If you love Outlander....

 

Can you believe it has been six years since I've updated this list? There's certainly been some Outlander read-alikes published since then.  If you enjoy Outlander as much as me, here are some novels I recommend that have similar themes or characteristics. Each title is linked to my review if you'd like to learn more about the novel.

1.  The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley - This one not only takes place in Scotland, but it also has two parallel story lines with one that takes place in Scotland in the 1700s.  I thoroughly enjoyed this historical tale. 

2.  The Cousins' War series by Philippa Gregory - George R.R. Martin often says that he got his idea for the Game of Thrones series from the real-life events surrounding the War of the Roses, so you know Gregory's take on this will keep you captivated. If you are looking for strong female heroines along with some romance, betrayal, and court intrigue, look no further than this epic series.  Also, I highly recommend the TV show called The White Queen (on Starz) for those looking for something similar to Outlander.

3.  Ross Poldark by Winston Graham - I love this show on PBS, but the book is also fantastic as well. The time period is great, the setting is gorgeous, and there's a beautiful romance as well.  I think fans of Diana Gabaldon would appreciate this series.

4.  Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly - Fans of historical fiction, will enjoy this YA tale about a modern girl who comes across a very old diary from the French Revolution and identifies with the author.  

 

 

 

5.  Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati - It's the 1700s and Elizabeth Middleton left England to go to upstate New York and meets an American frontiersman.  It's a romance with an incredible setting, but it also deals with serious issues like the fate of the Mohawk nation.

 

 

 

6.  A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness - While I didn't love this series, I adored the first book and its ability to combine fantasy elements, historical details, and romance. Have you seen the TV show based on the books?

 

 

 

7.  The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger - Henry and Clare's story never gets old. I read this book before I started my blog, so I don't have an official review posted, but this book shouldn't be missed! 

 

 

 

8.  The Bronze Horseman by Paulina Simons - Ahh! This book is so good! It takes place in Russia during WWII and it's all about survival, love, family and the horrible consequences of war.

 

 

 

9.  Highland Crown by May McGoldrick - The similarities to Outlander are definitely present in this novel, although it isn't quite as good. I liked that Isabella is a trained doctor in the 1800s and she saves Captain Mackintosh who ends up taking her to his castle in Scotland.

 

 

 

10.  The Lost Queen by Signe Pike - It's all about ancient Scotland, and the book gives readers a new take on the Arthurian legend. It's part of a series!

 

 

 

11.  The Vanished Days by Susanna Kearsley - This book takes place during the Jacobite Rebellion and truly you can't go wrong with Kearsley.  There's a lot of plot twists in this one, so buckle in!

 

 

 

12.  The Scribe of Siena by Melodie Winawer  - Time travel, medieval Siena, the plague! This one has it all. 

 

13.  The Secret by Julie Garwood - Judith is about to meet the father she never knew, Laird Maclean, who lives in Scotland. This is the first book in the Highlands' Laird series and it's perfect for historical romance lovers.

 

 

On My TBR List:

1.  When a Scot Ties a Knot by Tessa Dare

2.  Overseas by Beatriz Williams 

3.  Ransom by Julie Garwood

 

So, what are your favorite Outlander read-alikes? Have you read any of the books that made my list? Let me know in the comments below. 

Spotlight and Giveaway: Peter Pan in 20 Minutes a Day

As a former English teacher and certified reading specialist, I know how important it is to read-aloud to your child with the goal being twenty minutes a day. Even older children benefit from an adult reading aloud to them, which is one of the many misconceptions I encountered when I was teaching. Many parents think that once a child can read independently, that there's no benefits to an adult reading aloud.  So untrue! All ages can benefit from an adult reading aloud to them, especially in combination with a meaningful discussion. Often times parents don't know what questions to ask or what to even discuss to keep things lively, so when I came across Bushel & Peck's Read Aloud Kids Classics, I was thrilled.  The English teacher in me practically jumped for joy as the classics are so important and often overlooked. Any prior knowledge we can give our children regarding classic literature will give them an edge in any classroom.  Whether it be Peter Pan, a novel by Charles Dickens, Greek mythology, or more, classics are invaluable.

 

 

Thanks to Bushel & Peck, they gave me a gifted copy of Peter Pan in 20 Minutes a Day.  I love this concept, because not only is the goal to read aloud to children for twenty minutes a day, I love that the story is already chunked into manageable portions.  It's the unabridged text, so it isn't "dumbed-down" and after each section there's meaningful questions that lend itself to thoughtful discussions.  The challenging vocabulary words are in bold face and the definitions are off to the side, which I thought was fantastic and very helpful to parents.  Even my kindergartner noticed this and was asking for the definition to particular words. 

 

 

I absolutely adored reading Peter Pan in 20 Minutes a Day with my boys. I forgot how fantastic the original story is and we often found ourselves discussing the Disney version verses J.M. Barrie's original story. There's so many meaningful quotes in Peter Pan that truly hit home.  

 

“So come with me, where dreams are born, and time is never planned. Just think of happy things, and your heart will fly on wings, forever, in Never Never Land!” 

“The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it.” 

 

I am so happy I could read and enjoy such a timeless tale with my sons. In the Read Aloud Kids Classics series, they currently have Alice in Wonderland, A Christmas Carol, The Wind in the Willows and The Secret Garden. I taught A Christmas Carol for years, and I know that a book like this would be a perfect addition to the classroom or curriculum, especially for children who want an unabridged version chunked into manageable pieces.  Coming out this fall in this series is The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Treasure Island.

When I was offered the chance to partner up with Bushel & Peck, I knew I had to take this opportunity, because they are doing such great work. For every book they sell, they donate to kids in need through their literacy partners, which include teachers, librarians, non-profits and more. To learn more about their donation process, visit their website.   You can also connect with them on Facebook and Instagram.  Also, you can purchase your own copy of Peter Pan in 20 Minutes a Day here.  Literature lovers, be sure to check out their website, because they have gorgeous books coming out like Illustrated Robert Frost and Illustrated Emily Dickinson.  Swoon!

Thanks to Bushel & Peck, I am hosting a giveaway for Peter Pan in 20 Minutes a Day to one lucky reader.  Please enter in the rafflecopter below and refer to my giveaway rules. Good luck!

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Book Review: The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth

Pages: 352

Genre: Adult Fiction

Pub. Date: April 5, 2022

Publisher: St. Martin's

Source: Publisher for review

Other Books By Author: The Good Sister

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "THE HUSBAND A heart surgeon at the top of his field, Stephen Aston is getting married again. But first he must divorce his current wife, even though she can no longer speak for herself. THE DAUGHTERS Tully and Rachel Aston look upon their father’s fiancée, Heather, as nothing but an interloper. Heather is younger than both of them. Clearly, she’s after their father’s money. THE FORMER WIFE With their mother in a precarious position, Tully and Rachel are determined to get to the truth about their family’s secrets, the new wife closing in, and who their father really is. THE YOUNGER WIFE Heather has secrets of her own. Will getting to the truth unleash the most dangerous impulses in all of them?"

 

 

 

Pamela is married to Stephen Aston, a successful heart surgeon. They have two beautiful daughters, and live in a gorgeous house that they are remodeling, but no matter how perfect Pam's life is, she can't fight the early on-set dementia that is slowly tightening its grip on her. Stephen, her husband, hired Heather, an interior designer, to help bring Pam's vision to life, but slowly Pam is losing herself and Stephen has to put her into a nursing home.  This breaks his heart and he finds himself being consoled by Heather. As time goes on, sparks fly between the two despite the fact that Heather is young enough to be his daughter.  This blows his daughters' minds as Heather is their age and his new relationship with her feels wildly inappropriate considering their mother is still alive! The eldest daughter, Tully, has her own issues to deal with as she recently found out that her husband made a bad investment and they are losing all their money.  Plus, she has a slight problem: she likes to steal things.  Then there's her younger sister, Rachel, who is a beautiful baker, but she eats her feelings due to the fact that she hasn't dealt with the trauma from her childhood.  All of these tragically flawed characters coming together makes for a very dramatic domestic suspense from Sally Hepworth, especially when Stephen announces his upcoming marriage to Heather right when Pam starts suggesting Stephen isn't the nice guy they thought he was.  The Younger Wife, while isn't as compelling as Hepworth's The Good Sister, is still a suspenseful, fast moving novel despite my issues with it.

Hepworth is really good at creating tragically flawed characters that I find myself still rooting for even though I don't always agree with their decisions. She makes me care about them and that's how I felt about Tully. Her world is being turned up side down, she will have to move out of her beautiful home, and she has her own mental health issues while raising two little boys.  I was worried how all this stress might play out for her, not to mention the fact that her mother keeps divulging information about her father and the information starts to raise some questions for Tully.  Is Pam just rattling on or is there some truth to her secrets?

It was pretty easy to see where Hepworth was going with Rachel and her trauma in The Younger Wife. She hasn't dealt with her issues, so now she eats too much as a way of coping with difficult things in her life.  Rachel has always been the beautiful one, but she has a lot of baggage.  She is more accepting of Heather than Tully, but she also starts questioning things when she finds a load of cash hidden in her mom's water bottle with a note.  What was Pam saving for? Was she trying to leave Stephen? 

Heather is also a complex and troubled character in The Younger Wife mostly because she also has unresolved issues from her childhood.  When she moves in with Stephen (to the house she helped design!), things are blissful until she starts to realize that he controls her a bit and comments frequently on her clothing, how much she drinks, her version of a story, etc.  Things also get dark at times, and she  starts questioning her sanity. Is it her and her unresolved issues or is it Stephen? I found myself trying to figure out if she was an unreliable narrator, especially when Heather starts questioning herself. Also, I wasn't sure I could care about a character like Heather who dated a married man, but surprisingly, Hepworth found a way to make me care!

The Younger Wife is a soapy domestic suspense novel that I thought was decent overall, but the ending left me feeling let down. I hear that the official ending in the published novel is different than the ARC which I read, so that makes me feel better.  I tried to take that into consideration with my review as my main issue with the novel is the last 10% of it.  Nonetheless, if you enjoy domestic suspense and are a fan of Hepworth, readers won't be too disappointed by this novel as it is very fast moving and I was hooked as I wanted to know what would happen to these complex and complicated women.  

So, are you a fan of Hepworth's novels? Have you read The Younger Wife? Is it on your TBR list? Let me know in the comments below.

  

Book Review: Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez

Pages: 400

Genre: Adult Fiction/Romance

Pub. Date: April 19, 2022

Publisher: Grand Central

Source: Publisher for review

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "The New York Times bestselling author of Life's Too Short delivers a refreshingly modern fairy tale perfect for fans of Casey McQuiston and Emily Henry.  After a wild bet, gourmet grilled-cheese sandwich, and cuddle with a baby goat, Alexis Montgomery has had her world turned upside down. The cause: Daniel Grant, a ridiculously hot carpenter who’s ten years younger than her and as casual as they come—the complete opposite of sophisticated city-girl Alexis. And yet their chemistry is undeniable. While her ultra-wealthy parents want her to carry on the family legacy of world-renowned surgeons, Alexis doesn’t need glory or fame. She’s fine with being a “mere” ER doctor. And every minute she spends with Daniel and the tight-knit town where he lives, she’s discovering just what’s really important. Yet letting their relationship become anything more than a short-term fling would mean turning her back on her family and giving up the opportunity to help thousands of people. Bringing Daniel into her world is impossible, and yet she can’t just give up the joy she’s found with him either. With so many differences between them, how can Alexis possibly choose between her world and his?"

 

Alexis Montgomery's family is medical royalty. Her mother, father, and ancestors were all surgeons at Royaume Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis.  It is assumed in her family that her and her brother will take over as the family presence within the hospital.  Much to her father's dismay, Alexis has taken the emergency medicine route and not a more "accomplished" position.  Plus, when her brother elopes while in Cambodia for Doctors Without Borders, she realizes that not only is he not coming back to Minneapolis, her family's legacy lies solely in her hands.  While driving back from a funeral, she ends up stranded in a ditch in a backwoods town, thanks to a raccoon on the road.  Daniel Grant helps her get her car out of the ditch, and she runs into him again at the local pub.  Daniel is not only extremely attractive, he is also much, much younger than her, so she assumes nothing will come of the mutual attraction.  However, sparks fly and they spend the night together, even though that is something Alexis usually doesn't do. Alexis knows that she couldn't possibly have a future with Daniel. He lives in this hick town, is the mayor, and is a carpenter. That doesn't make them compatible in the very least; plus, her family would never approve.  But Alexis is tired of doing what everyone else wants her to do. What about what she wants? The more time she spends with Daniel, the more time she realizes that their relationship isn't just a fleeting romance.  Abby Jimenez's Part of Your World is a delightful opposites attract romance that fans of her work will most definitely enjoy.

Alexis is a character that you can't help but root for in  Part of Your World. She has a lot of issues that stem from how her family treats her as well as her relationship with her ex-boyfriend, who is also a doctor at the hospital. Cue the drama.  Her family loves her ex, but she knows he isn't the guy for her, not to mention he is a total creep.  She keeps trying to escape him, but it's been difficult.  They share a house together and he doesn't want to break up with her.  Insert Daniel into this equation and you have polar opposites in love interests.  Daniel is a genuinely good guy with Alexis's best interests at heart. He cares about the town he lives in and is an extremely loyal friend.  The community relies on him and he is the very definition of dependable. It doesn't hurt that he is a masterful carpenter, extremely good looking, and very young.  All of this makes him swoon-worthy, but Alexis keeps trying to resist a serious relationship with him because he doesn't fit the mold of who she thinks she should be with.

As the story progresses, Alexis must figure out what she truly wants, not just what her family wants, or what they expect of her.  She must be courageous enough to forge her own path and follow her heart. It takes her some time to get to that point though.  I appreciate that  Part of Your World addresses trauma and digs deep into the characters; this isn't just a fluffy romance as it touches on a lot of different emotions.  Alexis really has to work on herself and feel empowered to make her own decisions.  It was frustrating at times to watch Alexis be so mistreated, but I was definitely caught up in her story and rooting her on. 

Additionally, I really enjoyed the secondary characters that Jimenez created in  Part of Your World. They weren't just characters that were on the sidelines, barely developed, instead they were very memorable.  I truly cared about their stories, especially Daniel's cousin and some of the other town's residents.

Part of Your World is the perfect springtime read. Fans of Jimenez's romances won't be disappointed.  This is my first novel I've read by Jimenez, but it definitely won't be the last.  If you are a fan of contemporary romances, definitely pick up a copy of  Part of Your World, which comes out on Tuesday.

Are you a fan of Abby Jimenez? Is  Part of Your World on your spring TBR list? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

  

Blog Tour: The No-Show by Beth O'Leary

Looking for a delightful rom-com? The No-Show by Beth O'Leary just came out this week and I am very happy to be part of Berkley's blog tour to celebrate its publication! Ever since I read The Switch, I knew I had to get my hands on a copy.  I love a good story about second chances and I hear this book will make you laugh, too! What a great combination!

 

 

Learn More About the Novel:

 

 

Goodreads says, "Three women who seemingly have nothing in common find that they're involved with the same man in this smart new rom-com by Beth O'Leary, bestselling author of The Flatshare. Siobhan is a quick-tempered life coach with way too much on her plate. Miranda is a tree surgeon used to being treated as just one of the guys on the job. Jane is a soft-spoken volunteer for the local charity shop with zero sense of self-worth. These three women are strangers who have only one thing in common: They've all been stood up on the same day, the very worst day to be stood up--Valentine's Day. And, unbeknownst to them, they've all been stood up by the same man. Once they've each forgiven him for standing them up, they let him back into their lives and are in serious danger of falling in love with a man who seems to have not just one or two but three women on the go....Is there more to him than meets the eye? And will they each untangle the truth before they all get their hearts broken?"

 

You can purchase your own copy of The No-Show at Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, Indiebound, and Amazon.  You can also learn more about The No-Show by visiting Beth O'Leary's website and connecting with her on Facebook and Instagram. If you haven't had Beth O'Leary and her books on your radar, you'll want to remedy that! Her other novel, The Flatshare, will be made into a TV show, and The Switch will be a movie, which will hopefully be hitting our screens soon.

So, are you a fan of Beth O'Leary? Is The No-Show on your TBR list? Have you read any of O'Leary's other novels? Let me know in the comments below.