MY REVIEW

 

First off, I don’t do much erotica. But, I hate to miss something good, so every once in a while I will give one a try. The Witch of Painted Sorrows by M J Rose is just such a book. I feel this isn’t hard core erotica, but most definitely an adult book. I think it is more about the horror. I was very surprised at how much I loved this dark supernatural story of possession.

 

Sandrine has left her husband and is hiding at her grandmothers place in Paris. These women characters are not your typical ladies of the 1800s. They refuse to accept the status quo and want more.

 

Paris is not good for Sandrine, especially after she sees Maison de la Lune, her grandmothers home. Sandrine cannot stay away and proceeds to defy her grandmothers request that she stay away.

 

As M J Rose describes Sandrine observing her surroundings as if to paint them, it made me think of myself doing the same thing, only as a photographic opportunity – forms, shapes, light and dark. When M J describes Monsieur Duplessi talking about studying a tree for inspiration for designing a house, I couldn’t help but let my smile over Sandrine turn into a big grin. I felt I was destined to read The Witch of Painted Sorrows. I have a passion for trees and believe if I look long enough I will see so much more than leaves, branches and roots, like looking at a cloud and deciphering what shape is hidden inside. Again, I can relate to looking for design, form and lines, light, dark and shadows.

 

Gothic novels can be hit or miss with me and I was surprised at how involved I became with the story. The Witch of Painted Sorrows has so many elements that interest me. Back in the day, women were expected to be and act a certain way. Sandrine loved dressing like a man, being her own person and having freedom to do what she likes.

Witches. Ghosts. The Grimoire. Evil. Possession. Keeps getting better and better. The historical elements are detailed and the vivid, well developed characters had me so involved in their lives, that I read The Witch of Painted Sorrows from beginning to end in one sitting, even though the beginning was a bit slow. The steady pacing kept me curious, but I didn’t feel that sense of urgency that makes me race through the pages. The story is wrapped up neatly and there is no cliffhanger.

 

I received an ARC of The Witch of Painted Sorrows by M J Rose in return for an honest review.

4 Stars

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

 

THE WITCH OF PAINTED SORROWS (Daughters of La Lune #1)

 

by M.J. Rose

Gothic Historical Fantasy

Published by Atria Books on March 17^th, 2015

Cover: Alan Dingman

 

Possession. Power. Passion. New York Times bestselling novelist M. J. Rose creates her most provocative and magical spellbinder yet in this gothic novel set against the lavish spectacle of 1890s Belle Époque Paris.

 

Sandrine Salome flees New York for her grandmother’s Paris mansion to escape her dangerous husband, but what she finds there is even more menacing. The house, famous for its lavish art collection and elegant salons, is mysteriously closed up. Although her grandmother insists it’s dangerous for Sandrine to visit, she defies her and meets Julien Duplessi, a mesmerizing young architect. Together they explore the hidden night world of Paris, the forbidden occult underground and Sandrine’s deepest desires.

 

Among the bohemians and the demi-monde, Sandrine discovers her erotic nature as a lover and painter. Then darker influences threaten—her cold and cruel husband is tracking her down and something sinister is taking hold, changing Sandrine, altering her. She’s become possessed by La Lune: A witch, a legend, and a sixteenth-century courtesan, who opens up her life to a darkness that may become a gift or a curse.

This is Sandrine’s “wild night of the soul”, her odyssey in the magnificent city of Paris, of art, love, and witchery.

 

Praise for The Witch of Painted Sorrows

 

“This bell époque thriller is a haunting tale of obsessive passions.” —People Magazine

“Provocative, erotic, and spellbindingly haunting…will have the reader totally mesmerized cover-to-cover….a ‘must-have’ novel.” —Suspense Magazine

 

“A haunting tale of erotic love…. M.J. Rose seamlessly weaves historical events throughout this story filled with distinctive characters that will keep the reader captivated to the end.” —Examiner.com

 

“Rose has a talent for compelling writing, and this time she has outdone herself. Fear, desire, lust and raw emotion ooze off the page.” —Associated Press

“Haunting tale of possession.” —Publishers Weekly

 

“Rose’s new series offers her specialty, a unique and captivating supernatural angle, set in an intriguing belle epoque Paris — lush descriptions, intricate plot and mesmerizing storytelling. Sensual, evocative, mysterious and haunting.” —Kirkus

 

“Mixes reality and illusion, darkness and light, mystery and romance into an adult fairy tale. [Rose] stirs her readers curiosities and imaginations, opening their eyes to the cultural, intellectual and artistic excitement that marked the Belle Epoque period. Unforgettable, full-bodied characters and richly detailed narrative result in an entrancing read that will be long savored.” —Library Journal (Starred Review)

 

“An elegant tale of rare depth and beauty, as brilliantly crafted as it is wondrously told….melds the normal and paranormal in the kind of seamless fashion reserved for such classic ghost stories as Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw.” —Providence Journal

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EXCERPT

 

Paris, France April 1894

 

I did not cause the madness, the deaths, or the rest of the tragedies any more than I painted the paintings. I had help, her help. Or perhaps I should say she forced her help on me. And so this story—which began with me fleeing my home in order to escape my husband and might very well end tomorrow, in a duel, in the Bois de Boulogne at dawn—is as much hers as mine. Or in fact more hers than mine. For she is the fountainhead. The fascination. She is La Lune. Woman of moon dreams, of legends and of nightmares. Who took me from the light and into the darkness. Who imprisoned me and set me free.

 

Or is it the other way around?

 

“Your questions,” my father always said to me, “will be your saving grace. A curious mind is the most important attribute any man or woman can possess. Now if you can just temper your impulsiveness…”

 

If I had a curious mind, I’d inherited it from him. And he’d nurtured it. Philippe Salome was on the board of New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and helped found the American Museum of Natural History, whose cornerstone was laid on my fifth birthday.

I remember sitting atop my father’s shoulders that day, watching the groundbreaking ceremony and thinking the whole celebration was for me. He called it “our museum,” didn’t he? And for much of my life I thought it actually did belong to us, along with our mansion on Fifth Avenue and our summerhouse in Newport. Until it was gone, I understood so little about wealth and the price you pay for it. But isn’t that always the way?

 

Our museum’s vast halls and endless exhibit rooms fascinated me as much as they did my father—which pleased him, I could tell. We’d meander through exhibits, my small hand in his large one, and he’d keep me spellbound with stories about items on display. I’d ask for more, always just one more, and he’d laugh and tease: “My Sandrine, does your capacity for stories know no bounds?”

 

But it pleased him, and he’d always tell me another.

 

I especially loved the stories he told me about the gems and fate and destiny always ending them by saying: “You will make your own fate, Sandrine, I’m sure of it.”

 

Was my father right? Do we make our own destiny? I think back now to the stepping-stones that I’ve walked to reach this moment in time.

 

Were the incidents of my making? Or were they my fate?

 

The most difficult steps I took were after certain people died. No deaths were caused by me, but at the same time, none would have occurred were it not for me.

 

So many deaths. The first was on the morning of my fifteenth birthday, when I saw a boy beaten and tragically die because of our harmless kisses. The next was the night almost ten years later, when I heard the prelude to my father’s death and learned the truth about Benjamin, my husband. And then there were more. Each was an end-ing that, ironically, became a new beginning for me.

 

The one thing I am now sure of is that if there is such a thing as destiny, it is a result of our passion, be that for money, power, or love. Passion, for better or worse. It can keep a soul alive even if all that survives is a shimmering. I’ve even seen it. I’ve been bathed in it. I’ve been changed by it.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

New York Times Bestseller, M.J. Rose grew up in New York City mostly in the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum, the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park and reading her mother’s favorite books before she was allowed. She believes mystery and magic are all around us but we are too often too busy to notice… books that exaggerate mystery and magic draw attention to it and remind us to look for it and revel in it. Rose’s work has appeared in many magazines including Oprah Magazine and she has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, WSJ, Time, USA Today and on the Today Show, and NPR radio. Rose graduated from Syracuse University, spent the ’80s in advertising, has a commercial in the Museum of Modern Art in NYC and since 2005 has run the first marketing company for authors – Authorbuzz.com. The television series PAST LIFE, was based on Rose’s novels in the Reincarnationist series. She is one of the founding board members of International Thriller Writers and currently serves, with Lee Child, as the organization’s co-president. Rose lives in CT with her husband the musician and composer, Doug Scofield, and their very spoiled and often photographed dog, Winka.

 

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Via http://onlectus.blogspot.com/2012/10/envy-by-gregg-olsen.htmlThe story is very interesting, especially because it was taken from actual events.In a small town where everyone knows each other, Katelyn kills herself. The doctor rules it as an accident to spare the family the pain of thinking that they failed their only daughter.For twins Hayley and Taylor the death of Katelyn is not clear and although they knew Katelyn had some emotional problems, they don’t think that would've been enough to make her commit suicide. So they take upon themselves to find out how Katelyn really died and make sure the responsible party gets punished. The journey they take to find out the truth and discover Katelyn’s real killer is sometimes dull. The story is good but sometimes I felt it was dragging. Hayely and Taylor have some kind of supernatural ability that I found to be silly but… it was what helped them to solve Katelyn’s death. I like the way Olsen writes though, very suspense building and emotive. I was kind of imagining it was ‘Mary Alice Young’ of Desperate Housewives narrating the story. It gave me that kind of mysterious yet fun vibe!The story tackles a couple of issues all at once: cyber-bullying, family secrets, paranormal powers, and how far some people go when they want to “teach a lesson”. I won’t say more because it would be a spoiler :-)There is also a mystery surrounding the twins. Along with Katelyn – now dead – they are the only survivors of a crash that happened ten years ago and of which they can’t remember anything and their parents refuse to talk about. I didn't like the end though. The twins, so righteous about crime and punishment end up killing a reporter. Well, not actually killing but as accomplices of murder and agreeing to keep it a secret. That didn’t quite make sense to me! There was no point to the murder and they show no remorse whatsoever. But since this book is part of a series, maybe in future books the twins will be eaten will guilt and fess up. I also didn't like that super mini-Diva Starla didn't get a taste of her own medicine. She is that type that type that is so beautiful that she thinks that the sun shines just make her happy. I wanted to see so kind of retribution on her case but, as I mentioned above, maybe that was left for the next books. I couldn’t stand the text messages!!! Is that they way Olsen thinks teenagers text? Cul8er for ‘see you later’ and other acronyms and all caps. Really, that was truly annoying so I just skipped it. I really liked the end. Although things ended up almost quite the way they were supposed to be, the way Katelyn died did come as a surprised to me.

Wow. Just wow. I mean, that’s honestly the only word that can describe Envy by Gregg Olsen. From the moment I looked at the cover, I was already fascinated. When they say not to judge a book by its cover, I know that I did just that with Envy. The cover is creepy and at the same time had me wondering what the story was about, and once I read the description on Goodreads, I knew that I absolutely had to read the novel.Just reading the first chapter had me hooked. It takes place the night of Katelyn’s death and leaves readers craving the rest of the chapter. You’re thrown into mystery and tragedy, and if you have a thing for the two of those genres like me—then you know I was eager to read the next chapter. Envy is the story of psychic twins Hayley and Taylor Ryan as their small town deals with the recent death of their used-to-be friend Katelyn. But the two girls know that Katelyn’s death wasn’t a suicide and begin to uncover things best left alone as they also receive messages from Katelyn from beyond the grave.Awesome-sauce right? Right. Everything about Envy has you eager for the next page/chapter/sentence… you get my drift. Olsen has written the story in a way that has you able to envision every little detail from the story in your mind and I know that more than once I felt like I was actually watching most scenes in my head. Either it was the description of mean girl Starla or it was a moment when Taylor and Hayley were both using the Scrabble tiles to understand what Katelyn wants them to know, the descriptions in Envy are to die for.The story did manage to stir a lot of emotions up in me. If you have seen the movie Cyberbully (like I recently have) then you know how sad and real online bullying is and how it can lead people to extremes. Envy doesn’t shy away from the topic and focuses mainly on it as it helps expand just how Katelyn’s life managed to end the way it did. I do know that the cyberbullying in the novel was both realistic and would really help today’s youth understand the effects of using social media as a way to abuse people.And the fact that some of the things that take place in Envy are based on true events definitely has me sick to my stomach. I’ve always had a thing of murder-mysteries and I’m not going to lie, Envy has given me a high dosage of it and I love it. With every experience that you go through with the two sisters, you feel a bit like a detective. I know that I did.I really don’t have any complaints with the novel, the changing of POV’s could make me irate at times but it was nothing major. Though I am a teenager myself (mutant and proud), the way that the characters used “text speak” had me reading through the messages slowly. I use full sentences, which I think is easier to understand. However, they used symbols and a lot of shortened words. I guess I’m just not up to speed on “text speak” like my fellow teens.I’d recommend Envy just to about anybody searching for a good read. If you’ve been let down by a few books lately, I’d hand you Envy and tell you to sit down. To not argue and to just sit down and read it. Word for word because if you miss the littlest sentence you will be confused for the rest of the story. Envy is one of those stories where you have to read it slowly because of the high amount of detailing. If you love mysteries and thrillers (and the above can still apply to you) then I would highly recommend Envy. It’s fantastic. Just saying.

Chilling. That's the first word that pops into my head when I think about my reading of Envy. Even before I realized that this was based on a true crime, my heart beat faster just reliving the events of this book. Imagine a book that mixes a bit of horror with the paranormal we all know and love. Are you imagining? Good. That? That's this book. It's pretty amazing.

 

I fell in love with Hayley and Taylor instantly. Twins, sisters, confidants, and sharing one of the biggest secrets that they've ever had. I really wanted to get to know Hayley and Taylor as I followed them. Witty and intelligent, these girls are definitely spitfires! Determined to find out who killed their friend, the girls end up learning more about themselves than they every really though possible. I loved uncovering the mystery of their childhoods, and learning more about the Ryan family overall. It's not everyday you see such a tight knit family, and it makes for great atmosphere.

 

When I said that this book was chilling, I wasn't kidding. Gregg Olsen leads the twins on quite a chase as they struggle to uncover what truly happened to Katelyn. The mystery here is scrumptious. It's the type that will draw you in, have you probing for answers, and then throw a slap in the face at the last minute, just as you think you might have finally figured out what's going on. Oh yes. There's some twists and turns along the way. Let's just say it makes this a read while worth diving into. I can promise you that you'll be flipping pages faster than you can read.

 

Long story short, this is a wonderfully written mystery that is just creepy enough to make you want to keep reading. I devoured Envy and then was still hungrily looking for more to read. If you are a fan of mysteries, or of true crime novels, this is the best of both worlds. Pick up a copy of Envy and get reading.

The small town of Port Gamble, Washington is rocked by the death of one of their own. Katelyn, found dead by an apparent suicide, was a teenager like many others – having friend trouble, boy trouble, family trouble, but would she kill herself? Twins Hayley and Taylor don’t think so and decide to get to the bottom of what really happened.So begins the mystery with several twists, turns, and red herrings thrown in. As mysteries go, it was fine. The author definitely had me trying to figure out what happened to Katelyn as each new clue was introduced. My problems with the book aren’t necessarily from the plot. I have a real pet peeve when books include mentions of real life objects that will date the story. This book has way to much of that. There are mentions of Facebook and fashion brands that might not be around in several years and end up pulling the reader out of the story.There were too many flashbacks and flash sideways. The flash sideways are due to the fact that the author used a third-person omniscient narrator. The third-person omniscient is presented by a narrator with an overarching point of view, seeing and knowing everything that happens within the world of the story, including what each of the characters is thinking and feeling. I really don’t like this style. It has too much of a Desperate Housewives feel to it.Oh, there is also some cyberbullying thrown in for good measure.I did like the paranormal twist added to the story. The twins, Hayley and Taylor, have some cool abilities, but…..it seemed like they could do just about anything they wanted to. When they wanted to figure out some part of the mystery they found a way. They can sense what happened from touching things (these scenes appear as flashbacks). One of them can go under water or drink water and have messages appear. They can put things under their pillows and dream about them. There is even one instance where they foresee the future. Good grief!All in all ENVY was okay.Be sure to check out the website for the book. It has a lot of cool extras.