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Gallant by V. E. Schwab | Book Review Podcast

Website: https://gobookmart.com

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“Seeking a place to call home, Olivia uncovers long-buried secrets after arriving at Gallant. . . . Olivia unravels the ominous secrets of both her family and the house, where ghouls lurk around every corner and the dilapidated garden gate calls to her. The evolving relationships between Olivia and her found family shine, and themes of freedom, the self, and belonging are well depicted. . . . The gripping writing and effective incorporation of horror elements, including haunting, inky artwork, are satisfyingly spine-tingling." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Olivia is elated to receive a letter from her uncle Arthur, inviting her to come live at Gallant, the Priors’ estate. Upon arriving, however, Olivia learns that Arthur is dead, and neither her ill-tempered cousin, Matthew, nor the manor’s kindly caretakers are expecting her. . . . [But] she’s determined to uncover the truth regarding her family’s past in this place. Evocative prose, eerie [black and white] artwork by Šumberac, and superbly rendered characters . . . elevate this affective, bone-chilling standalone from Schwab, which fuses Shirley Jackson’s gothic horror sensibilities with the warmth and dark whimsy of Neil Gaiman.” -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Fourteen-year-old Olivia is grateful, if a little shocked, when she receives a letter from a previously unknown uncle inviting her to his manor estate, Gallant. . . . This story strikes just the right balance between menace and melancholy, and the undercurrent of grief running beneath the suspense and horror brings emotional nuance and deep sympathy for each character . . . Schwab’s exquisite prose is rich . . . A surefire hit . . . [for] any reader looking for a dark read on a stormy night.” -- Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)

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Hook, Line and Sinker by Tessa Bailey | Book Review Podcast

Website: https://gobookmart.com

Buy Now: https://amzn.to/3HLFAno

“I put my entire life on hold the moment I opened It Happened One Summer. I read it in one long, luxurious sitting, reading each page twice, not wanting to miss a moment, and dreading The End. I knew I was reading one of my new favorite books, and I will reread it for years to come, whenever I need a dose of small-town coziness and hard-bodied sea captains. Tessa disarms you with a laugh, heats things up past boiling, and then puts a squeeze inside your heart. The tenderness, vulnerability and heat I am always guaranteed with a Tessa Bailey book are the reasons she is one of my all-time favorite authors.”  -- Sally Thorne, USA Today bestselling author of Second First Impressions

"Her voice feels as fresh and contemporary as a Netflix rom-com...  Bailey writes banter and rom-com scenarios with aplomb, but for those who like their romance on the spicier side, she’s also the Michelangelo of dirty talk. She wields filth like Da Vinci does a paintbrush, and there’s a lot to be said for an author who can fill such exchanges with all the requisite heat, enthusiastic consent, and yes, even humor, of such a scenario without veering into corny territory."   -- Entertainment Weekly

"Bailey’s plot is fast paced with plenty of humor laced throughout. Fox and Hannah are well-developed, likable characters with emotional depth that will resonate; they have a lot to overcome, but readers will be rooting for them."  -- Library Journal (starred review & Pick of the Month)

"With her singular talent for writing romantic chemistry that is both sparkling sweet and explosively sexy, Tessa Bailey once again delivers—It Happened One Summer is everything I want in a modern romance, with two complicated, appealing leads, a setting that feels lived-in and also fresh, and storytelling you want to sink into even as you can’t stop turning pages. The total package from one of the genre’s very best." -- Kate Clayborn, author of Love at First

"Tessa Bailey writes pure magic! It Happened One Summer has everything you could want in a rom-com—heartwarming romance, laugh-out-loud humor, and scorching hot chemistry between the lovable socialite and sexy ship captain. I absolutely loved it!" -- Alexis Daria, bestselling author of You Had Me at Hola

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