Minnie's Fiction Addiction

Because one more chapter is never enough

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  • Book Review: What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez

    👀 First impressions:
    What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez opens in the glittering world of nineteenth century Buenos Aires, where Inez Olivera appears to have everything except the parents she longs for. When news arrives that they have died in mysterious circumstances, Inez’s carefully ordered life fractures. Determined to uncover the truth, she travels alone to Cairo, armed with her sketchbooks and an ancient ring her father entrusted to her. From the moment the ring awakens with strange magic, the story shifts into something far more dangerous and thrilling, blending historical intrigue with fantasy and romance.

    ✅ What I Liked:
    The setting is vividly imagined and immersive. Ibañez brings Cairo to life with colour, heat and tension, capturing both the wonder of archaeology and the unease of colonial power structures. Inez is a strong and engaging protagonist, driven by curiosity and grief rather than passive circumstance. Her determination to uncover the truth about her parents gives the story emotional weight, while the magical elements add intrigue without overpowering the historical grounding. The slow burn romantic tension is sharp and entertaining, adding friction and humour alongside the danger.

    ❎ What I didn’t Like:
    The middle section occasionally slows, particularly where romantic dynamics take centre stage over plot progression. Some twists are predictable for seasoned readers of historical fantasy, but the execution remains enjoyable and polished.

    📚 Why You Should Read This Book:
    If you enjoy historical fantasy with adventurous stakes, a determined heroine and a touch of magic, this book is an excellent choice. What the River Knows combines mystery, romance and history in a way that feels both escapist and emotionally grounded.

    💭 Final Thoughts:
    What the River Knows is an atmospheric and engaging novel about uncovering truth and claiming independence in a world that underestimates young women. It balances grief with adventure and magic with history, creating a story that is immersive, romantic and compelling.

    🛍️ Where to buy
    To buy your own copy click HERE and HERE

    Final Rating ★★★★ – A richly imagined and magical adventure filled with secrets, danger and heart

  • Book Review: Home Front by Kristin Hannah

    👀 First impressions:
    The Home Front by Kristin Hannah is an intimate and often painful examination of a marriage on the brink. Michael and Jolene Zarkades appear to have built a stable and successful life together, but beneath the surface their relationship has begun to fracture. When an unexpected military deployment forces them apart, the novel shifts from domestic strain to the wider emotional cost of war. From the opening chapters, Hannah makes it clear that this is not a romanticised story of sacrifice, but a deeply human one about choices, consequences and emotional distance.

    ✅ What I Liked:
    The emotional honesty of this novel is striking. Hannah captures the slow erosion of a marriage with uncomfortable realism, showing how neglect, unspoken resentment and imbalance can quietly hollow out a relationship. Jolene in particular is a compelling character, navigating motherhood, military service and personal identity under immense pressure. The portrayal of the psychological impact of war is handled with sensitivity and gravity, especially when the story confronts trauma and its ripple effects on family life. The novel’s focus on actions rather than intentions gives it real moral weight.

    ❎ What I didn’t Like:
    Some emotional beats are heavy, and at times the intensity borders on overwhelming. A few moments feel heightened for dramatic effect, particularly later in the story, but this will likely resonate with readers who appreciate emotionally driven narratives.

    📚 Why You Should Read This Book:
    If you enjoy contemporary fiction that explores marriage, parenthood and the unseen costs of military service, The Home Front is a powerful choice. It offers a perspective on war that centres not just on those deployed, but on the families who must endure the waiting, fear and aftermath.

    💭 Final Thoughts:
    The Home Front is a moving and often heartbreaking novel about love tested under extreme circumstances. It asks difficult questions about responsibility, forgiveness and what it truly means to show up for the people you love. Honest, compassionate and emotionally charged, it lingers long after the final page.

    🛍️ Where to buy
    To buy your own copy click HERE and HERE

    Final Rating ★★★★ – A poignant and unflinching look at marriage and the personal cost of war

  • Book Review: The Traitors Circle by Jonathan Freedland

    👀 First impressions:
    The Traitors Circle by Jonathan Freedland opens in Berlin in 1943 with an apparently civilised tea party that masks extraordinary danger. Around the table sit aristocrats, intellectuals and social leaders, united by their hatred of Nazism and their quiet acts of resistance. What they do not realise is that one of them is about to betray the entire group to the Gestapo. From the outset, Freedland frames this not only as a historical investigation into who betrayed whom, but as a broader examination of resistance, fear and moral courage under tyranny.

    ✅ What I Liked:
    The narrative is gripping and emotionally charged, reading with the tension of a thriller while remaining grounded in meticulous research. Freedland brings each member of the circle vividly to life, particularly the women whose bravery and defiance have so often been sidelined in traditional histories of resistance. The social contradictions are fascinating, with privilege and peril existing side by side, and the gradual tightening of the Nazi net is rendered with devastating clarity. The exploration of betrayal is handled with nuance and restraint, avoiding sensationalism while forcing the reader to confront uncomfortable truths about survival, fear and compromise.

    ❎ What I didn’t Like:
    The number of real historical figures and overlapping timelines can occasionally feel dense, especially in the early chapters. However, this complexity ultimately strengthens the book, reinforcing how tangled and precarious resistance networks were in practice.

    📚 Why You Should Read This Book:
    If you enjoy narrative history that combines human stories with sharp political insight, this book is essential reading. The Traitors Circle sheds light on lesser known acts of resistance and asks urgent questions about courage, integrity and the cost of standing up to authoritarianism. Its themes feel disturbingly relevant in the modern world.

    💭 Final Thoughts:
    The Traitors Circle is haunting, thought provoking and deeply moving. It honours the bravery of those who risked everything to oppose Hitler while refusing to simplify the moral realities they faced. Freedland succeeds not only in uncovering a tragic betrayal but in reminding us how rare and necessary moral courage truly is.

    🛍️ Where to buy
    To buy your own copy click HERE and HERE

    Final Rating ★★★★★ – A gripping work of history that asks timeless questions about truth, fear and resistance

  • Book Review: The Scapegoat: The Brilliant Brief Life of the Duke of Buckingham by Lucy Hughes-Hallett

    👀 First impressions:
    The Scapegoat by Lucy Hughes-Hallett plunges the reader into the volatile heart of seventeenth century England through the life of George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham. Favourite and lover to King James I and later closest companion and mentor to Charles I, Buckingham rose with astonishing speed from relative obscurity to immense wealth and political power. Hughes Hallett frames his life not just as biography but as a lens through which to view a society teetering on the edge of transformation, where beauty, ambition and charisma could be as potent as policy or bloodline.

    ✅ What I Liked:
    The writing is sumptuous and immersive, with a novelistic quality that brings the Jacobean and Caroline courts vividly to life. Hughes Hallett excels at capturing contradiction. This is a world of artistic brilliance and intellectual curiosity existing alongside witch hunts, brutal medicine and deep political paranoia. Buckingham himself is rendered as dazzling, manipulative, insecure and deeply human, never flattened into hero or villain. The exploration of gender fluidity, same sex desire and the performative nature of court life feels remarkably modern, while remaining firmly rooted in historical context. The wider political backdrop, including the rise of public opinion and growing unrest, is woven seamlessly into the personal narrative.

    ❎ What I didn’t Like:
    The density of historical detail may feel overwhelming at times, particularly for readers less familiar with the period. There are moments where the sheer scale of political manoeuvring slows the pace, but this feels more like an inevitable consequence of the subject matter than an actual flaw.

    📚 Why You Should Read This Book:
    If you enjoy history that reads with the pace and richness of a novel, The Scapegoat is an outstanding choice. It offers insight not only into one of the most controversial figures of the seventeenth century but also into a society grappling with power, identity and change. This is narrative history at its finest, intellectually rigorous yet emotionally engaging.

    💭 Final Thoughts:
    The Scapegoat is a compelling, intelligent and deeply atmospheric biography that brings an entire era into sharp focus. Hughes Hallett shows how Buckingham came to embody everything that was wrong with his country, and how his spectacular rise and fall mirrored a nation heading towards upheaval. It is immersive, unsettling and surprisingly resonant.

    🛍️ Where to buy
    To buy your own copy click HERE and HERE

    Final Rating ★★★★★ – A masterful blend of biography and storytelling that makes history feel urgently alive

  • Book Review: Beloved by Toni Morrison

    👀 First impressions:
    Beloved, written by Toni Morrison, is one of those books that carries its reputation heavily and deservedly. Inspired by the true story of Margaret Garner, the novel is set after the American Civil War and follows Sethe, a formerly enslaved woman living in Ohio with her daughter. When a mysterious young woman calling herself Beloved arrives, long buried memories of trauma, love and loss begin to surface. From the very first pages, the novel establishes an atmosphere that is unsettling, lyrical and deeply emotional, asking the reader to sit with pain rather than look away from it.

    ✅ What I Liked:
    Morrison’s prose is extraordinary. It is poetic without being indulgent and brutal without ever feeling exploitative. The way she captures the psychological scars of slavery feels both intimate and immense, showing how trauma lingers not just in individuals but across generations. Sethe is one of the most complex and heartbreaking characters I have ever read, and the novel’s exploration of motherhood, guilt and love pushed to its limits is unforgettable. The use of the supernatural adds a layer of unease that perfectly mirrors the emotional horror at the centre of the story.

    ❎ What I didn’t Like:
    This is not an easy or comfortable read. The fragmented structure and shifting perspectives demand patience and attention, and there were moments where the emotional intensity felt overwhelming. That said, these challenges feel intentional and necessary rather than flaws, reinforcing the novel’s themes and emotional weight.

    📚 Why You Should Read This Book:
    If you are looking for a novel that challenges you, stays with you long after you finish it and rewards careful reading, Beloved is essential. It is a landmark work of literature that confronts history head on while offering a deeply human story about love, identity and survival. This is a book that expands your understanding of what fiction can do.

    💭 Final Thoughts:
    Beloved is devastating, beautiful and profoundly important. It does not offer easy answers or comfort, but instead demands empathy, reflection and emotional honesty from its reader. This is a novel that feels alive, speaking across time with urgency and grace.

    🛍️ Where to buy
    To buy your own copy click HERE and HERE

    Final Rating ★★★★★ – A timeless and devastating work of literary genius

  • Book Review: Room For Rent by Noelle W. Ihli

    👀 First impressions:
    Room for Rent wastes no time establishing its central fear. Nya is broke, exhausted, and counting down the days until she can escape her living situation. The rent is cheap, the house is rundown, and her roommate Sidney is unsettling in ways that are hard to articulate until small incidents begin to stack up. Food goes missing. Doors rattle in the night. Personal belongings are disturbed. With nowhere else to go and no safety net to fall back on, Nya’s world steadily closes in as survival becomes her only priority.

    ✅ What I Liked:
    The novel is at its strongest when it leans into psychological unease rather than outright action. The shared house setting is inherently claustrophobic, and Ihli uses it well, turning everyday domestic details into sources of dread. Nya’s vulnerability feels realistic, particularly her financial desperation and reluctance to risk losing housing by overreacting. The tension escalates quickly, and once the story tips into full thriller territory, it becomes difficult to put down. The pacing in the latter half is sharp and urgent, delivering genuine page turning momentum.

    ❎ What I didn’t Like:
    Some character decisions stretch credibility, particularly when warning signs become impossible to ignore. A few twists feel familiar to seasoned thriller readers, and while effective, they lack the shock factor they seem designed to deliver. The psychological depth of the antagonist is more functional than complex, serving the plot rather than adding lasting impact.

    📚 Why You Should Read This Book:
    If you enjoy fast paced domestic thrillers that play on vulnerability, shared spaces and survival, this is a solid choice. It will particularly appeal to readers who like high tension stories with escalating danger and minimal downtime. This is a book that thrives on momentum rather than subtlety.

    💭 Final Thoughts:
    Room for Rent is an intense, unsettling thriller that taps into very real fears about safety and stability. While it does not reinvent the genre, it delivers enough tension and atmosphere to keep the pages turning. A gripping read in the moment, even if it does not linger long after finishing.

    🛍️ Where to buy
    To buy your own copy click HERE and HERE

    Final Rating ★★★ – A tense and claustrophobic survival thriller

  • Book Review: The Lake by Catherine Cooper

    👀 First impressions:
    The Lake is set at Creaglie Castle, a secluded luxury retreat on a remote Scottish loch. Guests arrive expecting indulgence, discretion and a touch of gothic charm, complete with rumours of ghosts and sweeping views. When a violent storm cuts the castle off from the mainland, the isolation turns deadly. What follows is a tense closed circle mystery where secrets surface, trust evaporates and it becomes clear that not everyone will survive the stay.

    ✅ What I Liked:
    The setting does a huge amount of work here. The remote loch, the looming castle and the relentless storm create a claustrophobic atmosphere that feels purpose built for suspense. Catherine Cooper is particularly strong at establishing mood, leaning into the eeriness of isolation and the performative luxury of the retreat. The gradual unravelling of past connections between the guests keeps the tension ticking along, and the central mystery is engaging enough to encourage steady reading. It is easy to imagine this story unfolding on screen, which speaks to the clarity of the setup.

    ❎ What I didn’t Like:
    The large cast means some characters feel more like archetypes than fully realised people, which limits emotional investment. While the twists are competently executed, they often feel familiar rather than shocking. The pacing can also be uneven, with moments where backstory takes precedence over forward momentum, slightly blunting the tension created by the storm and isolation.

    📚 Why You Should Read This Book:
    If you enjoy locked location thrillers with glamorous settings and a steady build of suspicion, this is a solid choice. Fans of storm cut off mysteries and secrets among the wealthy will find plenty to enjoy. It works particularly well as a moody weekend read where atmosphere matters as much as surprise.

    💭 Final Thoughts:
    The Lake delivers a chilling setting and a reliable mystery without pushing the genre into new territory. While it did not fully surprise me, it succeeds as an atmospheric thriller that keeps its secrets just long enough. A polished and readable novel that will appeal to fans of modern closed circle suspense.

    🛍️ Where to buy
    To buy your own copy click HERE and HERE

    Final Rating ★★★ – An atmospheric storm bound thriller with classic locked door tension

  • Book Review: The Stolen Crown by Tracy Borman

    👀 First impressions:
    The Stolen Crown opens in March 1603, with Queen Elizabeth I dying at Richmond Palace and the future of England hanging in the balance. Popular history has long insisted that Elizabeth named James VI of Scotland as her successor with her final breath, smoothing the transition from Tudor to Stuart rule. Tracy Borman challenges this familiar narrative, arguing that Elizabeth never formally named an heir at all. What follows is a fascinating investigation into how this carefully constructed myth took hold, and how its consequences helped plunge Britain into decades of instability, fear and violence.

    ✅ What I Liked:
    Tracy Borman excels at dismantling accepted historical stories and rebuilding them with clarity and drama. Her research is meticulous, yet the writing remains vivid and accessible, bringing court politics and personal ambition sharply into focus. The book is particularly strong in showing how uncertainty at the top of power filters down into paranoia, persecution and unrest, from religious division to witchcraft trials and the Gunpowder Plot. Borman has a talent for revealing how much of history is shaped by what people need to believe rather than what can be proven.

    ❎ What I didn’t Like:
    At times, the density of political manoeuvring and shifting alliances can feel overwhelming, especially for readers less familiar with late Tudor and early Stuart history. The focus remains firmly on elite power structures, which means everyday experiences of ordinary people are largely glimpsed through consequence rather than direct narrative.

    📚 Why You Should Read This Book:
    If you enjoy revisionist history that challenges long held assumptions, this is an excellent read. It will appeal particularly to readers interested in Tudor and Stuart Britain, succession politics and the fragile nature of political legitimacy. This book rewards curiosity and attention, offering a fresh perspective on a moment often treated as settled fact.

    💭 Final Thoughts:
    The Stolen Crown is a compelling reminder that history is often shaped by uncertainty, omission and deliberate myth making. Tracy Borman turns a familiar succession story into a tense and thought provoking narrative about power and its fallout. Informative, provocative and highly readable, it reshapes how the end of the Tudor era is understood.

    🛍️ Where to buy
    To buy your own copy click HERE and HERE

    Final Rating ★★★★ – Revisionist history that makes the past feel urgently alive

  • Book Review: Finding Hildasay by Christian Lewis

    👀 First impressions:
    Finding Hildasay is a memoir born out of loss, grief and the need to keep moving when standing still feels impossible. After the sudden death of his best friend, Christian Lewis sets out to walk the length of the British coastline with his dog Jet. What begins as an act of survival slowly becomes a journey of reflection, endurance and unexpected human kindness. From the opening pages, the book feels deeply personal and emotionally honest.

    ✅ What I Liked:
    The emotional authenticity is the book’s greatest strength. Lewis writes openly about grief, mental health and the isolating aftermath of loss without sentimentality or self pity. The relationship between Christian and Jet provides warmth and grounding throughout the journey, offering moments of levity amid the emotional weight. The descriptions of the British coastline are vivid but never indulgent, serving the emotional arc rather than overshadowing it. Encounters with strangers along the way highlight a quiet generosity that feels both realistic and uplifting.

    ❎ What I didn’t Like:
    The episodic nature of the journey means some sections feel repetitive, particularly during longer stretches of walking where little changes externally. Readers looking for a tightly structured narrative may find the pacing uneven at times. There are moments where the emotional reflection circles familiar ground without moving much further forward.

    📚 Why You Should Read This Book:
    If you enjoy travel memoirs rooted in personal transformation, this is a rewarding read. It will resonate strongly with readers who have experienced grief, burnout or a desire to step away from conventional life in search of clarity. It is especially appealing to those who appreciate stories about walking, nature and the quiet power of persistence.

    💭 Final Thoughts:
    Finding Hildasay is a gentle but powerful memoir about putting one foot in front of the other when life fractures unexpectedly. It does not offer easy answers or dramatic resolutions, but instead finds meaning in movement, companionship and small acts of kindness. Honest, grounding and quietly hopeful, it lingers long after the final page.

    🛍️ Where to buy
    To buy your own copy click HERE and HERE

    Final Rating ★★★★ – A heartfelt reminder of how healing can begin with simply moving forward

  • Book Review: The Kiss of Deception by Mary F. Pearson

    👀 First impressions:
    The Kiss of Deception opens with a strong hook. Princess Lia flees an arranged marriage on the morning of her wedding, determined to claim a life of her own away from duty and expectation. Settling in a quiet coastal village, she believes she has escaped court politics, unaware that two men have followed her. One is her jilted prince, the other an assassin sent to kill her, and the novel’s central tension rests on not knowing which is which. The story blends fantasy, romance and political intrigue, setting the stage for a series driven by identity and choice.

    ✅ What I Liked:
    The premise is clever and immediately engaging. The mystery around the two male characters adds a layer of tension that keeps the pages turning, especially in the first half. Lia herself is a likable protagonist, stubborn, curious and yearning for autonomy in a world that restricts her options. Mary E. Pearson’s worldbuilding is subtle rather than overwhelming, allowing the focus to remain on character dynamics. The romantic tension is handled with restraint, favouring emotional build up over instant intensity

    ❎ What I didn’t Like:
    The pacing slows considerably in the middle, with long stretches focused on village life that dilute the initial urgency. While the mystery is effective, the political stakes of the wider world feel underdeveloped in this first instalment. Some secondary characters lack depth, and the story occasionally leans heavily on familiar young adult fantasy tropes without fully refreshing them.

    📚 Why You Should Read This Book:
    If you enjoy fantasy romances with a strong character focus and a central mystery, this is an enjoyable read. It is particularly well suited to readers who like slow burn relationships and coming of age narratives set against a fantasy backdrop. Fans of court intrigue and hidden identities will find plenty to appreciate.

    💭 Final Thoughts:
    The Kiss of Deception is an entertaining start to a fantasy series, buoyed by a compelling premise and an engaging heroine. While it does not fully capitalise on its political potential, it succeeds as a character driven story about choice, freedom and trust. A solid introduction that leaves room for the series to grow.

    🛍️ Where to buy
    To buy your own copy click HERE and HERE

    Final Rating ★★★ – A promising beginning with a gentle, romantic pull