The Bourbon Thief by Tiffany Reisz

Welcome to another Totally Overdue Tuesday book review.  I am working on reviving this blog and catching up on some long overdue book reviews. 

The Bourbon Thief by Tiffany Reisz, a stand-alone Southern Gothic novel and a departure from Erotica and The Original Sinners series was published in June 2016. 

When Cooper McQueen wakes up from a night with a beautiful stranger, it's to discover he's been robbed. The only item stolen—a million-dollar bottle of bourbon. The thief, a mysterious woman named Paris, claims the bottle is rightfully hers. After all, the label itself says it's property of the Maddox family who owned and operated Red Thread Bourbon distillery since the last days of the Civil War until the company went out of business for reasons no one knows… No one except Paris.
In the small hours of a Louisville morning, Paris unspools the lurid tale of Tamara Maddox, heiress to the distillery that became an empire. But the family tree is rooted in tainted soil and has borne rotten fruit. Theirs is a legacy of wealth and power, but also of lies, secrets and sins of omission. The Maddoxes have bourbon in their blood—and blood in their bourbon. Why Paris wants the bottle of Red Thread remains a secret until the truth of her identity is at last revealed, and the century-old vengeance Tamara vowed against her family can finally be completed. - tiffanyreisz.com

If you follow my reviews, you know that I adore Tiffany Reisz. I never want any of her novels to end. She’s not only a master at creating characters to fall in love with despite their imperfections, her world building is impeccable. Her strengths are on full display with this dark, twisty love story. Outside of the Original Sinners universe, Tamara is my favorite of all Reisz’s characters. I loved her relationship with Levy. I also loved learning about Bourbon. This book is also a bit of a love letter to Bourbon, I was left thirsting for a drink that I don’t even care for. 

Definitely pick up The Bourbon Thief and every single one of Tiffany’s books while you’re at it. 

Special Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC in exchange for a fair, honest review. 

🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃/5

 

The Secret Language of Stones by M.J. Rose

Welcome to another Totally Overdue Tuesday book review.  I am working on reviving this blog and catching up on some long overdue book reviews.

The Secret Language of Stones by M.J. Rose was originally published in July 2016.

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.

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 — jewlery that is very special.

Opaline has a rare gift: 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...- mjrose.com

They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but this beautiful glorious cover matches the lyrically stunning words inside. The Secret Language of Stones is the second novel in the Daughters of La Lune series and builds on the world created in The Witch of Painted Sorrows. However both titles can stand-alone and be read separately.  While not a romance, there are certainly romantic elements present along with a blend of supernatural and history to create a delightful, unique novel. I’ve also always been a bit of a nerd about minerals, gems and crystals. I used to carry around a little pouch of my favorites: rose quartz, tigers eye, lapis, snowflake obsidian...you get the gist, LOL. So I loved that Opaline’s gift involved stones.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

I can’t wait to read the follow-up novel, The Library of Light and Shadow. Look for all M.J. Rose’s novels at your local bookstore or click the link under the synopsis to visit her website.  Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Atria Books, for a free e-ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

Buns by Alice Clayton

Welcome to a Totally Overdue For Review Tuesday post. I am working on reviving this blog and catching up on some long overdue book reviews.

Buns, originally published May 2017, is the third novel in Alice’s “Hudson Valley” series. I’m fortunate to live in the Hudson Valley but I’ve never been to the Mohonk Mountain House which is the inspiration for the Bryant Mountain House. However if the Mohonk Mountain House it’s even half as charming as the Bryant Mountain House, I definitely need to visit.

Clara Morgan is living the dream, if you can call rebranding hotels that are desperate for a new life and running any kind of marathon a dream. Which she does. But the career she loves and the endurance races that keep her adrenaline pumping have kept her too busy to put down any roots. Growing up in foster care, she’s never been able to establish traditions of her own, which may be why she’s fascinated by the rituals that generations-old family resorts are known for. She’s especially interested in the Bryant Mountain House, and not just for their secret recipe for the yummy, gooey, can’t-get-enough-of Hot Cross Buns….
Archie Bryant, the man with the Buns, is fifth generation and one-day-owner of the charming yet run-down Bryant Mountain House in Bailey Falls, New York. He’s determined to save his family’s legacy from the wrecking ball the old-fashioned way—by gritting his teeth and doing what needs to be done. There’s no way Archie will be influenced by the new hotel branding expert his father brought in to turn one hundred and fifty years of tradition on its head just to attract a faster, younger, slicker crowd. But when some of Clara’s ideas start bringing in new, paying customers, Archie can’t deny that she may have just given him a shot at keeping his resort open.
It’s sticky, it’s messy, it’s sweet, it’s Buns. -aliceclayton.com

I was a fan of Alice’s “Redhead” series delightful rom-com’s featuring a struggling redheaded actress. Buns features all the best qualities of that series: relatable characters, delightful banter and romantic scenes that are  sweet like those buns but also a little spicy. I highly recommend Buns if you’re looking for a light-hearted romance. Now I’m off to find a cinnamon bun as all this bun talk has made me hungry.  Ask your favorite bookseller for Buns or visit the author's website listed in the synopsis above for purchasing info.

🍩🍩🍩🍩/5

Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Gallery Books/Pocket Books for the e-ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.