The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton | Book Review

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Author, Kate Morton
Published, October 9, 2012
Publisher, Atria Books
Kindle edition, 597 pages

BOOK TRAILER:

DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS:
From the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of The Distant Hours, The Forgotten Garden, and The House at Riverton, a spellbinding new novel filled with mystery, thievery, murder, and enduring love.
During a summer party at the family farm in the English countryside, sixteen-year-old Laurel Nicolson has escaped to her childhood tree house and is happily dreaming of the future. She spies a stranger coming up the long road to the farm and watches as her mother speaks to him. Before the afternoon is over, Laurel will witness a shocking crime. A crime that challenges everything she knows about her family and especially her mother, Dorothy—her vivacious, loving, nearly perfect mother.
Now, fifty years later, Laurel is a successful and well-regarded actress living in London. The family is gathering at Greenacres farm for Dorothy’s ninetieth birthday. Realizing that this may be her last chance, Laurel searches for answers to the questions that still haunt her from that long-ago day, answers that can only be found in Dorothy’s past.
Dorothy’s story takes the reader from pre–WWII England through the blitz, to the ’60s and beyond. It is the secret history of three strangers from vastly different worlds—Dorothy, Vivien, and Jimmy—who meet by chance in wartime London and whose lives are forever entwined. The Secret Keeper explores longings and dreams and the unexpected consequences they sometimes bring. It is an unforgettable story of lovers and friends, deception and passion that is told—in Morton’s signature style—against a backdrop of events that changed the world. 

MY THOUGHTS:
This is the forth novel by Kate Morton that I have read and I can't believe that I waiting so long to get to it.  Her novels are quite lengthy and being sick and home alone was a perfect fit.  
I love the fact that her books are written in a dual narrative.  This one has the story of present day, the 1940s, and the 1960s.  Novels written in the time period of WWII happen to be some of my favorite historical fiction. 
I was not disappointed in the story.  Laurel witnessed a murder as a child and finally wants to know what really happened.  Her mother, Dorothy, know has dementia and can't be a lot of help.  But the story of Dorothy, Jimmy, and Vivien starts to come together.  I loved that I had some surprises in the end.  That is always a plus.  

The Look of Love by Sarah Jio | Book Review

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Author, Sarah Jio
Published, November 25th, 2014
Publisher, Plume
Kindle edition, 320 pages


DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS:
Born during a Christmas blizzard, Jane Williams receives a rare gift: the ability to literally see true love. Jane has emerged from an ailing childhood a lonely, hopeless romantic when, on her twenty-fifth birthday, she receives a card from the midwife who delivered her. Jane must identify the six types of love before the full moon following her thirtieth birthday, or face grave consequences. When Jane falls for a science writer who doesn’t believe in love, she fears that her fate is sealed. Inspired by the classic song, The Look of Love will utterly enchant Sarah Jio’s rapidly growing fanbase. 

MY THOUGHTS:
I am a HUGE Sarah Jio fan.  I have read all her books and follow her on facebook and instagram.  I might even be called a stalker.  Seriously - she never disappoints me.
This novel was a little different from her others.  All of her previous books work on a dual storyline. This novel is set entirely in modern day with the exception of the Preface.  There are mentions of the past and info given by others, but no dual storyline.  With that being said, it is still everything that a Jio fan could ask for.  Love, history, and mystery are still there for your enjoyment.
I read a lot of reviews that compare the plot to Love Actually.  In fact, it is a good compassion.  The story is mainly about Jane and her gift, but there are multiple love stories that are centered around her. Multiple loves stories and types of love.
I think that the basis of the book is great.  Jane having a magical gift that she was given at birth. The story plays out well and their is a true ending to each of the couples love stories.  And - - it was one of those books that I picked up and finished in one setting.  I started reading when I got in bed and the next thing I knew, it was 3 am and I was done.
If you are looking for a fast and easy read, be sure to pick it up.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are mine.

First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen | Book Review

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Author, Sarah Addison Allen
Published, expected January 20th, 2015 (Pre-Order HERE)
Publisher, St. Martin's Press
Kindle edition, 304 pages
Series, Waverley Family #2

BOOK TRAILER:

DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS: From the New York Times bestselling author of Garden Spells comes a story of the Waverley family, in a novel as sparkling as the first dusting of frost on new-fallen leaves... It's October in Bascom, North Carolina, and autumn will not go quietly. As temperatures drop and leaves begin to turn, the Waverley women are made restless by the whims of their mischievous apple tree... and all the magic that swirls around it. But this year, first frost has much more in store. Claire Waverley has started a successful new venture, Waverley’s Candies. Though her handcrafted confections—rose to recall lost love, lavender to promote happiness and lemon verbena to soothe throats and minds—are singularly effective, the business of selling them is costing her the everyday joys of her family, and her belief in her own precious gifts. Sydney Waverley, too, is losing her balance. With each passing day she longs more for a baby— a namesake for her wonderful Henry. Yet the longer she tries, the more her desire becomes an unquenchable thirst, stealing the pleasure out of the life she already has. Sydney’s daughter, Bay, has lost her heart to the boy she knows it belongs to…if only he could see it, too. But how can he, when he is so far outside her grasp that he appears to her as little more than a puff of smoke? When a mysterious stranger shows up and challenges the very heart of their family, each of them must make choices they have never confronted before. And through it all, the Waverley sisters must search for a way to hold their family together through their troublesome season of change, waiting for that extraordinary event that is First Frost. Lose yourself in Sarah Addison Allen's enchanting world and fall for her charmed characters in this captivating story that proves that a happily-ever-after is never the real ending to a story. It’s where the real story begins. 

MY THOUGHTS: This book was great!  Sarah Addison Allen has quickly become one of my favorite authors.  If you are not reading her due to the "magical" element of her books, you should.  I steer away from those novels most of the time and have to admit that I came upon The Peach Keeper by accident.  But, Allen has a wonderful way of adding just enough magic that it enhances the mystery of the story without overtaking it. If you have read Garden Spells, you will be in luck since this is the second novel in that series.  If you haven't (like myself, but I will now) that is fine too.  This story can stand alone but if you like to keep books in order, there is plenty of time to read Garden Spells before First Frost is available. The dynamic of the sister and mother/daughter relationship is very honest and believable.  The story is about, Bay, a teenage girl trying to deal with growing up and being from "that" family in town.  Sisters Sydney and Clair are dealing with all the built up craziness that comes with the first frost of the season.  Throw in a mysterious stranger in town and you have a recipe for success.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are mine.

Taken by Tuesday by Catherine Bybee | Book Review

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Author, Catherine Bybee
Published, August 12, 2014
Publisher, Montlake Romance
Kindle edition, 309 pages
Series, The Weekday Brides, #5

DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS:
Judy Gardner: College graduate Judy stands ready to conquer the world?if she can get a job. Hoping to transition from aspiring architect to famous architect as quickly as possible, the dark-haired beauty moves to LA, staying in the home of her celebrity brother, Michael Wolfe. But it's hard for Judy to focus on work when the sexy bodyguard she fell for last summer keeps showing up in her life and leaving her breathless.
Rick Evans: With his hard body, green eyes, and easy smile, Rick could have any woman he wants. But the Marine-turned- bodyguard only has eyes for Judy and her spitfire attitude. When a faceless villain attacks Judy, Rick will stop at nothing to protect the woman who opened his heart from the monster hunting her.

MY THOUGHTS:
This is another book in The Weekday Brides series.  I have not read these in order and while I think they would be great in order, they clearly can stand alone.  Also - I am still a little bothered that they are not written in day of the week order.  (Single by Saturday is before Taken by Tuesday)
This is a great romance between a girl and her bodyguard.  The chemistry is great and the fact that they both try to ignore what is happening is very entertaining.  This mixed with the fact there is a sense of danger with a stalker after Judy, leads to a great story.
But - I love the writing by Catherine Bybee and I will certainly read more by her and I recommend this series to anyone who likes easy to read romance.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are mine.

A June Bride by Marybeth Whalen | Book review

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Author, Marybeth Whalen
Published, May 27th, 2014
Publisher, Zondervon
Kindle edition, 64 pages
Series, A Year of Weddings

DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS:
It takes a reality TV show for Wynne to realize love isn't just a game.
Wynne Hardy never thought that she'd get engaged on a reality TV show, but when she met Andy on The Rejection Connection, the two of them hit it off.  Now he's asked her to marry him ,much to the public's delight and fascination.  They're all set to wed on live TV in a seaside ceremony at the height of the wedding season.  But just as Wynee thinks all her dreams are coming true, her ex-boyfriend walks back into her life at the worst possible time.  Steve broke her heart years ago, and she's still sorting through her feelings for him.  Her heart isn't as clear as her head that it's past time to move on - even though she's engaged to Andy.
At a local TV talk show apperance, Wynne meets Meredith, who won another reality TV show - - Marathon Mom - - proving herself nothing short of a superhero.  As Wynne's beach wedding plans spin out of control, Meredith offers to help, unknowingly stepping on Wynne's secret feeling...and exposing some secrets Meredith has been keeping to herself.  Can these two reality starts get real about their feelings?  Will Wynne go through with her televised wedding and be the perfect June bride the network is looking for?

MY THOUGHTS:
Reality television is such a big thing today and I thought it was a semi original idea to write and wedding themed book centered around it.  But, in the end, I think that the novella was a lost cause.  The novella itself was well written at times but had unresolved questions that lingered.
Wynne was not my favorite bride in this series.  She seemed to lack dimension and character development.  She was also very naive.
Since it was written from Wynne's point of view, we don't get to see what the other characters are really like or what they are thinking.  I think that their point of view would have been a huge help with the story.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are mine.

The Lollipop Monster's Christmas | Book Review

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Author, Eric T. Krackow, Heather M. Krackow
Published, September 28th, 2014
Publisher, Schiffer Publishing
Kindle edition, 64 pages

DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS:
Larry's favorite time of the year has arrived.  He races around his home trying to make everything perfect before his friends arrive for Christmas morning.  During the celebration, he discovers a lonely monster named Walter, who is very sad.  Larry asks him why he is sad and Walter explains that Christmas is a difficult time of the year because he is always alone and has no family.  Larry invites him to spend the holiday with him and his friends.  Walter shyly accepts the invitation and follow Larry back to him home.  Walter is welcomed by Larry's friends and ends up having the most merry Christmas ever.

MY THOUGHTS:
I love the illustrations in this book!  They are so colorful and festive.  Completely beautiful.
This is a great non-traditional Christmas book and non-scary monster story.  Larry the Lollipop Monster is so happy that it is Christmas and he is having a party with his friends.  But then he meets a sad monster that has never celebrated Christmas.  Larry finds out the true meaning of Christmas.  It is a great story to help children understand that Christmas is about more than food, gifts, and Santa.
It would be a great addition to your Christmas reading list.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are mine.

Book Review | The Frangipani Hotel by Violet Kupersmith

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Author, Violet Kupersmith
Published, April 1, 2014
Publisher, Spiegel & Grau
Kindle edition, 256 pages

DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS:
Violet wrote these unusually accomplished stories as an undergraduate at Mt. Holyoke College in an attempt to update the traditional Vietnamese ghost stories her grandmother had told her to incorporate the more relevant ghosts of the aftermath of the Vietnam War on a generation of displaced Vietnamese immigrants as well as those who remained in Vietnam. From the story about a beautiful young woman who shows up thirsty in the bathtub of the Frangipani Hotel in Saigon many years after her first sighting there to a young woman in Houston who befriends an old Vietnamese man she discovers naked behind a dumpster to a truck driver asked to drive a young man with an unnamed ailment home to die, to the story of two American sisters sent to Vietnam to visit their elderly grandmother who is not what she appears to be, these stories blend the old world with the new while providing a new angle of insight into the after-effects of the war.

MY THOUGHTS:
I am not Vietnamese, so I have no idea what a traditional Vietnamese ghost story is supposed to be.  But I love a good ghost story and also books with the Vietnam War as a back drop.  So - I decided to give this book a try.
I have to say that I really enjoyed it.  Not all of the stories were set in Vietnam but they all were written about Vietnamese characters.  Some of the stories are very scary.  More than I thought they would be.
I usually read novels, but it was great to read a collection of short stories.  The stories were well written, interesting, and completely enjoyable.  I am impressed that this is a first novel or a very young woman.
If you are looking for short stories, ghost stories, or just an interesting vacation from novels and love stories, pick this book up.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are mine.

The All You Can Dream Buffet by Barbara O'Neal | Book Review

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Author, Barbara O'Neal
Published, March 4, 2014
Publisher, Bantam
Kindle edition, 400 pages

DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS:
Popular blogger and foodie queen Lavender Wills reigns over Lavender Honey Farms:  a serene slice of organic heaven nestled in Oregon wine country. Lavender is determined to keep her legacy from falling into the profit-driven hands of uncaring relatives, and she wants an heir to sustain her life's work after she's gone.  So she invites her three closest online friends - fellow food bloggers, women of varied ages and background - out to her farm.  She hopes to choose one of them to inherit it - but who?
There's Ginny, the freckle-faced Kansas cake baker whose online writing is about to lead her out of a broken marriage and into a world of sensual delights.  And Ruby, young, pregnant, devoted to the organic movement, who's looking for roots - and the perfect recipe to heal a shattered heart.  Finally, Val, smart and sophisticated, a wine enthusiast who needs a fresh start for her teenage daughter after tragedy has rocked their lives.  Coming together will change the Foodie Four in ways they could never have imagined, uniting them in love and a common purpose.  As they realize that life doesn't always offer a perfect recipe for happiness, they also discover that the moments worth savoring are flavored with some tears, a few surprises, and a generous helping of joy. 

MY THOUGHTS:
Such a good story!!   I can see why Goodreads says that if you enjoy Kristin Hannah and Susan Wiggs, you will love Barbara O'Neal.  This is the first book that I have read by her and I am completely open to others in the future.
I loved that it is centered around four bloggers.  The older of the group is Lavender and she has invited the other three to her farm for her 85th birthday.  But one reason she wants them there is to decide which one of them she will leave the farm too.
The woman are all different and in different seasons of life.  By the time you finish reading you will feel like you know them all on a personal level.  Totally worth a read.


I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are mine.

The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain | Book Review

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Author, Diane Chamberlain
Published, expected October 7th, 2014
Publisher, St. Martin's Press
Kindle edition, 352 pages

DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS:
Riley MacPherson has spent her entire life believing that her older sister Lisa committed suicide as a teenager.  Now, over twenty years later, her father has passed away and she's in New Bern, North Carolina cleaning out his house when she finds evidence to the contrary.  Lisa is alive.  Alive and living under a new identity.  But why exactly was she on the run all those years ago, and what secrets are being kept now?  As Riley works to uncover the truth, her discoveries will put into question everything she thought she knew about her family.  Riley must decide what the past means for her present, and what she will do with her newfound reality.   

MY THOUGHTS:
I love Diane Chamberlain.  She never disappoints and I was so happy to receive an ARC of this book.
Most of the novels I have read by this author have had a developing love story at the center.  This one didn't.  At least not in the traditional sense. But it did her have talent for weaving a great mystery.  Every time I thought I had it figured out, she surprised me.
The main characters are Lisa and Riley.  We get to see what Lisa's life has been like all these years and also a good sense of what Riley's life is.  Both are very believable and they were written where you can clearly see why they made the decisions that they did.
We also have a few characters that are interesting in their own stories.  Riley's brother, the real estate lady, and the long time residents of the camp ground.  I love a few odd balls in the mix.
I think that if you are a fan of Chamberlain's The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes you will love The Silent Sister.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are mine.

Goodnight June by Sarah Jio | Book Review

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Author, Sarah JioKindle edition, 320 pages
Published, May 27th 2014 (expected)
Publisher, Plume

DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS:
The New York Times bestselling author of Blackberry Winter imagines the inspiration for Goodnight Moon
Goodnight Moon is an adored childhood classic, but its real origins are lost to history. In Goodnight June, Sarah Jio offers a suspenseful and heartfelt take on how the "great green room" might have come to be.
June Andersen is professionally successful, but her personal life is marred by unhappiness. Unexpectedly, she is called to settle her great-aunt Ruby’s estate and determine the fate of Bluebird Books, the children’s bookstore Ruby founded in the 1940s. Amidst the store’s papers, June stumbles upon letters between her great-aunt and the late Margaret Wise Brown—and steps into the pages of American literature.

MY THOUGHTS:

I was thrilled that I was able to get an advanced readers copy of this book.  I love Sarah Jio and have read all her novels.  She is able to combine everything that I love in each novel that she writes.  Mystery, family secrets, romance, historical fiction - - she has them all.

I love that the book is a take on how the idea for Goodnight Moon could have came to be.  It is wonderful to think that is the real way it happened.  It's a beautiful idea.

I loved June and everything that she did to keep Bluebird Books open.  Her entire life was turned upside down and she seemed to just roll with it.  It would be great if we could all be that way.

  You couldn't help to love Ruby.  Even if you didn't agree with all her choices, it was clear that she made them all out of love for her niece and her great love.

This was just a fantastic story.  The way Bluebird Books is described, I want to go there and buy another copy of Goodnight Moon. 

You can preorder a copy of Goodnight June here.  

It is important to note that I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in return for a honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are mine.  



The Girl Who Chased the Moon | Sarah Addison Allen

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Author, Sarah Addison Allen
Published, March 16, 2010
Publisher, Bantam
Hardcover, 269 pages

DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS:
In her latest enchanting novel, New York Times bestselling author Sarah Addison Allen invites you to a quirky little Southern town with more magic than a full Carolina moon. Here two very different women discover how to find their place in the world—no matter how out of place they feel.
Emily Benedict came to Mullaby, North Carolina, hoping to solve at least some of the riddles surrounding her mother’s life. Such as, why did Dulcie Shelby leave her hometown so suddenly? And why did she vow never to return? But the moment Emily enters the house where her mother grew up and meets the grandfather she never knew—a reclusive, real-life gentle giant—she realizes that mysteries aren’t solved in Mullaby, they’re a way of life: Here are rooms where the wallpaper changes to suit your mood. Unexplained lights skip across the yard at midnight. And a neighbor bakes hope in the form of cakes.
Everyone in Mullaby adores Julia Winterson’s cakes—which is a good thing, because Julia can’t seem to stop baking them. She offers them to satisfy the town’s sweet tooth but also in the hope of rekindling the love she fears might be lost forever. Flour, eggs, milk, and sugar . . . Baking is the only language the proud but vulnerable Julia has to communicate what is truly in her heart. But is it enough to call back to her those she’s hurt in the past?
Can a hummingbird cake really bring back a lost love? Is there really a ghost dancing in Emily’s backyard? The answers are never what you expect. But in this town of lovable misfits, the unexpected fits right in.

MY THOUGHTS:

I loved this book!  I have read two Sarah Addison Allen novels so far. - The Peach Keeper and Lost Lake.  Both had hints of magic and the unexplained but this book was completely magical.  The people, the town, everything.  And in a good way.

You see - I am not big on fantasy books or science fiction.  As far as I go is the Twilight series.  And I enjoyed it in movie form much more than reading it.  But Sarah is able to put things in a novel that are completely beyond your imagination and make it seem charming and magical.  I want to move Mullaby, NC.  I want to see these people and be friends with them.  Seriously.

The story is mainly about Emily and Julia.  Emily comes to live with the grandfather that she didn't know she had after the death of her mother.  Julia went to high school with Emily's mother and is only in town to get her father's restaurant sold before returning to her life away from Mullaby. 

The two end up being important and life changing to each other.

The story is truly wonderful and full of Southern charm, interesting characters and and makes me want to go out and get other Sarah Addison Allen as soon as possible.

The House Girl | Book Review

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Author, Tara ConklinPaperback, 400 pages
Published, November 5th, 2013
Publisher, William Morrow Paperbacks

DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS:
Virginia, 1852. Seventeen-year-old Josephine Bell decides to run from the failing tobacco farm where she is a slave and nurse to her ailing mistress, the aspiring artist Lu Anne Bell. New York City, 2004. Lina Sparrow, an ambitious first-year associate in an elite law firm, is given a difficult, highly sensitive assignment that could make her career: she must find the “perfect plaintiff” to lead a historic class-action lawsuit worth trillions of dollars in reparations for descendants of American slaves.
It is through her father, the renowned artist Oscar Sparrow, that Lina discovers Josephine Bell and a controversy roiling the art world: are the iconic paintings long ascribed to Lu Anne Bell really the work of her house slave, Josephine? A descendant of Josephine’s would be the perfect face for the reparations lawsuit—if Lina can find one. While following the runaway girl’s faint trail through old letters and plantation records, Lina finds herself questioning her own family history and the secrets that her father has never revealed: How did Lina’s mother die? And why will he never speak about her?
Moving between antebellum Virginia and modern-day New York, this searing, suspenseful and heartbreaking tale of art and history, love and secrets, explores what it means to repair a wrong and asks whether truth is sometimes more important than justice.  

MY THOUGHTS:
This book had been on my reading list since before it came out.  The description of the book reminded me of The Kitchen House and I always enjoy books from this time period.  I was lucky to see it available at my local used book store.  With my book credit and their great prices, I only paid $3.50 and that is something I can always appreciate. This book is written in a structure that I really like.  It has alternating chapters telling the story of Lina in the present time and Josephine in the 1850's.  It is also beautifully written and there seemed to be little fluff.  Everything is relevant and important pieces to the story.  Lina.  I grew to like Lina.  She is a young lawyer working for a cut throat firm.  Everything is about the win and the money.  Mostly cases involving business and not overly people related.  When the reparations case falls in her hands, she is a little surprised that it is something the firm agreed to work on.  Lina's father is an artist, as was her mother, and her mother has been gone since she was 4.  Lina has a lot of questions about her mother's death and her father is finally ready to talk to her about, twenty years later.  Josephine.  You can't help but love Josephine.  She is a slave and works as a house girl.  She is bright and pretty and has known no other life than that at Bell Creek.  She has an interesting relationship with her Missus.  Although she is a slave and being kept there as property, the Missus defies the law and teaches her to read and write.  She has her basic needs met and sleeps in the attic of the main house, not the slave quarters.  The two stories melt wonderfully into each other.  The mystery of finding out who created the paintings is interesting to follow.  And the idea of being able to prove the ancestry of a slave is amazing.  The story also gets you thinking about a time period in our history that people seem to want to forget.  It also makes you consider what is owed to the descendants of the slaves.  One of my favorite quotes, "Two hundred and fifty years of nameless, faceless, forgotten individuals.  Yes, they were America's founding fathers and mothers as mush as the bewigged white men who laid the whip upon their backs". Overall - I loved this book.  I would recommend it to anyone who likes Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, and books that make you think a little deeper into history.     

Astor Place Vintage | Book Review

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Author, Stephanie Lehmann
Published, June 11, 2013
Publisher, Touchstone
Kindle edition, 416 pages

DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS:
When a vintage clothing store owner in New York City discovers a journal from 1907, she finds her destiny at stake as the past and present collide.
The past has a seductive allure to Amanda Rosenbloom, especially when it comes to vintage clothing. She’s devoted to running her shop, Astor Place Vintage, but with Manhattan’s rising rents and a troubled economy, it’s tough to keep the business alive. Meanwhile, she can’t bring herself to end an affair with a man who really should be history. When Amanda finds a journal sewn into a fur muff she’s recently acquired for the shop, she’s happy to escape into the world of Olive Westcott, a young lady who lived in New York City one hundred years ago.
As Amanda becomes immersed in the journal, she learns the future appeals to Olive. Olive looks forward to a time when repressive Victorian ideas have been replaced by more modern ways of thinking. But the financial panic of 1907 thrusts her from a stable, comfortable life into an uncertain and insecure existence. She’s resourceful and soon finds employment, but as she’s drawn into the social circle of shopgirls living on the edge of poverty, Olive is tempted to take risks that could bring her to ruin. Reading Olive’s woes, Amanda discovers a secret that could save her future and keep her from dwelling in the past.
It’s Olive, however, who ends up helping Amanda, through revelations that come in the final entries of the journal. As the lives of these two women merge, Amanda is inspired to stop living in the past and take control of her future.

MY THOUGHTS:

I loved this book.  I am a big fan of Historical Fiction and this one was great.  It reminded me a lot of Sarah Jio novels in the way it alternates between two time periods showing that the present and the future connect.  It also had a little mystery to solve.  

It was written beautifully.  The characters were very real.  I loved that it gave you a true picture of what it would have been like to be Olive and Angelina and Sadie.  Women working in the early 1900's and trying to make a salary and still fit the role of a woman in those days.  It showed just how much and how little women were told about their own bodies and health. 

Olive is such a great character.  She is strong and ahead of her time in many ways.  Angelina is a wonderful pairing for her.  

Amanda is our woman in the present time.  Her life is complicated to say the least.  I love that the choices she makes seem like those that a real person would make.  All the characters have that in common making it a realistic group of woman to fall in love with.  

I would totally recommend it to anyone who enjoys Historical Fiction, romance with a little mystery, and Sarah Jio fans.  

When The Cypress Whispers | Book Review

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Author, Yvette Manessis Corporon
Hardcover, 368 pages
Published, April 1st, 2014
Publisher, Harper

SUMMARY:
The daughter of Greek immigrants, Daphne aspires to the American Dream, yet feels as if she's been sleepwalking through life. Caught between her family's old-world traditions and the demands of a modern career, she cannot seem to find her place.
Only her beloved grandmother on Erikousa, a magical island off the coast of Greece, knows her heart. Daphne's fondest memories are of times spent in the kitchen with Yia-yia, cooking and learning about the ancient myths. It was the thought of Yia-yia that consoled Daphne in the wake of her husband's unexpected death.
After years of struggling to raise her child and pay the bills, Daphne now has a successful restaurant, a growing reputation as a chef, and a wealthy fiance-everything she's ever wanted. But across the ocean, Yia-yia can see through the storybook perfection of Daphne's new life- and now she is calling her back to Erikousa. She has secrets about the past to share with her granddaughter- stories from the war, of loyalty and bravery in the face of death. She also has one last lesson to teach her: that security is not love, and that her life can be filled with meaning again.
MY THOUGHTS:
I loved the description of this book and was excited to get started.  I have to say that I was not disappointed. 
I loved the descriptions of the island that were provided by the author.  You could really get a sense of the island life and almost felt like you had been there.  The island is filled with history, mystery, and myth, making it completely magical. There were also great descriptions of the food that was made.  You could almost taste it.
The relationship between Yia-yia and Daphne is wonderful.  Yia-yia knows just what Daphne needs in her life and  the island is calling her back.  Daphne has fond memories of the island life and has decided to get married there.  Yia-yia still has secrets that she wants to share with her granddaughter.
I truly enjoyed this book.  I would recommend it to anyone looking for a sweet, real written, romance.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

 Yvette Manessis Corporon is an Emmy Award-winning writer, producer, and author. She is currently a senior producer with the syndicated entertainment news show Extra. In addition to her Emmy Award, Yvette has received a Silurian Award for Excellence in Journalism, and the New York City Comptroller and City Council’s Award for Greek Heritage and Culture. She is married to award-winning photojournalist David Corporon. They have two children and live in New York.
Find out more about Yvette at her website, follow her on Twitter, and connect with her on Facebook.

Clever Girl | Book Review

STATS
Author, Tessa Hadley
Paperback, 352 pages
Published, March 4th 2014
Publisher, Harper

SYNOPSIS
Tessa Hadley possesses the remarkable ability to transform the mundane into the sublime—an eye for the beauty, innocence, and irony of ordinary lives that elevates domestic fiction to literary art. In Clever Girl, she offers the indelible story of one woman’s life, unfolded in a series of beautifully sculpted episodes that illuminate an era, moving from the 1960s to today.
Written with the celebrated precision, intensity, and complexity that have marked her previous works, Clever Girl is a powerful exploration of family relationships and class in modern life, witnessed through the experiences of an Englishwoman named Stella. Unfolding in a series of snapshots, Tessa Hadley’s involving and moving novel follows Stella from childhood, growing up with her single mother in a Bristol bedsit, into the murky waters of middle age.
It is a story vivid in its immediacy and rich in drama—violent deaths, failed affairs, broken dreams, missed chances. Yet it is Hadley’s observations of everyday life, her keen skill at capturing the ways men and women think and feel and relate to one another, that dazzles, pressing us to exclaim with each page, Yes, this is how it is.

MY THOUGHTS
I always feel horrible when I receive a book to review and I end up not enjoying it, but that is exactly what happened here.  I started the book a few different times before being able to finish.  I never became engrossed in the story or felt driven to finish.  I was never able to relate to Stella and honestly wasn't sure what the point of the book was. 
Basically, Stella is telling you her history from her adult point of view.  It starts with her childhood in England where she grows up in the 1960s and 1970s.  She She seems to have a fairly interesting childhood, but the remainder of the book is not.  In fact, I was bored.  Stella has an ordinary life of friends, loves, jobs, and then becomes a mother.  I just found nothing remarkable.

It is important to note that I received this book via TLC Book Tours in return for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are mine.

Please check out the other stops on the tour here for other reviews and opinions.

The Wives of Los Alamos | A Book Review

STATS:
Author, Tarashea NesbitPublished, February 25, 2014
Publisher, Bloomsbury USA
eBook, 240 pages

Description on Goodreads:
Their average age was twenty-five. They came from Berkeley, Cambridge, Paris, London, Chicago—and arrived in New Mexico ready for adventure, or at least resigned to it. But hope quickly turned to hardship as they were forced to adapt to a rugged military town where everything was a secret, including what their husbands were doing at the lab. They lived in barely finished houses with a P.O. box for an address in a town wreathed with barbed wire, all for the benefit of a project that didn’t exist as far as the public knew. Though they were strangers, they joined together—adapting to a landscape as fierce as it was absorbing, full of the banalities of everyday life and the drama of scientific discovery.

And while the bomb was being invented, babies were born, friendships were forged, children grew up, and Los Alamos gradually transformed from an abandoned school on a hill into a real community: one that was strained by the words they couldn’t say out loud, the letters they couldn’t send home, the freedom they didn’t have. But the end of the war would bring even bigger challenges to the people of Los Alamos, as the scientists and their families struggled with the burden of their contribution to the most destructive force in the history of mankind.
The Wives of Los Alamos is a novel that sheds light onto one of the strangest and most monumental research projects in modern history, and a testament to a remarkable group of women who carved out a life for themselves, in spite of the chaos of the war and the shroud of intense secrecy.

My Thoughts:

I was really looking forward to this book.  I love Historical Fiction as well as Historical accounts of WWII.  It is one of my favorite time periods to read about.  With that being said, I did not enjoy this book.  It was nothing like what I expected.

This book is written in first person plural.  What that means is that the narrator is "we".  It was told as if this group of women was "we".  After a few pages I really thought that the real book would start.  I was looking for people.  People with names and lives and relationships.  That is not what I got.

I did learn a few things and was able to get a good idea of what it might have been like to be one of these ladies.  And maybe that was the entire point.  But overall it just made me mad.  I couldn't get over the style of writing and desperately wanted first person accounts.

It is important to note that I received this book via NetGalley in return for a honest review.  All opinions and views are mine.

The Stillness of Chimes | Book Review

STATS:
Author, Meg MoseleyPublished, February 18, 2014
Publisher, Multnomah
Paperback, 352 pages

Description from Goodreads:
When Laura Gantt returns to Georgia to handle her late mother's estate, she hears a startling rumor---that her father staged his drowning years ago and has recently been spotted roaming the mountains.

With the help of her former high school sweetheart, Laura searches for the truth. But will what they find destroy their rekindled feelings?

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book and the closer I cam to the end, the faster I wanted to read.  It has the perfect combination of love and mystery.  And I really didn't see parts of the ending coming before they happened.  I like it when a book is able to surprise me a little.

The character of Laura is wonderful.  I love that she can still have love and forgiveness for parents and for those that she discovered played a huge part in life.  Some of those, she never knew where such a big part.

Laura and Sean were school friends and sweethearts.  Sean was pretty much taken in by her father after his own abusive father went to jail.  Sean thought that he and Laura would be together forever but her father drowning changed it all. 

Now Laura's mother is also dead and she comes home to tie up the estate.  Little does she know that there are rumors that her dad never drowned.  In fact, people say that he disappeared out of choice.  If true, it could change everything that Laura believed to be true.

I loved finding out if her father was truly alive.  And if she and Sean could ever get back what they lost.  And if her parents had major secrets that she didn't know about.  And of course, what in the world was going on with Ardelle.  I would totally recommend it.

I received this book from Blogging For Books in return for a honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are mine. 

Lydia's Party | Book Review

STATS:
ebook, 304 pages
Author, Margaret Hawkins
Published, January 23, 2014
Publisher, Viking Adult

DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS:
 Lydia is having a party—it’s a party she hosts every year for six women friends who treasure the midwinter bash. Over a table laden with a feast of food and wine, the women revel in sharing newsy updates, simmering secrets, and laughter. As this particular evening unfolds, Lydia prepares to make a shattering announcement.
As we follow these friends through their party preparations, we meet flawed but lovable characters who are navigating the hassles of daily chores while also meditating in stolen moments on their lives, their regrets, their complicated relationships, and their deepest desires. When Lydia’s announcement shocks them all, they rediscover the enduring bonds of friendship and find their lives changing in unexpected ways.
Tender, wryly funny, and exquisitely written, Lydia’s Party poignantly considers both the challenges of everyday life and of facing our fears while creating characters whose fears, foibles, and feistiness will capture readers’ hearts.  

MY THOUGHTS:

This book was different from anything that I ever read.  The cover is beautiful and was what caught my attention and the description seemed like something I would enjoy. 

It took me until I had read half the story to really start to understand the purpose and I don't think that you can completely understand until you finish the book. 

What I loved is that the story is about seven women.  You get a good idea of what their lives are like not only now, but also around the time that Lydia met them.  But in my opinion, there are three that really stand out above the others.  Lydia, of course, Celia, and Norris.  Lydia writes lists all the time.  Lists about everything, but in the book she is making lists about regrets, things she hasn't done, and things that she wished she had done more.  It really gets you to think about your own life.  Which is something that all the women do to some extent. 

Over all it was very enjoyable.  Part Four was a great way to show that ties with people last longer than the person itself.  I do believe that it would be better read and understood by the 35 and up demographic. 

 

It is important to note that I received this book via NetGalley in return for a honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are mine. 

A Life Apart | Book Review

STATS:
Author, L.Y. Marlow
eBook, 400 pages
Published, April 22, 2014
Publisher, Broadway Books

DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS:
When Morris Sullivan joins the navy in 1940, his hopes are high. Though he leaves behind his new wife and their baby daughter, he is thrilled to be pursuing his lifelong dream-only to be shipped off to Pearl Harbor when the war begins. When he narrowly survives the 1941 attack, thanks to the courage of a black sailor he doesn't know, Morris is determined to seek out the man's family and express his gratitude and respect. On leave, he tracks down the man's sister, and finds an immediate, undeniable connection with the nurturing yet fiercely independent Beatrice, who has left the stifling South of her upbringing for the more liberal, integrated north.
Though both try to deny their growing bond, their connection and understanding is everything missing from Morris's hasty marriage to his high school sweetheart Agnes, and from Beatrice's plodding life as she grieves the brother she has lost. At once a family epic, and a historical drama that takes readers from World War II through the Civil Rights Movement to the present day, A Life Apart is about a love that creates complicated and unbreakable ties between two families that live worlds apart. L.Y. Marlow brings readers along for the emotional journey as Morris and Beatrice's relationship is tested by time, family loyalties, racial tensions, death, unending guilt, and the profound effects of war.

 MY THOUGHTS: I love historical fiction and this was a very interesting story that covers a huge time span from the 1940's to the 1980's.  Morris Sullivan is a main character.  He is young, married, a father, and goes off to fight in WWII.  He is saved by a black soldier during the attack on Pearl Harbor.  He goes to met this man's family and that is were the trouble, and the love story, begin.  He falls in love with the other soldier's sister. Parts of the story were hard to read and even harder to understand if you didn't live during the Civil Rights movement.  I found myself getting mad at the characters and the situations.  I had to remind myself that was a different time and things were not easy. Over all, I enjoyed it and was able to understand the decisions made by the characters.   It is important to note that I received this book via NetGalley in return for a honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are mine.

Lost Lake | Book Review

STATS:
Author, Sarah Addison AllenPublished, January 21, 2014
Publisher, St. Martin's Press
eBook, 304 pages

BOOK TRAILER

DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS:

Suley, Georgia, is home to Lost Lake Cottages and not much else. Which is why it's the perfect place for newly-widowed Kate and her eccentric eight-year-old daughter Devin to heal. Kate spent one memorable childhood summer at Lost Lake, had her first almost-kiss at Lost Lake, and met a boy named Wes at Lost Lake. It was a place for dreaming. But Kate doesn't believe in dreams anymore, and her Aunt Eby, Lost Lake's owner, wants to sell the place and move on. Lost Lake's magic is gone. As Kate discovers that time has a way of standing still at Lost Lake can she bring the cottages—and her heart—back to life? Because sometimes the things you love have a funny way of turning up again. And sometimes you never even know they were lost . . . until they are found.

MY THOUGHTS:

I loved this book. It was one of those that I had trouble putting down. I couldn't wait to see what happened next. In fact, I read it all in one day.

The characters are wonderful. They are all very well formed and enjoyable. I loved the fact that back stories were given on the characters to explain why they ended up they way they are. It also helped to understand where Kate comes from a little better.

Kate comes from a long line of grieving, money hungry women. And now that she is a widow, her mother in law is taking charge of her and her daughter. Kate finds a postcard from her great aunt. A postcard that she never received as a child because her mother and her aunt were not getting along. She decides it is the perfect time to get away. She has great memories of Lost Lake being a happy place and the best summer of her life. It was also the summer of her first young romance.

Her aunt, Eby, is still at Lost Lake but is getting ready to sell. The longtime summer guests start to arrive and Kate remembers them also. Lost Lake is special to so many people. And it doesn't take long for Kate to see that it is something bigger than she ever knew.

I also was able to get the short story that goes along with this book. It is offered for free on Amazon, Waking Kate. It was also very enjoyable.

Be sure to get it also. I think you will like it.  

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

New York Times Bestselling novelist Sarah Addison Allen brings the full flavor of her southern upbringing to bear on her fiction -- a captivating blend of magical realism, heartwarming romance, and small-town sensibility. Born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina, in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Allen grew up with a love of books and an appreciation of good food (she credits her journalist father for the former and her mother, a fabulous cook, for the latter). In college, she majored in literature -- because, as she puts it, "I thought it was amazing that I could get a diploma just for reading fiction. It was like being able to major in eating chocolate." After graduation, Allen began writing seriously. Her big break occurred in 2007 with the publication of her first mainstream novel, Garden Spells, a modern-day fairy tale about an enchanted apple tree and the family of North Carolina women who tend it. Booklist called Allen's accomplished debut "spellbindingly charming." The novel became a Barnes & Noble Recommends selection, and then a New York Times Bestseller. Allen continues to serve heaping helpings of the fantastic and the familiar in fiction she describes as "Southern-fried magic realism." Clearly, it's a recipe readers are happy to eat up as fast as she can dish it out. Her published books to date are: Garden Spells (2007), The Sugar Queen (2008), The Girl Who Chased the Moon (2010), The Peach Keeper (2011) and the upcoming Lost Lake, to be published January 21, 2014. It is important to note that I received this book through NetGalley in return for a honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine.