This book was absolutely amazing! This novel is dual timeline between the early 1900s in the Harlem Renaissance and the present. Shanice (present day) is having awful luck; something her late mother and grandmother firmly believe in. Shanice walks out on her internship, her boyfriend of 5 years breaks up with her, and she cannot pay her bills. She relies on her grandmother, who is selling her house, for emotional support. Her grandmother gives her a painting that Essie (Estelle Johnson) created back in the early 1900s. As Shanice begins to unravel the story of Essie and the painting, more "bad luck" follows. This book was filled with drama, lies, and deceit. Shanice is a very relatable character because we have all been down on our luck, and the family ties and troubles are understandable. I absolutely devoured this book and highly recommend it!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia for the book #DoWhatGodmotherSays by #LSStratton. This book is about a painting that Shanice was given by her grandmother. She had been having bad luck until this painting shows up in her life. Now, she wants to know about the painter, Estelle Johnson., and the “Godmother”, Maude Bachman. The truth behind it all is scary and deadly.

What. A. Book!
That took me on a ride I thoroughly enjoyed!
The story is mainly told through two different view points in two different eras in time which worked really well slowly revealing the plot.
The twists throughout worked marvellously and the ending was great (will say nothing more on that as don’t want to reveal anything and spoil it)
The narrator for Estelle was fantastic and would listen to anything she cares do next but I’m afraid the same can’t be said for Shaniece’s narrator. She was very slow and often clunky but the book was fantastic so wouldn’t remove a star for that.

Do What Godmother Says by LS Stratton is absolutely stunning! Due out on 11 June 2024!

As you may or may not know by now due to the exceptional amount of squees I give for the genre, I am a huge lover of historical fiction. To mix historical fiction, contemporary fiction, art and a gripping gothic style thriller? Scorch marks were left in the race to sign up!

I was not disappointed! What a fantastic premise. Dual timelines/ povs, present day and renaissance Harlem and a mysterious painting tying both together

Shanice Pierce is a writer in the present day, when her life suddenly implodes, losing her job and her relationship in the same day. This gives her the opportunity to clean out her grandmothers house, where she comes across a painting by Estelle Johnson, a renaissance artist. A murder, a stalker and a connection, but what is it, what is the truth and will Shanice be the same again?

A thriller like a carousel ride that has gone out of control. You think you are safe and secrure, holding on tight as the storyline undulates, up and down, round and round, but hen it gets faster and your grip loosens until you are clinging on for dear life! An utterly thrilling novel and I look forward to seeing more!

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, the incredible author L.S Stratton and fantastic narrators Aure Nash & York Whitaker for this stunning ALC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own