A Well-Read Tart

A Food and Book Lover’s Blog

THE UNWRITTEN RULES OF MAGIC Book Review

Get ready for a touch of magic, family drama, and a compelling story about love and grief spanning three generations of women in  The Unwritten Rules of Magic.   What’s The Unwritten Rules of Magic about? The Unwritten Rules of Magic is about Emerson Clarke, who steals a typewriter from her dad’s office after his funeral. Her dad was a famous author, and through a series of journal entries, the reader learns that the typewriter was...

HAUNTED EVER AFTER Book Review

The perfect Halloween rom-com exists in the form of Haunted Ever After. Get ready, Tartlets, for the sweetest ghostly beach read out there.   What’s Haunted Ever After about? We meet main character Cassie in Haunted Ever After just after she’s moved to her dream beach cottage in Boneyard Key, Florida. She got the house for a steal and plans to renovate it – but, of course, there’s a reason why. Um, it’s haunted. Just like the rest of...

BEES IN JUNE Book Review

I loved absolutely everything about Bees in June. It’s a magical, uplifting, endearing, and charming story. Think Waitress meets Midnight at the Blackbird Café. With bees.    What’s Bees in June about? Bees in June is about Rennie, a young woman stuck in an unhappy and increasingly abusive marriage. Rennie needs to find meaning in her life after her newborn son passes away and her husband withdraws from their relationship. When she...

THE ALCHEMY OF FLOWERS Book Review

I had really high hopes for The Alchemy of Flowers by Laura Resau. This women’s fiction novel promised magical realism, romance, mystery, and lots and lots of flowers. While all these things appear in the book, I still feel there could have been more.  A little more magical realism. A little more suspense. And a lot less romance. Let’s get into it.   What is The Alchemy of Flowers about? The Alchemy of Flowers is about mid-forties...

SMOKE ON THE WIND Book Review

Smoke on the Wind is the perfect read for #cozygirlsummer. This novel by Kelli Estes is set in the glorious Scottish Highlands. It transports you to a land steeped in ancient Celtic folklore and mystery; a starkly beautiful landscape amidst rolling fog; and fires burning in the hearth after long country walks. Are you looking for a summer read that's not set on a sun-drenched tropical island? Then run to your nearest bookstore to pick up Smoke...

THE MEMORY OF LAVENDER AND SAGE Book Review

The Memory of Lavender and Sage perfectly captures my favorite women's fiction trope. We all know that I can't resist a “Woman buys ramshackle house in small rural town and renovates it, thereby renovating her whole life in the process” story.  You know what else? This one's set in FRANCE. Plus, author Aimie K. Runyan throws some magical realism into the mix.  Are you excited yet?    What’s The Memory of Lavender and Sage about? The...

ALASKA FOR CHRISTMAS Book Review

Is it even Christmas if we’re not reading holiday rom-coms?  And I don’t think you can get any more in the holiday spirit than by going to Alaska for Christmas.   What’s Alaska for Christmas about? Alaska for Christmas is a Christmas rom-com about Isla, who gets amnesia during a glacier hike (umm, what???) and ends up falling for her rescuer, Coast Guard office Aaron, who also happens to be her childhood nemesis. Isla (love that name!)...

AN ESCAPE GOAT Book Review

I regularly attend goat yoga sessions in the summer, so when I heard that Janna Rollins was writing a cozy mystery titled An Escape Goat: A Zen Goat Mystery about a goat yoga retreat gone awry, I knew I had to read this book. Prepare yourselves, Tartlets, for all the goats, all the yoga, all the foodie fiction, and, yes, for a spot of murder.   What’s An Escape Goat about? An Escape Goat is about a woman named Callie who opens up a goat yoga...

ONCE PERSUADED, TWICE SHY Book Review

I actually let out a cheer while reading Once Persuaded, Twice Shy. I mean, it was a quiet cheer. Because it was 4am and my husband was asleep next to me. But, at a crucial moment in the book, a fist pump and a hissed "yes!" went up in honor of Anne Elliot.    What’s Once Persuaded, Twice Shy about? Once Persuaded, Twice Shy is Melodie Edwards’ modern rom-com reimagining of Jane Austen’s famous novel Persuasion. I’ve only read...

THE WINTER SEA Book Review

Yes, this is the first book review I've posted in quite awhile. And, yes, I'm reviewing a book titled The Winter Sea even though it's springtime. I'm just wacky like that.  Hello, Tartlets! It's been a hot minute. (An update about that will go up later this week.) Sorry it's taken me so darn long to find my way back to this space. But, I'm here and ready to resume discussing all things books, recipes, and writing with my lovely...