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Multiple Book Reviews in One
September 29, 2025
Over summer I read though a lot of books I've heard about. I decided to try a lot of new to me authors and some pretty popular bookstagram books. However, not all the books I read were ones that I really loved, so instead of posting individually, I was going to do a one and done post with the assortment of books.
Have you read any of these? If so, what were you're thoughts?
These just weren't for me.
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Review: The Accidental Empress by Allison Pataki
February 11, 2015
Author: Allison Pataki
Publisher: Howard Books
Pages: 512
ISBN: 978-1-4767-2022-0
Publication Date: February 17th, 2015
Synopsis:
New York Times bestselling author Allison Pataki follows up on her critically acclaimed debut novel, The Traitor’s Wife, with the little-known and tumultuous love story of “Sisi” the Austro-Hungarian Empress and captivating wife of Emperor Franz Joseph.Review:
The year is 1853, and the Habsburgs are Europe’s most powerful ruling family. With his empire stretching from Austria to Russia, from Germany to Italy, Emperor Franz Joseph is young, rich, and ready to marry.
Fifteen-year-old Elisabeth, “Sisi,” Duchess of Bavaria, travels to the Habsburg Court with her older sister, who is betrothed to the young emperor. But shortly after her arrival at court, Sisi finds herself in an unexpected dilemma: she has inadvertently fallen for and won the heart of her sister’s groom. Franz Joseph reneges on his earlier proposal and declares his intention to marry Sisi instead.
Thrust onto the throne of Europe’s most treacherous imperial court, Sisi upsets political and familial loyalties in her quest to win, and keep, the love of her emperor, her people, and of the world.
With Pataki’s rich period detail and cast of complex, bewitching characters, The Accidental Empress offers a captivating glimpse into one of history’s most intriguing royal families, shedding new light on the glittering Hapsburg Empire and its most mesmerizing, most beloved “Fairy Queen.”
Books that bring attention to a historical period I don't know much about are gems to me. The Accidental Empress met this criteria from the very beginning and had me hooked. Not only did it have me hooked, it also have me doing my own research on these people and it showed me how much research and work Allison Pataki put into this story. The details were fabulous.
Allison's writing style had a wonderful depth and flow to it. She was able to capture the feelings of Sisi and put you amongst the story, so you started to feel what Sisi did during the story, and my goodness, anger and hurt were ones I felt during certain scenes....it just made you want to help Sisi through it and help her battle against everything that was thrown at her. Allison's writing style is similar to another author I enjoy, Michelle Moran. The emotional aspect mixed with the historical is so flawlessly woven together, it was hard to find a fault.
Elisabeth, or Sisi to those around her, lived what many would call an ideal life. She was loved by her parents, she received an education that expanded her ideas, and she got to do what she loved with her parents support. However, when she fell in love with the Emperor, her ideal life was altered. She thought love was important, but when your husband rules a land in turmoil and your mother-in-law, likes to make sure things are done her way in everything, life becomes more like a prison. Sisi's struggles were heart breaking and the way she handled things, there was no other way. She was against a rock and a hard place.
The way she poured her love in to Hungry was amazing, and I can see why she was so loved by the people. She was opposite of all of those who had ruled before her. It was an interesting look into a line of royals, I didn't know much about before this.
Too Read!
5 out of 5
About the Author:
To learn more and connect with Allison visit AllisonPataki.com.
Thank you to Howard Books, I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
Review: The Last Witness: A Thriller by Glenn Meade
August 11, 2014
Author: Glenn Meade
Publisher: Howard Books
Pages: 432
ISBN: 978-1-4516-1187-8
Publication Date: August 19th, 2014
Synopsis:
After a massacre at a Bosnian prison camp, a young girl is found alone, clutching a diary, so traumatized she can’t even speak. Twenty years later, the last witness to the prison guards' brutal crimes must hunt down those responsible to learn what happened to her family.Twenty years ago, after the fall of Yugoslavia, the world watched in horror as tens of thousands were killed or imprisoned in work camps during an “ethnic cleansing” in Bosnia. Carla Lane has little knowledge of what went on halfway around the world when she was a child. She is living a near perfect life in New York City, married and soon to have a family of her own. But when her husband is murdered by a group of Serbian war criminals, strange memories start coming back, and she discovers that she underwent extensive therapy as a girl to suppress her memories. She is given her mother’s diary, which unlocks her childhood memories and reveals that she was, along with her parents and young brother, imprisoned in a war camp outside Sarajevo.As her memories come back, it becomes clear that she is the last witness to a brutal massacre in the prison and that her brother may still be alive. She sets out to find her brother, but first she must hunt down the war criminals responsible for destroying her life. But these killers will stop at nothing to protect their anonymity and their deadly pasts...and are determined to silence the last witness to their crimes.From the talented storyteller who gave us The Second Messiah, The Last Witness serves up another captivating and nail-biting thriller that will keep you holding your breath right to the end.
I'm glad that I have started getting into WW2 era books, there is a history there that we should always remember and try to prevent again from happening. Sadly though, history tends to repeat its self and not only does it repeat, but it becomes worse. Knowing the history of the concentration camps is good to know when diving into The Last Witness, a story that takes place twenty years ago. We were all alive then, unlike seventy years ago for Auschwitz. And it's a good reminder of history with what all is going on in the world today and how it needs to be prevented from happening again.
The Last Witness was a different story then what I'm used to reading, but the change of pace was a good one. This book is a thriller, mystery, and history all mixed together. And it is a fast paced story. Once I hit the last 100 pages, there was no putting this book down.
We follow Carla, mainly through this book. When we are introduced to her, she is just a regular girl, who is happily married to her college sweetheart, who just happens to be one of the best pianist in the world. Instead of basking in the fame, they enjoy the quiet life. Things drastically change suddenly and because of certain circumstances, nightmares start to haunt Carla. With the help of her grandmother and family friend, her history that her mind hid from herself resurfaces.
It is here when we learn about the camps that were set up for the "ethnic cleansing" of her childhood country. The similarities to what the Nazi's did is heartbreaking, no one should ever have to go through that, but these camps upped it a bit in the brutality and humiliation.
Carla, after reliving her past again after having it buried and dealing with the death of her husband, not only wants to seek justice for her family and for those who died at the camp, but she wants to make it personal as well. In all of this, Carla is also determined to find the remains of her family, which makes everything more emotional.
The settings and the characters were presented in a fantastic and very realistic fashion without being hard on the reader. Carla was an interesting character, with everything she went through, I would not have blamed her to have an emotional and psychological melt down, but she didn't she stayed strong and pushed forward. The only thing that rubbed me the wrong way about Carla were a few instances when in communication to others, she would just say, "Explain" or "Tell me" several times. It was a bit repetitive, but in no way took away from the story.
Then there was the ending...I honestly didn't see it coming. With the way the story was presented, I was expecting something else entirely. I honestly don't know how I feel about one character at the end. There is such a jumble of thoughts over this person. It was an interesting turn.
A note to the reader: This story shows the life in one of these prison camps. There are mentions of murder, attempted murder, rape, and beatings. There are also a couple of minor swear words. They all do play a part in the telling of this story. If they were not included, it wouldn't have done justice to the victims.
Too Read
4 out of 5
About the Author:
His novels to date have been translated into twenty-six languages, and have enjoyed critical and commercial success. Glenn Meade spends some of his free time in the American south.
Thank you to Howard Books, I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
Review: A Woman of Fortune by Kellie Coates Gilbert
June 2, 2014
Author: Kellie Coates Gilbert
Publisher: Revell
Pages: 336
ISBN: 978-0-8007-2272-2
Publication Date: June 3rd, 2014
Synopsis:
Texas socialite Claire Massey is living the dream. Her world is filled with designer clothes, luxury cars, and stunning homes. But her Neiman-Marcus lifestyle comes crashing down when her charming cattle broker husband is arrested for fraud. Suddenly, she finds herself facing attorneys, a media frenzy, and a trail of broken hearts. Betrayed and humiliated, Claire must start over against incredible odds to save her family--and discover a life worth living.Review:
Poignant and emotionally gripping, A Woman of Fortune reveals the many ways we deceive ourselves and how resilience of the heart is essential to authentic living. Drawing on her experiences as a legal investigator, author Kellie Coates Gilbert delivers emotionally gripping plots and authentic characters. Readers will love Claire's unbending determination as she strives to keep her family from falling apart and learns to embrace the kind of fortune that lasts.
I was intrigued by this book right off the bat. It is set in Texas. Generally, that's all I need to hear to want to read a book. I mean really, Texas is just an amazing state.
I also was interested in the the idea of the story. I remember Enron and the Berny Madoff scandals. I always did wonder about the families. The ring leaders of these scams are hated with such a passion, you can't help but wonder if their families didn't help with such schemes, because of the amount of money laundered. A Woman of Fortune offered a look into a families life when the lies finally catch up.
Kellie's background as an investigator enhanced this story. The knowledge of the workings and reactions is great. The anger, resentment, the hurt are written by one who has knowledge of it all, it really shows in how the characters act and what they say. I enjoyed that immensely about this story. There is so much more that goes on then what the press writes about.
Having been born in raised in Texas, especially in the general area that the story is set in, I noticed one of my pet peeves pop up. It's the over abundance of the Texas culture. It saturated the story. It took away from the enjoyment a bit for me. Just as I was getting drawn in to the, "Oh, my goodness, did that really happen, wow!" moments, the exaggerated Texas moment would pop up and push me back a little bit.
I will say, that is from battling people my whole life and dealing with Yankees who assume that we ride horse and have no grass or trees, (yes, people have looked at me with disbelief when I burst their bubbles), but back to the story....
I loved how this story unfolded with the new information that was presented and how Claire dealt with each blow that hurt her and her family more. When life seems to fall apart in an instant, you are set in the stages of loss and grief, and Claire showed how hard it is to deal with, especially when it comes out of the blue. The damage to the family, the personal heartache, and the physical pain are all present and the different ways to cope.
The story really draws you in and makes you wonder what will happen next. It also shows how one person can affect so many lives.
3 out of 5
About the Author:
Thank you to the Revell Blog Tour Program, I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
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