Review: That Inevitable Victorian Thing

That Inevitable Victorian Thing

E.K. Johnston
Dutton Books

From Goodreads:

Set in a near-future world where the British Empire was preserved, not by the cost of blood and theft but by effort of repatriation and promises kept, That Inevitable Victorian Thing is a novel of love, duty, and the small moments that can change people and the world. 

Victoria-Margaret is the crown princess of the empire, a direct descendant of Victoria I, the queen who changed the course of history two centuries earlier. The imperial practice of genetically arranged matchmaking will soon guide Margaret into a politically advantageous marriage like her mother before her, but before she does her duty, she'll have one summer incognito in a far corner of empire. In Toronto, she meets Helena Marcus, daughter of one of the empire's greatest placement geneticists, and August Callaghan, the heir apparent to a powerful shipping firm currently besieged by American pirates. In a summer of high-society debutante balls, politically charged tea parties, and romantic country dances, Margaret, Helena, and August discover they share an unusual bond and maybe a one in a million chance to have what they want and to change the world in the process —just like the first Queen Victoria.

 This one was one of those books where I was solely attracted to the cover and felt kind of "meh," about the synopsis. But it was also one of those times when my expectations where hugely exceeded! I absolutely adored this novel. The imagined world in which the Queen's empire is still in tact in the future, though at times complicated, was intriguing. The novel combined those deliciously romantic, Victorian things such as balls and corsets, with modern values and even appliances. Helena dancing around the sweeper bots in the kitchen? Sounds like me and my Roomba!

Of course there is much more to this novel than Victorian frivolity, namely the characters and their relationships with each other. Long held beliefs are challenged. Lifetime friendships are made seemingly out of thin air. While at times solutions became a little too convenient given the scope of the problem (the main example I'm thinking of is a spoiler) that didn't detract from my rooting for happily ever after.

You'll definitely want to pick up a copy of this book and be sure to read the author's note at the end, it really ties everything together.

Review: Body on Baker Street

Body on Baker Street
Vicki Delaney
Crooked Lane Books

From Goodreads...

Gemma Doyle and Jayne Wilson are busy managing the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium on Baker Street and adjoining Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room in anticipation of the store's upcoming book signing with the illustrious Renalta Van Markoff, author of the controversial Hudson and Holmes mystery series. But during the author Q&A session, dedicated Sherlockian Donald Morris verbally attacks Renalta and her series for disgracing Sherlock's legacy, only to be publicly humiliated when the author triumphantly lashes back and gains the upper hand. That is until Renalta collapses on the table--dead. Donald insists he didn't do it and pleads to his friends to clear his name. Fortunately, Gemma and Jayne have no shortage of suspects between author's bullied personal assistant, her frustrated publicist, the hapless publisher, a handsome rare book dealer, an obsessively rabid fan, and a world of other Sherlock enthusiasts with strong objections to Renalta's depiction of the Great Detective. It's up to the shrewd sleuthing duo to eliminate the impossible and deduce the truth before the West London police arrest an innocent man in Body on Baker Street...

Everyone has a pop culture vice, whether it be Dr. Who, The Real Housewives, or in my case, Sherlock Holmes. I'm not sure how it started, but I can tell you it was Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock that did me in. I haven't finished reading all the original Sherlock Holmes stories yet, but I have been loving them, as well as devouring the Sherlock TV series many times over. So naturally, the next logical step for me was a cozy mystery series that was Sherlock related. This series by Vicki Delaney is the jackpot for any Sherlock Holmes fan because not only is Gemma Doyle obviously Sherlock in this imagination of the famous detective, but there are references to all different kinds of Sherlock. I mean, she has a life size cutout of Benedict Cumberbatch in her store! Her shop sounds like a dream come true and I would love to eat at the bakery next door.

This is the second book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series, and I enjoyed it even more than the first. Gemma's skills as an amateur detective are enviable, as is her goodwill. She loves her friends fiercely and will do anything for them. Although Donald isn't exactly her bosom buddy, Gemma knows he must be innocent and sets out to prove it by finding the real killer. It's the mark of a good mystery to me when I think I know who the murderer is half a dozen times before the end and I've been wrong every time. When the whole story came together in the end though, it made perfect sense and once again I find myself jealous of the writer's skills to craft such a mystery!

Fall is the perfect time to cozy up to a new cozy mystery series, and if you're any kind of Sherlock Holmes fan, this is definitely the series for you! I know I have loved every second of the first two books and I'm looking forward to the next, due out in February.

Review: Hanna Who Fell from the Sky

Hanna Who Fell from the Sky
Christopher Meades
Park Row Books

From the publisher:

From highly acclaimed, award-winning author Christopher Meades comes a magical, provocative tale of forbidden love and one girl's struggle for liberation  

Hanna has never been outside her secluded community of Clearhaven. She has never questioned why her father has four wives or why she has fourteen brothers and sisters. And in only one week, on her eighteenth birthday, Hanna will follow tradition and become the fifth wife of a man more than twice her age.  

But just days before the wedding, Hanna meets Daniel, an enigmatic stranger who challenges her to question her fate and to follow her own will. Then her mother tells her a secret—one that could grant Hanna the freedom she's known only in her dreams. As her world unravels around her, Hanna must decide whether she was really meant for something greater than the claustrophobic world of Clearhaven. But can she abandon her beloved younger sister and the only home she's ever known? Or is there another option—one too fantastical to believe?  

With lush, evocative prose, Christopher Meades takes readers on an emotional journey into a fascinating, unknown world—and, along the way, brilliantly illuminates complexities of faith, identity and how our origins shape who we are.

It was definitely the description of this book that caught my attention originally and I was happy to discover the wait list at the library was relatively short. I mean, when was the last time you read a book about a polygamist community? I can't even remember! I was immediately drawn into Hanna's world, desperately wishing for her to find a way to lead the life she deserved. I am curious to know how much research the author did on polygamist communities. This community seemed fairly stereotypical and simplistic in its beliefs. Something seemed a little off to me, though not enough to detract from the plot itself.

The best part of the book were characters, who were well thought out and unique. Hanna was a fantastic character, well-developed with quite a personality, so she was easy to root for. Hanna has compassion for others, especially for the little ones in her family and for her disabled sister whom she cares for like a mother. Her strength is mirrored in her ability to question that which she was taught to never question. I so wanted her to be happy! 

If Hanna was easy to love, then her father was easy to hate. His drinking problem made him belligerent and violent. I kept waiting for some sort of redeeming quality to emerge, or perhaps for him to show some compassion to Hanna. Most of Hanna's sister-mothers were placid in their relationships with him, which was unfortunate but we have to remember that is how they were raised and we cannot fault them for that.

The plot, while a little basic, was filled with conflict on several different levels. Everything in the book takes place over the span of two weeks or so, yet the plot moves quickly. Hanna surely crammed a lot into her last two weeks before her wedding! If the plot moved fast, her relationship with Daniel moved even faster. I can't help wonder if she fell in love with him simply because he was a convenient alternative.

So overall, Hanna Who Fell from the Sky is an excellent book. I give it four out of five stars. It looses a star from me for being a little basic, but I definitely think there is something to be gained from reading this book! 

Have you read this book or other books that take place in polygamist communities? Let me know in the comments!