[Review] A Curious Beginning--Deanna Raybourn

First my rant: Penguin Group denied my request to review this as an ARC. But I love Deanna's books so I got it from my library (after waiting on a list, which I rarely do) and it is absolutely worthy of review here. I still love you Penguin, but you did me wrong!

Now my review: This is the first in a new series set in Victorian England about a young woman named Veronica Speedwell who was orphaned as a child and raised by her two spinster aunts. Despite having to care for her aunts they allowed her significant freedom to travel and pursue her hobby of lepidoptery (studying butterflies). When the last aunt dies, Veronica prepares to start an independent life pursuing her passion, but before she even gets out the door a thug tears apart the aunts’ house and threatens her. Fortunately, a kindly baron shows up just in time, warning her that she is in danger and that he knows things about her past that he will reveal to her in time. He leaves her with his friend Stoker, once a prominent adventurer who is now forced to do taxidermy work for wealthy collectors. When news arrives that the baron has been murdered, Veronica and Stoker set out to solve the mystery of what happened to him and how all of this is tied to her. The revelation of who Veronica truly is and who her father is turns out to be more dangerous than either of them could have ever known.

Veronica is a fresh and interesting character who refuses to conform to societal norms and butts heads with all sorts of people because of her brash nature and independent streak. This is a great start to what I think will be a fun series. I breezed through this book and look forward to reading the next one.

[Review] The New Neighbor--Leah Stewart

This one goes on my list of favorite books I’ve read in 2015. The main characters are elderly Margaret, who lives alone in the Tennessee mountains and Jennifer, a young woman who moves into the house across the lake from Margaret with her young son Milo. Both women have their fair share of secrets, but while Jennifer wants hers left hidden, Margaret will do anything to find out what Jennifer is hiding, even at the risk of exposing the story of her own forbidden love from long ago.

This book has been compared to Zoe Heller's “What Was She Thinking? Notes on a Scandal” and I can see why. Margaret and Jennifer are both liars, but whereas Jennifer appears to be lying to hide her past and keep her son safe, Margaret lies to manipulate and garner sympathy. Both characters are fairly unlikable but the story is engaging and I not only enjoyed it but have been recommending it to people for the last few months. Definitely give this one a try!

Thanks to Touchstone and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.