A Well-Read Tart

A Food and Book Lover’s Blog

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...

JAMES (Pulitzer Prize Winner) Book Review

Given that James was recently awarded a Pulitzer Prize, I figured it might be a good time to post my book review of this reimagined masterpiece by Percival Everett.  This one is worth the hype, Tartlets.    What’s James about? James is a retelling of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the point of view of the enslaved man Jim (James), who accompanies Tom and Huck along their adventures in the original Twain story. We...

THE FABLED EARTH (DNF Book Review)

The Fabled Earth is another book that I hate sticking in my DNF pile. The premise of this novel really drew me in, and its beautiful cover art sealed the deal. This historical fiction/women’s fiction work by Kimberly Brock contains good writing and a good story, but it just didn't have enough oomph to keep me turning the pages.    What’s The Fabled Earth about? This novel packs a LOT into its pages. The Fabled Earth has two timelines that...

MY MAGNOLIA SUMMER (DNF Book Review)

Unpopular opinion alert: I didn’t like My Magnolia Summer. I hate to break it to you, but this is another DNF book review. This Southern fiction novel by Victoria Benton Frank has been sweeping through the #bookstagram and BookTok feeds recently. The main reason is because it looks like the perfect summer read. Another reason might have something to do with the fact that author Frank is the daughter of famed novelist Dorothea Benton Frank....

CHICK MAGNET Book Review

I know I signed up for a romance when I requested an ARC of Chick Magnet. But, I was not prepared for this book cover when I opened my book mail. I guess I've gotten used to all the cutesy cartoon covers gracing every rom-com out there these days. Bravo, author Emma Barry, for reminding us all why we're really pickin' up a romance.  I'm very grateful I don't take public transportation into the city anymore. Because reading this book on that...

SURVIVING SAVANNAH Book Review

It took me a few chapters to get drawn into Surviving Savannah, but once I did, I couldn’t put this book down. Settle in, Tartlets, because this book review is going to be a little longer than usual. This bittersweet, fascinating historical fiction novel left me with two things: 1) a hardened resolve to never, ever, ever take a cruise 2) a need to know more about the real story behind the Pulaski steamship disaster...

WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING Book Review

It took me a long time to read Where the Crawdads Sing. Please don't make the same mistake I did.     Why it took me so long to read Where the Crawdads Sing There has been So. Much. Hype. around this 2018 novel by Delia Owens. It was picked up by both Oprah's Book Club and Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine Book Club. And, the movie adaptation releases next week. Clearly, Where the Crawdads Sing is a BIG DEAL. So, why'd it take me so...

THE NEWCOMER Book Review

Honestly, is it even summer without a Mary Kay Andrews book to read? You all know my love for MKA runs deep, and The Newcomer hit every expectation that I had for my summer beach read: dreamy Southern vacation spot along the water? Check. a sweet and plucky heroine? Check. a predictable but enjoyable romance with a hot, too-good-to-be-true guy? Check. a spot of murder for a dash of intrigue? Check.   What's The Newcomer about? When I told my...

CHRISTMAS JOY Book Review

Christmas Joy by Nancy Naigle is the perfect book to sink into over the holiday season. Last year, I basically swiped right on a bunch of Christmas books available from my local library. My six weeks leading up to Christmas were spent reading about nothing but candy canes, cookies, holiday décor, and small-town romance. There were some hits and some misses, but Christmas Joy is definitely one of the highlights from that book stack.  ...