Bibliophile Support Group

The Pelican Bride is a Christian historical fiction novel by Beth White and the first in the Gulf Coast Chronicles . In the 1704 Louisiana colony, the French stronghold on the land is wavering in the face of continual difficulties with the British and the Natives. To help settle and civilize the large population of men in the colony, a frigate named the Pelican has come in from France with lovely, mannered young women as potential brides. On the Pelican are Genevieve and her sister Aimee. Unlike the other girls who are primarily from a convent, Genevieve and Aimee are hiding their persecution from their outlawed beliefs and a tragic, haunting loss in France they hope to escape in the colonies. Yet, as Genevieve finds herself drawn to Tristan – an exile mapmaker turned farmer – she comes to realize that even in this land of freedom, peace is not guaranteed. Nor can she practice her reformed beliefs without fear of suspicion. Both inside and outside the fort, danger is looming...

The Geography of You and Me is a YA contemporary novel by Jennifer E. Smith. When a citywide blackout traps Lucy and Owen in their New York City apartment building elevator, the two previous strangers find they have nothing to pass the time but to talk. And even after they’re rescued, neither of them having anyone waiting for them in their respective apartments, they find they’re drawn to each other’s company and spend the rest of the sweltering night wandering the dark streets and standing in awe of the stars in the sky – visible for once. When the lights come back on, though, the dreamlike feeling of a comfortable conversation and magical chemistry fades to reality. Lucy knows she needs to let her traveling parents know she’s okay, now that she has the ability to make that phone call. Owen needs to find his father and make sure he’s gotten home all right. Before they know it, their lives are pulled apart just as swiftly as they were brought together for that memorable even...

Heartless is the fourth novel in the hilarious, supernatural, alternate Victorian England steampunk adult series The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger. All month long I’ve been posting reviews of this awesome series – and yet again I strongly recommend that you read the books IN ORDER and WITHOUT SPOILERS , which means if you haven’t read books 1 – 3, you really should not read my review of Heartless. It’s all too much fun to ruin surprises! OKAY?! When a ghost, barely holding on to her sanity, expresses that the Queen’s life may be being threatened amidst much illogical prattle, Alexia, soulless preternatural, is on the case. She, along with her hulking werewolf husband Lord Maccon, attempt to follow the trail to disrupt the designs against the Queen – and Alexia finds that it leads to some revelations of her beloved’s shadowy past. Meanwhile, Alexia finds herself dealing with a sister that suddenly has an interest in the suffragette movement, Madame Lefoux’s increasi...

A Beauty So Rare is an adult Christian historical fiction by Tamera Alexander, and the second in the Belmont Mansion novels. As is usually the case with Christian historical fiction trilogies or series – this book has a stand-alone story featuring its own characters, but there are overlap characters and tidbits of info from the first book that are more greatly appreciated when read in the correct order. So, I still recommend reading A Lasting Impression first – which you can read my review of here . This review will give nothing away of A Lasting Impression , however. So, you’re safe from spoilers!! Eleanor Braddock – nearly thirty years old – had to come up with a plan. Her father, once a prominent, intelligent, admired attorney, is ailing. Their money has been nearly completely depleted. Her mother has long since passed and her beloved brother died in the War Between the States. Plain, tall and practical Eleanor has long accepted that she will never marry. She’s come up w...

The Wolf Princess is a middle grade contemporary fairy tale of sorts by Cathryn Constable. Sophie, orphaned without a family and only a distant friend of her late father’s as a guardian, lives at a boarding school in London most of the time. Yet she dreams of snow, of silver forests… of Russia. Her friends, fashionable Delphine and academic Marianne, are the only things that make life at school pleasurable. Yet Sophie’s mind still wanders to winter and log cabins warmed by a roaring fireplace… When, as if by magic, Sophie and her friends are offered a trip to Russia she cannot believe it. And then when a blizzard leaves the three abandoned and fearing for their lives, they are rescued by a lovely, regal, mysterious princess named Anna Volkonskaya who takes them to a magnificent, dream-like winter palace that is now in disrepair. Among the wild white wolves and snowy surroundings, Sophie feels her dreams have come true. But underneath she cannot help but wonder - why is...

Blameless is the third book in the adult, steampunk, comedic supernatural series The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger. Have you read Soulless and Changeless ? If not – LOOK AWAY! Close this window, seriously! I do not want to be the cause of your spoilers. Or read those reviews, instead. Only continue reading my review of Blameless if you’ve read up to this point in the series. GOT IT? Last warning… Alexia, Lady Maccon, has returned home to her dreadful family. Everyone is astir, and then when the gossip comes out – as to why she is no longer living at Woolsey with her husband and his werewolf pack… well, it’s the scandal of the London season. Having little experience defending herself when she is actually innocent, Alexia finds herself both numbed by her husband’s rejection and also terribly angry. How dare he?!? Of course, it may indeed be a fact that there is no known werewolf-sired pregnancy – as werewolves are technically dead – in all of their genealogy. C...

Tandem is a YA contemporary sci-fi novel featuring the concept of parallel worlds by Anna Jarzab. Sixteen year old Sasha has long gotten over her diehard crush on popular yet nice senior Grant. Yet when he out-of-the-blue strikes up a conversation with her – at the library no less – her heart can’t help but go-a-thumping. When he states interest in taking her to the prom, Sasha can hardly believe it – but Grant is believable and seems to really like her – despite how invisible she’s felt for so long. Of course it was all too good to be true. Stories of parallel worlds where an alternate Sasha is living an alternate life were fairy-tales to Sasha’s as she grew up with her theoretical physicist grandfather after her parents’ death when she was young. Now? All too real. Sasha is thrust into an alternate universe in which the other version of herself is a princess that has vanished less than two weeks before her arranged marriage to a rival country’s prince. And now Sasha i...