Month: May 2024

Book review: Stars of Twilight Fair

BJ Sikes, authorLeave a comment

Stars of Twilight Fair by K. Lyn Smith

To be released 24 May 2024.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It was irresponsible, really, the way he wielded his smile without a care for where it landed. – Miss Amelia Thorne

I mean how swoony is that? I love historical romance but they’re not always that romantically written, if you know what I mean.
I was drawn in by the set up: a noble scientist photographer and a scandalous recluse. What could possibly go wrong?
It’s billed as a sweet Victorian romance and in my experience, those can be kind of bland. I was pleasantly surprised that this was most certainly not bland. The author packed in all the glorious, tumultuous emotions of a forbidden love without resorting to the usual smoldering looks and harsh kisses (and totally unrealistic trysts, looking at you, my beloved Bridgerton).

The love between the protagonists felt real and believable. And I liked them both, something uncommon for me. It was also beautifully written, almost as poetic as the many Wordsworth quotes scattered through the book.

The author has a bunch more books on her website: https://www.klynsmithauthor.com/allbooks

I had the pleasure of receiving an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.



It’s Release Day for The Cultist’s Wife!

BJ Sikes, author1 Comment
Paperbook of the Cultist's Wife on a shelf with a witch's cauldron, antique glass bottles, a crow statue, and an amethyst cluster.

This book o’ mine had a long, strange, and winding journey to publication but it’s HERE.

Long time readers of this blog first encountered it as a story about a little girl going to the Bahamas called Sand and Bones. Then I re-wrote it to be Clara’s story, and it became Escaping Andronicus. And then I let my Beta readers (thank you Dover and Thena!) at it (again) and it was finally titled The Cultist’s Wife.

Then it sat in my To Be Edited folder while I worked on The Vitruvian Mask because I had people asking me for a sequel to The Archimedean Heart and I am nothing if not responsive to my readers. <grin>

But finally, I returned to this book and polished it up to a shine. I had my developmental editor give it another pass. A sensitivity reader took a look at it from a Black Bahamian perspective. I hired a proofreader (thanks, Alison!) and got a great cover designer (Kelley York at Sleepy Fox Studios). I think it’s the story I wanted to tell now.

I have had some lovely people look at the ARCs and wanted to share snippets of their reviews:

The book took my breath away…

It had everything that I was looking for…

I was so enthralled in this story I couldn’t stop thinking about it when I couldn’t be reading it.

This was a quick read and it sucked me in right away!

Read this in 2 days. Very readable!

Blushing emoji

Awww, you folks are so sweet! <BLUSH> I was so pleased to read these reviews!

If you want your own copy, The Cultist’s Wife is on sale through the month of May.

It’s part of a promo package with a ton of other horror, mystery, and suspense books here or by itself here.