1979. Grace who lives in Bellgrove, Long Island and Anh a woman who escaped Communist ruled Vietnam meet at the end of a long day. Grace finds a young1979. Grace who lives in Bellgrove, Long Island and Anh a woman who escaped Communist ruled Vietnam meet at the end of a long day. Grace finds a young boy in the street, she takes him home and calls the police. Grace discovers his name is Bao, he’s staying at Our Lady Queen of Martyr Convent, with his aunt Anh and other Vietnamese refugees or boat people.
Grace is married to Tom and he owns a clock and watch repair shop called the Golden Hours, and the couple like to help people and are kind. Tom comes to the aid of a severely wounded Vietnam veteran Jack, he lives above the shop and is a recluse and he works repairing time pieces after hours. Grace decides to volunteer at the convent, the nuns are run off their feet and she and Anh become friends.
All of the characters have experienced a life changing tragedy, Jack’s draft number came up in the draw and he’s one of the thousands of young American men sent to fight in Vietnam, and when he’s injured and thinks his life is over. Anh and her nephew have a chance to escape Vietnam and they take it, their family unit couldn’t comprehend how long boat journey to America would take, how risky it was and it’s like living in another world. Grace’s younger sister passed away when she was a child, and she feels guilty and it’s impacted her relationship with her own daughters.
I received a copy of The Time Keepers from Edelweiss Plus and Union Square & Co in exchange for an honest review. Alyson Richman uses the real stories of a Vietnamese refuge and a Vietnam veteran as a basis her latest novel, it’s a gripping and engrossing narrative, I cared about the characters, I rode every high and low with them and I cried my eyes out.
A story about love, loss, longing, unexpected friendships, kindness and compassion, and I discovered details about the Vietnam War that I will never forget, and those poor young men were only a year older than my son and it broke my heart.
The message and meaning I got from the best historical fiction book I have read this year is, people come into our lives for a reason, time doesn’t stop for anyone, and don't underestimate how working with your hands could have healing powers and five stars from me. If you enjoyed The Women by Kristin Hannah and I suggest you reading The Time Keepers by Alyson Richman and in my opinion it knocks it out of the park!...more
On the 20th of October, 1811, Lydia Latrobe Roosevelt with her husband Nicholas and toddler daughter Roselta leave Pittsburgh aboard his invention a sOn the 20th of October, 1811, Lydia Latrobe Roosevelt with her husband Nicholas and toddler daughter Roselta leave Pittsburgh aboard his invention a steam driven paddle-boat. Lydia and her husband travelled the waterways of the mighty Mississippi River on a flatboat, during their honeymoon and in preparation for this journey.
Lydia’s half her spouse’s age, her father architect Benjamin Latrobe wasn’t keen on her marrying an older man, but Lydia loved Nicholas and she waited and eventually he gave his blessing. Lydia isn’t the only woman aboard and accompanying her are nurse maids Sarah and Bessie, but the three ladies are friends and Lydia is eight months pregnant.
The steamboats final destination is New Orleans, if it’s a success, it will bring about faster travel and trade routes, open up the West for expansion and people will no longer have to make the return journey via sailboat and go around the very tip of Florida.
As they set off on the New Orleans people are sceptical, they think the Roosevelt’s are crazy and will fail. The steamboat has to travel the tributaries of the Mississippi River, stopping along the way to pick up fresh supplies, wood for the firebox, they charge and show curious onlookers the boat and with its timber lined men’s cabin.
Lydia and Nicholas know it won’t be an easy trip, they plan on making it to a town for her to give birth and fear delays, The Shawnee Indians, they have to navigate the hazardous Falls of the Ohio, a sixty-foot drop, making sure they have enough clearance and watching out for debris and rocks in the water.
I received a copy of Follow the Stars Home by Diane C. McPhail from Edelweiss and Kensington Publishing Corps in exchange for an unbiased review. What an interesting story about an inspirational woman and mother Lydia Latrobe Roosevelt, she was brave, courageous and unwavering in her love and support for her husband Nicholas.
The couple, their cook and servants know they face the possibility of illness, accidents, a difficult birth and child bed fever, and they have no idea Mother Nature will add in fog, low water levels, whirlpools, cross and reverse currents, log jams, and a natural disaster.
Five stars from me, I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend Follow the Stars Home and Diane C. McPhail’s previous novel, The Seamstress of New Orleans....more
Sarah Harper lives in Manhattan, New York, she has recently separated from her husband Jack, she’s going home to Boston for Christmas and instead SaraSarah Harper lives in Manhattan, New York, she has recently separated from her husband Jack, she’s going home to Boston for Christmas and instead Sarah boards a plane to the West Coast of Ireland. Sarah rents a cottage in Thornwood, one night while suffering from an anxiety attack, she goes for a run and finds tin hidden in a tree and inside it is a one hundred year old diary.
The story has a dual timeline, it’s told from the two main characters points of view Sarah in 2011 and Anna in 1911 and I had no trouble following it.
Anna lives with her parents and siblings on Butler’s farm near the village of Thornwood, in County Clare and she’s surprised when her mother allows her to translate Irish to English for American Harold Griffin- Krauss, as she very strict about Sarah having a good reputations and single women don't normally travel with men and Harold's writing his thesis on Celtic folklore and fairies.
Thornwood House is the nearby estate, the English owner cut down an ancient Hawthorn tree, which belongs to the fairies and this means he and his family will be unlucky.
Anna and Harold interview locals who believe in fairies, some have seen them, they live in Hawthorn trees and in circular earthen mounds. Sarah's captivated by Anna’s diary, and it helps her overcome her personal issues and grief. Anna is caught between two worlds, she had her own experience with a fairy and she’s hasn’t shared it with Harold and a terrible act will cause a series of events and change the course of her life, and it’s the reason why her diary is hidden in the tree.
I received a copy of The Story collector by Evie Woods from HarperCollins and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. I’m usually not a fan of magical realism but I really enjoy this novel, and it combines well the everyday and the otherworldly, the Irish people’s belief mythology, fairies, and Celtic folklore. Five stars from me, I learnt some fairies are good and others are bad and I’m keen to read Ms. Woods previous book, The Lost Bookshop....more
1942. Ava Delaney after a quick courtship marries Richard and before he’s sent to Hawaii and she’s upset when he’s killed during the Japanese attack o1942. Ava Delaney after a quick courtship marries Richard and before he’s sent to Hawaii and she’s upset when he’s killed during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Ava is now stuck living with her grumpy mother-in-law on farm in Tennessee and a very different life she and her husband planned together. Finances are tight, Ava applies for a job at Camp Forest, a nearby military base that’s being used to hold men who were living in America and are now classed as enemy aliens. Here, Ava meets Gunther Schneider, he was once studying to be a doctor, Ava can’t understand why he’s been treated this way, his skills are being wasted and most people don’t think like she does.
The dual timeline story is told from the two main character points of view Ava and Mattie, both are caught up in a war and twenty seven years apart.
1969. Mattie Taylor is furious when her twin brother Mark is killed in Vietnam, she’s lost her womb mate and best friend and leaves the families horse farm straight after his memorial service. Mattie's been gone a year and she receives a message her mother sick and asking her to come home. Mattie isn’t sure what sort of reception she’s going to get when she arrives from her father, she blamed him and Mark’s best friend for not telling him it was a terrible idea to join the Marines. Her mother’s dying wish is for Mattie to read some old letters stored in a trunk, from people Mattie doesn’t even know and she insists they hold the answers her daughter is searching for. Mattie’s finds a way to help those who have been injured in the war, discovers why her father has always been distant and wonders if they can repair their relationship.
I received a copy of All We Thought We Knew from Tyndale Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Michelle Shocklee's well written narrative focuses on the two women having to face their own thoughts, feelings, fears and how they deal with a war, family, the loss of a loved one and illness, anger, regret, secrets and memories and keep their faith.
I’m sure all people question why God doesn't stop wars from starting and why does it keep happening, I certainly have and Ms Shocklee explores this and more in her latest Historical Christian Fiction novel All We Thought We Knew, and I think fans of Melanie Dobson would enjoy this book just as much as I did and five stars from me....more
Daisy Harriman is mad when she refused a room at the Waldorf because they don’t cater to unaccompanied females, she’s an adult, wife and mother and yeDaisy Harriman is mad when she refused a room at the Waldorf because they don’t cater to unaccompanied females, she’s an adult, wife and mother and yet she can’t say in a hotel on her own.
Men have gentleman’s clubs, where they can sit around, chat, eat and have a drink and stay the night and she decides to build something that caters for ladies. Daisy and her friends come up with the idea to open the first female club in Manhattan, it will be called The Colony Club, here they can dine, discuss ideas, social issues (such as reducing the long working hours for children) and try and bring about change.
Daisy hires flamboyant Stanford White a partner of the well known architectural firm McKim, Mead and White in New York to design the clubhouse. Elise de Wolfe is an actress, her career is coming to an end and she’s good friends with Daisy Harriman. She's given the task of designing and furnishing the clubhouse's interior, she up for the challenge, men wouldn't know what women wanted.
Nora Bromely was raised in Brooklyn, she’s determined to become an architect and has recently finished her studies at New York School of Applied Design for Women. She’s shocked when Stanford White offers her a job as a draftsman, when she starts work and she’s the only women employed and is the brunt of sabotage and bullying by her male colleagues.
Nora has put up with this treatment for months, she feels angry and let down when she’s sent to help Elsie de Wolfe and Daisy Harriman. George Douglas is overseeing the building of The Colony Club, he informs Nora it’s not a step backwards, but a chance to learn and gain valuable experience.
The Colony Club is almost finished when Stanford White is caught up in a tragic scandal, Daisy, Elsie and Nora are determined for it to not delay the clubs opening and for Nora her job and hours of contribution to the project, reputation and future is on the line.
I received a copy of The Colony Club from HarperCollins and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an unbiased review. A well written and interesting historical fiction story by Shelly Nobel and she uses two real women as inspiration for her latest novel.
It looks at the challenges women faced at the time and it starts just before the Gilded Age, especially Nora, a woman working in a man’s world and I really admired her charter in the narrative, she was talented, resilient and she had spunk and wanted to provide a better life for her mother and younger sister.
Five stars from me and I highly recommend The Colony Club and it’s released on the 1st of October 2024....more
1927: Nancy Harkness is sixteen and she lives in Houghton, Michigan with her parents and older brother. Nancy’s fascinated by planes and flying and wh1927: Nancy Harkness is sixteen and she lives in Houghton, Michigan with her parents and older brother. Nancy’s fascinated by planes and flying and when she goes for a joy ride with a barnstormer and she vows one day she will be a pilot herself. Nancy’s father pays for her to have flying lessons and despite his wife thinking it's not very lady like, and Nancy takes to flying like a duck to water. Nancy meets Robert Love, he owns and flies planes for Newark Inter City Aviation, after they get off to a bad start and he then employs Nancy to fly business people around America.
With the threat of another war starting, Nancy knows armies will use pilots for surveillance and it will be fought in the air and female pilots could be used to ferry planes across the country and to free up male pilots. Nancy's used to facing discrimination and sexism, she has flown enough hours and has experience, and she contacts Lieutenant Colonel Robert Olds about her idea of employing civilian women pilots and he’s keen and he needs those further up to listen and see it as a realistic and viable option.
Jackie Cochran owns a cosmetic company, she’s an accomplished aviator and was a friend of Amelia Earhart. Jackie has been flying planes in England and as part of the Wings for Britain program. Both women have proposals of how qualified female pilots could be used in America, Nancy's idea is to create the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron or WAFS and Jackie's the Women’s Flying Training Detachment or the WFTD and both lobby Lieutenant Colonel Robert Old and Eleanor Roosevelt for backing and support.
I received a copy of Lady Flyer by Heather B. Moore from Shadow Mountain Publishing and Edelweiss in exchange for an unbiased review. Using real facts about both Nancy Harkness and Jacqueline Cochran, Ms. Moore has written a powerful story about the rivalry, competition, skills, goals, and the objectives of two strong and capable ladies and both pushed the boundaries of the time and changed men's and societies thoughts about women's roles.
The narrative’s main focus is on Nancy, I really enjoyed reading about her learning to fly at sixteen, her relationship with Robert Love, her fight to be taken seriously and treated as an equal, and her plans for how women could help defend not only America but the entire world from the skies, how she cared for her fellow pilots and they flew all kinds and sizes of aircraft. I found the last third of the book dragged a little and slightly confusing about forming the different flying corps and four stars from me....more
Julia McWilliams refers to herself as a spinster, she’s thirty years old, tall for a woman at six foot two inches, and her mother Caro made sure her dJulia McWilliams refers to herself as a spinster, she’s thirty years old, tall for a woman at six foot two inches, and her mother Caro made sure her daughter knew to wait for the one and she’s starting to think she won’t find him.
Julia’s a file clerk for General William Donovan at the Office of Strategic Services in Washington D. C. and she's transferred to the Far East, here’s she’s works for the OSS’s classified communications stations and is part of an espionage agency, looking for spy’s who are passing on information to the Japanese and it could be anyone.
During her time in Kandy, Ceylon, India and Kunming, China, places at frontline of the war in Asia, Julia tries to work out who she can trust, she makes friends with other OSS staff, and she prays one of them isn’t the person leaking information. Julia embraces the sights, sounds, food, and culture of the places she visits, not so much the smells and her heart breaks for the poor locals. Julia’s certainly a one of a kind, she doesn’t shy away from danger, going on adventures, and she’s shows courage, bravery and spirit and certainly is loyal to her country and wants to help end the war.
The two other characters from the narrative that stood out for me were, mapmaker Paul Child and Jemadar Deepak Binoy of the 14th Army and Indian Soldier.
I received a copy of The Secret War of Julia Child from Sourcebooks and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. The author Diana R. Chambers spent ten years researching Julia McWilliams before writing her novel, I had really high expectations for this book and it has the most stunning cover.
I’m Australian and I had heard of Julia, she’s an interesting woman, a trail blazer, one of a kind and goes on to be famous American television identity and chef and not bad for a woman who could barely boil water in her thirties.
I found the narrative moved at a very slow pace, it’s very easy to lose interest in the novel and despite being about a wonderful and inspirational woman like Julia McWilliams Childs and what she might have done during the Second World War and while she was living and in serving her country in the Far East. I know it’s classed as historical fiction but I feel overall the story lacked oomph, something Julia certainly had, maybe other readers found what I missed and three stars from me....more
Alice Katz receives a mysterious call from the Office of Scientific Research and Development, and she was a student of Dr. Julius Robert Oppenheimer, Alice Katz receives a mysterious call from the Office of Scientific Research and Development, and she was a student of Dr. Julius Robert Oppenheimer, a theoretical physicist and she accepts a job working on a secret government project, at a place called Los Alamos.
Here Alice meets Caleb Blum, a new recruit, and he’s been assigned to the explosives division. The pair find themselves working alongside young scientists and engineers who have quietly left their university posts and families to live in the desert in New Mexico. America is desperate to end the war and they have no clue what the Germans have been developing and it’s a race.
Alice and Caleb have concerns, about the substances their using and how safe it is, will it have lasting consequences and are enough precautions being taken, and during this time they developed romantic feelings for each other!
The narrative it told from three people’s points of view, Alice, Caleb and Haruki Sato's a survivor of the attack on Hiroshima and he’s known as a “Hibakusha” and this term means he was severely injured in the blast, suffered from the effects of radiation sickness, lost his family and later was discriminated against.
I received a copy of The Sound of a Thousand Stars by Rachel Robbins from the publisher and in exchange for an honest review. The author uses her grandparents real life experiences as inspiration for her debut novel and her grandfather was a scientist and the couple both lived at Los Alamos.
A story about the creation of the first nuclear weapon and the Manhattan Project and how America wanted to end the war. They targeted Hiroshima due to it being used as a base for Japanese military infrastructure, and however thousands of civilians were killed and suffered from horrendous wounds and were maimed for life. The pace and flow of the novel was a little slow at times, I did question the ethics around the development and use of nuclear weapons and four stars from me....more
The Channel Islands are finally liberated and five years after the Germans invaded. Once known as “Summerland” a stunning and beautiful place has beenThe Channel Islands are finally liberated and five years after the Germans invaded. Once known as “Summerland” a stunning and beautiful place has been left desolate, damaged, and scarred and it's residents starving.
In Jersey things are tense and people are angry, the locals feel like they were left to fend for themselves, and no one understands what they went through. They want revenge, the women who took up with German soldiers have already been punished and humiliated, they’re also looking for anyone who collaborated or profited from dealing the enemy during the war.
Jean Parris is looking after her mum Violet, her father Philip was arrested for having a radio in his possession eighteen months ago and he was sent to jail and they haven’t heard from him and despite other mail arriving.
Hazel Fleury is a teacher and she lives in a flat with her sick dad above the Ironmongers Shop and she's had a tough time and lost her sister, someone mentions that she was seen arguing with Philip Parris and was she the one who dobbed him into the Germans? Hazel is taken in for questioning, she denies she had anything to do with his arrest, she shares her side of the story with the Civil Affairs Unit and are part of a task-force sent to the Jersey. It doesn’t take long for people to hear about Hazel, she gets snubbed by neighbours and called names.
I received a copy of Beyond Summerland by Jenny Lecoat from HarperCollins and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. I had never considered what life was like on the Channel Islands and Jersey after the Second World War ended, at first the people celebrated and felt relieved. Then they started questioning events and what happened and wanted justice and anyone who was involved with the Germans or made money or benefited and they wanted them punished.
Everyone has secrets or done something they weren’t proud of to survive or cope, and get through the challenging times, it’s a story about family and how well do you know someone, betrayal and greed, retribution and an unlikely alliance is formed.
Five stars from me, another well written and thought provoking novel by Ms. Lecoat, I highly recommend Beyond Summerland and her previous book, The Girl from the Channel Islands....more
Wilbur and Orville Wright enjoyed building things, like printing presses and bicycles, and they open a bike shop in Dayton, Ohio. The brothers are fasWilbur and Orville Wright enjoyed building things, like printing presses and bicycles, and they open a bike shop in Dayton, Ohio. The brothers are fascinated by flight, they study birds and wonder if a machine could be built for humans to be able to fly? Their younger sister Katharine stepped into her mother's role when she died of tuberculosis, she kept house for Wilbur and Orville and her father and studied to be a teacher.
The Wright brothers tested the latest models on the beaches of North Carolina, at Kitty Hawk and they picked the location because it was windy, had soft sand to land on and away from prying eyes. Meanwhile Katharine located the right material for the gliders and plane prototypes wings, dealt with correspondence and bike shop, and worked as a high school teacher.
On the 17th of December 1903, Wilbur and Orville made history with the first controlled, sustained flight of humankind. The Wright brothers became famous, they travelled the world demonstrating their new invention, looking for financial backers and wanting to build better planes and teach others to fly. Then they were hit by a law suit, a legal fight over what they lodged a patent for and this takes a big toll Wilbur. Katharine gave up her career as a teacher to help her brothers follow their dreams and when she wants to do the same, a childish and ungrateful Orville forces her to make a difficult choice.
I received a copy of Katharine, the Wright Sister by Tracey Enerson Wood from the publisher and in exchange for an unbiased review. The author is known for writing historical fiction based on real women and this time its Katharine Wrights turn.
At first I found Orville’s attitude towards his sister annoying, it stopped me from enjoying the narrative and then I thought about how Ms. Enerson Wood chooses to write about overlooked women and Katharine Wright was certainly one of these. Katharine made huge sacrifices for her brothers to pursue their passion and remember behind successful men are influential and supportive women.
Five stars from me, I highly recommend Katharine, the Wright Sister and Tracey Enerson Wood's previous book, The War Nurse....more
On the 29th of February 1916 Lillian McKinley gives birth to a daughter, a leap year baby and her husband died in The Great War. Baby Katherine is dotOn the 29th of February 1916 Lillian McKinley gives birth to a daughter, a leap year baby and her husband died in The Great War. Baby Katherine is doted on by her mother, Aunt Natalie and Uncle Ernest, they notice she’s behind in her development and not reaching her milestones. Kip only grows one year older every four years and even in the womb her gestation time was longer.
Her family band together and protect Kip because she’s different, they move a lot to keep her condition a secret, from neighbours, the press, a Nazi scientist, and doctors and pharmaceutical companies. Kip doesn’t age like she should, a strange quirk and in some ways it makes Kip’s life not only odd, as an adult she has trouble making friends and forming relationships.
I received a copy of The Leap Gene of Kit McKinley from Edelweiss and Union Square & Co in exchange for an honest review. I must admit when I started reading this book I didn’t think I would like it, I was wrong and Shelley Wood has written a fascinating and thought provoking novel.
A story about family, secrets, what society and medical professionals thought about people who were different, her loved ones didn’t want Kip locked away in an institution, treated like a freak of nature or much worse! If you have had a child you would know people are obsessed with making comparisons and I kept thinking of this while reading the narrative and Kip's family loved and protected her.
Five stars from me, spanning a century, you discover the amazing life of Kit McKinley, she has the gift so many people crave, and she ages slowly and has the elixir of youth and is she lucky or not....more
Rosamund Caradon is sad the remaining four evacuees she has been looking after at Gittisham Manor, in Devonshire are returning home after six years anRosamund Caradon is sad the remaining four evacuees she has been looking after at Gittisham Manor, in Devonshire are returning home after six years and Rosamund decides she and her daughter Jasmine will travel with them to London and check on the family flat in Chelsea.
Aboard the same train is Briar Woods, she asks to share the carriage with Rosamund and the children and she tells them about her career as a ballet dancer with Sadler’s Wells, and both Julia and Jasmine hang on her every word. Rosamund doesn’t believe it was a chance encounter at all, she has seen Briar before, she can't remember where and there's something about her that seems fake and she annoys Rosamund and she doesn’t trust her.
Briar thinks her performance for Rosamund might be her best yet, she invites them to watch her dance, and how can Rosamund say no to Jasmine despite her misgivings and all young girls dream of being a ballerina.
I received a copy of The Sleeping Beauties by Lucy Ashe from Edelweiss Plus and Union Square & Co in exchange for an honest review. Set in 1945, the story looks back at the lives of Rosamund and Briar and what happened to them prior and during The Second World War.
The narrative explores motherhood and the ballet The Sleeping Beauty, love, friendship, lies, regret, making amends for past mistakes and how far a mother would go to protect her daughter.
Three stars from me, I enjoyed reading about ballet training, how Sadler’s Wells in now the Royal Ballet Company, I’m sorry but I didn’t care for either Rosamund’s or Briar’s characters, so I found it difficult to connect with them and this novel might appeal more to ballet and dance fans....more
Jacqueline Susann was an actress and she wants to write books about life in Hollywood and show business from a women’s perspective. Jacqueline pens VaJacqueline Susann was an actress and she wants to write books about life in Hollywood and show business from a women’s perspective. Jacqueline pens Valley of the Dolls, she has to fight to get it published and her aims is for it to be a best seller. Her novel receives a lot of criticism, especially because she mentions sex and the widespread use of prescription drugs.
Jackie Collins was divorced and had a young daughter and her second husband Oscar Lerman encourages her to follow her dreams of being an author. When she completes her first book The World Is Full of Married Men it launches her career and Jackie’s not ready for the flak and bad publicity she receives.
Nancy White has just finished college, she moves to Manhattan and has always wanted to work for a publishing house. Nancy isn’t prepared for the widespread sexism she encounters at work, she’s over looked for promotions and wonders how she ever fulfil her dream of being an editor.
The narrative focuses on the three women’s struggles to succeed in a man’s world, set in the middle of the 1960’s and 1970’s, it includes the ups and downs, highlights and issues in their private lives.
Jacqueline and Jackie changed the world of books and publishing and men had no idea what women wanted to read and yet they made up eighty percent of book sales in America. Jacqueline Susann was the first author to do book tours, she visited book stores and signed copies, and did interviews on television and radio and promoted her novels.
I received a copy of Scandalous Women by Gill Paul from HarperCollins and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. Using real and fictional characters Ms. Gill writes about the world of publishing and two progressive and innovative writers, who become renowned for their scandalous and controversial novels, and the young editorial assistant who introduces them.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the lives and successes of Jacqueline Susann and Jackie Collins, the famous celebrities they knew in England and America, they were invited to A-list parties and nightclubs. How other authors consider their books to be nasty, filthy, disgusting, and they received hate mail and ridicule and it didn't stop them.
Two powerful women and they paved the way for female authors and writers of today and five stars from me and I'm keen to read Valley of the Dolls....more
Esme Fox and Jasper Truitt meet on Armistice Day in Paris, after celebrating the end of The Great War, they toast victory and get rather drunk on chamEsme Fox and Jasper Truitt meet on Armistice Day in Paris, after celebrating the end of The Great War, they toast victory and get rather drunk on champagne and they marry. The next morning Esme's horrified by what she's done, she doesn’t want to settle down and leaves a confused Jasper.
Four years later, they bump into each other on the French Rivera, both are jewel thieves, they mingle amongst the aristocracy, and stealing the odd diamond trinket. Both are trying to hunt down the last Valkyrie tiara, Esme's working for the Countess Rossalina Accardi and Jasper the Duke of Loxhill, and as they follow the tiara’s trail throughout Europe, and they try and stay one step ahead of each other. Jasper tries to warn Esme the Countess has a thug who will kill her given the chance, and she wonders if can she trust her estranged husband?
I received a copy of The Winged Tiara by J’nell Ciesielski from HarperCollins Christian Publishing and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. Ms. Ciesielski is back to her best, the narrative is told at a fast pace, it combines a thrilling adventure story, set in glamorous places, and the two main characters keep each other on their toes, trying outsmart their spouse, the come up with some intuitive ways and the sparks certainly fly between them.
The perfect choice for historical mystery fans, with a few sinister elements to make it interesting, and you do wonder does Esme really want to divorce Jasper, considering the chemistry between them. I highly recommend The Winged Tiara, five stars from me and Ms. Ciesielski previous book, Beauty Among Ruins....more
Claire left her hometown of Rehoboth Beach in Delaware, she’s made a fresh start living in Wisconsin and a random place she picked from a map because Claire left her hometown of Rehoboth Beach in Delaware, she’s made a fresh start living in Wisconsin and a random place she picked from a map because it’s the shape of a mitten. Claire's a loner, she works as a graphic designer, makes collages, goes to the gym and runs and she doesn’t have any friends.
Then she meets Erik, a divorced father of three and he’s the project manager of the historic Ten Chimney restoration. Claire’s world changes, she’s introduced to Erik’s two best friends Gabe and Eva, his ex-wife Annabelle and the couple’s three children. Claire becomes part of the group, the three women bond and become besties. Claire’s madly in love, she has a partner, she’s helping Erik care for his kids and it's something she wasn’t sure she would feel comfortable doing and enjoy.
Claire had a reason for leaving Delaware and why she needed to move across the country, and when she discovers a person from her past is visiting Ten Chimney’s for two weeks, she’s worried the worst mistake of her life will be revealed and she will lose her friends and be judged.
I received a copy of A Season of Perfect Happiness by Maribeth Fisher from Penguin Random House and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an unbiased review. Wow, what an amazing story and book, it tackles some difficult topics and subjects, it makes you think about what happens when a person makes a major and life changing error, due to reasons out of their control and the consequences.
Claire isn’t the only character in the narrative to do something wrong, yet when it comes out what she did and the one person who really turns on her isn’t perfect herself.
Five stars from me a story about complicated relationships, parenthood and having a child on the spectrum, friendship, family estrangement and types of loss, secrets, forms of mental illness and the stigma around it, missing out on life and motherhood.
I had never heard of the historic building Ten Chimney’s and it was built by Broadway legends Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne and I highly recommend this book and it will make you feel a variety of emotions and keep a box of tissues handy....more
Sadie West loves her family, when her father has an accident, they risk losing the farm and she starts working at Hoag’s Duster Factory, in MonticelloSadie West loves her family, when her father has an accident, they risk losing the farm and she starts working at Hoag’s Duster Factory, in Monticello, Iowa. Sadie sends all her wages home, she has nowhere to sleep, so she discovers an abandoned building and she puts up with living here for the sake of her family.
Otis Taylor reluctantly returns home, his aim is to get the property ready for sale and leave Monticello as quickly as possible. When he discovers Sadie is living an empty building on his land, he offers her a place to sleep in the servant's quarters, it’s perfectly respectable because Leon and Mildred the caretakers of the property live there and Sadie can assist sorting through years of clutter. His only condition, is she can't tell no one that he’s returned, Otis suffers from a medical condition and he’s a recluse. Otis needs to solve a family mystery he discovers and Sadie is willing to help and she’s shocked by what’s uncovered. Sadie has been taught that’s what inside a person’s heart is what matters, she needs Otis to trust her and break down the wall’s he put up.
I received a copy of Beyond Ivy Walls by Rachel Fordham from HarperCollins Christian Publishing and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. Included in the narrative are important life lessons and meaning, like being an adult comes responsibilities, everyone needs to feel like they belong, and the importance of family and friends. My favourite characters were Sadie and Otis, her sisters Molly, Violette, and Flora, and Leon and Mildred.
A sweet and wholesome story set in the turn of the century Iowa, with Ms. Fordham's take on the beauty and the beast, four stars from me and I highly recommend Beyond Ivy Walls and the author's previous book, The Letter Tree....more
Alice Jones parents George and Elizabeth immigrated to New York from England and she has two sisters Emily and Gracie. Her dad’s family are from JamaiAlice Jones parents George and Elizabeth immigrated to New York from England and she has two sisters Emily and Gracie. Her dad’s family are from Jamaica, the Jones consider themselves white and her father works as a cab driver.
Alice meets Leonard “Kip” Rhinelander the shy and stuttering heir to his father Phillips’s real estate company at Orchard School, in Stamford, Connecticut. His father finds out and sends him away on a tour, the couple keep in contact by writing letters to each other. When he returns Kip works for his dad, he keeps his relationship with Alice a secret, and her family know about it, he proposes and they get married and all hell breaks loose when it’s front page news in the papers.
Kip’s father is used to getting his own way, he threatens to disinherit him unless he annuls the marriage and Alice is devastated. Kip assures her he won’t follow through with his father’s demands and to trust him. Yet reporters are banging on Alice's parent's front door, hiding in bushes and accusing her of deliberately deceiving Kip.
Alice meets Marvel Cunningham, she works for Amsterdam News, she’s a proud coloured woman and Alice is very wary of reporters and the press and will Marvel manage to change Alice's mind and stick up for herself and fight back.
The narrative has a dual timeline and it's set in 1924 and 1941 and told from Alice’s and her niece Roberta’s points of view, and it’s easy to follow.
I received a copy of The Trial of Mrs. Rhinelander by Denny S. Bryce from Kensington Books and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. Using real facts and fiction Ms. Bryce has written a fascinating novel about an infamous scandal that took place during the Roaring Twenties, at a time when interracial marriage was legal in New York and not common.
The court battle raged for over two years, Rhinelander vs Rhinelander and it looks at what was the definition of “white” and “coloured” and did Alice deceive Kip for financial gain and I don't think so!
An interesting story about racial anxiety, class, society, hate, justice, legitimacy, marriage, money, control, jealousy, and passing or not. Five stars from me I highly recommend The Trial of Mrs. Rhinelander and the author’s previous book In the Face of the Sun....more
Dr. Agnes Stacey’s daughter Elfie is getting married this week and each person who’s attending the small family wedding is keeping secrets and will thDr. Agnes Stacey’s daughter Elfie is getting married this week and each person who’s attending the small family wedding is keeping secrets and will they be exposed.
Professor Malcom Miller is Agnes Uncle, her parents died in a car accident when she was a young girl and he’s been waiting for the right time to give her a letter written by her mother. Dr. Joseph Bradshaw, is married to Molly and he's now a distant relative, he’s always been obsessed with Agnes since he was her therapist years ago, and she has no idea who he really is.
Agnes will be returning to her ex-husband’s Richards home and he’s married to Bettina. Agnes is having a fling with Freddie who offers to take pictures of Elfie’s and Theo’s wedding. Each person has an opinion, hidden flaws and weaknesses. Malcom is the last link to Agnes mother Sophy, who was an ambulance driver during the Blitz in Liverpool and both are from the seaside town of Merebridge.
I received a copy of Interpretations of Love by Jane Campbell from Ingram Publishing Services and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. The author’s debut novel is a story about ordinary people doing the best they can, misunderstandings and hidden abuse, secrets and regrets, coincidences and fate.
I found the narrative complicated and at times hard to follow, I think I pieced it all together and three stars from me and a quick read....more
1896. Florence Granger’s father is a bookbinder, he returned to England when she was a baby from Jamaica and she grew up in Manchester. Florence didn’1896. Florence Granger’s father is a bookbinder, he returned to England when she was a baby from Jamaica and she grew up in Manchester. Florence didn’t understand why her hair was fuzzy, just another thing he didn’t like about her and when she’s involved in a scandal he throws her out of the house and the only home she has.
Florence has no other options, so she goes to Rose Hall, in Lancashire and pretends her father sent her and she’s to restore Lord Belfield’s rare collection of expensive books. The staff have been reduced since Lady Persephone passed away and Florence discovers they are only two other servants Baxter the cook and Wesley a footman working at the estate. Lord Belfield’s brother Sir Chester and his wife Lady Violet visit and she finds Chester a creep and doesn't trust him.
Florence tries to make sense of Lady Persephone’s death, one night the library is broken into, none of the priceless books are taken, she discovers in the grate the charred remains of deceased mistress's secret diary and she wonders if it holds any clues to her death and was it really a tragic accident?
I received a copy of The Library Thief by Kuchenga Shenjé from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Set in Victorian England, the gothic mystery is full of deceit, secrets, unique characters, and the author explores social themes, including women’s rights, racism, adultery, infidelity, cross dressing and different types of relationships. I found the narrative not to my taste and too explicit for me, however the restoration processes of old books interesting and three stars....more
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