Darcy Fornier, Author at Historical Bookworm

January 23, 2024February 10, 2024

A Bookchat about Of Love and Treason with Jamie Ogle

About the Author

Jamie Ogle is a predawn writer, homeschool mom by day, and a reader by night. Inspired by her fascination with the storied history of faith, she writes historical fiction infused with hope, adventure, and courageous rebels. A Minnesota native, she now lives in Iowa with her husband and their three children, and she can usually be found gardening, beekeeping, and tromping through the woods.

Author questions:

How did you get into beekeeping, and what do you love about it?
I love the tagline for your stories on your website – “Good rebels, deep faith.” Can you tell us about how (and why) the theme of rebels worked its way into your story signature?
As a homeschool mom, how do you think being a writer affects your approach as a teacher?
Is there anything especially interesting that you haven’t covered in other interviews that you could share with us or perhaps there is something God has laid on your heart that you would like to share with your readers?

About the book: Of Love and Treason

Valentine defies the emperor and becomes a hero . . . and the most wanted man in the empire. Compelled by his faith, he has nothing to lose, until a chance encounter with the daughter of a Roman jailor changes everything.

Rome, AD 270. In the wake of the emperor’s marriage ban, rumors swirl that there is one man brave enough to perform wedding ceremonies in secret. A public notarius and leader of an underground church, Valentine believes the emperor’s edict unjust and risks his own life for the sake of his convictions. But as his fame grows, so do fears for his safety.

Iris, the daughter of a Roman jailor, believes regaining her sight will ease the mounting troubles at home. Her last hope rests in searching out Valentine and his church, but the danger of associating with people labeled a threat to the empire is great. Still, as Iris’s new friends lead her to faith in God, Iris is drawn to Valentine and they both begin to hope for a future together beyond the treacherous empire.

But when a past debt and a staggering betrayal collide, Valentine, Iris, and everyone they love must fight for their lives . . . and wrestle with trusting a God who can restore sight yet does not always keep His followers from peril.

Book Questions

Ancient Rome and the early Church–the perfect setup for dangerous adventure and deep themes. Also, we seem to have a well-known historical figure at the forefront.

Did you learn anything surprising about St. Valentine as you were researching for this book?
I love how there are some jailers with pretty interesting experiences in the New Testament, and you have a heroine who is the daughter of a Roman jailer. How does that shape Iris’ life?
As you were researching ancient Rome for this book, did you run across any surprising facts?
What’s next for your writing?

Connect with Jamie Ogle: Newsletter, BookBub, Amazon, Pinterest, Facebook, Goodreads, and Instagram.

October 29, 2023October 30, 2023

A Bookchat about The Peasant King with Tessa Afshar

Tessa Afshar joins us for a chat about King Darius of the Bible, writing historical fiction, and her latest release The Peasant King. Don’t forget to enter to win a copy of this great book!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tessa Afshar is the Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of biblical and inspirational historical fiction, including Land of Silence, which won an INSPY Award and was voted by Library Journal as one of the top five Christian fiction titles of 2016, and Harvest of Gold, which won a Christy Award in the Historical Romance category.

Tessa was born in the Middle East and lived there for the first fourteen years of her life. She then moved to England, where she survived boarding school for girls and fell in love with Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte, before moving to the United States permanently.

Her conversion to Christianity in her twenties changed the course of her life forever. Tessa holds a Master of Divinity from Yale, and she served in women and prayer ministries for twenty years before becoming a full-time writer and speaker.

Tessa is a devoted wife, an enthusiastic cook, and a mediocre gardener. But that has not cured her from being exceptionally fond of chocolate.

Questions

Let’s start with something fun.

I love how on your website you welcome readers in true Middle Eastern style. What would you say is your favorite part of Middle Eastern culture that you still carry with you today?
If you could have tea with anyone from history, who would it be?
What is a common piece of life advice you hear that you disagree with (and why)?
Is there anything interesting that you haven’t covered in other interviews that you could share with us, or is there something God has laid on your heart that you would like to share with your readers?

ABOUT THE BOOK

Jemmah has always thought of herself as perfectly ordinary . . . until she faces extraordinary circumstances.

When her mother, the Persian king’s famous senior scribe, is kidnapped, Jemmah and her sister must sneak undetected into enemy territory to rescue her. But infiltrating their adversary’s lands proves easier than escaping them. Fleeing through dangerous mountain passes, their survival depends on the skills of a stranger they free from prison: a mysterious prince named Asher.

Despite his royal blood, he has had to climb his way out of poverty to forge success from nothing. A manufacturer of some of the best weaponry in the East, Asher has only one goal: to destroy his father. But following his escape from prison, Asher is irresistibly drawn to Jemmah, unaware that she guards her own secret.

Jemmah must convince Asher to give up everything he has worked for, all for the sake of a higher purpose he’s not sure he believes in. The fate of the Persian empire—and possibly the Judean people—hang in the balance, and in the persuasive power of one ordinary woman.

A prince living as a peasant and an ordinary girl trying to free her mother – sounds like a great Medieval set up, but this is biblical times fiction!

Do any famous Bible figures appear in this story?
I love the theme of an ordinary young woman accomplishing extraordinary things. Could you tell us a little more about who Jemmah is? She basically answered this
Did you learn anything surprising about ancient weaponry and warfare while researching Asher’s trade? (Or share some interesting tidbit you researched especially for this story.) 🙂
What is next for you with your writing?

Connect with Tessa Afshar: Newsletter, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Instagram.

April 22, 2023April 22, 2023

The Premonition at Withers Farm by Jaime Jo Wright

The audio version of this review was first shared in A Bookchat about Forged in Love with Mary Connealy & a Review of Premonition at Withers Farm by Jamie Jo Wright

THE BOOK

In 1910 Michigan, Perliett Van Hilton is a self-proclaimed rural healer, leaving the local doctor convinced she practices quackery. It doesn’t help that her mother is a spiritualist who regularly offers her services to connect the living with their dearly departed. But when Perliett is targeted by a superstitious killer, she must rely on both the local doctor and an intriguing newcomer for assistance.

In the present day, Molly Wasziak’s life has not gone the way she dreamed. Facing depression after several miscarriages, Molly is adapting to her husband’s purchase of a peculiar old farm. A search for a family tree pulls Molly deep into a century-old murder case and a web of deception, all made more mysterious by the disturbing shadows and sounds inside the farmhouse.

Perliett fights for her life, and Molly seeks renewed purpose for hers as she uncovers the records of the dead. Will their voices be heard, or will time forever silence their truths?

THE REVIEW

The Mistress of the Macabre is BACK and better than ever!

If “The Premonition at Withers Farm” doesn’t secure Jaime Jo Wright her second Christy Award, I’ll eat my hat! Okay, maybe not my hat—because it’s cute and vintage and straw seems rather tough to chew—but I’d certainly throw said hat across the room in shock and dismay.

Why, you ask? I shall tell you, dear reader.

“The Premonition at Withers Farm” showcases Wright’s distinctive style and masterful storytelling at its BEST! Her atmospheric prose envelope the imagination like an eerie mist, and within a few lines, the reader is utterly lost in the story. The gothic tone conjures goosebumps at every turn, and the enthralling mystery makes it nigh on impossible to stop turning pages. Wright’s characters feel like real, complex, vulnerable people, and she’s not afraid to let them ask tough questions about life and faith. As a result, the spiritual themes of this novel are powerful, poignant, and boldly thought-provoking.

If you’re obsessed with true crime and love gothic fiction, you’re sure to agree that “The Premonition at Withers Farm” is a haunting read!

THE AUTHOR

Jaime Jo Wright is the author of six novels, including Christy Award winner The House on Foster Hill and Carol Award winner The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. She’s also the Publishers Weekly and ECPA bestselling author of two novellas. Jaime lives in Wisconsin with her cat named Foo; her husband, Cap’n Hook; and their littles, Peter Pan and CoCo.

Read more about Jaime at her website. (www.jaimewrightbooks.com)

Review by ECPA bestselling author Angela Bell is a 21st century lady with 19th century sensibilities. Her activities consist of reading voraciously, drinking copious amounts of tea, and writing letters with a fountain pen. Learn more about her at AuthorAngelaBell.com

Disclaimer: The publisher offered a complimentary copy of this book. The review was given freely, without payment. All views expressed are only the honest opinion of a member of the Historical Bookworm Review Team.

March 7, 2023March 8, 2023

The Cairo Curse by Pepper Basham

The audio version of this review can be found on Episode 57: A Bookchat about The Rose and the Thistle with Laura Frantz & a Review of The Cairo Curse by Pepper Basham

THE BOOK

Clue meets Indiana Jones with a fiction-loving twist only Grace Percy can provide.

Newlyweds Lord and Lady Astley have already experienced their fair-share of suspense, but when a honeymoon trip takes a detour to the mystical land of Egypt, not even Grace with her fiction-loving mind is prepared for the dangers in store. From an assortment of untrustworthy adventure-seekers to a newly discovered tomb with a murderous secret, Frederick and Grace must lean on each other to navigate their dangerous surroundings. As the suspects mount in an antiquities’ heist of ancient proportions, will Frederick and Grace’s attempts to solve the mystery lead to another death among the sands?

The Cairo Curse is a delightful sequel to The Mistletoe Countess by Pepper Basham in the Freddie and Grace Mystery series.

THE REVIEW

Pepper Basham stays true to her trademark style of infusing romance, laughs, and danger into her stories for an unputdownable combination. Grace and Frederick leave for a honeymoon trip and take a brief stop in Cairo to visit with one of his cousins. When jewelry goes missing, an archeological dig site is worthless, and tempers flare–someone is bound to end up murdered. But with a large cast of characters, who will Grace’s active detective imagination cling to as the culprit?

Per all of Basham’s books, the romance is on the sweet-spicy side and the thread of second chances, God’s plan, and faith to meet people who think they’re too fallen for redemption is palpable. A few instances of mild violence at the climax but the incidents throughout the story mostly happen ‘off screen’.

This is the second in a series and there are several allusions to the instances in the first book but it could function as a standalone. Except, the first book was so much fun to read that I highly recommend reading that one too!

THE AUTHOR

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance “peppered” with grace and humor. Writing both historical and contemporary novels, she loves to incorporate her native Appalachian culture and/or her unabashed adoration of the UK into her stories. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the wife of a fantastic pastor, mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus. Her nineteenth novel, Authentically Izzy, debuts in November with Thomas Nelson. She loves connecting with readers and other authors through social media outlets like Facebook & Instagram.

You can learn more about Pepper and her books on her website at www.pepperdbasham.com

***Reviewed*** *by Christie Kern. Follow @WriterCBK219 on Instagram for more book reviews and recommendations.*

March 1, 2023March 8, 2023

A Bookchat about Double the Lies with Patricia Raybon & a Review of All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes

Patricia Raybon joins us for a chat about under-appreciated novels, taking one day at a time, special readers, and her latest release Double the Lies. Don’t forget to enter to win a copy of this great book!

For today’s Pinch of the Past, we’re looking at the defense of a castle! As decades of siege warfare passed, architects and designers learned to use even the smallest things to their advantage to make a castle as defensible as possible… (Full post here.)

Today’s Bookworm Review is bought to you by Christie K. “All the Lost Places has themes of forgiveness and grace woven throughout with very mild violence during the climatic scene. Both stories have sweet romances.” (Full review here.)

Connect with Patricia Raybon: www.PatriciaRaybon.com, Bookclub, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Instagram.

Mentions in the episode: Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton book recommendation.

“While you live, tell truth and shame the devil!”

– William Shakespeare

Henry IV, Part 1, Act 3, Scene 1.

Ad link: Join Kimberly Woodhouse @ A Million Miles with Kim

March 1, 2023March 7, 2023

All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes

The audio version of this review can be found on Episode 56: A Bookchat about Double the Lies with Patricia Raybon & a Review of All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes

The Book

When all of Venice is unmasked, one man’s identity remains a mystery . . .

1807

When a baby is discovered floating in a basket along the quiet canals of Venice, a guild of artisans takes him in and raises him as a son, skilled in each of their trades. Although the boy, Sebastien Trovato, has wrestled with questions of his origins, it isn’t until a woman washes ashore on his lagoon island that answers begin to emerge. In hunting down his story, Sebastien must make a choice that could alter not just his own future, but also that of the beloved floating city.

1904

Daniel Goodman is given a fresh start in life as the century turns. Hoping to redeem a past laden with regrets, he is sent on an assignment from California to Venice to procure and translate a rare book. There, he discovers a city of colliding hope and decay, much like his own life, and a mystery wrapped in the pages of that filigree-covered volume. With the help of Vittoria, a bookshop keeper, Daniel finds himself in a web of shadows, secrets, and discoveries carefully kept within the stones and canals of the ancient city . . . and in the mystery of the man whose story the book does not finish: Sebastien Trovato.

THE REVIEW

The words of the author themselves are comprised of beautiful prose that paints pictures of a crumbling city of Venice and illustrate the hope of its residents. Alongside that historical component is the story of Daniel, a man who seeks to repair his past. While beginning a new job he meets Vittoria, a vibrant woman who helps him uncover the mysteries surrounding a book he is translating. Inevitably, the two stories collide, weaving the distant past and past into a rich tapestry of events and emotions.

This story is leisurely paced with mild action and some of the Venetian history was difficult to follow and fully understand. The several secondary characters were interesting and easy to decipher. All the Lost Places has themes of forgiveness and grace woven throughout with very mild violence during the climatic scene. Both stories have sweet romances.

THE AUTHOR

Amanda Dykes is a drinker of tea, dweller of redemption, and spinner of hope-filled tales who spends most days chasing wonder and words with her family. She’s the winner of the 2020 Christy Award Book of the Year, a Booklist 2019 Top Ten title, and the winner of an INSPY award for her debut novel, Whose Waves These Are. She’s also the author of Set the Stars Alight (a Christy Award finalist), Yours is the Night (recipient of the Kipp Award, Christy Award finalist), All the Lost Places (starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and Foreword), and three novellas. Find her online at amandadykes.com.

March 1, 2023March 7, 2023

Defense of a Castle

The audio version of this article can be found on Episode 56: A Bookchat about Double the Lies with Patricia Raybon & a Review of All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes

For today’s Pinch of the Past, I am dragging you all along to take a peek at one of my absolute favorite topics–the defense of a castle! Our listeners might be thankful KyLee’s here to rein me in if I get carried away…

The Walls

The thing I love about castles is how every detail was important for defense. As decades of siege warfare passed, architects and designers learned to use even the smallest things to their advantage to make a castle as defensible as possible.

The first and most obvious defense for a castle was, of course, its massive walls. Their size varied depending on the castle, but to give us an idea, a castle built in Wales in the late 13th century had an outer wall 20 feet high and 8 feet thick. The inner wall was 15 feet taller and 4 feet thicker, with its towers soaring to 50 feet.

I didn’t think much about the outer wall being shorter. I assumed it would just be too expensive to build two walls 35 feet high. But the height difference meant that both walls could be used for defense at the same time. While defenders on the outer walls were fighting the attacking army, defenders on the inner wall could be shooting at the enemy right over the heads of their comrades below.

Near the base, the walls sloped outward slightly, making them even thicker. This made the walls stronger, of course, but it also served another purpose that I’ll share in a moment.

Hoardings

At the top of the walls and towers most castles sport a notched edge called crenelation. It’s pretty well known that these scallops, called merlons, provided a place for defenders to hide as they shot between them at the attackers below.

But since the castle often had advance warning that an army was coming, they would build wooden balconies, called hoardings, that jutted out a few feet from the top of the walls. These hoardings had roofs which were covered in animal skins to make them more resistant to flaming arrows. This way, when the attackers tried to scale the walls or use a battering ram, the defenders could hurl boulders, boiling oil, melted lead, or arrows straight down through the floor of the hoardings.

And you remember the sloping base at the bottom of the wall? That provided a surface for falling projectiles to hit and bounce toward the attackers. They really took advantage of every feature.

Curved Towers

So the last thing we’ll mention is the gorgeous curved towers you see on some castles. One of the tactics for breaching castle walls involved digging a tunnel under them to try to make them collapse. Digging under a square corner was the best place–but round towers have no corners, so it would basically be like undermining the middle of a straight wall.

Speaking of curved towers, that brings me to the quintessential feature of a fairytale castle–the spiral staircase. In a real castle, the stairs always spiral clockwise as you ascend. This means that anyone who breached the outer wall and tried to climb the staircase to seize a tower had to climb with his swordhand next to the middle shaft of the staircase. Any defenders inside could descend with their swordhand toward the outer wall of the staircase, giving them a lot more room to maneuver their weapon. Something as simple as the direction of the stairs was turned to the defenders’ advantage.

Hope you’ve enjoyed this small tour of a castle at war! Maybe next time we’ll talk about a castle at peace…or something like that.

February 3, 2023February 8, 2023

The Band of Hope Pt. 1

The audio version of this artickle was first shared in Episode 53: A Bookchat about A Mark of Grace with Kimberly Woodhouse & a Review of The Debutante’s Code by Erica Vetsch

There is nothing new under the sun. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard my dad say that over the years. I guess I should not have been surprised then when I ran across a temperance association that educated children(!) about the dangers of drugs and alcohol in the 1800s. Like our modern-day D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education.)

It All Started with an Alcoholic Sunday School Teacher

In June of 1847, Reverend Jabez Tunnicliff visited a young man who was dying of alcoholism. The young man had previously been a Sunday school teacher. He told the reverend, “I want you, if you think it worthwhile to say anything about me when I’m gone, to warn young men against the first glass.”

Rev. Tunnicliff reported this to the Leeds Temperance Society. In August of that same year, they invited Mrs. Ann Jane Carlile to speak about alcoholism to local day schools, Sunday schools, and women’s groups. Some children at these events took pledges not to drink.

In November 1847 the first Band of Hope meeting took place in Leeds. 300 children, 16 and younger, attended and 200 chose to sign a pledge to abstain. The rest had already done so.

Their pledge was, “I, the undersigned, do agree that I will not use intoxicating liquors as a beverage.”

In 1855 the UK Band of Hope Union was formed as many different children’s recreational organizations joined together. They did more than just sign packs to not drink. They also taught about Christianity and the problems associated with drinking. The idea was to inspire children to live healthy, alcohol-free lives.

What did they do?

They produced children’s hymns, pamphlets, and “magic lantern slide shows” to support the group. In addition to sending qualified medical men to schools to speak about the dangers of alcohol and drugs, they also held pageants, festivals, and competitions.

In 1897, Queen Victoria became a patron of The Band of Hope. As a result, many sermons on temperance were preached all over the UK. The archbishop of Canterbury and Dublin headed this movement. While preaching at St. Pauls’ Cathedral, the Arch Bishop of Canterbury said,

“ The old command was ‘do”; the teaching of Christ is ‘be’. The Christian life should be one of ceaseless aspirations towards higher and better things. When an improved mode of life is seen it should be striven for, and it is a sin to neglect any means of attaining it.”

Whew, those are some high expectations. Still, so true. “…the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41 – KJV

Part 2 of this article can be found here: Band of Hope Pt. 2

You can find the audio for part 2 on Episode 54: A Bookchat about Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams with Jennifer Lamont Leo & a Review of His Delightful Lady Delia by Grace Hitchcock.

February 3, 2023February 3, 2023

The Debutante’s Code by Erica Vetsch

The audio version of this review was first shared in Episode 53: A Bookchat about A Mark of Grace with Kimberly Woodhouse & a Review of The Debutante’s Code by Erica Vetsch

THE BOOK

Newly returned from finishing school, Lady Juliette Thorndike is ready to debut in London society. Due to her years away, she hasn’t spent much time with her parents, and sees them only as the flighty, dilettante couple the other nobles love. But when they disappear, she discovers she never really knew them at all. They’ve been living double lives as government spies—and they’re only the latest in a long history of espionage that is the family’s legacy.

Now Lady Juliette is determined to continue their work. Mentored by her uncle, she plunges into the dangerous world of spy craft. From the glittering ballrooms of London to the fox hunts, regattas, and soirees of country high society, she must chase down hidden clues, solve the mysterious code her parents left behind, and stay out of danger. All the while, she has to keep her endeavors a secret from her best friend and her suitors—not to mention nosy, irritatingly handsome Bow Street runner Daniel Swann, who suspects her of a daring theft.

Can Lady Juliette outwit her enemies and complete her parents’ last mission? Or will it lead her to a terrible end?

THE REVIEW

“The Debutante’s Code” would not pair well with a light cup of Darjeeling. No, indeed, dear readers. This cloak-and-dagger mystery calls for a strong cup of Earl Grey to complement the story’s robust notes of dark academia and anglophile.

Erica Vetsch has once again proven herself to be a skilled writer with a flair for capturing the details and atmosphere of a historic setting. Her words bring Regency Era London to life, juxtaposing grimy pubs and glittering ballrooms so vividly that one wonders if Vetsch is in fact a time-traveler recounting her visits to the past.

If you’ve ever wished Jane Austen had written tales of espionage and murder, then “The Debutante’s Code” is sure to be your cup of tea!

THE AUTHOR

Erica Vetsch is a New York Times best-selling author and ACFW Carol Award winner, and has been a Romantic Times top pick for her previous books. She loves Jesus, history, romance, and watching sports. This transplanted Kansan now makes her home in Rochester, Minnesota.

Read more about Erica at her website. (www.ericavetsch.com)

Reviewed by:

Review by ECPA bestselling author Angela Bell is a 21st century lady with 19th century sensibilities. Her activities consist of reading voraciously, drinking copious amounts of tea, and writing letters with a fountain pen. Learn more about her at AuthorAngelaBell.com

December 8, 2022December 8, 2022

Falling for the Cowgirlby Jody Hedlund

The audio version of this review was first shared in A Bookchat about Sisters of Sea View by Julie Klassen & a Review of Falling for the Cowgirl by Jody Hedlund.

THE BOOK

Years ago, he shattered her heart. Now she must trust him with her life.

As the only girl in her family, and with four older brothers, Ivy McQuaid can rope and ride with the roughest of ranchers. She’s ready to have what she’s always longed for–a home of her own. She’s set her heart on a parcel of land south of Fairplay and is saving for it with her winnings from the cowhand competitions she sneaks into–but her dream is put in jeopardy when the man she once loved reappears in her life.

After two years away, Jericho Bliss is back in South Park as an undercover Pinkerton agent searching for a war criminal. He has no intention of involving a woman in the dangerous life he leads, but one look at Ivy is all it takes for him to question the path he’s set out for himself.

Even though Jericho tries to resist his longtime attraction to the beautiful and vivacious Ivy, he finds himself falling hard and fast for her. In the process, his worst fear comes true–he puts her smack-dab in the middle of danger. With Ivy’s life in the balance, will Jericho give her up once again, or will he find a way back to her, this time forever?

THE REVIEW

Oh. My. Holy Saint Peter! Jody has done it again, she’s roped me in and hog-(steer)-ties me with another McQuaid book!

I wasn’t so sure about this one. Ivy has been that annoying little sister, with a really big mouth and larger personality since book 2. And I wasn’t sure I was gonna like her. And while it’s not my favorite of the Colorado Cowboys (that’s still a toss up between Flynn and Brody), I really appreciate how Jody grew her up, but also kept the same elements that were Ivy. It made her and this story feel more real; sometimes authors grow up the characters too much and they change and it feels less like real humans. This didn’t.

And the slow burn and tension between her and Jericho! Come on! I was just like get on with it… but then when those kisses (yes, plural) came, it was fantastic. But, again, like real life, the tension didn’t stop there.

But among all the kisses, tension, bickering and banter, I deeply appreciate how Jody intertwined scripture and biblical truths into the story. That’s one of the reasons I alway pick up her books. I know I’m gonna get fantastic characters, a marvelous story, and deep spiritual truths as well.

If you enjoy capable cowgirls, romance with a little sizzle, and family sagas, you’ll want to grab a copy of Falling for the Cowgirl by Jody Hedlund.

THE AUTHOR

Jody Hedlund is the best-selling author of over forty sweet historical romances and is the winner of numerous awards. She lives in central Michigan with her husband and is the mother of five wonderful children and five spoiled cats. When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate.

Reviewed by Megan Adams from the bookstagram account Messy Bun, Bookish Fun .