Rosh's Reviews

AUTHOR: Marian Yee GENRE: Historical Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: June 30, 2026 RATING: 1 star. In a Nutshell: A historical fiction offering us “4 Janes” similar to the character Jane Eyre. Not a retelling. Four distinct sections with minimal interconnection in plot. Insipid characters, forced lyricism in the writing, random story development. I struggled to reach the finish line. This gets a no from me. Plot Preview: If you have read Charlotte Brontë’s classic work ‘Jane Eyre’, you know that it ends with her marriage to Edward Rochester. But what if Jane’s destiny lay somewhere else? In this book, we meet 4 Janes: a missionary’s wife battling a new land and life, a Vietnamese bookseller battling a forbidden crush, a historical time traveller battling a recent grief, and a modern-day immigrant ( most probably battling his need for self-identity and love; I lost all interest in the book by then. ) The story comes to us in four distinct sections from the point of view of the four key charac...

AUTHOR: Gabrielle Meyer SERIES: Dollar Princess, #3 GENRE: Historical Romance. PUBLICATION DATE: October 6, 2026 RATING: 4.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical romance retelling the Hollywood musical ‘The Sound of Music’ by setting it in the Gilded era. Great characters, wonderful writing, excellent research, satisfying ending. Christian in approach, but never preachy. The third book of the Dollar Princess series, and can be read as a standalone though it continues from the earlier book. Much recommended. Plot Preview: 1886. When nineteen-year-old Addie is forced to leave her wealthy New York home and work as a governess in the house of George Stafford aka the Earl of Torrington, she isn't exactly looking forward to it. But when she finds his household lacking in joy, with his five children determined to drive away every governess in the hopes of getting more time with their father who has turned reclusive after the death of his wife, Addie is determined to bring happiness to them....

AUTHOR: Kallie George ILLUSTRATOR: Geneviève Godbout GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: May 12, 2020 RATING: 2.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A picture book about the Anne most readers know. Might work better for adults than kids. This is a story about a little girl with a big imagination, who wonders what she would do if she weren’t Anne, i.e. Anne with an E. As a picture book, it shows little readers a young girl who soars as high as she can in her imaginary world, but comes to the eventual conclusion that some things are better in reality. But to adult readers, it shows Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables. Those familiar with L.M.M. Montgomery’s classic will catch many Easter eggs in this version, such as the reference to Cordelia or the comparison between green hair and red hair or even the oft-repeated phrase ‘Anne with an E’. I appreciate how this story stays true to the original characterisation of Anne. At the same time, I am confused about its intent behind usin...

AUTHOR: Cynthia Pelayo GENRE: Historical Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE: June 9, 2026 RATING: 2 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical fantasy-horror combining ‘Peter Pan’ and ‘IT’. Lyrical writing and vivid imagery. Extremely slow-paced in the first half. Repetitive. Confusing shifts in timeline. More about atmosphere than about gore. The final quarter is the strongest. Recommended to those who don’t seek instant gratification. The official blurb is inaccurate. Plot Preview: 1914. Twelve years after the incident that changed her life and her family forever, Wendy Darling works as a school teacher and also volunteers with a local hospital, reading to soldiers who have returned broken from the Western Front. One patient in particular is her regular subject; he is unable to wake up from his sleep despite all the care. One day, when he utters the name ‘Peter Pan’ in his sleep, Wendy is taken aback, recollecting the dark days from the past when multiple children went missing from Kensington Park and...

AUTHOR: Rosie Hewlett GENRE: Mythological Retelling PUBLICATION DATE: March 17, 2026 RATING: 1.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A Greek-mythology retelling loosely inspired by the story of Penelope (the wife of Odysseus) and narrated via a minor character. Not faithful to the original myth – this could go either way with readers. Lyrical writing, flawed characters, too much of romance and attraction, too much of feminine rage. Plenty of triggering content. I usually love this author’s works, but this one didn’t end up impressing me. My review is more bitter than sweet, but it is an outlier opinion. Plot Preview: The worlds of Melantho and Penelope have always intersected, even though the girls live in different social circles. Melantho is an enslaved girl in the palace of Sparta while Penelope is a princess. When a friendship blooms between them, the royals don’t approve and Penelope is sent away after being made to witness Melantho’s punishment for dreaming beyond her station. When their paths...

AUTHOR: Gabrielle Meyer SERIES: Dollar Princess, #2 GENRE: Historical Romance PUBLICATION DATE: June 9, 2026 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical romance that is not just a historical romance. Retelling of the classic Hollywood musical ‘Seven Brides for Seven Brothers’. Interesting characters, great historical feel, wonderful setting. Christian fiction. Slightly slow and repetitive in the second half. A nice option for fans of the genre and of the movie. The second book in the Dollar Princess series but can be read as a standalone. Plot Preview: 1884, England. Twenty-year-old American heiress Lily Parker is taken by surprise when the reclusive Duke of Severton, Ames Welby, proposes to her almost as soon as they meet. She knows that he is in desperate need of money to repair his ancestral home, and as she has wealth as well as an interest in leaving the crazy chaos of London, she accepts. What she doesn’t know is that life at Pickering Castle will be just as chaotic. Ames’ four ...

AUTHOR: J.S. Helms GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: May 5, 2026 RATING: 2.75 stars. In a Nutshell: A Christian novella about the power of faith and forgiveness. A contemporary retelling of the Book of Jonah from the Bible. I liked most of the story but the writing didn’t work for me. The ending was a disappointment. Not a light read. I wish I could have liked this better because it has a powerful message. Recommended, but not to everyone. Triggers for human and animal deaths. Plot Preview: Even after a family tragedy, Jonas continues in his pastoral work, ensuring the spiritual health of the locals as the Pastoral Care Coordinator at Grace Street Ministry. But while he has grace and forgiveness for those he serves in the community, he hasn’t found it in his heart to forgive certain people from his past. When he is asked to minister to death row inmates – one of whom is a man whose crime mirrors the tragedy that devastated Jonas – he refuses and runs. But God works in myst...

AUTHOR: A.E. Chandler NARRATOR: Joel Benedict GENRE: Historical Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: April 21, 2021 RATING: 2.75 stars. In a Nutshell: The legendary story of Robinhood and his band in the Scarlet forest. True to the original ballads. Don’t expect a Hollywood experience full of swashbuckling flamboyance and charm. I liked the story (not a surprise as it’s about Robinhood), but found the writing style somewhat dry. The use of old English was also a little hurdle for me on audio, though I appreciate the authenticity of the language. With a little more literary flourish, this would have been a more memorable experience for me. But it might work better for those Robinhood fans who prefer authentic, frill-free narratives. This is an outlier review. If you are looking for a genuine story of Robinhood, not the one that you see in Hollywood but more faithful to the original legend and ballads, and if you aren’t fussy about anything other than the storyline, then this book does well. Sadly...

AUTHOR: Anna James ILLUSTRATOR: Matthew Land GENRE: Middle-grade Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE: January 6, 2026 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A middle-grade fantasy offering a continuation of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, albeit with another *Alyce*. Interesting characters (some old, some new), fun adventures and zingy one-liners. Not as nonsensical as the original, but still quite absurd. Quite clever as an unofficial sequel, but most of the jokes will click better if you know the Lewis Carroll work. Recommended. Plot Preview: 1919. England. After having lost her father during the Great War, Alyce – with a Y – lives with her grandmother, the original Alice who still speaks about her visit to Wonderland even though no one takes her seriously. When a mysterious invitation to a tea party hits Alyce (literally), she assumes that it’s for her. After all, many people confuse the spellings, and why would anyone invite her grandma to a tea party anyway? But soon, Alyce realises that her gran...

AUTHOR: H.G. Parry NARRATOR: Nathaniel Priestley GENRE: Historical Fantasy, Retelling PUBLICATION DATE: June 17, 2025 RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A standalone historical portal fantasy blending Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities" with fae magic. Interesting characters and writing; average world-building. Somewhat slow. Excellent as a retelling but it might work better for those who know the original novel and those aware of the French revolution. The author is still among my favourites, but this book isn't my favourite of her works. Recommended but not to all. Plot Preview: (Offering just a barebones diluted version. Reasons below in main review.) London, 1780. Sydney Carton works for the fae but is looking for revenge against them. When he bumps into his lookalike Charles Darnay, he finally has that rare opportunity. It will take time, magic, and shrewdness, but Sydney is determined to do whatever it takes to rectify the injustice done to him. The story com...

AUTHOR: Percival Everett GENRE: Historical Fiction, Retelling PUBLICATION DATE: March 19, 2024 RATING: 3 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical fiction retelling the story of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn from another character’s point of view. Important to remember that this is satirical in nature, else some of the inclusions will feel farfetched. Other than the exaggerations, it is fairly truthful to history as well as to the historical classic. Dark humour at times; dark emotions more frequent. Triggering for several events related to human enslavement. Works well as a standalone, but you might appreciate it better if you are familiar with Huck’s story. Recommended, but not a must-read. Plot Preview: When Jim, an enslaved man, hears that he is to be sold and hence separated from his wife and his daughter, he runs away until he can come up with a plan to save them all. While in hiding, he bumps into young Huckleberry Finn, who has faked his own death to escape from the clutches of his ab...