The Red Dirt Hymnbook- Book Review

The Red Dirt Hymnbook by Roxie Faulkner Kirk

Genre: Historical Fiction, Domestic Christian Drama
3.2 Stars 

Ruby Fae McKeever understands at last that marrying JW and living on a bus with his parents was not a good idea. She and her almost one-year-old baby girl are feeling suffocated. Ruby is cut off from her family, abused in the name of being learning to be a dutiful Christian and an obedient wife. Her husband can never come out from his father’s influence. Ruby can’t live with them anymore. She needs to go home. But when? And most importantly, how?

The premise of the book was excellent. The cover was perfect. I was rooting for Ruby from the very first page of the book. But guess what? It took her until the last page to get there. I never it wasn’t going to be easy. There would be pressure, manipulation, and abuse. After all, those who preach are the last ones to follow it.

But what disappointed me was the way the story went on and on. Even the 250 pages seemed like a lot at one point in time. There is too much stream of consciousness in the narration. Stories from the past pop into the storyline at random. Ruby keeps getting distracted at the slightest hint. I did like some of those, but they stretched the original plotline more than necessary.

And Ruby’s wavering mind wasn’t any help either. While it seemed realistic that her plans would go wrong, I just wished she put up more fight. Even towards the end, it wasn’t her who takes charge of the situation. At some point, she had to learn and stop being stupid, but she doesn’t.

Reading about abuse is never easy, and this book was no exception. It only made me want to knock some sense into Ruby and ask her to use her brain.

Finally, when I thought it was going to end, there came another flashback story. Not sure how it would help as I felt nothing change in me towards any of the characters.

Overall, the theme deserved better treatment and tighter editing. The story has a happy ending, and well, the book did evoke emotions in me, so it’s a decent read. I just wish it was even better.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am sharing this review voluntarily.

#BookSirens 

The Boatman's Wife- Book Review

The Boatman’s Wife by Noëlle Harrison

Publication Date: 14 Jan 2021
Genre: Women’s Fiction

4 Stars

From Maine to Western Ireland, the book deals with love, loss, and hope in the lives of two women whose lives are connected in the most unexpected way. The story runs in two timelines, every alternate chapter dedicated to either of the women.

Lily from Maine travels all the way to Ireland after the death of her husband, Connor. There are secrets in his past, and she is determined to know them. Two decades ago, Niamh led a turbulent life in a small Oceanside town.

How do their lives intersect? What had happened in the past, and why does it affect the present? Why was Connor secretive about his life in Ireland? Will the truth break Lily?

The premise of the book sounds like a mix of women’s fiction and a thriller. But let me tell you that this is pure women’s fiction. The hints of suspicion don’t lead anywhere. The threatening email Connor receives doesn’t live up to its hype.

But, set that aside, and you’ll see the book deal with complex emotions of love and loss in different ways. We have three women who lost their loved ones. Each of them responds differently, and it’s their actions that lead to a series of events.

The book is quite heavy with grief. It ends well, though. Predictable but positive and warm. As a fan of happy endings, I have no complaints here.

The descriptions of the settings were a highlight. I enjoyed them the most, especially the way the author wove the weather and human emotions together. I wish she did the same towards the end when the story went into full-on ‘tell’ mode about how a character spent her life in the past few years. It felt as if the author wanted to give us a summary and get over with it so that she could move on to write the ending.

Rosemary, Niamh, and Lily are the three main characters of the book. Niamh is my favorite and looked like she was created and developed with a lot of care. Rosemary has two sides, both of which were interesting to read. Lily seemed a bit overdone. Guess it highlighted the difference in their lives and their backgrounds.

Overall, this was a bittersweet book to read that will touch our hearts at some places and inspire our wanderlust at others. It is a sad yet beautiful story.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bookouture. 

#TheBoatmansWife #NetGalley

The Case of Kitty Ogilvie- Book Review

The Case of Kitty Ogilvie by Jean Stubbs

(Based on a real Scottish Trial)
Genre: Historical Fiction, Crime, Murder Mystery, True Crime

4.2 Stars

The story takes place in Scotland, 1765. Kitty, aka Katherine Nairne, barely 20 years old and from a rich, influential family, marries Thomas Ogilvie, 40 years old, suffering from stomach ulcers, and belonging to a poor Scottish family.

The book starts with the wedding and moves on to show how Kitty’s youthful stupidity, Thomas’s laidback approach, Patrick’s happy attitude, Lady Eastmiln’s actions in the past and the present, and the hidden agenda of Anne Clarke end up ruining and taking lives.

The atmosphere on the cover picture and the little piece of news that the book is based on a true crime made me request this book.

For someone whose Scottish stories have been limited to historical romances with the lairds, this book was a fresh and interesting take set in the same land. The Ogilvies are not rich. But they are not poor. Their lives are the opposite of what Kitty was used to. Her dreams of having a lovely marriage with her husband don’t come true.

Away in Edinburgh is Alexander, another member of the family who has never gotten the love he deserved. Anna Clarke, a relative and a mistress, offers a simple solution. Then begin the mind games and manipulations.

As readers, we know every thought and action before the characters can even comprehend them. We see what is happening and can guess what would happen (to an extent). We know whether or not Kitty killed her husband. There is injustice, and there is karmic justice. But ultimately, lives have been lost. Is it only greed? No. Alexander’s motives and actions stem from something far more personal.

What about Anne Clarke? She is the key character in this book. It’s her brain that plots and executes. Yet, underneath it, all lay emotions that never let her lead a happy and contented life.

The actual trial starts somewhere after 70% or 75% of the book. It doesn’t last long either. But the focus of the book is not the trial. It is the people, the characters, and their personalities that keep us engaged.

We could say they have been stereotyped a little, but that only makes us want to roll our eyes or smack them on their heads. The writing is steady. It starts slowly and still hooks us. The observations about the settings, the characters, and their actions are woven into the narrative with ease. Even when there was an information dump at one place, it had subtle insights that would later make sense.

I wouldn’t call it a delightful book, but it sure was entertaining. The dry humor and ironic undertones added to the narration.

Fans of historical fiction and crime (without gore) will enjoy this book.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Sapere Books. 

#TheCaseofKittyOgilvie #NetGalley

The Day My Husband Left- Book Review

 The Day My Husband Left by Amy Miller

Publication Date: 21st Jan 2021
Genre: Women’s Fictions, Family Drama

3.5 Stars

 

Heidi and Johnny are a 50-something couple with two daughters, an upholstery restoration business, and a dark secret neither of them talks about. Johnny suffers his second heart attract a year after his first one and passes away.

The family is grieving, trying hard to cope up with the loss when Heidi finds a picture in Johnny’s phone. Her instincts tell her that she needs to find out about the picture. After much hesitation, she does and finds out something that could change her family forever.

The book starts with Johnny’s death and continues to tell us what and how things change. Will the family bonds survive, or will everything fall apart forever?

The cover picture drew me in, and the premise sounded like a wonderful read. The book started out well, and then, sigh! I just couldn’t connect with it. The characters individually were cool. They had their identities, quirks, vulnerabilities, and strengths. Zoe was an absolute favorite. They did well together too. So what’s the issue?

For me, it was the limited third-person POV that rested on Heidi’s shoulders. She was grieving, trying to handle her present and past while keeping her business afloat. She was supposed to have all of my attention. But she didn’t.

The story had too much 'tell'. The setting was 'showed' to the reader, but the emotions were told. Yes, there were a lot of gut-wrenching scenes and heartbreaking emotions. Yet, none of them reached me. In short, it was like having a transparent screen between me and the overwhelming experiences of the characters. The writing did not break through this barrier and come to me.

Maybe if the viewpoints altered between the main characters, I would have been able to see things from their side and know them for who they are. Despite being a third-person narration, I only see what Heidi sees. And it looked like she couldn’t connect with any of the other characters. Sure, they shared a good bond. It just wasn’t enough for me.

Some of the dialogues were powerful. All of them belonged to other characters. Another issue with the book was that too much happened in succession, and when we come towards the end, it’s more or less sorted out. Again, without Heidi’s involvement. She is probably the weakest character of the book. I understand the reason to show her vulnerable side, she was grieving after all, and she had to be real. People make mistakes. Wrong decisions are a part of our lives. That’s always acceptable. But here, in the book, it didn’t feel real.

However, that’s just me. I know readers who would love and devour the book. I hope they read and enjoy it (especially the ending).

Overall, not everyone is going to love this book, but they will remember some of the characters.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bookouture.

#TheDayMyHusbandLeft #NetGalley

Gone Too Far- Book Review

Gone Too Far by Debra Webb

Devlin & Falco, Book 2 (Standalone)
Publication Date: 27 Apr 2021

Genre: Mystery/ Thrillers
4.1 Stars

The book, second in the series, has Devlin and Falco teaming up with Sadie Cross again. The DDA (deputy district attorney) is found dead along with another famous businessman. The double homicide has links deeper than anyone would have expected. These lead the detectives straight to Sadie and her past (which she cannot remember except in bits and pieces).

To add to the pressure, there has been an incident at Tori’s school. Tori is the teenage daughter of Kate Devlin and is facing issues of her own. The more they dig around, the more the cases merge, complicating things from all sides.

There are powerful people who do not want their roles exposed. Orders are bypassed, and people are double-crossed. Can the trio solve the cases before more lives are lost?

I haven’t read book 1, but that didn’t make any difference. There are references to the previous case, but those are used to highlight the personalities of the characters rather than alter the current cases.

The writing is easy to read, and the story flows at a steady pace. Something or the other happens in every chapter and scene. I was never once bored with the book or wanted to skim through. The chapters are marked with the location, date, time, and character so that we know who will play a prominent role.

One of the reviewers said that the blurb doesn’t do justice to the book. I agree. This book needs a better blurb. The story is gripping, even though some of it is predictable. The emotions of the characters are neither overwhelming nor bland. They strike the right note to keep the focus on the story.

The ending isn’t rushed or abrupt. The threads are knotted one after another just as leisurely as they were unraveled. The relationship of the trio is being explored one step at a time to build the series. That works well for the book.

Even though there are quite a lot of characters to remember, it’s not a big deal once we get into the book. There isn’t a lot of intense action or violence. That’s another plus. Though I have no issues with violence in books, it wasn’t needed in this one. The author maintained that restraint rather well.

One of the tropes wasn’t that effective or gripping, but that’s fine. There are only so many tropes to try, after all.

To conclude, this is a fast-paced thriller that starts and ends well. 

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer. 

#GoneTooFar #NetGalley