjoyed All Gremlins Great & Small by T.M. Baumgartner. I look forward to reading the book that follows this contemporary fantasy novella which takes place after portals from other worlds have opened up on ours.
— enjoyed yet another reread of Stray (Touchstone Book 1) by Andrea K. Höst. This science fiction book is FREE for Kindle readers. This is one of my comfort books.
— reread another favorite, Quarter Share (Trader’s Tales from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper Book 1) by Nathan Lowell, which I’d describe as mellow slice of life science fiction. Then read the next in the series, Half Share.

-- Continued my reread spree with Full Share and Double Share (Trader's Tales from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper Books 3 and 4) by Nathan Lowell which I enjoyed once again.
-- finished Trading in Danger (Vatta's War Book 1) by Elizabeth Moon which I enjoyed. This is a science fiction novel, and I would happily read on in the series.
-- also read two stories that I enjoyed. The first, 120 Seconds by Michael Robertson, is military science fiction novella. The second, "The Distant Hills" , is the title piece in The Distant Hills and Other Stories, an anthology by LGBT romance author Kaje Harper.

— reread Captain’s Share and Owner’s Share (Trader’s Tales from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper Books 5 and 6) by Nathan Lowell. Once again the final volume made me cry. And as always I remain impressed that the author managed to begin book one and end book six with the same sentence.
— For my local book group read The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan which was a horrifying/depressing nonfiction account of the Dust Bowl era.
— read Do I Know You? by Emily Wibberley which I quite enjoyed. This was about a couple married for five years who have grown apart who find a way to re-connect.

-- All three volumes of Nathan Lowell's A Seeker's Tale From The Golden Age Of The Solar Clipper which I enjoyed once again.
-- three short works: An Emporium of Hearts by Hailey Turner, Threshold by Cari Z, and Psychic Moon by M.D. Grimm; all were pleasant reads but not particularly memorable.

[Kareni]

And now I'm off to download samples of some of the books mentioned above due to your appealing descriptions!

[Christina Courtenay]

Wow, Kareni, that's an amazing list as always! Thank you for all the recommendations!

[Christina Courtenay]

So glad you found something that appealed to you!

[Janice J.]

This month I read a lot more Harlequin regencies, both recent and vintage. I prefer the writing style in the vintage titles, but I will admit that the recent ones are faster reads that I can finish in one evening.

The only other book I read that might interest this group was The White Lady by Jacqueline Winspear, in which Elinor White, a trained sniper from WW1, sorts things out for a local boy. I don't think it's going to be a series but I could be wrong about that; the structure is there.

[Mary M.]

I was late to the Peace of Amiens post last week, so brought up the rear with a two-volume memoir that I recorded for Project Gutenburg some years back:

A RESIDENCE IN FRANCE,
DURING THE YEARS 1792, 1793, 1794, and 1795
DESCRIBED IN A SERIES OF LETTERS
FROM AN ENGLISH LADY;
With General And Incidental Remarks
On The French Character And Manners.

Repeating it here because it's interesting research for authors and good reading for readers of our sort. It's still available, I checked.

[Christina Courtenay]

Many thanks, Janice! Regencies are always great - I love both the old and new Harlequins too!

[Christina Courtenay]

Thank you so much for the recommendation, Mary, it sounds fascinating!

[Karin]

I don't have a lot to report on this month, but I enjoy hearing everybody else's recommendations.
I did read "Chaos Reigning" by Jessie Mihalik, which is the 3rd in her Consortium Rebellion series. At first the heroine seemed too young(21) for me to relate to, but I soon got caught up in the action. This is military/adventure/sci-fi romance, so there is a lot of action(and violence, fair warning!) It was a real page turner.

[Christina Courtenay]

Many thanks, Karin, that sounds interesting! It's always great when you get completely caught up in a story and can't put it down.

[Annette N]

I read several books which appealed to me, but the best book I have read so far this year is Coronation Year by Jennifer Robson. The story is terrific. I also liked Vanessa Kelly's the Highlander's Holiday Wife.
I wanted to thank you all for all the new books I have heard about today.

[Jeanne Behnke]

We just retired & went on a month long road trip so reading was kind of feast or famine. Certainly that wasn’t a bad thing. Everything was on my iPad Mini kindle app. So I started with Ripples In Time by Julie McElwain - Kendra Donovan #6. I can’t wait for the next one. I so love this series. Then Nicola’s The Winter Garden. Oh my, congratulations Nicola. Another winner. Fairytale by Stephen King - very creative take & great characters & conversation. Homecoming by Kate Morton - a riveting story but a little too long to tie everything up. I feel like I have to reread the last chapters & let it all settle in my head. This Bird Has Flown by Susanna Hoffa which was a cute & fun read with a lot of pop music business. Lastly, Who Cries For The Lost by C.S. Harris - Sebastian St. Cyr #18. Oh yes, another series I love. I hope I didn’t overlap from last month. Lol.
Also the hardcover of The Lost Apothecary is still sitting out on my table waiting to be read. I always leave it out because the cover is so pretty.

[Teresa Broderick]

I listened to two audio books this month, Partners in Crime and Postern of Fate by Agatha Christie. Then I read a LOT of Enid Blyton's because I needed a bit of a wind down mid month and I find them relaxing. I was making my way through the Five Findouter's and Dog series.
I read a couple of ARCs too. The Enemy of Love by Annabelle Thorpe was an excellent read and thoroughly enjoyable.
The Forgotten Palace by Alexandra Walsh was quite good also. Jean Fullerton is a favourite author of mine and her new one A Stepney Girl's Secret was very, very good and is out next Thursday. Oh and to finish off, The Body in the Library, another Christie, one of my favs.

[Michelle H]

Every time I read this particular post my wish list climbs dramatically. I love Sonali Dev's writing. The Vibrant Years is on my TBR. Vikings are usually not my thing, but I think I really have to try Christina's series!

I read a lot of Austenesque fan fiction in general, the two best ones this past month were: A Less Agreeable Man: A Pride and Prejudiced Variation: The Queen of Rosings Park, Book 3. A long title, and a book I put off reading for some reason, but I love a good Mary Bennet story so finally plunged in and-oh boy-was I ever glad I did. The other one on the best list was J. Dawn King's, River of Dreams. Gosh I love that author.

It's rather hard to say this particular book was the best book I read all month because it was so grim. C.S. Harris's Where The Dead Lie (Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery Book 12.) It took me longer to finish it because of the subject matter. But every time I finish a Harris book I'm so glad there are quite a few in the series for me to read later.

I recently finished accumulating all the books in another Anne Gracie series and will start reading that soon.

And I discovered M.A. Nichols this month and have listened to 5 or 6 of her tales on audio on Youtube just this month.
Here's to a wonderful May for all of the Wenches and their followers.

[Linda Lou Manwiller]

Last month Anne recommended Ruth Downie's Medicus series. Well, I'm half-way through book 5 and am really enjoying them!
Unfortunately, I can only find up to book 6 through the library's ebooks, so I'll have to use 'regular' interlibrary loan for the last two.
I've been interested in Roman Britain for many years. I remember reading Rosemary Sutcliff's books when I was younger and loving them. (Now there is an author I'd love to see in re-issue!)

[Christina Courtenay]

Thank you for the recommendations, Annette! I hadn't heard of either of those but will check them out.

[Christina Courtenay]

That sounds like a great road trip, Jeanne, and fab that you had a lot of time to read too! Some great recommendations and I totally agree about Nicola's The Winter Garden - such a wonderful story!

[Christina Courtenay]

That sounds great, Teresa! I haven't read any Agatha Christie for ages, but always enjoy them too. And Enid Blyton - I used to be obsessed with her books as a child! Many thanks for the other recommendations as well!

[Christina Courtenay]

Thank you so much, Michelle! I'm glad you found some things on our list to add to your TBR, and hope you enjoy my Vikings if you give them a try.

[Christina Courtenay]

So glad you've enjoyed the books Anne recommended, Linda! It's always great to share the stories we've loved and to hear that someone else liked them too. I'm very partial to Roman stories as well. Have you read The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley? It's a fabulous timeslip that features Romans in Britain.

[Kareni]

I enjoyed the first two Consortium Rebellion books, Karin, so have requested Chaos Reigning from my library. Thank you for mentioning it!

[Kareni]

This Bird Has Flown was waiting for me at the library yesterday, so it's nice to hear that you enjoyed it, Jeanne!

[Laura Lee]

This past month, I read Fairy Tales by Stephen King and Who cries for the Lost also. Loved them both. I've read The Shadowy Horses too. Susanna Kearsley is always a great read. Reminds me of Barbara Erskine's Lady of Hay. I also started Lynn Messina's Beatrice Hyde-Claire series and have built up so many endorphins laughing! Very funny Regency murder mysteries. While I wait for Andrea's next, I plan to read Patricia's Magical malcolms series --somehow I missed them. And I will take the suggestion and read Promises of the Runes.

[Christina Courtenay]

That sounds great, Laura - really funny books are hard to come by so thank you for the recommendation! I love all Susanna Kearsley's books (and Barbara Erskine's of course), and Patricia's Magical Malcolms are quite simply magical! And Many thanks for wanting to read my story too - much appreciated!