Book Review: Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare

Author: William Shakespeare

Title: Titus Andronicus

Genre: Classics, Historical Fiction

Format: ebook

Pages: 402

Published: 1594

Where I got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

Titus, a model Roman, has led twenty-one of his twenty-five sons to death in Rome’s wars. We follow Titus Andronicus as he descends into a cycle of brutal vengeance against Tamora, Queen of the Goths, and her lover Aaron the Moor, after they wrong his family

Review:

Play 2 for Shakespeare Club is done and in the books! I'm really loving the live reading and discussion afterwards. It's like English class without the test. 

Here we jump to one of the most bloody plays good ol' Billy has ever written. It is so Roman that the Romans would be proud. Tragic and bloody. Titus, the perfect Roman, has returned home to bury yet another one of his sons. Chaos ensues. Blood will be shed, and revenge is never-ending. 

So yes. This was bloody, and we had a death count as we went through each Act. No one is safe. There is also a tragic scene involving Titus' daughter that definitely warrants a trigger warning. You don't "see" it happen, but you see the aftermath.

Elizabethans adored it. They love a good blood shed, so Billy certainly got his name out with this play. 

Even in the mud of blood, there is a story. It is tragic and actually really good. You really have to pay attention to what the characters are saying and doing. There is a message to be had for sure. This was one of Billy's first works, and you can see some foreshadowing into what will be written in the future. It was kind of poetic. 

We all joked that Quentin Tarantino should remake this. This would be right up his alley. 

But yes, this is....a lot. There is a scene at the end that I whispered, "What the fuck."

At the end of the day, this was intense and bloody, and I can see why the Elizabethans ate this up. Tragic, bloody, and wild. I'll give this 3 stars. 

Book Review: Sight Unseen by Alexis Marie

Author: Alexis Marie

Title: Sight Unseen

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Mystery

Format: ebook

Pages: 393

Published: March 1, 2026

Where I got It: My shelf (Goodreads giveaway)

Summary: 

Veda Thorne is living on borrowed time. After exhausting every magical cure for the fatal curse trapped inside her, she’s accepted her fate. But Veda’s self-imposed isolation begins to crack when she’s asked to tutor Antaris, a child whose pain calls to her own.

Hiram Ellis left his wealthy, prejudiced family years ago. Now unexpectedly thrust into single fatherhood, he returns to his hometown, determined to build a life far from the cold privilege that stifled his own childhood. The last thing he expects is to be drawn to the fiercely protective, sharp-tongued woman helping his son.

When a trail of enchanted spider lilies leads Hiram and Veda to discover their deadly tie to a prolific serial killer, they’re forced to set aside their differences to unearth long-buried secrets. But the truth is as deadly as Veda’s curse, and both come at a devastating cost. As victims mount and motives emerge, their greatest challenge is choosing to trust and love each other.

Review:

Yayy. Another random giveaway book that I won! Weeee! 

Note - even though I was given this in a giveaway, my review will be honest and unbiased. 

In this one, we follow Veda and Hiram. Veda is living on borrowed time because of the curse that was placed on her. She wants to just live and be left alone. However, her isolation cracks when she is asked to tutor a boy whose recent loss resonates with her. Hiram left his wealthy, but prejudiced, family years ago. He wants nothing to do with them or to be like him. Fatherhood is dropped on his lap. He had no idea his ex had a baby, and now that she is passed, he will do his best to give his son the life and upbringing he never had. He hires Veda to help get his son on track, but he didn't expect to fall for her. On top of all this, there is a trail of spider lilies that is pointing to a serial killer. The two will have to put aside their differences and figure out what is going on. 

This book was a roller coaster for me. One moment, I was glued to the pages and couldn't stop reading. The next moment.....I was clock-watching and bored. And then I was itching for more and wanted more. Def all over the board with this one. 

I went back and forth on how I felt about Veda. I liked Hiram. The kid was sweet. Poor angel.

Peter was nice. I would've liked more of him. 

Some of the side characters seemed cool, but we needed more time with them. Some felt a little....2D?

The mystery was interesting enough. It didn't get really good until a tipping point.

The ending was lovely. Nice bow there. 

Honestly, I would've loved more romance. Yes, yes, I did enjoy the enemies-to-lovers aspect, but it took SOOOO long. A hair too long for my liking. Maybe a few more kisses would've been nice. Oh! Maybe a scene or two of them being close to kissing after fighting. 

Overall, this had a lot of potential, and it would make for a nice series, methinks. I would love to explore more of the world and the system. Maybe some side characters can have their moment in the sun. I wanted more out of this, but I did enjoy lots of it. Thus why it was an emotional roller coaster for me. The parts I liked...I LOVED. The parts I didn't like? Meh.

3 stars. 

Reading Challenges:

- Reading Romance Challenge #14 (Published 2026)

Blodeuedd's Monday Review: A Folly of Youth by Amy D'Orazio

By: Amy D'Orazio

Narrated by: Elizabeth Grace

Series: The Engaged to Mr Darcy Series

Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins

Release date: 10-02-23

Publisher: Quills & Quartos Publishing

Pride and prejudice variation/historical/audible

I decided to try all in this series. All the ways they could get engaged.

In this one Lizzy sneaks out to a houseparty when she is 17...in London! And it is not a normal party, now it is much much worse. She is "rescued" by Darcy and then the long wait begins. Her uncle say they must marry, her father refuses to give in, Darcy refuses to marry her.

3 years later they meet again when Darcy wants to court someone and he needs to get out of this "engagement" it is not real, but neither is he free to marry.

Darcy was a right horse´s ass in this one. So proud and did not give in.

Lizzy suffered for years ass people realised something was wrong and she was shunned. And her family treated her bad.

Bingley grew some balls, good on you Bingley!

Lizzy needs to marry, and Darcy will help her. And they fall in love! After much drama.

Another fun variation, even if Darcy was such an ahole. I thought they would never end up together. This one was a tough one.

Fun narration. All well done

My own folly had endangered me, my preservation I owe to the kindness, the integrity of another…

IN 1808, ELIZABETH BENNET is young, curious, and in possession of an invitation to a London party which she ought not to attend. Unable to resist the temptation, Elizabeth indulges her wish to see a party of the beau monde and finds herself in a dangerous situation. She is saved from a desperate fate by Mr Darcy of Pemberley but relief is short-lived; Mr Gardiner arrives and demands satisfaction on behalf of his young niece’s honour. BOUND FOR THREE YEARS—with no intent to marry on either side—Mr Darcy and Elizabeth both resolve to do as they must to end their unwanted almost-betrothal. Mr Bennet however refuses to allow it, fearing that Elizabeth’s character will bear a permanent stain that no amount of time or money could erase. Together, Darcy and Lizzy contrive a plan to overcome her father’s Darcy will find her someone else to marry, thus relieving himself of the obligation. THE FOLLY OF THEIR YOUTH, it seems, might be set to rights after all, until feelings arise which complicate the scheme. But will they realise their true attachment before it’s too late?

Book Review: How to Get Away with Murder by Rebecca Philipson

Author: Rebecca Philipson

Title: How to Get Away with Murder

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Format: Paperback

Pages: 368

Published: February 24, 2026

Where I got It: My shelf (Goodreads giveaway)

Summary: 

This fresh debut thriller finds a Scotland Yard detective trying to find the author of a self-help book that promises quite literally to teach readers how to get away with murder, which seems to have inspired London's newest murderer.

Detective Inspector Samantha Hansen has been on leave for six months, recovering from a breakdown she suffered at work, but when a fourteen-year-old girl is murdered in a local park, Sam jumps at the chance to return to the job and prove that she's still got what it takes to be the Yard's most successful homicide detective. One of the cases only leads is a copy of a self-help book found in the victim's backpack called How To Get Away With Murder by a man named Denver Brady.

Brady claims to be the most successful serial killer of our time, which is why no one's ever heard of him. Chapter by chapter, he details his methodology and his past victims, and as Sam's investigation progresses and the details of the book go viral, Sam begins to suspect that there’s more to the author than what he’s revealed. But in order to find a killer and get justice for young Charlotte, Sam must learn to trust her instincts once again, before Denver Brady--or someone else--really does get away with murder.

Review:

I was a lucky duck and won this book in a giveaway! I never, ever win, so I was excited! I think for all the ones I have entered...my number of books I've won is at 2% hahaha. But yes, happy to see this pop up in the mail. 

Note - even though I was given this in a giveaway, my review will be honest and unbiased. 

Here we follow Sam Hansen, who has been on leave for a while recovering from a breakdown she suffered at work. When a 14-year-old girl is found murdered in the local park, Sam knows she has to go back. This case leads this team down a dark road when a copy of a self-help book called 'How to Get Away with Murder' is found on the victim's body. The author claims to be the most successful serial killer of our time, which is why no one's heard of him. Sam is put in charge of finding this author and finding out if there is a connection.

I'll admit...I struggled with the first couple of chapters. However, I grew to love our main, and things were a huge tangle. Who, what, why...so many mysteries afoot but somehow all tied together. I loved watching Sam and her team untangle everything. 

The ending was phenomenal. I really was on the edge of my seat. I purposely woke up early to finish the last half of the book. I HAD TO KNOW. 

This would make a great book club book. I JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE ENDING SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did want to scream with all the times someone was interrupted right when a vital piece of information was about to be shared or thought. Once...okay....twice...errr...more than twice? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? *shakes fist*

But yes, the mystery was good, and I didn't trust anyone except our Sam and her dog, which she saved. THAT ENDING?! I NEED TO TELL SOMEONE!!

I'll give this 4 stars.