ClareR (6256 KP) rated Spitting Gold in Books
Jun 4, 2026
Atmospheric writing places the reader in Paris after the French Revolution, where Baroness Sylvie is living a perfect life with her affluent lawyer husband.
Her estranged sister, Charlotte Mothe, visits with an offer that’s hard to refuse. Their father is very ill, Charlotte needs to pay the bills, and Sylvie must come out of retirement and conduct a seance to help her out. But Sylvie is risking her marriage.
Spitting Gold is a debut, and I thought it was gripping and entertaining - it kept me reading! The characters were fleshed out, believable and colourful (to say the least!). There were moments where it made me feel very uncomfortable - was it the ghosts?
There’s a bit of something for everyone here: historical fiction, mystery, the paranormal, sapphic romance and family dynamics.
Recommended!
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Barefoot on the Beach in Books
Jun 22, 2024
Book
Barefoot on the Beach
By Katlyn Duncan
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Renee may be thrilled to be planning her sister’s wedding, but after witnessing her mother’s two failed marriages, she has always vowed that she is better off on her own.
But when Renee discovers that Luc Hardy has moved next door, her world is knocked off kilter. Luc was her whirlwind summer romance as a teen and, more importantly, her first love. Now he’s back in West Cove, looking more handsome than ever.
There is no escaping the romance in the air this summer. With the wedding planning in full swing, Renee begins to believe that she might be able to put her childhood reservations about marriage aside.
Yet when her mother arrives, she stirs a torrent of emotions in Renee’s heart. She’s up to her old tricks again – boasting about her latest conquests – reaffirming Renee’s lack of faith in love.
As Renee’s happily-ever-after hangs in the balance, will Luc be able to convince her that true love can last forever?
This was a nice quick read and really sweet story. I’m not a romance fan normally but this was well written and enjoyable.
Gideon's Gratitude (Love in Mission City #5)
8.0
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Gideon When my marriage fell apart, and I lost custody of my kids, my world shattered. My own...
Contemporary MM Romance
What Remains
Book
What Remains is a haunting dual-timeline mystery that bridges centuries-and secrets-between ancient...
Historical Fiction Dual Timeline Time Slip Fiction Historical Thriller Forensic Fiction Ancient Rome
Therein Lies the Pearl
Book
Normandy, 1064 Celia Campion, a girl of humble background, finds herself caught in a web of...
Historical Fiction Anglo Saxon History Early Medieval St Margaret
ClareR (6256 KP) rated Love Forms in Books
Mar 8, 2026
She seems to have given up many things in her life all for the benefit of others. Giving up her daughter was to stop the scandal for her family; she gave up her career for the benefit of her marriage (it didn’t work) and her children. Being a doctor at the time was incompatible with motherhood for her.
This is a very melancholic read: Dawn appears to be lonely now her children have grown up and moved away. Her time is taken up with thoughts of her past, missed opportunities, and the search for her daughter. She has had failed attempts to find her daughter, and it sounds as though there were financial repercussions as well. There’s no mention of friends, as far as I can remember, just one male friend with benefits.
Should this have been on the Booker long list 2025 and now on the Women’s Prize long list? Why not, it’s an enjoyable, if rather sombre read.
The Queen's Sister
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A mother, a wife, a woman of substance... At nineteen, Elizabeth Seymour is already a mother, has...
Historical Fiction Tudor Fiction
Three Days in June
8.0
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The happily ever after is only part of the story… A funny, touching, hopeful gem about love,...
Literary fiction
The Bond (The Secret Tales #1)
9.0
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Rosamund is at a dangerous crossroads... Lady Rosamund Fielding hides a secret so terrible it...
Historical Romance Regency
