Confessions of Marie Antoinette by Juliet Grey

The last days of a Queen her people never knew...

3.5 out of 5 stars - Thoroughly sympathetic first person historical fiction account depicts French Queen Marie Antoinette in her final years as consort to King Louis XVI in the 1790s.

This poignant and heartbreaking portrait of the last days of Marie Antoinette, held prisoner along with her family in one deplorable location after another, follows the other two books in a trilogy. Unfortunately for me, I had not read the previous ones (Becoming Marie Antoinette: A Novel and Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow: A Novel of Marie Antoinette) and I believe that was a mistake. My heart broke for Marie Antoinette and her husband and children as they are maligned and abused by the cruel and violent emerging leaders of the Revolution. The author, who obviously spent years researching her subject, brought forth a picture of Queen Marie Antoinette that gave her a new dimension than that painted by textbooks and history accounts that don't show the human side of this woman as wife, sister-in-law, daughter and mother. I'm not a scholar of French History in any case, my knowledge is actually quite sketchy, but now I feel compelled to do some investigation of my own.

I would recommend to anyone interested in the monarchy of France in the 1790s and the study of a woman who has been portrayed perhaps inaccurately to the rest of the world. The horrible violence of the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror left me with chills and my heart broke for what was done to this royal family in the name of the "Republic" and freedom from tyranny.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine for the ebook ARC to review.

How far would you go to save someone you love?

"Everyone's got a con, a pinch of deceit, a green light at the end of the dock. And a dream, however grand or modest. A way they want it to be and an angle to get there."

Daniel Brasher is the son of a San Fransisco old money family but currently works as a group counselor for paroled violent offenders. He's ready to leave for a safer job, private practice, and is taking care of some unfinished business. When Daniel finds a series of envelopes in his office mailbox, he's horrified when the letters inside indicate that a murder will take place unless the intended victim admits "what you've done." Daniel reports this to the police when he discovers that one of the people named has already been brutally murdered because the deadline given in the note has passed.

Daniel is pulled into the investigation when it seems that one of his group members might be involved. What follows is a fast-paced race against the clock to prevent the next murder and to save himself and his wife, Cristina, when it appears that the murderer might really be after THEM as the finale!

I'm always surprised and irritated when the police are written as being unable to figure out things without the help of an untrained civilian, and that happens in this book. Daniel is the one who basically puts all the pieces together and solves the crime, but not after many harrowing escapes and interactions with the killer. He's heroic and fearless and apparently unstoppable no matter how many beatings he takes. Anyway, most thriller fans will probably like this; there are some grisly descriptions, however, so be warned. An enjoyable read.

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Lady Catherine, the Earl and the Real Downton Abbey by the Countess of Carnavon

3.5 stars - Another fascinating glimpse into life and times at Highclere Castle during the 1920s and 30s. Highlights include the military campaigns of WW II and some details about the castle owners and occupants with their personal tragedies and triumphs.

The author uses primary research material from Highclere Castle archives to tell the story of Lady Catherine (Wendell), an American woman who marries "Porchy" the 6th Earl of Carnarvon.

Definitely a book that fans of the PBS drama "Downton Abbey" will find compelling as the reader discovers that the lives of the aristocrats were not as charmed and wonderful as the fairy tales we'd like to believe. I was more interested in the Castle and its occupants and wish the book would have concentrated more on those details rather than the long chapters describing every battle of the war and the movement of troops. I am more interested in thoughts and feelings of all who lived there that would come from diaries, rather than from guest lists for parties. The book is not really biography, but more a history written by a member of the family showing all in the best light possible. I will likely read another and hope the focus moves to people rather than events.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for a copy of the ebook for review.

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey by The Countess of Carnarvon

"It is neither a biography nor a work of fiction." "It is not a history.",  

September 16, 2013

With this prologue, the author begins her tribute to Almina Carnarvon -- a very wealthy heiress who married into her title as the 5th Countess of Carnarvon and settled into life at Highclere Castle, which as most know, serves as the setting for a popular PBS and Emmy Award-winning show - Downton Abbey.

Lady Almina, as she is referred to in the book, was purportedly the pampered illegitimate daughter of a very wealthy man (Alfred de Rothschild) and her money was crucial in the restoration of Highclere which became the center for lavish weekend parties and spectacular excess so common during the Edwardian age among the aristocrats.

I really enjoyed the details about life and times in this period of history. I also liked reading about the different family members as well as the staff downstairs. Really, no small tidbit was too much! I would have preferred that the author focus more on Almina's daily activities and her family rather than the long digression about World War I -- which certainly affected their lifestyle -- but just more about the lives of those in the Castle as well. Their relationships, the trials and tribulations of the servants, etc., but perhaps there was not that much archival information for the author to review about them. Certainly one of the most important things that Almina did, and what she probably hoped to be remembered for, was how she threw herself into nursing and opened the doors of the Castle for recovering wounded officers. The chapters that described her husband's travels and discoveries in Egypt were fascinating, but I was really wanting more about Highclere and the life there rather than a focus on the Earl.

As many have said, a relative (even one by marriage) paints a particularly rosy picture of one whom she admires. I accepted that and enjoyed the story of a quite interesting and remarkable Lady Almina during a really difficult and turbulent time. I already have the next book by this author and am reading it now.

Definitely recommend to any fan of Edwardian England and anyone interested in the real estate that has since become instantly recognizable from television.
3.5 stars

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

  A heartbreaking dilemma..., September 15, 2013

This was a surprisingly touching story about the relationship that develops between a caregiver and her patient. When she finds herself newly unemployed, Louisa Clark tries to find a new job as quickly as she can because she knows her parents, sister and nephew rely on her income to keep the family solvent. After a series of unsuccessful stints at various employment situations, Lou interviews for and accepts a position that offers her a 6 month contract as a paid companion of sorts to a young man, Will Traynor, who was left a quadriplegic after being hit by a motorcycle.

At first, Lou wonders why the limited contract, and she finds her employer, Will's parents, and her patient difficult and very complicated. When she learns the real reason she was given the job, Lou begins a campaign that involves trying to get Will to see some hope for his life and to show him that he is not confined to the annex apartment where he now lives in pain and isolation. It soon becomes clear that it may be that it will be Lou who ends up the most changed.

I don't know if the author intended this, but the man's name -- Will -- summarizes the scope of the big question in the novel -- can Will develop a "will" to live with this devastating handicap? Formerly the owner of a hugely successful business and a very active daredevil lifestyle, he is despondent as he accepts that he has lost everything that made him HIM. As Lou tries to draw him out of his prison, engage him in activities and travel, Will seems to become happier and everyone is hopeful that he's turned a corner.

Unfortunately, Will has already made a decision that no one believes is firm. He has no control over any aspect of his daily life and medical situation, but there is still one thing he can do to take back his autonomy. Can Lou change his mind? There is nothing that she won't try.

This was a book that begged to be read in one sitting and I was totally absorbed even as I anxiously dreaded the possibilities for an ending. The controversial nature of the central theme is handled objectively without being moralistic. I really enjoyed it and feel this would be an excellent choice for a book group. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in "right to die" issues.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP for the ebook to review.

The Wrong Girl by Hank Phillippi Ryan

3.0 out of 5 stars Adoption agency run amok!, September 13, 2013

 This second installment in the Jane Ryland series after "THE OTHER WOMAN" finds Jane, now a reporter for a local newspaper, embroiled in another mystery involving betrayal, secrets, and murder. Jane and Jake are drawn into investigating a series of deaths that lead them to a corrupt adoption agency and an overworked foster care system. All the victims seem to be related to a central issue - the question of whether adults who were adopted as babies and are seeking answers are being reunited with their true birth mothers or if something illegal is going on. It seems that an old colleague of Jane's (Tuck Cameron) coincidentally meets her purported birth mother through the agency but is convinced that the agency has made a mistake; that she is "the wrong girl."

The action shifts constantly from character to character and there are a lot of twists and turns in the narrative that keep the reader guessing as to what is actually going on because there are different aspects of the case that are all connected to Brannigan Family and Children Services. Many unbelievable scenarios and coincidences provide the forward momentum of the story as it spins first in one direction and then another.

Of course there is a component of romance to this series -- Jane and Jake want to be together but their jobs make it impossible as they need to remain objective. I found their longing for a public relationship with each other to be the least compelling part of the novel and, seriously, it would have been better if everyone answered their phone calls!

Overall, I didn't particularly like the constant shifts in point of view and the jumpy transitions in the flow of the story. I didn't really care much about any of the characters as I did not see any real depth to them. I think it's important that if you choose to read this book that you read the first in the series prior to doing so. I'll likely not read a third in the series. 

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Recent Reads

Wildly entertaining investigative adventure!, September 11, 2013

4+ out of 5 stars -- This tale has more twists and turns than could have been anticipated -- I really enjoyed it though I was a bit hesitant after having a less than enthusiastic response to Pessl's previous debut novel.

Disgraced journalist, Scott McGrath, imagines that he sees the enigmatic Ashley Cordova at the reservoir one night while out on his run. This daughter of the famous and reclusive horror/noir/thriller filmmaker Stanislas Cordova is later found dead at the bottom of an old warehouse elevator shaft. At one time, Scott had intended to write an expose of Stanislas Cordova, but he fell flat when he made a fool of himself on television during an interview and lost his credibility and job. Now he's drawn back into the mystery that also involves Cordova's daughter and her death. Was it murder or suicide? With an unlikely supporting pair of teenagers he meets when he starts looking into the case, and with an eye to finally tracking down Cordova, he enlists the help of Nora and Hopper.

What follows in the narrative is a rollicking tale of imagination and the supernatural. The author adds a really intriguing augmentation to the prose by including pictures, newspaper clippings, magazine interviews, screenshots of private website comments, and other assorted items that Scott McGrath peruses during his hunt for Stanislas Cordova. McGrath thinks that there was sordid, even deadly, business during Cordova's film-making and that perhaps the horrors on the screen were actually REAL since everything was filmed at Cordova's isolated estate THE PEAK, hidden in the woods and inaccessible to anyone not involved with him or his films. And perhaps, by finding Stanislas, McGrath can figure out how Ashley ended up dead. The big question, however, is why McGrath can't let this one go. The hunt for the Cordova answers takes him to limits he could have never anticipated or imagined.

I can't say much more without giving spoilers, so I highly recommend you just read it and enjoy the ride! I will say that the way Pessl writes involves a lot of italics, simile, metaphor and descriptive passages -- as well as references to pop culture and extensive trivia. It was a fun book.

PS - I read this book on a Kindle Fire and, though others have said they had difficulty with reading the "extras" in the book because the print was small, I had no issues with that. It was nice to see it in color!

As the world turns..., August 30, 2013

Do you like to read books that describe what life on earth might be like after a horrible disaster has taken place? In this series, the moon has been pulled off its orbit and everything that was before is no more.

Oh my! This 4th book in the "Life as We Knew it" series is one that probably should have been left unwritten. To say it is depressing and shocking is putting it mildly. I finished it late last evening and I had nightmares all night long with visions of this horrible post disaster world. The events that transpire and the subject matter are more appropriate for the older teen and young adult.

Jon is the youngest in a family that included his sister Miranda and brother Matt. His mother, Laura, had sacrificed everything when they were stranded on the outskirts of a town in Pennsylvania so that her children and she could survive after the moon's orbit was pulled closer to earth resulting in climate change, tsunamis, famine and epidemics. Now, 4 years later, the survivors have relocated. Several other relationships and the deaths of family members have left the family broken and separated with the remaining few living in different places in the newly established cities and towns. The "clavers" are the rich and important people who live in Sexton while the "grubs" who serve them live in White Birch. They are a very class conscious segregated society where the clavers have power and often mistreat the grubs who live under quite primitive and filthy conditions. Society has devolved into a hierarchy that encourages superiority, prejudice and violence.

I did not like Jon's character at all. I didn't care for many of the supporting cast of characters whose actions and relationships didn't ring true given the times and situations. Despite some grandstanding at the end, which didn't feel believable, I don't feel Jon redeemed himself. The book was depressing and relentlessly miserable. I almost stopped reading it several times but forced myself to push on to the end, hoping that this indeed will be the last one in this saga that went on 2 books too long. The first in the series was excellent, the second less so, and it went downhill from there in my opinion. I suppose fans of the previous books will feel compelled to read this volume as well, but I am definitely done.

Unrealistic in so many ways and not deeply developed enough to provide the details that are needed to make the new world and society structure credible, the story lacks the critical elements that other doomsday scenario authors have done much better. The struggle is, of course, between good and evil, but mostly it is a clash between the "haves" and the "have nots". The violence is extreme and the ability of the clavers to step into their behaviors is scary. I hope there's nothing in this that is remotely plausible should an event like this ever really occur. I guess I just have more faith in humanity than that it would end up as described in this novel. I prefer to hope so.
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Hollow Bones by CJ Lyons

3.0 out of 5 stars - Nonstop action and adventure; a romantic thriller with a medical focus. This is the second book in a series featuring Special Agent Caitlyn Tierney and her love interest FBI Agent and forensic accountant Jake Carver. It is not necessary to have read the previous novel in order to fully appreciate this one. Maria, age 17, the daughter of a hugely successful billionaire leader in biotechnology (supplies tissues, bone and some organs to needy patients)is lured off a cruise ship in a diabolical scheme by someone promising to allow her to assist with an important archeological discovery deep in the jungles of Guatemala. Caitlyn is called in when Maria's parents find out that Maria is missing and she trails Maria to a deserted ancient Mayan city with Jake on the case as well. The discoveries that all of them make involve Maria's father and his own terrible history in his former homeland. Defying death and capture at every turn, Maria and two other young men she meets while held prisoner, must not only save themselves but also the Mayan natives who still live in the underground shadows of a great temple. Will Caitlyn and Jake arrive just in time to engineer the rescue and help to save the day? Recommended for anyone who likes a fast paced medical thriller with interesting biotechnological details but with the main focus on adventure and action. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC to review.

Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O'Farrell

4.0 out of 5 stars  -  Family meltdown...

BThis is a novel that will leave you thinking about its characters long after you've turned the last page. If you love to read about family drama through brilliantly complex characters, you will enjoy this one.

London, 1976, is in the middle of a heatwave. Without air conditioning, the inhabitants are starting to feel the effects of the relentless high temperatures and that is reflected in some atypical behavior on the streets, in the workplaces, and most of all -- in the homes of those there.

One particular family is about to experience its own meltdown. Matriarch Gretta -- highly opinionated, bossy, talkative -- calls out to her estranged grown children to come home when her loving husband of thirty years, Robert (Ronan) Riordan, inexplicably vanishes one day while out to pick up the morning newspaper. He simply fails to return home. Monica, living out in the suburbs in an early-Victorian farmhouse with a new husband and stepdaughters, was the favorite child. Although she has made her share of mistakes, she is still tightly connected to her mother and doesn't hesitate to come. Middle child, son Michael Francis, is a history teacher just on summer break, with a slowly failing marriage and silently bearing his own responsibility for its demise. The baby of the family, Aoife, has moved across the pond and is living in Manhattan. She has left her family and history behind only to find that her hidden illiteracy can't be escaped. This secretive family is about to find out that their childhood was riddled with secrets and protected truths. Will it hurt them or finally heal them?

As the siblings gather for the first time in many years, old painful memories, misconceptions and miscommunications bubble to the surface from where they have been simmering inside each one for years. A few serendipitous clues lead the family to their ancestral island home in Ireland where unexpected revelations help them reunite at last.

Told from the point of view of each character, the reader sees how the twists and turns of family dynamics and individual struggles has affected each of them. In discovering the truth about their parents, they also have the strength to finally confront the painful realities of their own lives.

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The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure

3.0 out of 5 stars - Would you risk your life for a stranger? In this novel, set in Paris during the 1942 Nazi occupation of the "city of light", architect Lucien Bernard is faced with that very question. He is a gentile in a world turned upside down as Jews and others who displease the Reich are rounded up, tortured, and killed for almost any perceived transgression against the German war machine. Lucien loves designing modern buildings, his wine, and his mistress -- he has no interest in becoming a hero or a savior -- he wants to stay as far out of the notice of the Gestapo as possible. Unfortunately, the occupation has taken a toll on his finances and personal life. He needs work, so when a wealthy industrialist offers him a chance to design factories for the Germans, he decides to take the risk because he so wants to prove himself a visionary architect and leave a legacy. He gets more than he bargained for, however, when Manet asks him if he will try to design a hiding place inside an apartment for a friend of his. Like a "priest hole" of old, the compartment has to be concealed despite the eventuality of the house being completely ransacked and the obvious places discovered. The challenge intrigues Lucien, because he knows he has the skill and talent and will enjoy tricking the hated Gestapo. Lucien understands that human life has little value in this occupied city he loves, and he really has no empathy for the Jews in particular, but he decides to accept and designs his first hidden compartment. Though he insisted he would do only one, he finds himself drawn in by the the thrill of pitting his architectural acumen against the demonic savagery of the Gestapo and ultimately also realizes that this little rebellion and these few "saves" have changed him and his view of life. I recommend this to anyone who read and liked Sarah's Key or other novels set mainly in Paris during World War II. The unique perspective of the writer, an architect himself, will have you looking at every building, apartment, house, etc., in a totally new light -- seeing details and structures as never before. The storyline is well known, but these unique characters and relationships during this horrible time in Paris come alive on the pages and make the reader root for Lucien's transformation from aloof and afraid to involved and brave. Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the ebook to review.

Cartwheel by Jennifer duBois

 

4.0 out of 5 stars - What is the truth? And how can there be justice if no one ever knows the truth?

It's likely that you have heard the Amanda Knox story. If not, you might want to go to a trusted news source and read about her, her trial, and all the sensationalistic coverage of her case. There's a lot!

Then, get a copy of this book and read it. The parallels are noticeable, but this is a work of fiction with a disclaimer of course. Regardless, this character-driven literary novel will hold you glued to the pages as you step inside the minds of several of the key people whose lives intersect after the murder of a foreign exchange student, Katy Kellers, while she was studying abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina, one fateful semester.

You'll meet Lily Hayes, also in BA from America to study abroad -- she's 20 years old, bright, entitled, and in jail. She's been accused of murdering her roommate.

Then there's her father, Andrew, who is stoic and awkward, but trying his best to maintain faith in his daughter despite the mountains of evidence that have been explained to him and the vast amount of news coverage that is convinced Lily is guilty. His inner thoughts describe how he tries to make sense of the cataclysm that this brings to his family (who has also suffered another earlier terrible loss).

The prosecutor, Eduardo Campos, is fairly sure Lily is guilty. But he can't seem to get a straight story from anyone -- especially not from Lily's supposed boyfriend, the reclusive young orphan, Sebastien LeCompte. Everyone is lying about something - or obstructing justice. But Eduardo has demons of his own that drive him to want to obtain a righteous verdict for the victim, Katy.

The reader is transported between points of view as the characters muddle the truth of what really happened the night that Katy was murdered. Can a father accept that his daughter might be guilty of such a horrible crime? Is Lily really innocent or was she involved with the murder? How does Sebastien try to help Lily, or is he just protecting himself from being arrested? Does Eduardo go too far to prove Lily's guilt for his own personal gain or is he really after the truth?

This book was one I was not able to set aside so I had to read it straight through. Keep a dictionary or internet access handy as you read in case you, like me, have to do a little research. The author's command of politics, literature, vocabulary, imagery -- the structure of the narrative -- kept me spellbound and totally impressed. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an advance copy of this ebook to review.

Karma Gone Bad by Jenny Feldon

4.0 out of stars - Funny and poignant memoir!

Have you ever wanted to go live the expatriot life in a foreign country for a year or two? Newlywed Jenny Feldon really didn't have that wish on her bucket list. She was quite happy living in New York with her lovely apartment, a Starbucks nearby, easy access to public transportation, writing career, yoga addiction, and designer clothes. When her husband accepts a transfer with his company to Hyderabad, India, she comes along as a "plus one" thinking only that this will be an adventure of the sort that people call "the opportunity of a lifetime!"

What an understatement! Jenny is totally unprepared in every way for what she will encounter during her two year "exile" in landlocked Hyderabad, India. Her expectations fall flat quickly against the reality of life in a country that is completely different from everything she has ever known. Alone and miserable, Jenny recounts her experiences and emotions in a way that makes the reader laugh and cry with her. No experience leaves the person unchanged, and Jenny is transformed by her time there.

I don't typically like memoirs, but I really enjoyed reading this one. Jenny was easy to relate to and I could feel her despair, frustration, and sense of outrage at some of the things she dealt with. I was rooting for her all the way! I realize I am probably in the minority, but I have no desire to walk in her footsteps so living in India vicariously through this book will have to do it for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ebook to review.

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton

4.0 out of 5 stars - True history, the past, is not flat or linear nor does it have an outline...

Another great historical fiction read with delicious secrets and mystery from this author!

The reader is transported between the 1920s and the late 1990s with most of the narration being that by the book's main character, Grace Bradley, who is 98 years old and living out her final days in a nursing home in Saffron Green, Essex, in the UK. She recounts her memories when asked to consult with a filmaker who is working on a film about an event that Grace witnessed in 1924 - a young poet committed suicide during a party at the summer house where Grace was employed as a ladies maid to Hannah Luxton Hartford, the lady of the manor. Another person was also there at the time of the incident, Emmeline Hartford, who was Hannah's younger sister.

Grace recalls her life and times as she records them for her grandson whom she has't seen in a long time. She also befriends and agrees to help Ursula, the film's producer. Details are important and it is time to set things right - to tell the truth.

Grace, age 14, had been sent to work as a housemaid at Riverton Manor in June 1914. Her single mother had also been in service there until she had to leave in disgrace. Grace describes life and times below stairs as a servant in a time long past. She is a keen observer of both the family who live there and of the events of the day (WW I, influenza, social changes) that occur over the course of her service with the Hartfords. She forms a special bond with Hannah, becomes her personal maid and attends her in all personal and private matters. She is a trusted and valuable member of the household. Keeping secrets is what Grace does best. But secrets rarely stay hidden and "have a way of making themselves known." And it is a secret that leads to ultimate calamity.

The tale Grace tells, and how she recounts her part in it, is absorbing and complex. The shifts back and forth in time engage the reader and kept me from being able to put the book down before I finished. Although somewhat predictable in a particular scenario or two, the conclusion is satisfying and nicely explained.

I enjoyed this and plan to read the other books by this author!

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

4.0 out of 5 stars - Secrets usually are revealed...

I really enjoyed this historical fiction mystery that spans decades and transports the reader back and forth in time from WW II London up to modern day.

Told in alternating voices by the main characters, the story is about 3 people whose lives are set on a collision course brought about by chance meetings, unstable personalities, and the traumatizing events of the time period.

Dorothy (Dolly) Smitham Nicolson has known tragedy - she came up to London to work at a boardinghouse and her family was killed in the bombings after the war started. She is now an elderly widow with 4 grown children and lies dying in a hospital. Laurel, her eldest daughter and an actress, is haunted by a scene she witnessed while at home one summer day long ago. Is it too late to ask her mother what that was about -- they have never spoken of it.

Jimmy Metcalfe, a poor but accomplished photographer, and Dorothy meet, fall in love in 1938 and make plans to escape away from the horrors of the London Blitz to a seaside paradise. But they both have to work hard to save up enough money to realize their dream.

Vivien, age 8, is sent to England from Australia when a car accident kills her family. She meets and marries a famous author, Henry Jenkins, and lives across the street from Dolly in a well-appointed mansion. She has the life that Dolly yearns for.

The tantalizing story of these three plays out in wonderfully depicted period settings and with the backdrop of war and desperation. I was drawn in immediately and eager to solve the mysteries and hear those long buried secrets. Lots of twists and turns along the way as the author teasingly doles out clues and contradictions that create more questions that require investigation.

The book is a bit convoluted and complicated and the reader needs to pay attention - perhaps even flipping back to reread certain sections at times. It comes together in a satisfying conclusion. I really liked this book and the writing style. I plan to read other novels by this author!
 
Thank you to Goodreads for the copy to review.

Lies You Wanted to Hear by James Whitfield Thomson

4.0 out of 5 stars - The lies you tell yourself are the ones that hurt you the most...

This is another story of love-gone-wrong - a fairly common theme for the story of a modern tragedy. But it's not what happened to Lucy and Matt that makes this novel hard to put down, but WHY it happened.

Lucy and Matt meet on a blind date set up by Lucy's best friend, Jill. Lucy's on the rebound, but barely, after a long and heartbreaking romantic thrill ride that ended with Griffin just walking away. She's definitely not ready for Matt -- a nice, loyal, good guy who is immediately smitten with Lucy's edginess and he falls hard. Matt is a hard-working cop who treats her like a princess. Unfortunately, Lucy isn't honest with herself or with Matt and that's where it all starts.

When your relationship is built on a foundation of little white lies and big BLACK ones, how can things go well? When is "good enough" not enough -- and then what?

I really enjoyed this fast-paced and entertaining read. It went in a direction that I didn't really expect. The characters were well developed and, though I did not like Lucy at all, I came to empathize with her. Told in alternating viewpoints by Lucy and Matt who attempt to give the reader their side of the story, it grabs hold right away. The reader can sense that something is coming, and when it does, the urge to judge is right there and begs the question: What would YOU have done?

This would make a great book club read as there are many issues for discussion. Recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ebook to review.

3.0 out of 5 stars - "Sisterhood is not always by birth, it's by love."

Yes, you can go home again as Meggie O'Rourke finds when she returns to Portland, Oregon, broken and damaged. She has come back to the failing family business to take over the reins of Lace, Satin, and Baubles - a lingerie company started by her grandmother. She reconnects with her dysfunctional but lively family that includes her two sisters, Tory and Lacey, who are also very involved in the running of the business.

Naturally and predictably, there is a romance. Family squabbles. Problems with Lacey's children and with Tory's husband. Meggie is, however, a total mess from a bad marriage and is plagued by night mares and vivid daydreams that won't allow her time for anything but work. She vows to get the family business back on track and into the black. Her ideas for capturing more sales of their products include interviewing her employees about their favorite memories involving bras and lingerie. She's surprised by the stories she hears and this propels her into healing and binds the ties with her sisters and family tighter than ever.

Fast paced and entertaining read. It's funny in places and poignant in others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ebook to review.

Accidents Happen by Louise Millar

3.0 out of 5 stars "Beat the odds and change your life..."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kate Parker, single mother to Jack, is really great at one thing: worrying. She investigates and compiles statistics about accidents. Obsessed with safety and protecting herself and Jack, she refrains from allowing herself and her son anything resembling a normal life. Kate became like this because of a series of horribly freak occurrences that have traumatized her and rendered her anxious and full of doom and gloom: her parents were killed in a taxi accident on her wedding day and her husband, Hugo, was murdered in a home invasion and then her home was burglarized twice. Her overly protective actions are smothering Jack and now her in-laws are making noises about taking him to live with them while Kate gets herself back together. A chance meeting at a juice bar brings Jago Martin into her life. Professor Martin, a handsome Scot from Edinburgh, is doing a guest lectureship on the topic of chance and probability at the nearby university and Kate discovers he has written a book on the topic. Eager to immerse herself in endless calculations about risk and danger with an expert, she is amazed to find herself wanting to spend time with him and opens herself up to a possible romance. Jago seems to instantly understand Kate's fear and obsession and suggests that they work together to help her by doing a series of experiments to increase empowerment so she doesn't feel so threatened. Kate jumps in, desperate to free herself from her thoughts that have created a prison-like world for her and Jack.

 

At this point in the book, the reader knows what is likely going to happen and wants to shake Kate until her teeth rattle. Kate is 30 years old, what in the heck is she thinking? It is clear that her emotional state has blocked most of her common sense and the worry has been transferred to the reader wondering what next bad thing will happen as Kate begins to take risks and do crazy things -- at Jago's urging. The choices she makes are hard to understand given her history, but desperate times apparently call for desperate measures. The narrative has some suspense but plays out predictably with few surprises.

It's a quick, entertaining read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ebook to review.

A Spear of Summer Grass

3.5 stars out of 5 - Sometimes you just need to go "all in..."

This novel provided a predicament for me: how to rate a book whose main character I totally despised while absolutely loving the way the author brought Africa in the 1920s to life on the page.

Delilah Drummond is banished to Kenya in 1923 when her scandalous behavior becomes too notorious even for her socially prominent family. She arrives at Fairlight, owned by her favorite stepfather, to find it crumbling under the weight of neglect. Accompanied by Dora, her cousin and erstwhile chaperone/maid, she is overwhelmed first of all by the sheer savageness of the savannah and secondly by the natives who have learned to live in a sort of harmony with the land and the animals there. As she acclimates herself to her exile, she slowly begins to find that Africa has become her lover and ultimately finds her soul. And her soulmate of course. There's a predictable romance with a stereotypical alpha male, Ryder White, and a series of events that cement their relationship, but the main appeal of this story is Africa. Its harshness, beauty, and circle of life are all laid out in vividly written descriptions that made me want to go off on safari and discover it all for myself just as it was then.

Now back to Delilah. The author attempts to imbue her with some saving characteristics as expected, but I never developed anything approaching identification for the various parts she played in the dramas that developed over the course of her stay at Fairlight. Other characters provided only secondary roles to the wonders of the lushness and complexity of the central focus of the book: Africa itself. So despite the fact that I detested Delilah and that she never redeemed herself in my eyes despite the author's attempts to make it so, I really ended up liking the book for what it was -- a lovingly depicted portrait of a land out of time, suffused with danger and extremes, and worthy of fighting for.

I recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin MIRA for a copy of the ebook to review.

The Returned by Jason Mott

3.0 out of 5 stars - We fear most what we do not understand...

Harold and Lucille Hargrave, in their early 70s, are living a quiet life in Arcadia, North Carolina when television news broadcasts report that people all over the world are returning from the dead. They had suffered a horrible tragedy 50 years previously when their beloved only son, Jacob, drowned in a river by their property on his eighth birthday. Time has dulled the pain and they have come to an acceptance of their fate. Lucille has embraced religion to make sense of her loss, but both of them live in a state of perpetual loneliness from the missing. They somehow moved on.

One afternoon, Federal Agent Martin Bellamy of the International Bureau of the Returned appears on their doorstep -- with their son. Jacob looks exactly as he did the day he died. Unchanged. Harold and Lucille are stunned, confused and conflicted. Then Agent Bellamy asks the question -- "Do you want to keep Jacob?"  of course they do...or do they?

This fairly short novel had a really interesting premise and I was so eager to read it but I must say I ended up being disappointed by the execution of the story. The action was confined to the North Carolina town and though there are glimpses of other stories, the scope of the phenomenon was diluted by its focus on Arcadia and what happened there.
It's a tale of fear and prejudice against the Returned who are basically sequestered and treated like prisoners. They are rounded up and brought from other places to Arcadia and put inside a compound guarded by soldiers. Far too much of the book is spent on describing conditions inside the prison than was necessary for the reader to get the point: different is scary and when we don't have answers or explanations we must protect ourselves from them and keep them away from the real living folks. Stereotypical characters go through the motions of demonstrating that prejudiced and the expected outcome - violence - occurs as predicted. I could never understand just how, since there were so many after all, people could tell who was a Returned. So many unanswered technical and obvious questions went unexplained so the story was in many ways quite superficial. I guess I prefer more science than paranormal.

The author explains his motivation for writing this book in an afterword and indicates that this novel was a cathartic process for him.

I hesitantly suppose, for anyone who has ever wondered, it is probably for the best that the dead stay dead. Despite our longing for our loved one(s) who have died, we could never probably understand how and why they would come back to life. And what we would do with them and for them if they did.

A good debut novel that leaves you with a lot of things to ponder.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ebook ARC.

Mollie Pride by Beverly Swerling

4.0 out of 5 stars "Moved by love, honor and duty."

By 

Denise Crawford "DC" (Missouri, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    

 

 

Anyone who knows me or reads my reviews understands that I love historical fiction and that one of my favorite authors is Beverly Swerling. When I opened this book, because of the author's meticulous research, I was transported to the time period, the environment, and the culture that came alive under her skillful prose.

The time is 1930s in the period of unrest just before events led up to WW II and the initial setting is America. Citizens in the US weren't looking to be involved in any of what was going on "across the pond" and the isolationist views held by most businessmen and politicians were also supported by many of the people living in the country.

Mollie Pride's unique family and upbringing lead her to a broadcast career that eventually takes her from America to London during the Blitz when she is not even 20 years old. "Hello, America, this is Mollie Pride..." Live from the battered streets, she interviews people at the scene, bringing the horrors, scarcities and tribulations of war home to households in human interest stories that make the realities of war evident to them in a society where real news is typically a man's world. Though she herself has suffered personal heartbreak and loss, Mollie finds that she will need every ounce of bravery and courage that she possesses in order to provide encouragement and support for those so affected by Hitler's war on so many foreign fronts. When the US enters the war, finally, Mollie is called on to keep secrets that put her in grave danger as some in power are listening to every word she says on air.

I found the novel fascinating as a glimpse into both broadcast journalism during the 1930s and as a study of how one woman entered that male dominated occupation and brought something new to those listening on the other end of the radio. The power of the spoken word over the airwaves of the day was never so evident as during this period in history. Propaganda was coming from Germany and from Japan, enemies and alliances changed by the day, and every broadcast was censored and controlled. How then would the truth be told? Molly, though often afraid of the ramifications, reported honestly the events she witnessed even when her own interests and needs had to be put aside for the greater good. She was a heroine in a time where honor and duty were evident in the actions of people in the most unlikely circumstances. There was also great evil and terror, and Mollie faced those with her indomitable personality and strong spirit.

There is also romance amidst the fear, the secrecy and the background of war, and the reader will root for Mollie all the way. I recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction set during the 1930s and early 1940s in both America and London.

I am eagerly looking forward to Beverly Swerling's next book!