Review: Too Much

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Rating: ★★★½

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher (Grand Central Publishing) in exchange for an honest review.

I was really intrigued by the idea behind the book and I was really excited to read it. Ultimately, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. 

The book started off really strong with a lot of literary analysis. Then it sort of became a memoir with some literary analysis. I would have preferred if it stayed more on the literary side. There was a lot that could have been explored. 

I did like the pop culture analysis. That worked well in illustrating the Victorian influence in today’s world. 

There were some critiques that I didn’t necessarily agree with. Some things were overanalyzed (like the Alice in Wonderland critique).

The synopsis mentions that Lana Del Rey is discussed in the book. Lana Del Rey is one of my favorite singers so I was looking forward to reading about her. I was a little disappointed that she didn’t talk too much about her. She gets mentioned in the beginning of the Crazy chapter, but it ended up being mainly song lyrics. That got me thinking that there should have been a chapter on sadness (Sad girls is a pretty big phenomenon right now). Lana would have worked well for that. 

Overall, there were some interesting points made. The book just didn’t hit me like I thought it would. 

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Review: Lady Jayne Disappears

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Rating: ★★★★

I received this book for free from JustRead tours as part of their Blind Date with a Book tour. 

First off, I just want to say that JustRead tours did an amazing job matching me with this book. It was right up my alley. 

This book was like Jane Eyre meets a Charles Dickens novel and I loved it. It’s like Jane Eyre in the sense that the main character is living in a mysterious house with people above her station. Similar to a Dickens novel, this book deals with and shed light on some unsavory things about the Victorian era like debtors’ prison. 

I loved the vibe of this book. It’s mysterious with a hint of a gothic feel to it. 

There’s a little bit of romance too. The love interest was perfect for the main character. They were really good together. Also, he was an avid reader so you gotta love him. At point he says, “I admit I’man escapist when it comes to books.  I become drunk on story, on words, as a buffer against reality” (pg. 104). 

This book is Christian fiction but it is very light on the religious aspects. It doesn’t overpower the story itself which I liked. 

The only thing I didn’t love was that the mystery wasn’t as exciting as I would have liked. 

Overall, this was an enjoyable Victorian tale with a beautiful blend of romance and mystery. 

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Review: A Dangerous Duet

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Rating: ★★★★

I received this book for free free as part of an Instagram tour (TLC Book Tours specifically) I did to promote the book.

This was a very intriguing historical fiction mystery.

The book’s strongest point was that it was very atmospheric. It nailed that grimy Victorian England vibe perfectly. The author did a tremendous job bringing that world to life and evoking an air of mystery. 

I liked how the book focused on the unsavory parts of Victorian England. From the life of orphans to brothels, this book showcased it all. It was really interesting to see that mixed in with the musical element. It all worked really well together.

As for the mystery, I thought it was good up until the end. It was a fairly straight forward mystery so I wasn’t necessarily wowed by it. It was pretty much solved about 75% of the way through. The rest of the book was just the resolution and aftermath of it all. That being said, it was a very action packed last quarter. 

There was a little bit of romance in this as well, but I could have done without it. It felt a little forced. The book would have been just as strong had it not been there. 

Overall, this was a compelling historical mystery that will make you feel like you are actually in Victorian England.