Review: The Quality Street Girls (Quality Street #1) by Penny Thorpe

The perfect book for anyone who loves chocolate and Christmas A seasonal delight, inspired by the true story of the Quality Street factory. At sixteen years old, Irene ‘Reenie’ Calder is leaving school with little in the way of qualifications. She is delighted to land a seasonal job at Mackintosh’s Quality Street factory. Reenie feels like a kid let loose in a sweet shop, but trouble seems to follow her around and it isn’t long before she falls foul of the strict rules.

Diana Moore runs the Toffee Penny line and has worked hard to secure her position. Beautiful and smart, the other girls in the factory are in awe of her, but Diana has a dark secret which if exposed, could cost her not only her job at the factory but her reputation as well.

When a terrible accident puts supply of Quality Street at risk, Reenie has a chance to prove herself. The shops are full of Quality Street lovers who have saved up all year for their must-have Christmas treat. Reenie and Diana know that everything rests on them, if they are to give everyone a Christmas to remember…

Paperback, 401 pages

Published November 15th 2018

by HarperCollins

****

My first Christmas book surprised me with a 1936 Halifax setting, I love reading Canadian HF so that was a great sign right off the bat.

This was a sweet story (pun intended) about my favorite chocolates, I learned a lot about the assembly line and business practices of the time. But really the book is about 3 young women, each struggling with their own stories. Rather than go into detail about each of (see blurb above) let’s just say this is a story that revolves around secrets, ambition, and jealousy. How they aren’t just contained to the barer but there is the ripple effect it causes. Consequences for your actions.

The Quality Street Girls is a well researched and well-written book where friendship plays a big part and it’s one I recommend not just for the season but year-round.

This book was part of my 2019 reading off my shelf challenge

Audio Review: Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast (Folktales) by Robin McKinley

A strange imprisonment...

Beauty has never liked her nickname. She is thin and awkward; it is her two sisters who are the beautiful ones. But what she lacks in looks, she can perhaps make up for in courage.

When her father comes home with the tale of an enchanted castle in the forest and the terrible promise he had to make to the Beast who lives there, Beauty knows she must go to the castle, a prisoner of her own free will. Her father protests that he will not let her go, but she answers, "Cannot a Beast be tamed?"

Robin McKinley's beloved telling illuminates the unusual love story of a most unlikely couple, Beauty and the Beast.

Hardcover, 256 pages

Published June 30th 1993

by HarperCollins (first published October 25th 1978)

*** 1/2

As much as I love fairy tale retellings I really don't read a lot of them.  I've heard plenty of good things about this book, so on a whim I grabbed the audiobook (via Scribd) and dove in for the 7 plus hours of being mesmerized. 

There is a lot of background story before I met the Beast and his enchanted castle, for some that might be distracting, but I enjoyed learning more about Beauty - her family, the world and their situation.

I would call this somewhat of a cozy read, it was charming, descriptive and great for someone looking for a light-hearted read that is captivating and endearing.

This was part of my 2019 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge. 

Review: Bone China by Laura Purcell

Consumption has ravaged Louise Pinecroft's family, leaving her and her father alone and heartbroken. But Dr Pinecroft has plans for a revolutionary experiment: convinced that sea air will prove to be the cure his wife and children needed, he arranges to house a group of prisoners suffering from the same disease in the cliffs beneath his new Cornish home. While he devotes himself to his controversial medical trials, Louise finds herself increasingly discomfited by the strange tales her new maid tells of the fairies that hunt the land, searching for those they can steal away to their realm.

 Forty years later, Hester Why arrives at Morvoren House to take up a position as nurse to the now partially paralyzed and almost entirely mute Miss Pinecroft. Hester has fled to Cornwall to try and escape her past but surrounded by superstitious staff enacting bizarre rituals, she soon discovers that her new home may be just as dangerous as her last.

Hardcover, 384 pages

 Published September 19th, 2019

 by Raven Books

****

This month I have been reading suspense thriller books. Laura Purcell has written a couple historical fiction and then ventured into Gothic historical that sends chills up my spine. 

Her latest Bone China had the same dark atmospheric quality I was craving. Set in an isolated house on the coast of Cornwall I felt the unknown vibe as this book played out. Told from the POV of Hester Why and Louise Pinecroft it weaves back and forth in time smoothly as the stories of these two women were revealed.

I enjoyed this (and all of Laura Purcell’s books) story, it was eerie and I felt the tension the plot created. With its many layers being pulled away this was a story that kept me on my toes. The characters made this book, they are flawed, creepy and rather sinister each hiding something.

The ending wasn’t what I expected but it worked and fit the story.

If you haven’t read Laura Purcell, I highly recommend her books.

Bone China is part of my 2019 reading off my shelf challenge

Review: The Book Charmer (Dove Pond #1) by Karen Hawkins

The New York Times bestselling author of the wildly popular MacLean Curse series crafts a charming and evocative story about a picturesque Southern town, two fiercely independent women, and a magical friendship that will change their lives forever.

 The residents of Dove Pond, North Carolina, know three things: they have the finest bar-b-que this side of Atlanta, their Apple Festival is the best that ever was, and the town has phenomenal good luck whenever the Dove family has seven daughters. Fortunately, that time is now, because Dove Pond desperately needs a miracle.

 The seventh daughter, Sarah Dove, believes in all things magical. Books have whispered their secrets to her since she was a child. Now the town librarian, she makes sure every book finds the reader who most needs it. But recently the books have been whispering something different—that change is about to come to Dove Pond. Sarah is soon convinced that the legendary Dove Pond good luck has arrived in the form of new resident, Grace Wheeler.

 After the tragic death of her sister, Grace has moved to Dove Pond with her grieving young niece and ailing foster mother hoping to retrench financially and emotionally before returning to her fast-paced city life. But she soon learns that life in a not-so-sleepy town isn’t as quiet as she’d hoped. Despite her best efforts to focus on her family, she can’t avoid the townspeople, especially her next-door neighbors, the quirky and talkative Sarah Dove and cynical veteran Travis Parker. Grace’s situation grows more complicated when she assumes her duties as town clerk and discovers that Dove Pond is on the verge of financial ruin.

 Already overburdened by her own cares, Grace tries to stay aloof from the town’s issues, but she’s never been good at resisting a challenge. With Sarah’s encouragement, and inspired by the wise words of a special book, Grace decides to save her new town. And in her quest, she discovers the rich comfort of being a part of a loving community, the tantalizing promise of new love, the deep strength that comes from having a true friend, and the heartfelt power of finding just the right book.

Paperback, 368 pages

Published July 30th 2019

 by Gallery Books

**** 1/2

This book had me with that first chapter, well actually it had me with the cover - double whammy.

The Book Charmer was a fun quirky read, it was a relatively fast read in that I was immersed in the story with all its bookish charms. I laughed, I cried and fell in love with Dove Pond and the unique cast of characters. That being said this book deals with serious subject matter like PTSD and Alzheimer’s it was handled sensitively with the heartache that goes hand in hand.

The Book Charmer is about relationships, whether strangers, new friends, old friends, family and yes even with books - I loved their role.

Karen Hawkins is a new author for me, I adored her writing and characters, definitely will be checking out her other books and highly recommend this one.

“Love can't cure a broken heart, but it can hold the two sides together while they heal.”

This book is part of my 2019 reading off my shelf challenge

Review: The Secret Hours (Deverill Chronicles #4) by Santa Montefiore

‘Let the wind take me and the soft rain settle me into the Irish soil from where I came. And may my sins be forgiven.’

 Arethusa Clayton has always been formidable, used to getting her own way. On her death, she leaves unexpected instructions.

 Instead of being buried in America, on the wealthy East Coast where she and her late husband raised their two children, Arethusa has decreed that her ashes be scattered in a remote corner of Ireland, on the hills overlooking the sea.

 All Arethusa ever told Faye was that she grew up in a poor farming family and left Ireland, alone, to start a new life in America as did so many in those times of hardship and famine. But who were her family in Ireland and where are they now? What was the real reason that she turned away from them? And who is the mysterious benefactor of a significant share of Arethusa’s estate?

 Arethusa is gone. There is no one left to tell her story. Faye feels bereft as if her mother’s whole family has died with her. Leaving her own husband and children behind, she travels to the picturesque village of Ballinakelly, determined to fulfil her mother’s last wish and to find out the reason for Arethusa’s insistence on being laid to rest in this faraway land.

Hardcover, 487 pages 

Published July 11th, 2019 

by Simon and Schuster UK Fiction

*** 1/2

Ever since reading (or audiobooking) the Deverill Chronicles Santa Montefiore has been a go-to author for me.  Imagine my surprise when I starting reading this and old friends showed up - I didn't read the blurb but just dove in.  

Coming in at 487 pages it's a fair size (as are the previous 3 books)  I'll confess to struggling with the first 100 pages or so.  The book started great, some mystery and intrigue right away but it seemed flat and it was hard to stay invested. Some parts I found unnecessary but over time it picked up as the past was slowly revealed.  

Since its been a few years when I finished off book 3 I think a little family tree would have been a great addition, though the author did refresh past plotlines for me.  Faye was an interesting character whose life in the 1960s is summed up here reflecting the time.

"I wish I had had her capacity for pleasure.  But I've always been too concerned with making everyone else happy that I've missed out on my own fun.  I've never put myself first.  But it's not too late.  Here I am, alone in Ireland, with only myself to think about.  I'm going to be selfish for the first time in my life.  I'm going to do as I please.  I'm going to be more like Mom."

You don't have to read the previous books, The Secret Hours works well as a standalone, but I recommend going back it's a great series.

This book is part of my 2019 reading off my shelf challenge.

Review: Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield

On a dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the river Thames, an extraordinary event takes place. The regulars are telling stories to while away the dark hours, when the door bursts open on a grievously wounded stranger. In his arms is the lifeless body of a small child. Hours later, the girl stirs, takes a breath and returns to life. Is it a miracle? Is it magic? Or can science provide an explanation? These questions have many answers, some of them quite dark indeed.

 Those who dwell on the river bank apply all their ingenuity to solving the puzzle of the girl who died and lived again, yet as the days pass the mystery only deepens. The child herself is mute and unable to answer the essential questions: Who is she? Where did she come from? And to whom does she belong? But answers proliferate nonetheless.

 Three families are keen to claim her. A wealthy young mother knows the girl is her kidnapped daughter, missing for two years. A farming family reeling from the discovery of their son’s secret liaison, stand ready to welcome their granddaughter. The parson’s housekeeper, humble and isolated, sees in the child the image of her younger sister. But the return of a lost child is not without complications and no matter how heartbreaking the past losses, no matter how precious the child herself, this girl cannot be everyone’s. Each family has mysteries of its own, and many secrets must be revealed before the girl’s identity can be known.

 Once Upon a River is a glorious tapestry of a book that combines folklore and science, magic and myth. Suspenseful, romantic, and richly atmospheric, the beginning of this novel will sweep you away on a powerful current of storytelling, transporting you through worlds both real and imagined, to the triumphant conclusion whose depths will continue to give up their treasures long after the last page is turned.

 Hardcover, 464 pages

Published December 4th, 2018

 by Atria/Emily Bestler Books

*****

I vaguely remember reading Diane Setterfield’s previous book Bellman & Black and will confess to not being overly impressed with the plot but I found her writing captivating. Once I started reading this book I was engrossed with her writing once again. Once Upon a River begins with a scene that dragged this reader right in and as the chapters flowed with different characters I was just drawn in all the more.

Once Upon a River has a folklore feel with exquisite writing that at times I had to stop and reread, it was magically - I didn’t want it to end. The author placed me by the river, in the Swan, walking the streets giving me a real sense of the place.

Who is this young girl? How did she survive that night? With twists and turns, unique characters and storylines that fit together perfectly, reminding me of a jigsaw puzzle - everything clicked perfectly. It came to a conclusion that I did not anticipate.

Basically, the last paragraph of the synopsis sums up exactly what I want to say.  If you haven't read this yet don't wait 6 months like I did.  Definitely made my best of 2019 list.

My copy from personal library and part of my ‘2019 reading off my shelf’ challenge.

Review: A Lifetime of Impossible Days by Tabitha Bird

A thoughtful, uplifting and magical story of childhood, family and finding ways to change the inevitable . . .

Meet Willa Waters, aged 8 . . . 33 . . . and 93.

On one impossible day in 1965,

eight-year-old Willa Waters receives a mysterious box containing a jar of water and the instruction: 'One ocean: plant in the backyard.' So she does - and somehow creates an extraordinary time-slip that allows her to visit her future selves.

On one impossible day in 1990,

Willa is 33 and a mother-of-two when her childhood self magically appears in her backyard.

But she's also a woman haunted by memories of her dark past - and is on the brink of a decision that will have tragic repercussions . . .

On one impossible day in 2050,

 Willa is a silver-haired, gumboot-loving 93-year-old whose memory is fading fast. Yet she knows there's something she has to remember, a warning she must give her past selves about a terrible event in 1990 . . . If only she could recall what it was.

Can the three Willas come together, to heal their past and save their future . . . before it's too late?

 Paperback, 395 pages

Published June 4th 2019

by Viking

 ****

I think it was on Instagram that I spotted this yummy cover. I was further peeked as a debut from Australia author Tabitha Bird, the synopsis just clinched it for me. Three different time periods with the same characters at different stages in life sounds like a very intricate plot but taking it another step is timeslip - can it be done? Of course, it can be done, but in an appealing manner to capture and keep this reader’s attention and hold it?

There is 8-year-old Willa, 33-year-old Willa, and 93-year-old Willa. There are gumboots, jam drops and an ocean to plant. I loved each stage of Willa’s life, they were heartbreaking and so well written, I cared for each of the Willa’s,  what they were going through and the mysterious element of what was to come.

It did take a bit for the story to really take off but the author laid a strong foundation for a story that kept me captivated. A Lifetime of Impossible Days is a story of strength, hurts, heartbreaking at the same time as being comical and magical. There are risks, guilt and mature subject matters that made this a unique story and one I highly recommend.

This book is part of my '2019 reading off my shelf' challenge.

Review: Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo

Two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo returns to her roots with a moving, masterful story of an unforgettable summer friendship.

 Raymie Clarke has come to realize that everything, absolutely everything, depends on her. And she has a plan. If Raymie can win the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition, then her father, who left town two days ago with a dental hygienist, will see Raymie's picture in the paper and (maybe) come home. To win, not only does Raymie have to do good deeds and learn how to twirl a baton; she also has to contend with the wispy, frequently fainting Louisiana Elefante, who has a show-business background, and the fiery, stubborn Beverly Tapinski, who’s determined to sabotage the contest.

 But as the competition approaches, loneliness, loss, and unanswerable questions draw the three girls into an unlikely friendship — and challenge each of them to come to the rescue in unexpected ways.

 Paperback, 272 pages

Published May 1st, 2017

by Walker Books Australia

****

I read this book in anticipation the third book in series, Beverly, Right Here coming out next month. Last year I read book 2 in series Louisiana’s Way Home - talk about reading books way out of order. But no big deal each works just fine as a stand-alone. But once you start with one you will want to read more.

As you can read from the synopsis, not just Raymie is on a mission but Louisiana and Beverly as well.  It’s Raymie that I got a clearer picture of this time around. A confused girl who just wants her dad back, to have him show he cares and what better way than to win a contest that will make her famous.

Each of these girls - Raymie, Louisiana, and Beverly has a quirky way of thinking, with actions that just confirm it. The journey is comical at times, full of innocence and drive. It’s their ‘I don’t care what anyone thinks’ attitude that kept me entertained.

I’ve read a number of Kate DiCamillo books, it's her writing style that I have come to love, her way with words that make me smile and characters that are hard to forget.  I recommend her books whenever I get the chance.

This book is part of my 2019 reading off my shelf challenge.

 clicking on the cover will take you to my review

Review: You Go First by Erin Entrada Kelly

Funny and poignant, You Go First by 2018 Newbery Medalist Erin Entrada Kelly is an engaging exploration of family, spelling, art, bullying, and the ever-complicated world of middle school friendships. Erin Entrada Kelly’s perfectly pitched tween voice will resonate with fans of Kate DiCamillo’s Raymie Nightingale and Thanhha Lai’s Inside Out and Back Again.

 Twelve-year-old Charlotte Lockard and eleven-year-old Ben Boxer are separated by more than a thousand miles. On the surface, their lives seem vastly different—Charlotte lives near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, while Ben is in the small town of Lanester, Louisiana. Charlotte wants to be a geologist and keeps a rock collection in her room. Ben is obsessed with Harry Potter, presidential history, and recycling. But the two have more in common than they think. They’re both highly gifted. They’re both experiencing family turmoil. And they both sit alone at lunch.

 Over the course of a week, Charlotte and Ben—online friends connected only by a Scrabble game—will intersect in unexpected ways as they struggle to navigate the turmoil of middle school. You Go First reminds us that no matter how hard it is to keep our heads above troubled water, we never struggle alone.

The acclaimed author of Blackbird Fly, The Land of Forgotten Girls, and Hello, Universe writes with an authentic, humorous, and irresistible voice. This engaging and character-driven story about growing up and finding your place in the world will appeal to fans of Rebecca Stead and Rita Williams-Garcia.

Paperback, 288 pages

 Published April 10th, 2018

 by Greenwillow Books

****

I was first introduced to Erin Entrada Kelly with her Newberry award-winning book Hello, Universe. I loved her writing, her likable characters, and prose that kept me entertained.

You Go First touches on many relevant social issues - bullying, acceptance, divorce, and health that showed the struggle kids go through and how they dealt with them. With feelings of loneliness, guilt, and fear this book brings these issues to lite. This isn't a doom and gloom read, with the middle-grade reader as its targeted audience this adult found it comical at times, with an authentic plot and entertaining.

I can’t say if all issues are resolved by the end of the book, but then in real life it is a process, it’s the self-discovery and confidence that propels one forward a step at a time.

Definitely a book and author I recommend.

Review: Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes

In the wake of WWII, a grieving fisherman submits a poem to a local newspaper: a rallying cry for hope, purpose . . . and rocks. Send me a rock for the person you lost, and I will build something life-giving. When the poem spreads farther than he ever intended, Robert Bliss's humble words change the tide of a nation. Boxes of rocks inundate the tiny, coastal Maine town, and he sets his calloused hands to work, but the building halts when tragedy strikes.

 Decades later, Annie Bliss is summoned back to Ansel-by-the-Sea when she learns her Great-Uncle Robert, the man who became her refuge during the hardest summer of her youth, is now the one in need of help. What she didn't anticipate was finding a wall of heavy boxes hiding in his home. Long-ago memories of stone ruins on a nearby island trigger her curiosity, igniting a fire in her anthropologist soul to uncover answers.

 She joins forces with the handsome and mysterious harbor postman, and all her hopes of mending the decades-old chasm in her family seem to point back to the ruins. But with Robert failing fast, her search for answers battles against time, a foe as relentless as the ever-crashing waves upon the sea.

Paperback, 368 pages

Published April 30th 2019

by Bethany House Publishers

*****

Whose Waves Are These is an intricately woven story that was pictorial with a quaint setting and an interesting cast of characters.

Spanning many decades this book was written in dual time periods that had me captivated with both of them equally, and I’ll admit that isn’t always the case as I usually prefer one over the other.

This is the author’s debut and I was blown away when I found that out. She has a style that had me mesmerized with her attention to detail, everything fit into place and was there for a reason. The story of the rocks was unique and as everything began to click together it just made me love this book all the more. The characters were real and the plot emotional as the war leaves its mark on this little place called Ansel-by-The-Sea.

Whose Waves These Are is not just a story of secrets, heartache, and guilt, but also of forgiveness, hope, and healing. It's an emotional story that had me waiting a day or so before I could begin another book.

I anxiously await more books by Amanda Dykes and highly recommend this one.

Not only is this book part of my 2019 reading off my shelf challenge but also my best of 2019 list.

Review: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

In 1936, tucked deep into the woods of Troublesome Creek, KY, lives blue-skinned 19-year-old Cussy Carter, the last living female of the rare Blue People ancestry. The lonely young Appalachian woman joins the historical Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky and becomes a librarian, riding across slippery creek beds and up treacherous mountains on her faithful mule to deliver books and other reading material to the impoverished hill people of Eastern Kentucky.

 Along her dangerous route, Cussy, known to the mountain folk as Bluet, confronts those suspicious of her damselfly-blue skin and the government's new book program. She befriends hardscrabble and complex fellow Kentuckians, and is fiercely determined to bring comfort and joy, instill literacy, and give to those who have nothing, a bookly respite, a fleeting retreat to faraway lands.

 The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is a powerful message about how the written word affects people--a story of hope and heartbreak, raw courage and strength splintered with poverty and oppression, and one woman's chances beyond the darkly hollows. Inspired by the true and historical blue-skinned people of Kentucky and the brave and dedicated Kentucky Pack Horse library service, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek showcases a bold and unique tale of the Pack horse Librarians in literary novels — a story of fierce strength and one woman's belief that books can carry us anywhere — even back home.

 Paperback, 308 pages

Published May 7th 2019

by Sourcebooks Landmark

**** 1/2

My first novel by Kim Michelle Richardson was a revealing discovery in a part of history that is new to me. With a name like Troublesome Creek I honestly thought it was made up but low and behold it is a real place in the state of Kentucky. The year is 1936 and for most of this book, it honestly felt like the 1800s. The atmosphere was primitive and really showed a struggle for survival.

Between the Pack Horse Library Project (thanks to Roosevelt) and people that are actually blue, I was drawn right into this story with its unknown pieces of history. Cussy was a gutsy gal with her determination and drive to deliver books on time and connect with those she came in contact with on her trusty mule, Junia. Yes even Junia was a wonderfully player in this book. She isn’t much welcomed in town because the color blue is still not white, she is still colored and acceptance is impossible.

There are many layers to this slow-paced story and yes sometimes a slow-paced book is a great read. My first time reading Richardson and I loved her style. Her character development was spot on as was the setting. I mean I was nervous as Cussy rode mile after mile alone in the bush which is where Junia the mule shines through.

Her job as a librarian kept her going, her love of books was infectious. To read how the joys of a new book brought such happiness to people in the bleakest of situations confirmed Cussy of the importance of her job. But it was more than a job for Cussy, it was her life and I felt she would have done it whether paid or not, it was the people that kept her going.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is an emotional story, to know Cussy and see how she was treated was hard to read about. There were other aspects of this book that brought the era to life.

Definitely a book and author I recommend.

This book is part of my 2019 reading off my shelf challenge

Review: On a Summer Tide (Three Sisters Island #1) by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Sometimes love hurts--and sometimes it can heal in the most unexpected way.

 Camden Grayson loves her challenging career, but the rest of her life could use some improvement. "Moving on" is Cam's mantra. But there's a difference, her two sisters insist, between one who moves on . . . and one who keeps moving.

 Cam's full-throttle life skids to a stop when her father buys a remote island off the coast of Maine. Paul Grayson has a dream to breathe new life into the island--a dream that includes reuniting his estranged daughters. Certain Dad has lost his mind, the three sisters rush to the island. To Cam's surprise, the slow pace of island life appeals to her, along with the locals--and one in particular. Sam Walker, the scruffy island schoolteacher harbors more than a few surprises.

 With On a Summer Tide, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher begins a brand-new contemporary romance series that is sure to delight her fans and draw new ones.

 Paperback, 320 pages

Published April 30th, 2019

by Fleming H. Revell Company

****

This is the perfect beach read! An island off the coast of Maine plays central to the start of this series.

I can say now that Suzanne Woods Fisher is not a new author to me, I’ve read a number of her books and thoroughly enjoyed each of them. I didn’t realize this was the start of a new series and by the end of this book, I knew I wanted more. The island of Niswi Nummissis is Algonquian for Three Sisters and an impulse purchase for Paul convinces his daughter that he is losing it. Of course they come to the rescue and so begins the story.

I love the author's writing style, she placed me in the setting, gave me a wonderful tour of the island, I was introduced to wild and wacky characters along the way and now wish to stay a week or so at Camp Kicking Moose.

I have a feeling that each book will pertain to a different daughter and this time around it’s the oldest, Camden. With snippets to the past, the author showed how she grew to be the woman and mother she is. That being said the island works its magic on all three sisters, it would make a perfect book club read and enlist lots of discussion.

Some might find it a little predictable but there were a couple twists and turns I didn’t anticipate and the journey was nice.

This book is part of my 2019 reading off my shelf challenge.

Audio Review: The Bronze Horseman (The Bronze Horseman #1) by Paullina Simons

The golden skies, the translucent twilight, the white nights, all hold the promise of youth, of love, of eternal renewal. The war has not yet touched this city of fallen grandeur, or the lives of two sisters, Tatiana and Dasha Metanova, who share a single room in a cramped apartment with their brother and parents. Their world is turned upside down when Hitler's armies attack Russia and begin their unstoppable blitz to Leningrad.

 Yet there is light in the darkness. Tatiana meets Alexander, a brave young officer in the Red Army. Strong and self-confident, yet guarding a mysterious and troubled past, he is drawn to Tatiana—and she to him. Starvation, desperation, and fear soon grip their city during the terrible winter of the merciless German siege. Tatiana and Alexander's impossible love threatens to tear the Metanova family apart and expose the dangerous secret Alexander so carefully protects—a secret as devastating as the war itself—as the lovers are swept up in the brutal tides that will change the world and their lives forever.

Hardcover, 637 pages

Audiobook, Audible 30+ hours

Published September 8th, 2009

by William Morrow

***  1/2

Here is a book that has been getting rave reviews citing as an epic historical love story. It’s the love story part that had me hesitate to pick up and of course all the hype. In the end I grabbed the audiobook which comes in just over 30 hours. John Lee is the reader and he did a stellar job, though I wonder sometimes if his emotional presentation might have been over the top a few times (refers to comments below).

It’s 1941 when 17-year-old Tatiana’s story begins in Leningrad. The war is in full swing and this book gave a great glimpse of what was like for its citizens. What transpires is horrible and the author describes it authentically and with feeling. The characterization was spot on, those I loved, those I didn’t and I could feel the desperation. The plot played out nicely and I loved the uniqueness of the storyline.

Then I hit somewhere around the 50/60% mark and wham! Everything changed, now I’m not a prude, I get sex in books - when it’s warranted but jiminy cricket, a 100 or so pages of it was just way-way too much. I got the message the first time and really didn’t need to be hit over the head again and again. It changed my feeling for one of the characters, in a bad way - I could say more but that would send me into spoiler mode. I know I am going way against the flow with this one, so many 5 star reviews, but that disrupted the flow and I struggled to be invested like I was previously.

I really enjoyed the historical aspect a lot, it’s rare that I read much from the Russian side of the war so this was a treat. The last 10% picked up again, leaving a sequel necessary. In time I might read it but not right away.

This book was part of my 2019 reading of my shelf challenge.

Review: The Gilded Hour by Sara Donati

The year is 1883, and in New York City, it’s a time of dizzying splendor, crushing poverty, and tremendous change. With the gravity-defying Brooklyn Bridge nearly complete and New York in the grips of anti-vice crusader Anthony Comstock, Anna Savard and her cousin Sophie—both graduates of the Woman’s Medical School—treat the city’s most vulnerable, even if doing so may put everything they’ve strived for in jeopardy.

 Anna's work has placed her in the path of four children who have lost everything, just as she herself once had. Faced with their helplessness, Anna must make an unexpected choice between holding on to the pain of her past and letting love into her life.

 For Sophie, an obstetrician and the orphaned daughter of free people of color, helping a desperate young mother forces her to grapple with the oath she took as a doctor—and thrusts her and Anna into the orbit of Anthony Comstock, a dangerous man who considers himself the enemy of everything indecent and of anyone who dares to defy him.

  Hardcover, 741 pages

 Published September 1st 2015

 by Berkley

**** 1/2

Sara Donati wrote the Into The Wilderness Series and I loved it! Six big books to get lost in, that follow the lives of Nathaniel and Elizabeth Bonner. The Gilded Hour is a stand-alone but it continues many, many, many years later with descendants of the Bonner's.

One of first things I love is the blurb, there is no hint possibility of spoilers but just enough to whete the senses.

Originally I had planned on going the audio route but read it instead. I'm glad for that decision, not just for the number of characters but the many layers to this story. Sara Donati is a wonderful storyteller, her words put me right in New York City in the year 1883. Anthony Comstock is a real historical figure (as are a few others) and one unknown to me and I love reading about the past, learning the history and being served a great story.  As I said many layers here and without revealing too much The Gilded Hour is a story of mystery, suspense, perseverance, heartache and love.  It’s about relationships and a city that can’t take care of their own and those that step in to help.

The character development was spot on, getting to know not just Anna but other key players - seeing what made them tick and the unique personalities. A woman doctor was a rare thing and not easily accepted by some. Times are changing but not quickly enough for some and too quickly for others.

I had been hesitant to pick this up because of its size - 730 pages, but they flew by. With the sequel, Where the Light Enters, set to release September 10th, 2019 I knew it was time.  This book ended with some unresolved issues making a sequel necessary and I am truly grateful my wait won’t be as long as those that read this at its release.

Sara Donati is an author I highly recommend, especially to those that love an epic-sized series that takes the reader to different places.

This book is part of my 2019 Reading off my shelf challenge. 

Audio Review: The Cottingley Secret by Hazel Gaynor

The author of The Girl Who Came Home turns the clock back one hundred years to a time when two young girls from Cottingley, Yorkshire, convinced the world that they had done the impossible and photographed fairies in their garden. Now, in her newest novel, international bestseller Hazel Gaynor reimagines their story.

 1917… It was inexplicable, impossible, but it had to be true—didn’t it? When two young cousins, Frances Griffiths and Elsie Wright from Cottingley, England, claim to have photographed fairies at the bottom of the garden, their parents are astonished. But when one of the great novelists of the time, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, becomes convinced of the photographs’ authenticity, the girls become a national sensation, their discovery offering hope to those longing for something to believe in amid a world ravaged by war. Frances and Elsie will hide their secret for many decades. But Frances longs for the truth to be told.

 One hundred years later… When Olivia Kavanagh finds an old manuscript in her late grandfather’s bookshop she becomes fascinated by the story it tells of two young girls who mystified the world. But it is the discovery of an old photograph that leads her to realize how the fairy girls’ lives intertwine with hers, connecting past to present, and blurring her understanding of what is real and what is imagined. As she begins to understand why a nation once believed in fairies, can Olivia find a way to believe in herself?

Audio 10 hours, 9 minutes

Paperback, 383 pages

Published August 1st, 2017

by William Morrow

*** 1/2

I thought that Hazel Gaynor was a relatively new author for me, but in going back I see there are 3 of her books I have already read - see below for covers with links.  The Cottingley Secret piqued my interest not just for the stunning cover but the interesting plot. It's one of the treads in her books that I enjoy, those unknown pieces of history that make for unique stories.

Told in dual time periods the author takes us back to 1917 in a little place called Cottingley during World War 1. Drawing on real historical events and the story of 2 young girls and fairies, was it real or a hoax? Even the famous Sir Arthur Conan Doyle got involved (though only with cameos throughout).

I loved the quaint little villages, the easy way of life but with these smaller places everyone knows everyone and their story.

The current story is a journey for Olivia as she comes to grip with her future while discovering a past she knew nothing about. I enjoyed taking this journey with her as she came into her own.

The Cottingley Secret is a story of self-discovery, of secrets and friendship, it isn't filled with insta- love which I really appreciated.

Though I went with the audiobook I followed along with my print copy and is part of my 2019 reading off my shelf challenge:

Audio Review: The Beast's Garden by Kate Forsyth

A retelling of The Beauty and The Beast set in Nazi Germany 

 The Grimm Brothers published a beautiful version of the Beauty & the Beast tale called ‘The Singing, Springing Lark' in 1819. It combines the well-known story of a daughter who marries a beast in order to save her father with another key fairy tale motif, the search for the lost bridegroom. In ‘The Singing, Springing Lark,' the daughter grows to love her beast but unwittingly betrays him and he is turned into a dove. She follows the trail of blood and white feathers he leaves behind him for seven years, and, when she loses the trail, seeks help from the sun, the moon, and the four winds. Eventually, she battles an evil enchantress and saves her husband, breaking the enchantment and turning him back into a man.

 Kate Forsyth retells this German fairy tale as a historical novel set in Germany during the Nazi regime. A young woman marries a Nazi officer in order to save her father, but hates and fears her new husband. Gradually she comes to realize that he is a good man at heart, and part of an underground resistance movement in Berlin called the Red Orchestra. However, her realization comes too late. She has unwittingly betrayed him and must find some way to rescue him and smuggle him out of the country before he is killed.

 The Red Orchestra was a real-life organization in Berlin, made up of artists, writers, diplomats, and journalists, who passed on intelligence to the American embassy, distributed leaflets encouraging opposition to Hitler, and helped people in danger from the Nazis to escape the country. They were betrayed in 1942, and many of their numbers were executed.

 The Beast's Garden is a compelling and beautiful love story, filled with drama and intrigue and heartbreak, taking place between 1938 and 1943, in Berlin, Germany.

 Paperback, 512 pages

Audio, 16 hours, 21 minutes

 Published August 3rd, 2015

 by Random House Australia

****

 Kate Forsyth is one of my go to’s for fairy tale retellings based on historical events. This is also my second in as many months taking place inside Germany during the war.

 Beginning as Stormtroopers terrorized Germany on a night known as Night of Broken Glass (1938), life for the Jewish community changed forever.  Hilter's word cannot be trusted as treaties/promises are broken and turns against Germans he deems unfit. All told from inside the borders and through the eyes of a young woman struggling to make sense of the changes taking place. Especially when a Jewish family is like her own.

 This is my 3rd Forsyth book and again I was not disappointed, I went the audio route. Jennifer Vutetic is the reader - always a pleasure listening to her. Playing out with vivid detail and getting a real sense of what life was like for those in Germany during those terrible years Kate Forsyth has done her homework, drawing on real historical events and characters.  Vividly describing the horror and feeling the fear kept me attached to this audio.  While I didn't always feel the emotional connection between some of the players that did not take away from my enjoyment (though that does seem weird to say considering the subject matter).  But on the other hand, there were those at the mercy of the Nazis that just did what they could to survive - it was a horrible time, to say the least.

This is definitely a book I recommend, especially lovers of WW2 HF, also an author who brings stories to life.

click on covers to see what I thought of these two beauties

Review: The Corset by Laura Purcell

The new Victorian chiller from the author of, The Silent Companions.

 Is prisoner Ruth Butterham mad or a murderer?

Victim or villain?

 Dorothea and Ruth.

 Prison visitor and prisoner.

 Powerful and powerless.

 Dorothea Truelove is young, wealthy and beautiful. Ruth Butterham is young, poor and awaiting trial for murder.

 When Dorothea's charitable work leads her to Oakgate Prison, she is delighted with the chance to explore her fascination with phrenology and test her hypothesis that the shape of a person's skull can cast a light on their darkest crimes. But when she meets teenage seamstress Ruth, she is faced with another theory: that it is possible to kill with a needle and thread. For Ruth attributes her crimes to a supernatural power inherent in her stitches.

 The story Ruth has to tell of her deadly creations – of bitterness and betrayal, of death and dresses – will shake Dorothea's belief in rationality and the power of redemption. Can Ruth be trusted? Is she mad, or a murderer?

Paperback, 416 pages

Published May 2nd, 2019

by Raven Books

****

The Corset was released in the UK last year and set for a June 19th, 2019 release in North America titled The Poison Thread.

I ordered this from the UK because of the cover also since I was so enamored with Laura Purcell's previous book, The Silent Companions I was anxious to get my hands on this baby.

I love the blurb, it doesn’t give any of the story away but leaves much to the imagination, giving hints to an eerie Gothic tale of murder and mayhem with a touch of the supernatural...well maybe...

Told from alternating pov’s I was treated to scenes of Victorian England society from both sides of the fence. From the prim and proper to prison and low-class workers. From fancy dinner parties to those wondering if they will be fed just one meal a day. The author vividly illustrated the setting, both visually and emotionally.

I’ve never heard of phrenology before, and yes I did pull out a dictionary. What an original concept and the author pulled it off nicely.

The Corset is a story of guilt, injustice, and revenge, it’s a coming of age story as both women struggle in a society where women are meant to do as told and not think for themselves. Where their happiness depended on how obedient they were. Definitely a book and author I recommend.

This book is part of my ‘2019 reading off my shelf’ challenge.

click on cover to see my review

Audio Review: Duet by Kimberley Freeman

A story of passion, greed, secrets and lies.

Present day: A reclusive woman living in outback Australia receives a letter acknowledging a terrible secret from her past. Thirty years before, she stole another woman's life. From the moment the letter is opened two women are on a collision course with destiny.

From the London pop scene, to the opera stages of Europe; from a tiny Greek island, to a stifling manor house full of secrets and deceptions; from the sun-drenched Queensland coast, to the silent outback; Angela and Ellie are two women both looking for something. One in search of her identity and her memory; the other in search of the love that she had and lost; theirs is a duet whose last note will not be sung until the heart-stopping climax, when a shadow from the past returns to claim them both.

Trade Paperback 535 pages

Audiobook 19hours, 58 minutes

 Published January 1st 2007

 by Hachette Australia Trade Paperback

****

I have been a fan of Kimberley Freeman since reading Wildflower Hill and Evergreen Falls, an Australian author who reminds me of Kate Morton. Yes, that is right I said Kate Morton, those that know me know my feeling towards Kate Morton and it takes some mighty big shoes to come close to her.  But what can I say, if the shoe fits...

I think Duet might be one of Freeman's first books, there is a definite growth from this one to the 2 mentioned above.  Duet was an enjoyable read (listen - audiobook) with its mystery, suspense, and intrigue.  As you can read in the blurb there is a lot going on. Spanning many decades and reading from 3 different pov's I was trying to figure out the connections, guess at the outcome and walked my dog many miles waiting.  Seeing the different angles and getting to know these characters gave the plot more depth and added to the mystery. I did find it a little long in the middle and that did take some of the enjoyment away.  But already being familiar with the author kept me going and I was not disappointed.

Duet is a hard-to-find book in print but it is readily available at Audible

Review: Waves of Mercy (Waves of Mercy #1) by Lynn Austin

Geesje de Jonge crossed the ocean at age seventeen with her parents and a small group of immigrants from the Netherlands to settle in the Michigan wilderness. Fifty years later, in 1897, she's asked to write a memoir of her early experiences as the town celebrates its anniversary. Reluctant at first, she soon uncovers memories and emotions hidden all these years, including the story of her one true love.

 At the nearby Hotel Ottawa Resort on the shore of Lake Michigan, twenty-three-year-old Anna Nicholson is trying to ease the pain of a broken engagement to a wealthy Chicago banker. But her time of introspection is disturbed after a violent storm aboard a steamship stirs up memories of a childhood nightmare. As more memories and dreams surface, Anna begins to question who she is and whether she wants to return to her wealthy life in Chicago. When she befriends a young seminary student who is working at the hotel for the summer, she finds herself asking him all the questions that have been troubling her.

 Neither Geesje nor Anna, who are different in every possible way, can foresee the life-altering surprises awaiting them before the summer ends.

Paperback, 384 pages

 Published October 4th, 2016

 by Bethany House

*****

This is my second Lynn Austin book (Where We Belong was my first - click to see my review).  I was drawn to Waves of Mercy because of the location - my family hales from the Netherlands so any piece of HF I can get my hands on I grab. 

Told from 2 different points of view - one being 23-year-old Anna in 1897 and from Geesje who goes back to 1847 and relays her experiences traveling and being one of the first families to settle in Holland, Michigan. It's evident the author knows the area which came through in her writing.

With many layers, I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading this book.  I found the historical aspects enlightening, easy to not just visualize but feel the emotional struggles that occurred.  Not heavy on the romance side was a nice change but love, marriage, and family do play a big role here. The internal struggles both Anna and Geesje deal with was authentic, heartbreaking at times.  As the story unfolded I connected with these ladies, they were on a journey with faith and searching for answers playing center stage.  This is Christian HF and that played predominately.

Lynn Austin is fast becoming a favorite of mine for her interesting plots, locations off the beaten path and character development.  I highly recommend Waves of Mercy and hope to read its sequel, Legacy of Mercy over the summer.

This book is part of my '2019 reading off my shelf challenge'.

Audio Review: The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart by Holly Ringland

The most enchanting debut novel of 2018, this is an irresistible, deeply moving and romantic story of a young girl, daughter of an abusive father, who has to learn the hard way that she can break the patterns of the past, live on her own terms and find her own strength.

 After her family suffers a tragedy when she is nine years old, Alice Hart is forced to leave her idyllic seaside home. She is taken in by her estranged grandmother, June, a flower farmer who raises Alice on the language of Australian native flowers, a way to say the things that are too hard to speak. But Alice also learns that there are secrets within secrets about her past. Under the watchful eye of June and The Flowers, women who run the farm, Alice grows up. But an unexpected betrayal sends her reeling, and she flees to the dramatically beautiful central Australian desert. Alice thinks she has found solace until she falls in love with Dylan, a charismatic and ultimately dangerous man.

 The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart is a story about stories: those we inherit, those we select to define us, and those we decide to hide. It is a novel about the secrets we keep and how they haunt us, and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive. Spanning twenty years, set between the lush sugar cane fields by the sea, a native Australian flower farm, and a celestial crater in the central desert, Alice must go on a journey to discover that the most powerful story she will ever possess is her own.

Paperback, 400 pages

 Published March 19th, 2018 by

 HarperCollins Publishers Australia

***

I love reading books with Australia as the setting, I hope one day to visit this country, so for now I read about it.  Each chapter begins with a flower, it’s meaning, location and medicinal benefits which added an interesting perk and charm.

The Lost Flowers is a coming of age book for young Alice Hart, you can read from the blurb above all she goes through.  In my opinion, I think it gives too much of the story away and I'm glad I didn't read it before starting this book.  I spotted the audiobook on Audible and went that route, Louise Crawford did a great job reading this one.

With this opening sentence I was grabbed:

In the weatherboard house at the end of the lane, nine-year-old Alice Hart sat at her desk by the window and dreamed of ways to set her father on fire.

I wanted to love this book, I’m in the minority here with my feelings. My thoughts are rather mixed here.  The first third of the book was great, there was mystery and emotion. But things changed and seemed rushed on one hand and slow on the other. I found several central characters weren’t given enough time and others too much. I found myself confused at some of Alice’s actions confusing.

All that being said I’m still giving this book 3 stars for the great description of Australia and a story that I was curious to see how it would turn out. This is the author’s debut and will probably give her next book a read.

This book is part of my ‘2019 reading off my shelf challenge’.